Critical Film Studies
| "Critical Film Studies" | |
|---|---|
| Community episode | |
The group dress up as Pulp Fiction characters.
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| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 19 |
| Directed by | Richard Ayoade |
| Written by | Sona Panos |
| Production code | 218 |
| Original air date | March 24, 2011 |
"Critical Film Studies" is the 19th episode of the second season of Community. It was originally aired on March 24, 2011 on NBC.
In the episode, the study group organize a Pulp Fiction-themed birthday party for Abed. Instead, Abed spends most of the evening with Jeff at an upper class restaurant and the two engage in what is seemingly a deep conversation about their life-changing experiences. Unknown to Jeff, Abed is actually using the dinner to reenact another movie. Meanwhile, the rest of the group wait impatiently for Abed to finally show up.
The episode was written by Sona Panos and directed by Richard Ayoade. Although it was promoted as a Pulp Fiction spoof, the episode was really an homage to My Dinner with Andre. It received positive critical reviews.
Jeff (Joel McHale) and Abed (Danny Pudi) have dinner at a fancy restaurant. Abed acts unusually social and normal, which Jeff finds weird. Jeff is trying to get Abed to go to the surprise Pulp Fiction-themed birthday party at the diner Britta (Gillian Jacobs) works at. Each member of the group has dressed up as a character in the film.
At the restaurant, Abed tells Jeff about his visit to the set of Cougar Town (of which he is an admirer) and how appearing as an extra in one of the episodes supposedly changed his outlook of life. Having opened himself up to Jeff, Abed then insists that he and Jeff have a "real conversation" without the usual references to pop culture. Jeff responds by saying that he doesn't believe in real conversation. In the process of explaining himself, he inadvertently lets out his insecurities. He recalls an embarrassing incident where he was forced to trick or treat in a little Indian girl costume. As he is getting comfortable with opening himself to Abed, the waiter stops by and accidentally reveals that the dinner was a reenactment of My Dinner with Andre planned by Abed.
Meanwhile, at the diner, Troy (Donald Glover) is jealous and intrigued by the briefcase Jeff has gotten for Abed for this birthday. Chang (Ken Jeong) incessantly tempts him to open it. Britta booked the diner for the party up till 8pm, and her boss gets annoyed when party still hasn't started long after that. Troy relents and opens the briefcase, finding a lightbulb inside and a "Certificate of Authenticity" (later revealed to be from Willie's 100% Authentic Treasures on eBay) claiming that the briefcase is the actual one from the movie. After he closes it, the lightbulb overheats and the certificate is burnt. Troy blames Chang for the mishap and attacks him, breaking some items in the diner in the process.
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