Second Drink: Basketball

Summary

Office Ladies Podcast Summary: "Second Drink: Basketball"

Episode Information:

• Title: Second Drink: Basketball
• Hosts: Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey
• Release Date: December 9, 2024
• Podcast: Office Ladies by Audacy

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Introduction

In the "Second Drink: Basketball" episode of the Office Ladies podcast, hosts Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey dive deep into the iconic "Basketball" episode from The Office. Released on December 9, 2024, this episode serves as an extensive re-watch and analysis, offering listeners an intimate look behind the scenes, character dynamics, and memorable moments that define this classic episode.

---

Episode Synopsis

Jenna Fischer provides a concise overview of the "Basketball" episode:

[23:00] Jenna Fischer: "In this episode, Michael challenges the guys in the warehouse to a basketball game against the upstairs sales staff. The warehouse workers, led by Daryl, want to make it a friendly game, but Michael insists there be a prize for the winner, or more accurately, a punishment for the losers."

The episode explores the competitive spirit between the sales and warehouse teams, highlighting Michael Scott's (Steve Carell) desperate need to assert his authority and foster camaraderie within the office.

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Key Scenes and Moments

Pam and Jim's Flirtatious Interaction

Angela discusses a past scene in the episode that showcases the budding romance between Pam and Jim:

[02:01] Angela Kinsey: "It's a Pam and Jim scene... one of those cute little flirty Jim and Pam moments."

They detail how the scene was initially part of the shooting draft but was later reduced to fit into later episodes, maintaining the subtlety of their relationship.

Dwight's Ambition to Join the Basketball Team

The hosts dissect Dwight Schrute's (Rainn Wilson) attempt to join the basketball team, emphasizing his relentless pursuit of inclusion:

[02:29] Angela Kinsey: "And if you watch it, I totally see John trying not to laugh in the background."

Character Introductions and Dynamics

Jenna and Angela delve into the introduction of Daryl Philbin (Craig Robinson) and his evolving relationship with Michael:

[33:39] Angela Kinsey: "This is one of my favorite introductions of a character on The Office... how Michael comes up with this nickname for him is so ridiculous."

They highlight how Daryl becomes an integral part of the team dynamics, balancing Michael's over-the-top management style.

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Behind the Scenes Insights

Filming Challenges and Anecdotes

Jenna shares her experiences filming the episode, particularly the intensive filming schedule:

[14:35] Jenna Fischer: "Each other for two solid days. And a day of filming is about 12 hours. So 24 solid hours on that bench."

Angela recounts memorable moments off-camera, including interactions with Steve Carell:

[15:28] Angela Kinsey: "Unbeknownst to us, quietly walking behind us was Steve Carell. And he said, 'no matter what happens with this show... this friendship.'"

Crew Contributions and Technical Details

The hosts appreciate the technical team's efforts, especially sound engineer Nick Carbone:

[17:16] Angela Kinsey: "Nick Carbone put a microphone on me every day for nine years... he created a leg wrap that used bra hooks to prevent runs in my pantyhose."

---

Character Development and Relationships

Dwight and Angela's Early Interactions

Angela and Jenna discuss whether Dwight and Angela were already in a relationship during the "Basketball" episode:

[38:50] Jenna Fischer: "Looking back, do you think they were already in a relationship now, or do you think that this is maybe the beginning of that sexual tension?"

[39:02] Angela Kinsey: "I think it's the beginning. They both kind of like each other, but they also are annoyed by each other."

This analysis provides insight into the gradual development of their complex relationship.

Roy and Pam's Engagement

Jenna reveals the personal backstory she created for Pam and Roy to better portray their strained engagement:

[44:01] Jenna Fischer: "They had been saving money for the wedding. And about a year into their engagement, Roy spent the money on a pair of Waverunners with his brother."

This creative addition enhances the depth of Pam's character and her conflicted feelings between Roy and Jim.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

1. Angela Kinsey on Dwight's Persistence:

   [05:07] Cassie Jerkins: "Would you like to have a vacation this year?"

2. Jenna Fischer on Michael's Management Style:

   [33:39] Angela Kinsey: "We're gonna have somebody to come in and take over the holiday and weekend work calendar."

3. Jenna's Autograph Line:

   [51:22] Jenna Fischer: "Please don't throw garbage at me."

These quotes capture pivotal moments and character emotions within the episode.

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Memorable Episode Highlights

• Basketball Game Dynamics: The intense competition between the sales and warehouse teams, showcasing each character's unique traits.

• Michael's Overreaching Authority: Michael's insistence on having a high-stakes game reflects his desperate need for control and validation within the office.

• Stanley's Iconic Dribble: Leslie David Baker's (Stanley) hilarious and memorable attempt at dribbling, which has become a fan favorite.

• Real Injuries Filmed Casually: A genuine moment where Rainn Wilson accidentally injures John Krasinski's (Tim) nose, which the crew kept in the documentary-style footage.

---

Conclusion

"Second Drink: Basketball" offers fans a comprehensive exploration of one of The Office's most beloved episodes. Through candid conversations, behind-the-scenes stories, and in-depth character analyses, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey provide valuable insights that enrich the viewing experience. Whether you're a long-time fan or new to The Office, this podcast episode delivers an engaging and informative look at the nuances that make "Basketball" a standout installment in the series.

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Notable Takeaways:

• The "Basketball" episode is pivotal in establishing key character relationships and office dynamics.
• Behind-the-scenes anecdotes reveal the camaraderie and challenges faced during filming.
• The hosts emphasize the enduring legacy and continued relevance of The Office through its dedicated fanbase and timeless humor.

Quotes for Reflection:

• "Please don't throw garbage at me." – Jenna Fischer as Pam, a line that encapsulates her ongoing struggle with Michael's antics.

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Next Episode Preview: Stay tuned for the next Office Ladies episode, where Jenna and Angela will break down "Hot Girl," continuing their journey through The Office's memorable moments.

Transcript

[Jenna Fischer]

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[Angela Kinsey]

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[Angela Kinsey]

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[Angela Kinsey]

This holiday season, surprise everyone on your list with the best gifts. Tickets to see their favorite artists live.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. @livenation.com you can choose from thousands of concerts and comedy shows, including the Trans Siberian Orchestra. That's who Dwight Schrute is rocking out to in that Christmas episode of the Office.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's right.

[Jenna Fischer]

Or maybe you want to go with one of his other favorites, Metallica.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, you know Jenna. Also Chelsea Handler. You and I were on her show. She's so funny.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. Sarah Silverman. Or maybe you'd like to hear Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige or Rascal Flatts.

[Angela Kinsey]

And so many more. Share a memory together. Or give a gift they'll never forget.

[Jenna Fischer]

Find the most exciting gift for every [e-mail] gifts.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's livenation.com.

[Jenna Fischer]

Hello, everyone. Welcome to our second drink for basketball. Angela, you told me that you found a fun scene in our shooting draft for this episode that we never talked about before.

[Angela Kinsey]

I did. It's a Pam and Jim scene. So here's the deal. In the episode when Michael goes up to reception and says, pam. Pam. Thank you, ma'am.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

And then Dwight quickly approaches to ask him if he can be on the basketball team. Well, this whole moment at front reception was longer and it had one of those cute little flirty Jim and Pam moments.

[Jenna Fischer]

There's a lot of those in the early seasons. There are.

[Angela Kinsey]

Here's how it was written. So this would have happened before Michael gets to work.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay. Interior, office reception. Pam and Jim are listening to the same phone headset, their heads touching. They are smiling, clearly enjoying what they're hearing. Jim to camera says, I'm listening to my boss try on pants. Pam says, michael must have bumped his cell phone last night. So now we have a half an hour message of him at the mall. Jim says, it's fantastic. He glances to make sure Michael's door is closed. Then he pokes a button to put it on speaker. Everyone hears loud scratching sounds. Jim says, we've heard it four times. It's mostly silence, but every now and then Pam goes, shh. And then you hear Michael saying, ugh, do these run small? And the sales lady says, no. And Pam and Jim react, smiling. There's some more fussing sounds from the speaker, and then Pam goes, okay, wait, here it comes. Michael starts to softly sing to himself. I love a Abercrombie and bitch. Yeah, if I could have one wish. Abercrombie and Bitch. Pam and Jim look at each other with glee. The voicemail system kicks on and says, end of message. Press one to replay, and they both lunge to press one.

