Todd Packer (The Office)

Last updated
"Todd Packer"
The Office episode
Episode no.Season 7
Episode 18
Directed by Randall Einhorn
Written by Amelie Gillette
Cinematography byMatt Sohn
Editing byClaire Scanlon
Production code7018 [1]
Original air dateFebruary 24, 2011 (2011-02-24)
Running time22 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Threat Level Midnight"		Next →
"Garage Sale"
The Office (American season 7)
List of episodes

"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.

Contents

The series depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. In this episode, traveling salesman Todd Packer (David Koechner) comes to Dunder Mifflin looking for a desk job in the office. However, the office is unsure if they want him to work there due to his previous behavior. Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) and Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) eventually team up and develop a scheme that rids the office of Packer. Meanwhile, after dealing with computer problems, Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) confronts Pam Halpert (Jenna Fischer) about getting a new computer.

The episode was the first entry in the series to be written by Gillette, who had written for the online entertainment newspaper and website The A.V. Club . The episode received mixed reviews from critics; while many did not enjoy the character of Todd Packer, others praised the temporary alliance between Jim and Dwight. "Todd Packer" was viewed by 6.121 million viewers and received a 3.2 rating among adults between the age of 18 and 49, making it the season's lowest-rated episode. Despite this, the episode was the highest-rated NBC series of the week that it aired.

Plot

Traveling salesman Todd Packer (David Koechner) comes to Dunder Mifflin looking for a desk job in the office. However, most of the office does not want him to work there due to his previous inappropriate behavior; Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) in particular is horrified at the idea. Holly Flax (Amy Ryan) gives him a job as a salesman, forcing Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) to leave his desk and move to the annex. Packer repeatedly offends everybody with his jokes, especially Kevin Malone (Brian Baumgartner), although Kevin pretends to play along. Only Michael Scott (Steve Carell), Packer's longtime friend, is not offended by Todd. Jim and Dwight decide to prank Packer, but Dwight hates Jim's best idea: to make it so that his desk drawer only opens two inches. Jim instead pranks Dwight, by giving him an extremely long list of nonsensical pranks, and pulling the drawer prank on Dwight. Holly, who was at first excited to have Packer in the office per Michael's recommendations, discovers how insensitive Packer is and asks Michael to get him under control. Michael and Packer have coffee in the lobby, where Packer says he wants to be a better person. Michael gets Packer to apologize, but everyone can tell that the apologies are insincere. Having finally reached an understanding, Dwight and Jim scheme to get rid of Packer. They call him, pretending to be corporate offering him a job in Tallahassee, Florida, which Packer readily accepts. Michael overhears the call and goes to tell Packer that Dwight and Jim have tricked him. Before he has a chance, however, Packer insults Holly, and Michael decides to keep Dwight and Jim's scheme a secret and allow Packer to take the "job" in Florida. As Michael and Holly witness Packer drive away from the view in his office, Michael admits that Packer is "an ass" before they embrace.

When office administrator Pam Halpert (Jenna Fischer) gets a new computer for the receptionist's desk to replace the older model, Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) wants a new computer, too. Pam points out that if she were to get a new computer for one sales rep, she would have to get one for every sales rep, as compared to reception, a one-person department. Unwilling to let it go, Andy convinces Erin Hannon (Ellie Kemper) to trade computers with him. Pam is angry when she finds out and forces him to switch the computers back. In addition to continuing to push for a new computer, Andy confronts Pam about "humiliating" him in front of the office. In order to make it up to him, she tells him that the only way he can get a new computer is if his breaks. To accomplish this, he accepts all cookies, intentionally opens pop-up ads, and places food in the disc drive. Giving up, Pam then buys Andy a new computer, but they scratch it up to make it not look brand new. When they pretend to argue about it in front of the office, Pam claims that she found it in the warehouse. Darryl Philbin (Craig Robinson) confronts Pam later regarding finding the computer in the warehouse. As he knows everything that is in the warehouse and where it is stored, he leverages Pam to give him more sick days. Pam gleefully tells the interviewers that she is now "full-on corrupt".

