Annie starts dating Vaughn, and both Britta and Jeff attempt to derail this nascent relationship. Meanwhile the rest of the studygroup and Chang have a movie night to do some good old-fashioned {{MST}}ing.
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!!The ''Series/{{Community}}'' episode "Romantic Expressionism" provides examples of:

* ActingForTwo: Abed, InUniverse, during his and Troy's version of the Kickpuncher movie. He played the BigBad Punchkicker, his (three) {{Mook}}s, and TheHero's LoveInterest.
* ActorAllusion: The only way [[Creator/ChevyChase Pierce]] can get a laugh is to ''[[Series/SaturdayNightLive take a massive tumble across the room.]]''
* AsianDrivers: Mentioned by Pierce.
-->''"Directed by Kim Yang. Asian. Can't direct, can't drive."''
%%* BMovie: ''[[ShowWithinAShow Kickpuncher]]''. "[[ExtyYearsFromPublication It is the year 2006]] and nuclear war has ravaged the planet..."
* BothSidesHaveAPoint: As to whether or not Annie dating Vaughn is a good idea. Jeff makes the apt point that she is TheBabyOfTheBunch and if she dates an older guy, it potentially makes her prey to the creeps on campus. Not helped by Starburns saying he wants to date Annie next. Annie, of course, has a legitimate point that Britta and Jeff aren't her parents, and they can't dictate what she does or who she does because she's an adult and has to learn to make her own mistakes after leaving rehab. Jeff concedes on seeing how hurt Annie is by his and Britta's actions.
* CallBack:
** Vaughn remembers how the [[Recap/CommunityS1E04SocialPsychology study group made fun]] of him for writing Britta poems.
** [[Recap/CommunityS1E05AdvancedCriminalLaw Chang refers to himself as a Professor, only to be corrected that he's just a teacher]].
** Annie and Jeff's kiss [[Recap/CommunityS1E09Debate109 in the debating contest]] is brought up.
** Troy's familiarity of Britta's body is mentioned, obviously because [[Recap/CommunityS1E14InterpretiveDance they danced together just an episode ago]].
* BerateAndSwitch: Troy when learning that Abed is planning to watch ''Kickpuncher''.
-->'''Troy''': You watching another movie in your dorm tonight?
-->'''Abed''': ''Kickpuncher'' starring Don "The Demon" Donaldson as a cyborg cop whose punches have the power of kicks.
-->'''Troy''': That sounds awful. {{Beat}}. I'll bring the popcorn.
* BrickJoke: Jeff remarks that since Vaughn never wears a shirt, he's surprised that Vaughn hasn't died from lack of service. Later, Vaughn mentions that he was delayed getting served because they made him put on a shirt.
* TheBroCode: Annie's only concern on dating Vaughn is that he and Britta were together. While Britta's main concern over the relationship is Annie being TheBabyOfTheBunch, she later lashes out that a part of her is annoyed at Annie for choosing to date an ex-boyfriend of hers.
* CastIncest: Invoked by Abed.
-->'''Abed:''' When you guys first came in, we were as wholesome as the family in ''Series/TheBradyBunch''. Now we’re as dysfunctional and incestuous as the cast of ''The Brady Bunch''.
* CelebrityResemblance: Vaughn calls Shirley "that [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherri_Shepherd Sherri Shepard]] lady."
* CrackPairing: In-Universe. "Romantic Expressionism" parodies this with a long sequence of ShipTease suggestive glances between all of the characters. In order, it goes: Pierce/Shirley, [[FirstGirlWins Jeff/Britta]], Abed/Britta, [[LesYay Britta (gasp!)/Annie (gasp!)]], [[TokenMinorityCouple Troy/Shirley]], [[HighschoolSweethearts Troy/Annie]], [[MayDecemberRomance Pierce/Annie]], [[FanPreferredCouple Jeff/Annie]], [[HoYay Jeff/Abed]].
* DesignatedParents: Jeff and Britta.
-->'''Britta:''' I guess we feel like we're sort of all a family, and Jeff and I are like your Greendale parents.\\
'''Annie:''' You're not my mom, Britta. She would never wear boots that go up that high.
* DudeNotFunny: In-universe example.
-->'''Pierce:''' Directed by Kim Yang. Asian. Can't direct, can't drive.\\
'''Chang:''' Dude, [[ImStandingRightHere I'm right here]].
* FailedFutureForecast:
-->'''Kickpuncher Narrator:''' It is the year 2006 A.D. and nuclear war has ravaged the planet.\\
'''Abed:''' Must have missed that.
* FanFilm: In-universe example -- [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9o4wZxoPvc Kickpuncher with Abed and Troy]].
