Jeff Winger, a lawyer whose degree has been revoked, finds himself at Greendale Community College where he forms a study group consisting of Pierce, Britta, a 28-year old drop out; Shirley, a middle-aged and recently divorced woman; Abed, a pop-culture junkie; Annie, a perfectionist; Troy, a former high school football hero; and Senor Chang, the Spanish professor.
When Senor Chang assigns the class a project that requires partners, Jeff works to become Britta's partner. However, his attempts backfire and he ends up with someone he didn't want to work with. Meanwhile, Shirley and Annie help Britta with a social justice cause.
Jeff signs up for a class thinking it will be an easy A. However, Jeff soon discovers that he will need to do a lot more work than expected to pass. Meanwhile, Britta helps Abed with his dream to study film.
Jeff and Shirley bond over their shared love of gossip. Meanwhile, Britta starts dating a new guy on campus.
There is a cheater in class and Chang threatens to fail the entire class if the cheater does not come forward. After a confessor shows up, Jeff comes to the defense of the person. Elsewhere, it's time for a new school song.
Jeff wants Troy to become a member of the school's football team. Britta gets a lesson in the etiquette of girl talk from Shirley.
Jeff must come to a decision after he makes a date with a hot statistics professor which clashes with Annie's Day of the Dead party.
When everyone learns that Jeff is living in his car, they come to his aid despite Jeff's reluctance to accept help. Meanwhile, Pierce becomes the keyboardist for Vaughn's band and Annie helps Troy plan a date with another girl.
Jeff and Annie team up to square off against City College in the debate championships. Meanwhile, Pierce uses hypnotherapy on Britta to help her quit smoking; and Abed's films seem to predict the future.
Jeff is asked by his classmates to talk to Senor Chang about the absurd amount of homework he assigns. Meanwhile, Troy and Abed lose their biology lab experiment subject.
Annie and Dean Pelton organize an STD fair in which it encourages students to "catch knowledge." Meanwhile, Jeff is taught a lesson in dating, and Troy and Abed search for the best athlete on campus.
Shirley puts together a Christmas party for the gang, but is shocked to find out that most of them come from various religious backgrounds. Meanwhile, Jeff faces a school bully and learns he may fail Spanish class.
Everyone returns after winter break and finds that one of their classmates has joined their study group, leading the others to have to decide whether or not the new person is worthy. Meanwhile, Jeff agrees to be editor for the Greendale Gazette Journal.
The gang learns Jeff has a new girlfriend, but he is determined to keep his relationship a secret. Meanwhile, Troy and Britta share their own secrets with their friends.
When Annie starts hanging out with Britta's ex-boyfriend Vaughn, Britta and Jeff vow to protect her. Meanwhile, Pierce feels left out at Troy and Abed's movie night.
Jeff tries to fix his relationship with Britta following a drunken phone call; Annie and Shirley make plans to humiliate Chang in order to defend Troy and Pierce's dignity.
Jeff is excited to show off his pool skills in his new billiards class, only to have his will tested when shorts, not designer jeans, are the required uniform to play. Meanwhile, the gang focuses on helping Abed woo a potential mate by bringing out different sides of his personality.
Its Family Day at Greendale Community College and the gangs families come to campus to join in the fun. Meanwhile, Jeff agrees to help Pierce connect with his stepdaughter Amber. Things take an interesting twist when Amber shows an interest in Jeff.
Jeff unexpectedly takes interest in his new pottery class when another student shows natural talent. Meanwhile, Pierce brings Britta, Shirley and Troy along for a ride at his boating class.
Pierce is willing to do whatever it takes to reach a new level of ascension in his Buddhist church; Britta tries to shake her reputation as a buzzkill, which results in a prank gone wrong.
Jeff and Troy take on the chicken finger shortage that has a gripped Greendale Community College. Witnessing this show of activism by her fellow students causes Britta to struggle with the unsatisfactory number of causes she currently supports.
The group is divided after Pierce crosses a line with Shirley; Britta and Jeff face a group of young bullies and their mother
The sexual tension between Jeff and Britta is a popular topic among the members of the group; a contest turns the campus into a war zone.
The truth about Senor Chang is revealed and Troy discovers a trade in which he truly excels.
Britta and professor Slater fight for Jeff's affection and Troy is upset when Abed doesn't ask him to move into his dorm room.
As classes resume at Greendale Community College for the fall, the study group gathers to tackle this year's big class, "Anthropology 101. " Jeff Winger struggles with his relationships with Britta and Annie after last year's Transfer Dance. Senor Chang decides to enroll as a student so that he too can join the study group.
