The Office (US) s08e01 Episode Script

The List

Oh, for God's sake.
"Planking" is a very stupid and dangerous trend.
Basically you lie like a plank in weird places.
That's it.
Sometimes you get run over.
Welcome to the Internet.
Planking is one of those things where, hey, you either get it or you don't.
And I don't.
But I am so excited to be a part of it.
- After you, my good sir.
- No, I insist.
The search committee finally decided after a lot of deliberation on Robert California for the manager position Who took one look around and left.
He drove down to Florida and convinced Jo to make him CEO.
CEO Her own job.
He talked her out of her own job and I don't really know how someone does that.
But, anyway, then the position was his to fill and he chose It's unbelievable.
True, I might have been the second choice, but I was the first choice's first choice.
And, about Dwight, I sense that he might have some resentment about not getting the job.
So I sat him down and we had a talk.
And I told him, "I need a really strong number two.
I want you to be my enforcer.
" Smart, right? Very smart.
- This has got to stop.
- I can't get down.
Ke Kevin! Yeah, at first I was really disappointed.
But I've got a great daily routine going right now.
I've upped my karate to eight times a week.
I've added boxing, lunches and on weekends.
I do kickboxing three times a week, krav maga four times a week, an hour of meditation every morning at sunrise, and again at sunset.
So yeah I'm doing great.
Okay, I'm going to need some help.
Pam? I don't think I should.
Oh, yeah, pregnant.
Right here.
Little Michael Scott.
Nope.
I told you I don't like that joke.
It is a boy We found out early.
Much different the second time around.
And I have to say, it is nice not being the only pregnant woman in the office.
Look! It's, uh, little pregs and big pregs.
Wait, when did we start calling Isn't it amazing, the difference in our sizes? Well, I am a few months ahead of you.
I'm having a child with my husband the senator, and Pam is having a child with Jim The great salesman.
Hoist him aloft! Come on, Darryl! Lift, lift, Darryl.
Yeah, come on, man Yeah, I wanted the manager job, but I got something much better This soda.
This is mine.
It might be easier if you take a deep breath, lift from the knees, and shove it up your butt.
I came up with a new thing this summer.
I act like I'm telling someone how to do something.
I go on with a long description and then I say, "and shove it up your butt!" It's stupid, but it's my thing now.
No one should be planking at all.
Thank you.
Yes.
Dwight, my enforcer, my number two, can you take care of this? Say no more.
Kids, don't try planking.
It's dangerous.
Especially with me around.
Trouble Trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble Are you watching that commercial again? Why do you keep watching it if you know it's just going to make you cry? Because everything makes me cry, so what's the difference? And this dog He just wants to protect his bone.
He's got a bank vault, that's a start.
Not enough, though.
All right.
The new CEO works out of the conference room about half the time.
But whenever he takes a break, he does these weird walks around the office.
And you never know who he's going to zero in on for these really intense small talks.
You just hope it's not you.
And yet you hope it is you too.
It's strange.
Here we go.
- Hello.
- Robert California.
Let's have a conversation.
Describe your day so far.
Well, I woke up, and Erin, when you recount your day, never say you woke up, it's a waste of your time.
That's how every day has begun for everyone since the dawn of man.
Very smart.
Very smart.
Suddenly I was awake.
- And I have a new thing - Hey, Robert.
We have that 9:30 A.
M.
Casual chitchat scheduled.
I emailed you about it last night to confirm.
And again this morning.
First item on the agenda Can I get everyone an extra long Columbus day weekend? Item number two Connect with the guy.
Robert California What does he think of me? Don't know.
Super care.
Number three, time permitting, we lost our biggest client.
Uh, nope, I actually have that on last month's order.
Oh, sure.
Yeah.
Yeah on that.
Pam! Pam! Psst! Pam! Come here.
- Look - Jim! Can I call you right back? Thank you very much.
Okay.
What is this? The Friday before Columbus day Thoughts? What are your thoughts? Just making chitchat.
Kind of a medium year for women's soccer, no? See? I think that What are you looking at? It's it's nothing.
- Can't be nothing.
- Yeah, it can't be nothing.
It's just a list of our names split into two columns.
What? Okay, just wait one second, all right? I will copy it.
Do you have a pen? - No.
- No.
Okay.
Um, I'll take a photo of it.
Dwight, can you throw me my phone? Nice catch.
If he comes out, distract him.
We need a warning signal.
We don't need a warning signal, Kevin.
I can see him right there.
We do! - I promise you, we don't need - Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! Phyllis! - Oh.
- You okay? Here, watch your neck.