[Jenna Fischer]

Aw.

[Angela Kinsey]

Early. Jim and Pam flirty. And if you go to the Superfan episode, there is a much smaller version of this that made it in. Pam just says to Michael, nice pants. Did you get those at Abercrombie?

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh.

[Angela Kinsey]

Mm.

[Jenna Fischer]

Mm.

[Angela Kinsey]

And if you watch it, I totally see John trying not to laugh in the background.

[Jenna Fischer]

Mm. Well, I love anytime Michael goes shopping or buys jeans or whatever.

[Angela Kinsey]

Any Michael fashion moment.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

Last thing I wanted to share is when we break down this episode, you and I get into a discussion about whether Dwight and Angela's relationship had started already. Yeah, but lady, we didn't include the deleted scenes in this discussion. And there are a few extra ones that might prove they actually have not hooked up yet. Okay, for example, Angela had a candy dish on her desk with Tootsie Rolls in it. And Dwight comes over to get some. Oh, and also, if you watch this, the candy dish, if you zoom in, is the blue Cat paperclip holder that I had for the entire series.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, but in this instance, you had candy in it. Not paperclips, exactly.

[Angela Kinsey]

I had Tootsie Rolls in it, to be specific. Let's hear the scene.

[Cassie Jerkins]

Mmm.

[Angela Kinsey]

It's good.

[Cassie Jerkins]

Mmm.

[Angela Kinsey]

They're one per person.

[Cassie Jerkins]

Would you like to have a vacation this year? That's what I thought.

[Angela Kinsey]

Delicious. That does not sound like someone who is dating someone.

[Jenna Fischer]

No, definitely not.

[Angela Kinsey]

And Angela had even made a sign that says one per person and had stuck it in the dish. And he's just ignoring it.

[Jenna Fischer]

The way he was eating that gave me the ick.

[Angela Kinsey]

Ugh. I know. It's pretty gross. And it's Tootsie Rolls, too. He was just putting as many as he could in his mouth.

[Jenna Fischer]

And Tootsie Rolls really make you produce a lot of saliva.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. Yeah. So my second scene to prove that Angela and Dwight aren't dating yet comes during the basketball game. Dwight sits next to her during a timeout, and he's wearing that protective mask. And this is what Angela says to him. Is that really necessary?

[Cassie Jerkins]

I've almost had my nose broken a dozen times.

[Angela Kinsey]

I mean, she's repulsed by him.

[Jenna Fischer]

I mean, yes. Now I need to know, when did she find her attraction to him?

[Angela Kinsey]

When did it turn?

[Jenna Fischer]

I guess it's good we cut those out. Well, those are some good extra tidbits, Ang. Cassie's got an extra tidbit for us as well. Cassie, since this is the basketball episode and you are our resident basketball expert, will you please share with us your office professional basketball player mashup that you did?

[David Denman]

Yeah. So I was watching this episode, and I was just thinking, like, which office character is which? Like, NBA, WNBA star, and some of them work really well.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, yeah.

[David Denman]

Yeah. So for Dwight, he was the most easy, I have to say. He's Nicola Jokic, AKA the Joker. Basically, he's from Serbia. He comes over here. He works really hard. He's been MVP three times in a row. And then he goes home and works on his farm, and he raises horses.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my gosh.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's very Dwight. He doesn't wear a face mask, though.

[David Denman]

I don't think he's had to wear a face mask yet.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay.

[David Denman]

But, yeah, he definitely, though, on the court, can do anything. And Dwight kind of forces himself to do anything when they're playing basketball. So, you know, pretty similar. Um, for Michael Scott, I can't say he plays like any basketball player.

[Angela Kinsey]

I hope.

[Jenna Fischer]

You can't say that. Yeah. I wouldn't want anyone to be the Michael Scott of their team. He's not good.

[David Denman]

Mm, exactly. But I think in terms of personality, he's very close to LeBron James. Oh, yeah. He's kind of like a goofy guy. And I've been watching Starting five, and he talks about how, like, he loves to dress up for Halloween and he loves his family. And right now, this season, Bronny is playing on the Lakers with him.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know it's father's son.

[David Denman]

Yeah. I think Michael Scott would have his son or sons play basketball with him.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, he'd be so excited.

[Jenna Fischer]

I like that.

[Angela Kinsey]

I really hope that goes viral. I hope this podcast is quoted. Cassie Jerkins says Michael Scott LeBron trains is Michael Scott.

[David Denman]

Hopefully, he'll like that. And then for Jim I think he's also another Austin Reeves. And I'm saying this because last year there was a game where he was playing against the Pistons and he accidentally, like, landed on some beautiful women sitting courtside and it made him blush. And then the rest of the game, anytime he played really well, he would check in with them to see if they were checking him out. And that's exactly how Jim was playing.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. Very Jim to Pam, right?

[David Denman]

Yeah, exactly. So Stanley's dribble is like iconic, super memorable. So for him, I think he has very similar handles to James Harden. And I say this with love because I'm a Clippers fan, but James, his handles are kind of all over the place. You don't know what's going to happen, but it ends up like most of the time being successful. So I think with Stanley's dribble, everybody's like, what's happening, Cassie?

[Angela Kinsey]

We're going to get mail.

[David Denman]

I would love if James Harden comes after me. I'm a fan. And then notable mentions is in this episode, two characters are like Michael disregards as being like, you can't play basketball. And then it turns out they're probably the best at basketball.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[David Denman]

So, Phyllis, I have to give a nod to being Caitlin Clark because in college, UConn didn't recruit her, so she ended up going to Iowa. And now she's the greatest of all time. And then same thing happened with Kevin or Steph Curry, where he also was overlooked in college and now he's the greatest shooter of all time.

[Angela Kinsey]

Also, I mean, Brian's three point shot, I mean, that's incredible. That's like Curry. He can just like throw anything up like from way out there.

[David Denman]

And he goes in and that long take where he keeps hitting it and it's like nothing but net. There's no cuts.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[David Denman]

That's incredible.

[Angela Kinsey]

I was so glad they got that on film. And there's even more of it in deleted scenes.

[David Denman]

Amazing.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, that was so fun, Cassie. Thank you.

[Jenna Fischer]

I loved that.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay, well, here is our breakdown of basketball and we have a Fantastic Office Lady 6.0 out on Wednesday. Kathy Bates shares with us about her time on the show. What a fun interview. And my Hallmark Christmas movie, Confessions of a Christmas Letter is now streaming on Hallmark. Plus they even have a free trial so you can watch it over the holidays. Love you guys. We hope you have a great one.

[Jenna Fischer]

See you then. I'm Jenna Fisher.

[Angela Kinsey]

And I'm Angela Kinsey.

[Jenna Fischer]

We were on the Office together and we're best friends and now we're doing the ultimate Office Rewatch podcast just for you.

[Angela Kinsey]

Each week, we will break down an episode of the Office and give exclusive behind the scenes stories that only two people who were there can tell you.

[Jenna Fischer]

We're the Office ladies.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my God. I'm here with my bff.

[Jenna Fischer]

We're gonna do this.

[Angela Kinsey]

This is so cool. We are hanging out, talking about the Office. Oh, my gosh.

[Jenna Fischer]

Is it weird that we're super fans of a show that we were on?

[Angela Kinsey]

I don't think so because I think it's really good.

[Jenna Fischer]

It is really good.

[Angela Kinsey]

It really makes me laugh for real.

[Jenna Fischer]

Out loud. Still. It holds up.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know. And it's hard to make me laugh. But you know what? We were surrounded. I feel like we were on, like, the comedy all star team. We were so lucky. So basically, here's what our podcast is about, you guys. We are going to watch an episode of the Office each week. We would love it if you watch them too. And then we're going to talk about things that happen behind the scenes, moments, our memories of it. We're going to have guests. Come on. Maybe some fun directors and maybe some of our writers and our cast members, people that worked in the crew. Now, listen, we are probably not the expert. Be all experts on the Office like we like to think we are, but you guys have watched it like 17 times all the way through.

[Jenna Fischer]

I would lose a trip trivia contest to any fan.