Production

This episode was written by Amelie Gillette, her first writing credit of the series. [2] She was a writer for The A.V. Club before being hired for The Office. [3] The episode was directed by longtime series director Randall Einhorn, and was his second credit for the season after "The Sting". [2] [4] The cold open, which featured Jim and Dwight arguing about canned foods, was actually filmed for the previous season and is featured in the blooper reel on the sixth season DVD and Blu-ray sets. [5]

The Season Seven DVD contains a number of deleted scenes from this episode. The cut scenes include a sequence of Erin being excited after receiving her new computer, Michael expressing his desire for Holly and Packer to become friends, Packer telling Holly that Scranton is his hometown, Kevin hinting that he would like some of Dwight's leftover pizza, Andy telling Pam about his high school "backseat" adventures, Michael and Holly arguing about Packer, and Jim trying to not let Dwight move back into his old desk. [6]

Cultural references

Packer pretends to mistake Holly for actress Jennifer Aniston. Dwight angrily throws out Holly's miniature zen gardens and remarks, "What do you grow in this, bullcrap?" [7] Packer calls Kevin, Holly, and Dwight, the "three muske-queers", a homophobic slur referencing the 1844 novel The Three Musketeers . [7] Dwight notes that, had Kevin grown up in sumo culture, he would be considered a "promising up-and-comer". [7] Holly makes a list of humorous individuals, ranging from most humorous to least: "Bill Cosby, Steve Martin, 'Charlie Bit My Finger,' Michael Scott […] Todd Packer". [7] When asked if he would like hot chocolate, Packer notes that the only "hot chocolate" he likes is Vivica A. Fox. [7] Jim mentions Justin Bieber, and Dwight says "Who is Justice Beaver?" This leads Jim to say sardonically, "A crime-fighting beaver". Following the episode's air date, the term "Justice Beaver" became a popular trend on Twitter, and led to a website in honor of the quote. [8] [9] When prank-calling Packer, Dwight continuously makes references to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida. [7]

Reception

In its original American broadcast, "Todd Packer" was viewed by an estimated 6.121 million viewers and received a 3.2 rating/9% share. [10] This means that it was seen by 3.2% of all 18- to 49-year-olds, and 9% of all 18- to 49-year-olds watching television at the time of the broadcast. This marked the lowest number of viewers for the series since the second season episode "Boys and Girls", which was viewed by 5.42 million viewers, as well as the lowest Nielsen rating for the series since the first season. [10] [11] Despite this, the episode became the highest-rated NBC program for the original week it aired and also became the sixteenth most-watched show for the week of broadcast among adults aged 18–49. [12]

Myles McNutt of The A.V. Club , Gillette's former employer, awarded the episode a "B−" and noted that he did not like Todd Packer, nor the episodes where his character is intentionally supposed to be vile. He did, however, enjoy the fact that Packer's antics caused Jim and Dwight to unite in the face of a common enemy, a plot that McNutt said "had a scrappy feel to it". McNutt also called Kevin being "slowly broken by Packer's cruelty" an effective way to show how terrible Packer was to the morale of the office. He was, however, critical of Holly seeming unaware that "Michael may not be the best judge of whether or not someone is funny". At the end of his review, McNutt reminded readers that The A.V. Club specifically selected him as their new reviewer for the show because he did not know Gillette, thus avoiding a conflict of interest. [13]

IGN writer Cindy White enjoyed the episode, but criticized the ending for being too similar to a scene from the original British version of The Office in which David Brent tells traveling salesman Chris Finch to "fuck off". She spoke highly of Jim and Dwight's storyline, writing that "I wish their final ruse had been a bit more original, but it served the purpose of getting rid of Packer". She gave the episode a 7.5 out of 10 rating, denoting a "good" episode. [14]

Matt Richenthal of TV Fanatic awarded the episode four out of five stars and praised it for its temporary teaming up of Jim and Dwight. [15] Alan Sepinwall enjoyed the continued exploration of Michael's maturation, but felt that because Packer was so infrequently seen on the show, he was stuck as "the American version of Finchy" from the original British series, and as such, did not fit into the show's dynamics. Sepinwall was further critical of the main story, calling it "flat and uncomfortable". However, he enjoyed the later part of Pam and Andy's storyline, as well as Jim and Dwight teaming up to beat Packer. [16]

Related Research Articles

Ben Franklin (<i>The Office</i>) 15th episode of the 3rd season of The Office

"Ben Franklin" is the fifteenth episode of the third season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's forty-third episode overall. Written by Mindy Kaling, who also acts in the show as Kelly Kapoor, and directed by Randall Einhorn, the episode first aired in the United States on February 1, 2007, on NBC. "Ben Franklin" received 5.0/13 in the ages 18–49 demographic of the Nielsen ratings, and was watched by an estimated audience of 10.1 million viewers, and the episode received mixed reviews among critics.