When Jeff Winger runs into his former law firm colleague Alan Connor, the two re-connect and Jeff finds himself returning to some of his evil ways of late night partying and expensive suits. Alan takes Jeff to a law firm event to see his former boss, Ted, and the study group shows up to "rescue" him. While Annie, Abed and Troy sneak into the offices to gather dirt on Alan, Jeff watches in horror as Pierce, Britta and Shirley are corrupted by the lawyers.
Pierce deals with the death of his mother and the group comes together to comfort him in his time of need. Professor Duncan struggles to take over the anthropology class with no training, as Professor Bauer takes an unexpected leave of absence after her classroom hijinks put Jeff Winger in the hospital.
Dean Pelton decides that Greendale Community College must have its own flight simulator and cannot be bested by the competition, "City College," which is planning its own flight simulator. He enlists the study group to clean and refurbish the Greendale Community College simulator. As Jeff, Pierce, Britta, Annie, Shirley and Troy wash the tattered simulator down, they end up accidentally launching it - sending everyone on an unexpected journey into "outer space." Abed is left behind to try and navigate a safe "return" for everyone.
Shirley gets inspired to create a religious film and asks Abed for his creative input only to discover that he wants to make one of his own. Meanwhile, Pierce comes to terms with being the oldest member of the group and is recruited by another set of students his own age.
Pierce and a few other Greendale students ingest a biohazard substance at the school Halloween Party, causing them to exhibit flu-like symptoms and begin turning into zombies. It is up to the rest of the gang to save themselves and the school when Dean Pelton locks them in with the zombie-infected student body.
After a classroom smackdown with a group of "mean girls" led by Meghan, Britta, Shirley, and Annie bond with Abed by turning him into the ultimate "mean girl." Meanwhile, Jeff and Troy embrace a zen-like spirituality under the guidance of a groundskeeper when they come across a secret trampoline on campus. Determined to uncover the source of their new bliss, Pierce ends up taking a disastrous turn on the trampoline and lands in the hospital.
When Annie's pen goes missing, she suspects a member of her own study group is the thief. On a mission to find the pen and solve the mystery, the group takes a self-imposed lockdown and Jeff takes the lead in conducting the search. Meanwhile, Troy and Abed are itching to get out of the study room to make it to the Greendale Puppy Parade taking place in the quad.
When Dean Pelton begins checking class schedules, he discovers that Jeff has listed a class that doesn't exist. Just when it appears Jeff will be caught in a lie, the mysterious "Professor Professorson" emerges from the shadows to confirm that Jeff has been taking his class, "Conspiracy Theories in U.S. History," at night school. When Jeff later admits to Annie that he's never seen Professor Professorson in his life, the two decide to find out who the professor really is. Meanwhile, Abed and Troy are busy building the most elaborate blanket fort that Greendale Community College has ever seen.
When the study group convenes to celebrate Troy's birthday, they realize he is actually turning 21 and decide to hit the bars! While Jeff and Britta ingest a few too many cocktails and get silly, Shirley gets busy pulling down incriminating photos of herself that are posted at the bar. Annie embraces the identify on her fake ID, while Abed delves into conversation with a fellow sci-fi nerd.
When Abed wakes up in stop-motion animation, he takes it as a sign that he and the group must re-discover the meaning of Christmas. Meanwhile, Jeff and Britta become growingly concerned about Abed's mental health and enlist the help of Professor Duncan. The group undergoes hypnosis to explore Abed's winter wonderland and soon unravel the truth behind Abed's madness.
Annie returns from spring break to find that her crush "Rich", the Dr., has enrolled at Greendale Community College, sparking a heated debate about whether to add Rich and/or Senor Chang to the study group. Shirley's ex-husband Andre is back in the picture and Shirley has some big news for everyone.
When Annie decides to stage a production at a local middle school to spread an important message about staying away from drugs, Pierce becomes overwhelmed with the excitement of performing and decides he needs a bigger role. When his over-the-top behavior threatens to ruin the production, Senor Chang comes to the rescue, earning admiration from the group.
When Jeff becomes concerned about "Fat Neil," a fellow Greendale student who is a bit of a loner, Abed proposes that they invite him to play a game of Dungeons and Dragons to boost his spirits and his confidence. But when Pierce discovers that he's been excluded, he forces his way into the game and takes charge, disrupting their delicate plan.
Troy and Abed compete for the attentions of the college librarian, while Britta strives to be progressive and befriends a fellow female student whom she believes is gay. Meanwhile, Jeff finds himself reluctantly hosting an impromptu party at his apartment when Professor Duncan invites himself over to watch a soccer match.
