Company Picnic
"Company Picnic" | |
---|---|
The Office episode | |
Episode no. | Season 5 Episode 28 |
Directed by | Ken Kwapis |
Written by | |
Cinematography by | Randall Einhorn |
Editing by | David Rogers |
Production code | 528 |
Original air date | May 14, 2009 |
Guest appearances | |
| |
"Company Picnic" is the
The episode was written by
The scene in which Jim and Pam discover the pregnancy includes no dialogue, and is a homage to a similar scene in the
"Company Picnic" received generally positive reviews, particularly for the return of Holly and the scene in which Jim discovers Pam is pregnant. According to
Plot
Employees arrive at the
) for breaking Dwight's heart; Dwight tells Rolf to stop, much to Angela's surprise. The Scranton branch competes in the picnic's volleyball tournament, facing off against the other branches of Dunder Mifflin. They initially struggle until Pam reveals herself to be a very talented volleyball player. With her help, they reach the final round where they face the corporate head office.Michael and Holly perform a skit that parodies
The Scranton branch faces off against the corporate branch, commenting that they deserve to lose for deciding to close down Buffalo. The game is close, and Pam ends up injuring her ankle, although she wants to continue. Seeing an opportunity to remove Scranton's best player from the game, Charles insists that Pam take a seat on the grounds of her injury being a company liability. Determined to beat corporate, Jim takes Pam to a local hospital to get an X-ray while Dwight stalls the game to give them time to get back. When the doctor calls Jim into the room for an update, the doctor informs Jim and Pam of some news that causes them to be ecstatic. Jim then calls Dwight to send in the substitute players.
Production
The episode was written by
"Company Picnic" was filmed in Malibu, California. The episode featured about 360 extras,[4] and was shot over the course of four days.[5] Actor Ed Helms said of the episode, "What the writers did is really fun and creative. It doesn't boil down to passive aggressive little picnic games with a vengeance. There's a lot more going on than that."[6] The episode marked return appearances of former guest stars Amy Ryan as Holly Flax and Idris Elba as Charles Miner.[7] Ryan said she would love the prospect of returning to The Office in future episodes, but that there were no plans for such a return at the time: "I think that door [to return] will always be open, just because it's such a nice party to go to. But that said, there are no plans any time soon for them to be reunited again."[8]
In an interview with The Office fansite "OfficeTally", Celotta said she and Lieberstein had only about one weekend to finish the script and distribute it to the actors, so there was little discussion about their individual volleyball abilities. Once the scripts were circulated, the writers learned that Jenna Fischer was not very good at volleyball and had trouble making certain motions with her arm over her head due to a previous injury. As a result, director Ken Kwapis arranged for stunt doubles to perform some of the volleyball moves; a handful of scenes were also shot with Pam doing an overhead motion with the ball being added later using computer-generated imagery. The opening credits were trimmed down to ten seconds and no post-credits scene was used in order to keep the episode within the network-mandated 21 minutes and 35 seconds. The producers considered making the episode an hour long like other season finales from past seasons, like "The Job" and "Goodbye, Toby", but they found they did not have enough plot points to conclude in "Company Picnic" and would have had trouble filling a full hour.[9]
Precautions were taken to prevent secrets from the season finale being revealed; only certain staff members were provided with copies of the episode, which were given on watermarked DVDs and distributed to secret hiding places. The writers wanted Michael to have a big plan to get Holly back, but to realize throughout the course of the day that his relationship with Holly was something special and that he did not want to disrupt it; they felt it showed that Michael had become more mature, calm and confident about this relationship than that of Jan Levinson and others in his past. The first scene with Michael and Holly discussing their sketch possibilities in a secluded area was filmed with three cameras: one focusing on each side of the two actors, and one from the front of both of them to establish that the picnic was still going on behind them. Due to space limitations, the latter angle was filmed through a mirror (with the actors appearing to be opposite sides) and then the image was reversed and undistorted in post-production.[9]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/Amy_Ryan_2007.jpg/200px-Amy_Ryan_2007.jpg)
Although the "SlumDunder Mifflinaire" skit and the scenes in which it was prepared were all scripted, Carell and Ryan improvised several of the moments including Michael's "Yay!" cheer upon getting an answer right, the bow Carell and Ryan take at the end while the Buffalo branch employees are angry, and Michael's Indian accent. Carell improvised with several different accents on the set, with the producers settling on the one that sounded most like the character from the film, although he used his regular accent when answering the final question in the skit. Carell and Ryan also made up the Jaws song parody ("Dunder...Dunder...") while filming, and Carell made up the subsequent line "We're circling it" about their good sketch idea. The extras were told not to laugh or react at all to the "SlumDunder Mifflinaire" sketch, but Carell and Ryan were not told of those instructions in order to create a genuine stage fright awkwardness among the two actors; Ryan in particular was thrown off guard by their lack of response.[9]
