In this episode Troy and Abed throw a housewarming party where they invite the rest of the study group to celebrate moving in together in their new apartment. Right when they're about to start playing the board game "Yahtzee" (which I honestly have no clue on how it works) they get interrupted by the pizza they ordered arriving. None of them want to go get it so Jeff decides to use one of the cubes from Yahtzee to decide on who has to get it. Starting from the person sitting to his left, which ever side it lands on ranging from the numbers 1-6 the person with that number has to get it. Abed points out that Jeff is therefore creating 6 timelines ranging from whoever must get it. The rest of the episode shows all six of these timelines.
What I find interesting in this episode is, that some aspects of it never really change, while other small decisions can cause a chain reaction of things that ends with their lives permanently changing. I won't go over every timeline since the first few aren't that interesting, but will with some of the later ones, since with each timeline more things seem to change with every decision.
Before I cover some of the timelines, I want to mention some of my favourite moments. While I do think that the comedy in this episode is actually one of the weaker aspects of this episode, I want to cover some of the funniest moments in the episode.
I find it really funny that it is inevitable that Pierce mentions having sex with a woman on an airplane bathroom. If you'd only watch one timeline you'd probably disagree because the point comes up organically, which is where the funny part comes in. In every timeline the conversation leading up to what pierce is about to say is different, but he always manages to flow into his argument, even stating that the person talking before him basically set his point up, when the others are grossed out by what he says. This shows us that Pierce wasn't reminded to say this because it somehow came up in the conversation but was deliberately planning on saying it no matter what. This really gives us insight into his character and shows us that he is basically begging for attention.
I also find it funny when Troy is in the bathroom with Britta, stating that he's mad about being treated like a child and that he is 21 years old and a man. Since Britta is smoking, he also takes out a "cigarette" of his own and when Britta wants to lite it, he starts chewing it, showing us that it's a bubble gum cigarette which is mostly eaten by kids.
There are 3 timelines I want to go over. The first one I want to go over is timeline 1 also referred to as "the darkest timeline". Troy must get the pizza. Britta goes to the bathroom to smoke. When Jeff gets up to get a drink, he hits his head on the fan. Pierce laughs at him. Annie stands up to see if he's ok, but instead slips on the ball from Abed's Indiana Jones model which fell on the floor since Abed wasn't there to catch it. She falls on the table, breaking it. On this table is Annie's handbag. Pierce is so shocked that he accidently kicks his gift for Troy at Annie's handbag, which fires her revolver, which is in the handbag and shoots Pierce in the leg. Britta comes out of the toilet to sees what's going on while still smoking and is so shocked that she drops the cigarette and lights the apartment on fire. Troy then comes back up the stairs with the pizza and sees the chaos ensuing. Infront of the whole scene is the Norwegian doll that used to terrorize him when he was living with Pierce. Pierce wanted to give it to him as a cruel gift because he's angry and jealous at Troy for moving out of his place. Troy quietly says to the doll "it was you" and screams NOOOO! This timeline is the shortest one but has the most stuff happening in it. It's so entertaining to watch when in only a little bit over a minute this butterfly effect ensues. It's probably my favourite timeline.
Next, I want to go over timeline 5 also known as the saddest timeline. Abed has to get the pizza. The timeline begins the same as all the others, with Jeff hitting his head on the fan and Britta going to the toilet to smoke weed. There are 3 conflicts in this timeline and while they all occur simultaneously, I'm going to cover them one by one.
Annie goes to check out jeff. While she's looking to see if he has an injury, Jeff tells her how important she is to him. They start making out, but she interrupts it by saying that her dad also always used to say how important she was to him and that what Jeff said reminded her of him. When she wants to continue making out he stops her by saying she shouldn't mention her dad while they're being intimate. He also makes a rude remark about her wearing too much bubblegum lip gloss. Annie is obviously angry about this.
The next conflict begins with Britta leaving the bathroom and asking what smells amazing. Shirley runs over to her and offers Britta some of her pies, glad that somebody appreciates her baking. Britta, after taking a bite, without thinking says that she isn't allowed to eat these since the group agreed that her baking was becoming an unhealthy obsession and that they shouldn't enable her. Shirley is very upset by this, so Britta admits that she's high. Shirley being a very Christian woman is infuriated by this and says that she won't give her pies to a drug addict. Britta, who is now also mad remarks that Shirley is only baking so that the group will appreciate her more.
The last conflict begins with Pierce giving Troy his gift. Before he opens it, he thanks Pierce for letting him stay with him and says that he now has to make it on his own like Pierce. Pierce, who is touched by this doesn't want to give Troy the cruel gift, but since Troy doesn't know what's in it yet, wants it, so they fight over it until the doll flies out of the present. Troy is incredibly insulted by his spiteful gift.
Finally, Abed comes back up and says that he wonders what happened in the other timelines. Everyone else just ignores him and looks upset. This timeline was very well acted and quite sad. I also find it very telling that the two worst timelines are the ones without Troy and abed. It really goes to show that their goofy but loveable friendship and personality brings out the best in the group and when you take that away, the group becomes spiteful and mean.
Lastly, I want to talk about timeline 7, also known as "the best timeline". Before the cube hits the table to decide who has to get the pizza, Abed catches the cube. He says that they shouldn't, since chaos already dominates enough of their lives and that it doesn't matter what happens to them as long as they stay accepting of each other. He goes on to explain that the study group is comprised of 7 people, but the cube only has 6 sides. Since number 1 starts with the person to the left of Jeff and then goes around the table, Jeff would never have to go get the pizza. He devised this plan out of laziness. The rest of the group is understandably angered about this and makes Jeff get the pizza. In every timeline Britta starts playing the song "Roxanne" by "The Police" on the speakers but gets stopped by Jeff before she can start singing. Jeff hits his head on the fan but this time the whole group laughs at him, but not in a malicious way, more in a friendly manor. Since Jeff isn't there to stop her, Britta starts singing along to the song. Everyone else starts joining in and starts to sing and dance joyfully. Annie tells Abed that she loves his place, and he replies by saying that she should move in with him and Troy, since Annie is living in a bad neighbourhood. Pierce decides to throw away his spiteful gift and they all have fun. Jeff comes back and sarcastically remarks "see what happens when I leave you guys alone", but no one hears him. Instead of stopping them he just watches while eating his pizza.
This episode says a lot. Probably the most out of all timelines. It shows that Jeff being sort of the leader of the group actually brings out the worst in them. In all the other timelines there's some sort of conflict or something bad which happens to them. Every single one, but this one, the one without Jeff. I think Jeff silently realises this and, in an effort, to give the group some fun, just lets them dance and doesn't stop them or remark on how dumb they look. This slightly redeems him for me.
Overall, this episode is absolutely fantastic and one of the best sitcom episodes I've ever seen. It's easily the best community episode and a crowning jewel of this genre.
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