Casino Night
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"Casino Night" is the second season finale of the American comedy television series The Office, and the twenty-eighth episode overall. Written by Steve Carell, who also acts in the show as Michael Scott, and directed by Ken Kwapis, the episode originally aired in the United States on May 11, 2006 on the National Broadcasting Company.[1][2] The episode was the first of the series to run as a "supersized" episode, featuring twenty-eight minutes and twenty seconds of content rather than the standard twenty minutes and thirty seconds.[1]
Dunder Mifflin's Scranton office hosts a casino night, to which Michael inadvertently invites two dates. Meanwhile, Jim decides to transfer to Dunder Mifflin's Stamford branch and reveals to Pam his feelings for her.
Plot
Michael Scott (Carell) organizes a casino charity event in the warehouse, and unwittingly winds up with two dates for the evening, his boss Jan Levinson (Melora Hardin) and his real-estate agent Carol Stills (Nancy Walls). Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) and Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) go through audition tapes for her wedding band and discover that colleague Kevin Malone (Brian Baumgartner) has his own band. Jim, upset about Pam's impending marriage to Roy Anderson (David Denman), tells the documentary crew that he met with Jan about transferring to Stamford because he has "no future here."
During Casino Night, Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) wins a game of craps and kisses Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey) on the cheek, disregarding their attempts to keep their intimate relationship a secret. She slaps him and walks away, the two quietly enjoying the experience. Jan and Carol share an awkward conversation when they realize Michael has invited them both. Jim tells Jan that he's made a decision about the transfer. After Roy leaves, Jim tells Pam that he is in love with her. After a stunned pause, she states she cannot be with him. He tells her he wants to be more than friends, but she is sorry he "misinterpreted things." Jim apologizes for misinterpreting their friendship and discreetly wipes a tear from his cheek as he walks away. Jan leaves Michael and Carol, noticeably upset at the night's events. Pam returns to the office and talks to her mother over the phone, about Jim's statement, as Jim enters the room. He approaches her, and she starts to say something but Jim kisses her, and after hesitating, she returns the kiss. The two stare at each other in silence as the episode ends.
Production
"Casino Night" was the first episode of the series written by Steve Carell.[1] The episode was the fifth episode of the season and the seventh of the entire series directed by Ken Kwapis. Toby Flenderson, who is portrayed by writer Paul Lieberstein, stated during the episode "I'm gonna chase that feeling" after winning at a game of poker. The line was originally intended to lead to a subplot wherein Toby develops a gambling addiction, but the storyline was later abandoned.[3]
During the editing of the episode, executive producer Greg Daniels publicly addressed NBC in an interview, stating, "I'd like to get a supersized episode, because it’s a really long script with a lot of good stuff."[4] In response, fans of the show set up an online petition to "supersize" the season finale. The website generated over 2,800 signatures. On April 20, NBC announced it would be extending the season finale by ten minutes.[1] Although other NBC shows Will & Grace and My Name Is Earl that aired on the same night had extended episodes, cast members David Denman and John Krasinski credited in interviews the petition for the extended time. Denman and Krasinski both believed that the petition was partially responsible for the other two shows getting extended times as well.[5][6]
Reception
Reception
Michael Sciannamea of TV Squad stated that "This episode, the season finale, was, in a word, brilliant. You could not ask for a better way to tie up story lines that occurred over the course of a season while opening up new ones at the same time." Sciannamea went on to praise Carell's writing, as well as the progression of the relationship arcs in the show.[7] Brian Zoromski of IGN said that "'Casino Night,' was full of great character development, awkward situations and laugh-out-loud moments." Zoromski enjoyed the unfolding of the Jim-Pam relationship during the latter half of season two, and the climax of it in the season finale. He also enjoyed and praised the development of two minor characters, Kevin Malone and Creed Bratton, the latter played by the actor of the same name.[8]
Awards
The episode received a nomination at the American Cinema Editors Awards 2007 for Best Edited Half-Hour Series for Television, which it won.[9] For "Casino Night", Steve Carell was nominated for and won a 2007 Writers Guild of America award for an Episodic Comedy of any length.[10]
References
- ^ a b c d e f NBC (April 20, 2006) NBC Announces Super-sized episodeNBC.com, retrieved May 12, 2008
- ^ a b Ken Kwapis FilmographyTV.com, retrieved May 20, 2008
- ^ Daniels, Greg (Producer). 2006. "Casino Night" [Commentary track], The Office Season Two (US/NBC Version) [DVD], Los Angeles, CA: Universal, retrieved May 12, 2008
- ^ Ryan, Maureen (February 23, 2006). 'Office' promotions pay off in a big way, Chicago Tribune, retrieved May 12, 2008
- ^ Denman, David (June 17, 2006) Credits fan petition for extended time, retrieved May 12, 2008, Givememyremote.com
- ^ Krasinski, John (July 6, 2006) Credits fan petition for extended time, Officetally.com, retrieved May 12, 2008
- ^ The Office: Casino Night (finale) TV Squad, retrieved May 12, 2008
- ^ The Office: "Casino Night" IGN, retrieved May 12, 2008
- ^ American Cinema Editors, USA: 2007 IMDB, retrieved May 11, 2008
- ^ Writers Guild Awards WGA, retrieved May 12, 2008
External links
- "Casino Night" at IMDB.com