List of The Office (U.S. TV series) episodes
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The Office is an American television sitcom that airs on National Broadcasting Company (NBC). Created as an adaptation by Greg Daniels of the British series of the same name, it is a mockumentary that follows the day-to-day lives of the employees of the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of Dunder Mifflin, a fictional paper supply company.[1] The series premiered on March 24, 2005 in the US on NBC and, as of July 21, 2009, 100 episodes (91 singular due to double episodes) have been broadcast spanning over five seasons. Additionally, four spin-off series of webisodes of The Office have been aired.
The Office aired a short first season in 2005 that contained six episodes. This was followed by a full-length second season in 2005–2006 containing 22 episodes, and another full-length one, in 2006–2007, with 25 episodes. Due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, the fourth season that aired in 2007–2008 contained 19 episodes.[2] A fifth season debuted on September 25, 2008.[3] The first set of webisodes, entitled The Accountants, consisted of ten episodes and ran between the second and third seasons, the second, Kevin's Loan, consisted of four episodes and ran between the fourth and fifth seasons, and the third set, The Outburst, aired in the middle of the fifth season. The first four seasons are available on DVD in Regions 1 and 2. This list is ordered by the episodes' original air dates and not by the production code numbers provided by NBC's official episode guide, which show the order in which episodes were filmed.[4]
Contents |
[edit] Series overview
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired |
Region 1 DVD release date |
Region 2 DVD release date |
Number of discs |
Viewers (millions) |
18–49 Rating/Share (rank) |
Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | 2005 | August 16, 2005 | April 10, 2006 | 1 | 5.4 | 2.5/6 (#82) | #102[5] | |
| 2 | 22 | 2005–2006 | September 12, 2006 | January 28, 2008 | 4 | 8.0 | 4.0/10 (#34) | #67[6] | |
| 3 | 25 | 2006–2007 | September 4, 2007 | July 20, 2008 | 4 | 8.3 | 4.1/11 (#28) | #68[7] | |
| 4 | 19 | 2007–2008 | September 2, 2008[8] | TBA | 4 | 8.6 | 4.5/11 (TBA) | #56[9] | |
| 5 | 28 | 2008–2009 | September 8, 2009 | TBA | 5 | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
[edit] Season 1: 2005
Season one aired between March 24 and April 26, 2005.[1][10] It originally debuted as a midseason replacement for Committed.[11] It carried over general plot ideas from the earlier British series created by Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais, and particularly the threat of wholesale downsizing. However, only the pilot was a direct adaptation of one of the UK version's episodes.[12]
This season introduced the main characters, and established the general plot as a documentary crew is recording the lives of the employees of the fictitious Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. In a faux documentary format, it shows Michael Scott (Steve Carell), regional manager of the Scranton branch office, as he tries to convince the filmmakers of the documentary that he presides over a happy, well-running office. Meanwhile, sales rep Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) finds methods to undermine his hated cube-mate, the obnoxious "know-it-all" Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson); receptionist Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) is trying to deal with Michael's insensitivities and flubs; and the temporary employee Ryan Howard (B.J. Novak) is acting mostly as an observer of the insanity around him.[12]
| Series # | Episode # | Title | Director | Writer(s) | Original US air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 1 | "Pilot" | Ken Kwapis | Teleplay by Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant and Greg Daniels |
March 24, 2005 | 100 |
| A documentary crew arrives at the Scranton, Pennsylvania offices of Dunder Mifflin to observe the employees and learn about modern management. Manager Michael Scott (played by Steve Carell) tries to paint a happy picture in the face of potential downsizing from corporate. The office also gets new employee Ryan Howard (B.J. Novak) as a temporary worker, while Jim Halpert's (John Krasinski) pranks antagonize Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson). | ||||||
| 02 | 2 | "Diversity Day" | Ken Kwapis | B.J. Novak | March 29, 2005 | 101 |
| Manager Michael Scott's controversial imitation of a Chris Rock routine forces the staff to undergo a racial diversity seminar. A consultant (Larry Wilmore) arrives to teach the staff about tolerance and diversity, but Michael insists on imparting his own knowledge—aggravating both the consultant and the entire office staff—and creates his own diversity seminar. He eventually assigns each staff member an index card with a different race on it, causing tempers to slowly simmer until they finally snap. Meanwhile, Jim struggles to keep hold of a lucrative contract extension, but Dwight makes the sale for himself. Nevertheless, when Jim's love interest, Pam Beesly, falls asleep on his shoulder at the end of the meeting, he concludes that it was "not a bad day." | ||||||
| 03 | 3 | "Health Care" | Ken Whittingham | Paul Lieberstein | April 5, 2005 | 105 |
| In an effort to save money to prevent downsizing, Michael puts Dwight in charge of choosing the company's new health care plan. Dwight's chosen plan slashes benefits, much to the chagrin of the other employees. In an attempt to appease them, Michael promises the entire office a surprise, and then spends the rest of the day scrambling to come through with his promise. The employees wait for Michael's surprise, which he awkwardly never delivers. Meanwhile, Jim and Pam amuse themselves with Dwight's medical forms. | ||||||
| 04 | 4 | "The Alliance" | Bryan Gordon | Michael Schur | April 12, 2005 | 103 |
| As downsizing rumors swirl, paranoia takes over the members of the office. Dwight forms a Survivor-esque alliance with Jim against the other employees—later adding Pam also. Meanwhile, Michael arranges a morale-boosting birthday party for Meredith Palmer (Kate Flannery)—although her birthday is more than a month away. Michael agonizes over writing the perfect greeting in her birthday card, and in the end, his joke (and subsequent rejected ones) falls flat, ruining the party. | ||||||
| 05 | 5 | "Basketball" | Greg Daniels | Greg Daniels | April 19, 2005 | 104 |
| Michael and the office staff take on the workers in the warehouse in a basketball game. Through racist and sexist ideals, Michael chooses many of the lesser skilled office workers over their more athletic peers. Michael claims a "flagrant personal intentional foul," stops the game, and declares his team as the winners. The warehouse finds the call unfair and Michael caves under pressure, and concedes the victory to the warehouse staff. Michael eventually tells the office that they don't have to come in on Saturday either, but it does little to calm them: "Like coming in an extra day is going to prevent us from being downsized." | ||||||
| 06 | 6 | "Hot Girl" | Amy Heckerling | Mindy Kaling | April 26, 2005 | 102 |
| When an attractive purse saleswoman named Katy (Amy Adams) comes to the office, Michael and Dwight openly vie for her attention. Meanwhile, the corporate office allocates $1,000 for a prize for the top office salesman, but Michael spends the money on an espresso machine in order to try to impress Katy. However, in the end she actually ends up leaving with Jim, devastating both Michael and Dwight. | ||||||
[edit] Season 2: 2005–2006
Season two of The Office premiered on September 20, 2005, and ended on May 11, 2006.[13][14] NBC initially ordered only six episodes for the season, and in September, ordered seven more.[15] On November 3, 2005, NBC ordered an additional three,[16] and in the end it had ordered a full season of 22 episodes.[17] Season two featured the first "super-sized" 40-minute episode of The Office.[18]
The second season further developed into the plot of the fear of company downsizing, along with the introduction of new characters and developing some of minor ones—especially that of Dwight.[19] As Michael starts an affair with his boss Jan Levinson (Melora Hardin), Pam and Jim’s relationship become one of the focal points of the season. Their compatibility becomes more obvious as Jim’s feelings for Pam continue to grow, while she struggles with her relationship with the warehouse worker Roy Anderson (David Denman).
