Season 3 Episode 9

Michael finds out that there is an ex-convict that works in Dunder-Mifflin now. It turns out to be Martin Nash. Each of the characters react different. Angela is scared, Dwight is furious, and Stanley doesn’t care.

Martin explained to everyone that he served time because he started doing some insider trading. He also talks to the staff about the classes, tv, and outdoor time that prisoners get. They start to joke that prison is better than Dunder Mifflin and of course Michael is offended. Also, Kevin gets scared because insider trading sounds like what he does every day.

Michael turn into “Prison Mike” teach that prison is not fun. I thought this was an incredible scene. Jim, Pam, and Dwight played along great asking him questions. Also, he tells Ryan that if he was in prison, he would be the “belle of the ball.” Now that was funny stuff.

When Michael doesn’t get the response he is looking for, he locks the staff in the conference room. They eventually call Toby and ask him to come let them out. Toby did this by explaining to Michael that they were just teasing him. It was really fun to see Michael be so child-like and see how relieved he was when he understood what Toby was saying. Toby was a good man to help him even after all Michael had done to him.

All the attention ends up being too much for Martin and he ends up cleaning out his desk and quitting. This really caught me by surprise. It’s obviously a way to trim the cast down a bit and have more face time for everyone, but I just don’t think that it was set up real well. Martin didn’t seem offended at all during the day after being initially embarrassed a bit.

Of course the fun storyline was set up with the call to Jim from Andy. I crack up every time I hear Andy say, “I am so horny,” and then see Jim’s reaction. Andy has Jim tell him about the ladies of the office and whether Andy should make a move. When he mentions Pam, the prank is in motion.

Jim coaches Andy and gives him all bad advice. Andy then precedes to flirt with Pam using her “likes” of frisbee throwing, country music, pig latin, etc. I love to see how confident Andy is with his flirts. As soon as Pam realizes it was Jim that put him up to it, we get a little of the magic from last year.

Jim gives Pam the “Gotcha!” look and Pam is just happy to be a part of it.

We saw a little inside Jim when Karen wanted in on the prank. Jim mentioned earlier in the show that he is dating Karen and it’s going good. But, he was a little hesitant let Karen in on teasing Pam. Jim is obviously a little torn still. All I can say is he better pay it right. I think it’d be smart to let Karen know a bit of the history so she knows here he is coming from. And Jim definitely has to decide if he really is ready for the relationship with Karen or not. If not, don’t hurt Karen or Pam in the mean time.

But enough with the serious stuff. Andy ends the show with an awesome banjo falsetto number. Andy was awesome. You could tell that Pam had a really, really hard time not laughing.

Overall, I thought this was a good episode. But, it wasn’t really about the plot for me. It was more about the scenes. Michael, Jim, Andy and Pam were all awesome and we got to see a bit of their character again.

My laugh out loud moment was when Prison Mike yelled right in the face of Phyllis.

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Jenna made a short entry on her blog today saying that she is stuck in St. Louis because of the snow. She also mentioned a ebay auction that she, Rainn, and Paul are taking a part in:

I wanted to post a quick note about an auction that Rainn Wilson, Paul Lieberstein and I are doing for the charity Young Storytellers. You can bid on a chance to win a 10 minute chat with me, Rainn (Dwight) or Paul (Toby) as well as a bunch of other folks like Kristen Bell, Rob Lowe and Josh Radnor. The bidding starts today and goes until December 10th.

So I have an idea…

I’ve never asked for donations for the site because I think that a webmaster should take on those expenses when he decides to start a website. But, I do think that it would be really fun to talk with one of the Office cast members in an interview with LITO. I don’t think it is likely that any of us would pay the big money on the winning bid, but maybe we could all join in together and try and land one of them. If we do win the auction, I will gather questions from all of you those who donated and ask the best ones to whomever we talk to. I’ll be sure to credit you with the question, record the conversation, and post it all here.

If you’d like to participate, I have put a “Donations” button at the top of the sidebar. It will accept paypal and all major credit cards. Whatever is donated from LITO readers, I will match it from my own pocket and I’ll make the bid on one of the auctions. If we win, we all win. If we don’t win, I’ll use the donations to purchase giveaways for this site give to another charity so we still win. It’s a win, win, win. Does that sound fun?

For more on the auctions, you can visit http://www.ebay.com/skypeaceleb

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While we’re killing time until the episode tonight, why not have the next installation of The Office Audio Clips series. Here are my favorite clips from Health Care:

A Tough Assignment

mp3

Antibodies

mp3

Can I Fire Jim?

mp3

Choculitis

mp3

Dr. Michael Scott

mp3

Dwight Fails

mp3

Go To The Bathroom

mp3

Happy Employees

mp3

Hot Dog Fingers

mp3

I Am Too Busy

mp3

I Have A Life

mp3

I Need An Office

mp3

Inventing Diseases

mp3

Inverted Penis

mp3

Let Me Out

mp3

Lion Health Care

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Pam-a-lam-a Ding Dong

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Pass It To Jim

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Someone Has It

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This Is Improv

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What About The Surprise

mp3

What a great episode. I hope you enjoyed them.

