COMMUNITY: Alternative History of the German Invasion

Once upon a time when I was a college student, I was (and still am) a Historian. There are many different ways to write a narrative of historical events and so just knowing that this episode is going to focus on that is making me smile.

The study group is worried about their History class and just as they watch the History of Ice Cream let out, they come to face a new set of German students. As Professor Cornwallis points out, History is written by the victors–the winners–and not the losers. So there is, and always will be, multiple narratives of any event.

What would happen if all the losers were able to write their own history? Would it look different? Oh yeah, it would.

So we’re looking at some differing perspectives on life at Greendale, which both feels weird and fitting.

In the episode’s B-plot, Dean Pelton is greeted by Chang, still without his memories, and someone from the Greater Greendale Mental Health system has brought Chang back to help get over his amnesia.

After history class, the group sees that the Germans have now taken over the Study Room. To which, Jeff’s response are all true facts about Germans in war, and how the group can’t give the Germans anything without having them take over everything else.

Truer words have never been spoken, Jeff!

The School Board is serious about Chang staying with Pelton, though that is no good.

Not true to their words, the Germans are still in the Study Room the following day, and have a sign-in sheet to prove that they are meant to be there for the day.

The group now tries to get to the Adminstration building earlier to get their room back, and fails. They are now in some room with poor lighting and no room, and in that space Pierce electrocutes himself.

Earlier and earlier each day, the group tries to get their room, and fails each time. Their replacement room also falls apart, leaving them in the shell of their former selves.

Pelton, still, is having nothing of the Changnesia, and Kevin runs off in horror.

The History class is proving difficult for the group–they have no way to create a diorama to explain their position. After class, Jeff’s got the idea of how to use Hogan’s Heroes, and their ruses, to get what they want from the Germans. The answer: Oktoberfest!

The room looks amazing and the new leader is cautious about the very large German chocolate cake.

The group, in the last moment, takes photos of all the Germans, which turns out to be against Greendale’s rules to celebrate their own culture. The end result of the Germans celebrating their own culture is that they have lost access to the Study Room.

All should be well, but instead, the rest of the students are rebelling against the Group. It turns out that the Study Group might actually be the bad guys in this series of events and that their narrative has clouded everything else they’ve done.

In point of fact, the group not signing out the room has been contentious for some time, going back over the years to show times when the group had monopolized the room without thinking of the consequences.

Pelton, after Chang checked himself into jail, bails Kevin out, realizing that Chang would never feel remorse for his actions.

Defeated, the group sits in the cafeteria, eating German chocolate cake and they all missed their own exam. Of course, Jeff thinks that Cornwallis’ arrival is about their lesson, but that’s far from the truth, much to their annoyance. Pierce, not bothered by the F on the exam, is annoyed that no one thinks he might be the group’s Hitler.

Making amends, the group repaints their old room and that everyone forgave them. But that’s ruined when Chang walks into the room.

So, maybe the Study Group really are like the Germans in the Twentieth Century, but maybe they aren’t. It’s really hard to tell at this point.

Only time will tell.

Or will it?