Someone on Community, whether it’s Dan Harmon, writer Ryan Ridley, or the Guy From Jeff’s Gym (who is also, TWIST, Ryan Ridley), does not like The Sting. The Best Picture-winning film is described as “terrible” and less exciting than Matchstick Men, and was Sting even in it?
Despite the hard feelings bordering on outright hatred, The Sting‘s premise — someone pulls a switcheroo on someone else — is sound, and the Greendale Gang used it to pull a reverse Jim Gaffigan-like grift on guest star Matthew Berry, “God’s paintbrush.” Here’s how…
1. Jeff comes up with an intentionally bad grift involving the African government.
2. Roger doesn’t fall for it and meets Britta at her bar. They scheme off-screen.
3. Jeff reveals he has no plan. Roger interrupts their Sting-watching session. Britta loses it when Roger references “something Oscar Wilde once said” and punches him in the face.
4. Britta & Co. chase Roger, who falls down the stairs and injures himself.
5. Or did he? After collecting $50,000 from the Dean, Roger and Britta meet in a storage room, and, in a flashback, their plan to grift Greendale is revealed. She gets a cut of the dough.
6. Except *record scratch* she’s actually grifting the grifter by swapping his briefcase.
7. Roger walks away with nothing, and Leonard flips him off.
“Grifting 101” was pretty good, Leonard is the best.
