Second Drink: Christmas Party

Summary

Office Ladies Podcast Episode Summary: "Second Drink: Christmas Party"

Release Date: February 17, 2025

Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, best friends and co-stars from "The Office," delve into a comprehensive breakdown of the Season 2 episode titled "Christmas Party." In this detailed and engaging discussion, they explore key moments, share behind-the-scenes insights, and address fan questions, providing both nostalgic reminiscence and fresh perspectives for longtime fans and newcomers alike.

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Episode Overview

Synopsis: Jenna and Angela begin by summarizing the episode: It's Christmas at Dunder Mifflin, and the office initially plans a Secret Santa gift exchange. However, when Michael Scott is dissatisfied with his gift, he transforms the event into a Yankee Swap, leading to confusion and tension. In an attempt to salvage the party, Michael buys a hefty amount of vodka, defying company policies and escalating the situation further.

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Notable Quotes and Moments

• Meredith's "Last Hurrah" Resolution:

  • Angela (03:06): "This is my last hurrah because I'd made a New Year's resolution that I'm not going to drink anymore during the week."
  • They discuss a humorous alternative version of Meredith's resolution found in the "candy bag alts," revealing playful writer improvisation.

• Ryan's Involvement in Secret Santa:

  • Jenna (05:15): "Ryan stole Creed's shirt from Jim."
  • A deleted scene reveals Ryan's theft, adding depth to the episode's gift exchange dynamics.

• Creed's Past Radio Show:

  • Angela (06:03): "Wacky Weed Creed."
  • Although scripted, Creed's backstory as a radio show host adds layers to his enigmatic character.

• Jim's Teapot Gift:

  • Jenna (31:17): "'The writers also said that picking what this gift would be, the fact that it would be a teapot provided a major challenge...'"
  • The teapot becomes a symbol of Jim's affection for Pam, filled with personal notes and tokens.

• Michael's Lavish Spending:

  • Angela (51:35): "Michael has spent $400 instead of the agreed upon $20."
  • Michael's disregard for the Secret Santa budget underscores his desire for acceptance and control over the party.

• Final Emotional Moments:

  • Jenna (78:50): "And you know who that is? That's Greg Daniels."
  • The episode culminates in heartfelt moments, including Jim's personal note to Pam, crafted by creator Greg Daniels, highlighting the show's emotional core.

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Behind the Scenes Insights

• Production Challenges:

  • Timestamp [26:45]: Jenna and Angela share anecdotes about shooting the oversized Christmas tree, which frequently caused ceiling tiles to fall, adding a layer of chaos reminiscent of "Christmas Vacation."

• Deleted Scenes and Props:

  • Angela (38:25): Discussion about the baby jazz poster, crafted meticulously by prop designer Phil Shea, and its recurring presence in the series.
  • Jenna (43:46): Insights into Pam's drawings, performed by a young female artist to maintain authenticity.

• Director Charles McDougall's Approach:

  • Angela (16:26): Recounts Charles McDougall's initial strict directing style, which softened over time, allowing for more dynamic and natural performances.

• Real-Life Inspirations:

  • Jenna (46:27): The snowy setting was inspired by Mike Schur's personal experiences, integrating authentic emotions into the episode's festive atmosphere.

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Fan Engagement and Questions

• Candy Bag Alternatives:

  • Angela (04:20): Reveals amusing alternate scripts where Meredith humorously reasons about her drinking habits, showcasing the writers' playful creativity.

• Secret Santa Details:

  • Jenna (32:40): Explains the significance of the pencil in Jim's teapot gift, tying it back to an office mini-golf outing.

• Property and Continuity:

  • Angela (40:06): Discusses the meticulous role of Veda, the script supervisor, ensuring continuity in props and actions across takes.

• Teapot Note Reveal:

  • Jenna (75:28): Addresses the long-standing fan curiosity about the contents of Jim's heartfelt note to Pam, which remains a cherished secret until Season 9.

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Emotional and Thematic Analysis

Jenna and Angela emphasize the emotional journey of the characters, particularly Angela Martin's escalating frustration with the chaotic Christmas party. They highlight how Michael's misguided attempts to please everyone lead to a breakdown in office harmony, reflecting real-life workplace dynamics. The heartfelt culmination with Jim's note to Pam underscores themes of love, sacrifice, and the enduring bonds formed in shared experiences.

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Conclusion and Reflections

Reflecting on the episode, Jenna and Angela express their deep appreciation for its mix of humor, emotion, and character development. They share personal memories of filming, emphasizing the camaraderie and friendship that extended beyond the screen. The episode stands out as a pivotal moment in "The Office," encapsulating the show's ability to blend comedy with genuine human moments.

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This episode summary encapsulates the rich discussions and insights shared by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, offering listeners a vivid glimpse into both the episode itself and the beloved dynamics behind it.

Transcript

[Angela Kinsey]

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[Jenna Fischer]

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[Angela Kinsey]

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[Jenna Fischer]

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[Angela Kinsey]

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[Jenna Fischer]

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[Angela Kinsey]

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[Jenna Fischer]

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[Angela Kinsey]

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[Jenna Fischer]

I love this episode so much. I loved shooting it. I loved our breakdown of it. But Angela, you told me you found something crazy in the candy bag alts for this episode.

[Angela Kinsey]

I did. So when we first broke down this episode I didn't check the candy bag alts and I thought this time you know, I'd go back and see if there was anything I missed and. Oh my God, buckle in.

[Jenna Fischer]

What is it? You have not told me. What is it?

[Angela Kinsey]

No. So remember when Michael buys all the vodka for the party? Well, Meredith had a talking head about it. Let's hear it. The deal is that this is my last hurrah because I'd made a New Year's resolution that I'm not going to drink anymore during the week.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay, so there were candy bag alts for that?

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes, there were several candy bag alts for it. Here was one of them. Meredith would have said, yeah, I like to drink and if I get too drunk, I'll just have my 14 year old pick me up. He has his tractor license now.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, I don't quite see how that fits.

[Angela Kinsey]

But that's not all. Okay, that candy bag alt led to a candy bag alt tag ending of the episode.

[Jenna Fischer]

Was it her son picking her up on a tractor?

[Angela Kinsey]

It read like this. Exterior, Dunder Mifflin. Night shot from inside. The parking lot is empty. A giant backhoe rumbles into the parking lot driven by Meredith's 14 year old son. We pan over to see a wobbly, still topless Meredith wander out of the building and move towards the backhoe. Meredith's son. Mom, what are you doing? She approaches the huge dirt mover thing on the front of the backhoe and starts to climb in it. Meredith says, did you remember to put a pillow in the big basket? Meredith's son says, yes, mom. Meredith gets in and lies down. The backhoe starts to pull away.

[Jenna Fischer]

Did we shoot that?

[Angela Kinsey]

This is a candy bag alt. I don't know. There's no way we shot it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay, that.

[Angela Kinsey]

No, but if they had picked the candy bag alt talking head, would we have shot this tag?

[Jenna Fischer]

I. No, no. This is the writers. It was late, they were punchy, and this is what happened.

[Angela Kinsey]

They're like, Meredith's gonna climb topless into a backhoe. No, no, no, no. It did not happen. But I couldn't believe that when I read it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, lady, this episode also features the famous Yankee swap gift exchange. People are getting gifts, they're swapping gifts. And we had a fan catch from Elizabeth H. Who wrote in to say, in the gift exchange, Jim gets Creed's old shirt, but ends up with the shamrock keychain. So I want to know who stole Creed's old shirt from Jim. Right. Cause that's the only way Jim would get another gift.

[Angela Kinsey]

Exactly.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, Angela, I remember when we recorded this episode, you had just gotten a DVD Player. And you could finally watch the deleted scenes. And you were so tickled because there was a lot for this episode. And I believe Elizabeth's question is answered in a deleted scene.

[Angela Kinsey]

It is. So there's a scene with Ryan and Toby where Ryan shares that he got Creed's old shirt. He said, well, you know, I figure I'll just maybe give it to a homeless person.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay. So Ryan stole Creed's shirt from Jim.

[Angela Kinsey]

I guess so.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay.

[Angela Kinsey]

And then there's this great little scene between Oscar and Creed. I just loved it, lady. I know it's not exactly about this question, but I want you to hear it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay.

[Angela Kinsey]

What'd you end up with? Your shower radio. You like music at least?

[Jenna Fischer]

I love it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Actually used to have a radio show back in the 70s.

[Jenna Fischer]

Kidding. What was your DJ name?

[Angela Kinsey]

Wacky Weed Creed.

[Jenna Fischer]

Wait, is that true?

[Angela Kinsey]

All right.

[Jenna Fischer]

Is that a true thing?

