Advanced Introduction to Finality

Did You Know?

• In Remedial Chaos Theory, Evil Abed made a pact with Evil Troy to go to the real timeline and destroy it.
• The clothing worn by the Evil Study Group resembles costumes from the Matrix series.
• The scene in which Evil Jeff first appears in the Dean's office references the film The Terminator.

Plot

Jeff's former partner Mark offers him a position at his law firm, and Jeff agrees to consider it. Jeff applies for graduation with little fanfare but eventually agrees to a proper ceremony. He confesses to Britta his worry about leaving Greendale, particularly how it will affect Abed. Jeff decides to roll a die and watch Abed's reaction, but the die lands on its edge. Evil Jeff appears at Greendale, seeking to alienate Jeff from the study group and push him toward Mark's offer. Evil Jeff insults Annie; Annie later encounters Jeff and runs away upset. Abed meets Evil Jeff, recognizes him as a doppelgänger, and is shot with a specialized paintball gun, sending him to the darkest timeline. There, Evil Abed, now good, provides supplies to defeat the doppelgängers. Jeff unknowingly meets Evil Annie, who steals his phone. Evil Jeff insults the rest of the group. Jeff arrives at his ceremony to find no one there. Evil Annie urges him to call Mark, but Evil Jeff stops him; Chang protects Jeff. Jeff escapes and explains to the group. Abed proves the story with special paintball guns. The evil study group arrives but is slowly eliminated. Abed reveals these events occur in Jeff's mind due to his anxieties. Jeff shoots Evil Jeff and reverts to before he threw the die, deciding against tossing it. Jeff gives a heartfelt speech at graduation. Pierce interrupts to graduate first. Jeff declines Mark's offer to work at a small firm and stay close to the group.

Production

The eleventh episode produced was broadcast as the thirteenth, serving as the season finale. Megan Ganz admitted in a Reddit AMA that she wrote it under pressure, making it about six minutes too long, and regrets not being able to revise it after heavy editing. This marks the second "Introduction to Finality," following season three’s finale. During Jeff’s graduation, "SIX SEASONS AND A MOVIE" appears on a chalkboard, and the production code #411 is in the upper-right corner.

Reception

The episode was viewed by 3.08 million American viewers and received an 18-49 rating/share of 1.3/5, a significant rise from the previous episode. It tied in 18-49 ratings with the third season finale but beat it in viewers. The show placed third in its timeslot and ninth for the night. Reviews were mixed. Eric Goldman of IGN rated it 7.6, calling it a fun, nostalgia-packed episode. Emily VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club gave it a D, describing it as repetitive and the worst of the season. Gabrielle Moss of TV Fanatic praised it as an excellent tribute to Jeff's character development. Alan Sepinwall of HitFix called the plot a mess but noted the ending was sweet.