[Angela Kinsey]

I mean, I just met someone who said they had watched the Office 18 times all the way through. I mean, that's pretty amazing. So if you're listening to this and you're like, hey, they didn't bring up the moment that Daryl said this. You can send in questions and anything we don't talk about today, we'd be happy to make a little special side podcast. What do you call that? Let's call it the special sauce. This is the entree. But if you want to send in a question, we'll put it in our special sauce.

[Jenna Fischer]

And I like that. Available on Stitcher Premium.

[Angela Kinsey]

Jenna, who is the person you want to sit next to in any high school chemistry class, College class. She is the note taker. You don't watch Game of Thrones, so you will miss this reference, but I feel like you would be like Jenna Fisher, first of her name, keeper of the notes of the records.

[Jenna Fischer]

I don't watch Game of Thrones, but I appreciate that.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay, well, you would. You would be keeper of the notes. And she has made some really great notes. And we both went back and rewatched which episode, Jenna?

[Jenna Fischer]

Today we are discussing the basketball episode. This is season one, episode five, Boo.

[Angela Kinsey]

Boo. Boo Boo.

[Jenna Fischer]

It was written and directed by Greg Daniels.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's right. Jenna, do you know what time it is?

[Jenna Fischer]

It's time for Fast Facts.

[Angela Kinsey]

Woo hoo.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, we've got some fast facts on the basketball episode.

[Angela Kinsey]

It's your favorite part.

[Jenna Fischer]

This was Greg Daniels directorial debut of the Office.

[Angela Kinsey]

Not just any debut, of directing, of all directing.

[Jenna Fischer]

So not just of the Office, but his debut debut. Now, he told me he had directed actors before for voice on the Simpsons and King of the Hill.

[Angela Kinsey]

Right.

[Jenna Fischer]

He created King of the Hill for anyone who doesn't know that. But this was his first time doing on camera directing. He would go on to direct 12 more episodes of the Office. But this was the first.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes. And I remember him showing up in his New Balance sneakers, his gray New Balance sneakers and his, like, khaki pants. Greg always wears anything he got for free. So, like, his shirt might have said King of the Hill. His baseball hat might have said the Simpsons. Mindy Kaling used to joke that he just wore all his swag all the time. But he showed up so giddy and excited. His enthusiasm and love for this show and this world and characters, it was just so contagious. I just loved it so much. It made me excited. Here's now a little BFF side note for you guys. So Jenna and I, up until this point in the Office, we had that partition between us.

[Jenna Fischer]

We've been speaking over the partition, over the partition.

[Angela Kinsey]

And. But now, as we filmed Basketball, we were now sitting next to each other on that bench. It was Jenna, me, and Phyllis sitting on that bench all day next to.

[Jenna Fischer]

Each other for two solid days. And a day of filming is about 12 hours.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

So 24 solid hours on that bench.

[Angela Kinsey]

And you say I just kept talking your ear off.

[Jenna Fischer]

You would not stop talking to me. Yes. The reason we are best friends is because Angela would not stop speaking to me.

[Angela Kinsey]

Jenna just finally gave up.

[Jenna Fischer]

You wore me down.

[Angela Kinsey]

I wore you down?

[Jenna Fischer]

No, but we told each other our lifestyle stories on that bench.

[Angela Kinsey]

We did 24 hours.

[Jenna Fischer]

It was like the bench of truth.

[Angela Kinsey]

It was the bench of truth.

[Jenna Fischer]

Everything you could possibly want to share.

[Angela Kinsey]

I will never forget. We were leaving one night. We had taped till really late at night. We'd had a long day and it was our day two. So you and I have now talked.

[Jenna Fischer]

For the full 24 hours.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, 24 hours. And it's late at night and we had to walk from where the warehouse set was Back to our trailers, and it was a little bit of a walk, and we linked arms, arm in arm, and we started doing the Laverne and Shirley song. Shamil Shamaza.

[Jenna Fischer]

I remember this.

[Angela Kinsey]

And we were going up and down, and we. And we were like, we're gonna do it. Get it.

[Jenna Fischer]

I don't know why we were doing this.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. And I don't know why we weren't. Because we were giddy. We had lost our minds because we'd been in that warehouse for, you know, 24 hours. But unbeknownst to us, quietly walking behind us was Steve Carell. And we turned around and realized he'd watched us do this whole Laverne and Shirley song and dance. And we started laughing because we were embarrassed. And he looked at us and smiled, and he said, you guys, no matter what happens with this show, because we were on the chopping block.

[Jenna Fischer]

Always on the chop.

[Angela Kinsey]

Always on the chopping block. That first season, for sure. And he was like, no matter what happens with the show, this is what you guys will have from it. And he pointed at the two of us, this friendship. And I'll never forget it, because he was right. And you say, this is the episode. You have a photo that. This is the. The moment we became best friends.

[Jenna Fischer]

I have a photo of us sitting on that bench from this episode framed in my office.

[Angela Kinsey]

Aw, yeah, lady.

[Jenna Fischer]

I know.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's so sweet.

[Jenna Fischer]

And I have a sense memory of my butt falling asleep.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my butt fell asleep so many.

[Jenna Fischer]

Times, my butt fell asleep.

[Angela Kinsey]

And the shoes I was wearing were called S.A.S.S. s a s. And they're like what nuns wear.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. But there's an interesting thing I noticed in rewatching this.

[Angela Kinsey]

What?

[Jenna Fischer]

In the very early moments of this episode, you see the boom microphone dip down into frame.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, look at you catching a little boom.

[Jenna Fischer]

Now, normally, you would never allow this on television.

[Angela Kinsey]

Right.

[Jenna Fischer]

But on our show, this was considered gold. We kept this stuff in, like, you never not used a take that was funny. Right. Just because you saw the boom microphone or anything. Any quote unquote mistake that would normally get cut out of another show.

[Angela Kinsey]

We used it because you want it.

[Jenna Fischer]

To feel like the documentary, like an authentic documentary. This was really important. So I thought that was kind of a cool little thing in my.

[Angela Kinsey]

That is cool. Our boom operator was named Nick Carbone.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

And one of my favorite things is when sometimes he would get the boom in the shot, we would yell, you got carboned.

[Jenna Fischer]

Car boned.

[Angela Kinsey]

You got carboned. And then we also started making up a song Called Boom Shadow. Boom Shadow. Listen, young kids. Google it. That is an old song.

[Jenna Fischer]

Angela, I have to share something else about Nick Carbone, our sound guy. Okay, so Nick Carbone put a microphone on me every day for nine years.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes, he did.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's a very intimate thing to mic an actor. Oftentimes, you know, I was in that pencil skirt, and if I was standing up, we would sometimes have to put a leg wrap around my upper thigh to hide the microphone pack, and then very delicately weave a microphone wire through underneath my bra up my blouse. And Nick Carbone was the person who did this every day for me, too.

[Angela Kinsey]

Every day.

[Jenna Fischer]

So a very intimate relationship you form with the person who mics you every day. Here's something that would happen, though. Those leg wraps, they closed via Velcro. Yes, they were a Velcro leg wrap. And Pam, more pantyhose. And I would get a run in my pantyhose, and I would have to change my pantyhose four to five times a day. The wardrobe people, they would put four or five packs of pantyhose in my trailer because they knew that inevitably I would get a run from this Velcro, which was also itchy and uncomfortable.

[Angela Kinsey]

It was uncomfortable.

[Jenna Fischer]

Do you know what Nick did for me?

[Angela Kinsey]

I do know what he did for you, but you tell them.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay, here's what he did. He came up with a special leg wrap invention.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

Where he created a leg wrap that used bra hooks. Hooks.

[Angela Kinsey]

It was like a bra.

[Jenna Fischer]

It was like a bra.

[Angela Kinsey]

A bra strap?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, Like a bra strap closure so that when he hooked it onto my leg, my pantyhose wouldn't run and I wouldn't have to change my pantyhose so often. And it worked.

[Angela Kinsey]

It was brilliant.

[Jenna Fischer]

Here's the other thing he did. Knew that I like to really go for it at the holidays. I mean, I like to eat the pies and the many turkeys and all of the stuffing.

[Angela Kinsey]

You love some holiday eating.