[Angela Kinsey]

This is like, what I was wondering. So I basically started this just wanting to answer Elizabeth's question.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

And I was like, okay, now I've got to reach out to Creed. I mean, I've got to find this out. So I said, credo. It's pumpkin. Random question for you. Did you really have a radio show? And was your DJ name Wackyweed Creed? And he wrote back, that's so funny. Oscar asked me that on the Office. He said, oh, no, hon, that was scripted. But I did do a Chinese TV show that became very popular over there.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes, he talked about that on the podcast.

[Angela Kinsey]

Captain Clark was his character's name. So this was all the writers. But isn't that a fun nugget?

[Jenna Fischer]

Very fun.

[Angela Kinsey]

And we also find out what Creed got.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, this is the thing about the character of Creed. The line is blurry. You don't know. Sometimes he said stuff that was really about his real life.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know, but don't you love that he thought I was asking for real?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

Lastly, lady, I have a really fun fan catch by Kelly N. It cracked me up. Okay, so you know, Jenna, as you and I have been rewatching this, we have noted that John says D White instead of Dwight. He says D. White like it's two syllables.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. You pointed this out.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, well, Kelly says in this episode, John says something instead of something.

[Jenna Fischer]

He says something.

[Angela Kinsey]

Something. Okay, well, I looked at the transcript for the episode, and he only says something once in the entire episode. It's in a talking head about Creed's shirt. Let's hear it. And you guys, tell me what you think. Do you hear something? Sun thing or something?

[Jenna Fischer]

He obviously forgot to get me something. And then he went into his closet and dug out this little number and.

[Angela Kinsey]

Then threw it in a bag. Yep, that's exactly what happened.

[Jenna Fischer]

I hear something.

[Angela Kinsey]

What do you hear, Sam? I hear something. Cassie?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, I hear something.

[Angela Kinsey]

I kind of hear something.

[Jenna Fischer]

You do?

[Angela Kinsey]

A little bit.

[Jenna Fischer]

I don't hear it. He obviously forgot to get me something. And then he went into his something. He obviously forgot to give me something.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, Kelly, I don't know. Three to one.

[Jenna Fischer]

Sorry.

[Angela Kinsey]

I think I need to hear him say something more. So maybe I'll start tracking it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, lady, don't do that to yourself.

[Angela Kinsey]

Is it too late?

[Jenna Fischer]

Don't do that to yourself. Don't.

[Angela Kinsey]

Hey, you know what?

[Jenna Fischer]

What?

[Angela Kinsey]

When we do All About Jim, I'm gonna see if he says, when you.

[Jenna Fischer]

Deep dive Jim Halpert, you're gonna listen for something.

[Angela Kinsey]

Something.

[Jenna Fischer]

All right, well, everyone, that was our second drink. And now here is Christmas Party. 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]

Hi, everyone. Ho, ho, ho.

[Jenna Fischer]

This is a big episode.

[Angela Kinsey]

It's the Christmas episode.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's the Christmas episode. The very first Christmas episode of the Office, Season 2, Episode 10. You know, it's not. We call it the Christmas episode.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, we do.

[Jenna Fischer]

Or Christmas episode. But it is technically called Christmas party.

[Angela Kinsey]

What?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, that's the name of this episode.

[Angela Kinsey]

I don't believe you.

[Jenna Fischer]

Christmas party.

[Angela Kinsey]

I don't believe you. No, I'm kidding. We did. We call it the Christmas episode.

[Jenna Fischer]

We call it the Christmas episode. Even though there were many more. This is the Christmas episode. I have so much to say. I have 12 typed pages today. 12.

[Angela Kinsey]

It looks like you're holding like a mini phone book.

[Jenna Fischer]

I feel like I'm holding a one act play or something. It's very large. And when I came in today, I will share that. I refuse to speak to anyone because I said I was saving it for the mic and I'm saving it for the mic.

[Angela Kinsey]

She did. I tried to make small talk with her and she's like, I'm saving it for the mic. I was like, okay, lady, you do you. I just. I just going to tell you I liked your hair.

[Jenna Fischer]

I. You got little pigtails today and they are real cute.

[Angela Kinsey]

I have plaits.

[Jenna Fischer]

What are plaits?

[Angela Kinsey]

That's what they say in the uk. They're like, oh, look at your plaits.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, yeah. They also call bangs fringe.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know. I like it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

I don't know if you notice my.

[Jenna Fischer]

Side of the table totally filled with note cards.

[Angela Kinsey]

By my side of the table, you guys, I've made a buffet of note cards. Like, I actually have to be aware, like, Sam is saying to stay in front of the microphone because I have so many cards I keep. I'm gonna have to slide back and forth.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Down my buffet of cards.

[Jenna Fischer]

You love a buffet.

[Angela Kinsey]

I love a buffet.

[Jenna Fischer]

Even if it's note cards.

[Angela Kinsey]

Give me that Vegas buffet.

[Jenna Fischer]

All right. Christmas Party, written by Mike Shore and Directed by Charles McDougall. Here's a synopsis. It's Christmas at Dunder Mifflin. Today is the day of the office holiday party. The group originally plans to have a secret Santa gift exchange, but when Michael doesn't like his gift, he turns it into a Yankee. This causes a multitude of confusion and hurt feelings, and Michael's solution is then to go out and buy booze, which is against company rules, and to try to get the party back on track.

[Angela Kinsey]

15 bottles of vodka. That'll do it fast.

[Jenna Fischer]

Fact number one. As I've already said, it's our very first Christmas episode, but we filmed it nowhere near Christmas.

[Angela Kinsey]

No, you never do, because you have to stay ahead. So you're always. It's like Christmas in July kind of thing.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, we had a fan question from Sarah McC Green. Did us cast members ever have Christmas parties or do a Yankee swap? And if so, what was the best, funniest gift someone brought? A lot of people also asked if we exchanged gifts as a cast, not at the holidays. We would do what's called a wrap gift, which happens at the end of the season. And we would usually finish filming our seasons in, like, what, April?

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

And then the cast would get together and we'd pool our money and we would buy the crew. Every member of the crew would get a gift from the cast. And then sometimes cast members would give.

[Angela Kinsey]

Each other wrap gifts, little individual gifts.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

I did host a Yankee swap Christmas party. And I did it every year for a few years. And I actually wanna bring it back. I took a few years off because just, you know, life, kids and, you know, stuff like that.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

But I hosted a Yankee swap party every year.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, yes, you did.

[Angela Kinsey]

And it was a big party, and everyone would come, and it got so rowdy.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

My favorite person to have at a Yankee swap party is Oscar Nunez.

[Jenna Fischer]

I was gonna say Oscar.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oscar. He makes up chance. Like, I remember one of the gifts was like a really lusciously thick fake ponytail that you ended up.

[Jenna Fischer]

I took that home. Yeah, I took home a fake ponytail.

[Angela Kinsey]

Like started chants like ponytail, pony. I mean, they're not really creative chants, but you'd be surprised how much they catch on.

[Jenna Fischer]

I remember one year Lee brought a small hand axe.

[Angela Kinsey]

That thing was super popular. Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

I want to put it out there, guys. If you're going to a Yankee swap, consider bringing a small axe.

[Angela Kinsey]

Didn't the next year, Lee brought a brand new water hose.

[Jenna Fischer]

A garden hose. A garden hose that was also a hot item.

[Angela Kinsey]

Really popular.

[Jenna Fischer]

Just like practical household items that maybe you need but you haven't been buying yourself.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, the next Yankee swap party I have, I'm actually going to include the kids because those were adult only and I want to do a family Yankee swap.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay.

[Angela Kinsey]

Like an invite. The kids are such at the age where they're really getting into it. We went to one last year. But I want you to know, Jennifer, all the people that used to come. So at the end of the night, there would be these crap gifts that people would not want. And a friend of mine would, unbeknownst to me, hide them around my house.

[Jenna Fischer]

I remember this.

[Angela Kinsey]

And I would find them months later, like. Cause he really hid them. Yeah. Like up like sort of on a top shelf by like the spare batteries would be like a weird porcelain clown.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

You know. And Zach woods brought this gift and he said, angela, I am the failure of Yankee Swap. Cause he brought a Egyptian sarcophagus.

[Jenna Fischer]

The King Tut thing.

[Angela Kinsey]

It was a King Tut miniature sarcophagus.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

That opened up and you could put things inside it.

[Jenna Fischer]

And I said, I fought for that.

[Angela Kinsey]

I thought it was really great.

