4. Daddy Issues
YahooOne of the key elements of the Jeff Winger character has always been that he is a product of a broken home. His life is built around walls to keep people at bay so that they can't hurt him. It was something of a small miracle that the study group managed to not only get through his barriers, but make him feel for the first time in his life that he was part of a family. But, even with a family gained, Jeff still pined for the one he'd lost. So when Britta encouraged him to find and reconcile with his father, things got real heavy, real fast. In the show's tenure Jeff has had a few moments where he drops his guard and opens up to the people he loves, but it's always in a positive way that lead to a closer bond. Not this time. This time, it was filled with anger, resentment, and pain. Jeff laid into his father, who proudly took credit for making Jeff the man he was, and let him know that while he was a strong, it's because he was also broken. For those that come from a broken home or just anyone that has ever felt alone, this moment can hit really close to home.
Key Line: "One time when, I was in seventh grade, I told everyone at school that I had appendicitis. I wanted someone to worry about me. But when Beth Brannon asked to see the scar, I didn't wanna get found out, so I took Mom's scissors, and I made one. It hurt like hell, but it was worth it, because I got 17 cards. And I still keep them in a box underneath my bed 22 years later, because it proves that someone, at some point, cared about me." - Jeff Winger