[Jenna Fischer]

I love the holiday eating. And I would often come back from the holidays a good full size larger than when I left. So Nick Carbone put, like, a bra. There were three different study settings for if it was post holidays, pre holidays, maybe. I was working out real hard for a movie role so that it always fit me, because that was the purpose of the Velcro, was that you could kind of Velcro it anywhere. So he made this adjustable leg wrap for me, and we called it the Jenna. And he kept it in my kit. It was so cool. And then, you know what after the Office was over, a couple years later, I got a job on an ABC show called Splitting Up Together. And when I walked on the set for the first day, they introduced me to the sound team, and it was Nick. And I am tearing up just thinking about it. There he was again. So the only person who has really ever mic'd me for television is Nick Carbone. And he had saved my special leg wrap.

[Angela Kinsey]

That is so sweet.

[Jenna Fischer]

I just love him so much.

[Angela Kinsey]

I love him, too. We've totally become family. And I just loved our crew. I just loved our crew so much. We should have our crew. We need to have guests on. We need to have our crew come visit.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, we need to have our crew.

[Angela Kinsey]

We need to do, like, a crew episode. I would love that. Yeah. This is completely not related to Nick Carbone, but I have to share it. Jenna wore pantyhose every day. They were in her trailer. The same pantyhose were in my trailer. They were put in my trailer every day starting day one. I never put them on. I never. I refused to wear pantyhose. I refused to wear pantyhose and Jenna one day. I mean, it was years into the office.

[Jenna Fischer]

I remember the day.

[Angela Kinsey]

It was years into filming, like, seasons upon seasons. And she looked over at me one day and she was like, you don't have on pantyhose. I was like, oh, yeah, they put them in my trailer. I don't wear those things. I'm not wearing pantyhose. And she was like, what the hell? I've been wearing pantyhose for years.

[Jenna Fischer]

I am such a rule follower that it had never occurred to me that I could go rogue and just not wear a pantyhose. I just put them on.

[Angela Kinsey]

No one said anything. I didn't put them on. No one said anything.

[Jenna Fischer]

I mean, listen, there were times when I didn't dress the bottom half of my body.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, you need to explore that, because it sounds. Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, yeah. I should. Let me expand on that.

[Angela Kinsey]

You weren't, like, you know.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

Commando.

[Jenna Fischer]

So sometimes if I was only seated behind the reception desk, I only dressed the top half of Pam, and the bottom half was Uggs and Sweatpants.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

So I did get a break from the pantyhose, but I never wore them ever.

[Angela Kinsey]

I can't believe that I just kept shoving them aside. I shoved them aside for, like, two years, and then they just gave up and stop putting them in my trailer.

[Jenna Fischer]

I used to look so forward to our quote unquote winter episodes because they would give Me tights, which were way more comfortable than pantyhose. And then after a while, I had to say, stop putting control top pantyhose in my trailer. I don't want to wear control top pantyhose for 12 hours a day. You and my grandmother, especially after the holidays.

[Angela Kinsey]

This is a sentence that could like, set up so many conversations for me with Jenna. But, Jenna, you and my grandmother were the only two people I knew for a period of time that wore pantyhose every day. My grandmother wore pantyhose every day of her life. She was like she always had on pantyhose.

[Jenna Fischer]

I can't wait to be 75, because I think I'll finally make sense.

[Angela Kinsey]

You're already there.

[Jenna Fischer]

I've been a 75 year old woman since I was born. Should we give a synopsis of the episode?

[Angela Kinsey]

I know you want to, Jenna.

[Jenna Fischer]

I wrote the notes.

[Angela Kinsey]

Do it, lady.

[Jenna Fischer]

I wrote down a synopsis.

[Angela Kinsey]

She did, y'all. She typed it out.

[Jenna Fischer]

It is. I'm gonna read it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay.

[Jenna Fischer]

In this episode, Michael challenges the guys in the warehouse to a basketball game against the upstairs sales staff. The warehouse workers, led by Daryl, want to make it a friendly game, but Michael insists there be a prize for the winner, or more accurately, a punishment for the losers. Michael suggests the losers have to work on Saturday, and then he taunts Daryl with chicken sounds until Daryl agrees. Correct. But things will get more interesting in this episode. That's not where it ends. Angela.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know you.

[Jenna Fischer]

The drama does not end there.

[Angela Kinsey]

There's another dun, dun, dun paragraph.

[Jenna Fischer]

Things get more interest because Pam's fiance Roy works in the warehouse.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, snap.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. So we find out that she is caught between her office crush Jim and her actual fiance, Roy. Who's she gonna root for upstairs or downstairs?

[Angela Kinsey]

I don't know.

[Jenna Fischer]

Let's start at the beginning of the episode. Michael enters the office and starts asking if people are ready for the big game.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, this is early days of the office. Michael was super cringy.

[Jenna Fischer]

He was.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my God. He was so like. First of all, he liked just accost you. He just walks up and swats you with a newspaper. He's like, bam, whack.

[Jenna Fischer]

He does?

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

He would come up to my desk and I would flinch.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

This podcast is brought to you by Squarespace.

[Angela Kinsey]

Squarespace is just so great. We use it every single week. OfficeLadies.com is a Squarespace website. It's an all in one website platform for entrepreneurs to build their site to stand out and succeed online. And you know, whether you're just starting out because five years ago we had never had a website before and we have slowly built it over time. And Squarespace was there for us to make it really easy to create and add new things to our site.

[Jenna Fischer]

And they're constantly adding new features, which is super cool because I feel like Squarespace is helping businesses grow. They have amazing analytics so you can get insights on top traffic sources, you can understand your reach, you can track your sales metrics. Check out squarespace.com for a free trial and when you're ready to Launch, go to squarespace.com officeladies to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Peloton is not just bikes, people. Peloton has a variety of workouts for whatever era you're in. Holiday era, running era, wellness era, whatever it is, they have classes and motivation to help you get to it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Or what if you've always wanted to try something like barre, Pilates, yoga, running, meditation, you can sign up for one of these classes and explore a variety of workouts.

[Jenna Fischer]

So I like to walk in my neighborhood, I like to walk in the fresh air and then I like to do one of the Peloton meditations and total body stretches. That is an example of like one fitness thing I'll do in a week.

[Angela Kinsey]

And here's the thing, a lot of times you think, oh, do I have time to exercise? Will they have 10, 20 or 45 minute time increments of classes?

[Jenna Fischer]

I usually do the 20. I hit it right in the middle. Find your push. Find your power with [e-mail] well, the.

[Angela Kinsey]

Holidays are upon us and Whole Foods Market is your holiday headquarters. Whether you're hosting or if you're a guest, impress everyone at your table with exceptional flavors and enchanting Host gifts for all of your holiday gatherings.

[Jenna Fischer]

This is where you want to go for cheese ang.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh I know. I love their there's such a huge selection.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes, and not just that. They also have all the best, like little extras that go on your cheese board. The nuts and the dried fruit and the little jams and the fig stuff.

[Angela Kinsey]

Chocolate. You can put chocolate on a cheese board.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's just the way you said it. And they have it at Whole Foods. And don't forget about the 365 by Whole Foods Market seasonal cookies and baking mixes. Or go to the bakery department for some timeless classics.

[Angela Kinsey]

Whole Foods Market has everything you need. Whether you're hosting the big meal and planning to cook up a feast, or if you're Simply a guest who wants to impress with a thoughtful gift. Need help in the kitchen? Let Whole Foods Market cater your meal with ease, including savory appetizers, irresistible mains, and crowd pleasing desserts. [e-mail] Make Whole Foods Market your holiday headquarters.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay, let's talk about the game down in the warehouse. I'm going to say.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, you have to talk about the Todd Packer moment.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay.

[Jenna Fischer]

One of my absolute favorite. First, I want to say that I went back and watched the entire first season of the Office, and it is my personal opinion that basketball is one of the best episodes we ever did.

[Angela Kinsey]

Really?

[Jenna Fischer]

I absolutely love it. I think it is so good. One of my favorite scenes in this episode is the one where Dwight follows Michael into his office and tries to convince him that he should be part of the basketball team. And they get in this exchange. That is so wonderful. Michael says, no, not after what happened at that pickup game. And then Dwight is like, I apologized for that. And he's like, I vouched for you. I vouched for you in front of Todd. Pa. Now, here's the amazing thing about this show is that we've never met Todd Packer. He's only been mentioned one other time, which is in the pilot when he calls in on speakerphone while Michael's having a meeting with Jan.

