Ben Franklin

Season 3, Episode 15, Aired
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Episode Summary

Michael celebrates Phyllis' wedding shower by bringing two performers into the office: a stripper and a Ben Franklin impersonator. Meanwhile, Karen confronts Pam about her past history with Jim.
8.7
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Fan Episode Reviews (11)

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  • 315

    7.0
    "Good"
    By Canogaparkcindy, Oct 06, 2010 Report Abuse
    I'm a bit ambivalent about this episode, did anything really happen? Sure we got Karen/Jim/Pam development but nothing else really happened. We've got bachelor and bachelorette parties running in the Office. A really unrealistic plot and the rest of the episode was dedicated to Michael wondering if he should tell Jan that a stripper danced on him.

    Like I said, I'm ambivalent about this epsiode, they were a lot of good things about this episode, a lot of funny remarks from many people in the Office such as Meredith yelling at Angela for not wanting the stripper or Dwight actually considering that the Ben Franklin impersonator is actually Ben Franklin.

    Jim & Karen work out their problems, and Pam looks like she's moving on or just trying to make Jim jealous, whichever is good. Good episode, some flaws, the plot was very thin.moreless

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  • Pretty good episode!

    9.2
    "Superb"
    By lil_archie13, Feb 15, 2007 Report Abuse
    This episode was quite funny! I loved how Jim got Ben Franklin instead of a male stripper! Then Ben Franklin hits on Pam.... haha... Then Michael has the stripper give him a lap dace and then in the middle decides that he should bot be getting this lap dance. I also loved how they told the stripper to sit and answer the phone because they paid her for a certain amount of time. And when Mchael says that the stripper gave him better advice than Ben Franklin.... I just found that to be oo funny. "And she rymed!" Haha... This episode was very funny and everyone should watch it!moreless

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  • The office prepares for the big wedding and everything goes wrong of course. But this time strippers are included.

    9.4
    "Superb"
    By adrenaline002, Feb 08, 2007 Report Abuse
    This episode is absolutely hilarious...of course. The men of the office get to have a bachelor party, which turns into an awkward strip show that goes no where and the women get a crappy Ben Franklin as their entertainment. which of course Angela loves. This episode in my opinion, is absolutely incredible. Much like all the other episodes, it is non stop laughter. Although, this episode lacks the pranks that I am used to in this show such as Jim throwing Andy's cell phone in the ceiling (the most hilarious prank in the show) but the guys getting Ben Franklin as the entertainment was pretty funny.moreless

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  • One of the best episodes this season.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By elrosadito, Feb 05, 2007 Report Abuse
    This is exactly why I watch the office, this has become one of my favorito episodes, it is one of the funniest episodes of the series, in the funniest season of the office yet. I rarely laugh out load on a tv series, it is ussualy some smiles and some snickers, but this and every episode of this third season has made me and my wife laugh out load like no other tv series I remember. Ha ha ha, I still remember and laugh again. Let hope the writer keep doing the excellent work they have been doing so far.moreless

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  • To celebrate the upcoming nuptials between Phyllis and Bob Vance of Vance Refrigeration, Michael arranges "separate but equal" parties for the men and women, complete with strippers. Karen confronts Pam about Pam's feelings for Jim. Spoilers in review.moreless

    9.2
    "Superb"
    By bunny_ears, Feb 03, 2007 Report Abuse
    "If you're watching this, it means that I'm already dead." The episode starts with a hilarious video Michael is filming for his future son. Dwight is running camera of course. And wearing a bra too, as Pam was unwilling to allow Michael to demonstrate how to remove said undergarment. This sequence shows Michael and Dwight back to their old shtick.

    Once the episode proper starts, we learn that the wedding of Phyllis to Bob Vance (of Vance Refrigeration) is but six days away. Michael Scott is always one for a party, so he takes it upon himself to arrange a party for both the women and the men. The women will have a bridal shower and the men will be showering together at the GAI (Guys Afternoon In). Michael digs himself deeper and deeper as he tries to make it sound NOT gay Classic Michael Scott.

    The Jim/Karen connection is still alive and not quite well. After five nights of long talks, Jim and Karen have apparently worked out their issues. Or have they? Pam picks up on the tension that still exists between Jim and Karen. Nice ratcheting of the tension, keep the love triangle thing going.

    Before we have anytime to consider this, Todd Packer arrives to liven up the office. Packer informs that Michael that there must be a stripper for a bachelor party to be acceptable. Remembering his recent run-ins with Corporate concerning sexual harassment, Michael demurs. Packer then suggests a separate but equal solution: a stripper for the men and a stripper for the women.

