Community Season 1 Episode 19: The Science of Illusion
As April Fools Day approaches, Dean Pelton addresses the students, telling them to curb pranks on campus. Dean Pelton suggests the students pick up a College Pranks pamphlet if they have any questions about how far a prank should go. At study group, Annie reads in the pamphlet that Dean Pelton is looking for volunteer security guards during the holiday, so she and Shirley decide to volunteer as a cop team. Annie and Shirley argue who is the “baddest” of the two cops. Pierce tells the study group his Buddhist church is making him a Level 6 Laser Lotus.
Jeff decides this is an opportunity to prank Pierce by telling him a delivery person was looking for him with a package delivery from his church. While Pierce searches for the delivery person with the package, Jeff has Abed run to the theater department to find an outfit for Pierce. Abed returns with a package holding a wizard outfit with hat and robe which Pierce promptly puts on as the group laughs under their breath.
When the gang decides Britta is a buzz kill, Britta tells Jeff she is planning a prank on Senor Chang. Apparently Senor Chang is afraid of frogs so Britta plans to break into the lab room and borrow a frog to place on Senor Chang’s desk before class. She thinks a frog with a tiny sombrero that says Senor Chang is funny while Jeff thinks the prank is lame at best. Jeff finds Pierce and Troy in the cafeteria and hands Pierce another package from the delivery guy. The package contains a wizard’s wand with a cookie at the end of the wand. Jeff tells Pierce the wand will help him focus his powers and Pierce is thrilled to receive it.
Britta sneaks into the lab and grabs a frog but the frog jumps out of her hand. As the frog sits there with its sombrero taunting Britta she makes another lunge for it and bumps into a cadaver on gurney that falls out of the window of the lab room, landing on the lawn. As people start screaming about the cadaver on the lawn, Britta backs up to escape and hears a loud crunch of the frog with the sombrero.
The next day Dean Pelton gathers the security team to discuss the lab crime of a dead frog and cadaver on the lawn. Abed, whose cable is out on his TV, decides instead to follow and watch Annie and Shirley in action. Annie and Shirley play tough with the local police who think there’s no evidence of a real crime. Annie and Shirley take over the crime scene and start to put clues together to catch the criminal. Dean Pelton talks to Senor Chang’s class, having narrowed down the culprit of the lab crime to the Spanish class. Dean Pelton asks the criminal to step forward. Jeff glances over at Britta, who plays innocent. When no one steps forward, Dean Pelton banishes April Fool’s Day from Greendale, making April 1st officially March 32nd instead. Jeff talks to Britta after class telling her she should admit her crime but Britta is afraid the study group will think she is even more of a buzz kill after this fiasco. Jeff points out to Britta she has committed the biggest buzz kill of all, getting April Fool’s Day banished at the college.
An anonymous call comes in to campus security saying that Jeff Winger is behind the lab break-in. Annie and Shirley hunt down Jeff and confiscate his backpack, which they find loaded with mini Mexican sombreros. Abed eats popcorn and watches Annie and Shirley scuffle with Jeff. As Annie and Shirley try to arrest Jeff, he realizes Britta set him up and runs away. Dean Pelton talks to Annie and Shirley about their failure to arrest Jeff while Abed watches the action. When Dean Pelton can’t quite figure out how to reprimand them, Abed plays bad ass cop and steps in and fires them, confiscating their security jackets and equipment. Dean Pelton seems impressed.
Annie and Shirley decide to take matters into their own hands and confront Jeff in study group. Jeff quips he’s not on the run if he’s attending a scheduled study group. Jeff tells the group Britta is guilty of the lab crime but Britta won’t fess up. When Annie and Shirley pull out the handcuffs and get rough with Jeff, Britta finally confesses, telling the group she did the prank so she wouldn’t be considered the buzz kill of the group. Jeff tells Britta she created a gigantic buzz kill on their study group but she is the heart of the group and they couldn’t do without her. One by one the group confesses to their bad choices and pranks. Jeff tells Pierce they were pranking him with the wizard costume and Pierce admits he knew all along but wanted to be accepted. Annie and Shirley admit they want to be more like each other. Troy admits it was his idea to give Pierce the cookie wand. Jeff and Abed watch from the sidelines as everyone in the group cries and hug, while Abed eats his popcorn.