| Series # | Episode # | Title | Director | Writer(s) | Original US air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07 | 1 | "The Dundies" | Greg Daniels | Mindy Kaling | September 20, 2005 | 204 |
| Michael plans for "The Dundies," an annual awards show he hosts for his employees. Although Michael thinks the awards are an entertaining morale booster, his employees are embarrassed and bored by them. However, when a group of strangers begin to insult Michael, they speak up to support him. | ||||||
| 08 | 2 | "Sexual Harassment" | Ken Kwapis | B.J. Novak | September 27, 2005 | 202 |
| Corporate headquarters orders Toby to conduct a review at the Scranton branch of the company's sexual harassment policies. The company also sends a lawyer to Scranton. Michael fears that this will stop his ability to keep an "easy-going office", but later realizes that the lawyer that was sent was to protect him. | ||||||
| 09 | 3 | "Office Olympics" | Paul Feig | Michael Schur | October 4, 2005 | 203 |
| Michael and Dwight leave to close a deal on Michael's new condominium. Michael meets with his Realtor Carol, but becomes stressed when he realizes how long he will be paying for his condo. Boredom leads Pam and Jim to invent the office olympics, in which their co-workers compete in various games using office supplies. Michael and Dwight's return stops the event, but Jim gives the gold medal to Michael, for closing the purchase of his condominium. | ||||||
| 10 | 4 | "The Fire" | Ken Kwapis | B.J. Novak | October 11, 2005 | 201 |
| A fire in the office leads the employees to evacuate the building. To pass the time, the employees play games and learn more about each other. Michael tries to make himself a mentor to Ryan, but discovers that Ryan is more educated than he is. Dwight becomes jealous of the attention that Michael is giving Ryan. At the end of the day, it is determined that Ryan accidentally caused the fire. | ||||||
| 11 | 5 | "Halloween" | Paul Feig | Greg Daniels | October 18, 2005 | 206 |
| Downsizing leads corporate headquarters to order Michael to fire somebody by the end of October. Michael procrastinates until Halloween, when he still has not decided who to fire. When he decides to fire Creed, Creed manages to coerce Michael to fire Devon. | ||||||
| 12 | 6 | "The Fight" | Ken Kwapis | Gene Stupnitsky & Lee Eisenberg | November 1, 2005 | 207 |
| Michael and Dwight get in an argument about which of them could best the other in a fight. They decide to settle this by having a showdown at a local dojo. Michael finally emerges victorious. The two are cold to each other throughout the day until, as a show of good faith, Michael promotes Dwight to Assistant Regional Manager. | ||||||
| 13 | 7 | "The Client" | Greg Daniels | Paul Lieberstein | November 8, 2005 | 205 |
| Jan and Michael meet an important client. Michael angers Jan with his antics and refusal to talk business, but later, Michael and the client create a bond, and Michael closes the deal. Jan is impressed, she and Michael end up spending the night together. Back at the office, the employees find a screenplay written by Michael. | ||||||
| 14 | 8 | "Performance Review" | Paul Feig | Larry Wilmore | November 15, 2005 | 209 |
| Michael conferences with the employees during their annual performance reviews, while he worries about his own upcoming performance review with Jan. He takes tips from the suggestion box on ways to better himself, but the attempt ends in disaster when Jan discovers that Michael has told his employees about their romantic encounter. | ||||||
| 15 | 9 | "E-mail Surveillance" | Paul Feig | Jennifer Celotta | November 22, 2005 | 208 |
| Jim is hosting a party, but has not invited Michael. Michael learns of this when he begins spying on his employees' e-mail. Pam begins to notice Dwight and Angela engaging in odd interactions, and suspects that they are in a relationship, but dismisses the idea. Michael, unable to distract himself with an improv class, crashes Jim's party. | ||||||
| 16 | 10 | "Christmas Party" | Charles McDougall | Michael Schur | December 6, 2005 | 210 |
| The office Christmas party turns into a disaster when Michael decides to give all of the employees the ability to steal each other's gifts. While Michael attempts to procure a better gift, the rest of the members of the office all attempt to win the iPod that Michael originally bought for Ryan. Seeing that his idea has ruined the party, Michael buys alcohol for everyone. | ||||||
| 17 | 11 | "Booze Cruise" | Ken Kwapis | Greg Daniels | January 5, 2006 | 213 |
| Michael rents a boat for the annual motivational cruise, where he angers the captain with his antics. A drunken Roy publicly sets a wedding date without consulting Pam. Jim realizes that he is still in love with Pam and breaks up with his date Katy. Jim reveals to Michael that he is in love with Pam. | ||||||
| 18 | 12 | "The Injury" | Bryan Gordon | Mindy Kaling | January 12, 2006 | 211 |
| Michael burns his foot on a George Foreman Grill while at his own home. He requests that one of the employees of the office come to his house to pick him up. Dwight volunteers, but crashes his car. Dwight suffers a concussion, but it brings out a good-natured Dwight, who is kind and helpful to the other employees. Michael and Dwight are later taken to the hospital. | ||||||
| 19 | 13 | "The Secret" | Dennie Gordon | Lee Eisenberg & Gene Stupnitsky | January 19, 2006 | 214 |
| Jim becomes nervous when Michael almost reveals that Jim is in love with Pam. He asks Michael not to tell anyone, but Michael ends up revealing the secret anyway. Jim tells Pam that he had a crush on her years ago, but that it ended when he found out she was engaged. Meanwhile, Oscar calls in sick, prompting Dwight to spy on him to determine whether or not he was telling the truth. Oscar is revealed to be gay, although Dwight does not realize it. | ||||||
| 20 | 14 | "The Carpet" | Victor Nelli Jr. | Paul Lieberstein | January 26, 2006 | 212 |
| Michael discovers someone has defecated in his office. He suspects that one of his employees did it out of hate, leading him to begin resenting them. He later realizes that it was his "best friend" Todd Packer who did it, and instantly finds the humor in the action. | ||||||
| 21 | 15 | "Boys and Girls" | Dennie Gordon | B.J. Novak | February 2, 2006 | 215 |
| Jan comes to Scranton to lead a seminar for the women in the office. Michael becomes upset for being left out, and decides to host his own seminar for the men. When he tries to rally the staff to unionize, Jan's threat of a lawsuit ends the attempt. Later, after Jan recommends to Pam that she should enter a graphic design course, Roy persuades her not to go through with it. | ||||||
| 22 | 16 | "Valentine's Day" | Greg Daniels | Michael Schur | February 9, 2006 | 217 |
| On Valentine's Day, Michael leaves for New York City for a meeting between branch managers and the company's new CFO, David Wallace. Michael tells the other branch managers that he and Jan are in a relationship, and a disgruntled manager later tells David. Michael is able to save both Jan's and his jobs when he tells David that he was joking. At the office, Phyllis' boyfriend sends her multiple gifts, and Dwight and Angela secretly exchange gifts. | ||||||
| 23 | 17 | "Dwight's Speech" | Charles McDougall | Paul Lieberstein | March 2, 2006 | 216 |
| Dwight is named Dunder-Mifflin's top salesman, and is given the honor of speaking at a salesman's convention. He becomes nervous, and Jim, seeing this, "helps" by giving Dwight lines from speeches by figures such as Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. At the convention, Dwight becomes nervous, but after a failed attempt by Michael to entertain the crowd, Dwight goes to the stand and delivers a rousing speech. | ||||||
| 24 | 18 | "Take Your Daughter to Work Day" | Victor Nelli Jr. | Mindy Kaling | March 16, 2006 | 218 |
| The employees bring in their daughters for the annual "Take Your Daughter to Work Day". Michael finds enjoyment in talking with the children, especially Toby's daughter Sasha. Stanley's daughter Melissa develops a crush on Ryan, leading Stanley to reprimand Ryan for it. | ||||||
| 25 | 19 | "Michael's Birthday" | Ken Whittingham | Lee Eisenberg & Gene Stupnitsky | March 30, 2006 | 219 |
| Michael is excited about his birthday, but the rest of the office is instead focused on Kevin, who is awaiting the results from a skin cancer test. Jim and Pam leave to purchase items to comfort Kevin, and later in the day the staff leaves for a day at the ice rink. Michael meets Carol, and makes a good impression when he entertains her kids. Kevin's test results come back negative for cancer. | ||||||
| 26 | 20 | "Drug Testing" | Greg Daniels | Jennifer Celotta | April 27, 2006 | 222 |
| Dwight finds a leftover joint in the parking lot, and begins an investigation to find the owner. After no one confesses, he schedules a drug test. Michael, worried that he will not pass, pressures Dwight for a cup of clean urine. Dwight is conflicted, but after resigning from his position as a volunteer sheriff's deputy, gives in to Michael's demands. | ||||||
| 27 | 21 | "Conflict Resolution" | Charles McDougall | Greg Daniels | May 4, 2006 | 220 |
