Gossip (The Office)

Last updated

"Gossip"
The Office episode
Episode no.Season 6
Episode 1
Directed by Paul Lieberstein
Written byPaul Lieberstein
Cinematography byMatt Sohn
Editing by David Rogers
Production code601
Original air dateSeptember 17, 2009 (2009-09-17)
Guest appearance
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Company Picnic"		Next →
"The Meeting"
The Office (American season 6)
List of episodes

"Gossip" is the sixth season premiere of the American comedy television series The Office and the 101st overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on September 17, 2009. The episode was written and directed by Paul Lieberstein. It features Max Carver, Kelii Miyata and Elvy Yost in guest appearances as Dunder Mifflin's summer interns.

Contents

In the episode, Michael spreads a rumor about Stanley having an affair, then spreads a series of false rumors to try to convince everyone the original rumor was not true. The rumors cause Andy to question his sexuality, and Pam and Jim to debate whether or not to tell the office that Pam is pregnant.

"Gossip" confirmed the fact that protagonist Pam was pregnant, which was strongly hinted in the fifth season finale, "Company Picnic". "Gossip" was the first episode to feature Ellie Kemper as a regular cast member, and the first Office episode since Ed Helms achieved box office success with the summer comedy film, The Hangover . "Gossip" received generally positive reviews, with several commentators particularly praising the subplot in which Andy questions whether the rumor about him being gay might actually be true. According to Nielsen ratings, the episode was watched by 8.21 million viewers. Although The Office had the highest 9 p.m. rating among viewers aged between 18 and 49, the overall episode constituted an 18 percent drop in viewership compared to the fifth-season premiere, "Weight Loss". "Gossip" was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for best episodic comedy.

Synopsis

As the three summer interns prepare to depart, Michael Scott (Steve Carell) hears from various members of the office that two of the interns might be dating, and feels upset that he was left out of the gossip. He talks about the situation with the third intern, and learns that the interns had recently gone out to a young people's club, where they saw Stanley Hudson (Leslie David Baker) dancing with a woman, presumably his wife Teri. Michael, wanting to start some gossip of his own, forms the conclusion that Stanley was out because he was having a mid-life crisis and shares it with the office, but Phyllis Vance (Phyllis Smith) claims Stanley does not like crowds and that Teri is out of town. When Michael confronts the interns about this, they insist they saw Stanley there "making out" with a woman. Now realizing that Stanley is possibly having an affair and he is the first person to learn of it, Michael starts telling the employees. Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) urges Michael to stop spreading a rumor that he does not know for certain to be true. When Stanley is leaving, Michael heads to the parking lot to discuss the rumor with him. Stanley initially denies it, but when Michael mentions that he was spotted in the club by the interns, he reveals that since Teri has been out of town constantly, he has been seeking company from a nurse named Cynthia, whom he met in rehab. Stanley urges Michael not to say anything since he is breaking it off with Cynthia, and Michael agrees, despite having already told the entire office.

Hoping to obscure the truth about Stanley's affair, Michael starts spreading a variety of false rumors, among them that there is another person physically inside Kevin Malone (Brian Baumgartner), that Kelly (Mindy Kaling) is anorexic, that Creed Bratton (Creed Bratton) has asthma, that Toby Flenderson (Paul Lieberstein) is still a virgin (despite him having a daughter), that Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) is pregnant (unaware it is true), and that Andy (Ed Helms) is gay. When Andy hears about this, he realizes that many people have thought this about him in the past and gets increasingly insecure as he begins to question his sexual orientation. Jim and Pam, who were trying to keep Pam's pregnancy a secret, think they have been found out. The couple then notice that there have been various absurd rumors about office employees being spread. When Jim brings it to everyone's attention, they trace one particular rumor back to Michael, who then tries to slip out of the office.

The employees pursue Michael, and he confesses that he created the rumors to conceal the one true rumor. Andy fears that it might be the one about him. The employees urge Michael to tell them which one is true, but just as Michael is about to give in, Jim announces that Pam is actually pregnant to save Stanley. Michael denies it, but Pam shows her baby's ultrasound picture to prove it. Later, while Michael discusses her pregnancy with Jim and Pam in his office, Stanley's wife Teri returns Michael's call from earlier. He picks up the phone with the intention of making an excuse for his earlier call so as to not tip her off, but he accidentally calls her Cynthia twice before Jim hangs up the phone for him. Teri had already been suspicious of Stanley and Cynthia, so Michael calling her Cynthia is enough for her to figure out what is going on. Michael, feeling guilty, watches from his office window as Stanley attacks Michael's car with a tire iron in a fit of rage. At the end of the episode, the three interns discuss what they have learned at Dunder Mifflin, which they reveal was essentially nothing.