[Jenna Fischer]

I loved that.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, it got traded a bunch. And he was like, I don't think anyone likes it. I was like, zach, you're wrong. I know I'm talking a lot about my Yankee swap party, guys, but I was really inspired.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, this is a side note about Zach woods, you guys. He played Gabe in later seasons and he became a good friend of ours. When my son was born, he did the same thing. He gave me a gift and he said, I'm so sorry, I'm not good at buying gifts for children. I, I, I don't have kids yet. I don't know. And it was this amazing astronaut costume that we still have today and use for dress up. I think he's Better at buying gifts than he is.

[Angela Kinsey]

I think you are, Zach.

[Jenna Fischer]

Just FYI, fast fact number two. This episode was directed by Charles McDougall. Oh, guys, do we have stories about Charles McDougall? I mean, first of all, he was British.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes, he's British. Jenna, don't do your accent.

[Jenna Fischer]

I'm bringing out the accent. Guys, I did my spin bike, and now I'm speaking like a Brit. He had directed before us the HBO series Rome, which, if anyone saw it, is about the Roman Empire and the killing of Julius Caesar.

[Angela Kinsey]

It is epic.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's also brutal.

[Angela Kinsey]

It's brutal. They shot in Malta. There was chariots and horses and people getting impaled.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. And so he went from that to our quiet little Dunder Mifflin office. A little Christmas party. A little Christmas party.

[Angela Kinsey]

And, you guys, the directors that had directed us prior to him were Ken Kwapas, who might be the quietest human on the planet.

[Jenna Fischer]

Correct.

[Angela Kinsey]

He says, you know, when he wants to start a scene, he just says, go ahead.

[Jenna Fischer]

And when he gives a note, he'll say, jenna, you know what? No, just go ahead. Yeah, that's Ken Kwapas.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

You all heard Paul Feig.

[Angela Kinsey]

Paul Feig is like, hey, gang, how's it going? Hey, we're gonna have fun today. Okay, action.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. Charles McDougall rolls in. We're all sitting at our desks quietly.

[Angela Kinsey]

About to start the first scene, and he goes, wait, brace yourself, brace yourself, brace yourself.

[Jenna Fischer]

Actors, action.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes. We. I thought Phyllis peed herself a little.

[Jenna Fischer]

I. I tinkled. I tinkled. I mean, I was terrified.

[Angela Kinsey]

I jumped straight up. He was like, action. We were like, what's happening?

[Jenna Fischer]

What's happening is Tom Cruise busting through the ceiling any minute.

[Angela Kinsey]

I'm telling you, that first day, the first moment of every scene, we all looked like deer in headlights. We would flinch. We would flinch. And then we would go in a scene. But then, you guys, we just grew to love this guy. He would say things like, we'd be working on a scene, and he'd be like, all right, you know, let's go again. Actors. Nearly there. Yes, nearly there. And then I.

[Jenna Fischer]

He one time. He one time said. He said, all right, everyone, that was good for cameras. Actors. Better this time.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay.

[Angela Kinsey]

And then as we try to be better this time, as we got into the episode more and the party started, he would walk up to me and be like, angela, remember, you're really pissed. You're really pissed now. And he sort of. And I'm going to get into it. It's on A. It's on, like, four or five note cards. But he sort of highlighted the level of. I called it Angela's pissed offness.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

And it was like building to a crescendo. And so towards the end, he would just yell before a big take in the party. He'd be like, all right, everyone happy? Angela pissed. And action.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. Yes. It was amazing. It was amazing. I just think it's so interesting that he went from filming all these chariots to filming people in a circle.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Sitting in a circle.

[Angela Kinsey]

What was that like for him on desk chairs? Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay, fast fact number three. Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration.

[Angela Kinsey]

We meet Phyllis's boyfriend.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. Her new boyfriend. He works across the hall. He's played by Bobby Ray Shafer. He went on to do 24 episodes of the Office, including our finale. So here's a little tidbit. Mike Schur, our writer, said that the way that Bob Vance always introduces himself is Bob Vance. Vance Refrigeration is based on a friend of his actor Hayes MacArthur, who he says for years would introduce himself as Hayes MacArthur, Chicago, Illinois. Hayes MacArthur, Chicago, Illinois. You guys, you might know Hayes. He would later go on to star with Rashida Jones on Angie Tribeca, which was created by Steve and Nancy Carell.

[Angela Kinsey]

Small world.

[Jenna Fischer]

Small world. But I feel comfortable sharing that story about Hayes because I know him as well. And Mike said it on the DVD commentary, so he shared that with us on set. But since he put it out there, I was like, well, Mike, you already said it, so I'm gonna share it here.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, well, you know what? I think that some people do that. I mean, I know in my hometown, you know, I'm from a very small town in Texas, and there are people in my town that we. No one ever says just their first name. I don't know why, but my mom's really good friend. Her first name is sue, and her last name is Dean, but everyone in the town calls her Sue Dean.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Hi, Sue Dean. How are you? Sudane. It'd be like, Jenna Fisher. How are you, Jenna Fisher? I'm good. Jenna Fisher. I mean, it's. So there are some people whose names just. You just do that.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. Well, we had some fans write in and ask, why does he always say bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration? It was inspired by one of Mike's friends.

[Angela Kinsey]

I love it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Many people. Before we go to break, many people wrote in to tell us that Mindy's hair is down. I've maybe not received so many in this episode. Notes in this episode.

[Angela Kinsey]

No, it's down. No, it's partially up. It's partially up.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, well, Jennifer Dinette said that Mindy's hair is down.

[Angela Kinsey]

Jennifer Dinette, I'm gonna send you a screen grab.

[Jenna Fischer]

I mean, maybe she means down because it's not in the French twist.

[Angela Kinsey]

It's not in the French twist. But she has had a few. It is.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's half up, half down.

[Angela Kinsey]

She's had a few half up, half downs. But I would say there's more down than up. Jennifer. There's more down than up.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's what she said.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, I hope she doesn't say that. Well, we would hope there's more up than down.

[Jenna Fischer]

All right, let's go to break. Back when I worked in a real office, when it was time for me to move on, I was put in charge of hiring my own replacement. Oh, my goodness. I really wish I could have used Indeed. It didn't exist back then, but now it does. And when it comes to hiring, Indeed is all you need. You do not need to struggle to get your job seen on other job sites. Indeed's Sponsored Jobs will help you stand out and hire fast. With Sponsored Jobs, your post will jump to the top of the page for your relevant candidates so you can reach the people that you want faster. There's no need to wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed and listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit. To get your jobs more visibility@ Indeed.com officeladies just go to Indeed.com officeladies right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com officeladies Terms and conditions apply. Hiring Indeed is all you need.

[Angela Kinsey]

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[Jenna Fischer]

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[Angela Kinsey]

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[Jenna Fischer]

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[Angela Kinsey]

That's gabgabb.comofficeladies gab.com terms and conditions apply. All right, so let's dive in here. We've got the cold open in the very first few seconds. Pam is stuffing the Christmas envelopes. The Christmas photo. Yeah, right.

[Jenna Fischer]

She's doing the Christmas card.

[Angela Kinsey]

Mass mailing the Christmas card. I did this at 1-800-DENTIST.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, you did the 1-800-DENTIST Company Christmas card mailing?

[Angela Kinsey]

I did. I volunteered. And you got to hop off the phone so you didn't have to talk to people about like their rotten teeth.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

And I would go in the mail room and they'd be playing Christmas music and I'd have a cup of tea and I would just stuff envelopes all day. And I was so happy.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, yeah. I did many, many mass mailings as an administrative assistant. I'd have to bind things, copy on both sides, collate, bind, and mail.

[Angela Kinsey]

I am very happy doing those things. Okay. But the photo was our cast photo that we took. Our Christmas photo.

[Jenna Fischer]

It was not our Christmas photo.

[Angela Kinsey]

What?

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, yeah, it was. I listen, I maybe got a little too obsessed with it, but I thought I recognized it. I screens grabbed it. Me too. It's our season one publicity photo from the pilot.

[Angela Kinsey]

You're right, because I'm sitting in the front. Oh, my gosh.

[Jenna Fischer]

And we're not wearing any Christmas stuff.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, Jenna, good catch. I totally just thought it was our Christmas picture.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, we had a fan question from Pizookie. Did anyone keep a copy of the holiday card Pam is stuffing into the envelopes at the beginning? Well, I don't have a copy of the card, but I have a copy of that picture hanging in my office. And I examined it against the card that Pam is putting into the envelopes.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, remember in the pilot, who's my detective?

[Jenna Fischer]

Henriette. Thank you so much, CSI office, ladies.

[Angela Kinsey]

Henriette is in that photo.

[Jenna Fischer]

Henriette is in the photo on my wall because she was in the pilot. They photoshopped Kate's head onto Henriette's body for the picture I'm stuffing into the envelope in my space.

