Office Ladies — "Holiday Chit Chat with Kate Flannery"
Release Date: December 19, 2025
Hosts: Jenna Fischer, Angela Kinsey
Guest: Kate Flannery ("Meredith" on The Office)
Episode Overview
In this festive holiday special, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey welcome their former "Office" castmate Kate Flannery for a lively conversation about holiday traditions—on and off the set of "The Office." The trio swaps behind-the-scenes stories, shares personal holiday rituals, and dives deep into fan-favorite Christmas episodes. From holiday mishaps to gift-giving strategies, the episode radiates the warmth, humor, and nostalgia fans adore. There’s also plenty of Office lore, a spirited gift exchange, and reflections on the lasting joy the show's holiday episodes have brought to fans.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Holiday Traditions & Preparation (03:13 – 13:57)
Kate’s Touring Christmas Ritual
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Kate shares that every December she tours with Jane Lynch for their Christmas album, A Swingin' Little Christmas:
“I have to put my stuff up before Thanksgiving or late Thanksgiving night. I tour with Jane Lynch… We're bringing Christmas to people… It’s a huge responsibility."
—Kate Flannery [03:32] -
Angela's Hot Tip: The Kinsey family staggers their decorating over a few days to avoid stress:
"What I've learned is that if we try to do it all in one day, someone has a meltdown."
—Angela Kinsey [05:41] -
Jenna’s 'Thanksmas': Her family celebrates "Thanksmas," combining Thanksgiving and Christmas in one trip for scheduling reasons:
“When we go home to visit, we visit on Thanksgiving. We don’t visit on Christmas, but we celebrate Christmas. We do a Thanksmas. One day is Thanksgiving, one day is Christmas.”
—Jenna Fischer [07:15] -
Decorating Debates: Discussion of 'when is it too soon' to put up your tree, referencing a Good Housekeeping survey and the trend toward earlier decorating.
Holiday Shopping Styles
- Jenna's Early Shopping: Influenced by her mom, starts shopping as early as July.
- Kate's Last-Minute Shopping: Prefers the “chaos” of Christmas Eve gift buying.
- Angela: Sometimes shops at the last minute but envies Jenna's pre-planning.
2. Fan Theories, Behind-the-Scenes, and Iconic Moments (14:07 – 16:47)
The “Meredith is Pam’s Future” Theory
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A fan wonders if Meredith represents what Pam might have become if she'd married Roy.
“I have not, but I kind of love it.”
—Kate Flannery [14:20] -
They recall the "Lice" episode, where Pam and Meredith bond during a rough patch.
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Iconic Bald Cap: Kate describes the intricate process behind Meredith’s bald cap—over four hours to apply, nearly three to remove, crafted by Ed French:
“Four and a half hours every morning to get in there… But it was worth it. I didn’t want to shave my head for real, so…”
—Kate Flannery [16:12]
3. Office Ladies Holiday Memories & Gift Exchange (17:11 – 22:07)
BFF Macy’s Gift Exchange
- Jenna and Angela exchange thoughtful, on-theme gifts, both unknowingly opting for practical winter footwear, illustrating their close friendship.
- They revisit their tradition of exchanging quirky, meaningful ornaments with the production team, each tailored to the recipient (e.g., a caviar ornament for Cassie, a yoga mat ornament as an inside joke—Angela fails at yoga).
“This was because I thought every time you decorate your tree, you'll get a little chuckle about the one time we went to yoga together and then you couldn’t walk for two weeks.”
—Jenna Fischer [21:37]
4. Favorite Holiday Episodes & Quotes (22:23 – 32:29)
Most-Mentioned Meredith Moments
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Kate: Her infamous talking head —
“This is my last hurrah. 'Cuz I made a New Year's resolution I'm not gonna drink anymore—during the week.”
(Kate admits the "during the week" improv was her addition)
—Kate Flannery [22:57] -
Angela: The scene where Angela’s character smashes ornaments in the snow—the screech was real because the props were unbreakable:
“I couldn't break them… So I had to stomp them. And shriek. Because I’m like, break!”
—Angela Kinsey [25:11] -
Singing "Little Drummer Boy" and various Phyllis-related quotes are also fan favorites.
Jenna’s Wrapping Quote
- The iconic, judge-y “three pieces of tape” Pam quote haunts Jenna every year during gift wrapping.
