Plot
Dean Craig Pelton (Jim Rash) has ordered Abed to make a documentary for Greendale about Chang in order to secure a $40,000 grant from the MacGuffin Neurological Institute to study Changnesia, though Abed wants to capture all sides of the issue. Dr. Ken Kedan (Marc Jablon) is studying the rare disease, described as affecting the memory, but not the ability to make forced puns. The Dean recounts his history with Chang, from his hiring as a Spanish teacher up to the overthrow in season three. Britta posits that the current Kevin Chang is the real Chang and the power-crazy Benjamin Chang was the alter-ego, and a hit on the head reverted Chang back to Kevin. She is quickly refuted by Dr. Kedan, who asserts that a hit on the head can only cure Chang if a hit on the head is what led to the initial ailment. Jeff, believing Chang is lying, asks Shirley to help him debunk Changnesia, but finds out that Chang has been hired by Shirley's Sandwiches. After being chided by Shirley about second chances, Jeff outwardly complies with the group in order to continue to secretly undermine the documentary. Britta interviews Shirley - it's revealed that Shirley was dead for three minutes at some point in her life. Troy and Annie team up and call themselves Partner & Hoolihan, respectively. They, along with their cameraman, Garrett Lambert ( Erik Charles Nielsen), interrogate a trout fisherman, Sully Sullivan (Production
During the filming of the episode, Chevy Chase became angry at the racist and bigoted direction his character was heading. While venting his frustrations, he used the slur " nigger"; episode director Jay Chandrasekhar argued that Chase's use of the word was "political," and an attempt to point out how racist his character had become. Regardless, the slur upset cast members, and Chase walked off of the set. He later returned to film some additional scenes, but later announced on November 21, 2012 that he had left the show. The episode was written by new series writer and co-producer Hunter Covington, his first writing credit for the series. It was directed by Jay Chandrasekhar, who directed four episodes previously for the series. Although aired as episode six, it was the eighth episode produced. An early scene in the episode shows the "Archie" banner, which isn't actually produced until the following episode. This is the third "Documentary Filmmaking" episode of the series, following season two's "Reception
The episode was initially seen by approximately 2.58 million viewers. It was met with mixed reviews with Emily VanDerWerff of '' The A.V. Club'' rating the episode a B, saying, " ..at every turn, it reminds me that it doesn’t particularly care to ake a fresh start and that the past makes a warm, if smothering, blanket." Eric Goldman of IGN gave the episode an 8.8, praising Ken Jeong's performance as Chang and that "It was the first episode this season that felt 100% 'natural,' if that’s the right word."References
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