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(There are no spoilers in this post, but there are spoilers in the linked articles.)

It seems like more and more people are getting to screen the episodes before they air on television. (Dear NBC, how about some LITO love?)

GMMR gave a nice run down of what they thought, and Linda from the New York Post did as well.

I especially liked the way that Linda described The Office:

In other words, it’s throw-your-back-out-funny in that hugely embarrassing, please-don’t-go-there sort of way.
And there’s good reason. The episode was written by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, long-time collaborators, who created “The Office” in the U.K. before allowing their baby to go away to school on this side of the Atlantic…It’s so bad, so tasteless, so embarrassing, so hysterical that you seriously should consider firing up the TiVo - this is one you’ll want to see several more times.

Tonight is going to be awesome!!

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TVGuide.com has a funny clip from The Convict running on their homepage right now. The staff is asking the convict what prison was like.

Video is here. (For now)

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Adam sent in this tip:

Deleted scene number EIGHT is up. This one makes me feel bad for Dwight. You
can hear him whisper, “Sometimes it hurts, Michael.”

The Merger Deleted Scene 8

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Recently I was sent this list of the top 100 TV catch phrases. It was fun to read thru them all. I think I’d heard of nearly all of them. Unfortunately, there aren’t any from The Office…yet. Give it a few more years and I think “That’s what she said” will be added to the list.

Any other Office phrases that you’d suggest?

- “Aaay” (Fonzie, “Happy Days”)

- “And that’s the way it is” (Walter Cronkite, “CBS Evening News”)

- “Ask not what your country can do for you …” (John F. Kennedy)

- “Baby, you’re the greatest” (Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kramden, “The Honeymooners”)

- “Bam!” (Emeril Lagasse, “Emeril Live”)

- “Book ‘em, Danno” (Steve McGarrett, “Hawaii Five-O”)

- “Come on down!” (Johnny Olson, “The Price is Right”)

- “Danger, Will Robinson” (Robot, “Lost in Space”)

- “De plane! De plane!” (Tattoo, “Fantasy Island”)

- “Denny Crane” (Denny Crane, “Boston Legal”)

- “Do you believe in miracles?” (Al Michaels, 1980 Winter Olympics)

- “D’oh!” (Homer Simpson, “The Simpsons”)

- “Don’t make me angry …” (David Banner, “The Incredible Hulk”)

- “Dyn-o-mite” (J.J., “Good Times”)

- “Elizabeth, I’m coming!” (Fred Sanford, “Sanford and Son”)

- “Gee, Mrs. Cleaver …” (Eddie Haskell, “Leave it to Beaver”)

- “God’ll get you for that” (Maude, “Maude”)

- “Good grief” (Charlie Brown, “Peanuts” specials)

- “Good night, and good luck” (Edward R. Murrow, “See It Now”)

- “Good night, John Boy” (”The Waltons”)

- “Have you no sense of decency?” (Joseph Welch to Sen. McCarthy)

- “Heh heh” (Beavis and Butt-head, “Beavis and Butthead”)

- “Here it is, your moment of Zen” (”The Daily Show”)

- “Here’s Johnny!” (Ed McMahon, “The Tonight Show”)

- “Hey now!” (Hank Kingsley, “The Larry Sanders Show”)

- “Hey HEY hey!” (Dwayne Nelson, “What’s Happening!!”)

- “Hey hey HEEY!” (Fat Albert, “Fat Albert”)

- “Holy (whatever), Batman!” (Robin, “Batman”)

- “Holy crap!” (Frank Barone, “Everybody Loves Raymond”)

- “Homey don’t play that!” (Homey the Clown, “In Living Color”)

- “How sweet it is!” (Jackie Gleason, “The Jackie Gleason Show”)

- “How you doin’?” (Joey Tribbiani, “Friends”)

- “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing” (Alka Seltzer ad)

- “I know nothing!” (Sgt. Schultz, “Hogan’s Heroes”)

- “I love it when a plan comes together” (Hannibal, “The A-Team”)

- “I want my MTV!” (MTV ad)

- “I’m Larry, this is my brother Darryl …” (Larry, “Newhart”)

- “I’m not a crook …” (Richard Nixon)

- “I’m not a doctor, but I play one on TV” (Vicks Formula 44 ad)

- “I’m Rick James, bitch!” (Dave Chappelle as Rick James, “Chappelle’s Show”)

- “Is that your final answer?” (Regis Philbin, “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”)

- “It keeps going and going and going …” (Energizer Batteries ad)

- “It takes a licking …” (Timex ad)

- “Jane, you ignorant slut” (Dan Aykroyd to Jane Curtin, “Saturday Night Live”)

- “Just one more thing …” (Columbo, “Columbo”)

- “Let’s be careful out there” (Sgt. Esterhaus, “Hill Street Blues”)

- “Let’s get ready to rumble!” (Michael Buffer, various sports events)

- “Live long and prosper” (Spock, “Star Trek”)