[Angela Kinsey]

Right.

[Jenna Fischer]

Says a bunch of inappropriate stuff, and Michael just shuts him off the speakerphone.

[Angela Kinsey]

But you can tell in that phone call, Michael Covets. This guy loves this man. He's the coolest guy.

[Jenna Fischer]

We are not gonna meet Todd Pecker. I looked it up. Do you know when we finally meet him? Season season two. Two sexual harassment episode.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, that's perfect.

[Jenna Fischer]

Which. Yes, I know, but that's like far. Yeah, like, that's a while.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, I do love this. And I feel like Greg Daniels was so great about this. And with our writers room is we just jumped in the middle of these people's lives. You know, we don't tell backstory and the audience just has to catch up. And I love that. Yeah, I love all these little nuggets. And this episode in particular has a lot of little nuggets. You see these dynamics that then play out years later. I love. And I don't want to jump too far ahead, but like Dwight and Angela's power struggle, it's the first time you see it is in this episode.

[Jenna Fischer]

All right, so we'll play that clip.

[Cassie Jerkins]

I think I should be on the team.

[Angela Kinsey]

No.

[Cassie Jerkins]

And that's not me being mean, Dwight. That Is based on your past behavior. Oh, please. When I let him come to my pickup, I apologize for that. I vouch for you. I vouch for you in front of Todd Packer, Dwight. All right, here's what I'm gonna do. The hand strikes and gives a flower. You are not going to play basketball, But I need somebody to come in and take over the holiday and weekend work calendar. I can handle that. Good. Excellent. It'll be fun because corporate wants somebody to have be here on Saturday. And so we're gonna have to have a couple people come in on the weekends. And I know nobody's gonna want to do it, and everybody's gonna complain and bitch, and I don't want to have to deal with it. And that's why you have an assistant regional manager. Yes, it is. Assistant to the regional manager. Same thing. No, it's not. It's lower.

[Angela Kinsey]

So it's close.

[Jenna Fischer]

I love everything about Steve.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know so much. He's so brilliant.

[Jenna Fischer]

And everyone's gonna bitch and complain.

[Angela Kinsey]

He just hates. He does not want to be the bad guy.

[Jenna Fischer]

No.

[Angela Kinsey]

Desperately doesn't want to be the. He wants to be liked. And that really is at the heart of this show for Michael is his. This office is his family. He wants them so badly to love him. I love. In this little scene when Rain looks to the camera like he has a few, like, looks to the camera that are just great. And I feel like this was really fun for all of us, this documentary kind of genre, because we did get to do that. And even in years later, I have jobs. And every once in a while, a director will say, angela, you just looked at camera. You can't look at camera.

[Jenna Fischer]

I do it still, too.

[Angela Kinsey]

And I'm like, oh, crap. Sorry. For nine years, I would check in with the camera.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's so true. The camera was a character. It was another person that we could relate to. The documentarian, quote, unquote.

[Angela Kinsey]

Right.

[Jenna Fischer]

And so we were encouraged to make them a part of the conversation.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, I know.

[Jenna Fischer]

And then it's weird, too. Then take other jobs where you're like, oh, right, right. You're not actually filming me. We're back to pretending like this is not. You're not in the room.

[Angela Kinsey]

Exactly. Exactly.

[Jenna Fischer]

Another great scene is when Michael leads Ryan down into the warehouse. There's that great quote he's managing by walking around.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

That would be in his book, How I Manage. Michael Scott's book, How I Manage. Here's a little trivia.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

The first time we go down into the warehouse yeah, we. Well, I take that back. We go down into the warehouse in the episode before this called the Alliance. But we. This is the first time, like, we go down and get introduced to the warehouse staff.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes, that's right. And Michael and Ryan go down these stairs. Now, in this episode, we were filming in Culver City. So those stairs actually were real. They actually existed. We filmed in an actual building that was an old company.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. And so these offices were on the second floor of that building, too.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's right. And so you go down the stairs to the warehouse, but in years later, they recreated the whole office in a different location on a soundstage. And those stairs still existed, but they led nowhere. That was a tiny, tiny closet about three feet wide.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

And you would hide in the tiny closet, and then on cue, you would open the door and walk out. So there were many times when you would either be up there by yourself in the tiny closet or you'd be up there. Like, one time I was up there with Oscar and Brian as Kevin. And there's not a lot of space up there.

[Jenna Fischer]

No.

[Angela Kinsey]

And we just tucked in that little closet for about 20 minutes until our characters came in the scene.

[Jenna Fischer]

But this was where we were really using this real warehouse and this real space. And there are some shots outside where you can tell that it's not the same place as seasons later.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know, I know. There's some things they couldn't cover.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's fun for the super nerd. Okay, well, I think we should play this clip of Michael introducing Ryan to Craig Robinson, who plays Daryl, the manager of the warehouse.

[Angela Kinsey]

This is one of my favorite introductions of a character on the Office. Because ever the sort of journey that his name takes with Michael, of how Michael comes up with this nickname for him is so ridiculous. And Craig Robinson does such a great job in the scene of just throwing it away.

[Jenna Fischer]

He's so amazing. All right, we should watch it. We'll discuss.

[Cassie Jerkins]

And here we have Mitta Rogers neighborhood.

[Angela Kinsey]

Good.

[Cassie Jerkins]

Come on over here. Hey, this is Ryan. He's temping upstairs.

[Angela Kinsey]

What's up?

[Cassie Jerkins]

And this is the foreman, Mr. Rajas.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's not my real name.

[Cassie Jerkins]

No, it's Darryl. Daryl is Mr. Rogers.

[Angela Kinsey]

Darryl Rogers. Darryl Philbin, then Regis, then Rej, then Roger, then Mitha Rogers.

[Jenna Fischer]

What is the amazing history? How many years has Michael been calling him by not his name of Darrel?

[Angela Kinsey]

I know. It's so good. It's so good. And you so see in Michael's brain how he got there. Oh, it makes sense. Darrell Philbin. Oh, Regis Philbin.

[Jenna Fischer]

Raj.

[Angela Kinsey]

Raj.

[Jenna Fischer]

Mr. Roger.

[Angela Kinsey]

So ridiculous. It totally works. And I have to wonder, this is like when I would love to do a dial in phone call, but to call Mike Schur, because Mike Schur was one of our writers on the show and he is married to J.J. philbin. J.J. philbin's dad is Regis. Oh, and I know Greg had told me that some of the people's names were formations of different people who had family and stuff on the show.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, you know, Jim Halpert is Greg's friend. Jim Halpert?

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes, his name is.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's his first and last name. And Greg asked him permission to use his name. And the guy was like, oh, yeah, sure, it's no big deal. He came to set one day, he was like, yeah, it's no big deal. Nine years later, it was kind of a big deal when he would call places and be like Jim Halpert.

[Angela Kinsey]

And they'd be like, oh, yeah, okay, yeah, roll. Okay, I know. And Phyllis Lapin. Phyllis's last name. Lapin. Lapin is the last name of a friend of Greg's as well. And so I have to think that Darrell Philbin was maybe Mike Schur's nod to.

[Jenna Fischer]

To his father in law.

[Angela Kinsey]

To his father in law, his wife's side of the family, but then became this great runner for Michael Scott, which is so great.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's so good. And I have to say, this is a funny thing. David Denman and I really hit it off.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, you did.

[Jenna Fischer]

We are good friends in real life. We especially hit it off in this episode. And it was weird because I think I had spent a lot of time talking to John Krasinski between scenes and now I was talking to David Denman.

[Angela Kinsey]

And John was like, hey, where's my.

[Jenna Fischer]

Where did my friend go? So it was really weird. And yeah, David and I, we would. We became couple friends. Like he had a girlfriend at the time and I was with someone at the time. And so we would all hang out and play poker together. But he became a really, really good friend of mine outside of the office. And I think it was. I think it's probably a weird thing for people to imagine that like my. One of my best connections on the show was with David Denman, who played my jerk boyfriend Roy.

[Angela Kinsey]

Your jerk boyfriend. I'm sure right now if you guys went out for lunch and you and him walked in, people would be like, why are you with Roy?

