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The Office Season 3 Episode 9

The Convict

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8.7

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 11/30/06

Michael tries to be supportive when he finds out one of his new employees has a prison record.

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Fan Episode Reviews (21)

Michael's new character

8.5

By Lostindharma, Oct 14, 2012

After a average episode, (by this show standards), this one was better. You find out that one of the employees has a criminal past. It was Martin. The scene with Michael. with Kevin and Angela calling Jan was pretty funny. As always Michael takes up a notch and takes it too far. We are introduced to a new character of Michael. Prison Mike. This was one of my favorite characters. It's funny how stereotypical he does it. It's interesting that Michael makes another employee leave so quickly. Another great moment is when Jim tried to set up Pam with Andy as a joke. At this point even though Jim is seeing Karen, he still has feelings for Pam. If you watch the episode on DVD, check out the deleted scenes. The back and forth between Jim and Pam remained me of days from Season 2. I also liked how Jim tries to keep it secret (sort of) from Karen when he tries to hide his joke. The end was really nice with Andy signing to Pam and Pam smiling to Jim.moreless
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8.0

By Canogaparkcindy, Oct 04, 2010

A really "stand out" episode of the season, I think this episode was just sort of easing in after the merger, and letting all the newbies get comfortable in the office.

A very original plot, and ex-convict as a co-worker, very interesting. The Jim & Pam development continues as Jim pulls a prank on Pam by giving Andy bad advice to hit on Pam, by lying to Andy about all the things she likes and dislikes. Karen & Jim getting together was a bit of a question mark, they have had great development, but I don't see why Jim would be with Karen now, if he's supposedly in love with Pam. I always saw Karen & Jim as really good friends, but I'm not too upset they got together, looking forward to the triangle between Karen, Jim and Pam. Locking everyone in the conference room was definitely the best part about this episode. If the Office keeps this up, season three might have the potential to be the best season of The Office.moreless
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Not a surprise that the best episode of the series is written by show creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.

9.7

By hawkman71, Jul 11, 2010

Not a surprise that the best episode of the series is written by show creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. Pure brilliance is the only way I can describe every minute, but no part is funnier than when the employees have a visit with 'Prison Mike'.

Steve Carell makes the Prison Mike scene a stand out but it's the entire staff refering to him as 'Prison Mike' thats sends it into a TV hilarity that rivals Les Nessman seeing Turkeys fall out of the sky on 'WKRP'. The show continues to grow and be funny but at the same time creates characters who are much deeper than your average sitcom fare. Let's hope the original Office boss Ricky Gervais and co-creator Stephen Merchant pen some more episodes soon.moreless
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Michael begins to worry when it is revealed that one of his workmates, from Stamford, has a criminal record.

9.1

By lee_radion, Oct 24, 2007

This episode was hilarious, the whole way through. Definitely one of my favorite episodes of Season 3 so far.

The scene where Michael pretended to be 'Prison Mike' was great, and when he proceeded only to lock the whole office in the lecture room, I could not stop laughing. Steve Carrell was brilliant in that scene.

"The worst thing about prison was the... was the dementors! They were flying all over the place..."

I also liked the scenes with Andy trying to 'woo' Pam. Andy is slowly becoming one of my favorite (and one of the funniest) characters on the show. His interactions with Jim are great, just as Jim and Dwight used to be back in Season 1 and 2. This episode is just a reminder of how great Season 3 is.moreless
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Michael learns that one of his workers is an ex-con.

9.3

By amauriel, Jan 27, 2007

When Michael learns that one of the new workers from the newly merged Stamford branch is an ex-convict, Michael goes out of his way to show acceptance for him. Then, after this person emerges, he feels compelled to share his prison stories and everyone in the office thinks that prison sounds much better than working at Dunder Mifflin.

