S01E05 · EP 5
season 1 · 2009-10-15

Advanced Criminal Law

written by Andrew Guest · directed by Joe Russo · 5.01M viewers · image Community Wiki (CC BY-SA)

Episode DNA

22 scenes · 3 threads
absurd 15%scheme 11%confession 9%awkward 8%tense 8%lie 7%cheerful 6%social rule violation 5%triumphant 4%negotiation 3%

Story threads over runtime

click a block to open the scene
0:005:0010:0015:0020:00
A · Britta's cheating tribunal
B · Troy pranks Abed
C · Pierce writes school song
01

Every scene

22 scenes · our breakdown
1 · Greendale hallway · cold_openDean announces statue and song

Dean Pelton makes morning announcements about Luis Guzmán statue and new school song.

00:01–00:29scheme · social_rule_violation
2 · Greendale hallway · act1Jeff deflects dean's Britta inquiry

Dean Pelton asks Jeff about his relationship with Britta, hinting at sabotage.

00:29–02:14scheme · social_rule_violation
3 · Greendale hallway · act1Jeff lies about being Obama's nephew

Jeff claims he is President Obama's nephew and invented the Ferrari to impress Britta.

02:14–02:34lie · scheme
4 · Spanish classroom · act1Chang threatens class over crib sheet

Señor Chang threatens to fail the entire Spanish class unless the cheater confesses.

02:34–03:15threat · interrogation
5 · Spanish classroom · act1Study group debates the cheater

The study group discusses who might have cheated and criticizes Chang's threat.

03:15–04:49misunderstanding · petty_grievance
6 · Spanish classroom · act1Pierce volunteers to write school song

Pierce offers to write the school song after Annie mentions Troy's musical talent.

04:49–04:58scheme · lie
7 · Spanish classroom · act1Chang gives ultimatum, Britta confesses

Chang gives the class ten seconds to confess, and Britta falsely admits to cheating.

04:58–05:44confession
8 · Spanish classroom · act1Class turns on Britta

The class mocks Britta for her confession, and Chang begins the lesson.

05:44–06:29humiliation · social_rule_violation
9 · Greendale hallway · act2Dean informs Britta of tribunal

Dean Pelton tells Britta she faces a disciplinary tribunal for cheating.

06:29–07:47scheme · negotiation
10 · Greendale hallway · act2Troy tries to prank Abed

Troy attempts to prank Abed by claiming all dogs are blue, but Abed outsmarts him.

07:47–07:57scheme · impersonation
11 · Greendale pool · act2Tribunal convenes at pool

The disciplinary tribunal begins at the pool with Dean Pelton, Duncan, and Chang as judges.

07:57–08:35interrogation · rivalry
12 · Greendale pool · act2Chang testifies about Britta's outburst

Chang gives a dramatic testimony about Britta's alleged outburst in class.

08:35–09:47lie
13 · Rehearsal space · act2Pierce struggles to write song

Pierce pretends to compose the school song but has no real progress.

09:47–11:22lie · avoidance
14 · Greendale pool · act2Britta testifies, Jeff objects

Britta testifies, and Jeff tries to argue she confessed to protect the class.

11:22–12:55confession · negotiation
15 · Greendale pool · act2Jeff calls recess, Abed pranks Troy

Jeff calls a recess, and Abed continues his alien prank on Troy.

12:55–13:31scheme · impersonation
16 · Greendale pool area · act2Jeff and Britta talk privately

Jeff and Britta have a heart-to-heart about her motives for cheating.

13:31–15:05confession · secret_exposed
17 · Greendale pool · act2Jeff argues Britta is crazy

Jeff argues Britta is insane to win the tribunal case.

15:05–16:10scheme · negotiation
18 · Greendale hallway · act2Troy confronts Abed about pranks

Troy tells Abed that friends don't mess with each other.

16:10–16:40confession · social_rule_violation
19 · Rehearsal space · act3Pierce admits he's a fraud

Pierce confesses to Annie that he can't write songs and steals music.

16:40–17:46confession · humiliation
20 · Rehearsal space · act3Annie motivates Pierce to finish song

Annie gives Pierce a pep talk, inspiring him to complete the school song.

17:46–19:15comeuppance
21 · Greendale courtyard · act3Pierce performs school song at ceremony

Pierce performs the school song at the statue dedication, but it's plagiarized.

19:15–20:58lie · social_rule_violation
22 · Study room · tagTroy and Abed play video games

Troy and Abed play video games, showing their friendship is restored.

20:58–21:09
03

Same DNA

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Episode facts

Wikipedia · Wikidata
Aired
2009-10-15
Overall
#5
Writers
Andrew Guest
Director
Joe Russo
Viewers
5.01M (US)
Pace
144 words/min · 82 questions

Where to watch

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In this episode

JW
Jeff Winger16 episodes · drives 702 scenes
BP
Britta Perry16 episodes · drives 194 scenes
TB
Troy Barnes10 episodes · drives 155 scenes
AN
Abed Nadir12 episodes · drives 277 scenes
PH
Pierce Hawthorne23 episodes · drives 173 scenes
AE
Annie Edison14 episodes · drives 204 scenes
SB
Shirley Bennett12 episodes · drives 70 scenes
BC
Ben Chang47 episodes · drives 2 scenes