The ending sequence with Pam and Jim in the hospital was filmed at the North Hollywood Medical Center using the Sacred Heart Hospital set from Scrubs.[10] Although the good news Jim and Pam learn in the hospital was never specifically stated, episode writer Jen Celotta confirmed that the news was that Pam was pregnant; the script included an off-hand question from a nurse to Pam about whether she was pregnant so that viewers would make the connection later. Celotta said the idea of the pregnancy came as the writers were working on this specific episode, although she felt the show had always been heading in that direction. The series producers considered filming the scene with audible dialogue, but they thought the scene was more powerful without audio and felt actors John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer "are such great actors and have the ability to convey so much without hearing their dialogue."[9] Celotta said the show's producers have no plans to release the scene with audio. While filming Jim Halpert's emotional reaction to the pregnancy news, Krasinski and director Ken Kwapis discussed the fact that Jim has been surrounded by this camera crew for the last five years, so he would be glad to share this moment with them. The moment when Jim looked directly at the camera, in particular, was meant to convey the idea that he was celebrating the news with the crew. The script did not call for tears, but Krasinski cried naturally as part of his performance.[9]
Lieberstein and Celotta originally planned to have
When the Pam character discusses her impressive volleyball ability, she says she played volleyball in junior high, senior high, college and went to volleyball camps most summers. However, in the episode "Job Fair", she said her high school gym brings back memories of her faking PMS to get out of playing basketball and volleyball. Writer Jen Celotta acknowledged this was a continuity error: "Yeah, we screwed up. I didn't remember that she said that, specifically about volleyball. And we really do try to be careful about those things."[9]
The official website for The Office included three cut scenes from "Company Picnic" within a week of its original release. The first clip, one minute and fifty seconds long, is an extended sequence of company picnic scenes, including Michael talking about how excited he is to see Holly, Stanley convincing Creed to stand in his sunlight to provide shade, and Dwight and Andy mocking the Utica team by calling them "You-sucks-ti-ca!"
Cultural references
The "SlumDunder Mifflinaire" sketch is a reference to the 2008 film Slumdog Millionaire; references to the film included the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, the torture scenes intercut with the game show and Carell's impersonation of Slumdog actor
Michael compared his relationship to Holly to that of the protagonists in the 1989 romantic comedy,
Reception
In its original American broadcast on May 14, 2009, "Company Picnic" was watched by 6.72 million viewers, according to
Alan Sepinwall of
Nathin Rabin of The A.V. Club, who gave the episode a B+ grade, said it was "long on pathos and awkwardness but short on laughs", but described it as "a very satisfying way to end a very satisfying season". Although Rabin said the final scene with Jim and Pam was filmed and handled artfully, he also expressed concern that the subplot could turn into a clichéd device, and said "part of me felt it was a rather pat, heavy-handed way of ending the season on a dramatic note."[20] Will Leitch of New York magazine expressed concern about the dangers of television shows adding a pregnancy subplot, but said of the episode, "For now, we’ll bask in the happiness of two main characters who have waited a long time for it." Leitch, who called Holly the show's "most beloved guest star", also complimented the way the episode handled Michael and Holly's brief reunion: "The couple and the producers seem to have come to the same conclusion about this relationship: Holly (Amy Ryan) can’t actually stay with Michael (Steve Carell), so let’s just enjoy her while she’s here."[30] Travis Fickett of IGN complimented the episode but said it "doesn't really reach that high", which he said was disappointing following a string of eventful episodes. He praised the Holly character and the way Jim and Dwight worked so well together during the volleyball game, and although he said the final scene was a nice moment between Jim and Pam, he also said the twist was "predictable and telegraphed".[31]
TV Guide listed the final scene about Pam's pregnancy as one of the twelve top television moments from the week it aired.[32] "Company Picnic" was voted the ninth highest-rated episode out of 26 from the fifth season, according to an episode poll at the fansite OfficeTally; the episode was rated 8.36 out of 10.[33]
References
- ^ a b Carlson, Daniel (May 13, 2009). "Q&A: Greg Daniels: Showrunner paid his dues at other TV comedy hits before taking the corner 'Office'". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ Yo, Michael (April 30, 2009). "The Office: "This Is Their Wedding Episode"". E!. Retrieved May 17, 2009.