Family Traditions & Rituals
- Homemade bows and eggnog, Kate’s dad making lethal batches for family, nuns, and priests.
5. Making Gift Wrapping Magical (29:03 – 31:12)
Kendra Adachi (“The Lazy Genius”) Calls In
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Shares her tradition of watching the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy while wrapping gifts:
“Every year when I wrap presents, I watch the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy. It’s the only time of the year I watch it.”
—Kendra Adachi [29:25] -
Jenna, Angela, and Kate love this and share their own “wrapping rituals.”
Kate’s Restaurant Memories
- Pre-fame Kate recalls serving Peter Jackson, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom during their breaks from Lord of the Rings at her old LA restaurant.
The Office’s Holiday Legacy
“People love the Office episodes, like, we really have a contribution to Christmas in our own weird, strange, wonderful way.”
—Kate Flannery [32:04]
- A DVD of just The Office Christmas episodes exists; there’s a YouTube supercut called “Michael Scott Ruining the Holidays for 40 Minutes Straight.”
6. On-Set Holiday Memories (35:05 – 38:45)
- Season 1: No Christmas episode—Kate and Angela recall decorating their trailers for Halloween instead.
- Early Cast Gifts: Kate made custom Dunder Mifflin votive candles for the cast, telling everyone to “light it and let it burn” in hopes the show would return for another season.
"So it was an intention candle… I handed it to each person. ...Just light it and let it burn. We gotta come back next year."
—Kate Flannery [36:12] - Jenna shares: After her cancer diagnosis, she found comfort in lighting candles in a chapel and the power of prayer/positive ritual.
7. Most Memorable Holiday Episode to Attend? (41:06 – 45:12)
The Choices
- Angela’s traditional party (sad Yankee Swap)
- Benihana Christmas (dueling parties)
- Moroccan Christmas (ends in Meredith’s intervention)
- Secret Santa (dueling Santas, Jesus, chaos)
- Classy Christmas (snowball fight)
- Christmas Wishes (Andy’s drama-filled bash)
- Dwight’s Christmas (Schrute traditions with Belsnickel)
Picks
- Kate: Sentimental for the first season two Christmas party (“Yankee Swap”).
- Angela: Agrees; her favorite group scene.
- Jenna: Dueling Benihana Christmas parties for a guest; original for nostalgia.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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Kate (about improvising "during the week"):
“I just added the 'during the week.'” [23:07]
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Jenna (on wrapping gifts):
“People send me that. It haunts me when I’m wrapping gifts! I guess I’m doing it wrong…” [27:11]
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Kate (on the power of office rituals):
“Even if it’s not your religion, I feel like if it brings goodwill and somebody has an intention that’s positive for you, why not?” [36:47]
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Angela (reflecting on frustrations during the holidays):
“You end up being the opposite of what you want to be, which is like, happy and merry and kind… Why isn’t it working?!” [25:53]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 03:13 – Kate’s holiday concert tradition & early decorating
- 05:41 – Angela's family’s piecemeal decorating process
- 07:15 – Jenna introduces Thanksmas
- 14:07 – Meredith as Pam’s future fan theory
- 16:12 – Bald cap process for “Lice”
- 17:11 – BFF Macy’s gift exchange
- 22:39 – Most quoted Meredith moments (“last hurrah—during the week”)
- 25:11 – Angela’s unbreakable ornaments meltdown
- 27:09 – Jenna’s infamous “three pieces of tape” quote
- 29:25 – The Lazy Genius’ Lord of the Rings wrapping tradition
- 32:04 – Office Christmas episode legacy
- 36:12 – Kate’s Dunder Mifflin “intention candle” gift story
- 41:06 – Choosing your ideal Dunder Mifflin holiday party
Tone & Flavor
The tone is festive, irreverent, and heartfelt, full of warm BFF banter and quick-witted callbacks to iconic Office moments. There’s a genuine sense of camaraderie, with the cast marveling over shared history and the odd, wonderful impact The Office’s Christmas episodes have had on real-life holidays.
Closing
The episode wraps with a group carol, laughter, and heartfelt wishes from all:
"Happy holidays, everybody!"
—Angela, Jenna & Kate [46:37–46:44]
For new and old fans alike, this episode offers a one-way ticket into the nostalgia and joy that only the “Office Ladies” can deliver, holiday style.