| Michael learns that Toby keeps files detailing all of the complaints employees have had against each other. Angry that the disputes have not been resolved, Michael reads them out loud, which brings up old conflicts and leaves the employees bitter and angry. Dwight, furious over Jim's pranks, tells Michael that he will quit if Jim is not fired. Jim learns of an opening sales position at a different branch, and decides to interview for the job. Pam learns that Jim has complained about her making wedding plans at work. | ||||||
| 28 | 22 | "Casino Night"† | Ken Kwapis | Steve Carell | May 11, 2006 | 221 |
| Michael organizes a casino night for charity, but inadvertently invites two dates, his boss Jan, and Carol. He ends up beginning a relationship with Carol. Jan reacts calmly, but later she leaves early with an overnight bag, revealing that she had intended to stay with Michael. Jim reveals that he is in love with her, and they share a kiss. | ||||||
[edit] Season 3: 2006–2007
Season three premiered on September 21, 2006, and ended on May 17, 2007.[20][21] It featured 25 episodes, including two hour-long editions, and guest directors such as J.J. Abrams (creator of the series Alias, Lost, and the films Cloverfield and Star Trek), Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly) and Harold Ramis.[21][22]
The season marked the move of main character Jim Halpert from Scranton to Stamford, and also introduced Rashida Jones as Karen Filippelli, and Ed Helms as Andy Bernard (both members of Dunder Mifflin Stamford) as recurring characters. Helms would later be promoted to series regular. The main plot for the early episodes of the season deals with a recurring problem in seasons one and two—the problem of company downsizing—while in the last half of the season, inter-office relationships also became a major plot point.[23] Metacritic, which assigns normalized ratings out of 100 to critics' reviews, calculated an average score of 85/100 based on five collected reviews, indicating "Universal acclaim".[24]
| Series # | Episode # | Title | Director | Writer(s) | Original US air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | 1 | "Gay Witch Hunt" | Ken Kwapis | Greg Daniels | September 21, 2006 | 301 |
| Months have passed since the end of season two. Jim has transferred to a different branch, and Pam has broken off her engagement with Roy. Michael learns that Oscar is gay, and accidentally outs him to everyone. Feeling bad, Michael hosts a meeting about homosexuality, where he attempts to present himself as open-minded and progressive. Meanwhile, Jim attempts to adjust to life at the Stamford branch, with his new co-workers Andy and Karen. | ||||||
| 30 | 2 | "The Convention" | Ken Whittingham | Gene Stupnitsky & Lee Eisenberg | September 28, 2006 | 306 |
| Michael and Dwight leave for a convention in Philadelphia, where they meet up with Josh, the manager of Dunder-Mifflin Stamford, and Jim. Michael feels threatened by Josh, and attempts to one-up him by throwing a party in his hotel room. When no one shows up, Jim takes pity on Michael and reassures him that he left Scranton for different reasons. Meanwhile, Kelly sets Pam up on a blind date that goes poorly. | ||||||
| 31 | 3 | "The Coup" | Greg Daniels | Paul Lieberstein | October 5, 2006 | 302 |
| Michael's managerial tactics lead Angela and Dwight to conspire to take Michael's job. Dwight meets with Jan, who, after listening to Dwight's propositions, later calls to inform Michael that his own employees are conspiring against him. Michael informs Dwight that Jan has promoted him to regional manager in an attempt to make Dwight confess. However, Dwight immediately takes over the office and begins making sweeping changes. Michael, unable to control his anger, reveals to Dwight that he knows everything, and forces Dwight to do his laundry to make it up to him. Meanwhile, at Dunder Mifflin Stamford, Josh's managerial tactics include playing Call of Duty as a team-building exercise. Unfortunately, Jim is less than competent at the game. | ||||||
| 32 | 4 | "Grief Counseling" | Roger Nygard | Jennifer Celotta | October 12, 2006 | 303 |
| Michael learns that his former boss Ed Truck has died. Seeing that his employees are not shaken by the news, Michael begins to ponder his own mortality. While mourning, Michael learns that a bird was killed by running into a window earlier that morning, and he decides to have a funeral later in the day for the bird. Meanwhile, at Dunder-Mifflin Stamford, Jim and Karen embark on a quest for potato chips. | ||||||
| 33 | 5 | "Initiation" | Randall Einhorn | B.J. Novak | October 19, 2006 | 305 |
| Dwight takes Ryan out to the Schrute Family Beet Farm for an initiation session before his first sales call. The initiation, involving odd styles of hazing and bizarre parables, angers Ryan, who does not make the sale. Back at the office, Jan asks Pam to document Michael's activities for a day. Michael, oblivious, spends most of the day waiting in line for a free pretzel in the lobby. | ||||||
| 34 | 6 | "Diwali" | Miguel Arteta | Mindy Kaling | November 2, 2006 | 304 |
| Kelly invites the entire staff to a celebration of Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Light. At the festival, Michael is inspired by his conversation with Kelly's parents over Hindu marriage customs, and makes an impromptu proposal to his girlfriend Carol. Carol says no, and leaves. In Stamford, Jim, Andy, and Karen stay late to do sales figures. Andy and Jim do shots to pass the time, which leads Karen to have to drive a drunk Jim home. | ||||||
| 35 | 7 | "Branch Closing" | Tucker Gates | Michael Schur | November 9, 2006 | 307 |
| Jan informs Michael that the Dunder-Mifflin board has voted to close the Scranton branch, and for the Stamford branch to absorb the remnants of Scranton. Michael announces this to the office, leading the employees to plan for their futures. Michael, in a last-ditch effort to save his branch, leaves with Dwight to surprise CFO David Wallace at his home. They wait outside all day, but David never shows up, and they resign themselves to defeat. However, Josh, the regional manager of the Stamford branch, announces that he is leaving the company to take another job. A decision is made for the Scranton branch to absorb the Stamford branch. Michael and Dwight celebrate, believing that they were the ones who brought about the change. | ||||||
| 36 | 8 | "The Merger"† | Ken Whittingham | Brent Forrester | November 16, 2006 | 308 |
| Due to Dunder Mifflin Stamford's closing, six members of the staff; Jim, Karen, Andy, Martin, Tony, and Hannah, move and take jobs in Scranton. Michael attempts to welcome his new employees, but naturally ends up alienating and offending them. Andy begins sucking up to Michael, causing Dwight to become jealous. Pam asks Jim out for coffee to catch up, but he turns her down, revealing that he has begun dating Karen. Michael accidentally humiliates Tony, who announces that he is quitting. Michael becomes defensive, and fires him instead. | ||||||
| 37 | 9 | "The Convict" | Jeffrey Blitz | Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant | November 30, 2006 | 309 |
| Michael learns that Martin, one of the former Stamford employees, is a former criminal. The staff learns that his time was spent in a white-collar prison (with big-screen TV, college studies, and art classes), and begins to wonder if Martin's prison is better than Dunder Mifflin Scranton. Michael then gives a presentation on the miseries of prison, with most of his ideas fueled from television prisons. Bitter that he is not being taken seriously, he then locks his employees in the conference room. At the end of the day, Martin decides to quit rather than continue working with Michael. | ||||||
| 38/39 | 10/11 | "A Benihana Christmas"‡ | Harold Ramis | Jennifer Celotta | December 14, 2006 | 310/311 |
| Michael plans on inviting Carol to Jamaica with him for Christmas, but she breaks up with him before he has a chance. Andy takes Michael to a local Benihana to cheer him up, and they both convince waitresses to come back to the Christmas party with them. Back at the office, an disagreement within the Party Planning Committee leads Karen and Pam to create their own Christmas party, separate from Angela's. When the majority of the office decide to go to Karen and Pam's party, Angela becomes upset, and seeing this, Karen and Pam decide to combine the parties. Soon after, Michael and Andy's dates leave them, but Michael nevertheless finds someone to go to Jamaica with him. | ||||||
| 40 | 12 | "Back from Vacation" | Julian Farino | Justin Spitzer | January 4, 2007 | 312 |
| Michael returns from Jamaica, and "accidentally" lets slip that he went with Jan. When he tries to send a revealing picture of Jan to Todd Packer, he inadvertently sends it to the packaging department, and soon the picture is spread throughout the entire company. Jim and Karen have an argument over Karen moving into an apartment close to where Jim lives, until Pam mediates a solution between them. Although she appears happy to have helped, she later cries at the day's end. Jan appears at the office and tells him she wants a relationship. She has yet to find out about the picture. | ||||||
| 41 | 13 | "Traveling Salesmen" | Greg Daniels | Michael Schur and Lee Eisenberg & Gene Stupnitsky |
January 11, 2007 | 313 |
