SPOILERS AHEAD, so study up cautiously, Community buffs…
Season Five, Episode Twelve: “Basic Story”
Written by: Carol Kolb; Directed by: Jay Chandrasekhar
The Save Greendale Committee seems to have finally completed their mission. Everyone is happy and content. Only Abed believes that something horrible is on the horizon. And, with next week being the season finale, I’m sad to admit that he’s probably right.
Quick Breakdown
As Annie runs through the latest bout of accomplished tasks — like exorcising the demons in the gymnasium — she realizes they are running out of things to do. Everyone breathes a sigh of contentment. Everyone, that is, except Abed. He thinks someone bad is about to happen because everyone is so content. They berate him for stirring up trouble.
Turns out, there is something happening. The School Board (potentially drunk) barges into the Dean’s office to inform him of an impending insurance appraisal on the school. The Board is hoping that Greendale is appraised as valuable. The Dean takes this news to the Save Greendale Committee (who is busy playing games on their phones), and Abed has a reason to freak out about something. But Jeff tells everyone to remain calm because the school is actually in great shape, thanks to them.
Abed refuses to stay calm and makes a call to arms to the gang to start crafting a bizarre story for the appraiser. Jeff drags Abed to the side and tells him there is no and will be no story. Abed literally cannot except this (because he is extra insufferable this week) and believes there has to be a story. He spends half of the episode by himself, freaking himself out about the lack of story and how to shake it off.
Cleaning up by the Dean’s office, Jeff finds the Dean’s mother’s wedding band (which he lost his first day at Greendale). The Dean says he dreams of settling down, but Jeff does not feel that urge himself. Annie suggests he may already be settled down, with his stable job teaching at Greendale that he loves. “I love Scotch and myself,” he says. “I tolerate Greendale.”
Ronald Mohammed shows up to assess Greendale’s level of liability. He goes into some amusing verbiage about his legal lingo, and then he inspects the school. In no time at all, his appraisal is complete; and he deems Greendale valuable. Everyone cheers, especially the School Board, who can now sell the school. (Whaaaat?! Is this the story?!)
In no time at all, the school has been transformed into a Sandwich University, sponsored by Subway. Jokes about Subway abound throughout the rest of the episode so let me just condense them into this: Subway Dave has a cameo, Chang does the $5 footlong song and dance, and Abed and Annie discuss with the new head of the school the types of Subway bread available.
Annie tries a last ditch effort to #SaveGreendale. Abed says buried treasure would save the school, but then even he gives up. Once they’ve all agreed that Greendale can’t be saved, Chang shoves it in their faces by unveiling his “I Love Subway” shirt and sashaying out. “Chang just unexpectedly betrayed us for the last time,” Britta says profoundly.
Abed and Annie help the Dean (who is in deep mourning) pack up his office. Abed points out the photos on the wall, which document Greendale’s history. Included is a portrait of Russell Borchert, most notable not for being a computer professor but for having sex with a computer (which, for whatever reason, gives me flashes back to when Cameron Diaz had sex with a car in The Counselor). Abed points out the engraved message “The truth is behind this picture” on the Borchert portrait, and then removes it to find a tied up scroll in a nook in the wall. (And in my head, I said, “There’s always money in the Banana Stand.”) They read the scroll and let out audible, dramatic gasps.
Jeff is offered a position at the new Subway school to teach sandwich law (and is given a Subway Black Card, entitling him to $5 footlongs forever). Unsure what to do, Jeff wanders into the Committee room where he finds Britta contemplating her future. They are both excited for a little bit of sanity. Then they wax poetically about how this all started because he wanted to bone Britta. Their reminiscences lead Jeff to propose marriage to Britta. (Is it Sweeps Month already?)
She accepts his proposal, but first they want to have sex on the new table. They close the blinds, but Abed, Annie, and the Dean barge in shouting, “BURIED TREASURE!” They’ve found a way to save Greendale! The Dean warns that they should keep this news secret, yet none of them can stop shouting about buried treasure. Outside the room, Chang hears their glee over buried treasure. Clearly, he is up to no good.
Rating
B+
The simplicity of the episode felt delightful after a packed season of parodies and gimmicks. I would have liked the episode to be completely without a story, but I understand the need to set everything up for next week’s season finale — or will it be a series finale?* Having watched the episode twice now, I continue to laugh out loud at some of the quieter jokes, reminding me just how genius this quirky show can really be. I’ll actually be a little bit sad to see it go. #sixseasonsandamovie
Now for some random thoughts and my favorite moments of the night…
*Community has not been officially renewed for another season, but insiders say it has a good chance. Yet after this two-part episode, does the series itself want another season? (See also: the succinct tweet one of my favorite EW writers said about this season finale.) And what about that movie rumor?
Jeff, about everyone’s inability to relax and be content: “You’re like one of those Hurricane Katrina dogs that won’t let anyone pet them anymore.”
Jeff, stating his blasé attitude about the impending inspection: “This inspection is going to be the most boring thing to happen here since Britta dated Troy.”
Britta, contemplating her future: “I’m thinking I’m going to transfer to City College, but I’m knowing I’m going to be a bartender.”
In the tag ending, Buzz and Duncan bond over their shared British past. (While I contemplate the actual need for most of these tag endings this season.)