[Angela Kinsey]

I really want that card. Dang it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. Because I can see it's Henriette's hand on her hip in the sweater that's hanging in my office, but Kate's face.

[Angela Kinsey]

Way to go, Jenna.

[Jenna Fischer]

So far we've covered one second of the episode that happens in the first one to three seconds. The next thing that happens is that Michael and Dwight enter the tree and it's really way too big.

[Angela Kinsey]

It's way too big.

[Jenna Fischer]

It goes through the ceiling.

[Angela Kinsey]

I feel like this is a little nod to Christmas vacation.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

You know, with Chevy Chase and that enormous tree.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. Well, do you remember when we were on set about three or four times, when they pushed it up, the ceiling tile actually fell down and would fall on Steve's head. And then they'd have to brush him off with a little brush and fix his hair.

[Angela Kinsey]

Little brush. Pieces of white sort of like particle looking stuff all over the ground because the ceiling kept busting apart.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

I loved that Kevin cuts the top of the Christmas tree with a paper trimmer.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

I just thought that was such a nice touch.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, it makes sense. It's what we'd have.

[Angela Kinsey]

It's what we would have.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. Okay. I did kind of an Angela thing.

[Angela Kinsey]

What's that? Did you drink during the day?

[Jenna Fischer]

I did not, but I did. I wrote down everybody's Christmas outfits.

[Angela Kinsey]

I love this.

[Jenna Fischer]

So did I. You did.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay, let's do it. Let's do it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay. All right. I noticed that Michael has a Christmas tie.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes, he does. It has a Santa on it and some snowmen. Go.

[Jenna Fischer]

Christmas tie. Kevin yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

Snowmen. Wintry scene.

[Jenna Fischer]

All right. You and I both only have a Christmas pin and Christmas earrings.

[Angela Kinsey]

You have Christmas ornament earrings. I have Christmas stocking earrings, and we both have a version of a Santa Claus pin.

[Jenna Fischer]

Interesting. We're dressed kind of similar, Very similarly.

[Angela Kinsey]

What's that about?

[Jenna Fischer]

I don't know, but Phyllis has a full Christmas blouse and vest.

[Angela Kinsey]

I love her Christmas vest. My sister's a school teacher, and she does that, like, at Christmas time. She wears all these Christmas sweaters and vests.

[Jenna Fischer]

You know, I love this stuff. I've got all of it. My mom back in St. Louis, Missouri, every year, she goes to the local art fairs and craft fairs, and she sends me Christmas hoodies, Christmas vests, Christmas pajamas, Christmas everything.

[Angela Kinsey]

I mean, those earrings could have been yours. Cause you've come to my house at Christmas, and you always have on Christmas jewelry.

[Jenna Fischer]

I'll tell you right now, I would never show up at a Christmas party and only Christmas earrings and a Christmas pin. I know. I mean, that is.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know.

[Jenna Fischer]

I go all out.

[Angela Kinsey]

You go all out.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, Oscar has a Christmas tie.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oscar has a Christmas tie. Stanley has a red tie. So I guess that's his attempt. Very Stanley. That's as far as he would go.

[Jenna Fischer]

I. I'm actually surprised he went that far for Stanley. I know. Also, Meredith has a crazy Christmas sweater.

[Angela Kinsey]

Mm.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. See, if it were me, I would be Meredith or Phyllis showing up to your party full, full, full outfit.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know. I've seen how you come to my party. I love it.

[Jenna Fischer]

All right, so in this scene that's coming up, Jim reveals that he got Pam in Secret Santa.

[Angela Kinsey]

He does. Can I. Listen, Jim fans, you're probably not going to like me for saying this, but at 2 minutes, 2 seconds in his talking head, he says he wants. You know, he got Pam for Secret Santa. And he said because Pam wants a teapot so she can make tea at her desk.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

And I wrote, wtf? Who makes tea at their desk? She would go in the kitchen. What is she going to do? Go to the kitchen, put the hot water in the teapot, carry it back to her desk, pour herself a cup of tea at her desk. She's gonna.

[Jenna Fischer]

Exactly.

[Angela Kinsey]

She's gonna carry that teapot from the kitchen.

[Jenna Fischer]

What part of this is confusing you?

[Angela Kinsey]

I think is ridiculous.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay, here's her other option. Okay.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

She goes into the kitchen.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, I see the breakdown. I see how your brain is tracking it and why it doesn't make sense. And also because I know you, and you just put the Teabag right into the cup, which is a totally acceptable.

[Angela Kinsey]

Way to make it. Let it sit, seep, steep, steep, steep with a T. Let it seep on in there. You leave it in your pot.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's right.

[Angela Kinsey]

I said that the scene could be called something else. What could it be called instead of what's inside the teapot? It could be called Jim's got it bad.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh.

[Angela Kinsey]

Because he saved two sauce packets from a few years ago. Yeah, that's someone who has got it really bad.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay. Yeah, Yeah. I feel like that could have been written a little differently where Jim could have said, a couple of years ago, Pam did this thing with the hot sauce, and therefore I am putting a packet of hot sauce in there. The fact that he saved the two packets of hot sauce for years.

[Angela Kinsey]

For years. He loves you. He loves you. Okay.

[Jenna Fischer]

He definitely does. All right, well, I do have a lot to say about the teapot. So first of all, Phil Shea offered me a variety of teapots before we started shooting in many colors. And I picked the teal.

[Angela Kinsey]

I love it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. I don't know.

[Angela Kinsey]

Little pop of color.

[Jenna Fischer]

The writers also said that picking what this gift would be, the fact that it would be a teapot provided a major challenge because they needed a gift that could hide other gifts that was really personal and that would be very stressful. When Dwight takes it away from Pam, it could only cost $20, and it had to be something that Dwight really wanted. And they said it was not easy. They spent a very long time because they knew, plot wise, what had to happen. That Jim gives Pam a gift filled with secret treasures that Dwight also wants to have that cost under $20. It took him a very long time to come up with teapot for that reason alone.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay, fine. Pam can make her tea at the counter.

[Jenna Fischer]

She can make tea at her desk.

[Angela Kinsey]

Because when Dwight puts it in his nose, I know that's later, but it's so perfect.

[Jenna Fischer]

It is.

[Angela Kinsey]

It's so perfect.

[Jenna Fischer]

I mean, they nailed it, right?

[Angela Kinsey]

They nailed it.

[Jenna Fischer]

And now this teapot is famous. I mean, all the time people are using this teapot idea to propose to their loved ones. I see it all the time in my Instagram. People are tagging me. It's always charming to me.

[Angela Kinsey]

It's always so sweet. It is very thoughtful.

[Jenna Fischer]

So we mentioned the things that he's putting into the teapot. Here's a fan question. Taylor Rilling said, what is the significance of the pencil that Jim puts in the teapot?

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. He said the story is too long.

[Jenna Fischer]

So we have A deleted scene. And I remember shooting it. What Pam says when she picks up the pencil is, she says, oh, my gosh. This is the pencil I threw at you during mini golf. What? When did Jim and Pam go play mini golf?

[Angela Kinsey]

Maybe the whole office went and played mini golf. That seems like something Michael Scott would be like, we're going to play mini golf and we're gonna raise money for my neighbors, like, whatever.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's all I can think of is that there was some office outing where they went and played mini golf. And I guess Pam got all feisty and threw a pencil at him and he saved it, so that's where the pencil is. And then, of course, he puts a card in the box and he says, because Christmas time is the time to tell people how you feel.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, yeah. That's so loaded.

[Jenna Fischer]

I have PPC next.

[Angela Kinsey]

Let's hit some ppc. The Party Planning Committee.

[Jenna Fischer]

You know, Mike Schur also wrote the PPC and the Alliance. I think he likes the ppc.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, he definitely likes the PPC and their weird sort of power struggle. He loves it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, in this scene, we find out that Ryan has been drafted. I can't believe that I remember that.

[Angela Kinsey]

I can't believe that Angela Martin would recruit him. Except that maybe she needed help, like someone setting up things and moving things and.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, the Christmas party is a big one.

[Angela Kinsey]

It's a big one. Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

But also, I noticed that Meredith is in there.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. No, it's all hands on deck. She probably has a bigger crew than just her core crew.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, that's when Michael enters in his Santa beard. He throws down some cash because he wants a bigger, better party. And he reveals he has a digital camera and he will be taking photos.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. And he's gonna put them in the newsletter. Most embarrassing one wins.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

I want you guys to know, when Steve came behind Phyllis and I and he was like, I want people making out. And he shoved our heads together and.

[Jenna Fischer]

Was like, that was an improv.

