The gang is speeding on a high mountain road in an RV with a giant hand on top. I assume it's Elroy's? Using the most meta speech possible, Abed takes us back to three weeks earlier. However, the camera isn't interested in cutting to flashback, so they stay in the present.  Abed's talk is weirding everyone out, so Elroy calls a private conference with The Dean. He complains about how much he hates having half a dozen Greendale misfits in his home, for hours on end. In fact, he threatens to drive off a cliff. The Dean attempts to pacify him, but not very well. Oh, and they're about to run out of fuel. The Dean asks him to keep it a secret - but the group easily overhears and panic ensues. I'm actually pretty sure they drive by a gas station while they're busy screaming about it. Jeff shuts them up and orders them all to charge their phones. However, this causes the RV to start falling apart, and they wind up stuck at the side of the road. The Dean concludes that they're all going to die. Opening credits.

We go back in time three weeks, when Abed already wants to establish this moment as the beginning of a flashback. However, that gives us no further answers, as we return to the RV and Jeff warns Abed to "drop that fourth-wall schtick". Frankie and Annie call for help, but keep being put on hold. It's a holiday called Armed Forces Day (which is an actual thing according to Wikipedia - it's held on the third weekend of May, which Jeff decides is a Chanukah to Memorial Day's Christmas) and all the tow truck drivers are in a parade, so they'll be stuck for at least a day. The Dean blames Frankie for creating a terrible plan, and Frankie blames the Dean for buying a gigantic rubber hand. Apparently, this was some kind of advertising promo for Greendale which contained the slogan "Give Your Brain a Hand". Obviously it was a failure, so they were on their way to deliver the hand to another weirdo. Abed comments that maybe they didn't need a flashback after all. They argue about whether they're in a TV show or not, and Jeff criticizes Abed harshly. He winds up banishing the poor guy to the back of the caravan, which everyone else protests.

Elroy announces that the battery is dead. Jeff seems to know a suspicious amount about RV mechanics, which raises a few questions. Rather than having to spend the night there, Elroy thinks he can just switch batteries. He is apoplectic when he discovers that everyone has been charging their phones, and drained the second battery. (Also, is someone trying to charge a hair dryer?)

The group winds up camping out overnight in a power-less RV, with the Dean trying to make small talk. We flash back to more study room discussion about the giant hand, and more Lampshading from Abed. Back in the RV, Elroy hands out rations and declares this to be the survival of the fittest. He soon starts to let go of his anger and take some of the blame. And Britta is as high as a kite. Abed keeps trying to go back to three weeks ago, and finally succeeds. However, it doesn't tell us anything new. Everyone apologizes for their transgressions, major and minor, in the course of this trip. Except the Dean, who feels he only has to forgive everyone else.

Back to flashback, where Abed breathlessly describes the typical three-act structure. No one sticks around to listen. In the RV, everyone yells at the Dean for being irresponsible. He completely freaks out and gives a nonsense apology. Lots of crocodile tears. He finally flees the RV, but no one's eager to go after him. Except Abed.

The Dean turns out to be on the roof, nestled in the giant hand (which has still not been fully explained). Abed climbs up with him so they can talk it out. It's a stirring image, giant hand and all. However, his attempts at comfort ring rather hollow, especially since they're all a part of his storymaking schemes. As the Dean complains, the hand suddenly starts to come loose and the two are in danger. Abed immediately flashbacks, so that the story is retconned - this time, the hand is tied with extra-thick straps. Then Flashback!Dean tazes Jeff and they dance around singing about straps. However, the flashback does not actually change anything, so they plummet to the ground anyway. The rest of the committee prepares to extract them from underneath the giant hand, but the Dean is actually unharmed and locks himself in the RV, leaving everyone else in the cold. While Elroy tries to see if the Dean thought to lock the other door, the others kiss up to the Dean in the hopes that they will relent. (I don't know why they don't ask Jeff to do it, as he can convince the Dean of pretty much anything.) The Dean accurately calls out everyone else's bad features, and hails Abed as the only good person among them.

Abed, meanwhile, has concluded that he was wrong to neglect the current story in favour of the flashback structure. Jeff is glad he's come around, but when Abed starts to flashback again, Jeff slaps him. Frankie breaks them up. She encourages Abed to think of a flash-forward. Centuries later, a group of Space Elders lament the destruction of the human race, which may only be averted if Space Elder Abed can go back in time to save them. (Oh, and Britta is still high.) Present-day Abed tells the Dean that he's discovered the meaning of the giant hand, so he should come down now. It's all about releasing control and letting go. The Dean reluctantly comes down. Everyone apologizes and we get a group hug. Abed exchanges a thumbs-up with some holograms of the Space Elders.

Three days later, everyone is back at Greendale and friends again. Chang shows up covered in feathers for some reason. The hand becomes a statue at Greendale, reading "Keep a Loose Grip" for the twelve-year-old part of our souls.

Tag scene - The guy who bought the hand wonders where the hell it wound up, and stares mournfully at the giant watch in the corner. He and his wife argue about it. It's all very Albee.

Anyway, I thought this premise was pretty interesting, but they could have run further with it. These days, it's really Abed who makes the show, and so it was nice to see a showcase from him, as well as his unlikely connection with the Dean (something that makes SO MUCH SENSE YOU GUYS). It had its moments, but definitely did not rank top in concept or in humour. This season started out as a lot of fun, but in the final rush, I'll admit it's getting kind of lackluster. I guess we'll have another crack at it next week.

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