- You okay? - Yeah, yeah.
Oh! Thanks, guys.
Wow.
Okay.
What side of the list am I on? - Left.
- Yes! Why are you How do you know Really great list of names, guys.
Thank you so much.
Good work.
Uh, no.
Actually, that was in Robert's notebook.
He left it at reception and we photocopied it.
O-oo-kay.
I don't want any part of this.
Maybe it's a list of people he's going to fire.
Okay, it's not that, Pam.
You know, I was thinking it reminds me of those lists Dwight used to make.
This is if we were all on a cruise ship and had to divide into lifeboats.
And this is if we were on a cruise ship and had to divide into life rafts.
Here's something.
Who would eat who in alive situation.
No.
That can't be it.
I got to say, kind of seems like the left side's the side to be on me, Jim, Dwight, Darryl.
No offense, Pam.
- No, I don't think so.
- Excuse me? Shh! Pam, come on.
Don't be such a right-sider.
- Did you guys figure it out? - We couldn't crack it.
Go in there and just ask the man what it means.
He'll know that we looked at his private notebook.
Come on, just say you saw the list by accident.
I'm already working on this Columbus day thing for you guys.
And it's starting to stack up feels like a lot.
One thing at a time.
That's all you had to do today, is ask about Columbus day? Yes for God's sake, Andy yes, come in.
What's up? Weird thing Totally awkward But you left your notebook on the reception desk Great.
Thank you.
And It was open And people saw this, and they're just kind of going nuts, and like - What is this? - Wondering what it is.
It's a photocopy from your notebook.
You read my notebook, and and photocopied it, and distributed it.
No.
They did, and they asked me to ask about it.
Please.
Here's what it is.
It's a doodle.
What? Some people doodle at work when they let their mind run.
They draw houses, penises Funny how the houses are always colonials, and the penises are always circumcised, don't you think? Well, I doodle too.
But I'm not an artist, so I draw words and lists.
That is fascinating.
And by the way, I am so glad I asked.
People were just sort of Did you just move my name? Might as well have been sketching a cube.
Okay.
Everybody think, quick.
What do these groups have in common? Maybe we're supposed to do it with people in our group.
That's not it.
- People in the other group? - Mm-mm.
Still wrong.
Stanley, you do puzzles all day.
What do we got? Well, you take the first letter from each name, assign it a number, add 'em all up, and shove it up your butt! - Thank you.
A little much-needed comic relief.
But we really need to figure this out, guys.
I know! It's alphabetical.
No.
No, it's not.
Here's how we find out.
Let's line up, and compare the line, see if we learn anything, okay? Left-siders, over here.
Right-siders line up over here.
Face each other.
Match up by height and relative weight.
Let's just size each other up here, and left side of the list Attack! Wait, wait, wait.
Stop, stop, stop.
Will you stop? Dwight! Dwight! Go for it! Stop, stop.
Warning! Warning! Warning! I'd like to invite the following people to join me for lunch Jim, Dwight, Angela, Darryl, Kevin, Toby, Phyllis, Oscar.
That's great! Let's do this, guys! All right.
Well, I will see you in a bit.
I love you so much.
Hey, it's nothing, all right? Text you when we get there and let you know what's going on.
- Okay.
- No.
No dog video.
- Okay.
- Okay.
See you guys.
Well, we should all be really excited about our Very own pizza party.
Pizza party! Pizza party pizza party Jim, your daughter Cecilia What does she think of the street? - Uh, the street? - Sesame Street.
Oh! I didn't know anybody called She likes it a lot.
She, uh, loves elmo.
Elmo.
God save us The Elmo era.
- Right? - Sesame Street was created to reflect the environment of the children watching it.
The complete self-absorption of Elmo is brilliantly reflective of our time.
Ours is a cultural ghetto.
Wouldn't you agree? Yeah.
She does like elmo.
"Cultural ghetto"? Totally, totally agree.
- Completely.
- Apt.
Apt analysis, Robert.
The thing that I like about elmo is the tickling.
I should not be here.
I'm in the I was in the wrong I'mI'm sorry.
Uh, just picture me back there.
I-I was never here.
- Great group! Pizza party! - How is this a pizza party? Well, why don't you ask me again when the five pizzas get here? Yeah, well that's just pizza.
You need at least one other element for it to be a party.
Okay.
You guys ever had Margarita pizza? - What's that? - Fresh tomato, with a dollop of mozzarella cheese.
- That's pizza.
- That's regular pizza.
You know, I feel comfortable enough now to ask you this question.
What made you pick This group? I just think you guys are winners, and I wanted to have lunch with you.