Production

The Office actor and producer Paul Lieberstein wrote "Gossip". PaulLieberstein.jpg
The Office actor and producer Paul Lieberstein wrote "Gossip".

"Gossip" was written and directed by Paul Lieberstein, a producer and screenwriter for the series who also plays Toby. The episode confirmed the fact that Pam was pregnant, which was strongly hinted in the fifth season finale, "Company Picnic". [1] "Gossip" was the first episode to feature Ellie Kemper as a full cast member; she had guest starred in several episodes at the end of the fifth season as receptionist Erin Hannon. [2] It was also the first episode of The Office to air since the release of the Ed Helms comedy film The Hangover . [2] [3] The film was a surprise box office success, grossing more than twice the amount of The 40-Year Old Virgin , which established Steve Carell as a comedy movie star. [3] [4] [5] Commentators were split on what the success would mean for The Office, with some believing it would allow the show's writers to better realize his potential and write better material for Helms, [2] [3] and others expressing concern Helms would not be as dedicated to the Andy Bernard role. [6]

The official website for The Office included three cut scenes from "Gossip" within a week of its original release. In the first 40-second clip, Dwight has the interns pass hand-written notes to officemates, while Ryan orders them to search thousands of pennies for rare coins. [7] In the second clip, which is one minute and 10 seconds, Dwight has the interns pick up their own cake, but chastises them for not picking up candles. [8] In the final two-minute clip, Dwight makes the interns memorize trivial bits of information, then tells them what he believes are inspirational stories. [9]

Cultural references

During the episode's cold open, Michael, Dwight, and Andy run throughout the office climbing on desks, jumping off chairs and pushing themselves off objects. The actions are their attempts to engage in parkour, the art of moving from point A to point B as creatively as possible, which Jim describes as "the Internet sensation of 2004". [6] Jim points out parkour was used in a chase scene in the 2006 James Bond movie Casino Royale . [10]

Pam says the Dunder Mifflin office previously did not have interns for years because Michael kept making jokes about Monica Lewinsky, an intern at the White House who had a sexual relationship with President Bill Clinton in 1995 and 1996. [2] Michael discusses the 1960 movie Spartacus , which he calls a great "whodunit" due to the ending, in which dozens of people claim to be the real Spartacus in order to protect the actual title character. [10]

While trying to figure out whether he is gay, Andy says he would reluctantly accept a kiss from movie star Brad Pitt. [2] The three summer interns say Michael constantly says they look like actors Jet Li, Julia Stiles and Alan Thicke. [3] Michael spreads a rumor that Oscar is the voice of the Taco Bell dog, a chihuahua used as an advertising character in the 1990s and 2000s for the restaurant chain Taco Bell. [2] Michael also claims Angela is dating a billionaire who manages a Quiznos, a fast-food submarine sandwich restaurant. [11] Michael starts a rumor that someone in the office is a J.Crew model, originally referring to himself, although everyone believes it to be Jim. J.Crew is an American clothing and accessories retailer. [12]

Reception

In its original American broadcast on September 17, 2009, "Gossip" was seen by 8.21 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings. The viewership was an 18 percent drop compared to the fifth-season premiere, "Weight Loss". [13] "Gossip" received a 4.0 rating among viewers aged between 18 and 49. [13] It was the highest rating of that age group in the 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. slot, competing with CBS' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation , Fox's Fringe , ABC's Grey's Anatomy (a rerun) and The CW's Supernatural . [14] However, the rating was a drop compared to a 4.9 rating among ages 18 to 49 for "Weight Loss". "Gossip" served as the lead-in for the series premiere of NBC's Community , which held on to 93 percent of The Office's 18 to 49 audience to premiere with a 3.7 rating, garnering 7.68 million viewers. [13] The episode was viewed by 931,000 households during its Canadian premiere on September 17, 2009, making it the 28th highest viewed program of that week. [15]

Some of the very best episodes of The Office play out like slow, agonizing and very entertaining train wrecks, with Michael Scott as the conductor obliviously leading his employees on a crash course towards embarrassment, humiliation and awkwardness. "Gossip" is definitely one of those episodes.

