The Office: Dinner Party
Dinner Party
- 61.
- Season: 4
- Episode: 9
- First Aired: 4/10/2008
The episode starts with the office working late on an assignment from corporate. Michael grows frustrated and fake calls corporate to complain.
Michael tells the workers that they can leave. Since everyone was working late, he reminds Jim and Pam that they could come over for a dinner party with him and Jan. When Dwight tries to invite himself along, Michael invites Andy and Angela also. It is then that Jim realizes it was a set up.
Jim and Pam arrive at Michael's condo, having brought some merlot (which Jan mentions will be 'great to cook with'). Jan leads them on a tour of the house - starting upstairs. Their condo is undergoing renovation - new carpet, new sliding glass doors, etc. Jan first shows off her never been used office, and then her workspace. Jan makes candles, a new line called Serenity by Jan. Jim and Pam are obviously disgusted by the overwhelming scents in the candle room, but Jan believes them to be relaxing.
Next up is the master bedroom, which Jan repainted from white to eggshell white. There is a camera on a tripod facing the bed. It comes out that Michael sleeps on a short bench at the foot of the bed, because Jan has space issues. Michael shows off his new plasma TV - only a 13" screen. He talks about the virtue of being able to make space by pushing it against the wall (and moves it back a whole inch), and how often he just stands in front of it watching TV.
Michael then shows off the table he built. Jim asks if it is chestnut, while Jan confirms it's pine. It is low quality, rough edges, bent pieces, and nails showing.
Jim and Pam try to comfort Michael by saying how cool it is. Pam tells the story of how Jim tried to set up her TiVo, and there was no audio for a week.
Michael also has his Dundies displayed in the bedroom; Jan gave him a choice between the Dundies and a neon beer sign.
Andy and Angela arrive. Andy brings flowers for Michael and Jan, but takes one out to give to Angela (who rejects it). Jan leads the new arrivals on the tour, while Pam offers to help with dinner. Jan mentions that the only thing left to do is let the osso buco braise for three hours (which leads Pam to nervously ask if that's three hours from now or three hours from earlier)
After the tour, all the couples sit down in the living room for a wine and some games. They toast, and Michael mentions that the wine has an "oaky afterbirth." Jan starts playing a song by Hunter, her old assistant. The song is titled "That One Night," and Jan is obviously enjoying it. She tries dancing with Jim at first, and then does to Michael. Michael insists that Hunter was a terrible assistant, and Jan claims Pam is also (since it takes Michael all afternoon to get back to her). Angela chimes in, claiming that Pam holds on to faxes. In a talking head, Pam says she doesn't care what they say about her, she just wants to eat.
A game of Celebrity is started. Michael is of course, terrible, saying rhyming words, giving away names. Jim and Pam mess with him, purposely guessing wrong.
Jim believes that Michael and Jan are playing their own game - "Let's See How Uncomfortable We Can Make Our Guests," which they are both winning. He devises a way to get out of the party - his landlord has called and said his apartment has flooded. When Pam tries to leave also, Michael wonders why she has to leave also. Jim starts to leave without her, however, Pam stops him by saying, "You can buy new stuff, but you can't buy a new party."
After Pam rubs her arm for warmth, Michael offers her his coat. Jan apologizes for the temperature. The sliding glass door shattered when Michael ran through it trying to get to an ice cream truck. The tension between Jan and Michael mounts, with false jokes of lawsuits and devils.
During a girls' trip to the kitchen, it comes out that Michael told Jan that Pam and he dated. Pam denies it repeatedly, but Angela and Jan don't buy it.
Michael shows Jim and Andy the garage, trying to get them to invest in Jan's candle company. Andy agrees immediately, while Jim balks.
The doorbell rings unexpectedly, revealing Dwight and an old woman (who is later revealed to be Dwight's old babysitter). They have brought wine glasses and food for themselves.
More arguing ensues between Jan and Michael - Jan is controlling, deciding what plays they see, even making Michael get (and then reverse) vasectomies.
When dinner is finally served, Dwight offers Angela some beet salad. Angela remarks that it makes her want to vomit. Michael confides in Pam that he thinks Jan may have poisoned the food, making Pam nervous for her safety as well.
The dinner is a very quiet, tense affair, no one speaking. When it comes out that Dwight's date is his former babysitter, Jim wants her email address because he has so many questions.
Michael digs out his neon beer sign. Jan asks him to put it down, but Michael refuses. Jan angrily turns on Hunter's CD again. More arguing and insults follow, which culminates in Michael screaming "That's what she Said!"
Jan, in anger, throws a Dundie at the plasma TV, breaking it. Jan storms out of the house, and the guests soon follow.
As they leave, the police arrive about a domestic disturbance. Michael is hesitant to file charges. They suggest Michael moves out for the night. Dwight offers his place, and Michael leaves with Dwight.
Jim and Pam go to a burger joint for dinner, mocking Jan and Michael by calling each other "Babe." Jim admits he stole Hunter's CD. While the song plays, a montage of the couples plays. Dwight and Michael driving out to the beet farm, Andy and Angela getting ice cream, Jan trying to fix the Dundie, and Dwight saying goodbye to his babysitter.
- Writers:
- Gene StupnitskyLee Eisenberg
- Director:
- Paul Feig
- Stars:
- Jenna Fischer (Pam Beesly)
- Melora Hardin (Jan Levinson)
- Steve Carell (Michael Scott)
- Angela Kinsey (Angela Martin)
- Rainn Wilson (Dwight Schrute)
- Ed Helms (Andy Bernard)
- John Krasinski (Jim Halpert)
- Kate Flannery (Meredith Palmer)
- Creed Bratton (Creed Bratton)
- Phyllis Smith (Phyllis Vance)
- Brian Baumgartner (Kevin Malone)
- Oscar Nunez (Oscar Martinez)
- Leslie David Baker (Stanley Hudson)
- Mindy Kaling (Kelly Kapoor)
- Paul Lieberstein (Toby Flenderson)
- Guest Star:
- Frederik Pohliv (Unknown)
- Beth Grant (Dwight's Old Babysitter)
- Steve Seagren (Older Cop)
- Gary Weeks (Younger Cop)
- Show Statistics
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218 of 17,823 Rating Rank
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513 Reviews
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17,016 Tracked by
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10,547 Votes
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