[Jenna Fischer]

It's so true.

[Angela Kinsey]

Where's Jim? I know, I know. I had lunch with Rainn Wilson and people Lost their minds. People were like, oh, my God. Dwight and Angela. All right, here we go. We're moving on Jenna.

[Jenna Fischer]

We're moving. What happens next?

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, they go back up in the office, right?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

They go back to work.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's when he says, okay, who's starting? Stanley, of course.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

And why. Of course.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. Leslie David Baker's like, excuse me. Like, kind of look he gives him is so perfect.

[Jenna Fischer]

Now, if I remember correctly, Leslie was truly a horrible basketball player.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes. Leslie was like, oh, I don't play sports.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. Not a sports guy.

[Angela Kinsey]

That was really perfect. And Phyllis was so excited. She wanted to be on the team in real life. I'm talking. Phyllis in real life was, like, so excited to be part of the basket basketball team. Phyllis in her youth was a burlesque dancer.

[Jenna Fischer]

This is true.

[Angela Kinsey]

And she has quite the moves. And there is a tiny clip as they warm up before the game where she's moving her arms and stuff. But her warm up seemed very like burlesque. Yeah. Dance, like. But she was. There's a few times throughout the game when she finally gets to participate and you see her smile and that's genuine. Like, Phyllis was like, I'm in the game. I'm so excited. I do have to say, before we get into the game, part one thing is that you see my character looking through the supply kind of closet and I'm looking for the first aid kit. And so. And I'm like, where is the first aid kit? And then Dwight doesn't even look around. He just holds it up. Right. And I have this line that to me is kind of like that Todd Packer line in the first part of the episode that is so loaded with information.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

Because I say, how many times do I have to tell you? I'm the safety officer, not you. Yes. How many times has Dwight tried to usurp Angela's power? How many times has he taken that first aid kit and tried to be safety officer? What is their backstory there? I would love to know. I love that. We don't know. We just know that they are adversarial in this moment and that they both love power and control.

[Jenna Fischer]

Later in season two, in the episode Email Surveillance, we will learn that Dwight and Angela are in a relationship.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

So my question to you is, looking back, do you think they were already in a relationship now, or do you think that this is maybe the beginning of that sexual tension or.

[Angela Kinsey]

I don't think they're in a relationship yet. I think it's the beginning. I think it's the beginning. I think, you know, they both kind of. They like each other, but they also are annoyed by each other. So they have this weird, like, yin and yang pull. And I think it's the beginning.

[Jenna Fischer]

I feel like the more they gave that bit to you guys to play, then it gave them the idea to write this as some weird, twisted romance.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes. And when we found out we were a couple, was at the table read. And that happened a lot for us on this show, is that the writers would come up with things, and we would sit down at lunch all together around a table once a week. Once a week and read a new script. Usually on Wednesday, we would read a new script, and we would. They would be handing them to us as we walked in the room. Sometimes the paper was hot.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes, I remember.

[Angela Kinsey]

And we would cold read these out loud. And a lot of times we discovered information as we read them, and that was definitely one of them. When we see the Birkenstocks moving in the dollhouse in the backyard, we were.

[Jenna Fischer]

Like, oh, my God. I remember I found out Pam was pregnant during a table reading. And being like, a fan of the show, I would want information like anyone else, and I would get it early, but I would still have to wait for that table read moment to find out. Yeah, like, we weren't. They wouldn't say, okay, this season, here are the five things that are gonna happen to your character.

[Angela Kinsey]

No, no.

[Jenna Fischer]

You had to wait for each week to see how the drama unfolded.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, it was really fun. Oh, Oh, I have to tell the story. So. Okay, so, you know, as Michael picks his team, we then see a montage of all of us throwing things into the trash can. It starts with Dwight. He tries to make a shot. He misses. I thought his face was so cute when he, like, did his fingers. Like, I missed it by this. And he got to be on the team, and he was so happy. And then, of course, Stan Lee misses. Oscar gets it in. No problem. You know, and people go around making these baskets. Well, we did B roll. We had always had a camera, and we had B camera on the show. And the B camera would pick up all these little moments happening in the background. And so they had all of us toss things kind of nonchalantly into our. Our desk trash can. And I made mine on the first try, and I made, like, three in a row. And they didn't even include it because they're like, it just doesn't track that you would. That Angela would, like, be, like, a ringer or anything. And of course, Brian Made his. And that is something you guys should know. Is that where our trailers were. Our trailers are where you hang out between scenes. Right? Where our trailers were, they put up a basketball hoop and we would play horse in between scenes. If we had a break, we would all go out there and play horse. And I have a photo of us. And Brian was an amazing shooter.

[Jenna Fischer]

Brian's an amazing athlete.

[Angela Kinsey]

He's a great athlete.

[Jenna Fischer]

Great golfer.

[Angela Kinsey]

So the cast knew this. And so when this episode came about, we all knew what a great shooter he was. And.

[Jenna Fischer]

But the writers and Greg didn't know.

[Angela Kinsey]

They did not know. And so in between scenes, he would grab a basketball and just start shooting. And he, like, was just sinking them left and right. And it became a thing at the end of the episode. So you'll see him. He make. They just let the camera roll. He makes one shot, gets it in from kind of close to the free point line. But then he keeps taking a step back, step back. So by the end, he's well at like three point range.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

And he made. I think it was 13 or 14 in a row.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

And they got him.

[Jenna Fischer]

We show three or four, I think.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. But he actually made. I think it was 14. And we all were there with, like, pins and needles. And when he missed the 15th one, we all cheered. It was like, so cool.

[Jenna Fischer]

There's another moment in the basketball game that's coming to mind. There's a moment where Michael is supposed to, as a joke, it was in the script. He's supposed to, like, throw the ball from really far, right? And it doesn't go in. And then he's supposed to be all upset, like, oh, I usually make those, or whatever. The first time, do you remember what happened the first time? Yes. Steve made it.

[Angela Kinsey]

He made it. He made the most ridiculously, like, alley oop from the other side of the warehouse. And we all cheered. And they were like, no, you guys can't cheer. He doesn't make that. And Steve, that's so amazing. I'm sure Steve was like, oh, man, I wish that could go in.

[Jenna Fischer]

I know. That should be a deleted scene for sure. That was crazy. Okay, should we also talk about a little bit about the Jim Pam part of this episode?

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes. Yes. Because they have such an awkward, flirty scene that is so funny to me. First of all, I love that the subject of their flirt is the mall are Waverunners. This was so relatable to me because I have family that live in, like, northern Texas. And on the weekend you go to the lake and you go to the mall.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes, exactly. These are the choices. Jim is going to go to the mall for the weekend if he doesn't have to work the outlets. Right, the outlets. The outlet malls. And then Pam said that if Roy wins and they don't have to work on Saturday, since that was the bet, if Roy wins, they're going to take the Wave runners up to the lake.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, I love it.

[Jenna Fischer]

And Jim says, well, I think Roy is going to be working, so I think you're going to be coming to the mall with me. You know, just if you want to save big on brand names. Super cute. But I have to say, that whole Waverunner backstory.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

That was based on a backstory that I wrote about Pam and Roy that ended up making it into the show in this very subtle way. So I remember trying to justify, just as myself, why is Pam still engaged to Roy after three years? Because in this episode, you find out, like, they've been engaged for three years. Her little toaster oven is broken.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's sad. She got it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Her engagement party is broken. They're still not married. So I asked myself, why? Why are they not married yet? It's been three years. What is the reason? So in my head, I came up with the reason that they had been saving money for the wedding.

[Angela Kinsey]

Wait, wait, wait, wait. I have to pause. I love this about Jenna so much, you guys. This is her actor prep.

[Jenna Fischer]

This is my actor prep.

[Angela Kinsey]

She did this solely for herself.

[Jenna Fischer]

No one asked me to do this.

[Angela Kinsey]

No one asked her to do it.

[Jenna Fischer]

I wrote it in essay form again.

[Angela Kinsey]

Jenna, first of her name. Keeper of the notes.

[Jenna Fischer]

I would love to find this document. It was my Pam document.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my God. So.

[Jenna Fischer]

And I have all these little things I made up.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my God. You have to find it. Okay, so go. So what was your back story?

