And they're back! So let's recap.
With space available in the school's commons area, the gang encourages Shirley to start her own business, with Pierce willing to assist now that he is top dog in the family (since Jeff killed his father). But before they can make big plans, Andre dances his way into Shirley's heart and re-proposes. She happily accepts. Pierce's racist camera does not approve.
In the library, the gang, minus Shirley, discuss marriage, with Britta not to happy about the whole thing.
Britta: Weddings are like little girl's tea parties. Except the women are the stuffed animals, the men are making them talk, and they're not drinking tea, they're drinking antiquated gender roles.
Jeff: Somebody tell Britta what an analogy is.
Britta: I know what it is! It's like a thought, with another thought's hat on.
Jeff, though, is also on board with the anti-marriage point of view and the two former lovers high-five right before happy Shirley walks into the room. They predictably pretend to be happy for her and the group offers their help with the wedding. Shirley is apprehensive and suggests they just show up and act like normal people.
Troy: We'll try not to embarrass you at your community college library wedding.
When Pierce reveals that he has started to invest time and effort in their mutual business venture, Shirley dismisses it stating that she is much too busy to think about such things now that she is getting married. Pierce is clearly upset by this but demonstrates his fallback option, the trouser bench.
Two button clicks later and he's in trouble.
Pierce: Will somebody please call all the ambulances?
Later, Abed and Troy discuss their need to behave normally at the wedding. Abed has an idea.
Abed: What if we purged all the weirdness from our systems?
Troy: You mean...
Abed: A full 24-hour weird-down in the Dreamatorium. Just you, me, and our imaginations. No restraints. By the wedding, our temptation to act weird will be gone.
Troy: I'm feeling more normal already.
Meanwhile, Britta decides it is a really good idea to discuss things with Shirley.
Britta: Shirley, my 9th grade English teacher used to say 'There will always be a reason not to follow your dreams.' At the time he meant I was under the age of consent. But his words still apply. Are you sure your wedding is the reason you're bailing on this business with Pierce?
Shirley assures Britta that it is the wedding and nothing else standing in her way. So Britta offers to plan the wedding for her. After several minutes of laughing, followed by silence, Annie is offered up as help. And thus Shirley and Pierce join in a business venture marriage.
As Shirley and Pierce brainstorm ideas, it becomes clear that Pierce has no clue what he is doing. Shirley tries to walk but is stopped by the truth: Pierce has been fired by his company and is only rolling in lots of money.
Back in the library, Annie and Britta meet with some flower expert dude thingy, and Britta reveals her natural talents for making flower arrangements. Annie and the dude are both impressed. Britta? Still angry.
Britta: Yeah, well great! Flowers look good in a pot. There are people dying in Uganda!
KONY 2012!
At the apartment, Troy and Abed emerge from their dreamatorium.
Troy and Abed: (shaking hands) Troy and Abed being normal.
Jeff struggles with his toast speech; Shirley and Pierce pitch their business to the dean; Britta freaks out about being a woman or something; Troy and Abed are frighteningly normal; and Andre is freaking out a bit about the rehearsal.
When Shirley finally arrives at the wedding rehearsal, Andre is confrontational and not at all happy about her entrepreneurial efforts. They two argue about their future. Jeff gets really drunk, then confesses his deep dark emotional pain.
Jeff: My daddy said he would stay with my mommy forever and he left! Marriage is a lie! Nobody commits to this! Nobody stays with anybody forever, so why do we keep lying?!
Britta: (drunk) I'm gonna stay with somebody forever! It's in my stupid DNA.
The two drunkards argue about their dysfunctions. Normal Troy and Abed are intrigued. Annie reaches out to Andre and Shirley to stop the impending train-wreck as Britta and Jeff decide to get married. Then the show goes all message on us and Shirley and Andre get married.
When Troy sees the monkey known as Annie's Boobs, he realizes that normal isn't cool and turns Abed back toward the light of weirdness. The dean then tells Shirley that the space she wanted was sold to Subway (are they invading all my favorite NBC shows with low ratings?!).
Finally, Pierce mocks his father's grave.
If I had to rate this one, I'd give it:
88 out of 100
Hey, the show is back!