* FightSceneFailure: Invoked with [[BMovie the incredibly cheesy film]] that the study group watches on their movie night, "[[StylisticSuck Kickpuncher]]". Even more so in the FanFilm Abed and Troy make.
* {{Foreshadowing}}:
-->'''Jeff:''' [Annie] is 18. Her taste in men hasn't been established. Creepier and creepier dudes will start thinking of her as an option, and it all starts with Vaughn. He’s a gateway douchebag.\\
'''Starburns:''' See that guy over there? (''Points across the cafeteria to [[spoiler: Jeff]]'') Yeah, he's a douchebag.
* GladYouThoughtOfIt: Jeff explains this gambit to Britta:
-->'''Jeff:''' Crash course in [[ManipulativeBastard manipulation]]. You don't actually tell the person what you want them to do. You help them realize they want to do it, so it can't be traced back to you.

* HeldGaze: During the ShipTease "suggestive glances" scene at the study table, Jeff holds Annie's gaze for a long moment with an expression of tenderness and contentment in his face. Annie notices his stare and looks back, melting a little under his adoring stare before Jeff breaks it.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: Troy and Abed, as per usual. Troy refers to Abed as 'my other half', and Annie says that one time Troy tried to hold her hand... when he mistook her for Abed.
* {{Hypocrite}}: As everyone immediately points out, Pierce's condemnation of the group's snide dismissals of someone else's creative works would probably carry a lot more weight if it weren't immediately obvious that he was just sulking and lashing out because no one else laughed at ''his'' snide dismissals of someone else's creative works.
* IJustWantToBeNormal: In the ShowWithinAShow ''Kickpuncher'':
-->'''''Woman''':'' ''You've done so much for our city, Kickpuncher; is there anything we can give you?''
-->'''''Kickpuncher''':'' ''Don't call me Kickpuncher... call me... [[FirstNameBasis David]].''
* IResembleThatRemark:
--> '''Pierce''': You don't feel good about yourselves so you have tear down everything around you. What's the matter? [[FreudianExcuse Mama Chang didn't breastfeed]]?\\
'''Chang''': (''sad face'') She read in a book that it wouldn't make a difference.
* ImStandingRightHere: Said word for word by Chang when Pierce mentioned the AsianDrivers above.
* JerkassHasAPoint: Hinted by the tag; while everyone rightly dismisses Pierce's criticism of their {{MST}}ing as being motivated more by sour grapes at failing to get a laugh with his own contributions than anything else, Troy and Abed end up deciding to make their own ''Kickpuncher'' fan video rather than just sit back snidely criticising movies other people have made, suggesting they've decided that Pierce may have had a point regardless.
* LoveDodecahedron: Jeff is into Britta. Britta used to date Vaughn. Vaughn takes an interest in Annie who has been in love with Troy. Troy dates another girl but Britta and Jeff convince him to pursue Annie romantically. The group also discuss their status of TrueCompanions -- they're as close as a family, but they are not actually a family which means romantic and sexual relationships are not off the table.
* LovingAShadow: Inverted with Troy and Annie: Troy is uninterested in her because he still sees her as she was in high school, when she was less attractive and more of a mess than she currently is. Jeff has to literally describe present-day Annie to Troy for him to realize that she's actually viable as a romantic interest.
* TheMatchmaker: Attempted. Jeff and Britta try to manipulate Annie into being interested in Troy, who is closer to her age, a NiceGuy, and her first crush. It doesn't work because Annie has decided to move on from an unrequited crush and doesn't want her friends parenting her.
* {{MST}}ing: Abed and Troy apparently have a tradition of doing this to horrendous B-movies; Shirley, Pierce, and Señor Chang show up, too. (And yet Jeff, played by the one cast member who had guest starred on Podcast/RiffTrax, does NOT show up.) Pierce attempts to compensate for his lack of ability at this by writing his jokes with a team of writers beforehand, like the actual ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' did after its first season.
* NoodleIncident:
** Jeff really did eat all the macaroni. It's messed up that Leonard knows.
** For a less literal example, it is never explained exactly why Chang was wearing a tuxedo.
* OffhandBackhand: Troy punches Abed this way in TheTag.
* OffTheShelfFX: Used by Abed and Troy in TheTag.
* OperationJealousy: Jeff and Britta want to break up Annie and Vaughn. They know that Annie has been in love with Troy, so they tell Troy that Annie is only dating Vaughn to make Troy jealous. He believes them but it's not actually true as Annie's interest in him is sincere.
* RapidFireComedy: How Pierce tries to compensate for his failure to perform on the first {{MST}}ing night.
