Gay Witch Hunt

Last updated

"Gay Witch Hunt"
The Office episode
Episode no.Season 3
Episode 1
Directed by Ken Kwapis
Written by Greg Daniels
Cinematography by Randall Einhorn
Editing by David Rogers
Production code301
Original air dateSeptember 21, 2006 (2006-09-21)
Running time22 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Casino Night"		Next →
"The Convention"
The Office (American season 3)
List of episodes

"Gay Witch Hunt" is the third-season premiere of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's twenty-ninth episode overall. Written by executive producer and show runner Greg Daniels and directed by Ken Kwapis, the episode first aired in the United States on September 21, 2006, on NBC.

Contents

The series depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. In the episode, Michael Scott (Steve Carell) discovers that Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nunez) is gay. Michael tries to show Oscar that he is accepting of his sexual orientation, but only ends up insulting him. It is also revealed that after kissing Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer), Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) went through with transferring to Stamford. In addition, Pam called off her engagement with Roy Anderson (David Denman).

The episode features a kiss between Michael and Oscar. This scene was not scripted, and was an improvised moment courtesy of Carell. An estimated 9.1 million viewers watched the episode, a 23 percent increase from the previous season premiere "The Dundies". "Gay Witch Hunt" received positive reviews from television critics.

Plot

After calling Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nunez) "faggy", Michael Scott (Steve Carell) learns that Oscar finds the word offensive because he is homosexual. While attempting to apologize, Michael inadvertently outs Oscar to the entire office. Jan Levinson (Melora Hardin) berates Michael for his behavior, after Michael's seminar on homosexuality is a disaster. When Oscar threatens to quit, Michael attempts to reconcile with Oscar, first by hugging him, and then kissing him on the lips. Oscar is given three months paid vacation and use of a company car in exchange for not suing Dunder Mifflin.

It is revealed that after their kiss, Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) confirmed to Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) her intention to marry Roy Anderson (David Denman). However, a few days before the wedding, Pam got cold feet and decided to call it off. She moved into her own apartment and began taking art classes. Pam's rejection sent Roy into a downward spiral, hitting rock bottom with a drunk driving arrest. When being interviewed by the camera crew, Roy makes a vow to win Pam back.

Jim has transferred to Dunder Mifflin's Stamford branch and tries to settle into his new office. He then meets smug co-worker Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) who brags about his wild college days at Cornell University. Jim tries to target him like he targeted Dwight, but becomes scared of Andy's more violent tendencies. Meanwhile, sales representative Karen Filippelli (Rashida Jones) is disconcerted by Jim's constant smirks to the camera.

Production

"Gay Witch Hunt" was the eighth episode of the series directed by Ken Kwapis. Kwapis had previously directed "Pilot", "Diversity Day", "Sexual Harassment", "The Fire", "The Fight", "Booze Cruise", and "Casino Night". "Gay Witch Hunt" was written by executive producer and show runner Greg Daniels. [1]

The kiss between Michael and Oscar in the conference room was not scripted. The scene had been shot a couple of times with Steve Carell not kissing Oscar Nunez. Then on one take, Oscar saw "[Carell's] lips coming closer and closer". Nunez recalled "I'm like, 'Dear God, he's going to kiss me.' And sure enough, he planted one on my face." The other cast members were laughing during the kiss but because the camera stays focused on Carell and Nunez, the scene was still usable. [2]

At Paleyfest in early 2007, Steve Carell later recalled that he enjoyed the episode "because it spoke to the fact that Michael is not a homophobe; he just doesn't understand the world. They are two very different things. It's not that he's intrinsically racist or homophobic or sexist, he just doesn't have a frame of reference. He's not capable of understanding. And once he does glean some understanding he misinterprets it into something altogether. But I think at least the way I feel about the character is he's a decent heart, a decent person and he's just trying his best." [3]

