"Basic Lupine Urology" is the seventeenth episode of the third season of the American comedy television series Community and the sixty-sixth episode overall. It was written by Megan Ganz and directed by Rob Schrab. It originally aired in the United States on April 26, 2012, on NBC. In the episode, the study group must figure out who killed the yam they were growing for a biology class project. Troy and Abed lead the investigation and track down suspects, while Jeff and Annie work to build a case against whoever did it. As they dig deeper, the group encounters several challenges that threaten to derail their case.
Overall, the episode parodies the television series Law & Order, with the main and supporting cast members representing the detectives, prosecutors, and other figures seen on the show. Many stylistic elements and plot points used in the episode take direct inspiration from the series. The episode also features guest appearances by Michael Ironside, Michael K. Williams, and Leslie Hendrix, among others. In its original broadcast, it was seen by 3.21 million viewers and received acclaim from critics, with much of the praise going to the show's execution of the format. It is often ranked among Communitys best episodes.
Plot
The study group finds their yam for a biology project smashed on the ground. Annie (Alison Brie) seeks an A for their work; Professor Kane (Michael K. Williams) demands proof that someone "murdered" the yam. Troy (Donald Glover) and Abed (Danny Pudi) question Pierce (Chevy Chase), who could not enter the biology room to water the yam because the door was locked. Pierce suggests Todd (David Neher) may have had a motive for killing the yam. Troy and Abed find Todd with a burn on his hand; Todd tries to show he also got to the room too late. Troy and Abed meet Neil (Charley Koontz), who handles the keys, and eventually trace the room's key to Star-Burns (Dino Stamatopoulos). However, interrogating Star-Burns yields little. Elsewhere, a botanist (Leslie Hendrix) indicates that someone likely stepped on the yam.
Seeking evidence, Jeff (Joel McHale) orders a search of Star-Burns's locker. Inside, Troy and Abed find biology lab equipment. They corner Star-Burns, who admits to stealing the equipment and leaving the door unlocked, allowing Todd to enter. Star-Burns agrees to testify against Todd in exchange for immunity regarding his theft. Todd is apprehended, and Jeff and Annie present the case against him to Kane. Lt. Col. Archwood (Michael Ironside), Todd's former commander, suddenly arrives and demands an explanation for Todd's predicament. Kane allows each side to present their case to the class. However, as Jeff and Annie prepare, they learn Archwood has scared off Star-Burns from testifying.
In class, Archwood presents Todd as a hero, but under Annie's cross-examination, Todd cracks. He reveals he picked up the yam to examine it and dropped it when the jar burned him. Jeff pulls Kane and Annie aside and asks for a C for Todd and the group, reasoning that Todd's confession does not show guilt. Before Kane announces the deal, though, Jeff realizes the class's yams were all given boiling water, killing them. He proves this by dropping the boiled yams, producing the appearance of being stepped on. When Vicki's (Danielle Kaplowitz) yam does not splatter, Neil suddenly confesses to killing the other yams to skew the grading curve, as Vicki was struggling and he wanted her to pass. Neil loses his status with the keys and agrees to retake biology. Afterwards, Jeff and Annie celebrate with Kane and Dean Pelton (Jim Rash) until they learn Star-Burns has died in a car crash.
Production
"Basic Lupine Urology" was written by Megan Ganz, her fourth writing credit for the show. It was directed by Rob Schrab in his directing debut for Community; Schrab had worked with series creator Dan Harmon on several other projects before joining the series.