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Context Recap / CommunityS4E03ConventionsOfSpaceAndTime

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1[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/community-267_2336.jpg]]
2[[caption-width-right:350:[=InspectiCon=] here we come!]]
3
4The study group ventures forth to an ''JustForFun/InspectorSpacetime'' fan convention, called [=InspectiCon=].
5
6While Troy and Abed's friendship seems endangered when Abed meets his pen pal Toby Weeks (Creator/MattLucas), another passionate fan of the series, the rest of the group has their own troubles. Jeff meets up with an attractive woman (Creator/TriciaHelfer) at the bar, which seems not to go over too well with Annie.
7
8----
9!! The ''Series/{{Community}}'' episode "Conventions of Space and Time" provides examples of:
10* FourOneNineScam: Played with. Abed's internet friend Toby is a banker who works in Nigeria. He had financial difficulties so Abed sent him 700 pounds and a plane ticket. Britta is about to break the news to Abed that he was scammed when Toby shows up and gives Abed back his money. He then complains that of all the people he contacted, only Abed was willing to help.
11* ActorAllusion:
12** Toby is played by Matt Lucas, most famous for being half of the duo that star in ''Series/LittleBritain'', with the other half being David Walliams. Now, what did Toby say was the name of his best friend who couldn't come to the convention...?
13** Annie is shown to have a ''Film/CharlieStCloud'' movie poster in her bedroom, which stars Annie's in-universe [[CelebrityCrush crush]] Creator/ZacEfron but also actress [[Creator/AlisonBrie Alison Brie]]'s real-life now-husband Creator/DaveFranco (who she had recently begun dating at the time).
14** The American remake of ''Inspector Spacetime'' casts Creator/LukePerry as the titular Inspector and Creator/JennieGarth as his sexy Constable whom he has sexual tensions with. Perry and Garth play the OfficialCouple of ''Series/BeverlyHills90210''.
15* BaitAndSwitch: Jeff is troubled that Annie evidently acquired some of his hair for her staged domestic fantasy but his primary concern seems to be whether [[PrematurelyBald it had been falling out without his realizing]].
16* BitchInSheepsClothing: Toby at first seems to be an awkward nerd, on the same wavelength as Abed. He even honorably pays back the 700 pounds he needed. Then he weaponizes Abed's claustrophobia when the latter says that he wants Troy and Toby in his life together, rather than hanging out solely with Toby; Toby grabs Abed and shoves him in an Inspector Spacetime phone booth to break his spirit.
17* BrickJoke: Pierce's [[ViewersAreMorons low-brow suggestions]] in the ''Inspector Spacetime'' focus group pay off in TheTag, much to Abed's dismay.
18* BuildingSwing: Britta swings around the corner of the building to the fire escape.
19* CallBack:
20** Pierce reads [[Recap/CommunityS4E02ParanormalParentage "blonde with long legs and a tennis racket"]] out of his little "burnt umber" book.
21** When he is locked in the booth, Abed begins his high-pitched whine. In previous episodes, this preceded a HeroicBSOD requiring assistance. Abed is able to calm himself.
22** Abed refers to his [[Recap/CommunityS3E16VirtualSystemsAnalysis "long history of being locked in things"]].
23** [[Recap/CommunityS3E05HorrorFictionInSevenSpookySteps Troy and Abed are fused together]] in the Gluon Chamber souvenir photo.
24* TheCameo: Creator/LukePerry and Jennie Garth respectively play the Inspector and his Constable in the [[ForeignRemake American remake]] of ''JustForFun/InspectorSpacetime'' shown in TheTag.
25* CelebCrush:
26** Annie has one on Creator/ZacEfron.
27** Creator/TriciaHelfer's character has one on the fictional actor who portrays Thoraxis (whom she mistakes Jeff as due to their [[CelebrityResemblance uncanny resemblance]]).
28* CelebrityResemblance: Troy and Abed wait until the group is at the Con to gleefully [[TheReveal reveal]] that Jeff looks like the actor playing Thoraxis.