[Angela Kinsey]

That was improv. Yeah. Phyllis and I didn't know that was coming. He just did it in the moment. I was really proud that neither of us started laughing. I was so proud of myself because there were a few times in that scene I almost broke and I was really fighting it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, it's also in this scene, Angela, that it's revealed that Phyllis was in charge of getting the lights for the Christmas tree.

[Angela Kinsey]

And she said she got the little ones.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. And you have a reaction to that? Well, that's not gonna go over well later.

[Angela Kinsey]

That is not gonna Go over.

[Jenna Fischer]

So, like I said, I listened to the DVD commentary of this, and Mike was really good on the commentary at breaking down some of his goals for the episod. And his goal for the episode was that Angela would get more and more and more stressed out every scene that we see her. And I think you can track that. Like, as I was watching it again, I can totally see that I have.

[Angela Kinsey]

Five note cards called Angela's pissed offness.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

That I'm gonna start with timecode soon. Before we get into all that, I do have to point out because I was texting with Kim Ferry, who did my hair for nine years on the Office last night. This is the Angela hair braid. That is my actual hair that she had me bend over and braid. And of course, my character would want to wear it to the Christmas party.

[Jenna Fischer]

Of course.

[Angela Kinsey]

I feel like this was her special braid.

[Jenna Fischer]

For special occasions.

[Angela Kinsey]

For special occasions. And while we're talking ppc, guys, I have to say Pam would probably irk me too, on this committee.

[Jenna Fischer]

What?

[Angela Kinsey]

I mean, at 4 minutes, 25 seconds, Angela is trying to put a tablecloth on this table. Pam is just staring at her, doing nothing. Not trying to grab for the tablecloth, help her spread it out, anything. And Angela just looks at her and it's just like, will you help me?

[Jenna Fischer]

When I saw that scene, I found it so satisfying. It's her little bit of defiance against your just crazy controlling. Yes, yes. Just your. Everything that's coming at her. And you know, I told you, I go back and I read my journals and I had written. And I also have these old blogs, and I had written in one of my old blogs that filming the scene where I don't help you put the tablecloth on was one of my favorites of the whole episode.

[Angela Kinsey]

It's such, like, passive aggressive defiance.

[Jenna Fischer]

I loved it. I loved it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, Jenna, I went and found my MySpace blogs. So they're not online anymore. I don't know why, but I guess I had printed them out at some point.

[Jenna Fischer]

Smart.

[Angela Kinsey]

So now I'm gonna start going to them for each episode. And I did for this one, but I'll save it for a bit. Cause it happens later in the episode.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay, great fan question from small actor in a peacoat who kept the camera with all of the pictures that Michael took.

[Angela Kinsey]

NBC.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, they were property of NBC and they had them up on their website.

[Angela Kinsey]

For a while, but guess what? You can still find them. Jenna and I were texting last night. We both found them [e-mail].

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, so you can see all those pictures that he was really taking pictures.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. And they're really, like, not centered and, like, people's heads are cut off. It's as if he just went around clicking away. But there's some real gems in there.

[Jenna Fischer]

I know.

[Angela Kinsey]

Six minutes, 54 seconds. Michael really, really shows what he thinks about Christmas, which is a gift should say, I love you this many dollars worth.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, this is not gonna go well.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, speaking of gifts, we have a scene where Toby reveals what he got Angela in Secret Santa, and it is the jazz baby poster.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, I have that poster, guys.

[Jenna Fischer]

You have it? That was one of my questions from Chris Cordova. He wants to know, did you keep the baby poster?

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, there was about 20 of them. They made a bunch. One hung by my desk for years.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. So we got to see it every day. And I have one. It's rolled up in a little poster thingy.

[Jenna Fischer]

Now, do you know the story behind that picture? Because I traded some text messages with Phil Shay.

[Angela Kinsey]

Mm.

[Jenna Fischer]

So Phil Shea had to make that poster. He did not buy that poster. He put out a casting call for.

[Angela Kinsey]

Babies, and two babies were cast. Baby actors.

[Jenna Fischer]

He said it was really hard to find tiny jazz instruments. He said that was really difficult. In fact, he said, you know, Amazon didn't exist back then. You know, you couldn't just Google baby jazz instrument. And they couldn't be fake looking. Like, they couldn't be, like, blue and pink. So he did eventually find them at a place called Hollywood Costumes. He was particularly proud of the tiny sunglasses that he found. This poster ends up coming back in Conflict resolution. Like you said, it stayed up there, but then it comes back again.

[Angela Kinsey]

It comes back again. I would like to know the two babies that were in the poster. Oh, guys, where are they today? One thing about that baby jazz poster, I remember Mike Schur telling me that they thought it was really funny that Angela would really enjoy babies dressed as adults. Okay, where are we?

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, we're talking about the gifts, and Mike Schur actually said that the gifts were incredibly hard to manage because they start off as Secret Santa. So everybody had a person that they bought a specific gift for, and then you had to track the gifts as they went around. In the Yankee swap, he actually. In the script of this episode, there is a whole page where he lists the gifts, who bought who what. And he did this for Veda, our script supervisor. We haven't really talked about her, but Veda's job is to sit and watch every take that is filmed and make notes about everything. That happens continuity wise. So, I mean, like, really specific. So, like, if in a scene, you take a drink of your T on a certain line and then scratch your nose on another one, Veda writes it down so that you do it the same every time. For editing purposes.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. Veda would come up to us and say, angela, you were holding that pen in your left hand in the first take, and in the second take, you picked it up and held it in your right hand. So that's not going to match. So you need to pick which hand you're going to hold that pen in and do it in every take the same way.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. Because otherwise, when you edit it together, the pen is magically bouncing from hand to hand. So Mike was really worried about Veda in this episode, and so he made this list just for Veda. And I have it from the script.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, fantastic.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay, so this is what everyone was intended to give. And we got a lot of fan questions about this. Like, a lot of people wrote in and said, you know, eventually Michael's gonna get the paintball lessons from Dwight. But they're like, who did Dwight intend that to go to? So I have all the answers right here. Are you ready?

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay. Dwight got Phyllis the paintball lessons and the pellets. That was his gift to Phyllis. Phyllis made Michael an oven mitt. Michael got Ryan an ipod. Ryan got Toby a book of short stories by George Saunders, who happens to be one of Mike Schur's favorite writers. Toby got Angela the baby poster. Angela bought Stanley a picture frame. Stanley got Kelly a nameplate. Kelly got Oscar a shower radio. Oscar got Creed a shamrock keychain. Creed got Jim one of his own shirts. Jim got Pam the teapot. And this is something that got cut out. Pam made Meredith a drawing of the office.

[Angela Kinsey]

I read about that online. Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

And there was this big thing.

[Angela Kinsey]

It's in the deleted scenes. This is something I have to tell you. I got a DVD player for Christmas. What? My husband got me a DVD player, so I got the CDs. He bought me the CD set, and I got a DVD player. And last night, I got to watch all the deleted scenes.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, Angela, you must be so happy.

[Angela Kinsey]

I was so happy. And there's so many. Oh, yeah, there's so many for the Christmas episode. You guys, there are so many great deleted scenes. I don't want to get us off topic here, but they're. In the deleted scenes, Meredith opens up her painting.

[Jenna Fischer]

That is from Pam, and it's a drawing of the office. Well, there's a big Backstory here again with Phil. I don't do Pam's drawings. People ask me that all the time. I'm not an artist. I mean, we've talked about this. Or have we? That I do cartoons. I do cartooning.

[Angela Kinsey]

She's very good at cartooning. And I have a few that you've drawn that I've saved. I think you're fantastic.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, I love my little expressive cartoons, but I needed Pam and wanted Pam to be a better artist than I am. So there is a young art student that does all of Pam's drawings. They went out to a bunch of people, like 12 different artists to turn in samples to be the artist behind Pam, and they picked a young woman.

[Angela Kinsey]

Now, Jenna, I read, and you can tell me if this is true. I read that the first painting that they had for this episode to give to Meredith from Pam, that they had one of our set art people who was a man do it, and when they looked at it, it looked too masculine.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

And so then they went out to female artists.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's true.

[Angela Kinsey]

A little bit of a softer touch.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. And there were something like 12 different artists who all submitted their work. And I wish I knew her name. Unfortunately, I don't. But maybe I can find that out and reveal that in a future episode. And then, so finally, two more gifts. Meredith got Dwight some shot glasses from Cancun, and Kevin got himself a foot bath. Guys, around five minutes, 55 seconds, there is a scene where Michael is talking to Jim at Jim's desk. This is when he reveals that he got Ryan for Secret Santa. And I just want to say, you see a ton of background action. Angela, you're walking from reception over Steve's shoulder. You see Toby and Mindy talking.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

They are 100% not in character.