Pierce ends up in the hospital after ingesting mysterious pills and believes he's dying. The study group gathers at his bedside as he imparts his "final" words of wisdom and shares specially chosen gifts - which are secretly meant to torment them. Britta struggles over what to do with her blank check for "charity," Jeff contemplates the possibility of meeting his long lost dad and Troy meets his idol LeVar Burton.
As the school prepares for the Vice President's visit, Dean Pelton organizes the first student elections. Annie, who is determined to win, is pitted in a tough battle against Jeff, Leonard and Star Burns. Meanwhile, Abed has noticed the secret service agents casing the school and develops a clandestine friendship with special agent Robin Vohlers.
Chang's plan to prove he's responsible hits a roadblock while Britta's love life takes an unusual turn.
Things don't go as planned when Jeff plans a surprise party in "Pulp Fiction'' style for Abed's birthday.
As everyone settles on their spring semester electives, Troy and Britta explore the fundamentals of acting, while Abed tackles an advanced study of 1980s sitcom "Who's The Boss?" with a professor who has written a book on the topic. Meanwhile, Pierce and Jeff enjoy a wine tasting class, where Pierce meets "Wu Mei" a mysterious Chinese woman who sweeps Pierce off his feet. Suspicious, Jeff vows to find out what'd going on with Wu Mei and why she would agree to marry Pierce so quickly.
As the study group gathers to assemble their 20th and final Anthropology diorama of the year, they begin reminiscing about their favorite times together - including a trip they made to a western ghost town, a last minute glee club performance, the clandestine trysts that Jeff and Britta have pulled off and the cornucopia of costumes that Dean Pelton has managed to wear over the year. Meanwhile, Troy's pet monkey returns, only to disappear back into the school's ventilation system. On the case, Senor Chang quickly dives in to retrieve the monkey - along with all the loot he has stolen.
When the Anthropology class assembles for their final exam, Shirley notices a twinge, which quickly escalates into full-blown labor. As Jeff and Britta argue about how best to help, Chang is anxious to claim this "early" labor as clear evidence that it's a "Chang Baby!" Meanwhile, Greendale is hosting a World Food Festival in the parking lot and a riot ensues - Dean Pelton is caught in the crossfire.
As the Greendale student body enjoys their year-end picnic, Dean Pelton announces plans for a small, quick, safe game of paintball. As the game heats up, alliances are formed - and broken - and friendships are put to the test. When a mysterious and threatening figure emerges on the Greendale campus, it becomes apparent that this is no ordinary game of paintball.
As the Greendale year-end paintball extravaganza continues, the game takes a dramatic turn with new intruders arriving on the scene. The study group battles it out on various fronts and despite their arguments over strategy - they are all in agreement that they must unite to defeat the enemy.
As the Greendale study group gathers in the library, they wonder whether they will see their old friend Pierce, who left the study group in a huff after last spring's paintball game. Jeff quickly butts heads with their new biology teacher Professor Kane and is kicked out of class - leading to a crisis within the group about whether they will all stay together. Dean Pelton is feeling empowered after a summer at "Dean Camp" but finds a new nemesis in Vice Dean Laybourne, dean of the highly regarded Air Conditioning Repair Annex at Greendale.
As Chang settles into his new job as a campus security officer, Britta is overwhelmed with feelings of civil disobedience when a friend is taken hostage in a foreign country. Meanwhile, Annie enlists the study group to help her defeat her new "friend" Annie Kim in a Model United Nations competition, while Professor Cligoris struggles to maintain decorum.
As the study group sets to work on their first big assignment in biology - a terrarium - they are driven to distraction over how they should pair off to do their project. Elsewhere on campus, Chang patrols the school grounds looking for signs of trouble and imagines himself in a noir detective mystery.
When Troy and Abed decide to share an apartment, they host a party for the group, which takes on an altered reality as several scenarios play out.
When Britta runs anonymous personality tests on everyone for a psychology class, one of the test results seems to indicate that someone in the group is deeply disturbed. At the group's Halloween pre-party, she enlists Jeff to help draw out the potential sociopath and the two of them lure everyone into telling their favorite horror stories. The results are spookey.
When Pierce learns that he and his Hawthorne wipes have become extremely popular, he decides to throw a big party, until his overbearing father, Cornelius Hawthorne shows up and puts the kibosh on the plans. Meanwhile, Troy finds himself being courted by Vice Dean Laybourne and his secretive Air Conditioning Repair Annex, as well as Greendale's resident janitor, Jerry.
The study group pitches in to help when Annie decides to move in with Troy and Abed, but the plan breaks down when she becomes frustrated by their fun-loving lifestyle. Elsewhere, Dean Pelton discovers Jeff at the mall and blackmails him into spending a lovely afternoon together.
