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The Office Season 2 Episode 6

The Fight

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8.7

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 11/1/05

When Dwight embarrasses Michael by punching him in the stomach at work, Jim organizes a lunchtime rematch at Dwight’s Dojo. Meanwhile, Pam becomes annoyed at Jim when he gets too physical with her, Ryan updates the emergency contact information on a “secret mission,” and Michael teases Ryan when the boss gets a hold of Ryan’s cell phone number.moreless

FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (13)

Dwight and Michael have a fight

8.0

By Lostindharma, Aug 08, 2012

This is a show that when there was uncomfortable moments, it made it work because of the actors. This episode had that but the work of the actors was not as good this time. Dwight has always been a unique character and this episode you find out that he's in a dojo that's for kids. This came off as funny and not at all creepy. Again we see Michael's work habits with him avoiding it. It's funny how he tries to avoid something simple that takes a very short time. Another funny part is when Michael is walking towards Dwight and Jim is playing it like West Side Story. All of the calls Michael had for Ryan were funny and classic, Michael. Another step to what happens to Jim and Pam in the season finale in the episode when they are the Dojo. I like the ending when Jim gets Pam the bag of chips and the reaction of her.

While this was not as good as previous ones, this was still a good and funny episode.moreless
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8.0

By Canogaparkcindy, Sep 26, 2010

A really great episode, even though not much happened, it was still wildly entertaining and funny. Dwight going against Michael is something I thought I would never see. But it was great to see Michael knocked down a few pegs. How he got embarrassed in front to f the whole Office was absolutely hilarious. Dwight getting the contacts from everyone was also pretty funny as well, especially when he got around to Toby. Michael fight Dwight in the end, and he unfairly wins but he "promotes" Dwight to Assistant Regional Manager, instead of Assistant to the Regional Manager. Definitely a running gag that's worth closing.

As for the Jim & Pam development, Jim gets too touchy, and Pam gets annoyed, I'm loving their development though. Great episode overall, pretty memorable.moreless
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Overall, a very good episode.

9.5

By Mdinkle1, Jul 29, 2007

“The Fight” introduces us to yet another interesting aspect of Dwight’s life outside of work: karate. Dwight is a purple belt, which, as we are reminded throughout the episode, is really high. When Michael tells Dwight that he could not beat him up, they challenge each other to a fight in Dwight’s dojo during the lunch break. All the Dunder Mifflin employees are invited, and even get an extended lunch break to watch the fight; meanwhile, the Stamford branch is working through lunch, so as to avoid downsizing. This episode certainly had its high points. It was filled with clever jokes, and some especially funny moments, such as Michael claiming that he knows a bunch of fourteen year old girls, Dwight changing his emergency contact from Michael Scott to The Hospital (911), and Michael leaving ridiculous voicemails on Ryan the temp’s cell phone. We also begin to see a permanent change in Ryan, as he begins to suck up to the boss a bit less, and distance him a bit more, especially when Ryan hangs up on Michael pretending to be both Michael and Tito Jackson at “Wonderland” (“Don’t you mean Neverland?…). Another noteworthy moment occurs when Michael officially changes Dwight’s title from Assistant to the Regional Manager to Assistant Regional Manager. This is truly a glorious day for Dwight, and for Office fans as well. One notable Jam moment occurs after Pam gets mad at Jim for picking her up at the dojo, and not putting her down. When the fight begins, Jim can be seen in the background, looking over at Pam, who is stationed at the opposite end of the dojo. Jim is truly a sweet guy. In the end, fortunately, the pair reconcile, by Jim buying Pam the bag of French Onion chips he promised her. All is well with Jam. My favorite line from this episode, however, would have to be from Michael Scott, when he says to the camera: “Would I rather be feared or loved? Um, easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.” Absolutely brilliant; the Machiavelli reference should definitely be noted as well. This episode had some good laughs, some Jam tension, and some interesting character development as well; overall, however, it is not quite as strong or as memorable as some of the other episodes of The Office. For that reason, I shall be giving it a 9.5, a very respectable score.moreless
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Another great episode

9.2

By ScreamingViking, May 21, 2007

Talk of Dwight's karate experience gets Michael's competitive juices flowing, leading to a lunchtime match between them at Dwight's dojo. At the dojo, Jim goes a bit too far flirting with Pam, and she abruptly shuts him down when their co-workers take notice.