29* CharacterDevelopment:
30** Rather than let Troy and Britta's relationship affect his attitude, Abed decides to look for other friends to expand his social circle. Then when said friend exploits his claustrophobia to lock him in a DARSIT, Abed calms himself down long enough for Troy to rescue him.
31** Britta here is more empathetic towards Abed, owing to their therapy sessions. She is also not jealous of the friendship Troy and Abed have.
32* ClingyJealousGirl: Troy tries to fight his impulse to be this toward Abed.
33* ContinuityNod:
34** In [[Recap/CommunityS2E03ThePsychologyofLettingGo "The Psychology of Letting Go"]], while Annie and Britta were fighting, Annie accused Britta of "getting up an hour early to ever so slightly curl [Britta's] hair." In this episode's scene where Britta is changing into her clothes outside of the apartment, Annie hands her a curling iron through the window.
35** Annie's initial crush on Troy is referenced when he is mentioned among her list of men she dreamed of marrying.
36** In [[Recap/CommunityS3E10RegionalHolidayMusic "Regional Holiday Music"]], Abed describes the SoBadItsGood Inspector Spacetime Holiday Special. Not only is it brought up in this episode in a discussion between Abed and Toby, but the creator of the episode (recognizable because he apparently had his knighthood revoked) appears in the credits in Shirley and Pierce's focus group.
37* DirtyCoward: Toby immediately leaves Troy & Abed alone when he learns Troy can make a fist.
38* EiffelTowerEffect: (In TheTag) San Francisco, must mean we're within sight of the Golden Gate Bridge.
39* EventTitle: Referring to the episode's FanConvention setting.
40* EveryoneHasStandards: Jeff tells Annie that, if they were ever married, he would never cheat on her in a hotel. That's what his father did to his mother, after all, and he doesn't want to emulate the former.
41* EvilIsHammy:
42** Toby gets a lot hammier upon locking Abed into a DARSIT.
43** Thoraxis, a villain in Inspector Spacetime, was clearly written this way.
44* {{Fanservice}}:
45** We start out the episode with Troy and Britta in bed together; then we get a long shot of Britta in her underwear making her way to Annie's room while dressing herself.
46** The episode also has yet another ShirtlessScene for Jeff.
47* FanConvention: [=InspectiCon=], duh.
48* {{Fauxreigner}}: Jeff pretends to be Nigel Cuthbertson, Thoraxis's British actor, to flirt with an attractive fan... complete with an [[UsefulNotes/BritishAccents atrocious Cockney accent]]. (Further winked at when the fan tells Jeff off by saying that the "American accent" he switched into [[RealityIsUnrealistic isn't remotely convincing]].)
49* FreezeFrameBonus: The name of the episode's real life writer appears on the pilot for the american remake (the one shown to the focus group that includes Pierce and Shirley).
50* FoodSlap: Jeff gets two drinks thrown in his face. Annie tries to then throw two drinks in his face simultaneously, but they're the same (now empty) cups from the first two times, prompting her to bashfully order more drinks.
51* TheForeignSubtitle: The planned American version of ''Inspector Spacetime'' is titled ''Epochs of Eternity: Inspector Spacetime''.
52* FunnyBackgroundEvent:
53** The hotel staff is very supportive when Annie confronts Jeff.
54** Britta gets a gaggle of nerds following her.
55** When Abed expresses his distaste to the changes Pierce had made to ''Inspector Spacetime'', Britta & Shirley can be seen nodding in the background.
56** When Abed is trapped in the booth, you can see postcards with a GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe lying in a suggestive pose.
57* GreenEyedMonster:
58** Annie's apparent reaction to Jeff flirting with another woman; she later claimed it was just to keep up the act that she's his wife with the staff.
59** Troy also goes "psycho girlfriend" in reaction to his anxieties of Abed leaving him.
60* HandshakeRefusal: Toby ignores Troy's extended hand, and Troy plays it off by brushing his hair. Britta also brushes her hair sympathetically.
