Ben Franklin (The Office episode)

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The Office episode

"Ben Franklin"
Dwight attempts to determine if this man is the real "Ben Franklin".
Episode No.	42
Prod. Code	315
Airdate	February 1, 2007
Writer(s)	Mindy Kaling
Director	Randall Einhorn
Guest star(s)	Andrew Daly (Ben Franklin)
The Office Season 3 September 2006 - May 2007
Gay Witch Hunt The Convention The Coup Grief Counseling Initiation Diwali Branch Closing The Merger The Convict A Benihana Christmas Back from Vacation Traveling Salesmen The Return Ben Franklin Phyllis' Wedding Business School Cocktails The Negotiation Safety Training
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The Office (US)

"Ben Franklin"^[1] is the fourteenth episode of the third season of the US version of The Office. It aired on February 1, 2007. It was written by Mindy Kaling and directed by series cinematographer Randall Einhorn.

1 Synopsis
2 Deleted scenes
3 Trivia
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Michael films a video to be presented at the event of his death to his future unborn son. Dwight undermines Michael's efforts.

Michael has planned two separate parties for Phyllis and Bob Vance. Michael announces Phyllis' wedding in six days, and declares that he is "instituting Prima Nocta." Jim remembers the term from the movie Braveheart, and confirms the real meaning of Michael's confusing statement using Wikipedia, revealing that it refers to the ancient custom of the king to deflower every bride in his kingdom on her wedding night. Michael apologises for making the statement.

Pam notices that Jim is tired, and Jim states in a talking-head interview that Karen and he have been talking over their relationship for the past five nights. In an odd conversation in the breakroom Pam tries to find out from Jim what's going on with Karen, and he confesses they've been staying up late talking. Having nothing else to say, she rather awkwardly suggests he needs to catch up on his sleep. Her manner seems to suggest that she's pleased, maybe even giddy.

Todd Packer arrives and, true to form, makes tasteless jokes about his belief that Jim is gay. Encountering Karen for the first time (and leering at her), he is shocked to learn that she is Jim's girlfriend. Packer is incensed that Michael has not hired a stripper for the bachelor party that Michael is organizing for Bob Vance. Michael says he can't for fear of sexual harassment claims, but Packer convinces him that if he gets a male stripper for Phyllis's party, too, this will make everything all OK ("Separate but equal," says Packer confidently, and Michael thanks him for explaining the meaning of the term).

Michael delegates the work of finding the two strippers to Dwight and Jim. While Dwight successfully locates a stripper for Bob Vance's party, Jim decides to undermine Michael's potentially disastrous plan and orders a costumed historical lecturer for the women instead.

Michael and Ryan visit a sex shop. Michael is overwhelmed, and Ryan states, "he hasn't even said a word yet ... just giggling". Upon their return, the lecturer for the women's party arrives. He is costumed as Benjamin Franklin, and Michael, under the impression that he's a male stripper, asks if he's wearing a thong. "Ben Franklin" is introduced to the women (with Michael laboring under the misapprehension that Franklin was a U.S. president), and Pam and Karen have fun gently heckling the impersonator.

Outside the warehouse, Michael grills steaks on the same George Foreman grill on which he once burned his foot in ("The Injury") but tells Ryan not to worry since he has "cleaned all the foot off of it." Inside, Kevin attempts to organize a game of professional poker, while Michael advertises his steaks as "his man-meat". Dwight enthusiastically asks for some.

After joking about Ben Franklin in the breakroom, Karen tells Pam that she has heard about her past involvement with Jim. Pam is startled, and asks what she means. Karen says she knows that Pam and Jim have kissed, but it's not a big deal, as "it's just a kiss". Catching a look from Pam, Karen suddenly asks if she's still interested in Jim, to which Pam absently replies "oh yeah." Karen is taken aback, but Pam then quickly says she misunderstood Karen's question, and awkwardly tells Karen "You should go out with Jim -- you *are* going out with Jim. You're a great couple."

Meanwhile the female stripper arrives, dressed as an office secretary. Roy claims in a talking-head that's he's "not really into strippers," and that he instead finds Pam's art sexy. When Bob Vance refuses a lap-dance, Michael volunteers. The dance proceeds for a few seconds before Michael suddenly remembers he has a girlfriend and abruptly calls a halt and breaks up the whole thing.

Dwight makes the now-fully-clothed stripper, Elizabeth, answer phone calls in the office, because he has already paid her for three hours of work. She compliments a clearly distressed Angela about the baby poster she received in "Christmas Party".

Michael goes to the stripper for advice as to whether he should tell Jan about his lap-dance. She replies, "secret secrets are no fun, secret secrets hurt someone." Dwight claims that he is ninety-nine percent sure that the impersonator is not the real Ben Franklin, "no matter what Jim says!"

The Ben Franklin impersonator reveals to Pam that his real name is Gordon in an unsuccessful attempt to hit on her. He also tells Michael to keep the lap dance a secret. Michael calls him a sleazebag. He then calls Jan out of a meeting to confess to her the aborted lap dance. A frustrated Jan tells him she's closer to firing him than dumping him. Michael seems to take this as good news.

Pam and Jim have an understated confrontation in the break room which ends with Pam asking Ryan to set her up with some of his business-school buddies, in front of a visibly shocked Jim. Dwight grills Ben Franklin on his revolutionary-era knowledge, and Michael reflects that Ben Franklin turned out to be a creep while the stripper turned out to give great advice ... advice that rhymed.

[edit] Deleted scenes

In a talking head interview, Michael explains that throwing a bachelor party is one of the things every man should know how to do.
Darrell asks whether Jan approved of having a stripper. Michael explains that he's in charge, not Jan. Dwight notes that it's up to Toby, but Michael sent him home. Michael presses Darrell to promise that he'll have the warehouse ready in time. Darrell explains, "I only promise things to my three-year-old daughter."
Angela refuses to use petty cash to change Creed's $20 bill into ones when she learns it's for the stripper. Creed leaves, having memorized the location of the petty cash box.
In a talking head interview, Kevin says that he bought Stacy a stripper pole for her birthday.
Extension of the "gray area" scene with Ben Franklin. Pam and Karen give him a hard time about whether he is from the past or lives in the present day. Ben Franklin explains that he is a representation of the spirit of Ben Franklin's legacy. Angela nods in understanding. (As originally aired, Angela's nod was in response to the "gray area" remark.)

[edit] Trivia

Oscar does not appear in this episode, despite returning in the previous episode, "The Return". Andy also does not appear, as he is in anger management training (stated in the online producer's cut of "The Return").^[2] Toby also does not appear due to the fact that he was "sent home by Michael" so he wouldn't know of the strippers. This was shown in the deleted scenes for the show.
The blouse worn by the stripper during the party is a previous "Pam shirt" according to Jenna Fischer's MySpace blog.^[3] It appears to be the one Pam wore in the episode "Basketball".
Roy claims not to enjoy strippers in his talking head, though in a season 2 episode, Pam claims she is handling most of the wedding preparations as Roy is focusing on a bachelor party.