Community: Season 1 Episode 9: Environmental Science
Dean Pelton announces the college is getting involved in Green week and changing the college’s name to Environdale. The students point out that their college is already named Greendale. Dean Pelton tells the students Green Day will be playing at the event.
The Spanish class is taking a test, Senor Chang asks everyone to put down their pens and all but Annie stop. Annie works busily having missed what Senor Chang said. Senor Chang drags Annie and her desk out into the hall and closes the door on her. An angry Senor Chang tells the class they must write a paper based on Annie’s mistake. When the students protest Senor Chang ups the ante until the paper is 20 pages, which they think is unfair.
The Spanish club decides someone needs to confront Senor Chang and talk him out of the 20 page assignment. They figure Jeff is the coolest of them and can sell Senor Chang on their idea. Jeff reluctantly agrees.
Dean Pelton meets with the band Green Day and finds out it is not the real Green Day but an Irish band. Jeff visits Senor Chang in his office and talks to him about his bad nature lately. Jeff hits the nail on the head when he asks about Senor Chang’s wife and Senor Chang breaks down admitting his wife has left him and maybe he is being too harsh on the students. When Jeff suggests he and Senor Chang should hang out that evening, Senor Chang agrees.
Abed and Troy are in science lab working with lab rats. Troy is terrified of rats and screams like a little girl when confronted with them up close, knocking the rat cage to the floor. Abed’s lab rat escapes and Abed feels obligated to find his missing rat.
Jeff and Senor Chang hang out at a bar and discuss Chang’s marriage woes. Jeff tries bringing up the subject of excess homework. Senor Chang decides Jeff deserves preferential treatment because he is now his buddy. Jeff keeps trying to talk Senor Chang into giving the entire class less homework but Chang isn’t biting.
The next day Jeff is very hung over as the Spanish club find him buying strong coffee in the cafeteria. Jeff was beyond bored talking with Senor Chang and got nowhere with the homework issue. Britta suspects Jeff is getting extra benefit from his association with Senor Chang. Pierce helps Shirley with her public speaking speech which she is terrified to give. Pierce suggests Shirley gesture with her hands to help get her points across.
Senor Chang tells the class their essay is due and will be 30 points towards their grade, and announces Jeff has already turned in his essay. Now Britta is convinced Jeff is getting a free ride with homework assignments and is ticked off. The group confronts Jeff about preferential treatment. Jeff feels angry the group doesn’t realize he’s trying to help them and threatens to quit the group. Abed searches for his lab rat, Troy joins him and together they serenade the rat into coming out of the hole in the wall, returning him to his lab cage. Pierce watches as Shirley gives her speech, faltering but then coached by Pierce’s signals does a great job with her assignment and smiles at her own accomplishment.
The Green week event begins with music from the Irish Green Day. Jeff has secretly invited Senor Chang’s wife, who meets Chang on the dance floor in a frenzied make-up dance, ending their separation. Britta realizes Jeff helped Senor Chang and the gang and is impressed. Senor Chang drops the homework assignment and the Spanish group feels relieved.