| Dwight arrives late for an early morning meeting, where Michael announces that the members of the sales staff are teaming up for sales calls, in an Amazing Race-esque challenge. Andy spends the day trying to convince Michael that Dwight is untrustworthy. Meanwhile, Kevin announces to Angela that their sales reports weren't mailed to New York, but Angela assures him that the problem was handled. When the teams return, Andy discovers that Dwight's morning tardiness was due to delivering the reports to New York for Angela. Dwight, instead of revealing their relationship, resigns his position. | ||||||
| 42 | 14 | "The Return" | Greg Daniels | Lee Eisenberg & Gene Stupnitsky and Michael Schur |
January 18, 2007 | 314 |
| Oscar's return from his vacation prompts Michael to host a Mexican-themed party. Meanwhile, Jim and Pam steal Andy's phone, and repeatedly call it, playing his homemade ring tone over and over. Andy becomes more angry each time the phone rings, and eventually punches a hole in the wall out of frustration. Michael, distraught over Dwight's resignation in the previous episode, leaves and confronts him at Staples, inviting him back to Dunder Mifflin. Andy is sent to anger management training. | ||||||
| 43 | 15 | "Ben Franklin" | Randall Einhorn | Mindy Kaling | February 1, 2007 | 315 |
| The women of the office hold a bridal shower for Phyllis, while the men hold a bachelor's party for her groom-to-be, Bob Vance. After being convinced to hire a stripper for both the men and the women's parties by Todd Packer, Michael orders Jim and Dwight to choose the strippers. For the men's party, Dwight hires a stripper, while for the women's party, Jim hires a Ben Franklin impersonator. | ||||||
| 44 | 16 | "Phyllis's Wedding" | Ken Whittingham | Caroline Williams | February 8, 2007 | 316 |
| Phyllis lets Michael be a part of her wedding in return for allowing her to take extra time off work for her honeymoon. Michael attempts to dominate the festivities, and acts as the host of their reception. Pam is incredulous to see Phyllis has taken most of the plans for Pam and Roy's wedding. Feeling lonely, she strikes up conversation with Roy, and they leave the wedding together. | ||||||
| 45 | 17 | "Business School" | Joss Whedon | Brent Forrester | February 15, 2007 | 317 |
| For extra credit, Ryan invites Michael to his business school as a guest speaker. Michael attempts to make a motivational speech, unaware that Ryan has introduced him as a ineffectual manager of a failing company. Meanwhile, a bat is discovered in the office, leading Dwight to lead an attempt to capture it. That night, Pam displays her artwork at an art show, and is disappointed when none of her co-workers attend. Michael soon arrives after giving his speech and, in a moment of sincere kindness, compliments her work and buys her painting of their office building. | ||||||
| 46 | 18 | "Cocktails" | J.J. Abrams | Paul Lieberstein | February 22, 2007 | 318 |
| The Dunder-Mifflin CFO David Wallace holds a cocktail party at his house, which Jan, Michael, Jim, Karen and Dwight attend. Michael's antics appear to annoy Jan, but she later attempts to have sex with him in a bathroom. Michael feels uncomfortable and turns her down, angering her. Meanwhile while at a bar, Pam reveals to Roy that she and Jim kissed. Roy is infuriated and proceeds to trash the bar. Pam immediately breaks up with Roy, who then says he's going to kill Jim. | ||||||
| 47 | 19 | "The Negotiation"† | Jeffrey Blitz | Michael Schur | April 5, 2007 | 319 |
| Roy enters the office and attempts to attack Jim, but Dwight's timely intervention with pepper spray saves the day. Jim attempts to thank Dwight for saving him, but is frustrated when Dwight refuses to accept his thanks. Meanwhile, Michael and Darryl attempt to get a pay raise from Jan in New York. | ||||||
| 48 | 20 | "Safety Training" | Harold Ramis | B.J. Novak | April 12, 2007 | 320 |
| Michael is emasculated when, during a safety training course, the warehouse employees make fun of him for having a safer work environment. Determined to show that office life can be dangerous, he decides to fake a suicide attempt. His plan to jump off of the roof and onto a bouncy castle go awry when the employees discover what he is doing and are forced to talk him down. Meanwhile, Andy attempts to endear himself to his co-workers after returning from anger management. | ||||||
| 49 | 21 | "Product Recall" | Randall Einhorn | Justin Spitzer & Brent Forrester | April 26, 2007 | 321 |
| Paper from Dunder-Mifflin Scranton with an obscene watermark left by a disgruntled ex-employee are accidentally sent out, throwing the business into damage control. The accountants attempt to provide service for angry customers, while Michael contacts the media in a misguided attempt to avoid scandal. Meanwhile, Jim and Andy go to a local high school to apologize personally to the principal, who sent out prom invitations on the explicit paper. | ||||||
| 50 | 22 | "Women's Appreciation"† | Tucker Gates | Lee Eisenberg & Gene Stupnitsky | May 3, 2007 | 322 |
| After Phyllis is the victim of a flashing in the parking lot, Michael attempts to host a seminar on women's issues. When it doesn't go as expected, he takes the women of the office on a trip to the mall, while Dwight and Andy search for the flasher. At the mall, Michael discusses his discomfort in his relationship with Jan, and the women advise him to break up with her. Michael breaks up with Jan, and she angrily storms out of the office. | ||||||
| 51 | 23 | "Beach Games"† | Harold Ramis | Jennifer Celotta & Greg Daniels | May 10, 2007 | 323 |
| David Wallace calls and informs Michael that he is a candidate for an opening position in the corporate office in New York. Believing himself the obvious choice for the job, Michael goes about the task of choosing a successor. Michael takes his employees to the beach and forces them to compete in challenges to determine which of them will take over his position, not realizing that Jim and Karen are also contenders for the job. Pam, fed up with being ignored, confesses her feelings to her co-workers, telling Jim that he was the reason she called off her wedding. | ||||||
| 52/53 | 24/25 | "The Job"‡ | Ken Kwapis | Paul Lieberstein & Michael Schur | May 17, 2007 | 324/325 |
| Michael decides to repel any advances that Jan makes towards him, but instantly changes his mind and gives her a second chance once he sees her with enhanced breasts. Michael, Jim, and Karen then all travel to New York to interview for the position that is opening in the corporate office. Before he leaves, Michael names Dwight as his successor in Scranton, and Dwight, with Andy as his new number two, immediately goes about changing the appearance and structure of the office. In New York, Michael's awkward interview is interrupted when he learns that the position opening is due to Jan's upcoming dismissal. Jan storms out of the office, with Michael following her. Jim's interview goes well, until he finds a good-luck memento left for him by Pam. Realizing he cannot leave her, he returns to Scranton, where he asks her on a date. Jan, now unemployed, decides to move in with Michael, who returns to his position as regional manager. The corporate job is given to Ryan, who then immediately breaks up with Kelly. | ||||||
[edit] Season 4: 2007–2008
NBC ordered a full fourth season of The Office consisting of 30 episodes, which included five one-hour specials. However, the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike shut down production for nearly five months in the middle of the season (between the episodes "The Deposition" and "Dinner Party").[2][25] Because of the shutdown, the fourth season of The Office actually consisted of 19 episodes, including five one-hour episodes. The first episode of season four premiered on September 27, 2007,[26] and the last episode aired on May 15, 2008.[27]
Season four marked the departure of Karen Filippelli as a regular character, although she appeared in the sixth episode, "Branch Wars", as the regional manager of the Utica branch.[28] Relationships emerged as the main theme of the season, with Jim and Pam's rising, and Michael and Jan's, as well as Dwight and Angela's declining.[29] Technology was another theme as the office staff struggled with initiatives introduced by Ryan to modernize the company.[30]
| Series # | Episode # | Title | Director | Writer(s) | Original US air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54/55 | 1/2 | "Fun Run"‡ | Greg Daniels | Greg Daniels | September 27, 2007 | 401/402 |
| After Michael hits Meredith with his car just outside the offices of Dunder Mifflin Scranton, she learns she is infected with rabies. Angela asks Dwight to care for her sick cat, but Dwight mercy-kills the animal, leading to Dwight and Angela's breakup. Jim, now broken up from Karen, announces to the camera crew that he and Pam are dating, but do not share this with their coworkers. Feeling guilty from his accident with Meredith, Michael decides to host "Michael Scott’s Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race For The Cure", although his employees are less than enthused. Toby wins the race, and a depressed Michael is forgiven by Meredith. | ||||||
| 56/57 | 3/4 | "Dunder Mifflin Infinity"‡ | Craig Zisk | Michael Schur | October 4, 2007 | 403/404 |