Dan Phillips, IGN [11]

"Gossip" received generally positive reviews. Several commentators particularly praised the comedic performance of Ed Helms, [3] [11] [16] [17] [18] as well as the line by Kevin, "Who's been saying that there's another person inside of me working me with controls?" [16] [17] Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger called the episode "not an instant classic, but a solid start to the season". Sepinwall said it started slowly, but gradually built to a "very funny, and kinda sweet climax in the conference room". [10] New York magazine writer Will Leitch said "Gossip" appeared to be a return to a more normal Office atmosphere, compared to the surprises and twists of the fifth season. [3] Rick Ingebritson of The Palm Beach Post said he was concerned the season premiere would not be good because Steve Carell, John Krasinski and Ed Helms would be too distracted with their growing film careers. But, he said, "Thankfully, if Thursday's premiere was any indication, it appears that the Dunder Mifflin crew still has a lot to offer." [6] Entertainment Weekly writer Margaret Lyons said, "'Gossip' had some terrific moments, but I don't know that I'd put it on my all-time great episodes list." She specifically praised the performances of Brian Baumgartner and Jenna Fischer. [2]

Chicago Tribune television columnist Maureen Ryan called "Gossip" a "solidly entertaining premiere", specifically complimenting the Ed Helms subplot and the various office rumors. [16] Hopper of Best Week Ever praised the episode's final scene, in which Michael unsuccessfully tries to lie his way through a phone call with Stanley's wife. Dan Hopper said of the episode, "Season six is off to an appropriately awkward start." [17] Philadelphia Examiner writer Matt Carter gave the episode an 8.9 out of 10 score. Carter said the episode was "proof that there is still a ton of life left in these characters", and particularly enjoyed the way Jim and Pam stood up for Stanley by revealing the truth about Pam's pregnancy. [18] Dan Phillips of IGN said the episode included several "amusing asides and laugh-out-loud moments", particularly from supporting characters Creed, Kevin and Andy. He also praises the episode's "day in the life" formula, which he said has been successful in other previous Office episodes. [11] Tara Tanzos of The Express-Times said the episode lived up to the series' standards, particularly praising the Ed Helms subplot and the parkour cold open. [1]

For his work on this episode, Paul Lieberstein was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Best Screenplay – Episodic Comedy, [19] but lost to the pilot episode of Modern Family and the 30 Rock episode "Apollo, Apollo", which split the prize. [20]

Related Research Articles

The Office is an American mockumentary sitcom television series that depicts the everyday work lives of office employees at the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. It aired on NBC from March 24, 2005, to May 16, 2013, with a total of nine seasons consisting of 201 episodes. Based on the 2001–2003 BBC series of the same name created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the show was created by Greg Daniels, a veteran writer for Saturday Night Live, King of the Hill, and The Simpsons. It was co-produced by Daniels' Deedle-Dee Productions and Reveille Productions, in association with Universal Television. The original executive producers were Daniels, Gervais, Merchant, Howard Klein and Ben Silverman, with numerous others being promoted in later seasons.

"Branch Wars" is the tenth episode of the fourth season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's sixty-third episode overall. Written by Mindy Kaling and directed by Joss Whedon, the episode originally aired in the United States on November 1, 2007, on NBC. The episode marks the return of season three recurring actor Rashida Jones, who plays Jim's former girlfriend Karen Filippelli, now Regional Manager of Dunder Mifflin Utica.

<i>The Office</i> (American TV series) season 3 Season of television series

The third season of the American sitcom The Office premiered in the United States on NBC on September 21, 2006, and concluded on May 17, 2007. The season had a total of 25 half-hours of material, divided into 16 half-hour episodes, five 40-minute "super-sized" episodes, and two one-hour episodes. The Office is an American adaptation of the British TV series of the same name as a mockumentary portraying the daily lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictitious Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. The season stars Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, and B. J. Novak, with supporting performances from Melora Hardin, David Denman, Ed Helms, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Mindy Kaling, Angela Kinsey, Paul Lieberstein, Oscar Nunez, and Phyllis Smith.

<i>The Office</i> (American TV series) season 5 Season of television series

The fifth season of the American television comedy The Office premiered in the United States in the 2008–2009 television season on NBC on September 25, 2008 and concluded on May 14, 2009. The fifth season consisted of 28 half-hours of material, divided into 24 half-hour episodes and two hour-long episodes. The Office is an American adaptation of the British TV series of the same name, and is presented in a mockumentary format, portraying the daily lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictitious Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. The season stars Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, and B. J. Novak, with supporting performances from Ed Helms, Melora Hardin, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Creed Bratton, Kate Flannery, Mindy Kaling, Angela Kinsey, Paul Lieberstein, Oscar Nunez, Craig Robinson, and Phyllis Smith.

