Boys and Girls (The Office episode)

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The Office episode
"Boys and Girls"

The warehouse after Michael spends some time there
Episode No. 21
Prod. Code 215
Airdate February 2, 2006
Writer(s) B.J. Novak
Director Dennie Gordon

The Office Season 2
September 2005 - May 2006
  1. The Dundies
  2. Sexual Harassment
  3. Office Olympics
  4. The Fire
  5. Halloween
  6. The Fight
  7. The Client
  8. Performance Review
  9. E-mail Surveillance
  10. Christmas Party
  11. Booze Cruise
  12. The Injury
  13. The Secret
  14. The Carpet
  15. Boys and Girls
  16. Valentine's Day
  17. Dwight's Speech
  18. Take Your Daughter to Work Day
  19. Michael's Birthday
  20. Drug Testing
  21. Conflict Resolution
  22. Casino Night
List of all The Office episodes...
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"Boys and Girls" is the 15th episode of the second season of The Office (U.S. version). It was written by B.J. Novak and directed by Dennie Gordon. It first aired on February 2, 2006.

Contents

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

"Corporate" forces the female Dunder-Mifflin employees to attend a "women in the workplace" seminar, conducted by Jan in the conference room. Jan later confides to the camera that the real purpose of the seminar is for the company to be able to root out any promising employees for future advancement. Miffed by being excluded, Michael assembles all the men in the warehouse for a "men in the workplace" seminar, which includes having the office staff work the jobs of the warehouse. Ryan comes up with an idea of speeding up the efficiency to which Stanley immediately replies, "This is a run out the clock situation." Michael's seminar inevitably disrupts the warehouse's shipping schedule when Michael (who acknowledges it) stops their work flow. While Jim is nervous about the rumor that has been floating around that he likes Pam, Kevin goes to Jim to show his support if a fight breaks out. But things are smoothed over when Roy approaches Jim under the belief that Jim used to like Pam, which Jim is relieved about (as is Kevin). Darryl and his equally irritated crew are forced to participate in Michael's shenanigans, which culminates in Michael trying to drive one of their delivery machines.

Michael's recklessness behind the controls causes the supply shelves to come crashing down, just as he attempts some more haphazard antics that turns the warehouse into a complete mess while jeopardizing the employees' safety and infuriates Darryl and his men. Michael's plans to hold his own seminar backfires when a conversation about the opposite sex leads to another about the differences in the compensation between the employees of the warehouse and of the office. Trying to relate to them, Michael's seminar only backfires further when the warehouse workers decide to form a union. Michael later tells Jan of their plans, which only angers her to order Michael to quash their idea, but things only get a more tense when the women's seminar turns into "girl talk", with Jan and Michael's fling becoming the topical discussion (highlighted by Kelly). Jan proceeds to visit the warehouse and asks Michael if he dealt with the problem, before she delivers a stiffening blow to Darryl and his men about failed attempts from another warehouse division at Pittsfield where another Dunder-Mifflin branch was shut down because of an attempt to unionize. This caused warehouse employees to lose their life savings in legal fees and resulted in a loss of jobs by everyone at the branch. Michael later buys pizzas for the men as a way to balance everything out, before apologizing for Jan's quick dressing down of the crew.

An excited Jan urges Pam to take a corporate training program in graphic design in New York when Pam reveals that she wants to be a graphic designer, but Roy quashes the idea. Jim rebukes Pam for listening to Roy when he is clearly wrong and acting selfish, which creates some tension between them. As the day comes to a close, the warehouse is in complete disarray (furthered by Michael trying to create snow by spilling out the foam popcorn in front of a fan), and as Michael and the office employees depart, Darryl shouts: "Hey Michael, this ain't over!" as he stands in the middle of a complete mess. Michael shuts the door without responding.

[edit] Deleted scenes

  • Michael asks Pam and Jim for help choosing a ringtone for his expensive new phone. He's looking for the one that sounds like a jackhammer. Jim asks, "Do you mean vibrate?"
  • Roy and Dwight talk about guns. Roy prefers the Bushmaster; Dwight likes his spud gun.
  • Dwight demonstrates his spud gun and destroys the window to Darryl's office.
  • In a talking head interview, Dwight talks about a film about a girl who went on an incredible adventure but eventually realized that "there's no place like home". But he can't remember the movie's title.

[edit] Trivia

  • Angela Kinsey and Jenna Fischer originally had the idea for this episode. They took it to executive producer Greg Daniels who then gave the project to B.J. Novak to write.[1] Fischer was once a secretary and Kinsey an operator, so they both had to attend similar meetings and seminars.[2]
  • Pam's monologue about reading a Choose Your Own Adventure book was based on a real story of Fischer's as a kid.[3]
  • Darryl's complaint about the minimal benefits Dunder-Mifflin offers its employees is an allusion to the outcome of the first-season episode "Health Care", in which Michael's indecision led to the staff getting a poor plan.
  • Jan's threat to have the warehouse closed if the employees unionize is unlawful under the National Labor Relations Act (however, such threats are commonly made in real life).[4]
  • The blow up doll in the warehouse is the same one from the episode Sexual Harassment. The super imposed face of Michael is also a reference to the 2nd episode of the UK Office, where David Brent is offended that someone superimposed his face on a pornographic image.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Fischer, Jenna (January 19, 2006). "The Office Presents: "Boys and Girls"" TVGuide.com
  2. ^ Kinsey, Angela (February 2, 2006) blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=32799810&blogID=83774155&Mytoken=507B6F37-ABD0-44C0-A3AB58977CE87C7C120561765 "Boys & Girls", MySpace.com
  3. ^ Fischer, Jenna (April 27, 2006). The Office Undergoes "Drug Testing". TV Guide.com.
  4. ^ Unionbusting at "The Office"?. American Rights At Work. Retrieved on January 30, 2007.

[edit] External links

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