| Jim and Pam's relationship is revealed to the rest of the office after Toby files a PDA complaint. For the first time since his promotion, Ryan returns to the offices of Dunder Mifflin Scranton to introduce to the office "Dunder Mifflin Infinity", his plan to use technology to revitalize the company. Michael, believing personal interaction is more important than the ease of technology, leaves with Dwight to present gift baskets to former clients to try to win them back. After presenting the baskets with no luck, Michael, unable to properly use his car's GPS, drives it into a lake. Back at the office, Kelly tries to force Ryan to get back together with her. | ||||||
| 58/59 | 5/6 | "Launch Party"‡ | Ken Whittingham | Jennifer Celotta | October 11, 2007 | 405/406 |
| As the new brainchild of Ryan, the new Dunder Mifflin Infinity website is about to be released. Meanwhile, the staff of Dunder Mifflin Scranton prepare to host a party as part of a company-wide video chat room. Dwight, wanting to prove to Angela that he can beat technology, tries to outsell the new computer, which he ultimately does. Later, at the party, Dwight and Michael kidnap a pizza delivery boy, although they later release him. At the end of the chat room, Michael humiliates Ryan in front of every branch of Dunder Mifflin. Andy decides to pursue Angela, to Dwight's dismay. | ||||||
| 60/61 | 7/8 | "Money"‡ | Paul Lieberstein | Paul Lieberstein | October 18, 2007 | 407/408 |
| When Jan, now living with Michael in his condominium, forces costly changes in Michael's life, he worries about his financial situation. To remedy the problem, Michael leaves work early for a late night job as a telemarketer until 1 a.m. When Ryan finds out, he forces Michael to quit, who then fears that there is no way in which he can support Jan and himself. He hops a train to run away, but Jan meets him and tells him that they can work together to find a way to live. Meanwhile, Dwight pines over Angela, who is later asked out by Andy. After a pep-talk by Jim, Dwight returns as his normal annoying self, to Jim's pleasure. Pam and Jim visit Dwight's family farm, which he has fashioned into a bed and breakfast. | ||||||
| 62 | 9 | "Local Ad" | Jason Reitman | B.J. Novak | October 25, 2007 | 409 |
| Although informed that he and his employees can only be in the Dunder Mifflin Infinity commercial for a few seconds, Michael decides to produce a full commercial with the Scranton staff regardless. Meanwhile, the progression of Andy and Angela's relationship forces Dwight to sink into a depression, where he attempts to remove himself from his life by playing Second Life. Although rebuffed by the corporate office, Michael's rejected version of the Scranton commercial is well received by both the employees as well as other bar patrons at Poor Richard's. | ||||||
| 63 | 10 | "Branch Wars" | Joss Whedon | Mindy Kaling | November 1, 2007 | 410 |
| Karen, now Regional Manager of Dunder Mifflin Utica, attempts to lure Stanley away from Dunder Mifflin Scranton. Pranking Karen for her attempt, Michael and Dwight trick Jim into accompanying them on a raid to Utica. When they are discovered, Karen scolds them and is further angered when Jim informs her that he and Pam are now dating. Back at Scranton, Michael bids Stanley goodbye, who then tells Michael he's decided to stay, revealing that he only said he had left to try to get a raise. | ||||||
| 64 | 11 | "Survivor Man" | Paul Feig | Steve Carell | November 8, 2007 | 411 |
| When Michael is not invited to a company wilderness retreat hosted by Ryan, he decides to prove that he has the ability to survive on his own. Dwight drops Michael in the middle of a forest, and although told to leave, stays to prevent Michael from injury. When Michael almost eats poisonous mushrooms, Dwight jumps out to save him just in time. Meanwhile, back at the office, Jim, as the number two, decides to combine birthday parties for three members of the staff whose birthdays fall in quick succession. The plan, though, is poorly received by the staff, and Jim returns to having individual birthdays just as Michael and Dwight come back. | ||||||
| 65 | 12 | "The Deposition" | Julian Farino | Lester Lewis | November 15, 2007 | 412 |
| Michael is thrown in the middle of a deposition between Dunder Mifflin and his girlfriend Jan after Jan sues the company for wrongful termination. Although the case initially goes well for Jan, Michael's actions lead to Dunder Mifflin easily getting the upper hand. Meanwhile, back at Dunder Mifflin Scranton, a ping pong craze turns into a battle of the relationships between Pam and Jim and Kelly and Darryl. | ||||||
| 66 | 13 | "Dinner Party" | Paul Feig | Lee Eisenberg & Gene Stupnitsky | April 10, 2008 | 413 |
| Michael and Jan invite Jim, Pam, Andy, and Angela to a dinner party at the couple's condominium. When Michael and Jan begin to argue after the discussion of having children arises, the party's guests go to various measures to try to escape. The party is thrown into further confusion when Dwight, still pining for Angela, arrives with his former babysitter. As the fighting between Michael and Jan escalates, the police are eventually called by a neighbor. The party culminates with Michael leaving Jan. | ||||||
| 67 | 14 | "Chair Model" | Jeffrey Blitz | B.J. Novak | April 17, 2008 | 414 |
| After seeing a model (April Eden) in a catalog while searching for a chair, Michael realizes that he has not accomplished his dream of finding a soulmate in life. Dwight embarks on a search for the chair model, while Michael takes names of friends of office employees for dates. Michael goes on a blind date with Pam's landlady, which ends poorly. Meanwhile, Andy and Kevin meet with the bosses of the other companies in the building to discuss the issues of parking, while Jim and Pam discuss the future of their relationship. | ||||||
| 68 | 15 | "Night Out" | Ken Whittingham | Mindy Kaling | April 24, 2008 | 415 |
| Michael and Dwight decide to surprise Ryan in New York and to meet his friends. They find him clubbing and join him for the night. Ryan is surprisingly friendly, though it could be a side effect of his cocaine habit. Meanwhile, the Scranton branch is upset when they find out they have to come in on a Saturday for Ryan's website project. Jim suggests that everyone work late instead. The plan goes well—until they find they are locked in on the grounds with no way to escape. Toby lets slip his affection for Pam, and impulsively announces he will be moving to Costa Rica. | ||||||
| 69 | 16 | "Did I Stutter?" | Randall Einhorn | Brent Forrester & Justin Spitzer | May 1, 2008 | 416 |
| When Stanley snaps at Michael during a meeting, Michael tries to give Stanley an attitude adjustment. Michael's plan to fake-fire Stanley only worsens the situation. To punish Andy for his relationship with Angela, Dwight lowballs Andy to buy his car and then resells it for a profit. Meanwhile, Pam deals with unwanted attention from her "back up" glasses after spending the night at Jim’s. Jim receives a formal warning from Ryan about his job performance. | ||||||
| 70 | 17 | "Job Fair" | Tucker Gates | Lee Eisenberg & Gene Stupnitsky | May 8, 2008 | 417 |
| In response to Ryan's warning, Jim hits the links with Andy and Kevin to attempt to land his biggest client ever. Michael, Pam, Oscar, and Darryl set up a booth at a job fair at Pam's old high school to find applicants for Dunder Mifflin’s summer internship, but Michael's shenanigans produce failure. When all the other office workers duck out early, Dwight and Angela have a tense day alone in the office. Pam investigates graphic arts opportunities which may take her away from Scranton. | ||||||
| 71/72 | 18/19 | "Goodbye, Toby"‡ | Paul Feig | Paul Lieberstein & Jennifer Celotta | May 15, 2008 | 418/419 |
| After Angela refuses to give in to Michael's unreasonable demands, Phyllis takes over the party planning committee and throws a huge bash for Toby's goodbye party. Dwight, with Meredith, hazes the new HR woman, Holly Flax (Amy Ryan), making her think Kevin is mentally disabled. Holly and Michael seem to make a romantic connection, which is cut short when Jan returns from Arizona, pregnant from a sperm donor; Michael ambivalently agrees to help her through the birth process. Pam accepts a three month training program in New York, and just as Jim is about to propose to her, Andy publicly proposes to Angela who reluctantly agrees. Angela is later caught having sex with Dwight in the office. Ryan's downfall is complete as he is dragged from the New York office after committing fraud related to the website. | ||||||
[edit] Season 5: 2008–2009
On April 10, 2008, NBC ordered a fifth season consisting of 28 episodes.[31] The season premiered on Thursday, September 25, 2008, with the episode "Weight Loss."[32]
This season highlighted Michael's roller coaster relationship with corporate, as he is first praised and rewarded for impressive numbers despite the economic downturn. However, when a new boss is hired Michael feels slighted by his controlling manner. The theme of the beginning and middle of the season was mostly personal relationships with Dwight, Angela, Andy, Jim, and Pam, and Michael, Jan, and Holly. However, the theme transformed into career growth, as Ryan, Pam, and Michael set up the Michael Scott Paper Company, Pam and Michael go on a lecture circuit, Charles takes Jan's and Ryan's job, and Jim has trouble with the new boss, Charles. The last two or so episodes of the season focused on relationships once again, with major events taking place in Jim and Pam's relationship, and also with Holly and Michael.
