The group reunites after winter break. Another student, Buddy, who had watched the group from afar during the previous semester, joins them. However, no one knows Buddy, nor was he invited to study with them.

Dean Pelton recruits Jeff to be the editor of the school newspaper. Jeff is hesitant as first, but when he learns that he'll get an English credit and he sees that he gets a private office with a couch and he can make the reporters do whatever he wants, he's in. Abed tells him that he's acting like Hawkeye from M*A*S*H*.

A woman announces to the Spanish 102 class that Senor Chang passed away over winter break. She is then interrupted by Senor Chang, who announces that she is a paid actress and that he can never die. At the end of class, Buddy says to the group, "See you in study group!" and they now have to decide what to do with him.

Annie tells Jeff that she's uncovered a major story for the newspaper: in October, when a Toni Braxton concert had to be postponed, only the black students and a French kid named LeBron received text messages with the news. However, Annie doesn't know who sent it. Jeff tells her to call the number that sent the text message. She does, and Dean Pelton picks up the phone.

Buddy proves to be an unhelpful study group member when he constantly interrupts the session to make up inappropriate songs or to make bad jokes. He then presents ideas on how to improve the group, although no one is interested. Jeff tries to be nice to Buddy until Buddy accidentally kicks him in the face.

The group holds a meeting to decide what to do about Buddy. Jeff mentions a guy in Seattle who snapped and killed his classmates with a meat tenderizer to get them to at least consider having him in the group. Pierce admits that he likes his humor, and Abed and Troy admire his high kick and his idea of ironically saying "you go girl!". Shirley repeatedly suggests that her Finnish friend Gary join the group even though Britta thinks he's boring. The subject of group rules comes up again, with the... read more The group holds a meeting to decide what to do about Buddy. Jeff mentions a guy in Seattle who snapped and killed his classmates with a meat tenderizer to get them to at least consider having him in the group. Pierce admits that he likes his humor, and Abed and Troy admire his high kick and his idea of ironically saying "you go girl!". Shirley repeatedly suggests that her Finnish friend Gary join the group even though Britta thinks he's boring. The subject of group rules comes up again, with the possibility of hazing. Britta gets everyone to take a vote. Buddy is voted out. read less

Abed gets Jeff to admit that he made up the story about the guy in Seattle. Annie threatens Dean Pelton about his racial profiling. The dean is horrified at being labeled a racist, so he begs Jeff to convince her not to write the article. Abed is even more sure that Jeff is Hawkeye from M*A*S*H.

Jeff tries to get Annie to drop the story, but with no luck. Even though Buddy has composed a heartfelt apology song for the group, Jeff delivers the bad news to him. Buddy argues that he put himself out there for them and made them lemo squares with his bares hands, so he should be allowed. Eventually Jeff resorts to forcefully dragging a screaming Buddy out of the library with his pants down. This scares Annie to following Jeff's order not to write her expose of the dean.

Jeff mopes in his office about what he did to Buddy and Annie. Abed reminds him of how Hawkeye had to do very difficult things in the army even though it looked like he just sat around and drank martinis. Annie comes in and tells Jeff that she won't do the article because she saw how upset it made him. This comforts him, Abed gives him a martini, and Jeff calls him Radar.

When the others see Buddy at their table in the library, they get scared, but Jeff tells them that they should accept him into the group because all Buddy wants is to be with the people he thinks are cool. Buddy is delighted and everyone hugs until another, cooler looking study group walks in and tells Buddy that they decided to let him in. Buddy admits that Jeff's group was his safety pick for study group anyway, and, ecstatic, he joins the other one. The first group now wonders if they should ... read more When the others see Buddy at their table in the library, they get scared, but Jeff tells them that they should accept him into the group because all Buddy wants is to be with the people he thinks are cool. Buddy is delighted and everyone hugs until another, cooler looking study group walks in and tells Buddy that they decided to let him in. Buddy admits that Jeff's group was his safety pick for study group anyway, and, ecstatic, he joins the other one. The first group now wonders if they should add another person anyway. read less

Abed and Troy try to persuade Star Burns to let them join his cool study group. Pierce comes in and chides them for being disloyal. As soon as they leave, however, Pierce also tries to get into Star Burns's group.