- “Makin’ whoopie” (Bob Eubanks, “The Newlywed Game”)

- “Mom always liked you best” (Tommy Smothers, “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour”)

- “Never assume …” (Felix Unger, “The Odd Couple”)

- “Nip it!” (Barney Fife, “The Andy Griffith Show”)

- “No soup for you!” (The Soup Nazi, “Seinfeld”)

- “Norm!” (”Cheers”)

- “Now cut that out!” (Jack Benny, “The Jack Benny Program”)

- “Oh, my God! They killed Kenny!” (Stan and Kyle, “South Park”)

- “Oh, my nose!” (Marcia Brady, “The Brady Bunch”)

- “One small step for man …” (Neil Armstrong)

- “Pardon me, would you have any Grey Poupon?” (Grey Poupon ad)

- “Read my lips: No new taxes!” (George H.W. Bush)

- “Resistance is futile” (Picard as Borg, “Star Trek: The Next Generation”)

- “Say good night, Gracie” (George Burns, “The Burns & Allen Show”)

- “Schwing!” (Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as Wayne and Garth, “Saturday Night Live”)

- “Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy” (Lloyd Bentsen to Dan Quayle)

- “Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids” (Trix cereal ad)

- “Smile, you’re on ‘Candid Camera’ ” (”Candid Camera”)

- “Sock it to me” (”Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In”)

- “Space, the final frontier …” (Capt. Kirk, “Star Trek”)

- “Stifle!” (Archie Bunker, “All in the Family”)

- “Suit up!” (Barney Stinson, “How I Met Your Mother”)

- “Tastes great! Less filling!” (Miller Lite beer ad)

- “Tell me what you don’t like about yourself” (Dr. McNamara and Dr. Troy, “Nip/Tuck”)

- “That’s hot” (Paris Hilton, “The Simple Life”)

- “The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat” (Jim McKay, “ABC’s Wide World of Sports”)

- “The tribe has spoken” (Jeff Probst, “Survivor”)

- “The truth is out there” (Fox Mulder, “The X-Files”)

- “This is the city …” (Sgt. Joe Friday, “Dragnet”)

- “Time to make the donuts” (”Dunkin’ Donuts” ad)

- “Two thumbs up” (Siskel & Ebert, “Siskel & Ebert”)

- “Up your nose with a rubber hose” (Vinnie Barbarino, “Welcome Back, Kotter”)

- “We are two wild and crazy guys!” (Steve Martin and Dan Aykroyd as Czech playboys, “Saturday Night Live”)

- “Welcome to the O.C., bitch” (Luke, “The O.C.”)

- “Well, isn’t that special?” (Dana Carvey as the Church Lady, “Saturday Night Live”)

- “We’ve got a really big show!” (Ed Sullivan, “The Ed Sullivan Show”)

- “Whassup?” (Budweiser ad)

- “What you see is what you get!” (Geraldine, “The Flip Wilson Show”)

- “Whatchoo talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” (Arnold Drummond, “Diff’rent Strokes”)

- “Where’s the beef?” (Wendy’s ad)

- “Who loves you, baby?” (Kojak, “Kojak”)

- “Would you believe?” (Maxwell Smart, “Get Smart”)

- “Yabba dabba do!” (Fred Flintstone, “The Flintstones”)

- “Yada, yada, yada” (”Seinfeld”)

- “Yeah, that’s the ticket” (Jon Lovitz as the pathological liar, “Saturday Night Live”)

- “You eeeediot!” (Ren, “Ren & Stimpy”)

- “You look mahvelous!” (Billy Crystal as Fernando, “Saturday Night Live”)

- “You rang?” (Lurch, “The Addams Family”)

- “You’re fired!” (Donald Trump, “The Apprentice”)

- “You’ve got spunk …” (Lou Grant, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”)

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If you can handle Megan Mullally, here is the video of her talking to Brian Bumgaurtner, who plays Kevin on the show. I was annoyed after the first line from Megan.

What’s that? Megan Mullally doesn’t make it bad enough? Just wait until you see what clip they used from the show. Blah.

(Wow, I’m being negative tonight.)

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Kate Flannery was featured in the latest “Pop Candy” podcast from USAToday.com. She was asked what her favorite Meredith moment is:

Well, I have to say, last Christmas Meredith going into Michael Scott’s office and taking off her top — that was pretty amazing. (Laughs) That was pretty scary, because I’d never been topless before. And it’s not like I had a lot of notice to get my back in shape or anything.

The article also mentions that she originally tried out for teh part of Jan. That would have been quite a different role.

I’m not in a position to listen to the podcast right now, but take a listen if you’re looking for some Office entertainment.

Link: Pop Candy Podcast with Kate Flannery

(Thanks for the tip MichalG)

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A while ago, Yahoo posted the preview videos for “The Convict.” I posted about them, but they were taken down.

Well, they are up again. And that Jim/Andy/Horny video just cracks me up still.

Check them out here

(Thanks for the link Janie)

This site updates often with fun Office news. If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed or subscribe to updates by email. Also, check out the forum. Thanks for visiting!