abed recast as dev patel, now has exaggerated accent and “naive fish out of water foreigner” personality, no trace of previous characterization, which network execs felt was too weird. plot revolves around conflict between britta and shirley over obamacare (topical!), britta is portrayed as a cliche straw feminist, shirley is shown to be flawless and downtrodden (but because she is a christian mother, not because she is black, racism and sexism DO NOT EXIST). meanwhile, jeff and troy go to a strip club and annie, who is now once again crushing on troy because new showrunners didn’t watch past the first few episodes of season 1, follows them in secret. jeff urges troy to pay to sleep with a cartoonishly gross caricature of a stripper, and he is grossed out by her promiscuity. he and annie end up going to a malt shop and chastely sharing a milkshake, beginning a seasonlong horribly repetitive will-they-or-won’t-they romance plot, a la ross and rachel on friends.
BROAD APPEAL ACHIEVED