"Back from Vacation" is the twelfth episode of the third season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 40th episode overall. It first aired on January 4, 2007, on NBC, and it was the first episode to air after the December holiday hiatus. "Back from Vacation" was the first script written by Justin Spitzer for the series. Julian Farino served as the episode director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Employee Transfer</span> 6th episode of the 5th season of The Office

"Employee Transfer" is the sixth episode of the fifth season of the American version of the television series The Office and the show's seventy-eighth episode overall. It was broadcast in the United States on October 30, 2008, on NBC.

David Wallace (<i>The Office</i>) Fictional character in the American comedy series The Office

David Wallace is a fictional character in the American comedy series The Office, portrayed by Andy Buckley. Wallace is introduced in the second season as the new chief financial officer of Dunder Mifflin. Wallace is named after David Foster Wallace, a favorite author of John Krasinski and executive producer Michael Schur. The other characters almost exclusively refer to him by the full name "David Wallace", rather than by, for example, simply his first name. His character is established as a wealthy executive at the corporate headquarters in New York with an opulent suburban home, wife, Rachel, and two kids – one son and one daughter. Despite his differing lifestyle from the members of the Scranton branch, David tolerates and understands the eccentricities and flaws of Regional Manager Michael Scott, and appreciates employees Jim Halpert and Toby Flenderson. He is let go in the sixth season following the absorption of Dunder Mifflin by Sabre. He later sells his patent for a toy vacuum, called "Suck It," to the U.S. military for $20 million and subsequently acquires Dunder Mifflin for an undisclosed sum of money, becoming CEO in the eighth-season finale, "Free Family Portrait Studio".

"The Manager and the Salesman" is the sixteenth episode of the sixth season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 116th episode overall. Written by Mindy Kaling and directed by Marc Webb, it first aired in the United States on NBC on February 11, 2010.

"St. Patrick's Day" is the nineteenth episode of the sixth season of the American comedy series The Office and the show's 119th episode overall. It was written by Jonathan Hughes and directed by Randall Einhorn.

"The Sting" is the fifth episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office and the shows 131st episode overall. It originally aired on NBC on October 21, 2010. The episode was written by co-executive producer Mindy Kaling and directed by Randall Einhorn. "The Sting" guest stars Timothy Olyphant as Danny Cordray.

"China" is the tenth episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 136th episode overall. It originally aired on NBC on December 2, 2010. The episode was written by Halsted Sullivan and Warren Lieberstein, and directed by Charles McDougall. The episode guest stars Mark Proksch as Nate and Hugh Dane as Hank.

"Classy Christmas" is the collective name for the eleventh and twelfth episodes of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 137th and 138th episodes overall. Written by Mindy Kaling and directed by Rainn Wilson, the episode originally aired on December 9, 2010 on NBC. "Classy Christmas" guest stars Jack Coleman as Senator Robert Lipton, Rob Huebel as A.J., Mark Proksch as Nate, and marks the return of Amy Ryan as Holly Flax.

Garage Sale (<i>The Office</i>) 19th episode of the 7th season of The Office

"Garage Sale" is the nineteenth episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 145th episode overall. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on March 24, 2011. The episode was written by Jon Vitti and directed by series cast member, Steve Carell. The episode marks Carell's third director's credit for the series and the final physical appearance of Amy Ryan, having appeared as a regular since "Classy Christmas".

"Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting) Manager" is the twenty-fourth episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 150th episode overall. The episode was written by Justin Spitzer and directed by Troy Miller. It originally aired in the United States on May 12, 2011 on NBC. The episode also features guest appearances from Kathy Bates, Cody Horn and Michael Schur.

Spooked (<i>The Office</i>) 5th episode of the 8th season of The Office

"Spooked" is the fifth episode of the eighth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 157th episode overall. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on October 27, 2011. It was written by Carrie Kemper, sister of cast member Ellie Kemper, and directed by Randall Einhorn. The episode guest starred David Mazouz.