- ^ Carlson, Ben (May 14, 2009). "Overtime at "The Office" – 100 episodes". Reuters. Retrieved May 17, 2009.
- ^ Eng, Joyce (April 29, 2009). "The Office's Creed Bratton Gets Casual, Shares Wonders of Ginseng Suppositories". TV Guide. Retrieved May 17, 2009.
- ^ Tan, Jennie (May 14, 2009). ""The Office" set visit 2009". OfficeTally. Retrieved May 17, 2009.
- ^ Masters, Megan (April 9, 2009). "The Office Puts On Its Dancing Shoes". E!. Retrieved May 8, 2009.
- ^ Jokinen, Rain (May 14, 2009). "Hey, Watch It! – Thursday's TV Picks". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved May 17, 2009.
- ^ Godwin, Jennifer (May 13, 2009). "Amy Ryan Says Goodbye to The Office". E!. Retrieved May 17, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i ""Company Picnic" Q&A with Jen Celotta". OfficeTally. May 22, 2009. Retrieved May 23, 2009.
- ^ a b c Sepinwall, Alan (May 14, 2009). "The Office, "Company Picnic": Holly's back, and Jim and Pam have news". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
- ^ Howard, Brian (May 14, 2009). "The Office finale recap: Company picnic". The Journal News. Archived from the original on May 18, 2009. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
- ^ Ryan, Maureen (May 15, 2009). "Finale watch: 'The Office' goes out in fine style". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 17, 2009.
- ^ a b Tan, Jennie (May 15, 2009). "The Office Season 5 spoilers and news". OfficeTally. Retrieved May 18, 2009.
- ^ "The Office – Company Picnic – Clip One – Video". NBC. May 15, 2009. Archived from the original on May 16, 2009. Retrieved May 18, 2009.
- ^ "The Office – Company Picnic – Clip Two – Video". NBC. May 17, 2009. Archived from the original on May 19, 2009. Retrieved May 18, 2009.
- ^ "The Office – Company Picnic – Clip Three – Video". NBC. May 18, 2009. Archived from the original on May 22, 2009. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
- ^ "Dunder Mifflin Scranton Branch Picnic T-Shirt". NBC (official). Retrieved May 23, 2009.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Dunder Mifflin Scranton Branch Picnic T-Shirt". NBC (official). Retrieved May 23, 2009.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b Lyons, Margaret (May 14, 2009). ""The Office" Recap: Team (and Family) Building". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
- ^ a b Rabin, Nathan (May 14, 2009). "The Office: Season 5: Episode 26: "Company Picnic"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
- ^ "The Office Rundown: Episode 28, "Company Picnic"". BuzzSugar. May 15, 2009. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
- ^ Pergament, Alan (May 21, 2009). "Pergament: Season finales left questions, had few surprises". The Buffalo News.
- ^ Shaw, Andy (May 15, 2009). "The Office: Company Picnic". TV Fodder. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
- ^ Amatangelo, Amy (May 15, 2009). "The great TV fake out – 'Grey's,' 'Bones' & 'House'". Zap2it. Archived from the original on May 18, 2009. Retrieved May 17, 2009.
- ^ a b Gorman, Bill (May 15, 2009). "Ratings: ABC, Grey's Anatomy Win "Finale Thursday"; But Declines Continue". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 23, 2012. Retrieved May 17, 2009.
- ^ Mitovich, Matt (May 15, 2009). "Ratings: Which of 11 Finales Delivered the Biggest Bang?". TV Guide. Retrieved May 17, 2009.
- ^ Gorman, Bill (May 8, 2009). "Thursday Ratings: ABC Wins; Southland, Parks & Rec Still Falling". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 23, 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2009.
- ^ Gorman, Bill (May 1, 2009). "Thursday Ratings: ABC Wins; Southland Continues To Head South". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 22, 2012. Retrieved May 6, 2009.
- ^ Hopper, Dan (May 15, 2009). "THE OFFICE FINALE: But Who Won The Volleyball Game??". Best Week Ever. VH1. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
- ^ Leitch, Will (May 15, 2009). "The Office Season Finale: Wait for It, Wait for It..." New York. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
- ^ Fickett, Travis (May 15, 2009). "The Office: "Company Picnic" Review". IGN. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
- ^ "Top Moments: Lost, Loser, Office Offer Feuds and Finales". TV Guide. May 15, 2009. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
- ^ Tan, Jennie (May 19, 2009). "The Office Fan Ratings, Season 5". OfficeTally. Retrieved May 21, 2009.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/34px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png)
- "Company Picnic" at NBC.com
- "Company Picnic" at IMDb