Happy Hour (The Office)

Last updated

"Happy Hour"
The Office episode
Episode no.Season 6
Episode 21
Directed byMatt Sohn
Written by B. J. Novak
Cinematography by Randall Einhorn
Editing by David Rogers
Production code621
Original air dateMarch 25, 2010 (2010-03-25)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"New Leads"		Next →
"Secretary's Day"
The Office (American season 6)
List of episodes

"Happy Hour" is the twenty-first episode of the sixth season of the American comedy series The Office and the show's 121st episode overall. It originally aired March 25, 2010 on NBC.

Contents

In the episode, Oscar arranges a happy hour with the warehouse staff so he can flirt with Matt. Pam is excited to see the staff and brings a date for Michael, but Michael turns into an alter ego named "Date Mike" who catches the eye of the bar manager. Meanwhile, Andy and Erin have begun a relationship but are keeping it a secret to avoid drama. Dwight rethinks his pre-natal contract with Angela after he sees Isabel again.

It was written by B. J. Novak and directed by Matt Sohn. "Happy Hour" got positive reviews, however, according to Nielsen ratings, the episode was viewed by 7.28 million viewers coming third in its timeslot and falling 3% from last week and becoming the lowest rated episode of the season. [1]

Synopsis

In the cold open, Michael Scott (Steve Carell) is doing push-ups, and agrees to let anyone who beats his record of "25 and one 'girl push up'" go home early. Most of the office fails and Stanley Hudson (Leslie David Baker) is the only person to succeed. Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nunez) likens it to "one of those stories where a mother lifts a car to save her baby." Though annoyed at first, Michael eventually starts cheering for Stanley and applauds with the rest of the office when Stanley leaves for the day.

Wanting to spend more time with the new warehouse worker Matt (Sam Daly), Oscar asks Darryl Philbin (Craig Robinson) to organize a happy hour outing between the office employees and the warehouse workers. Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) invites Pam Halpert (Jenna Fischer), who is unusually excited to see everyone. They invite a friend of hers, Julie (Laurie Naughton Okin), to meet Michael. Julie seems to take a liking to Michael as she laughs at everything he says, but when Michael learns they invited Julie specifically for him, he adopts a new persona called "Date Mike" that he says is inspired by the winners and losers of reality TV dating shows and starts acting erratic and unpredictable. He causes a scene to the point where the manager, Donna (Amy Pietz), threatens to throw him out. Michael initially stands down, but then decides to confront Donna about what happened. The two end up hitting it off and she offers him a free lunch at the bar. Julie notices this and leaves.

Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) and Erin Hannon (Ellie Kemper) do their best to keep their relationship under wraps because of the drama it might bring if they go public, even though everyone seems to know already. They first try to keep their distance from each other. They then attempt to flirt with other bar patrons, but when Erin takes the flirting too far, they end up having an argument in the photo booth. Realizing that hiding their relationship has caused too much drama, Andy publicly announces their relationship on the PA system.

Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) rethinks his pre-natal contract with Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey) when Isabel (Kelen Coleman) arrives at the bar. Dwight and Isabel have fun playing Whac-A-Mole together while Angela tries to get in on the fun. Dwight thinks that Isabel would be better suited to have his children, so he tells Angela he is canceling the contract, prompting Angela to get a summons to court. When she confronts Dwight about the contract in front of Isabel, Isabel "whacks" Angela on the head and scares her off. Dwight gives Isabel a passionate kiss afterward.

On a couple of occasions, Kevin indulges his bad-taste humor by making baby-crying noises near Pam, hoping the sound will cause her nipples to leak milk. It does not work, but later when Kelly Kapoor (Mindy Kaling) comes past weeping, it suddenly does.

Oscar is upset that Matt did not show up with the rest of them, prompting Darryl to tell Oscar that they have nothing in common, but when Matt finally shows up, Oscar gets excited and the two shoot hoops together. At the end of the episode, Darryl asks the long-working yet newly featured Japanese warehouse worker, Hide, to recount his story about how he used to be a heart surgeon. Hide explains how he failed a heart operation on a Yakuza boss, prompting him to flee to the United States, where Darryl gave him a job. After doing so, Hide then reveals that he failed that heart operation purposely, claiming that he is "good surgeon".