61* HeldGaze: Jeff and Annie on the couch during the "If we were married...." conversation.
62* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Britta tells Troy the "if you love someone, set them free" cliche regarding Abed and Toby, but she's also referring to herself. As she puts it, however, she's not interested in Inspector Spacetime, and sharing Troy with Abed is something she can do.
63* KneelBeforeZod: "Bow before Thoraxis!" The con attendees obey. Even Pierce lies prone.
64* KnuckleCracking: Troy audibly cracks his knuckles when making a fist to threaten Toby.
65* AMatchMadeInStockholm: Toby resorts to this after Abed sees through his ruse.
66* MistakenForCheating: The hotel staff believe Jeff is married to Annie and cheating on her. Jeff emphasizes that he would not cheat if they were married.
67* MsFanservice: The "leggy blonde with the tennis racket" in the American remake of Inspector Spacetime.
68* MyOwnGrampa: The American Inspector must impregnate his own grandmother. According to Abed and Toby, the original Inspector Spacetime is both his own grandfather and grandmother.
69* NotSoAboveItAll: Jeff, who had previously called the convention lame, finally has fun at [=InspectiCon=] at the end, by uttering Thoraxis' immortal line.
70* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: When Britta gets confrontational about the (unpopular) female Inspector to Abed, after a moment of tension Abed -- claiming that he is trying to be more relaxed about such matters -- cheerfully replies that everyone is entitled to their opinion. Troy begins to panic.
71* OohMeAccentsSlipping: Jeff claims that he needs to practice his American accent so that he can stop faking a British one.
72* OpenSecret: Troy and Britta are having sex. Abed knew, even though they went to extremes to hide it. He just likes Britta bringing donuts when she "drops in" every morning.
73* OutOfCharacterMoment: Parodied when Jeff tells the group to get their cameras ready because they'll "only see this once" before he rips his shirt open (considering how many times throughout the series he [[MrFanservice finds an excuse to bare his torso]]).
74* PersonAsVerb:
75** Abed asks for Toby's permission to "Winger" him for a moment (used in the sense of giving an epiphany speech).
76--->'''Toby''': Sure. I don't know what that means, but...
77** Troy and Britta have a conversation that's all the more touching for the number of times that Britta's name has been derisively verbed:
78--->'''Troy:''' I screwed it up. Classic Troy.
79--->'''Britta:''' That's okay; it happens to [[Recap/CommunityS3E18CourseListingUnavailable the best]] of us.
80* PrematurelyBald: Jeff is ''very'' concerned about how Annie acquired his hair.
81* RedOniBlueOni:
82-->'''Abed''': Maybe all relationships are made up of logical Inspectors and emotional Constables and we need both to make space and time a better place.
83* RunningGag:
84-->'''Annie:''' "You're on your own, Al Capone."
85* ShipTease:
86** Abed[=/=]Troy - Britta warns Troy about Toby: "That dude is trying to steal your boyfriend."
87** Jeff & Annie's entire subplot - First, they're planning to go skiing whilst Troy, Abed & Britta were at the Inspector Spacetime convention. The ski resort being closed leads to a bored Annie pretending to be married to Jeff, and she later admits to have pretend-married Jeff a number of times; whilst Jeff tells Annie that if they were married, she'd never find him flirting with some random girl at a bar.
88* TheScrappy: InUniverse--there was a much-maligned female Inspector, Minerva. [[SoapboxSadie Since Britta is present]], Abed is quick to point out that she isn't hated for being ''female'', she's hated for sucking.
89* ShirtlessScene:
90** Jeff rips open his shirt and delivers Thoraxis's catchphrase.
91** Troy is shirtless in bed with Britta in the opening scene.
92* ShoutOut:
93** Obviously, several to ''Series/DoctorWho'' dressed as things from ''Inspector Spacetime''. For example, the [[Recap/DoctorWhoS13E3PyramidsOfMars Pharaohbots]]. The episode also shows a different version of the quantum spanner (based on the sonic screwdriver) than the one seen [[Recap/CommunityS3E16VirtualSystemsAnalysis last time]].