Stress Relief (<i>The Office</i>) 14th and 15th episodes of the 5th season of The Office

"Stress Relief" is a two-part episode of the American comedy television series The Office. It constitutes the fourteenth and fifteenth episodes of the fifth season and the 86th and 87th overall episodes of the series. Both episodes were directed by Jeffrey Blitz and written by Paul Lieberstein, who also plays Toby Flenderson on the show.

"Blood Drive" is the eighteenth episode of the fifth season of the American comedy television series The Office and the 90th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on March 5, 2009.

"New Boss" is the twentieth episode of the fifth season of the television series The Office and the 92nd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on March 19, 2009. In the episode, Michael Scott is disturbed by the arrival of his new no-nonsense superior Charles Miner, played by The Wire star Idris Elba, making his first of six slated guest appearances with The Office. Meanwhile, Jim struggles to make a good impression on Charles, and Angela and Kelly both develop crushes on their new boss.

"Two Weeks" is the twenty-first episode of the fifth season of the television series The Office and the 93rd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on March 26, 2009. In this episode, Michael, who has given his two weeks' notice to Dunder Mifflin, tries to convince others in the office to quit and join him in starting a new paper company. Meanwhile, Pam spends her day trying to put together the new photocopier and becomes frustrated with her job.

"Heavy Competition" is the twenty-fourth episode of the fifth season of the television series The Office and the 96th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on April 16, 2009. In the episode, Michael enlists the help of Dwight in getting Michael's new paper company off the ground, but the two eventually end up engaging in a war for each other's clients. Meanwhile, Jim pretends to be afraid of his future with Pam to play a prank on Andy, who is still reeling over his recent break up with Angela.

"Casual Friday" is the twenty-sixth episode of the fifth season of the television series The Office and the 98th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on April 30, 2009. In this episode, Michael, Pam and Ryan return to Dunder Mifflin as salespeople, and other members of the sales staff become upset when they do not get their old clients back that the Michael Scott Paper Company stole from them. Meanwhile, Jim tries to remain neutral about the situation and plays board games with Creed, and Casual Friday is reinstated in the office, with mixed results.

"Cafe Disco" is the twenty-seventh and penultimate episode of the fifth season of the American comedy television series The Office and the 99th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 7, 2009. Feeling the office is overworked after the recent reign of Charles Miner, Michael sets up a "cafe disco" in his old Michael Scott Paper Company office. Phyllis injures her back dancing at the cafe disco and bonds with Dwight as he tries to relieve her back. Meanwhile, Jim and Pam plan to elope.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Scott Paper Company</span> 23rd episode of the 5th season of The Office

"Michael Scott Paper Company" is the twenty-third episode of the fifth season of the television series The Office and the 95th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on April 9, 2009.

"Company Picnic" is the fifth season finale of the American comedy television series The Office and the 100th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 14, 2009. In the episode, Michael plans to win back his ex-girlfriend Holly at a Dunder Mifflin company picnic, while the rest of the Scranton office get involved in a competitive company volleyball tournament.

<i>The Office</i> (American TV series) season 6 Season of television series

The sixth season of the American television comedy The Office premiered in the United States on NBC on September 17, 2009, and concluded on May 20, 2010. The season consisted of 22 half-hour episodes, and 2 hour-long episodes to comprise the 26 total episodes of material created. The Office is an American adaptation of the British TV series of the same name, and is presented in a mockumentary format, portraying the daily lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictitious Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. The season stars Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, B. J. Novak, and Ed Helms, with supporting performances from Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Creed Bratton, Kate Flannery, Mindy Kaling, Ellie Kemper, Angela Kinsey, Paul Lieberstein, Oscar Nunez, Craig Robinson, and Phyllis Smith.

"Koi Pond" is the eighth episode of the sixth season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 108th episode overall. The episode was written by Warren Lieberstein and Halsted Sullivan, and directed by Reggie Hudlin. It originally aired on NBC on October 29, 2009.

"The Banker" is the fourteenth episode of the sixth season of the American comedy series The Office and the show's 114th episode overall. It aired on January 21, 2010. It was written by Jason Kessler and directed by Jeffrey Blitz.

