Episode Synopsis -

Scene 1 Documentary Format (00:00:00 - 00:01:55) view scene

The group visits Pierce in the hospital after he overdoses on his pain medication. It turns out that Abed is filming the whole thing as a documentary. Pierce tells the group that he's dying, but Abed's film later shows a perfectly fine Pierce telling him how he said he was dying because no one respected him anymore.

Scene 2 Shirley's Gift (00:01:56 - 00:04:15) view scene

Pierce has gifts to bequeath to each of the group members, and he begins with Shirley. He gives her a CD that apparently has a recording of the others talking badly about her behind her back.

Scene 3 Britta's Gift (00:04:16 - 00:05:56) view scene

Pierce gives Britta a check for $10,000 with the recipient name left blank so she can give it to the charity of her choice. Pierce also points out that she could just write the check to herself. Since Britta is already in debt, this presents an ethical problem.

Scene 4 Jeff's Gift (00:05:57 - 00:07:59) view scene

It's time for Annie to receive her gift, but Jeff intervenes. He confronts Pierce and tells him that he knows he's trying to get back at everyone for not responding to his pill addiction. Jeff then asks if an apology would be enough. Pierce mentions that he found Jeff's estranged father and that he's on his way to meet him at the hospital.

Scene 5 Money Can't Make People Appear (00:08:00 - 00:09:30) view scene

Jeff knows Pierce is playing mind games with him and the others, but he can't stop thinking about his dad, and Britta's role-playing suggestion doesn't help. Shirley tells them that she's decided not to listen to the CD, but she's already forgiven them. Later, LeVar Burton shows up telling them that Pierce sent him to meet Troy.

Scene 6 LeVar Meets Troy (00:09:31 - 00:10:16) view scene

Pierce sends Troy's idol, LeVar Burton, to meet him in person. This greatly upsets Troy, who never wanted to meet Burton because he never wanted to risk being disappointed by him. Now face-to-face with him, Troy can't move or speak.

Scene 7 Annie's Gift (00:10:17 - 00:11:11) view scene

While LeVar tries to deal with this uncomfortable situation, Shirley tells Annie that she's forgiven her for what she said on the CD. Annie is summoned to Pierce's room. He gives her a tiara that he says has been in his family for six generations though it clearly has not. She joins the others in their waiting-room discomfort. Shirley, however, is beaming smugly about her CD.

Scene 8 Set Phasers to "Love Me" (00:11:12 - 00:12:19) view scene

Jeff is freaking out about the prospect of meeting his dad. Troy is crying and singing the "Reading Rainbow" theme song while huddled on the bathroom floor.

Scene 9 Holocaust Diamonds (00:12:20 - 00:12:42) view scene

Annie asks Pierce what he means by giving her the tiara. He replies that it's because she's his favorite. This confuses Annie even more.

Scene 10 Donation (00:12:43 - 00:13:04) view scene

Britta gives Pierce's check to the Red Cross, but admits to Abed that she wouldn't have done it if the camera hadn't been on her.

Scene 11 Guilt as a Weapon (00:13:05 - 00:14:15) view scene

Disgusted with Shirley's self-righteous satisfaction, Britta grabs the CD from her and plays it. It turns out to be a recording of Pierce trying to get the others to say bad things about Shirley, but no one does. Shirley videotapes herself confessing to Abed's camera in a storage closet.

Scene 12 Jeff's Threat (00:14:16 - 00:15:15) view scene

Jeff asks Pierce again if he really found his father. Pierce says he has. Jeff threatens to beat him if anyone other than his father shows up at the hospital to meet him. As soon as he leaves the room, Pierce frantically picks up the phone.

Scene 13 A Generous Friend (00:15:16 - 00:16:27) view scene

LeVar Burton asks Britta if Troy will ever talk to him because he has to catch a flight soon. Britta offers to pay for a later flight but upon saying she only has about $200 in her bank account, LeVar insists that he'll reschedule. He calls Britta a generous friend who is stupid with money. Britta uses that to justify her not keeping Pierce's money.

Scene 14 Not Exactly Fish in a Barrel (00:16:28 - 00:20:30) view scene

Jeff anxiously waits for his father in the hospital parking lot. A car drives by him slowly and thinks this might be it. His phone rings and it's clearly Pierce pretending to be Jeff's dad with someone else in the tinted-windowed car waving at him. Jeff angrily runs to the car against his "father's" wishes, causing the car to back into another car and an ambulance. He grabs the driver, which turns out to be Pierce, and tries to drag him out of the car. Pierce says he did all of this because the ... read more Jeff anxiously waits for his father in the hospital parking lot. A car drives by him slowly and thinks this might be it. His phone rings and it's clearly Pierce pretending to be Jeff's dad with someone else in the tinted-windowed car waving at him. Jeff angrily runs to the car against his "father's" wishes, causing the car to back into another car and an ambulance. He grabs the driver, which turns out to be Pierce, and tries to drag him out of the car. Pierce says he did all of this because the group leaves him out of everything. Jeff realizes that the things he'd been screaming at Pierce were things he'd wanted to scream at his own father. Annie decides that the tiara is a symbol of her always striving to be perfect, which is futile. Britta donates a dollar into a box on the hospital counter. LeVar reads to Troy. Abed sums up his documentary-making experience. read less

Scene 15 Never Meet Your Idol (00:20:31 - 07:59:59) view scene

Troy has prepared a salmon dinner in the library for LeVar and himself, but he doesn't eat and doesn't move while LeVar enjoys it. Finally LeVar starts singing the "Reading Rainbow" theme and Troy runs out of the room crying.