History Recap / CommunityS2E23AFistfulOfPaintballs

!!The ''Series/{{Community}}'' episode "A Fistful of Paintballs" provides examples of:

** The scene where Annie provokes Pierce into picking up the gun to duel is also a sort of morally inverted example of a common scene in westerns where a bad guy is introduced or shown picking on some innocent bystander to provoke them into pistol-duelling so the bad guy can 'justifiably' shoot them down in cold blood, such as Jack Palance's hitman character taunting the farmer in ''{{Shane}}''. It also shares similarity to a famous Creator/BillHicks routine wherein he compares American foreign policy to such a scene in westerns, specifically (and inaccurately) referencing ''{{Shane}}'' ("Pick it up.").

* SeriousBusiness: [[Recape/CommunityS1E23ModernWarfare Once again]], the game of paintball is taken very seriously by everyone playing it.

** Justified by the price money of $100,000 cash.

* SeriousBusiness: [[Recape/Community21E23ModernWarfare Once again]], the game of paintball is taken very seriously by everyone playing it.

* CowboyEpisode

* SeriousBusiness: Once again, the game of paintball is taken very seriously by everyone playing it, to the point that everyone acts as though they're in [[TheWestern a Western]].

* SeriousBusiness:

Starring Creator/JoshHolloway.

* AesopAmnesia: The group clearly doesn't remember what happened [[Recap/CommunityS1E22TheArtOfDiscourse the last time]] they tried to kick Pierce out.

* BadAssLongcoat: The Black Rider again.
* BadAssPreacher: Shirley fills this role in the game even if she's only '''dressed''' as a priest.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: Annie has spent the entire episode (and much of the previous season) defending Pierce to the other members of the group to the point where she's the only one who votes to keep him around. Upon learning that Pierce has once again betrayed their trust by giving Jeff blank paint cartridges, expecting him to get shot, she does not react well.

-->'''Abed:''' Annie is awesome today.

** The head cheerleader's name is Heather, reminiscent of the movie ''Film/Heathers''.

* CliffHanger: The episode ends with the introduction of Operation Total Invasion.

* SacrificialLion: Chang, whose 'execution' coincides with the reveal of the Stormtroopers.

! The ''Series/{{Community}}'' episode "A Fistful of Paintballs" provides examples of:

** Pierce learned that his behavior was the reason he kept being excluded in Recap/CommunityS2E16IntermediateDocumentaryFilmmaking but continues to act out in this episode over it

* CliffHanger

* DramaticChaseOpening
* DropWhatYouAreDoing: Troy and Abed drop their ice cream when the Dean announces a game of Paintball Assassin.

* FridgeLogic: Annie points out that there's no reason to call him the Black Rider if he hasn't been riding anything. [[invoked]]
** When she first encounters the Black Rider, Annie asks, "Who wears spurs to paintball?" Spurs are worn for riding horses, hence, the Black Rider's name.
* GatlingGood

* GroinAttack: Don't try to use Annie as a HumanShield.

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Chang gets brought down by a paintball machine gun, the same weapon he used in the last paintball game.
* HumanShield: The Black Rider uses Annie as one against Jeff and Abed. Annie gets free by elbowing him in the gut.

* MissingTrailerScene - The preview for the season finale features Starburns doing a CrucifiedHeroShot.
* MoreDakka: The mysterious storm troopers who invade the campus at the end of the episode bring with them ''a paintball mini-gun''.

* OhCrap: Abed and Troy's reaction to the Dean's announcement of another game of paintball. Also a case of DramaticDrop[=/=]JawDrop.

** This is, of course, a reference to the flashbacks (and music) in ''Film/ForAFewDollarsMore''

* PlayingPossum: Pierce pretends to have a heart attack so he can shoot the Black Rider.

* RedBaron: The Black Rider.

* RevolversAreJustBetter

* SpecialEditionTitle

* ThemeNaming: All the study group members (except for Pierce) are given nicknames related to playing cards. These turn out to stand for their votes on whether Pierce could stay in the group.

* WantedPoster: "Wanted: Gay and Alive"
* TheWestern

* [[WhyDontYouMarryIt Why Don't You Marry Him?]]: Abed describes the Black Rider, prompting Jeff to use the phrase. "He's really good-looking. Like network-TV good-looking. And did you see [[DoubleEntendre how big his guns were]]?"

* TheDragon: The Black Rider to Pistol Patty.

* MeaningfulName: The card "nicknames" given for each member of the study group are actually the cards they threw in when voting on whether or not to keep Pierce in the group.

* SequelEpisode: This is a follow-up to last year's [[Recap/CommunityS1E23ModernWarfare "Modern Warfare"]].

--> "If you were a dude, you would have my [[GroinAttack fist up your balls]]!"

-->"I'm outta here, I've got {{Coldplay}} tickets."

-->'''Troy:''' Annie is ''awesome'' today.

** Hilary Duff returns as Heather, the AlphaBitch from "[[Recap/CommunityS2E07AerodynamicsOfGender Aerodynamics of Gender]]".

** As each member of the Study Group reappears, they're accompanied by a title card giving them a nickname taken from a playing card. Annie's being the only red card & Pierce not receiving a title card set-up foreshadow the true purpose of the card motif.

* ActionGirl: Who knew sweet little Annie was capable of being such a {{badass}}?

* BewareTheNiceOnes: Having spent the entire episode (and much of the previous season) defending Pierce to the other members of the group to the point where she's the only one who votes to keep him around, upon learning that Pierce has given Jeff blank paint cartridges expecting him to get shot Annie does ''not'' react well when she learns that Pierce has once again betrayed their trust.

-->"Screw this, I've got {{Coldplay}} tickets."

* HoistByHisPetard: Chang gets brought down by a paintball machine gun, the same weapon he used in the last paintball game.

** Last season he could afford to play paintball three times a week, brought his own equipment, only had to face two students and only took out one with a time bomb. This season, he's homeless, unarmed, and against the entire school. And he managed to survive until the end of the episode, despite spending half of it blindfolded and tied-up. He's not ''completely'' helpless.

* HijackedByGanon: Played with. First with Pierce shooting the apparent BigBad, the Black Rider, in an attempt to usurp the game. Little did he know he'd just uncorked a BiggerBad in the form of Pistol Patty.

* ADateWithRosiePalms
-->'''Shirley''': I hope we find this cache of ammo soon. I need to pump [breast milk].\\
'''Troy''': Yeah, me too. You're talking about peeing, right?\\
'''Shirley''': No.\\
'''Troy''': Me neither.

** [[StarWars "Red Five, standing by."]]

** At the end: [[StarWars "Red Five, standing by."]]