94*** It even references the Sixth Doctor strangling Peri of all things!
95*** And how [[Recap/DoctorWhoTVMTheTVMovie the US Version of Doctor Who]] was also set in San Francisco.
96** Troy thinks Abed finding out he's sleeping with Britta will lead to Abed having a breakdown that can only be solved by re-enacting ''Film/FantasticVoyage'', which he realizes he would actually like.
97** Annie has had many marriage fantasies with Jeff, Troy, and Creator/ZacEfron. A ''Film/CharlieStCloud'' poster is visible in her bedroom.
98** [[KneelBeforeZod "Bow before Thoraxis!!"]]
99*** Given that Inspector Spacetime is based on Series/DoctorWho, it could be in reference to [[Recap/DoctorWhoS13E3PyramidsOfMars "Kneel before the might of Sutekh!"]]
100** The much-hated female inspector may be a nod to how many ''Franchise/StarTrek'' fans feel about [[Series/StarTrekVoyager Captain Janeway]].
101** The fan Jeff flirts with is Creator/TriciaHelfer of ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}'' fame (slightly hard to recognize with her naturally darker hair).
102* ShowWithinAShow: ''JustForFun/InspectorSpacetime'' is the subject of the entire episode.
103* {{Squee}}: All over the place. Troy and Abed are obviously hyped for the ''Inspector Spacetime'' convention, while Annie is very giddy when she's called "Mrs. Winger".
104* StylisticSuck:
105** The American version of ''Inspector Spacetime'' after Pierce's input. The little we see is full of [[ViewersAreGoldfish excessively]] [[AsYouKnow explanatory dialogue]], BadBadActing, terrible innuendo, and [[NostalgiaAintLikeItUsedToBe outright worship of the 1960s]].
106** The 1960s version of the British ''Inspector Spacetime'' continues its proud tradition of somehow managing to look even cheaper than [[Series/DoctorWho the show that inspired it]].
107* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial[=/=]BlatantLies: "I'm not psycho!"
108* TakeThat:
109** A rather unsubtle one to the new run of ''Series/DoctorWho'', where the Inspector states that "we can go anywhere, at any time in the universe! ...But it'll probably be London during the Blitz" -- a reference to the common fan complaint that the Doctor can go anywhere, at any time in the universe... but keeps going to [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E9TheEmptyChild Great]] [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E10TheDoctorDances Britain's]] "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E3VictoryOfTheDaleks Finest]] [[Recap/DoctorWho2011CSTheDoctorTheWidowAndTheWardrobe Hour]]".
110** ''Epochs of Eternity'' is one to every TransatlanticEquivalent that manages to completely bastardize the original show in the process, and the producers who miss the point of why the original show is popular to begin with.
111* TitleOnlyOpening: This is only the second episode after Season 1 to use the short version of the standard opening theme. Its last appearance was in Season 2's [[Recap/CommunityS2E08CooperativeCalligraphy "Cooperative Calligraphy"]].
112* TranquilFury: Abed's reaction to the effects of Pierce's input on the American ''Inspector Spacetime'' remake.
113-->'''Abed:''' (whispered) I hate you.
114* TransatlanticEquivalent: An American version of ''Inspector Spacetime'', apparently called ''Epochs of Eternity'', was shown in production during the show.
115* TwoferTokenMinority: Shirley (black, female, and older than original demographic) and Pierce ([[Recap/CommunityS3E19CurriculumUnavailable old]]) cover "several significant quadrants" in the focus group.
116-->'''Shirley:''' We have every right to be here, and I don't know if you're being sexist, ageist, racist, or what, but I don't think I like your -ist.
117* WouldRatherSuffer: Jeff expresses his irritation at Annie by telling her he'd be relieved to [[AnxietyDreams suddenly wake up during a final exam completely unprepared]] -- preferring a literal nightmare to the situation she's put him in.

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