[Jenna Fischer]

So my back story was that they had been saving money for the wedding. And about a year into their engagement, without telling Pam, Roy spent the money on a pair of Waverunners with his brother.

[Angela Kinsey]

This is perfect, Jenna. Yeah, this is perfect.

[Jenna Fischer]

And he, you know, so he and his brother bought these pair of Waverunners with their wedding money. But, you know, Roy was like, we're gonna have so much fun with these. So it broke Cam's heart with Waverunners. Yeah. And I told Greg this story. Just, you know, I just bantering with him, and he was like, oh, my gosh, I love that. We gotta put that in. We gotta put that in. The Waverunners and the Waverunners.

[Angela Kinsey]

That is so Good. I love that. I love. You know, I feel like as I talked to some of our cast members about our time on the show, we all had moments where we gave ourselves a little backstory like that. And obviously, we won't get into it here. Mine was sprinkled.

[Jenna Fischer]

You invented sprinkles.

[Angela Kinsey]

I did, but that's. That's pilot. That's pilot's talk. But I did not know you did that about the waverunners. That. And that is absolutely what Roy would have done.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

He would have been like, listen, that money we were gonna spend on the wedding, I got a really good deal on wave runners.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. He surprised her with some waverunners.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my God. That's amazing.

[Jenna Fischer]

What Pam's always wanted, I feel like we should say, from a production standpoint. We spent two days down in the warehouse playing basketball.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's right.

[Jenna Fischer]

And there was a lot of the guys just playing basketball. And they filmed them to get, like, random shots.

[Angela Kinsey]

Right.

[Jenna Fischer]

But then there were all of these scripted moments that they had to get.

[Angela Kinsey]

Right to make the game make sense.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes, yes, exactly. Can we speak about some highlights from the basketball game?

[Angela Kinsey]

Let's do it. Let's do it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Rainn's crazy nose guard.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my God. You know, I knew a guy in high school, Ken, he had to wear one, and they're like. They're special.

[Jenna Fischer]

I guess this was Greg's idea. He wanted him to wear this nose guard. But you know what I love? We never mention it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Nope.

[Jenna Fischer]

We don't know why he's wearing it.

[Angela Kinsey]

No.

[Jenna Fischer]

Was he injured once or is he just afraid of injury? We don't know.

[Angela Kinsey]

We don't know.

[Jenna Fischer]

But of course he would wear it when Raine takes his shirt off to.

[Angela Kinsey]

Be skins, by the way, Rainn, I think, loves taking his shirt off.

[Jenna Fischer]

He loves the shock value. He loves his white, pasty body.

[Angela Kinsey]

And he liked to stick his belly out and, like, pat it. Like, look at it. Can we also just for a minute, none of us knew what it was gonna look like when Stanley dribbled the basketball.

[Jenna Fischer]

It was in the script that he is not good at dribbling. That's all.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's all. And that Michael would look and just have this moment of like, ah, crap. Like, are you kidding me? And that dribble that Leslie David Baker did with his hand behind him. Ridiculous.

[Jenna Fischer]

Ridiculous.

[Angela Kinsey]

Was so perfect.

[Jenna Fischer]

It was literal perfection.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. Oh. Oh. You have to tell, Jim. You have to tell about when John actually got hurt.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

We actually had a real injury, and they just kept the camera rolling.

[Jenna Fischer]

They did. This was not scripted. The part where Roy knocks Jim in the nose and his nose is bleeding.

[Angela Kinsey]

That was just David Denman blocking. Like, getting a ball and blocking out.

[Jenna Fischer]

There was some real basketball competition when they were playing.

[Angela Kinsey]

So the dudes got a little testosterone.

[Jenna Fischer]

They got a little duty.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, they got a little duty. But he did. He threw his elbow back, not knowing that Jon was there, and clocked Jon.

[Jenna Fischer]

And his nose started gushing blood.

[Angela Kinsey]

I think that sound you hear is his nose.

[Jenna Fischer]

I asked Dave Rogers, our editor.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

Because I remember the debate when they were editing this episode.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, we heard it in real time.

[Jenna Fischer]

You can hear it in real life.

[Angela Kinsey]

We were like, dang.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. We knew. We were like, is his nose broken?

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

And we had to pause and, like, ice pack him.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, first of all, they didn't stop rolling.

[Jenna Fischer]

They kept documenting it.

[Angela Kinsey]

They kept documenting it. And so we see that John is. John ran off because he was in pain, and his nose starts bleeding. And I didn't know what to do. So I picked up that fricking first aid kit and I walked over to him. And then I was like, wait, what am I doing?

[Jenna Fischer]

There's nothing in that kit.

[Angela Kinsey]

There's nothing in that kit. It's, like, empty. Was that sound really?

[Jenna Fischer]

Apparently the live audio was not strong enough to use, so they pumped it up. They added a popping sound.

[Angela Kinsey]

They did.

[Jenna Fischer]

So that it would more sound like what we heard in real life. Cause I did ask Dave.

[Angela Kinsey]

Cause I remember I was worried John broke his nose.

[Jenna Fischer]

We all were. Yeah, we all were. And then they also told me at a certain point they had to stop it, where they stopped it because blood was dripping too much and it looked a little gruesome.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. They had actually a few injuries. I remember, like, Leslie got hurt, and then. Who else? There was someone else.

[Jenna Fischer]

Did someone else get hurt?

[Angela Kinsey]

I feel like a few guys got some bumps. Anyway, the guys gave it their all. They really went for it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Also, we have to talk about Michael's free throw moment.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my God. That made me laugh so hard.

[Jenna Fischer]

That is an example of Steve Carell's impeccable comedic timing.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

He does not rush. He makes you wait for it. You know, when he's setting up this ridiculous free throw, that it's not gonna go in. We all know it's not gonna go in. And yet somehow he makes us wait so long that it's even funnier.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

And it's ridiculous. It goes all the way out of the warehouse.

[Angela Kinsey]

He throws it over the whole hoop.

[Jenna Fischer]

And it's great too Cause you know, someone has to run and get that ball. You don't see it happen, but you know that moment when you're playing basketball.

[Angela Kinsey]

We didn't even talk about his ridiculous warmup stretches before the game where he made his arms like noodles. And then there's little moments within the game where you see he just wants so desperately to be, like, have a friend and to be cool. Like when Daryl and Lonnie do their, like, high fives.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

And he's just watching it so, like, giddy, like, oh, that's cool.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. And then Dwight wants to do that with him, but he rejects Dwight. Dwight will be Michael's friend that Michael's always wanted, but Michael's like, no, you're not good enough.

[Angela Kinsey]

Not cool enough.

[David Denman]

No.

[Jenna Fischer]

He wants to do it with, like, Jim. He wants to have a high five with Jim, who he's decided is the coolest in the office. I know. Or Ryan. He always.

[Angela Kinsey]

Todd Packer.

[Jenna Fischer]

Or Todd Packer.

[Angela Kinsey]

Anyone but Dwight. Basically. Anyone but Dwight. So the basketball episode, I think, has some of, like, the best quotes of the whole first season.

[Jenna Fischer]

So many good ones.

[Angela Kinsey]

So many good ones. You have one of the best ones that really I've seen on T shirts and coffee mugs.

[Jenna Fischer]

So I used to sign headshots with this line when people would ask me for my autograph.

[Angela Kinsey]

Do it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Please don't throw garbage at me. I love it. I feel like it sums up Pam's entire relationship with Michael. The fact that she has to say the words, please don't throw garbage at me to her boss, just. It says it all.

[Angela Kinsey]

It says it all. And also, you know, it's not the first time she said it. No, no.

[Jenna Fischer]

Or something like it.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's right. Right.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

And he throws that at your head and goes off the backboard.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

So ridiculous.

[Jenna Fischer]

Just please don't throw garbage at me, Michael. Everything she's had to endure is all in that one line.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

She's been working there for probably three, four years now.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Three or four years of garbage thrown.

[Angela Kinsey]

At her head in a relationship that's going nowhere.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, my gosh. It's so sad.

[Angela Kinsey]

Poor Pam.

[Jenna Fischer]

Lady. I was first introduced to this product through, like, one of those Internet ads, and I'm absolutely crazy about it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, let's tell everyone what it is.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's bokeh. It is the best toothpaste. I mean, I never thought I could feel so passionately about a toothpaste, but it's also the best toothbrush I've ever used in my life.