[Angela Kinsey]

Not in character at all. I saw that, too. I was like, they're just talking about probably something in the writer's room or a story pitch or they're just having a conversation.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. I mean, Paul is just being Paul.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

If anyone's curious, the difference between Toby and Paul. Go to 5 minutes, 55 seconds, and you can see Paul and Mindy having a conversation in the background.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, exactly.

[Jenna Fischer]

Tree lighting.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay. I've been waiting for this moment, the Christmas tree lighting. This starts the beginning of everyone happy. Angela pissed. So this Christmas tree, the top of it has been hacked off by Kevin. It is covered in so much tinsel.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

So much tinsel. It has a smattering of just blue and red ball ornaments. It's just not their best effort. And then it has the tiniest of tiny white lights, thanks to Phyllis. So Dwight makes a big deal of it. He, like, takes the. Like, the outlet, like, the plug. What do you call it?

[Jenna Fischer]

The plug.

[Angela Kinsey]

The plug. He takes the plug from Stanley. He wants to plug it in. He's like, just like Rockefeller Center. And everyone gathers around and it's like. And Phyllis is like, I'm sorry. And at 6 minutes, 38 seconds, you see my first pissed off face. Dang it, Phyllis.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's also one of those moments where I feel like Angela's like, I knew it.

[Angela Kinsey]

I knew it.

[Jenna Fischer]

I knew I couldn't trust her with these lights.

[Angela Kinsey]

Why do I even have her do anything?

[Jenna Fischer]

Why do you have anyone do anything? Yeah, you can't let anyone do anything.

[Angela Kinsey]

These people are worthless.

[Jenna Fischer]

Exactly. You know that Christmas tree light thing is based on a real thing from Mike Scher's life?

[Angela Kinsey]

I know.

[Jenna Fischer]

He said that when he and his wife got their first tree in New York, he bought a bunch of small lights for the tree and he wrapped them around, and when he plugged it in, you couldn't really see them. I love that. I love when writers work those little moments from their real life into the show. I thought, speaking about people who are acting like themselves instead of their characters, I thought, Jim's talking head about Creed's gift is so John.

[Angela Kinsey]

It is John.

[Jenna Fischer]

That is John right there.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

All the delivery, the smile, all of it. And then, of course, Creed's talking head made me laugh so hard.

[Angela Kinsey]

Creed is very funny in this episode. I mean, everybody has some great moments, but Creed. Creed cracked me up a bunch in this episode. So now Secret Santa is starting.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yep. Everyone is gathered around in some office chairs. And I want to say, truly, I know we were joking about Charles McDougall, but the amount of energy and movement that he uses the camera to give this scene of people sitting in a circle, I mean, it is impressive from a directorial standpoint, I think. Like, I. I don't want to be crazy, but I think, like, film students should study this portion of the episode, because I'm imagining myself trying to film a group of people sitting in a circle doing a gift exchange, and it would not look nearly this dynamic. It's really, really impressive. Directing.

[Angela Kinsey]

No, he's great. He is really great.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay, so we're starting the Secret Santa, and Pam opens Jim's teapot. She loves it, but Dwight moves things along so quickly that she doesn't have time to look inside or notice the card that's in the box.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, Dwight wants To no chitty chat between gifts. He's like, go.

[Jenna Fischer]

He's me coming in today.

[Angela Kinsey]

He is.

[Jenna Fischer]

He's like, save it for the mic.

[Angela Kinsey]

So he is moving things along. So it's Pam. And then the next one, we find.

[Jenna Fischer]

Out that Michael buys Ryan a video ipod that costs $400.

[Angela Kinsey]

You guys, this was not product placement.

[Jenna Fischer]

It was not. So many people wanted to know.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, we were not paid. It was just sort of a really cool topical gift at the time. And they were trying to think of a gift that would sort of be a showstopper that Michael think was very impressive that everyone would want. So this was coincidence. We weren't paid to use it. So I read that.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, here's something. A ton of people wanted to know who kept it at the end. Nobody. We weren't allowed to keep any of the stuff. It all goes into a giant warehouse and it gets labeled for the episode for props. Because if for some reason we have to go back and reshoot something, they take it off the shelf and they bring it back in.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's true.

[Jenna Fischer]

I don't know what happens after it's been in the warehouse for a while, but it just goes to prop house storage.

[Angela Kinsey]

I feel like it's still on a box labeled the office Christmas party.

[Jenna Fischer]

Probably is. There was a fan question from beardup. Beard down. Was the ipod sponsored by Apple? It wasn't. We said it was not. It's just a total coincidence. But there's more coincidence. So the week after this episode aired, Apple revealed that you could now download episodes of the office onto these video ipods. Again, this was not planned. And then the office became the number one downloaded show on itunes. Yes, the number one downloaded show.

[Angela Kinsey]

I remember Rainn Wilson turned to me and said, I think we're gonna make it. I think we're gonna. This was the first moment it felt like the tide was turning for us and that we might not get canceled.

[Jenna Fischer]

All right, so next up, Michael gets his gift. The oven mitt knitted by Phyllis.

[Angela Kinsey]

Now, everyone had a $20 limit, you guys. That's why this ipod really shakes everything up. Because he spent $400.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. Yes. And he has his line where he says, I only. He says out in the hallway, he's holding the mitt and he says, do you know what this says? This says, I only care about you. A homemade oven mitt's worth. He is such a child.

[Angela Kinsey]

He is such a bratty kid in this episode.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, my gosh. Well, we had a fan question from Chelsea Rakonza and Amanda and many others, actually. Who actually knitted the oven mitt? Well, I asked Phyllis. She does not knit in real life. Although she told me that she knitted a scarf for her mom a couple of years ago, but she said that's it. She didn't. Oh, just one scarf.

[Angela Kinsey]

I want you guys to know, you know how we talk about what was at everyone's desks. So at Phyllis's desk, like sitting on the floor sort of next to her desk for so many years, was a whole knitting basket. Do you remember? I did it had all the yarn and the knitting needles, and it sat there as if her character would ever do anything with it. But it was established there, and it sat there.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, Phil Shay told me he found a woman at a knitting store in Valley Village, California, and she knitted the oven mitt again. Oven mitt Knitter. If you're listening, please write [e-mail] and we'll give you a shout out. You knitted the famous mitt?

[Angela Kinsey]

I thought it looked like a great oven mitt. And it had like the little like, like the Teflon, Teflon y thingy on the one side. Yeah. So Ryan gets the IPOD, and at 8 minutes, 24 seconds is the next phase of Angela pissed offness.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay.

[Angela Kinsey]

You see my face at the fact that Michael spent $400?

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

When the limit was 20, all of my instructions, I'm sure I sent out an email about Secret Santa and the rules. So, one, Phyllis has ignored my request for bigger lights and got the tiny lights. Now, two, Michael has spent $400 instead of the agreed upon $20. So we're ramping up. She's getting ticked off.

[Jenna Fischer]

I have no doubt that you sent a very detailed email about this to everyone with a follow up reminder.

[Angela Kinsey]

Mm. Which is why Kevin does not come forward when he gets himself, because he would have had to tell me.

[Jenna Fischer]

He would have. Yeah. You know what? I really relate to Angela on so many levels. Listen, really do.

[Angela Kinsey]

There's. On some levels, you're way more Angela than I am.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, yeah. I mean, I would have generated 2, 3, 4 very detailed emails about the party, the plans, if I assign someone to do lights for the tree, and that's what I got. I would feel so pissed and let.

[Angela Kinsey]

Down if people went over the $20 budget. You would have been furious.

[Jenna Fischer]

Furious.

[Angela Kinsey]

Because you would have been like, what's the point? Why even have that number?

[Jenna Fischer]

Is Angela wrong?

[Angela Kinsey]

No, I don't think she's wrong.

[Jenna Fischer]

She's just, you know, why is no one helping her.

[Angela Kinsey]

She's a by the book person. Why can't people follow the rules?

[Jenna Fischer]

I agree.

[Angela Kinsey]

So at 9 minutes, 39 seconds, she gets pissed off on a whole new level. Because as you were saying, this is when Michael is really ticked off that he got the oven mitt and he switches the party. No more Secret Santa. He says, now we're doing Yankee Swap.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. Yankee Swap slash White Elephant slash. What was the other one? He said?

[Angela Kinsey]

Nasty Christmas.

[Jenna Fischer]

Nasty Christmas.

[Angela Kinsey]

You know, there was actually a little debate about what do you call it? And people were like, well, we call it White Elephant. And someone else was like, we call it Yankee Swap. And I feel like the writers and put it in the episode.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, I know it as Yankee Swap. What do you know it as?

[Angela Kinsey]

I knew it as White Elephant.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, I think it's good they did that. They covered everybody.