The third season DVD contains a number of deleted scenes from this episode, including Karen pulling a prank on Jim by setting his dial tone to call Hong Kong, Andy comparing his jumping skills to Michael Jordan to Jim, Michael asking Pam how she is holding up since the wedding broke off, and Jan being furious at Michael. [4]

Reception

"Gay Witch Hunt" first aired on NBC on September 21, 2006. The Nielsen ratings for "Gay Witch Hunt" indicated that it was watched by approximately 9.1 million viewers, a 23 percent increase from the second season premiere "The Dundies". [5] During its timeslot, "Gay Witch Hunt" ranked second among men ages 18–49 and 24–54, and first among men ages 18–34. [6]

"Gay Witch Hunt" generally received praise from critics. TV Guide's Matt Roush admitted that he "loved Oscar's self-deprecating reaction to his newfound notoriety". [7] Roush said that when watching Michael "you can't help but forgive the idiot, while wondering how in the world he manages to keep his job," and that the kiss between Michael and Oscar was "horrifically funny". [7] Brian Zoromski of IGN rated the episode with a 9 out of 10, an indication of an "amazing" episode. He observed that the episode's best scenes "show the impact of Jim and Pam being in different offices," and thought Andy's reactions made the audience appreciate Dwight more. [8]

Steve West of Cinemablend stated that "the balance between laughing at Michael’s ineptitude and the discomfit of Oscar was handled so deftly that it’s a wonder the show became successful when similarly great writing in Arrested Development did nothing to garner viewers." [9] For his work on this episode, Greg Daniels won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. [10] Ken Kwapis also received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for his work on this episode as well, but lost to Ugly Betty 's Richard Shepard for his work on the pilot episode. [11]

Related Research Articles

"Booze Cruise" is the eleventh episode of the second season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's seventeenth episode overall. Written by Greg Daniels and directed by Ken Kwapis, the episode first aired in the United States on January 5, 2006 on NBC. The episode featured Rob Riggle and Amy Adams as guest stars.

"The Dundies" is the first episode of the second season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's seventh episode overall. Written by Mindy Kaling and directed by Greg Daniels, who is also a producer for the show, the episode originally aired in the United States on September 20, 2005 on NBC.

"Office Olympics" is the third episode of the second season of the television series The Office and the show's ninth episode overall. It was written by Michael Schur and directed by Paul Feig. It originally aired on October 4, 2005 on NBC. The episode guest starred Nancy Carell, the real-life wife of series star Steve Carell, as Carol Stills.

"Halloween" is the fifth episode of the second season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's eleventh episode overall. It was written by executive producer and showrunner Greg Daniels and was directed by Paul Feig. The episode first aired on NBC in the United States on October 18, 2005. Guest stars in this episode included Devon Abner, Hugh Dane, George Gaus, Annabelle Kopack, Ava Nisbet and Alec Zbornak.

"The Fight" is the sixth episode of the second season of the television series The Office and the show's twelfth episode overall. It was written by Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg and directed by Ken Kwapis. It originally aired on November 1, 2005, on NBC. "The Fight" guest starred Lance Krall, who played the part of Dwight's sensei, Ira.

"The Client" is the seventh episode of the second season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's thirteenth episode overall. Written by Paul Lieberstein, who also acts in the show as Toby Flenderson, and directed by Greg Daniels, the episode first aired in the United States on November 8, 2005, on NBC.

"The Secret" is the thirteenth episode of the second season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's nineteenth episode overall. It was written by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky and directed by Dennie Gordon. The episode first aired on January 19, 2006 on NBC.

"Valentine's Day" is the sixteenth episode of the second season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's twenty-second episode overall. Written by Michael Schur and directed by Greg Daniels, the episode first aired in the United States on February 9, 2006 on NBC. The episode guest stars Craig Anton, Andy Buckley, Charles Esten, and Conan O'Brien as himself.

"Casino Night" is the second season finale of the American comedy television series The Office and the twenty-eighth episode overall. Written by Steve Carell, who also acts in the show as Michael Scott, and directed by Ken Kwapis, the episode originally aired in the United States on May 11, 2006, on NBC. The episode guest stars Nancy Carell as Carol Stills and Melora Hardin as Jan Levinson.

