Community: Season 1 Episode 11: Comparative Religion
Shirley is throwing a Christmas party for her fellow Spanish Club members. Shirley believes her classmates are the only real family she has left after her divorce. She gives out Jesus bracelets saying “WWBJD” — what would Baby Jesus do? which the gang reluctantly puts on to be polite.
In the student lounge Abed grabs some winterdoodle cookies to share with his classmates. The college bully gives Abed a hard time for taking his favorite cookies. Jeff steps up and verbally assaults the bully, telling him to back away. Dean Pelton breaks up the argument.
In the study group Shirley commends Jeff for keeping things non-violent in the holiday season. Jeff complains he will fail Spanish 101 if he doesn’t pass the upcoming final, a thought which horrifies him. Shirley invites the club to her campus Christmas party after the final. Shirley is very Christian and finds out her fellow students come from all different religious backgrounds: Abed is Muslim, Troy is a Jehovah Witness, Annie is Jewish, Jeff is agnostic, Britta is atheist and Pierce thinks he is a Buddist (Britta thinks he’s in a cult). Shirley is having trouble coping with classmates who see Christmas differently than she does.
Senor Chang hangs out at his desk in a mexican hat bored out of his mind while the students take their Spanish final. As Jeff sweats over the test the bully appears outside the class taunting him. Senor Chang allows the bully to enter the classroom because he’s bored; the bully throws Jeff’s test papers in the air. Jeff tells the bully the fight is on.
Jeff, Abed, Troy and Pierce discuss the upcoming fight. Jeff admits he’s never been in a fight before. Pierce tells Jeff he can’t be a true man until he has been hit in the face. Troy, Abed, Britta and Pierce show Jeff how to fight. Pierce has Jeff throwing punches for practice. Troy gives Jeff ways to intimidate his opponent, including saying “Wazz Up?” and the Mike Tyson evil eye. As Shirley prepares for the party, Annie slips and tells her Jeff is fighting the bully. Shirley confronts Jeff and the gang telling him if he fights the bully he is ruining the Christmas season and he cannot come to her party. Jeff decides he must fight the bully anyway.
The gang gathers at Shirley’s Christmas party. Shirley sings weird variations of Christmas carols which puzzles the group. The gang decides it is not right that Jeff is left out of the party. They confront Shirley and tell her she is acting too self-righteous about her decision and its not very Christian of her to ban Jeff from the party or question their religious beliefs. The gang leaves to watch the fight and support Jeff.
Jeff meets up with the bully and his buddies for the fight. As Jeff prepares to start fighting he sees the “WWBJD” bracelet on his wrist and remembers what Shirley said. Jeff tries to make peace with the bully, who decides to pound on Jeff anyway. When Shirley sees the bully playing dirty she yells for Jeff to “kick his ass”. The gang starts fighting the bully’s friends, destroying the winter wonderland display at school. Pierce hits Jeff in the face by accident during the fight.
The gang return to Shirley’s party, beaten and bloody. The party is on and the gang enjoy each other’s company. Pierce proclaims to Jeff he is finally a man after hitting him in the face. Senor Chang announces to the students they have all passed the final and will see him in next year’s class since he is the only Spanish teacher at Greendale college. Jeff opens a bottle of champagne to celebrate the new semester and the Christmas season.