So, Michael decides to prove to everyone that prison isn't such a great place after all by acting in the persona of, "Prison Mike." Meanwhile, Jim decides to prank Andy by telling him about things that Pam "likes." Of course, these things are the opposite of what Pam likes so at the end of the episode, we see Andy making a fool out of himself in front of Pam with a banjo and a high, falsetto singing voice.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Steve Carell	Michael Scott
Rainn Wilson	Dwight Schrute
John Krasinski	Jim Halpert
Jenna Fischer	Pam Beesly
B.J. Novak	Ryan Howard
Melora Hardin	Jan Levinson

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Wayne Wilderson	Martin Nash	Guest Star
Josh Hodell	Himself	Guest Star
Creed Bratton	Creed Bratton	Recurring Role
Ed Helms	Andy Bernard	Recurring Role
Rashida Jones	Karen Filippelli	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (0)
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QUOTES (11)
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- Dwight: Prison Mike, what's the very very worst thing about prison?
  Angela: (under her breath) Don't encourage him, don't...
  Michael: The worst thing about prison was the... was the dementors! They were flying all over the place and they were scary and then they'd come down and they suck the soul out of your body! And it hurt!
  Karen: Dementors... like in Harry Potter?
  Michael: No... not Harry Potter.
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- Jim: What'd you do, Prison Mike?
  Prison Mike: I stole, and I robbed.. and I kidnapped the president's son, and held him for ransom.
  Jim: That's quite the rap sheet, Prison Mike.
  Prison Mike: And I never got caught.
  Jim: Well, you were in prison, but.. mm-hmm.
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- Andy: Pamalamadingdong. Listen, you're cute. There's no getting around it. So, I don't know if you like country music, but I was thinking maybe one of these days we could drive out to a field, crank up some tunes, smoke a few Macanudos, maybe even toss a disc around. Atwhay oday ouyay inkthay, Ampay?
  Pam: Wow. I—
  Andy: Shh! Think about it. I'll hit you back.
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- Jim: (Answers the phone) Jim Halpert.
  Andy: (Whispering) I am so horny.
  [Jim turns and looks at Andy]
  Jim: Okay, I can't help you with that.
  Andy: Oh, I think you can, Big Tuna. Tell me about that Indian chick, Kelly. She seems pretty slutty. Good for a romp in the sack.
  Jim: She is dating Ryan... I think.
  Andy: Oh, and I care why?
  Jim: She's high-maintenance.
  Andy: Neeext.
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- Kevin: I had Martin explain to me three times what he got arrested for, because... (makes sure nobody's looking) it sounds an awful lot like what I do here every day.
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- Michael: Martin went from being a new guy from Stamford, to a convict, to my friend, back to a convict, then to kind of a nuisance, actually, if we can be completely honest, and finally to a quitter. And I will not miss him and that is not because he is black.
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- Creed: Baby, hello, baby. (dangles paperclips in front of the baby) Here, you want to play with this?
  Karen: You can't give paperclips to a baby, he could swallow them.
  Creed: Oh, it's okay, I've got tons of 'em.
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- Michael: Close your eyes. Picture a convict. What's he wearing? Nothing special, baseball cap on backward, baggy pants. He says something ordinary like "Yo, that's shizzle" Okay, now slowly open your eyes again. Who were you picturing? A black man? Wrong, that was a white woman. Surprised? Well, shame on you.
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- Michael: Why did the convict have to be a black guy? It is such a stereotype. I just wish that Josh had made a more progressive choice like a white guy who went to prison for polluting a black guy's lake.
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- Kevin: Martin?
  Michael: Oh, you are such a racist.
  Kevin: Wait, why am I a racist?
  Michael: Because you think he's black.
  Kevin: He is black, right?
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- Michael: Hey, look at me! I'm a baby! I'm one of those babies from Look Who's Talking. What am I thinking? (laughs) Look at all those staplers. What's a stapler? I don't even know, I'm a baby. Hey, Mom, I'm thirsty. I'm thirsty, Mama. I want some milk, and you know where milk comes from? Breasts.
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NOTES (2)
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- The French episode title is "L'ex-taulard", meaning "Ex Con". The Italian title is "La prigione", meaning "The Prison". The Spanish title is "El Preso", an exact translation.
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- Music: "The Rainbow Connection" sung by Andy while playing a banjo.
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ALLUSIONS (3)
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- When Michael is listing black people he respects, one of the names he says is Apollo Creed, a boxer in the Rocky franchise of films.
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- Michael Scott tells the group that the worst thing about prison is the Dementors, referring to creatures from the Harry Potter books and movies.
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- When Michael puts on a purple bandana and act like like a prisoner to scare his employees, he is parodying 1978 documentary, Scared Straight.
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