In a pathetic showing by both combatants, Michael emerges victorious over Dwight, which leads to Dwight changing his emergency contact from "Michael Scott" to "The Hospital". At the end of the day, Michael promotes Dwight from Assistant to the Regional Manager to Assistant Regional Manager, most likely to ensure that Dwight will still idolize him despite the hard feelings over their lunchtime battle. Meanwhile, the rest of the staff, fed up with Michael's inability to accomplish even the simplest task, are forced to forge his signatures on the documents so they can go home.moreless
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"Do I want to be feared or loved? Um... easy, both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me."

9.3

By sophistiquated, Apr 06, 2007

This episode has some great Michael/Dwight character development.

Dwight talks about his fighting skills, and brags that he is a purple belt in karate. Meanwhile, Michael has Ryan take down emergency contact numbers from the staff, and prank calls Ryan many times, doing impressions of Michael Jackson, Saddam Hussein, and others.

Michael is not impressed with Dwight's skills and challenges him. Dwight and Michael have a fight at lunch. The fight is pretty pathetic, but Michael manages to beat Dwight. To show that there are no hard feelings though, Michael promotes Dwight from "assistant to the regional manager" to "assistant regional manager." Dwight continues to look up to Michael after that, of course.

This episode has many funny moments, such as when Dwight is in karate class, and everyone else in the class is little kids. Another great part was when Michael was prank-calling Ryan...their relationship is strange, to say the least.

This was a great episode, like all episodes of The Office. However, the best is yet to come...moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Lance Krall	Sensei	Guest Star
Lauren Rissman	Unknown	Guest Star
Brian Baumgartner	Kevin Malone	Recurring Role
Oscar Nunez	Oscar Martinez	Recurring Role
Angela Kinsey	Angela Martin	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (4)
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- When Dwight enters the bathroom to find his desk, you can see the rarely-seen cameraman in the mirror reflection.
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- The closeup of Dwight's business card shows Dunder Mifflin's phone number to be in the 717 area code. While Scranton used to be in the 717 area code, NE Pennsylvania was shifted into a new 570 area code in December, 1998.
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- We learn that Jim's emergency contact is named Larissa Halpert. Her address is 117 Vonbergen Street.
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- On the dojo poster, "10 Rules of Karate" are:
  1. Obey Your Parents
  2. No Junk Food
  3. Do Your Homework
  4. Keep Your Room Clean
  5. Maintain an Indomitable Spirit
  6. Don't Fight with Your Siblings
  7. Practice, Practice, Practice
  8. Treat Others the Way That You Would Like to Be Treated
  9. Be Loyal to Your Country
  10. HAVE FUN!!!
  
