The episode parodies "clip shows" which used to appear occasionally on older shows. To save money, the episode would consist mainly of reused footage from earlier episodes amid a small amount of new footage used as a framing device. In this episode, the joke is that all of the "clips" consist of completely new scenes which were filmed especially for the episode, thus undermining the money saving purpose of a clip show.
The group diorama includes a figure of Chang, standing outside and looking through the window. It can be seen in the final scene with Chang, in which he wears the same shirt as his miniature.
This is the first time the joke about "Six seasons and a movie" and it's said by Abed is heard. The line then became a rallying cry on social media when fans started a campaign to save the show. In the end, the show did indeed last six seasons, and as of 2023, a movie is in production.
The t-shirt Abed is wearing is an artist's rendition of the true story of Pac Man, entitled "The Madness of Mission 6".