[Angela Kinsey]

They covered everybody. But when I threw my Christmas party, I called it Yankee Swap just because I loved it so much.

[Jenna Fischer]

You know, here's something that I heard in the commentary. Angela, since we're talking about your character, I guess that you had a talking head in the fire.

[Angela Kinsey]

I watched it. Cause I have a DVD player now.

[Jenna Fischer]

In the deleted.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes, in the deleted scenes.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, Mike said that the writers room was so impressed with your performance in that talking head that they put a card on the wall that was Angela cries. And they wanted to find an episode where you could cry a bunch. And this was it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Mike Scher told me. He said, I love to see your character cry. He said, she's so pulled together that when you sort of fall apart, it's like, really sort of oddly pleasing.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, I love it. I love it.

[Angela Kinsey]

So, yes, at 9 minutes, 51 seconds, I have a talking head. And my charact is really upset because she feels like Michael should have talked to the PPC first.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, well, they should have.

[Angela Kinsey]

And then she.

[Jenna Fischer]

I mean, he should have.

[Angela Kinsey]

And then she breaks down. So she is. She is really starting to spiral.

[Jenna Fischer]

And then when we cut back to the scene, she's still sobbing. I mean, she's not sobbing, but she's still crying.

[Angela Kinsey]

She's sullen. She's very sullen.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay. You know this famous line, yankee Swap. Yeah, From Michael. All right, Mike Scherman. That's a written line that wasn't improvised, that Steve would say, yankee swap. And Mike wrote in the script, in parentheses, crazy voice. And he was like, I know Steve will do something great with that. And that was Steve's take on that. Because they would do that. They would sometimes put little pieces of direction in the script for us, and then we'd have to interpret it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Guys, did you notice in this episode, it is snowing outside?

[Angela Kinsey]

I loved this touch. I love that they kept cutting to the windows and there'd be snow.

[Jenna Fischer]

Do you remember how much fun it was to have the snow? We were so tickled by the snow.

[Angela Kinsey]

We were so excited. You guys remember, we mostly just filmed inside and we never even saw outside or what was happening outside.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

And so the fact that we had this extra element happening was so fun.

[Jenna Fischer]

We really did film inside in a windowless warehouse. All the windows were fake. They just had backdrops behind them.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

So to see actual sunshine or snow or air was really exciting to us. I have a ton of facts about the snow. I don't know if anyone else will find it interesting, but I had written all about it in one of my blogs, journals.

[Angela Kinsey]

I'm living for this. I can't wait to hear about it. All right, I do have to pee.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, do you want me to give you some snow facts when we come back from the break?

[Angela Kinsey]

I mean, can I?

[Jenna Fischer]

You should be on an empty bladder when I lay these awesome facts on you.

[Angela Kinsey]

You don't tell me or my bladder what we're doing.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, what do you want? Do you want full bladder snowflakes facts or empty bladder snow facts?

[Angela Kinsey]

Empty bladder snow facts. All right.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's what I'm saying.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, I thought you were telling me that I had to not drink any more water or tea. When we go on a road trip, my husband will be like, can you not get an iced tea?

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay, clearly you're projecting some other thing on me because I said I thought you should empty your bladder for the snowfax. She's leaving. First you push away from the mic to eat your snack.

[Angela Kinsey]

This is for you, Jenna.

[Jenna Fischer]

So disgusting.

[Angela Kinsey]

Those are honey nut Cheerios.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, God.

[Angela Kinsey]

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[Jenna Fischer]

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[Angela Kinsey]

IKEA is here to make your me time dreams come true. Visit in store or at ikea-usa.com sleep to create a comfy, blissful bedroom today.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, my gosh, Angela. This is a harrowing statistic. Every 26 seconds, a burglary takes place, according to FBI data in the United States.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. Well, you can protect your home before it's too late with Simplisafe's proactive security system. Here's the thing. Traditional security systems only take action after someone has broken in that's too late. Simplisafe's active guard outdoor protection can help prevent break inside before they happen. You know, Josh and I have used SimpliSafe for a while now and we actually are adding to our system. We're adding a few extra outdoor cameras.

[Jenna Fischer]

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[Angela Kinsey]

That's simplisafe.com officeladies there's no safe like Simplisafe. So Jenna and I love Quince. You know, Quince is this wonderful website that has really affordable but high quality items. Here's the thing we like about Quint. It has a range of high quality items at prices within reach. I just got this set of towels that are really luxurious. I probably normally wouldn't have bought them, but they were such a great deal on Quint's and now I have fancy towels that are so soft and cozy like, like something out of a really nice hotel but in my bathroom at home. The best part, all Quint's Items are priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. By partnering directly with with top factories, Quince cuts the cost of the middleman and passes the savings on to you. Give yourself the luxury you deserve with quince. Go to quince.comofficeladies for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's Q U I-n c e.com officeladies to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com officelad Ladies, thank you for letting me have my bathroom break. I want to hear all about your snow.

[Jenna Fischer]

All right. I hope this isn't anticlimactic for people, but the company that came to make the snow is called Snow Business.

[Angela Kinsey]

I love that snow business. Snow business.

[Jenna Fischer]

I remembered. I remembered that. It so tickled me. Okay, so here's how it works with fake snow. There's a guy from snow business. He shows up. Now the snow that falls from the sky is different from the ground cover snow. The snow on the ground is snow.

[Angela Kinsey]

The snow that Falls from the sky. I know because it falls on my character at the end. And it is not snow.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's not snow.

[Angela Kinsey]

It's soap.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes, you can get a choice. You can get a choice of cornstarch, plastic or soap. And Greg watched a demonstration of all three, and he picked soap.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, when by accident, a little piece of that might get in your mouth. It tastes like soap because I shriek and a piece of it went in my mouth.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's what.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

She said.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay. On the ground, though, it's real snow. And they bring this machine, and I don't know exactly how it works, but it's kind of like. Like a wood chipper, but in reverse.

[Angela Kinsey]

It looks like something out of a Dr. Seuss.

[Jenna Fischer]

It does. It really does. And it really blows snow. I guess that's what it looks like. It looks like a snowblower, but it generates snow. And then it just blows it all over the ground, all over the cars and all that stuff. But, guys, remember, this is like, we're shooting this in, like, October in Los Angeles, and it's hot in October. It's. It stays warm here in the daytime. It's still in the mid-80s 90s, but it was night. And so we had a little bit of time with it. I mean, it was still warm out.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, it was probably, like, in the high 60s.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, that sounds about right. All right.

[Angela Kinsey]

But yes, we were very excited to have snow.

[Jenna Fischer]

And, Jenna, where did you like my snow facts?

[Angela Kinsey]

I love.

[Jenna Fischer]

I feel a little vulnerable about them now because we set them up so much. I mean, there was, like, break and in my head about it.

[Angela Kinsey]

I like your snow facts.

[Jenna Fischer]

Snow business. That's cute.

[Angela Kinsey]

I think snow business is really cute.

[Jenna Fischer]

All right, but let's go back to the gift exchange. This is when Kelly gets Angela's poster. But Angela, you do get to take it back.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay, here's the thing. I wrote in my MySpace blog about this moment. And I wrote that it was one of the hardest things for us to get through as a cast. That the first time Mindy unrolls the poster and looks at it, we all see it. We all. Every person lost it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Because it's so ridiculous.

[Angela Kinsey]

It's so ridiculous. We had not seen it. It was an actual surprise to us while we were filming, and we all lost it. I had that. In fact, it was particularly hard on Rain for some reason. And that in one take, he broke three times. Cause he could not get through it.

[Jenna Fischer]

I can't believe that Mindy was tasked with having to unroll that poster. How did we ever get a shot of her not laughing?

[Angela Kinsey]

I don't know, but we were cracking up.

[Jenna Fischer]

There's a little detail in that scene that made me laugh when I rewatched it, which is how you just very subtly swat the oven mitt away on your way to getting the poster.

[Angela Kinsey]

That was all me. Thank you very much.

[Jenna Fischer]

I loved it. It was such a good detail. I loved it. Well, in tracking the oven mitt, Meredith eventually takes the oven mitt, but, you know, Michael has to then call her a sucker and say that he wanted her to take it. And it was reverse psychology when he said he wanted to keep it.

[Angela Kinsey]

I love that he decided that he needed to break down reverse psychology to all of us, because I don't know if you've heard of it. This is a pretty cool thing. I'm like, michael, you're such an idiot.

[Jenna Fischer]

Do you remember how Phyllis cried during that scene?

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. She stayed in, like, sort of that sad place.