-->'''Pierce:''' Change! Time to change the channel! This guy'll be begging for change soon, he keeps making movies this terrible! We should change to something good, this movie stinks! We should change his diaper. [[UsefulNotes/BarackObama That's change we can believe in]]!\\
'''Abed:''' [Hits pause] Okay, it's obvious something strange is happening here.\\
'''Pierce:''' What are you talking about? I'm making jokes during a movie.\\
'''Troy:''' Yeah, but you're doing it with the speed and determination of the incomparable Creator/RobinWilliams.
* RuleOfThree: Annie and Troy yelling at Jeff and Britta leads up to the abovementioned Leonard.
** What looks like Vaughn's ''third'' breakup song [[BaitAndSwitch actually isn't.]]
* SarcasmMode:
** Courtesy of Senor Chang:
--->'''Chang:''' ''Obviously'' none of my other plans fell through. ''(motions toward his tuxedo)''
** Annie points it out to her pals:
--->'''Annie:''' Hey guys thanks for getting involved in my love life! That was super cool and mature of you! Oh and since you're both clearly idiots, I should let you know that I'm being sarcastic!
* SerenadeYourLover: Vaughn plays the guitar and sings a song he wrote for Annie.
* ShipSinking: Pierce/Everyone Else, played for laughs:
-->'''Pierce:''' So, just to be clear... I don't have a shot with ''any'' of you?\\
''[Everyone else shudders audibly and hurries away from him.]''
* ShipTease:
** Jeff's jealousy over Annie's sudden interest in Vaughn.
** In TheTag, Troy asks if Britta couldn't play the love interest in his & Abed's ''Kickpuncher'' film before they go to film the sex scene.
** All in the scene [[LampshadeHanging lampshading]] the show's various potential (And completely insane) couples:
** According to Troy, Jeff was "weirdly specific" when describing Annie's body. Jeff & Annie both take offence to the other saying that their kiss in "Debate 109" was purely for winning the debate & not sexual at all.
** Jeff notes that Troy was also specific when describing Britta's body.
** Shirley comments on "Troy & Abed's weird relationship" which prompts a simultaneous "They're just jealous" from both of them, complete with hand holding.
* ShippingTorpedo: Jeff and Britta's main arc in the episode is splitting Annie and Vaughn up.
* ShoutOut:
** To the [[RapidFireComedy speed and determination]] of incomparable Creator/RobinWilliams
** Vaughn's song for Annie quotes a line from the Troggs "Love Is All Around" (and is a reference to John Denver's "Annie's Song")
** ''Kickpuncher'' is obviously a lame version of ''Film/RoboCop1987''.
* SidetrackedByTheAnalogy: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]]. Pierce proclaims himself to be "younger than the three of you [Shirley, Abed, Troy] put together". Abed, Troy, and Pierce himself then get thoughtful looks on their faces, clearly attempting to work out if what he said is literally true.
* SlipperySlopeFallacy: Jeff thinks that Annie would be more attractive to douchebags by dating Vaughn, the "gateway douchebag".
* ShutUpHannibal: When his second attempt at making the group laugh while {{MSTing}} ends in failure, Pierce lambasts them for snidely making fun of the creative endeavors of others rather than attempting to create anything of their own and using mockery to compensate for their own lack of self-worth. The group immediately calls bullshit, accurately pointing out that Pierce doesn't give a damn about defending the creativity of others and is just sour that he couldn't get a laugh.
* {{Squick}}: In-universe. Starburns commenting that Annie "just made the the top of [his] [[LampshadedDoubleEntendre To Do List]]" elicits this response from Britta and Jeff, and is ultimately what leads to Britta trying to split up Annie and Vaughn.
* StrangelyArousing
-->'''Troy:''' I have the weirdest boner right now.
* StylisticSuck: The lyrics of Vaughn's love song are absolutely dreadful.
* UnrequitedLoveSwitcheroo: Jeff and Britta make this happen for Troy.
-->'''Troy:''' Thanks for taking ugly Annie out of the palm of my hand, and turning her into another hottie WHO WILL NEVER GET WITH ME!
* ZanyScheme:
-->'''Jeff:''' If we say we disapprove, we'll just drive her further into his hemp-braceleted arms. We need to be smart, we need to hatch a scheme.\\
'''Britta:''' Mmm... hatching schemes' not really my wheelhouse.\\
'''Jeff:''' Let's not confine ourselves to your wheelhouse. This problem won't respond to [[Recap/CommunityS1E14InterpretiveDance tap dancing]] or casual revelations that you [[RunningGag spent time in New York]].
* WilhelmScream: One of the criminals Kickpuncher kills lets out a Wilhelm.
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