Golden Ticket (The Office)
"Golden Ticket" | |
---|---|
The Office episode | |
Episode no. | Season 5 Episode 19 |
Directed by | Randall Einhorn |
Written by | Mindy Kaling |
Cinematography by | Matt Sohn |
Editing by | Claire Scanlon |
Production code | 519 |
Original air date | March 12, 2009 |
Guest appearances | |
"Golden Ticket" is the nineteenth episode of the fifth season of the television series The Office and the 91st overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on March 12, 2009.
In the episode,
.The episode was written by
Synopsis
David Wallace comes to the Scranton branch and says the client was so pleased with the discount that they made the company their exclusive provider of office supplies. Grateful, David congratulates Dwight for the idea, and Dwight accepts the credit. Michael is shocked and upset. The rest of the office, still angry at Michael for his near-disastrous idea, play along with Wallace's misunderstanding and congratulate Dwight. David sets up a conference call with the marketing department so Dwight can explain his golden ticket promotion. Michael interrupts and goads Dwight into revealing the idea actually came from Michael. As Michael and Dwight bicker, a frustrated David leaves the office, appearing indifferent about the outcome.
Kevin Malone seeks advice on how to start a relationship with Lynn, the woman he socialized with at the Valentine's Day singles mixer (from the episode "Blood Drive"). Andy Bernard, still upset from his broken engagement with Angela Martin, suggests that Kevin be mean to Lynn, providing only backhanded compliments and ignoring her calls. Jim Halpert suggests he ask her out, but not immediately. Pam Beesly suggests he ask her out immediately and not be afraid to express himself to her. When Lynn visits the office, Kevin tells her his thoughts directly, saying that she has a nice smile and he would like to take her out to dinner and a movie. She accepts. Kevin then accidentally says "Nice...boobs", but Lynn seems flattered by the statement.
Production
The official The Office website included three cut scenes from "Golden Ticket". One 72-second clip includes Michael eavesdropping from the men's bathroom on Angela,
The NBC site also featured more than two minutes' worth of clips involving the subplot between Kevin and Lynne, including Andy discussing his new method of being mean to women while courting dates, in response to his recent failed engagement with Angela. Among the deleted scenes are Kevin telling Lynn he will be too busy for three weeks to talk to her and giving a backhanded compliment to her shirt, both at Andy's suggestion.[3]
Cultural references
The golden ticket promotional gimmick, from which the episode receives its title, is a reference to the golden tickets from the 1964
Dwight Schrute makes
Reception
In its original American broadcast on March 12, 2009,
"What's the worst thing Michael Scott has ever done? Not the most embarrassing, dumbest, most offensive, or most self-defeating action. We mean the cruelest, most selfish, most venal thing he's ever done. ... Michael has always been vain and deluded, but we've never been asked to think of him as truly bad. But this episode comes awfully close to doing that."
"Golden Ticket" received mixed reviews, with several reviewers criticizing the selfish and mean behavior of Michael. In a
Kona Gallagher, of
Entertainment Weekly writer Whitney Pastorek described the episode as "kind of cute tonight, and kind of flat in places, and kind of sad." Pastorek said one of the most interesting aspects of "Golden Ticket" was the relationship between Michael and Dwight: "After their respective failed romances with Holly and Angela, Michael and Dwight may be coming to the awkward realization that the most successful relationship in either of their lives is with one another, and that may be causing a little tension."[5] Travis Fickett of IGN said "Golden Ticket" was a "solid offering", but felt it lacked any big moments and fit too much of a status quo mold he feels other recent episodes had fallen into. Fickett said it was "fun to watch Michael squirm" both when he thought he was in trouble, and when he was robbed credit for his good idea; he also liked when Jim encouraged Dwight not to take the fall for Michael, and when the others in the office rallied around Dwight when David Wallace gave Dwight credit for the success.[12]
Alan Sepinwall, television writer for The Star-Ledger, said Michael acted so "nakedly selfish and unfeeling" that it made the episode unpleasant to watch: "If last week's 'Blood Drive' gave us Michael at his most human and sympathetic, then 'Golden Ticket' showed how a human Michael could also be a monster." However, Sepinwall said he did think the subplot involving Kevin receiving romantic advice was funny and sweet: "Brian Baumgartner's just been aces the last two weeks, and if it hadn't been for this story, I might have found 'Golden Ticket' unbearable."[13] Dan Hopper of VH1's Best Week Ever strongly criticized the episode and the behavior of the characters: "Why was every single character on last night's Willy Wonka episode acting like a complete idiot? Not 'idiot' in the sense that the characters are always dumb and goofy in an amusing way, but 'idiot' as in 'none of these human beings would ever act this way and this is really frustrating to watch?'"[14]
"Golden Ticket" was voted the eleventh-highest-rated episode out of 26 from the fifth season, according to an episode poll at the fansite OfficeTally; the episode was rated 8.33 out of 10.[15]
References
- ^ "The Office – Golden Ticket – Clip One – Video". NBC. March 12, 2009. Archived from the original on March 16, 2009. Retrieved March 15, 2009.
- ^ "The Office – Golden Ticket – Clip Three – Video". NBC. March 17, 2009. Archived from the original on March 17, 2009. Retrieved March 17, 2009.
- ^ "The Office – Golden Ticket – Clip Two – Video". NBC. March 12, 2009. Archived from the original on March 17, 2009. Retrieved March 15, 2009.
- ]
- ^ a b Pastorek, Whitney (March 13, 2009). "'The Office' Recap: Eyes on the Prize". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 13, 2009.
- ^ a b Dickinson, A. (March 13, 2009). "2/12 "The Office" Recap". The Celebrity Cafe. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved March 15, 2009.
- ^ "The Office – Golden Ticket". NBC Media Village. Retrieved February 14, 2009. [dead link]
- ^ Gorman, Bill (March 17, 2009). ""The Office," "ER," "Biggest Loser" & "SVU" Pace NBC'S Week". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 9, 2009. Retrieved March 17, 2009.
- ^ a b Leitch, Will (March 13, 2009). "The Office: Michael Finally Goes Too Far". New York. Retrieved March 13, 2009.
- ^ Gallagher, Kona (March 13, 2009). "The Office: Golden Ticket". TV Squad. Retrieved March 13, 2009.
- ^ Rabin, Nathan (March 12, 2009). "The Office: Season 5: Episode 17 "Golden Ticket"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 13, 2009.
- ^ Fickett, Travis (March 13, 2009). "The Office: 'Golden Ticket' Review". IGN. Retrieved March 13, 2009.
- ^ Sepinwall, Alan (March 13, 2009). "The Office, 'Golden Ticket': The blame game". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved March 13, 2009.
- ^ Hopper, Dan (March 13, 2009). "Why Was Every Character Insane In The Office Last Night?". Best Week Ever. VH1. Archived from the original on March 16, 2009. Retrieved March 13, 2009.
- ^ Tan, Jennie (May 19, 2009). "The Office Fan Ratings, Season 5". OfficeTally. Retrieved May 21, 2009.
External links
- "Golden Ticket" at NBC.com
- "Golden Ticket" at IMDb