Okay.
Aww.
Well, what about the other guys? - Losers? Come on.
- Oh, come on.
- Come on, come on.
- No.
Well I guess I think they're losers.
Ah, I knew it.
Yes! Probably shouldn't have said that.
Whoo! Whoo-hoo! Aha-oo! Their interpretation of Margarita pizza.
Fans of classic pizza will be psyched.
Oh, text from Jim.
"This is getting very weird.
Will explain later.
" Oh, text from Kevin.
"Suck it, losers.
" Okay, now clearing the obvious, but doesn't the fact that I'm in this group make anyone feel just a little bit better? Oh, this crust is sharp! I used to be young and cute and sort of funny, and I could do those cute, little cartoons.
And everyone who came through here was like "Who's that receptionist? I like her.
" Now I'm just a fat mom.
Yeah.
And you take one look at me and you're like, "oh, loser.
" Come here, Pam.
Chins up, okay? Bad joke.
Look around this room.
Does this look like a group of losers? Seriously.
Oh.
Oh, God.
Oh! Hey, guys, we had so much fun.
We had Margarita pizza.
We all hung out and got to know each other better.
How was your lunch? - It was excellent.
- Good times.
- Yeah? Yeah? - Oh, we did.
It was the best time.
And you know what? Now it's over.
Back to work everyone.
You too, Andy.
I knew it.
I just knew, my whole life, that everyone was wrong about me my parents, my teachers, my friends, the doctors everyone.
Well, that was certainly an odd lunch.
Is everything all right? Yeah, I'm fine.
Just just take the take the casserole out of the - Loser.
- Take it out of the refrigerator and put it in the oven.
Uh, it'll be fine.
Just leave it in for 20 minutes.
- Loser.
- Losers.
When I was a salesman, I could just be like, "not my job, not my prob.
I'm going to the warehouse to Polish my knob.
" Metaphorically, of course.
But now It is my job, and my prob.
Hi, Robert? Can you come out here please? It's really important.
Just wanted to clarify something.
Some people here are under the misconception that some people may be considered, uh, let's say top-tier, and others would be Second-tier.
- I never said that.
Thank you.
Great.
I said "winners" and "losers.
" Is that what you're talking about? Oh, that might that actually might be What I'm thinking of.
- Can you clarify that? - Let me tell you some things I find productive.
Positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, honesty.
I'll tell you some things I find unproductive.
Constantly worrying about where you stand based on inscrutable social clues, and then inevitably reframing it all in a reassuring way so that you can get to sleep at night.
No, I do not believe in that at all.
If I invited you to lunch, I think you're a winner.
If I didn't, I don't.
But I just met you all.
Life is long.
Opinions change.
Winners, prove me right.
Losers, prove me wrong.
Whew! Well, I guess that's that.
No.
No, no.
Andy, don't go in there! I'm going in there.
I know that every time I talk to you, things just seem to get worse.
But, you don't know these people and I do.
And if I let you work with faulty information, well then I'm not doing my job as regional manager.
SoPlease take this pen and change your list.
I'm not going to change my list, Andy, and I don't use ballpoint pens.
Well, then I will make a new list for you.
Stanley You may think he's a lazy grump, but did you know that he has the most consistently high sales numbers of anyone in this office? And you may think he's hard to love, but did you know that he's in, not one, but two long-term romantic relationships? I did not know about the sales figures.
Meredith Palmer, supplier relations The word "no," not even in her vocabulary.
And just to show you that I'm being fair, you had Gabe in the loser column.
I think that is Astute.
Good call.
Pam Easily the most creative and kind person I have ever worked with.
Jim, shut the door.
This is just gross.
Shh! Erin Hannon The receptionist and my closest confidante a winner if there ever was one.
I like my new group.
I liked my old group.
- Are we done? - Yes.
No.
The Friday before Columbus day we're going to take a half-day so that everyone can get a jump on the long weekend.
You want a 3 1/2 day weekend for Columbus day.
Yes, I do.
And you are aware that Columbus and his legions committed genocide against an entire civilization of native Americans.
I don't care.
Hey, guys! So Columbus day We got that half-day on Friday.
We get that every year.
Well, you got it this year too.
- Good night, Andy.
- Good night.
Good-bye.
Good night, Andy.
- Good night.
- Good night.
All right, I'm going to go warm up the car.
- Okay.
- Okay.
Oh, uh, you dropped something! Jim! Okay, I know I've been crying easily today, but I mean, that's just pretty killer, right? I mean, maybe it's stupid.
No.
It's wonderful.
I'm gonna frame it.
I can always unframe.

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