The study group is back from winter break and all Jeff wants to do is hangout and relax. This is a problem when another student named Buddy (Jack Black) tries to enter the study group and upsets the current group dynamic. At the same time the Dean is trying to improve the school's newspaper, and ropes Jeff into running it.
The Community episode "Investigative Journalism" provides examples of (YMMV):
- Acrofatic: When discussing what he'd bring to the group, Buddy says they need a chubby, agile guy. Then he demonstrates his high kick and accidentally hits Jeff in the nose.
- Actor Allusion: Defied when Buddy talks about being Acrofatic and brings up Paul Blart: Mall Cop rather than, say, Kung Fu Panda.
- Big "NO!": Buddy lets out a long one when Jeff drags him kicking and screaming out of the study room.
- Both Sides Have a Point: As to whether Annie should print the story about the Dean engaging in a racist texting campaign. She has a point that the Dean is an "imbecile" and he has a very weak defense. Jeff kills the story, however, because Annie's writing would only get the Dean fired, probably put her in hot water with the administration, and make Greendale worse in the long run.
- The Cameo: Owen Wilson at the end.
- Call-Back: Pierce sings the Britta song he cowrote with Vaughn when he interviews for the rival group in the tag. Also Troy and Abed do the Spanish rap
- The Cast Show Off: When you're paying for Jack Black, not handing him a guitar for a brief musical interlude would be sort of silly.
- The Chains of Commanding: Abed describes this to Jeff, using M*A*S*H as an example; a leader cannot always be the good guy. Sometimes they have to make choices to hurt individuals for the greater good. Jeff is able to make such a call, which means that he can use his bad side for benevolent purposes.
- Credits Gag / Quip to Black: Played with, in the sense that the credits are rolled in the middle of a sentence. This lampshades the concept of a new character upsetting the balance of the show.Buddy: "I’m sure you guys have a natural rapport and timing, and you’re scared that adding a new member might throw everything off of its natural" — CUT TO TITLE SEQUENCE — "rhythm."
- Cringe Comedy: Jack Black's usual antics lend this to his scenes.
- Department of Redundancy Department: The Greendale Gazette Journal Mirror.
- Dropped a Bridge on Him: Parodied, as the first Spanish class of the new semester, features a memorial for Señor Chang and a new teacher explaining he had an unfortunate moped accident during the break. Señor Chang then enters the room, dismisses the teacher, saying she was a professional actress to teach the class that "[he] can never die".
- Failed Attempt at DramaAnnie to the Dean: The people want the truth. I have to give it to them and I won't let anyone get in my way. (beat) Excuse me. (Dean gets out of the way)
- Fun T-Shirt: Pierce gets a bunch of what he calls "ironic T-shirts".
- Godwin's Law: Buddy compares Jeff to Hitler quite early into their dispute.
- Going for the Big Scoop: Reporter Annie Edison after her Editor tells her to back off the story or risk academic trouble.
- Her Code Name Was "Mary Sue": Buddy in-universe, but the show is so meta, it's hard to tell how obnoxious he is in the show's universe.
- Hypocrite: Pierce in The Tag accuses Troy and Abed of being unloyal to the group by applying for a spot in the cooler group. Then he goes on to do exactly the same.
- Lampshade Hanging: Jack Black's character, Buddy, tries to come up with ideas for the study group to use. One of his ideas actually lampshades lampshade hanging itself:Buddy: I was thinking as a group we could start saying "you go girl", not in a way like "I'm so cool" saying "you go girl" but in a way where we are kind of winking at it?
- Mainstream Obscurity: Invoked. In Jeff's plotline, he models himself on Hawkeye Pierce of M*A*S*H. Toward the end of the episode, Abed (correctly) deduces that Jeff has never actually watched the show, and just knows it by reputation.Abed: Jeff, what's your favorite episode of M*A*S*H?
Jeff: The one with, uh...the Army?
Abed: That's what I thought. - Mud Wrestling: Annie and Britta wrestling while covered in soap suds and wearing cheerleader outfits.Buddy: That last one might have been a dream. I sleep in class a lot.
- Production Throwback: Jack Black plays a character named "Buddy Austen", who shares a last name with Jack Austen, the main character in the TV pilot Heat Vision and Jack (created by Dan Harmon) also played by Jack Black. Also, Owen Wilson, who voiced Heat Vision, makes a cameo appearance in this episode.
- Realistic Diction Is Unrealistic: Played with. Jack Black's character stumbles over his words more than once, throwing off the rhythm for the rest of the group.Buddy: I just want to say thank you guys real m-much — "Real much"? durrr — thank you guys very much for this. It's a dream come true.
- Remember the New Guy?: Jack Black as Buddy. Apparently he's been in the Spanish class all of last semester. Lampshaded in that none of the main characters remember him.
- Self-Serving Memory: Buddy reminiscing about Britta and Annie fighting in cheerleader's outfits without bras on. Shortly after, they fall into a kiddie pool full of bubbles while he watches wearing a toga and eating a burger. He does admit that he sleeps in class a lot, and that that memory may actually have been a dream.
- Shoo Out the New Guy: In-universe; despite having apparently shared a class with him all of the previous semester, the study group have no idea who he is and are pretty weirded out by him.
- Shout-Out:
- Quite a few for M*A*S*H.
- Buddy refers to him as the group's version of Paul Blart: Mall Cop.
- Buddy kicking Jeff in the face and saying "I'm strong, I can kick!" was a reference to Crispin Glover's disastrous appearance on Late Night With David Letterman
- Similar Squad: Played with. As it turns out, the Spanish 101 Group was the second study group Buddy was applying to be in. The other group leader (Owen Wilson making an un-announced cameo) implies Buddy doesn't have to apologise for making it into "the better group".
- Sincerity Mode: Jeff calls Abed "Radar" in honor of the MASH character when Abed gives him a pep talk on what a great leader does.
- Special Guest: Parodied with Jack Black wanting to join the study group after coming back from the mid-season break.
- Sweet and Sour Grapes: Jeff decides to invite Buddy back to the group, realizing that he can't kick out a guy for the crime of being obnoxious. Buddy then goes to join the "cool" group when he is invited, and Jeff is visibly relieved.
- Think Nothing of It: Jeff uses this line in a not so heroic situation when Annie thanks him for getting mad at her.
- Tyrant Takes the Helm: Parodied. Jeff is clearly going for the editor role for selfish reasons, but his managing style is less The Neidermeyer and more Sgt Bilko.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Jeff feels horrible for yelling at Annie to not run the story, and tells Abed that he is no leader. Abed sits him down and tells him that he did what any leader had to do: make a tough call. Sometimes when you are in charge, you have to make a decision to hurt someone for the greater good. Jeff doing that proves that he has what it takes to run the newspaper as well as the study group.
