Season synopsis
Contains spoilers for this season and earlier seasons.
Jeff Winger enrolls at Greendale after his law firm discovers he faked his college degree; he must earn an accredited degree to regain his license. To get close to Britta Perry, he pretends to organize a Spanish study group, drawing in Shirley, Annie, Troy, Abed and Pierce. What begins as a shortcut becomes a real circle of friends. Annie pulls Troy and Abed into a psychology experiment, Shirley and Jeff trade campus gossip, and Troy turns from his football-star image toward a friendship with Abed. Britta's activism repeatedly challenges Jeff's instinct to steer people toward what suits him.
The group's ties are tested by romances and competing plans for the future. Annie's feelings for Troy go unanswered, while Jeff and Britta struggle with their attraction and he becomes involved with Professor Slater. In the season finale, Slater and Britta each tell Jeff they want him; he leaves the dance without choosing either and kisses Annie outside. Annie decides not to transfer with Vaughn, and Troy accepts Pierce's offer to move into his mansion. Earlier, Annie accidentally records Spanish teacher Señor Chang admitting he lacks a teaching degree. The Dean replaces him, and the group worries that a stricter instructor will make them repeat Spanish, but they pass the final. Chang begins imagining a new future with Annie's help, while Troy and Abed repair their friendship after a misunderstanding about Troy's plumbing talent.