Production

The episode is written by B. J. Novak, his first writing credit for the season and directed by Matt Sohn, his first directing credit of the season. [2]

Reception

In its original American broadcast, "Happy Hour" was watched by 7.28 million viewers, with a 3.5 rating and a 10 share in the 18–49 demographic. [1]

The episode received positive reviews. Dan Phillips of IGN gave the episode an 8 saying it was "impressive" and "In the end, there were enough laughs to be had from most of the main love connections and quick asides to call 'Happy Hour' a success – even if the jokes weren't all necessarily fresh." [3] Darren Fanich of Entertainment Weekly gave the episode a positive review saying "Did you like 'Happy Hour,' viewers? It’s usually a bad sign when sitcoms hit the point where everybody falls in love with everyone else, but to me, every romance on The Office feels realistic and weird in its own specific way." [4] Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club gave the episode a B+ saying "Yes, tonight was just like Valentine’s Day only not terrible. Actually, it was nothing like Valentine’s Day except that it involved love and a large ensemble." [5] Joel Keller of the TV Squad gave the episode a positive review saying "But you know what I'm getting at. The tone, pacing, and comedy of this episode continues the recent trend of The Office getting back to what made people love it to begin with. And, yes, part of that means that Michael is going to make an ass of himself. But at least the season six version of Michael somehow gets a little bit of hope mixed in with his desperation stew." [6] Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger gave the episode a mixed review said "Overall, though, I'd say the good outweighed the bad in this one, but just barely". [7] On the OfficeTally, the episode got an 8.43/10. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Malone</span> Fictional character of American TV series/mockumentary The Office

Kevin Malone is a fictional character in the American television series The Office, portrayed by Brian Baumgartner. In the series, Kevin is a member of the accounting department at the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin. He is known for his eccentric interests and lack of communication skills. In the UK TV series Kevin's counterpart is Keith Bishop, portrayed by Ewen MacIntosh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angela Martin</span> Fictional character from The Office (US)

Angela Noelle Schrute is a fictional character in the U.S. version of the television sitcom The Office, portrayed by actress Angela Kinsey. The character is based on Sheila from the original version of The Office. She is introduced as the senior accountant, head of the Party Planning Committee, and safety officer at the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin. Her character serves as the stuck-up and more professional face of the branch. She begins a relationship with co-worker Dwight Schrute, whom she begins secretly dating in the second season, has a child with in the eighth, and marries in the ninth. This relationship continues during the fourth season while she is engaged to salesman Andy Bernard. She also has a short-lived marriage with Pennsylvania State Senator Robert Lipton, who is initially believed to be the father of her child, Phillip. Dwight often refers to her affectionately as "Monkey."

<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.

"The Delivery" is a two-part episode of the sixth season of the American comedy series The Office. Since it is an hour-long episode, it is considered to be the 17th and 18th episodes in the season's episode count. It is the 117th and 118th episode overall.

"Secretary's Day" is the twenty-second episode of the sixth season of the American comedy series The Office and the show's 122nd episode overall. It aired on April 22, 2010, on NBC. It was written by Mindy Kaling, who portrays Kelly Kapoor on the series, and is also the second episode in the series directed by Steve Carell, who also portrays Michael Scott.

"Body Language" is the twenty-third episode of the sixth season of the American comedy series The Office and the show's 123rd episode overall. It aired on April 29, 2010 on NBC.

"The Chump" is the twenty-fifth and penultimate episode of the sixth season of the American comedy series The Office and the show's 125th episode overall. It originally aired on May 13, 2010 on NBC in the United States.

"Costume Contest" is the sixth episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 132nd episode overall. Written by Justin Spitzer and directed by Dean Holland, the episode aired on NBC in the United States on October 28, 2010. This episode received positive reviews.