"Christmas Wishes" is the tenth episode of the eighth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 162nd episode overall. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on December 8, 2011. It was written by executive producer Mindy Kaling and was directed by Ed Helms in his directorial debut. The episode guest starred Lindsey Broad, Ameenah Kaplan, and Eleanor Seigler.

"Jury Duty" is the thirteenth episode of the eighth season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 165th episode overall, airing on NBC in the United States on February 2, 2012. It was written by Aaron Shure and directed by Eric Appel, and guest starred Jack Coleman, Lindsey Broad, and Mark Proksch.

"Special Project" is the fourteenth episode of the eighth season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 166th episode overall. The episode aired on NBC in the United States on February 9, 2012. It was written by Amelie Gillette and was directed by David Rogers.

"Tallahassee" is the fifteenth episode of the eighth season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 167th episode overall. The episode aired on NBC in the United States on February 16, 2012. "Tallahassee" was written by co-executive producer Daniel Chun and directed by series cinematographer Matt Sohn. The episode guest stars David Koechner and Wally Amos.

"After Hours" is the sixteenth episode of the eighth season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 168th episode overall. The episode aired on NBC in the United States on February 23, 2012. "After Hours" was written by co-executive producers Halsted Sullivan and Warren Lieberstein and directed by Brian Baumgartner, who portrays Kevin Malone on the series, marking his directorial debut.

"Test the Store" is the seventeenth episode of the eighth season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 169th episode overall. The episode was written by Mindy Kaling, directed by Brent Forrester, and aired on NBC in the United States on March 1, 2012.

"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.

"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.

References

  1. ↑ Wilson, Rainn (December 13, 2012). "Remember all of these? #FinalSeason". Facebook.com. Retrieved December 13, 2012.
  2. 1 2 Randall Einhorn (director); Amelie Gillette (writer) (February 24, 2011). "Todd Packer". The Office. Season 7. Episode 18. NBC.
  3. ↑ McNutt, Myles (September 21, 2010). "Transitions: Covering The Office for The A.V. Club". Cultural Learnings. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
  4. ↑ Randall Einhorn (director); Mindy Kaling (writer) (October 21, 2010). "The Sting". The Office. Season 7. Episode 5. NBC.
  5. ↑ "'Todd Packer' cold open". OfficeTally. February 25, 2011. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
  6. ↑ Deleted scenes for "Todd Packer" (DVD). Universal Studios Home Entertainment. 2011.The Office: Season Seven Disc 3
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Giant, M. "Packed Away". Television Without Pity . NBCUniversal. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Current Twitter trends: Swag Fail, Bosh Spice – Gadgets & Tech, Life & Style". The Independent . Independent Print Limited. February 25, 2011. Archived from the original on March 3, 2011. Retrieved February 26, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Crime Fighting Beaver". Justice Beaver. Retrieved February 26, 2011.
  10. 1 2 Seidman, Robert (February 25, 2011). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'Grey's Anatomy' Adjusted Up; 'The Office,' 'Outsourced,' and 'Private Practice' Down". TV by the Numbers . Zap2it. Archived from the original on February 28, 2011. Retrieved February 26, 2011.
  11. ↑ Westbury, Anna (May 17, 2012). "Infographic: The Lifespan of The Office". Paste Magazine . Wolfgang's Vault. Archived from the original on May 19, 2012. Retrieved May 19, 2012.
  12. ↑ Seidman, Robert (March 1, 2010). "TV Ratings Broadcast Top 25: Oscars, 'American Idol,' 'NCIS,' 'Glee,' 'Modern Family' Top Week 23 Viewing". TV by the Numbers . Zap2it. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved March 6, 2011.
  13. ↑ McNutt, Myles (February 24, 2011). "'Todd Packer' | The Office | TV Club". The A.V. Club . The Onion . Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  14. ↑ White, Cindy (February 25, 2011). "The Office: "Todd Packer" Review". IGN . News Corporation . Retrieved March 6, 2011.
  15. ↑ Richenthal, Matt (February 25, 2011). "Good Riddance, Todd Packer". TV Fanatic. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  16. ↑ Sepinwall, Alan (February 25, 2011). "Review: 'The Office' – 'Todd Packer': Riding a Desk". HitFix. Retrieved December 27, 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.