"Search Committee" is the two-part finale of the seventh season of the American television comedy series The Office. It comprises the 151st and 152nd episodes of the series overall and the 25th and 26th episodes of the seventh season. It originally aired on NBC on May 19, 2011 in the United States. In the episode, Deangelo's replacement is sought out through a search committee process led by Jim. Meanwhile, Angela becomes engaged to her state senator boyfriend, Robert, while the rest of the office believes he is gay.

"The List" is the eighth season premiere of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 153rd episode overall. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on September 22, 2011. It was written and directed by executive producer B. J. Novak.

"The Incentive" is the second episode of the eighth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 154th episode overall. It was written by showrunner Paul Lieberstein and directed by Charles McDougall. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on September 29, 2011.

"Stairmageddon" is the nineteenth episode of the ninth season of the American comedy television series The Office. It originally aired on NBC on April 11, 2013. The episode features guest appearances from Roseanne Barr as Andy's agent Carla Fern and Paul Feig as a man auditioning his act for Carla.

References

  1. 1 2 Tanzos, Tara (September 18, 2009). ""The Office" season 6 premiere shows you can't always believe what you hear..." The Express-Times . Easton, Pennsylvania . Retrieved September 21, 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Lyons, Margaret (September 18, 2009). ""The Office" recap: An affair to remember". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved September 21, 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Will, Leitch. "The Office Season Premiere: Year of the Nard Dog". New York . Retrieved September 20, 2009.
  4. ↑ "The 40-Year-Old Virgin". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 23, 2010.
  5. ↑ "The Hangover". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 23, 2010.
  6. 1 2 3 Ingebritson, Rick (September 18, 2009). "Stanley is the victim of gossip on "The Office"". The Palm Beach Post . Archived from the original on September 22, 2009. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
  7. ↑ "The Office – Gossip – Clip One – Video". NBC . September 18, 2009. Archived from the original on September 22, 2009. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  8. ↑ "The Office – Gossip – Clip Two – Video". NBC . September 19, 2009. Archived from the original on September 22, 2009. Retrieved September 21, 2009.
  9. ↑ "The Office – Gossip – Clip Three – Video". NBC . September 21, 2009. Archived from the original on September 24, 2009. Retrieved September 21, 2009.
  10. 1 2 3 Sepinwall, Alan (September 17, 2009). "The Office, "Gossip": Back at Dunder-Mifflin for season six". The Star-Ledger . Newark, New Jersey . Retrieved September 21, 2009.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Phillips, Dan (September 14, 2009). "The Office: "Gossip" Review". IGN . Retrieved September 21, 2009.
  12. ↑ West, Kelly (September 17, 2009). "The Office Recap: Gossip". Cinema Blend. Archived from the original on January 13, 2010. Retrieved September 21, 2009.
  13. 1 2 3 Gorman, Bill (September 18, 2009). "TV Ratings Thursday: Strong: Bones; Weak: Parks, Office, Survivor; Good Start: Community". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 9, 2011. Retrieved September 21, 2009.
  14. ↑ Porter, Rick (September 18, 2009). "TV ratings: 'Survivor' and 'The Office' lead premiere-heavy Thursday". Zap2it . Archived from the original on September 22, 2009. Retrieved September 21, 2009.
  15. ↑ "Top Programs – Total Canada (English) – September 14 – September 20, 2009" (PDF). BBM Canada . September 20, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 2, 2012. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
  16. 1 2 3 Ryan, Maureen (September 16, 2009). "Rumor has it "The Office" season premiere is good". Chicago Tribune . Archived from the original on September 23, 2009. Retrieved September 21, 2009.
  17. 1 2 3 Hopper, Dan (September 18, 2009). "The Office Season 6 Premiere: Liked It Almost As Much As I Like Men's Butts". Best Week Ever . Archived from the original on September 22, 2009. Retrieved September 21, 2009.
  18. 1 2 Carter, Matt (September 18, 2009). ""The Office" recap: everybody loves parkour!". The Philadelphia Examiner.
  19. ↑ "2010 Writers Guild Awards Television, Radio, News, Promotional Writing, and Graphic Animation Nominees Announced". Writers Guild of America, West. December 14, 2009. Archived from the original on October 19, 2013. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
  20. ↑ Fernandez, Jay A.; Szalai, Georg (February 20, 2010). "WGA awards 'Locker,' 'Up in the Air'". The Hollywood Reporter .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.