History Recap / PennyAndAggieTheNewRealityPartOne

* AsideComment: Martin, [[GenreSavvy aware]] that at least one camera is on him at all times, [[ExploitedTrope exploits]] this by making a SeriousBusiness comment to the camera about Hilary's ranting, and seguing into a plea for donations to missionary relief work in Haiti.

* ImagineSpot: When her parents tell her about the invitation, Sara imagines herself writing her autobiography, playing Willow to Daphne's [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy]], receiving a 100% approval rating on RottenTomatoes, and marrying Daphne amid a shower of cash.

--> '''Hilary''' (''to him''): The story is about your soul being condemned to {{Hell}} forever. Could you please play it a ''bit'' less like [[MisterRogersNeighborhood Mister Rogers]] on Xanax?

* ShoutOut: Lucy's physical appearance, when in costume with her hair up, appears to be modelled on that of Creator/LucilleBall in ''ILoveLucy''.

Having received advice from her friends on how to outsmart manipulative film editors, Sara leaves for Los Angeles and is soon hired for a show, ''Hot Lights'', chronicling five teenagers rehearsing Jean-Paul Sartre's existentialist play ''NoExit'', in which she plays the manipulative lesbian Inez. Her co-stars are J'Cru, a perpetually cheerful, terrible amateur chef (as Joseph); the gentle, dimwitted Lucy (as Estelle); Martin, a camera-hogging evangelical (as the valet); and Hilary, the stressed-out, abusive director.

* ViewersAreGeniuses: This arc, by giving [[ShowDontTell little explanation]] of the play beyond the characters' names and a couple of hints as to their personalities and motivations, assumes that readers are familiar with ''NoExit'', or else willing to bone up on it. This assumption is even more pronounced in Part Two, leading to confusion for many readers and Campbell's decision to clarify some points of the play (among other matters) in an appendix of "Leted Scenes."

* StarStruck: Sara's initial reaction to the invitation from Meighan.

--> I guess I do have a lot to learn, still.

* PoorlyDisguisedPilot: Both portions of this arc appear to have been in part a trial run for a SpinOff set in Hollywood and focusing on Sara. Although Campbell has never said so outright, in late 2010 he held an [=eBay=] auction for the privilege of having a character named after the highest bidder, in a new webcomic to be launched the following year. The listing stated that names which appeared in the ''Penny and Aggie'' cast page would be ineligible, as would the names "Lucy, Hilary or Martin." (In the end, Campbell followed ''P&A'' with an entirely different spin-off, ''Webcomic/{{QUILTBAG}}'', which starred Sara and Lisa as college roommates.)

* ShoutOut: Lucy's physical appearance, when in costume with her hair up, appears to be modelled on that of LucilleBall in ''ILoveLucy''.

In this arc, which follows immediately from the previous one, Sara's life changes as she goes to Hollywood for a reality show audition. Her parents, having received a phone call from the show's producer, Meighan, gladly allow her to go; her mother, however, in light of the argument minutes earlier, warns that their position on respecting their authority still stands. Penny, still at Aggie's house, throws a jealous tantrum upon hearing the news. Then, having gotten it out of her system, she and Aggie, along with Katy-Ann, Brandi and Michelle, join the star-struck Sara at a restaurant. Her enthusiasm soon changes to uncertainty, as of her friends, only Penny urges her without reservation to go. Katy-Ann worries about the impact of reality TV on one's morals, Michelle on one's body image. Aggie and Brandi are concerned that Sara becoming famous could result in more people seeing Charlotte's libellous video. Aggie also reminds Sara, to her hesitancy, that Daphne should be part of the decision process.

* ImagineSpot: When her parents tell her about the invitation, Sara imagines herself writing her autobiography, playing Willow to Daphne's [[BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy]], receiving a 100% approval rating on RottenTomatoes, and marrying Daphne amid a shower of cash.

* GreenEyedMonster: PlayedForLaughs with Penny's over-the-top tantrum, expressing her frustration over Sara's ''{{Macbeth}}'' performance, and not hers, catching Meighan's eye.

* {{Cliffhanger}}

* ShoutOut: Lucy's physical appearance, when in costume with her hair up, appears to be modelled on that of Lucille Ball in ''ILoveLucy''.

* CeilingCling: A terrified Aggie metaphorically does this in reaction to Penny's jealous tantrum.

* AsideComment - Martin, [[GenreSavvy aware]] that at least one camera is on him at all times, [[ExploitedTrope exploits]] this by making a SeriousBusiness comment to the camera about Hilary's ranting, and seguing into a plea for donations to missionary relief work in Haiti.
* TheBusCameBack - Rich, who will have a significant function in Part Two, here makes his first, if silent, appearance in a year of in-universe time, or two years of real-world time.
* CeilingCling - A terrified Aggie metaphorically does this in reaction to Penny's jealous tantrum.

* TheDitz - Lucy. Played for [[PlayedForLaughs laughs]] ''and'' [[PlayedForDrama drama]].
* TheFundamentalist - Martin, albeit a relatively gentle version of this.
* GreenEyedMonster - PlayedForLaughs with Penny's over-the-top tantrum, expressing her frustration over Sara's ''{{Macbeth}}'' performance, and not hers, catching Meighan's eye.
* ImagineSpot - When her parents tell her about the invitation, Sara imagines herself writing her autobiography, playing Willow to Daphne's [[BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy]], receiving a 100% approval rating on RottenTomatoes, and marrying Daphne amid a shower of cash.
* ItsAllAboutMe - Brandi praises Stan for maintaining Sara's publicity website. However, Stan admits he's doing it because she's allowed him to sell photos of her (and presumably keep at least a percentage of the profits). Brandi's VisibleSilence reaction suggests she's once again having doubts about him.
* LastSecondWordSwap - Sara, in response to Lucy's agreeing with Hilary that she's holding everyone back, reassures her with "No. Hilary's kind of a bi--", then, noticing the camera's on her, substitutes the words "bit driven" for "bitch."
* ManipulativeEditing - [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]]. Sara's GenreSavvy friends teach her how to beat this standard RealityTV trick by making subtle daily changes to her appearance.
* PerpetualSmiler - J'Cru.

* PrimaDonnaDirector - Hilary, given her bullying, {{Jerkass}} personality, shows elements of this.

* ShoutOut - Lucy's physical appearance, when in costume with her hair up, appears to be modelled on that of Lucille Ball in ''ILoveLucy''.
* SoProudOfYou - Theo and Iseul tell Sara this as they see her off at the airport.
* StarStruck - Sara's initial reaction to the invitation from Meighan.
* TeamChef - J'Cru. Unfortunately, he's also a LethalChef.
* TheirFirstTime - Sara and Daphne. Implied when Sara says, "We're just going to have to make sure we stay fixed in each other's memories. You up for that?", and then opens Daphne's mouth in close-up.
* ViewersAreGeniuses - This arc, by giving [[ShowDontTell little explanation]] of the play beyond the characters' names and a couple of hints as to their personalities and motivations, assumes that readers are familiar with ''NoExit'', or else willing to bone up on it. This assumption is even more pronounced in Part Two, leading to confusion for many readers and Campbell's decision to clarify some points of the play (among other matters) in an appendix of "Leted Scenes."
* WingdingEyes - Sara has stars in hers when her parents give her the news.
* YoungerThanTheyLook - Due to a misunderstanding, partially rooted in Campbell's instructions to pattern her appearance after that of director Kathryn Bigelow, Waltrip drew Hilary as a woman of about thirty, confusing some readers. She is, in fact, a teenager like her co-stars.