Intro to Knots (Season 4, ep 10)

"All Empires Fall," But Can Community Rebound?

You Can Watch the Episode Here 

Apparently its Christmas at Greendale! It's kinda nice having the holiday episodes on a delay. You get to appreciate the various festivities from afar and in some way extend the holiday season. In a departure from the Christmas-special-themed episodes from the last two episodes (the claymation and the glee episodes), this episode focuses on more real world events rather than a motif.

The gang, minus Pierce and plus Kevin (Chang), gather at Jeff's apartment for a Christmas party. Annie shows up early and starts to make Jeff's apartment seem more homey. Jeff comments on this but Annie begins to play house with Jeff as she did when they went away for Inspecticon. I'm not sure if in the remaining three episodes if they are ever going to try and rekindle this relationship. When Britta mentioned that she and Jeff used to sleep together (some crack about who emotionally disconnected he was during sex), we see Annie look away, sad. She still wants him, haven't seen many signs recently if Jeff feels the same.

Annie also tells Jeff that the group failed their most recent History essay. To try and change the grade, Annie invited their teacher, Professor Cornwallis, to the party. (Just as the group and the Dean ignored Annie and Cornwallis' ethically questionable relationship during the puppet episode, this episode barely touches the issue) The Cornwallis arrives claiming he can't stay long and Jeff attempts to schmooze is way up to a 'C.' Cornwallis then informs Jeff that they already had a C on the essay. Turns out Annie just wanted an A so that she stay in the standings for valedictorian. Cornwallis over hears Jeff and Annie's intentions off only trying to influence their grade and thus changes their grade to an F. Dun dun duunnnnnnn.

The group, minus Kevin, huddles up in the other room and reveals what has just happened. Shirley tells everyone that she is also in the running for valedictorian. They decide to try to convince Cornwallis one more time, before he can leave. Turns out, he's not going anywhere. Kevin has (somehow) tied the professor to a chair hoping to help the group. How did this happen? Where did he get the rope? Who knows and who cares? Plot device!

Before anyone can untie the professor, Jeff realized that they have the control now. He says that he will not release the professor until he agrees to change their grade back or even improve it. Now we have the a conflict. The professor states that who ever unties him will get an A. The group jumps yelling at each other not to move. (would have been a good place for a Mexican stand off). The professor now starts a Hannibal Lector style grilling of the group trying to find a weak spot. "Empires are always destroyed from within."

During this grilling, the dean, Jeff's most recent new neighbor, knocks on the door. Jeff manages to get rid of him but when everyone returns their attention to the professor, he has been freed! Who dunnit? Who betrayed the group? Comically, the gang ties Cornwallis back up and decides to open their Christmas presents from each other. Kevin gives everyone a present which are poorly wrapped and have ribbons that are barely tied together. They all realize that the professor untied himself and could have left whenever he wanted. Cornwallis admits that we was a willing captive because he had no where else to go on. Sad and lonely, he was just looking for attention. The group receives a C+ (hooray?) and they continue to enjoy their party.

Kevin slips away and we see him call this his nefarious controller. Turns out Kevin was attempting to get the gang expelled from Greendale by getting them in trouble with Cornwallis. Kevin would most likely claim that he had Changneisa and was innocent while the gang would be arrested/ expelled for abducting a professor.

Over all a fun episode. Loved Abed through out it with his Die Hard shirt etc. And he gives us this gem at the end. The Darkest timeline throw back.

Nearly at the end of the season! keep watching and maybe will get a fifth season. One more after that and then i'll start to push for a movie.

see you all next week,
Tom