COMMUNITY: Cooperative Polygraphy

Pierce’s laser lotus funeral seems more strange than ever imagined: pods and a casket and “Troy and Abed are in mourning” during their eulogy. But, despite all of what happened during the funeral, Pierce’s weird strike still remains as he organized a collective polygraph test for the study group (and Chang).

Pierce being Pierce is what the group decides to make of the polygraph tests and so they sit down and start to be questioned by Pierce’s investigator. There are details revealed about what they told to Pierce at various points (from how Troy and Abed steal Jeff’s Netflix account and how Annie overcharges Troy and Abed for the rent a bit every month).

Maybe this polygraph isn’t such a bonding experience after all? No one’s really talking even if everyone wants some of Pierce’s millions.

To that point, Shirley has been substituting “meat food” for the tofu in the only vegetarian sandwich at the shop. Also, Jeff has collected underwear from his conquests; Troy and Abed didn’t make up their handshake; Annie dosed everyone with an amphetamine before their Anthropology final and Abed faked an online boyfriend so that Annie would make pancakes every morning.

Even in death, Pierce is still making the group face the hard truths of their lives and their lives as they relate to everyone else in the study group. But Jeff does figure out that in the end with what Pierce has done to them makes all of them the same: everyone’s a monster if they seek out something material.

The last round of questions from Pierce are all uplifting thoughts from him, and with each answer Pierce gave them something nice and a sperm. How thoughtful? The last comment to Troy is that he has the heart of a hero, and gets the remaining shares of Pierce’s fortune so long as Troy takes the boat all around the world to become Troy’s own man.

Troy agrees to go on Pierce’s journey, and Troy can finally find out who he is (and also gain millions of dollars). Annie can’t take Troy leaving, but even Abed tries to be cool with the idea of Troy leaving.

The tag on the episode might be the best thing: we’ve left the study room (and the bottle episode) to see a very drunk investigator talking about how he’s an amazing guy that the group should hang out with again. Too bad the group looks really bored and the ultimate answer to how Pierce died is really a let down.