Todd Packer (The Office)
"Todd Packer" | |
---|---|
The Office episode | |
Episode no. | Season 7 Episode 18 |
Directed by | Randall Einhorn |
Written by | Amelie Gillette |
Cinematography by | Matt Sohn |
Editing by | Claire Scanlon |
Production code | 7018[1] |
Original air date | February 24, 2011 |
Running time | 22 minutes |
Guest appearances | |
"Todd Packer" is the eighteenth episode of the
The series depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the
The episode was the first entry in the series to be written by Gillette, who had written for the online entertainment newspaper and website The A.V. Club. The episode received mixed reviews from critics; while many did not enjoy the character of Todd Packer, others praised the temporary alliance between Jim and Dwight. "Todd Packer" was viewed by 6.121 million viewers and received a 3.2 rating among adults between the age of 18 and 49, making it the season's lowest-rated episode. Despite this, the episode was the highest-rated NBC series of the week that it aired.
Plot
Traveling salesman
When office administrator
Production
This episode was written by Amelie Gillette, her first writing credit of the series.[2] She was a writer for The A.V. Club before being hired for The Office.[3] The episode was directed by longtime series director Randall Einhorn, and was his second credit for the season after "The Sting".[2][4] The cold open, which featured Jim and Dwight arguing about canned foods, was actually filmed for the previous season and is featured in the blooper reel on the sixth season DVD and Blu-ray sets.[5]
The Season Seven DVD contains a number of deleted scenes from this episode. The cut scenes include a sequence of Erin being excited after receiving her new computer, Michael expressing his desire for Holly and Packer to become friends, Packer telling Holly that Scranton is his hometown, Kevin hinting that he would like some of Dwight's leftover pizza, Andy telling Pam about his high school "backseat" adventures, Michael and Holly arguing about Packer, and Jim trying to not let Dwight move back into his old desk.[6]
Cultural references
Packer pretends to mistake Holly for actress
Reception
In its original American broadcast, "Todd Packer" was viewed by an estimated 6.121 million viewers and received a 3.2 rating/9% share.
Myles McNutt of The A.V. Club, Gillette's former employer, awarded the episode a "B−" and noted that he did not like Todd Packer, nor the episodes where his character is intentionally supposed to be vile. He did, however, enjoy the fact that Packer's antics caused Jim and Dwight to unite in the face of a common enemy, a plot that McNutt said "had a scrappy feel to it". McNutt also called Kevin being "slowly broken by Packer's cruelty" an effective way to show how terrible Packer was to the morale of the office. He was, however, critical of Holly seeming unaware that "Michael may not be the best judge of whether or not someone is funny". At the end of his review, McNutt reminded readers that The A.V. Club specifically selected him as their new reviewer for the show because he did not know Gillette, thus avoiding a conflict of interest.[13]
Matt Richenthal of TV Fanatic awarded the episode four out of five stars and praised it for its temporary teaming up of Jim and Dwight.[15] Alan Sepinwall enjoyed the continued exploration of Michael's maturation, but felt that because Packer was so infrequently seen on the show, he was stuck as "the American version of Finchy" from the original British series, and as such, did not fit into the show's dynamics. Sepinwall was further critical of the main story, calling it "flat and uncomfortable". However, he enjoyed the later part of Pam and Andy's storyline, as well as Jim and Dwight teaming up to beat Packer.[16]
References
- ^ Wilson, Rainn (December 13, 2012). "Remember all of these? #FinalSeason". Facebook.com. Retrieved December 13, 2012.
- ^ The Office. Season 7. Episode 18. NBC.
- ^ McNutt, Myles (September 21, 2010). "Transitions: Covering The Office for The A.V. Club". Cultural Learnings. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
- ^ Randall Einhorn (director); Mindy Kaling (writer) (October 21, 2010). "The Sting". The Office. Season 7. Episode 5. NBC.
- ^ "'Todd Packer' cold open". OfficeTally. February 25, 2011. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
- Universal Studios Home Entertainment. 2011. The Office: Season Seven Disc 3
- ^ a b c d e f Giant, M. "Packed Away". Television Without Pity. NBCUniversal. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
- ^ "Current Twitter trends: Swag Fail, Bosh Spice – Gadgets & Tech, Life & Style". The Independent. Independent Print Limited. February 25, 2011. Archived from the original on March 3, 2011. Retrieved February 26, 2011.
- ^ "Crime Fighting Beaver". Justice Beaver. Retrieved February 26, 2011.
- ^ a b Seidman, Robert (February 25, 2011). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'Grey's Anatomy' Adjusted Up; 'The Office,' 'Outsourced,' and 'Private Practice' Down". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. Archived from the original on February 28, 2011. Retrieved February 26, 2011.
- Wolfgang's Vault. Archived from the originalon May 19, 2012. Retrieved May 19, 2012.
- ^ Seidman, Robert (March 1, 2010). "TV Ratings Broadcast Top 25: Oscars, 'American Idol,' 'NCIS,' 'Glee,' 'Modern Family' Top Week 23 Viewing". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved March 6, 2011.
- ^ McNutt, Myles (February 24, 2011). "'Todd Packer' | The Office | TV Club". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
- News Corporation. Retrieved March 6, 2011.
- ^ Richenthal, Matt (February 25, 2011). "Good Riddance, Todd Packer". TV Fanatic. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
- ^ Sepinwall, Alan (February 25, 2011). "Review: 'The Office' – 'Todd Packer': Riding a Desk". HitFix. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
External links
- "Todd Packer" at NBC.com
- "Todd Packer" at IMDb