  This prop had to be cut out of the episode for time, but was revealed in B.J. Novak's TVGuide.com blog.
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QUOTES (22)
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- Michael: Pam, I hate to break this to you, but Dwight can't stop you from being mugged. He's just not tough enough.
  Pam: He's a purple belt, that's really high.
  Michael: Oh, God, I could beat up Dwight, that's ridiculous. I can murder him.
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- Kelly: (practicing karate with Dwight) HI YAH! Hey that was pretty close!
  Dwight: Good, now let me take you from behind.
  Kelly: What!?
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- Dwight: (showing his purple belt) This is not a toy, this is a message to the entire office so that everyone can see I can physically dominate them.
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- Michael: Well, that would be kinda worthless because I know a ton of 14-year-old girls who can kick his ass.
  Jim: You know a ton of 14-year-old girls?
  Dwight: What belt are they?
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- Dwight: I come from a long line of fighters. My maternal grandfather was the toughest guy I ever knew…World War II veteran. My father battled blood pressure and obesity. Different kind of fight.
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- Michael: Go ahead, punch me.
  Jim: (Joking) Can't. Just got a manicure.
  Michael: Oh, queer... eye. Queer Eye. That's a good show—important show.
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- Michael: (Prank-calling Ryan, imitating Michael Jackson) Hey Ryan, this is Michael Jackson, calling from Wonderland.
  Ryan: You mean Neverland?
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- Jim: Sounds tough. (Snapping fingers) But when you're a jet, you're a jet all the way.
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- Michael: (To Pam) Shelax! Stop Pam-M-S-ing.
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- Pam: (About the day where Michael has to sign many papers) I call it the Perfect Storm.
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- Pam: Michael tends to procrastinate whenever he has to do work.
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- Michael: (Singing) I don't wanna work, I just wanna bang on this mug all day!
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- Michael: (About the paperwork) Okay, so let's gangbang this and go home!
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- Michael: My emergency contact is Todd Packer. Todd F. Packer. Know what the 'F' stands for?
  Ryan: Fudge?
  Michael: Yeah…
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- Dwight: I am now Senpai, which is Assistant Sensei.
  Jim: Assistant to the Sensei. That's pretty cool.
  Dwight: Assistant Sensei.
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- Dwight I need to change my emergency contact information from Michael Scott.
  Ryan: Ok, to what?
  Dwight Just put...The...Hospital. Contact number...just put 911.
  Michael: He is such a sore loser.
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- Michael: I could beat up Dwight. That's ridiculous. I can murder him.
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- (Dwight enters Michael's office)
  Michael: Oh hey, Karate Kid...the Hilary Swank version. Hi. How are you?
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- Michael: Look. Dwight is a wuss. When we rented Armageddon, he cried at the end of it.
  Dwight: Michael, I told you. That was because it was New Year's Eve, and it started to snow at exactly midnight.
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- Michael: I've beat up black belts.
  Jim: How'd you know they were black belts?
  Michael: They told me. After.
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- Michael: Would I rather be feared or loved? Um, easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.
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- Oscar: Michael, can't your conversation wait until Monday?
  Toby: We want to go home…
  Michael: Yeah, well you don't even have anyone to go home to, Toby.
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NOTES (5)
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- The German episode title is "Kampflustig", meaning "Funny Fight". The French title is "Le Combat", and the Spanish title is "La pelea", both exact translations. The Italian title is "Guerrieri d'ufficio", meaning "Office Warriors".
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- In the episode, when Dwight punches Michael, Michael screams "fahhhhhhh." Earlier that morning, on a local radio morning talk show (Kidd Kraddick in the Morning- Kiddlive.com), one of the DJs reveals that he had been trying to get the "fahhhhh" as a new public catchphrase.
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- Dwight's sensei is played by Lance Krall, who is himself a second degree black belt, and sixth in his weight class in the United States.
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- While filming the fight, the friction in Wilson's protective piece of wraparound headgear cut his face.
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- Rainn Wilson has previous karate experience, and actually is a yellow belt.
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ALLUSIONS (9)
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- Michael's statement that, "There would be two punches: me punching you and you hitting the floor" is a misquote from The Breakfast Club. The original statement made by Emilio Estevez's character, was "Two hits: me hitting you and you hitting the floor."
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- Michael posits, "Would I rather be feared or loved? Um, easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me." This is a reference to the Renaissance philosopher Machiavelli, who wrote The Prince, in which he describes how princes should rule their lands. One of the more famous pieces of advice he gave was to be feared, rather than loved, by your people.
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- Michael's line, "You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? Raging Bull—Al Pacino" is actually from Robert de Niro in Taxi Driver.
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- There are several indirect references to West Side Story, a musical, in this episode, including Jim's statement that "when you're a jet, you're a jet all the way," from the song "Jet Song," and Jim's finger-snapping during the confrontation between Dwight and Michael.
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- While holding Dwight in a headlock, Michael yells, "You are the weakest link!" in reference to The Weakest Link, a game show that spawned the catch phrase. The quote, always announced by the eerie Anne Robinson, which ran from 2001 to 2004 in the United States, dismissed the contestants who were voted off of the show.
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- While Dwight is searching for his missing desk, you can clearly see that Ryan has a Myspace.com inbox open on his laptop. This may be B.J. Novak's actual MySpace blog, since news has leaked that many of the actors, like Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, and B.J. Novak update their blogs while cameras are rolling.
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- After the fight, Michael refers to Dwight as The Karate Kid - the Hilary Swank version. This refers to the last of The Karate Kid movies, where the main character is played by Hilary Swank. More recently, Swank starred as another brave fighter in 2004's Million Dollar Baby.
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- When Michael is in his office with Ryan, he sings to the tune of "Bang the Drum All Day" by Todd Rundgren.
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- Kevin says, "Sweep the Leg," the same thing that the Cobra-Kai Sensei says in The Karate Kid.
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