| Series # | Episode # | Title | Director | Writer(s) | Original US air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 73/74 | 1/2 | "Weight Loss"‡ | Paul Feig | Lee Eisenberg & Gene Stupnitsky | September 25, 2008 | 501/502 |
| Over eight weeks of the summer, a Dunder Mifflin weight-loss initiative causes the branch to diet and become obsessed with their weight. Michael pursues a friendship with his new HR rep, Holly. Andy plans his wedding to Angela, while she continues her affair with Dwight. Jim misses Pam who attends art school in New York, and he finally proposes. A disgraced Ryan returns to the Scranton office as a temp. | ||||||
| 75 | 3 | "Business Ethics" | Jeffrey Blitz | Ryan Koh | October 9, 2008 | 503 |
| Following Ryan's recent scandal, Holly holds an ethics seminar. Everyone speaks freely about their unethical behavior at work and Meredith causes a rift between Michael and Holly when Meredith admits a supplier gives her discounts on products and steak coupons in exchange for sex. Holly is ostracized by the staff, but when she is humiliated by the head of Human Resources, Michael once again supports her. Meanwhile, Jim makes Dwight comply with the company's "time theft" policy by timing every second of his personal activity. | ||||||
| 76 | 4 | "Baby Shower" | Greg Daniels | Aaron Shure | October 16, 2008 | 504 |
| Michael practices for the birth of Jan’s baby by having Dwight go over possible birthing scenarios. When Jan arrives for the office baby shower, she has already had baby Astrid, excluding Michael from the process, and he feels disconnected from the baby. Meanwhile, Michael pretends to dislike Holly for Jan’s benefit, but Jan senses their connection and asks Michael not to date Holly. Michael goes to Holly for comfort and they agree to date. The separation between Jim and Pam starts to take a toll on their relationship. | ||||||
| 77 | 5 | "Crime Aid" | Jennifer Celotta | Charlie Grandy | October 23, 2008 | 505 |
| Michael and Holly have sex in the office on a date and inadvertently lead to the office being robbed. Michael holds an auction to raise money for all the items lost. On Phyllis's advice, Dwight gives Angela an ultimatum to break up with Andy, which she refuses to do. Pam gets a part-time job at corporate to pay for art school, and Jim is further unsettled after Roy insinuates that he is losing her. | ||||||
| 78 | 6 | "Employee Transfer" | David Rogers | Anthony Q. Farrell | October 30, 2008 | 506 |
| When corporate transfers Holly to Nashua, Michael (with Darryl's help) moves her back to New Hampshire. Their plans to continue dating are dashed and they break up, and Darryl teaches Michael to sing the blues. Pam meets Jim's brothers, who pull a prank on Jim, which embarrasses her. Dwight torments Andy by becoming a fan of Cornell University. Pam is embarrassed when she is the only person at corporate wearing a costume on Halloween. | ||||||
| 79 | 7 | "Customer Survey" | Stephen Merchant | Lester Lewis | November 6, 2008 | 507 |
| Dwight and Jim are shocked when they receive poor marks on their annual customer survey reports. They learn that Kelly has sabotaged their scores for blowing off her America's Got Talent wrap party. A sympathetic Michael and Kelly relish their discomfort. Through Angela's manipulations, she and Andy book their wedding at Schrute Farms B&B. Pam and Jim spend every minute together using their Bluetooth phones, including Jim overhearing Pam's friend Alex asking her to stay in New York. | ||||||
| 80 | 8 | "Business Trip" | Randall Einhorn | Brent Forrester | November 13, 2008 | 509 |
| CFO David Wallace sends Michael to Winnipeg, Manitoba for business. Andy and Oscar accompany him and become unlikely friends when they drunk dial Angela. Although Michael makes the sale and has a one-night stand, he rebukes David for transferring Holly. Jim counts down the days until Pam gets back from art school; she fails a course but comes back to Scranton anyway. Ryan seduces Kelly, who in turn breaks up with Darryl. | ||||||
| 81 | 9 | "Frame Toby" | Jason Reitman | Mindy Kaling | November 20, 2008 | 508 |
| HR Rep Toby returns from Costa Rica, driving Michael insane. He and Dwight attempt to get Toby fired for cause by planting "drugs" (actually caprese salad) in Toby's desk. Pam is upset that someone in the office has made a mess in the microwave and will not clean it up. Jim surprises Pam by buying his parents' old house; despite its '70s decor, Pam loves it. Ryan breaks up with Kelly to travel to Thailand. | ||||||
| 82 | 10 | "The Surplus" | Paul Feig | Gene Stupnitsky & Lee Eisenberg | December 4, 2008 | 513 |
| The office must spend a $4,300 surplus or lose it in next year's budget. Factions break out and court Michael to get what they want—Oscar and Jim want a new photocopier, Pam, Stanley, and others want new chairs. They finally agree on the chairs to prevent Michael from earning a bonus by returning the surplus. Dwight takes Angela and Andy to Schrute Farms to settle wedding plans. In a mock ceremony, Dwight secretly weds Angela. Angered at his deception, she plans to have the wedding annulled. | ||||||
| 83 | 11 | "Moroccan Christmas" | Paul Feig | Justin Spitzer | December 11, 2008 | 510 |
| Phyllis's Moroccan-themed holiday party is interrupted when Meredith's hair catches on fire during a drunken bellydance; Michael stages an intervention and attempts to force Meredith into rehab. Dwight makes a killing selling a popular Christmas toy—"Princess Unicorn." Phyllis continues to torment Angela on the Party Planning Committee. When she revolts, Phyllis shocks everyone by revealing Angela and Dwight's affair to everyone (except Andy). | ||||||
| 84 | 12 | "The Duel" | Dean Holland | Jennifer Celotta | January 15, 2009 | 511 |
| The office is tense because Andy still has not found out about Angela's affair with Dwight. After Michael tells him, Dwight and Andy plan a duel. When they realize Angela has been sleeping with them both, each dumps her. In New York, Michael travels to corporate to meet with David Wallace, who wants to know Michael's methods as the Scranton branch is actually doing well. Not surprisingly, Michael has no insight. | ||||||
| 85 | 13 | "Prince Family Paper" | Asaad Kelada | B.J. Novak | January 22, 2009 | 512 |
| By request of David Wallace, Michael and Dwight go undercover to investigate rival paper company Prince Paper. As they are a small, family-owned operation made of an extremely nice family, Michael has a difficult time handing over their findings to Wallace. Meanwhile, the rest of the office holds a debate to settle a question: is Hilary Swank hot? The office is tied six to six when Michael off-handedly casts the winning vote for "yes." | ||||||
| 86/87 | 14/15 | "Stress Relief"‡ | Jeffrey Blitz | Paul Lieberstein | February 1, 2009 | 516/517 |
| Dwight stages a fire drill which causes a panic and Stanley has a heart attack. With stress levels high, Michael tries a number of ways to get his employees to relax before discovering that he is the number one cause of stress at work. He stages on a no-holds-barred roast of himself, but feels hurt at the jokes. Andy, Pam and Jim watch a pirated movie with special guest stars Jack Black, Jessica Alba, and Cloris Leachman. Pam's parents are going through marital troubles and separate after her dad hears how much Jim loves Pam. | ||||||
| 88 | 16 | "Lecture Circuit: Part 1" | Ken Kwapis | Mindy Kaling | February 5, 2009 | 514 |
