The start of the episode starts off with the Dean of Greendale giving a speech about what people think community college really is. "Loser College for Remedial Teens", "Twenty Something Drop-Outs", "Middle Aged Divorcees" and "Old People Keeping Their Minds Active As They Circle The Drain of Eternity". As these statements are read out, we're given shots of a number of the characters that are then introduced as the study group later on in the episode. From the very start, we're shown a glimpse of who these people are, in just one sentence. Of course, once we watch more and we learn about them, we see that they are more than just remedial teens or twenty something drop outs, but those first shots and their reactions give us a first introduction to who they could possibly be.
Abed Nadir is one of the first main characters to speak, and he has quite a lengthy introduction speech to Jeff, another main character, to deliver, so because he wasn't put of the opening shots like some of the rest of the group, this gives us a lot more of an character insight to who Abed is.
Two minutes into the episode we find out about Jeff Winger and why he is at Community College. He's in his thirties, he was a very successful lawyer, but he lied his way through and now he's been told that he has to get a real degree before he can be a real lawyer again. Again, he wasn't in the opening reaction shots so we get a slightly more in-depth look to his character because of this. Within this scene with Professor Duncan, we automatically see Jeff's sarcasm, charm and certain lawyer aspects come to life while trying to cheat his way through community college within days of starting.
After the opening credits, we get a shot of Pierce Hawthorne who was the "Old People" reaction shot, struggling to know what to do with a hot dog and its bun. It's visibly noticeable that he is one of the older characters but this doesn't really tell us much about him. Jeff's 'charm' takes a hit when Britta Perry, Twenty Something Drop Outs reaction shot, practically shoos his advances away, and based on his reaction, it's not something that he is used to. As we have already established, Jeff Winger is a very good liar, he tells Britta that he has started a study group which then shows her not being so defensive towards him. The show is very much based on pop culture references, so when he tries to subtly explain what has just happened to a cafeteria lady, he says that he was brought up on TV noting that he thought any "black woman over fifty was a cosmic mentor", explaining why he drifted off on a small tangent.
We learn more about Britta when she decides to open up to Jeff as she arrives to the first study group meeting, a group that doesn't even exist at this point. She tells him what she has done before joining the college and how she just likes honesty, and even the circumstances of what lie Jeff has just told her, he looks uncomfortable at first. He tells her he'll pretty much say whatever he wants to get whatever he wants, she finds that statement honest so she builds her walls down a little lower, that we know of.
Abed makes a reference to the Breakfast Club and throughout not only each episode, but throughout each season, you will learn that the show is heavily based on these pop culture references but they make the best of them instead of just throwing them in because "they can". Jeff uses his lawyer talking skills to talk Professor Duncan around once again to get the answers for his for all of his exams, despite the Professor looking and feeling uncomfortable about it. however, because of Jeff's history of having to talk his way out of things, we can see that it comes naturally to him now.
Coming back from talking to Prof. Duncan, Jeff heads back to the study room to find four new faces that he has never made before. As they speak, we find out a little more about their personalities. Pierce who simply asks if he's the certified tutor, Troy Barnes (who was the remedial teen in the Dean's speech reaction shot) asks him if he's going to do his homework in a very stereotypical in film, "black" attitude way as well as referencing Ryan Seacrest who Jeff looks similar to. Shirley Bennett, who was placed in the divorcee reaction shot states that she'll need to be home by ten or she has to get a baby sitter. Lastly there's Annie Edison who wasn't featured in the shots and hasn't been introduced to the audience until now, asks what sort of board certifies a tutor, showing that she is on the ball and giving the first impression that she is a perfect and organized student. Troy then makes another stereotypical remark as well as another reference to a film, "I'm gonna leave my homework with Slumdog Millionaire" (Abed is half Arabic and so would possibly be type cast as that type of person from the movie).
As Jeff is about to leave the group and leave school altogether for the day he sees Britta and you get the impression that she can tell what he's up to. She even finishes some of his sentences, and that makes us think is she two steps in front of the ex-lawyer that seems to be using his charm to get what he wants whenever he wants. The group are gathered around the table and Jeff wants to try and twist the group so much that they eventually fall apart and this starts with Annie telling Shirley off because she thinks she's being treated like a child. This shows the audience that Annie has something to hide because she has put up such a wall and wants to be treated like an adult. At the same time, Shirley shows a lot more anger towards Annie that you would first assume. Annie and Troy bump heads when he figures out that she was the "pill popper" that had to leave his school to get help for her addiction, this helps the audience understand a little more about Annie as the episode goes on. As the group are all fighting, Abed looks very uncomfortable and bursts out into a short monologue from "The Breakfast Club" again, showing that the show is very heavily using references from film and television and putting them into different scenarios.
As we get halfway through the episode, we have learned quite a lot about each character. Enough to be satisfied and not to be overwhelmed, and enough to understand what each of them are going through at that particular time when Jeff stirs their emotions with each other. Towards the end of the episode we see the characters come outside, one by one, talking to Jeff and them each opening up a little more. This gives us more insight into why they reacted so hastily to one another in the study room. Jeff lets his guard down when Britta hints to him that he has all the answers, so why was he still hanging around. He tells the group that he doesn't have any of the answers after all and he's just going to flunk the test. As the group feel sorry for Jeff, they decide to head back upstairs to the study room. Britta was the least inclined to do so but the impression the audience have been given is that his charms have once again worked their way around the group.
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