    After Michael informs the office at large about this recent development, Jim and Pam share a semi-private moment in the break room. This sequence shows how the relationship has become strained between the two, as Pam struggles for conversation. She chooses to suggest that Jim get more sleep rather than confront him about the larger issues concerning Karen. This shows us viewers that Pam still cares for Jim but doesn't want to get too involved in his personal life. It's a little uncomfortable and awkward. And Pam knows it.

    Michael and Ryan leave to gather party "supplies." This leaves Dwight in charge of getting the female stripper, and Jim, the male stripper. Interestingly, when Dwight hires the dancer, he requests a woman who sounds suspiciously like Angela. Jim hires a Ben Franklin impersonator from the Scholastic Speakers of Pennsylvania. After a sexy introduction by Michael, "Ben Franklin" begins his lecture. Karen and Pam start to rib the impersonator about some of the more embarrassing aspects of Franklin's life. It's interesting that two women are so at ease with on another. We've seen them work together before for a common cause in previous episodes. Pam and Karen trades some jokes in the break room. And then Karen has to go and make it all serious. She says that she is "fine" with the fact that Pam and Jim shared a kiss. Pam reveals her true feelings pretty clearly here. When asked by Karen if Pam still has feeling for Jim, Pam says, "Oh yeah" but then quickly "corrects" herself by saying no, she just misunderstood the question. The exchange gets more and more awkward, with Pam misspeaking several times. Back at the men's shower, the stripper arrives to entertain. No one seems to be interested. Roy, still hung up on Pam, tries to convince us that he thinks Pam's art is sexy. Although we know from previous episodes that he discouraged Pam from following a career in art. Bob Vance (from Vance Refrigeration) refuses a lap dance. So it's up to Michael to receive. The stripper looks very similar to Jan. The other men watch with grim determination as the dancer grinds Michael. Michael becomes more and more freaked out by the experience ("You smell like Tide detergent"). Showing a more sensitive and loyal side, he pushes the stripper off, scolding the onlookers and sending them back to work.

    So the question is, "Is Michael in love with Jan?" After receiving some sage advice (that rhymes!) from the stripper ("Secret secrets are no fun. Secret secrets hurt some one.") Michael comes clean to Jan. She of course is more concerned with the fact that Michael threw a bachelor party at work with strippers. The episode ends with Pam realizing she needs to move on from Jim. She even muses this aloud ("God I need a boyfriend") and tells Ryan she's ready to be sent up with one of his business school friends. This unsettles Jim, as we end the scene with a tight shot of his face. We can see him mauling this latest development over in his head. It seems to always be an issue with timing between Jim and Pam. I think he just assumed that Pam would always be single and there. But now we see the two moving further apart.

    Overall this was an excellent episode. With so many great one liners, it definitely benefits from a second viewing. The only plot line that gets any attention is the Pam-Jim-Karen (PaJaren, if you will) love triangle. While this is the big issue in the office, we never learn where Andy went. Now if you were fortunate enough to watch the extended cut of last week's episode, The Return, you know that Andy went to anger management. But other viewers are left in the dark. By only dealing with one plot line, more casual viewers may get confused as to why other elements are being ignored. Andy will most certainly make a re-entrance in a future episode.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • Michael's cell phone ringtone is still "My Humps" by The Black Eyed Peas. The closed caption mistakenly identifies Michael's cell phone ring as "Ridin'" by Chamillionaire. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • The French episode title is "Ben Franklin", and the Spanish title is "Benjamin Franklin". Edit
    • Although credited, Paul Lieberstein does not appear in this episode. Edit
    • Music: "Feel Like Makin' Love" by Bad Company. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Michael: (stands up, throwing stripper from his lap) Turn off the music. This is wrong. This is wrong! This is wrong. I have a girlfriend. Uh-uh. And you are engaged. (points toward Bob) And I'm sure you have a boyfriend in prison or something, so let's just clear out, OK? Shame on you! Go back to work! Edit
    • Elizabeth: Hey. Jim: Hi. Elizabeth: I'm Elizabeth, I'm the dancer that was requested. Dwight: Okay, I specifically ordered a stripper. Elizabeth: I'm the stripper. Dwight: Oh, okay, good. In the future, please identify yourself as such. Edit
    • Jim: Have you ever seen a stripper before? Dwight: Yes. Jennifer Garner portrayed one on Alias. It was one of her many aliases. Jim: Yeah, me either. Edit

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