Pilot - 1.01
"Greendale - 3 blocks from where you live" is giving me strange wtnv vibes
Wow I didn't think it opened right away with the Abed-Jeff scene. Based on context I think they're just leaving Spanish, Jeff asked for the time, and thats how they get into it. Abed intrigues me especially because he's both socially awkward and a mastermind of human character, and I dont know that the show played with that balance as much as they couldve. They definitely leaned more into the "early 2010s aspergers before anyone really knew the complexities of autism and how to portray them" type of dialogue with him early on before everyone kinda got flanderized tho, esp seen here
Britta canonically is 28 when the show starts and has 2 older brothers - I find it funny when shows throw in that characters have siblings (like Rosa having TWO SISTERS in b99??) as if that trait doesnt drastically change ones personality and the way they interact with people. Also do we ever find out why britta ended up at greendale?? I dont remember
"I see your value now" - I find it funny that abed responds so positively to that statement here especially because later on when Jeff or anyone else tries to take advantage of his memory ("abed, youre a computer") he does NOT respond in kind. Headcanoning that abed didn't really have friends before greendale so by having someone "see his value" even if thats just remembering obscure details opens him up to the possibility of making real connections here, even if he doesnt expect to be understood by the people he meets. Plus that could've been his first positive interaction at greendale
I was really expecting Duncan's misdemeanour to be sexual misconduct. Also he seems a lot more intent on setting Jeff straight in an ethical sense than would make sense for his character later on in s2
Does britta really value honesty above all else?? Is that something that makes sense?? Time will tell - Jeff is right tho, she seems a lot more confident and smart here than later in the show - she was actually studying !!
Duncan again with the ethics 😭 also I can't hear this scene without sugar crash playing in my head. They definitely knew who Jeff was from the beginning I will say. Also it makes a lot more sense now that he was bringing up ethics bc he's a chicken I see it now
ANNIE IMMEDIATELY SUSPICIOUS OF JEFF I LOVE HER
Troy: im gonna leave my homework with slumdog millionaire over here [tosses book to abed]. Shirley: thats borderline racist, I think. SWEET SICK IRONY - I feel like Troy, despite being a fan favourite and one they use very often, is a character that the writers had a hard time figuring out a direction for. I'll be looking out for his development from jock to sweet Lil nerd.
Also - I really wish it was britta who invited everyone. It would've tied in really well to her being the heart of the group.
Immediately Annie's first concern is being excluded and infantalized, and she's the first person to really get the ball rolling on conflict - I think her comment about bad life decisions to Shirley is major projecting. Also I love Shirleys response she was such a strong character in the 1st season
WAIT NO she's not the one who gets the ball rolling - its Jeff. ITS ALWAYS JEFF he's the one who knows that this group is volatile, he just has to bring it to the surface so he can get what he wants. This man and his control issues oml
Pierce !! Immediately just being the most impossible dude to defend or sympathize with. He's another character that I dont think they ever knew what to do with they always spend half the time trying to decide if he's redeemable and the other half displaying that he's definitely not
Troy still wearing his Letterman jacket - interesting that he's still trying to hold on to high school while knowing he didn't love who he was becoming there.
Annie hating on the dudes she likes will never not be cathartic to me she resents them for not seeing her yet still wants them to see her and if thats not me idk what is
BRITTA SEEING RIGHT THROUGH HIM!! She was always one of the only people that could and that always made them a great comedic duo for me
Jeff is absolutely bullshitting all of this and he barely knows any of these people but what's crazy is he's right. He nailed pretty much everyone and I find it very interesting that he doesnt say something about britta - even though britta doesnt need to be inspired by him, he doesnt seem to know that and Im surprised he didn't try. I guess he was doing all that just for britta, so he didn't need to address her directly he just showboated
ALSO YESS BRITTA CALL HIM ON HIS BS PLEASE DONT LOSE SIGHT OF HIS MANIPULATION AS THE SHOW GOES ON and wow I can't believe he admitted to bullshitting to everyone I was not expecting him to do that - Jeff picks strange times to be transparent about how he operates, in this case he has nothing left to gain by "mentoring" this group through their conflict so he shows his true colours and dips
I dont remember duncan duping jeff and now Im confused again about him and his ethics
"Things got boring after you left" INTERESTING. Also Shirley and Annie being the ones who want to comfort Jeff makes so much sense and britta begrudgingly being the one to offer it HMMMMM.
"I see your value now" I mean I have to imagine that many people saw Jeff's value throughout his life - maybe no one vocalized it until now OR MAYBE he didn't let anyone get close enough to actually see it but now that he's gotten even just a little vulnerable w the study group it's starting to happen