Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking

Episode Summary & Review

Summary

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 thought gone forever dad and Troy meets his idol LeVar Burton.

Our Take

A mean-spirited episode that mostly works because the mockumentary format suits Pierce’s cruelty so well. The LeVar Burton payoff is the highlight, and Pierce’s gifts land some genuinely uncomfortable laughs. It gets a bit heavy-handed when the show wants sympathy for a character it just spent twenty minutes making insufferable. Still a solid watch, even if it’s more cringe than clever.