Community/Recap/S1 E09 Debate 109

Jeff joins Annie on the Debate Team. The study group finds out that Abed has been making films about them, covering events before they even took place. Pierce helps Britta quit smoking.

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The Community episode "Debate 109" provides examples of:

• Actor Allusion:

Professor Whitman: Jeff, I am offering you an opportunity to spend the night drinking from the cup of life, rather than romancing your nether regions in front of the E! channel.

• • When Abed makes a webseries, the actor he casts as the character based on himself is played by Sandeep Parikh, best known for his work with the webshows The Guild and The Legend of Neil. He's also a Channel101er. Other 101ers including Jenny Flack and Kelsy Abbott play other characters in the webseries.
• As the Good Book Says...: Jeff quotes Romans 3:10 in an attempt to prove that man is evil.
• Awesomeness By Analysis: Abed can predict behavior and conversations a week in advance. He uses this to make student films.
• Batman Gambit: The wheelchair-bound captain of the opponent debate team tearing up his cards and launching himself in the air at Jeff. Its a huge risk, as he could hurt himself badly, but he knows that he will get the crucial proof to his argument as Jeff will instinctively catch him. Needless to say, when asked what this is, Abed tells Shirley:

Abed: It's a gambit.

• Beautiful All Along: Annie, although kind of unnecessary since she's clearly attractive. However she wears her hair tied back most of the time which makes her seem sweet and adorable. When she undoes it, in a case of Letting Her Hair Down, lets her hair fall down her face in front of Jeff, she then goes from being cute to smokin' hot in both his and the viewers eyes. This might also be because just as she's letting her hair down, she shows off some surprising cleavage for the first time.
• Brick Joke: The Dean makes a quick reference to the school's reputation being weakened by the men's basketball team, which everyone assumes is filled with gay men. Later in the episode, the basketball team shows up to use the gym - all of them mustachioed, in ripped shirts and short shorts, and speaking with a slightly flamboyant lisp.
• Call Back/Continuity Nod: The tags of 1.09 reference "Donde Esta la Biblioteca" from episode 1.02.
• Courtroom Antic: Jeff's go-to strategy fails him when he uses it in Debate and his team loses the first round, 50-8 (and the 8 were to Annie).
• Freudian Slip: Annie in "Debate 109".

Jeff: We should study separately, by ourselves. Annie: Yeah, that way we can be more reproductive-- productive!

• Inspirationally Disadvantaged: Jimmy "Soulpatch" Simmons isn't shy about using his handicap status to win debate arguments.
• Jerkass: While a charismatic debater, Jeremy "Soulpatch" Simmons is an arrogant bully. Which is why, despite him being handicapped, it's funny when Jeff ends up dropping him on his ass at the climax of the debate.
• Letting Her Hair Down: Annie
• Mythology Gag: Possibly with the actor playing Jeff in Abed's Community College Chronicles. According to The Other Wiki, Community is based on Dan Harmon's own experiences at community college, and Jeff Winger is based on a younger version of himself. Jeff Short (Abed's Film!Jeff) actually physically resembles Harmon.
• Painting the Fourth Wall: 109 is the production number of this episode.
• Prophecies Are Always Right: Abed's Dangerously Genre Savvy student films.
• Refuge in Audacity: Jeff and Annie's kiss leading to Jeremy Simmons, who is disabled, being unceremoniously dropped on the floor by Jeff, would be a lot more offensive if it wasn't wrapped in various levels of humour, Simmons' previous behaviour as a huge asshat, and the fact that the whole thing was the convoluted outcome of a college debate-club event being taken to ludicrous levels of Serious Business.
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Shirley comes in to tell Jeff and Annie about the crazy idea Abed had that they would kiss.
• Serious Business: Debate
• Ship Tease: Jeff/Annie. Arguably, the first real instance of chemistry between the characters. Certainly not the last.
• Similar Squad: The cast of Abed's films.
• Xanatos Speed Chess: The above Batman Gambit is thwarted when Annie passionately kisses Jeff, causing him to drop Simmons.
• You Remind Me of X: Variant 1, but with slightly worst hair.