When the school board asks Dean Pelton to make a new commercial for the school, he enlists the study group to star in his production. As he gets swept away with the project, more of the student body is pulled into the fray, including Magnitude, Fat Neil, Garrett, Leonard, Star-Burns and even Greendale alum and genuine celebrity, Luis Guzman. Meanwhile, Abed films all the activities for a documentary.
When a group of arrogant students commandeer the foosball table at school, Jeff and Shirley unite to defeat them. Meanwhile, Annie accidentally breaks Abed's new limited edition "Dark Knight" DVD and claims that someone broke into the apartment and stole it. Things snowball out of control when Abed thinks he knows who took the DVD and sets about getting it back.
When the Greendale Glee Club is unexpectedly sidelined, the school's effervescent choir director Cory Radison sets about recruiting the study group members to fill in. Skeptical at first, they eventually fall under his hypnotic spell - one-by-one - singing and dancing their way to the annual Christmas Pageant.
Andre proposes that he and Shirley remarry and a wedding date is set. Britta and Annie get busy planning the wedding and Jeff prepares to give a wedding speech - while Troy and Abed get ready to be "normal" for the occasion. Meanwhile, Pierce and Shirley pitch a sandwich shop idea to Dean Pelton for the Greendale cafeteria.
As the study group returns after winter break, Jeff reveals that he's been seeing a shrink and he's on anti-anxiety medication. The newfound confidence leads him to experience debilitating levels of narcissism, which Britta tries to help him manage. Meanwhile, over the break, Abed developed a celebrity impersonator habit that has saddled him with debt. In order to help Abed shed his debt, the study group dons costumes and goes to work for Vincent as celebrity impersonators - appearing in character at a Bar Mitzvah celebration.
As the new Greendale Subway shop opens in the cafeteria, Shirley, Pierce and Britta plot to bring about its early demise. Vice Dean Laybourne makes another attempt to get Troy to join the Air Conditioning Repair Annex, while Abed and Troy find themselves at odds over their competing pillow and blanket forts.
What started as a casual disagreement about blankets and pillows blossoms into all-our war on the Greendale campus. While insults are hurled and the study group chooses sides, Jeff tries desperately to negotiate a truce, but with neither Abed nor Troy budging on their principles or their real estate, the future looks grim for the former best friends.
When Britta's old flame "Blade" returns to town with the traveling carnival, she confesses to the group that she needs their help to stay away from him. While Annie, Troy and Abed scheme to keep her occupied and away from Blade, Jeff and Shirley head to the carnival to get a look at the mystery man. Meanwhile, Dean Laybourne enlists the help of Dean Pelton to convince Troy to join the Air Conditioning Repair Annex.
When the biology final exam is postponed, Jeff encourages everyone to join him for a three hour lunch, but Annie convinces Abed to let her spend some time with him in the dreamatorium instead. What starts as an innocent simulation of "Inspector Spacetime" becomes a more serious examination of the study group members and Annie learns a little bit about what makes Abed tick.
When Annie discovers the study group's yam experiment smashed to smithereens on the science lab floor, the group mobilizes to expose the criminal and save their grade. Once Abed and Troy think they have located the perpetrator, the group conducts a "trial," with a reluctant Professor Kane serving as judge. Jeff soon realizes, however, that the plot is thicker than anyone suspects.
As the study group comes to terms with the death of a beloved classmate, Jeff easily adjusts, while Britta acts as grief counselor to the rest, employing what she's learned in her psychology class. Meanwhile, Chang is on a mission to increase his policing powers at the school and when the memorial service disintegrates into a riot, he seizes the opportunity to take more control over campus security.
Abed becomes convinced that there is a conspiracy afoot and that Dean Pelton is an imposter. When Abed is apprehended sneaking around on campus, he is required to see a therapist, Dr. Heidi, or risk being sent to jail.
Pierce is summoned to Hawthorne Enterprises to discuss his inheritance with his deceased father's former right-hand man, Gilbert Lawson. The study group goes with him for moral support and must all pitch in to play the video game of their life on Pierce's behalf - or risk losing his inheritance.
With Chang in control of Greendale, the study group develops an elaborate plan to infiltrate the campus without being detected. While Chang becomes distracted planning a big birthday bash for himself, Jeff and the study group launch their sneak attack. Meanwhile, Troy enlists the help of the Air Conditioning Repair Annex to help with their break-in plan but knows he may be selling his soul to the devil.
When Shirley and Pierce have a disagreement over their sandwich shop, Jeff agrees to argue on Shirley's behalf but much to his chagrin, Pierce retains Jeff's former colleague Alan Connor and the two must square off in "Greendale Summer Fun Court." Meanwhile, Vice Dean Laybourne makes one last ditch effort to win Troy over to his Air Conditioning Repair Annex.