- Title: Community – Advanced Documentary Filmmaking
- tv.com: link
“Enjoy your collective delusion. I’m going to go get a sandwich, which, unlike Changnesia, is real.”
Abed (Danny Pudi) takes up the role of documentary filmmaker (again) focusing on the mystery behind Chang’s (Ken Jeong) amnesia. In order to offset the monetary strain of searching for the cause of “Changnesia” the Dean (Jim Rash) enlists the support of the entire Greendale community to help the school procure a $40,000 grant from the MacGuffin Neurological Institute. And so, despite Jeff’s (Joel McHale) objections, the Study Group decides to help their troubled former enemy.
Jeff’s growing anger is only incensed after discovering Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown) has hired Chang to work at her sandwich shop in the school’s cafeteria and becomes obsessed with proving Chang’s amnesia is nothing more than just his latest con. While pretending to help the group’s efforts, Jeff convinces Annie (Alison Brie) and Troy (Donald Glover) to investigate the events leading up to Chang’s amnesia and gets Shirley and Britta (Gillian Jacobs) to continuously tape Chang for the documentary (secretly hoping to catch his enemy in a on-camera slip-up). And, just in case he’s unsuccessful in exposing Chang’s lies, Jeff nominates Pierce (Chevy Chase) as the the introductory act for MacGuffin scientists’ on-campus visit realizing he’ll destroy any chance of the funding actually making its way to Greendale.
When Jeff’s plan blows up in his face an even Chang’s estranged ex-wife (Andrea de Oliveira) buys into the new Kevin the college not only gets the grant but also makes Chang a hero on campus. Despite giving in, forgiving the past, and accepting the new Chang, the episode proves Jeff’s suspicions valid in its final scene showing us that Kevin isn’t the person he’s pretending to be. Although certainly better than last week’s low point of the season so far, “Advanced Documentary Filmmaking” feels too much like a retread of stories we’ve already seen Community explore, although Jeff’s increased frustration over accidentally helping prove Changnesia over and over again, and Annie and Troy’s cop buddy interrogation techniques of the fisherman who found Chang, do provide some fun moments.