[Angela Kinsey]

We really got excited about this toothpaste. I have been using element. My daughter loves the cocoa ginger. I also like the lemon lavender. But let's just talk about the toothpaste for a second.

[Jenna Fischer]

It was first used by NASA astronauts in space. It contains something called. I'm going to give this a try. Nano hydroxyapatite or nha. And this is a compound that rebuilds teeth without fluoride which makes it really safe to swallow.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes, it's non toxic. It's fluoride free. It's free of parabens.

[Jenna Fischer]

For a limited time, Bokeh is offering listeners 15% off its best selling toothpaste on Amazon and Boca.com with code LADIES15.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's LADIES15. Make the switch to non toxic Bokeh for the whole family. If you ever worry about the safety of your home or your family, there's no better time to act than right now because Simplisafe is extending its massive Black Friday deal for our listeners. You can get 50% off a new Simplisafe security system. I've been using it and I love how easy it was to set up and maintain. And there's always someone to help.

[Jenna Fischer]

You can get 50% off today just by visiting simplisafe.com officeladies this is the last chance to protect your home at Simplisafe's lowest price of the year.

[Angela Kinsey]

Simplisafe has active guard outdoor protection.

[Jenna Fischer]

Simplisafe is extending its massive Black Friday deal for our listeners this week only. You can get 50% off any new system with a select professional monitoring plan.

[Angela Kinsey]

This is your last chance to claim their best offer of the year. Head to simplisafe.com officeladies that's simplisafe.com there's no safe like Simplisafe. This show is sponsored by Liquid iv. I definitely feel like I'm going from one thing to the next during the holidays.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Building up to it during the holidays. Even the cleanup after it.

[Jenna Fischer]

And when you're busy, sometimes you forget to hydrate.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, you forget to take care of yourself.

[Jenna Fischer]

This would be a good time to stock up on some liquid IV. Just tear pour live more. One stick plus 16 ounces of water hydrates better than water alone.

[Angela Kinsey]

And you know, if you're having some long days during this time or if you have travel, it's so important to stay hydrated.

[Jenna Fischer]

Liquid IV has three times the electrolytes of leading sports drinks and it has eight essential vitamins and nutrients. It is also non GMO vegan gluten free, dairy free and soy free.

[Angela Kinsey]

Stay hydrated through the holidays with Liquid IV. Get 20% off your first order of Liquid IV when you go to LiquidIV.com and use code OfficeLadies at checkout.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's 20% off your first order when you shop. Better hydration today using promo code [e-mail].

[Angela Kinsey]

All right, I don't know. What else can we talk about about basketball, you guys? You gotta send in some of your questions, for sure. I do love that this episode ended, of course, with Kevin syncing all of those shots. It was, like, so great. And yet nothing in the office is resolved. And are they all gonna have to work Saturday?

[Jenna Fischer]

He says no one has to come in.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, that's right. That's right.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's right. He says. He's like. Like, we're gonna be downsized if we skip one Saturday.

[Angela Kinsey]

Exactly.

[Jenna Fischer]

Everybody is like, wait, what?

[Angela Kinsey]

So you do end on this sense of like, nothing's okay, Nothing's okay. Nothing's okay.

[Jenna Fischer]

Nothing's really different.

[Angela Kinsey]

And nothing is different. Nothing has been solved. Okay. So that was basketball.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's the basketball episode.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's the basketball episode. Hopefully it wasn't a hot mess and you had a good time. I had a good time.

[Jenna Fischer]

I had a good time.

[Angela Kinsey]

I loved watching it again.

[Jenna Fischer]

I have loved watching the show again. In general, people come up to us all the time. Especially now that the show has been out on Netflix and there's a whole new generation of fans. People really wig out after so many years. It can become a little bit, like. I think I had lost some perspective on how good the show was. I mean, like, I knew it was good, but I hadn't watched it in years. I'm not sitting down watching myself on television.

[Angela Kinsey]

Right.

[Jenna Fischer]

And so because of this podcast, I was forced to sit down and watch these episodes. And now when people come up to me and tell me the show is good, I'm like, I know. Oh, my gosh. It's so good, right? I mean, can you even believe it? Can you believe I was on it?

[Angela Kinsey]

That was me.

[Jenna Fischer]

I was on it.

[Angela Kinsey]

That was so cool. That's so cool.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's amazing. Let's chat about it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. Yeah, no, absolutely. And I get why it's comfort for people, you know, I really do. You can put it on in the background and it's there. And, you know, we've talked about this before, but, like, Dwight's always going to be Dwight. And accounting is accounting. And you've got Pam and Jim there, and they are they become your little family in the background as you wind down from your day. I'm so thrilled that the show still keeps finding an audience. It just is so wonderful for me and for you and everyone involved.

[Jenna Fischer]

But I have a tiny gripe.

[Angela Kinsey]

What?

[Jenna Fischer]

After re watching this show. What do you know that not a single actor on our television show ever won an Emmy for their performance on.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, we're going there.

[Jenna Fischer]

Wait.

[Angela Kinsey]

I was trying to wrap it up. I was trying to wrap it up with a bow.

[Jenna Fischer]

No, Jen was like, wait, let me.

[Angela Kinsey]

Bitch for one second.

[Jenna Fischer]

Ending with a gripe.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, God, here we go.

[Jenna Fischer]

I think it is an absolute crime that Steve Carell was never awarded the top prize in his industry for the.

[Angela Kinsey]

Role of television acting.

[Jenna Fischer]

For the role of Michael Scott, I agree, because I kind of dare to name another comedic male performance sort of as revolutionary and heartbreaking and funny and real.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

As his performance on that show.

[Angela Kinsey]

No, it was brilliant. He won the Golden Globe. The show won best comedy Ensemble. We won an Emmy. We won some SAG awards, but Steve never won an Emmy. And the final year, he was nominated because his character was ending. His time on the Office was ending. It was his final nomination. They had. It was me, you, and John Krasinski in a row on the aisle. And Steve, I think, was right in front of us, or he was down a row. And they had a camera on us as they announced the nominees. And then they announced the winner, and the camera was right on us. And when they didn't say Steve's name, I said mother Effer out loud. And I am not. I don't curse, guys. I'm not a big curse. And it just flew out of my mouth because I couldn't believe it. And then I was instantly horrified because I thought, oh, no. Was I just on national television saying, mother Effer, I'm about to get a call from my mom. I know it. And her ladies in her Bible study are going to be like Angela said, mother Effer. But they cut away very fast. So I don't think you saw it, but that's how we felt. We couldn't believe it.

[Jenna Fischer]

We couldn't believe it because his work.

[Angela Kinsey]

In this show is brilliant. And our cast and our writers and everyone. I just. They just did such an amazing job. There you go. Not ending with a nice bow, but there you go.

[Jenna Fischer]

There you go.

[Angela Kinsey]

All right.

[Jenna Fischer]

The end.

[Angela Kinsey]

The end. Thanks for tuning in. And we're gonna keep watching episodes of the Office, and we hope you join us for the rewatch and send in your questions. We'd love to go over to the Mailbag. Special Sauce.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. Next week is Hot Girl, Hot Girl. Thank you for listening to Office Ladies. Second Drink.

[Angela Kinsey]

This episode was initially created in collaboration with Earwolf.

[Jenna Fischer]

Office Ladies is a presentation of Odyssey and is produced by Jenna Fisher and Angela Kinsey.

[Angela Kinsey]

Our executive producer is Cassie Jerkins and our audio engineer and associate producer is Daniella Silva.

[Jenna Fischer]

Odyssey's executive producers are Jenna Weisberman and Leah Rees Dennis.

[Angela Kinsey]

Office Ladies is mixed and mastered by Chris Basil.

[Jenna Fischer]

Our theme song is Rubber Tree by Creed Bratton.

[Angela Kinsey]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Whether you love true crime or comedy, celebrity interviews or news, you call the shots on what's in youn Podcast Queue. And guess what? Now you can call them on your auto insurance with the Name youe Price Tool from Progressive. It works just the way it sounds. You tell Progressive how much you want to pay for car insurance and they'll show you coverage options that fit your budget. Get your quote [e-mail] to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates price and coverage match limited by state law.