| Michael goes on a speaking tour of the other branches to explain Scranton's relative success, accompanied by his driver, Pam. At the Utica branch, the speech goes poorly, but Pam and a married, pregnant Karen reach closure, inspiring Michael to travel to the Nashua branch for closure with Holly. Back at the office, Dwight and Jim—now the heads of the party planning committee—forget Kelly's birthday, and attempt to make amends. Andy develops a crush on Stanley's client. | ||||||
| 89 | 17 | "Lecture Circuit: Part 2" | Ken Kwapis | Mindy Kaling | February 12, 2009 | 515 |
| In part two, Michael and Pam arrive in Nashua, where Holly is off a few days. Michael feels devastated when he learns she has a new boyfriend and Pam is forced to finish the lecture. Michael finds a computer file addressed to him; Pam reads it and tells him that Holly still cares for him. Dwight and Jim continue to struggle to throw Kelly a party, but ultimately make her happy. Angela's new nanny cam causes a stir when the staff see her bizarre interaction with her pets. | ||||||
| 90 | 18 | "Blood Drive" | Randall Einhorn | Brent Forrester | March 5, 2009 | 518 |
| It's Valentine's Day at the office. Michael is attracted to a woman who loses a glove at a Valentine's blood drive; Cinderella-like, he tries to track her down. The staff share their worst break-up stories and band together to host a "Lonely Hearts Party" where they root for Michael's would-be romance. Jim and Pam have lunch with Phyllis and Bob Vance, which turns awkward when they discover the Vances having sex in the bathroom. | ||||||
| 91 | 19 | "Golden Ticket" | Randall Einhorn | Mindy Kaling | March 12, 2009 | 519 |
| Michael causes a huge problem when he comes up with the idea to put "golden tickets" into packages of paper for clients to redeem for discounts, inspired by Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. David is angered, so Michael tries to pin the blame on Dwight. Andy, Jim, and Pam give Kevin differing advice on wooing Lynne, the woman he met at the Valentine's mixer. | ||||||
| 92 | 20 | "New Boss" | Paul Feig | Lee Eisenberg & Gene Stupnitsky | March 19, 2009 | 520 |
| Michael clashes with the new, no-nonsense Regional Vice President Charles Minor (guest star Idris Elba), who goes so far as to dissolve the party planning committee and cancel Michael's 15th anniversary party. Jim gets off on the wrong foot with Charles as well when caught in a prank. Meanwhile, both Kelly and Angela develop crushes on Charles. After confronting David Wallace about his party, Michael quits Dunder-Mifflin. | ||||||
| 93 | 21 | "Two Weeks" | Paul Lieberstein | Aaron Shure | March 26, 2009 | 521 |
| As Michael wraps up his two final weeks, he goofs off even more than usual. Pam feels unfullfilled despite success at programming the new photocopier. When Michael decides to open his own paper company (with none of the staff joining him despite his pleas), an angry Charles has him escorted off the premises—only to have Pam join in his new venture in sales. | ||||||
| 94 | 22 | "Dream Team" | Paul Feig | B.J. Novak | April 9, 2009 | 522 |
| Michael and Pam use a list-based agenda to struggle through establishing their new company, including establishing an office in the Dunder-Mifflin building and hiring a bleach blond Ryan and briefly, Vikram from Michael's telemarketing job. Dwight goads Jim into facing off with Charles in a soccer match when he joins in his officemates' brownnosing over Charles' sports passion. Michael is soon able to convert a large closet in the Business Park building into his office headquarters. | ||||||
| 95 | 23 | "The Michael Scott Paper Company" | Gene Stupnitsky | Justin Spitzer | April 9, 2009 | 523 |
| Michael, Pam, and Ryan chafe working in such close quarters. After hosting a Paper & Pancakes luncheon, they are about to call it quits when Pam makes her first sale for the company. Dwight and Andy's unlikely friendship is tested when they are both attracted to the new receptionist Erin. Jim spends his day trying to figure out what Charles means by his requested "run down". Includes an alternate title sequence featuring The Michael Scott Paper Company. | ||||||
| 96 | 24 | "Heavy Competition" | Ken Whittingham | Ryan Koh | April 16, 2009 | 524 |
| Dwight, finding a new hero in Charles, clashes with Michael as each tries to steal the other's clients. After trying to sell Jim and Pam on his failed wedding plans, Andy tries to provide for all of Jim's emotional needs. Jim takes the opportunity to prank Andy, but also reassures him he will find love again. | ||||||
| 97 | 25 | "Broke" | Steve Carell | Charlie Grandy | April 23, 2009 | 525 |
| Jim learns Charles is a suckup while Charles finally recognizes Dwight's bizarre personality. Although Michael, Pam, and Ryan have landed a number of clients, they learn their company's business model will not sustain beyond a month and they will fail. David Wallace investigates the seeming success of Michael's company, and Michael, Pam, and Ryan hide their failure long enough to engineer a buyout. Michael is given his old job back, and Pam and Ryan are given jobs in sales. | ||||||
| 98 | 26 | "Casual Friday" | Brent Forrester | Anthony Q. Farrell | April 30, 2009 | 526 |
| Michael mediates a dispute over customers between "new employees" Pam and Ryan and the others on the sales team. Pam and Ryan are forced to return the customers and with fewer customers, David forces Michael to fire one of them. Pam is kept on as Ryan is once again a temp. Meanwhile, Toby confronts several employees who take the term casual Fridays too loosely. | ||||||
| 99 | 27 | "Cafe Disco" | Randall Einhorn | Warren Lieberstein & Halsted Sullivan | May 7, 2009 | 527 |
| To break the staff of the focus Charles instilled in them, Michael opens a cafe-disco in the downstairs office to release stress. While initially resistant, all the staff (even Angela) join as Kelly and Andy bond in a dance-off. Pam and Jim plan to elope but later reconsider. Phyllis suspects Bob will have an affair, but drops her suspicions as they sound absurd saying them aloud. | ||||||
| 100 | 28 | "Company Picnic" | Ken Kwapis | Jennifer Celotta & Paul Lieberstein | May 14, 2009 | 528 |
| At the annual Dunder Mifflin company picnic, Michael and Holly are reunited. They perform a skit where they inappropriately announce the closing of the Buffalo branch, but Michael fails to tell her that he loves her. The Scranton branch plays well in the volleyball tournament. While getting an x-ray for a sprained ankle, Pam (with Jim) learn wonderful news and embrace (presumably that Pam is pregnant). | ||||||
[edit] Season 6: 2009–2010
On January 15, 2009, it was announced that NBC renewed the series for a sixth season. The number of episodes ordered has yet to be disclosed.[33] The season will premiere on September 17. [34] There will be a one-hour special on October 8.[34]
[edit] References
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- ^ Goldman, Eric (2007-01-11). "Joss Whedon and J.J. Abrams Both Directing The Office". IGN. http://tv.ign.com/articles/754/754846p1.html. Retrieved on 2008-09-11.
- ^ Fickett, Travis; Monfette, Christopher (2007-08-28). "The Office: Season 3 DVD Review". IGN. http://dvd.ign.com/articles/816/816383p1.html. Retrieved on 2008-08-24.
- ^ "The Office Season Three". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/tv/shows/officeseason3dvd. Retrieved on 2008-09-06.
- ^ NBC Universal (2007-01-17). NBC renews hit series The Office, My Name is Earl, Heroes, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for full season of episodes in 2007-'08. Press release. http://www.nbcumv.com/release_detail.nbc/entertainment-20070117000000-nbcrenewshitserie.html. Retrieved on 2008-04-12.
