Drug Testing (The Office)
"Drug Testing" | |
---|---|
The Office episode | |
Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 20 |
Directed by | Greg Daniels |
Written by | Jennifer Celotta |
Cinematography by | Randall Einhorn |
Editing by | David Rogers |
Production code | 2022[1] |
Original air date | April 27, 2006 |
Running time | 22 minutes |
"Drug Testing" is the twentieth episode of the
The series depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. In the episode, Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) finds pieces of a joint in the parking lot, and begins an investigation to find the owner. Michael Scott (Steve Carell), worrying that he may not pass a drug test, pressures Dwight for a cup of clean urine to pass the drug test. Failing to find the culprit and guilty over providing the urine to Michael, Dwight resigns as a volunteer sheriff. Later, Michael assigns Dwight the title of "Honorary Security Adviser".
Several of the scenes were based on the actors' real-life talents, such as Krasinski's ability to impersonate people. The episode was also the final episode of the season to be filmed, though not the last to air. "Drug Testing" was watched by 7.8 million viewers and received mostly positive reviews from critics, although one review did criticize the plot for not quite coming together.
Plot
When
In a talking head interview, Jim discusses Dwight's sacrifice for Michael. He concludes, "I just don't get it. What does he get out of that relationship?" A cut-away emphasizes his own relationship with Pam.
Production
"Drug Testing" was written by
Several of the scenes were based on the actor's real-life talents as well as improvised. When Michael tells Pam to "write this down",
This was the final episode of the season to be filmed, though not the last to air. According to Jenna Fischer, everybody on the set was excited in a manner that she likened to students on the last day of school. The giddiness particularly shows in Fischer's performance: Pam skips after Jim into the break room, she bounces on her toes at the end of the "fake crying" talking head, and she taps the soda can three times to get Jim to release the jinx.[5]
The Season Two DVD contains a number of deleted scenes from this episode. Notable cut scenes include Jim doing impressions of Kevin and Angela for Pam, Dwight noting that he is so determined to find the culprit that he is prepared to pray "to Thor himself", Toby saying that he does not think Michael is taking drugs, Jim secretly doing an impression of Dwight right in front of him, Dwight talking about Jim and concluding that, "If that were my life, I'd do drugs", Pam toying with Dwight by admitting that she "was a teensy bit high... in the parking lot at the Quick and Easy", Meredith coming to Jim because Pam told her he had something to tell her. Jim is under the jinx and says nothing, Kelly putting a customer on hold when she is called by Dwight and forgetting to return, Dwight taking notes during the conference, Pam showing the camera the flyer that Michael made up for the conference, and Lee and Gino, the workers at Vance Refrigeration, discarding a joint in the parking lot.[6]
Cultural references
Michael notes that he had gotten high at an Alicia Keys concert. During Michael's anti-drug meeting, he misidentifies hookah as an illegal drug; Toby points out the fact that it is merely a pipe. Dwight notes that he'll have to bring in his bō staff, a long staff weapon used in Okinawa and feudal Japan, to protect the office. Jim later notes that Dwight was dressed like a member of the disco group the Village People.[7]
Reception
"Drug Testing" originally aired on NBC in the United States on April 26, 2006.
"Drug Testing" was generally well received by critics. Lindsey Thomas of Rolling Stone named Dwight interrogating the workers in the Office after finding the joint in the parking lot one of the top twenty-five scenes from the show, ranking it at number fifteen.[10] Alan Sepinwall of The Seattle Times wrote that "'Drug Testing' (in which Rainn Wilson's supercilious Dwight paraded around the office wearing a Smokey Bear hat and carrying a coffee cup filled with undrinkable liquid)" allowed the show to finally make "The Leap."[11] Brendan Babish of DVD Verdict was pleased with the entry and awarded it an "A−".[12] He was pleased with the episode's emphasis on Dwight and called it "a far better showcase for Dwight's many charms than 'Dwight's Speech'."[12] M. Giant of Television Without Pity awarded the episode an "A".[7] Not all reviews were so glowing. Michael Sciannamea of AOL TV was more critical of the episode and wrote that he "didn't think this episode was so hot", calling the premise "a good idea that didn't really take off".[13] He also disliked Jim and Pam's subplot and called it "rather childish" and wrote that it "didn't seem to go anywhere".[13]
References
- ^ "Shows A–Z – Office, The on NBC". The Futon Critic. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
- ^ a b c Fischer, Jenna (April 27, 2006). "The Office Undergoes 'Drug Testin'". TV Guide. Archived from the original on November 9, 2007. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
- ^ Fischer, Jenna (May 11, 2006). "Supersize Office Finale, Supersize Blog!". TV Guide. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
- MySpace. Specific Media LLC. Retrieved September 22, 2012.
- Universal.
- Universal Studios Home Entertainment. 2006. The Office: Season Two Disc 4
- ^ a b Giant, M. "Drug Testing". Television Without Pity. NBCUniversal. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
- ^ "The Office – Seasons – Season 2 – Episode Guide". NBC. Archived from the original on November 13, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
- ^ "May 2, 2006 Press Release ('Drug Testing')". National Broadcasting Company. Retrieved June 26, 2008.[dead link] Alt URL
- ^ Thomas, Lindsey (October 17, 2007). "The 25 Greatest Moments from 'The Office'". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media LLC. Archived from the original on May 3, 2008. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
- ^ Sepinwall, Alan (May 4, 2006). "Support Staff and Overtime Helped Save 'The Office'". The Seattle Times. The Seattle Times Company. Archived from the original on February 12, 2009. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
- ^ a b Babish, Brendan. "The Office: Season Two". DVD Verdict. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved September 7, 2007.
- ^ Huffpost TV. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
External links
- "Drug Testing" at NBC.com
- "Drug Testing" at IMDb