"The Convention" is the second episode of the third season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's thirtieth episode overall. The episode was written by Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg, and directed by Ken Whittingham. It first aired on September 28, 2006 on NBC in the United States.

"The Coup" is the third episode of the third season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's thirty-first episode overall. It first aired on October 5, 2006, on NBC in the United States.

"Initiation" is the fifth episode of the third season of the American version of The Office and the show's 33rd overall. In the episode, Ryan Howard is taken by Dwight Schrute on what he believes is a sales call, but instead is brought to Dwight's beet farm for an "initiation." Pam Beesly is supposed to keep track of Michael Scott's productivity, but Michael spends his day waiting in line for a pretzel. Jim Halpert steals Karen Filippelli's chair and foils her attempts to get it back.

"The Return" is the fourteenth episode of the third season of the American version of The Office and the show's 42nd overall. In the episode, the office celebrates the return of Oscar Martinez who had been on vacation since the first episode of the season. Meanwhile, a recently departed Dwight Schrute finds a job at Staples.

"Business School" is the seventeenth episode of the third season of the American version of The Office and the show's 45th overall. In the episode, Michael Scott is invited by Ryan Howard to speak to his business school class. When many of the students question the usefulness of paper in a computerized world, Michael attempts to inform the class of how essential paper is. Meanwhile, a bat becomes trapped in the office, leading Dwight Schrute on a mission to protect the employees.

"The Negotiation" is the nineteenth episode of the third season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's forty-seventh episode overall. The series depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. In this episode, Roy Anderson tries to attack Jim Halpert for kissing Pam Beesly on Casino Night, only to be pepper-sprayed by Dwight Schrute. Jim repeatedly tries to thank Dwight for his actions, but each attempt is rejected. Meanwhile, with Roy fired, Darryl Philbin asks for a raise and is astounded when he learns that this raise would cause him to be paid more than his boss, Michael Scott.

"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.

"Fun Run" is the first and second episode of the fourth season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's fifty-fourth and fifty-fifth episode overall. Written and directed by executive producer and showrunner Greg Daniels, the episode first aired on NBC in the United States on September 27, 2007.

"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 2 Season of television series

The second season of the American situation comedy television series, The Office, premiered in the United States on NBC on September 20, 2005, and ended on May 11, 2006. The season had 22 episodes, including its first 40-minute "super-sized" episode. The Office is an American adaptation of the British TV series of the same name, and is presented in a mockumentary format, documenting 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, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Angela Kinsey, Oscar Nunez, and Phyllis Smith.

References

  1. ↑ "Gay Witch Hunt". TV.com . Retrieved June 24, 2008.[ permanent dead link ]
  2. ↑ Goldman, Eric (March 5, 2007). "Paley Fest: The Office". Zap2it . Retrieved November 6, 2012.
  3. ↑ Ford Sullivan, Brian (March 5, 2007). "Live at the Paley Festival: NBC's "The Office"". The Futon Critic. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  4. ↑ Deleted scenes for "Gay Witch Hunt" (DVD). Universal Studios Home Entertainment. 2007.The Office: Season Three Disc 1
  5. ↑ 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.
  6. ↑ Tan, Jeannie (September 26, 2006). "The Office Nielsen Ratings". OfficeTally.com. Retrieved June 25, 2008.
  7. 1 2 Roush, Matt (September 22, 2006) "A Gay Old Office Time". TV Guide . Retrieved June 25, 2008 Archived May 8, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ Zoromski, Brian (September 22, 2006). "The Office: Gay Witch Hunt Review". IGN. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
  9. ↑ West, Steve (September 22, 2006) "TV Recap: The Office Season Premiere". Cinemablend. Retrieved June 25, 2008
  10. ↑ "Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series 2007". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences . Retrieved November 6, 2012.
  11. ↑ "The Office". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences . Retrieved December 20, 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.