"Todd Packer" is the eighteenth episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 144th episode overall. It originally aired on NBC on February 24, 2011. The episode was written by Amelie Gillette and directed by Randall Einhorn.

"Last Day in Florida" is the eighteenth episode of the eighth season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 170th episode overall. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on March 8, 2012. "Last Day in Florida" was written by Robert Padnick and directed by Matt Sohn. The episode features the final appearance of Lindsey Broad and guest stars Georgia Engel.

"Free Family Portrait Studio" is the twenty-fourth episode and season finale of the eighth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 176th episode overall. The episode originally aired on NBC on May 10, 2012. "Free Family Portrait Studio" was written and directed by B. J. Novak, who also wrote and directed the season premiere "The List". The episode guest stars Andy Buckley, Jack Coleman, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Jerry Minor, and Michael Schur.

"Andy's Ancestry" is the third episode of the ninth season of the American comedy television series The Office. The episode originally aired on NBC on October 4, 2012. The episode was written by Jonathan Green and Gabe Miller, and was directed by David Rogers. The episode guest stars Randall Park as Jim and Pam's actor friend, Steve.

"The Target" is the eighth episode of the ninth season of the American comedy television series The Office and the 184th episode overall. The episode originally aired on NBC on November 29, 2012. It features guest star Chris Gethard as Trevor.

"Suit Warehouse" is the eleventh episode of the ninth season of the American comedy television series The Office and the 187th episode overall. The episode was written by Dan Greaney and directed by Matt Sohn. It originally aired on NBC on January 17, 2013.

"Vandalism" is the fourteenth episode of the ninth season of the American comedy television series The Office and the 190th episode overall. The episode was written by Owen Ellickson. It was directed by Lee Kirk, who is series star Jenna Fischer's husband. It originally aired on NBC on January 31, 2013. The episode guest stars Chris Diamantopoulos as Brian the boom mike operator, Mark Proksch as Nate, Brad William Henke as Frank, and Ameenah Kaplan as Val.

"Promos" is the eighteenth episode of the ninth season of the American comedy television series The Office and the 194th overall. The episode was written by Tim McAuliffe and directed by Jennifer Celotta. It originally aired on NBC on April 4, 2013. The episode guest stars sports star Ryan Howard, Chris Diamantopoulos, Nora Kirkpatrick, and Allan Havey. Former series regulars Steve Carell and B. J. Novak also appear through archival footage.

"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.

"Livin' the Dream" is the twenty-first episode of the ninth season of the American comedy television series The Office and the 197th episode overall. It originally aired on NBC on May 2, 2013. The episode guest stars Michael Imperioli as Sensei Billy, and was initially scheduled to air in its half-hour timeslot, before being expanded to a full hour.

"A.A.R.M." is the collective name for the twenty-second and twenty-third episodes of the ninth season of the American comedy television series The Office, as well as the 198th and 199th episode overall. It was also the series' penultimate entry, airing a week before the series finale. It originally aired on NBC on May 9, 2013. This episode guest stars Nora Kirkpatrick, Aaron Rodgers, Clay Aiken, Mark McGrath, Santigold, Jessica St. Clair, and Rachel Crow.

References

  1. 1 2 "Broadcast Finals: Grey's Anatomy, Community, Parks & Rec, Vampire Diaries Adjusted Up – Ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 20, 2011. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  2. 1 2 "The Office: Happy Hour". OfficeTally. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  3. ↑ Phillips, Dan. "The Office: "Happy Hour" Review – TV Review at IGN". Tv.ign.com. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  4. ↑ Busis, Hillary (March 26, 2010). "'The Office' recap: Kiss me, stupid | PopWatch | EW.com". Popwatch.ew.com. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  5. ↑ ""Happy Hour" | The Office | TV Club | TV". The A.V. Club. March 25, 2010. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  6. ↑ "'The Office' – 'Happy Hour' Recap". Tvsquad.com. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  7. ↑ Sepinwall, Alan. "The Office, 'Happy Hour': Meet Date Mike". NJ.com. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
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.