- ^ "Fun Run | Season 4 | 09/27/2007". NBC. http://www.nbc.com/The_Office/episodes/season4/4002/. Retrieved on 2008-06-30.
- ^ NBC Universal Media Village. The Office "Goodbye, Toby" 05-15-2008 9:00PM. Press release. http://nbcumv.com/listing_detail.nbc/nbc-20080515210000.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-20.
- ^ "Rashida Jones". Hollywood.com. http://www.hollywood.com/celebrity/Rashida_Jones/186511. Retrieved on 2008-09-03.
- ^ Fickett, Travis (2008-05-22). "The Office: Season 4 Review". IGN. http://tv.ign.com/articles/875/875898p1.html. Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
- ^ Fenno, Christine. "PDA Problems". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20149876,00.html. Retrieved on 2008-08-24.
- ^ Carter, Bill. "New on the Networks: Safe Formulas From the Past". The New York Times. 2009-01-26. Retrieved on 2009-02-04.
- ^ "The Office: Season 5". IGN. http://tv.ign.com/objects/142/14244637.html. Retrieved on 2008-10-01.
- ^ "30 Rock and Office Get Early Renewals". IGN. http://tv.ign.com/articles/945/945449p1.html. Retrieved on 2009-01-21.
- ^ a b NBC Universal Media Village (2009-06-25). NBC Announces Fall Series Premiere Dates. Press release. http://www.nbcumv.com/broadcast/release_detail.nbc/entertainment-20090625000000-nbcannouncesfalls.html. Retrieved on 2009-06-26.
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[edit] Webisodes
[edit] The Accountants: 2006
NBC announced on March 16, 2006 that there would be ten original, stand-alone webisode shorts on NBC.com that first debuted on July 12, and concluded on September 6, 2006.[1] They were directed by Randall Einhorn and written by Michael Schur and Paul Lieberstein, and were edited by Michael Zurer, an assistant editor on the series. It took two days to film them,[2] and in June 2007, The Accountants won the Comedy Short Award at the inaugural Webby Awards and a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Broadband Program – Comedy.[3] In November 2007, the webisodes became a point of argument for the Writers Guild of America for the 2007 strike, as none of the writers or actors featured in the webisodes were paid residuals for their participation.[4]
Major characters Michael, Jim, and Pam do not appear in The Accountants webisodes. Instead, the focus is on the three members of the accounting department: Oscar, Angela and Kevin—who appear in each webisode—as they try to find $3000 missing from the office budget.[5]
| Series # | Episode # | Title | Director | Writer(s) | Originally posted | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | 1 | "The Books Don't Balance" | Randall Einhorn | Michael Schur and Paul Lieberstein | July 13, 2006 | N/A |
| — | 2 | "Phyllis" | Randall Einhorn | Michael Schur and Paul Lieberstein | July 13, 2006 | N/A |
| — | 3 | "Meredith" | Randall Einhorn | Michael Schur and Paul Lieberstein | July 20, 2006 | N/A |
| — | 4 | "Stanley" | Randall Einhorn | Michael Schur and Paul Lieberstein | July 27, 2006 | N/A |
| — | 5 | "Someone in the Warehouse" | Randall Einhorn | Michael Schur and Paul Lieberstein | August 3, 2006 | N/A |
| — | 6 | "The Memo" | Randall Einhorn | Michael Schur and Paul Lieberstein | August 10, 2006 | N/A |
| — | 7 | "Things Are Getting Tense" | Randall Einhorn | Michael Schur and Paul Lieberstein | August 17, 2006 | N/A |
| — | 8 | "You're Mean" | Randall Einhorn | Michael Schur and Paul Lieberstein | August 24, 2006 | N/A |
| — | 9 | "Michael's Office" | Randall Einhorn | Michael Schur and Paul Lieberstein | August 31, 2006 | N/A |
| — | 10 | "The Best Day of My Life" | Randall Einhorn | Michael Schur and Paul Lieberstein | September 7, 2006 | N/A |
[edit] Kevin's Loan: 2008
NBC ordered a new set of webisodes for the summer of 2008. The webisode series began its run on July 10, 2008, and ended on July 31, 2008. The webisodes feature Kevin, who pursues a unique solution in an effort to pay back his looming gambling debts. The other characters who appeared are Oscar, Stanley and Darryl.[6]
| Series # | Episode # | Title | Director | Writer(s) | Originally posted | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | 1 | "Money Trouble" | Brent Forrester | Anthony Farrell and Ryan Koh | July 10, 2008 | N/A |
| — | 2 | "Malone's Cones" | Brent Forrester | Anthony Farrell and Ryan Koh | July 17, 2008 | N/A |
| — | 3 | "Exposed Wires" | Brent Forrester | Anthony Farrell and Ryan Koh | July 24, 2008 | N/A |
| — | 4 | "Taste the Ice Cream" | Brent Forrester | Anthony Farrell and Ryan Koh | July 31, 2008 | N/A |
[edit] The Outburst: 2008
NBC ordered a new set of webisodes for the winter of 2008. The webisode series began its run on November 20, 2008. The webisodes feature all of the Office characters except for Michael, Pam, Jim, Dwight and Ryan. Oscar has an outburst in the middle of the office and his coworkers start an investigation.[7]
| Series # | Episode # | Title | Director | Writer(s) | Originally posted | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | 1 | "The Call" | Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky | Jonathan Hughes and Nate Federman | November 20, 2008 | N/A |
| — | 2 | "The Investigation" | Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky | Jonathan Hughes and Nate Federman | November 26, 2008 | N/A |
| — | 3 | "The Search" | Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky | Jonathan Hughes and Nate Federman | December 4, 2008 | N/A |
| — | 4 | "The Explanation" | Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky | Jonathan Hughes and Nate Federman | December 11, 2008 | N/A |
[edit] Blackmail: 2009
Starring primarily Creed Bratton
Creed decides to take up blackmail, and attempts to get money out of Oscar, Andy, Kelly, Angela, and Meredith.
| Series # | Episode # | Title | Director | Writer(s) | Originally posted | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | 1 | "Oscar" | B. J. Novak | Nate Federman | May 7, 2009 | N/A |
| — | 2 | "Andy" | B. J. Novak | Nate Federman | May 14, 2009 | N/A |
| — | 3 | "Kelly" | B. J. Novak | Nate Federman | May 21, 2009 | N/A |
| — | 4 | "Pay Day" | B. J. Novak | Nate Federman | May 28, 2009 | N/A |
[edit] Notes
- Producers' cut versions are not included.
- † denotes a "super-sized" 40-minute episode (with advertisements; actual runtime around 28 minutes).
- ‡ denotes an hour-long episode (with advertisements; actual runtime around 40 minutes).
[edit] References
- ^ "Webisodes : The Accountants". NBC.com. http://www.nbc.com/The_Office/video/categories/the-accountants/33180/. Retrieved on 2008-08-25.
- ^ Zoromski, Brian (2006-07-12). "Exclusive Interview: The Office Webisode Writers". IGN. http://tv.ign.com/articles/718/718200p2.html. Retrieved on 2008-04-22.
- ^ "34th Annual Creative Arts & Entertainment Emmy Awards". EmmyOnline. 2007-06-14. http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_34th_creative_winners_data.html. Retrieved on 2008-04-22.
- ^ "Greg Daniels: We've seen the future, and it is us". Variety. 2007-11-07. http://weblogs.variety.com/wga_strike_blog/2007/11/greg-daniels-we.html. Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
- ^ Stack, Tim (2006-08-18). "The Office: Webisodes (TV Review)". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1228401,00.html. Retrieved on 2008-08-24.
- ^ "NBC Digital Entertainment Serves Up Users' Favorites". NBC Universal. 2008-05-12. http://nbcumv.com/entertainment/release_detail.nbc/entertainment-20080512000000-nbcdigitalentertai.html. Retrieved on 2008-08-24.
- ^ "The Office Webisodes: The Outburst". NBC Universal. 2008-11-24. http://www.officetally.com/the-office-webisodes-the-outburst?page=1&cp=1#comments. Retrieved on 2008-11-24.
[edit] External links
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