[Jenna Fischer]

She cried for, like, a half hour. And in between takes of that, where she had to be crying, she didn't want any of us to talk to her. And Kate and I tried to go up and give her a hug. She didn't want it. Like, she was in this, like, actor zone. It's so hard to do. It's so hard to do. I know exactly where she was, but I just remember being really worried for her, because when you see Phyllis cry, it is. Ugh.

[Angela Kinsey]

You don't want to see Phyllis cry because it breaks every part of you open. I mean, she did. She had to stay sad. And it is really hard, especially sitting in this circle with people cracking up about a baby poster. Yeah, but you've got to stay. Yes, it's hard. It's really hard.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's very difficult.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, here's the thing. Michael just gets progressively meaner. You know, he calls Meredith a sucker. And then Dwight, you know, he opens the paintball and he's like, you know, how is this better than an ipod? And this moment kind of broke my heart, too, when Dwight goes, I never said it was better. You know, wait, I have an Angela pissed offness moment. Oh, okay, go at 13 minutes, 58 seconds. Look at my face. I wrote it in all caps. So Michael has just called Meredith a sucker because she got the lame oven mitt. And Phyllis storms out. Okay? She is completely heartbroken now, and the party is falling apart. And the look on my face is just sheer, like, rage now.

[Jenna Fischer]

Are we at the top of your rage now?

[Angela Kinsey]

No.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, no. Well, I mean, I know, we've still got the parking lot, but no.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, no. There's a moment coming, and you'll know it. It's the. There's. There's a one, two punch coming at the end for my anger, but yeah. All right. So people are making trades, and feelings are getting hurt.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

And Pam does not go back and get the teapot. She gets the ipod.

[Jenna Fischer]

She does. When it's Pam's turn to pick again, she picks the ipod instead of the teapot. And Jim is so hurt.

[Angela Kinsey]

He's so hurt. And I. You know, I watched this, and I was like, come on, Pam. But then, you know, Pam doesn't know what all is in the teapot. She doesn't. And that's what sort of justified it for me. She's just like, this is an ipod.

[Jenna Fischer]

This ipod has completely hijacked this whole fun party and gift exchange because everybody who's sitting in this seat is just thinking about trying to get this ipod, and so is Pam, unfortunately, I think she kind of forgot about the teapot. So it was her time to pick. She was just like, ipod.

[Angela Kinsey]

But she also doesn't know what's in the teapot. She doesn't know how high the stakes are for Jim. No, she doesn't. I think it's kind of an innocent moment, honestly. And Michael has ruined all of this because the gifts were specific for people. I mean, Ryan gets a placard that says Kelly.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

He gets, like, you know, a desk, whatever nameplate.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Like, these were not meant to be Yankee swap gifts.

[Jenna Fischer]

They were not. They were meant for certain people. Well, at this point, the party has completely broken down, and Michael goes to the liquor store. Now, I want to point out a few things.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know what you're going to point out, because, lady, I have the DVDs now, so go do it.

[Jenna Fischer]

I do it. Do you know what I'm going to say?

[Angela Kinsey]

Is it about the attendant at the liquor store?

[Jenna Fischer]

I have one thing to say about him, but I just thought I wanted to point out that it's also snowing outside the window of the liquor store. Yeah, they made it snow there, too.

[Angela Kinsey]

Mm.

[Jenna Fischer]

I don't know. Nice detail.

[Angela Kinsey]

Nice touch.

[Jenna Fischer]

Good continuity. Veda was on it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, I read that our rioters found out in Pennsylvania that if you work at a liquor store, you have to wear a tie.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

And so that was part of this character description, is that he had to have on a tie.

[Jenna Fischer]

Isn't that great?

[Angela Kinsey]

And I thought the actor. His name is Ryan Martin, did a fantastic job. He just really, like, takes in all of that vodka and it's just 15 bottles. 15 bottles.

[Jenna Fischer]

Craziness. Okay, so then we go back to the party.

[Angela Kinsey]

Michael brings all this vodka back into the party, and it's 16, 10 minutes. This is the next phase of Angela. Angela's spiral.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, say it.

[Angela Kinsey]

So Michael has vodka, and she's like, what are you doing? There's no alcohol at the party. You know, Angela speaks up and Toby speaks up. No one else cares. But now she's.

[Jenna Fischer]

Toby speaks up. I missed that.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. Toby's like, michael, we really shouldn't have. And he goes, just shut it, Toby. It's a party.

[Jenna Fischer]

But then later, I feel like Toby brings Todd Packer a drink.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, no, it's all like, all bets are off.

[Jenna Fischer]

All bets are off.

[Angela Kinsey]

All bets are off. And, you know, you have to remember that Michael told the party planning committee that he wanted this Christmas party to be like, and I quote, a Playboy mansion party. Yeah, that was his hope.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's his goal.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's his goal. So. But yeah, Angela is now super ticked. Cause now there's alcohol.

[Jenna Fischer]

I'm surprised her whole head didn't explode.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, it's about to. Cause the next two are what set it into motion.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, boy. Well, now we have the scene where Jim is trying to get the teapot back from Dwight. Jim offers to trade him the shamrock keychain. And he says, come on, it'll be good luck. And that's when Dwight has his line. A real man makes his own luck. Billy Zane, Titanic. And Angela, you made the entire cast T shirts with that quote on them. And I still have mine.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my gosh. You do?

[Jenna Fischer]

I do. It's a gray long sleeve T shirt.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's black writing and it's just a quote across it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. So I had a friend at the time who had a T shirt press because she had a small business. And I loved this line so much. I thought it was hilarious. Of all people, for Dwight to quote, it would be Billy Zane.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, people were asking if we gave each other gifts. That was a gift. You gave that out. I think you actually gave that out at Christmas that year.

[Angela Kinsey]

I did. And you an ornament?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes, I got that cast photo and I had it printed on an ornament for everyone.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yep.

[Jenna Fischer]

Aw. The idea that Dwight wants to keep the teapot in order to wash out his nasal passages with green tea is based on something that Greg Daniels has.

[Angela Kinsey]

Actually done, like with a neti pot.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. I mean, but I've never put green tea in a neti pot.

[Angela Kinsey]

I haven't either.

[Jenna Fischer]

I've only used the saline solution that is recommended.

[Angela Kinsey]

But I could see Greg reading about it and giving it a try. But. But rain, the way rain was in that scene. And he, like, shoved that teapot into his nostril.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

And just John's face as Jim is just like, are you kidding me? That that's who gets my teapot? Like, it's so perfect. He's so bummed now.

[Jenna Fischer]

When I watched this with Lee, Lee said he wondered how Dwight didn't find the note in the box or how Dwight didn't open up the teapot.

[Angela Kinsey]

I thought of all of those things. I thought, Dwight now has the cassette and the sauce packet. I mean, so you have to sort of suspend belief. I guess at that moment that. That he took those out and just shoved him aside like, hmm, what's this crap? And just sort of shoved him aside in the box.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, also, I don't think Jim is trying to get the teapot back for Pam. I think he's just trying to get the teapot back for himself. He's just gonna keep it now. That's what I think the motivation is there because Pam is over, you know, up at the desk with Roy looking through her new ipod.

[Angela Kinsey]

I think Jim just wants to get it back because I think there's things inside it that are embarrassing.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes, exactly. But he's gonna trade the keychain and he's just gonna take that teapot home now. So Pam is up at reception and she's showing Roy her new ipod. He's now at the party. He wasn't there for Yankee swap, but he's all excited because now he doesn't have to buy it for Pam for Christmas. He was going to buy her this ipod, he tells her, and now he doesn't have to. He's just gonna get her a sweater. Thanks, Roy.

[Angela Kinsey]

Now the party is like 15 bottles of vodka in. Todd Packer has showed up.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

It's getting crazy.

[Jenna Fischer]

And everyone's doing shots. Angela's fuming.

[Angela Kinsey]

I am fuming. But the icing on the cake of my pissed offness is about to happen.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, say it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Michael shouts to the whole bullpen. He says, oh, my gosh. Yes. Ryan, the king of the party planning. Oh, thank you. To thank you to Ryan for this awesome party. And the camera pans to me and I am livid. Ryan, the temp. The king of the party planning committee. Are you kidding me?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, that's it. She is pissed.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, no. And it's only Gonna get worse. That's not even still the worst thing that's happened to Angela.

[Angela Kinsey]

Nope. I had a headache by the end of this episode.

[Jenna Fischer]

You must have. You were just scowling and pushing anger out of your temples this whole episode. You know when Todd Packer shows up and he has that line, what's up, my nerds? Okay, nerds. That was an improv sort of in the script. What was written was, what's up, nerds? And he just gave it that extra special touch of what's up, my nerds?

[Angela Kinsey]

I know. Well, that's also Dave Koechner. I mean, I think even the line when he's like, packer, need a drinky?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

The line was probably like, he was getting me a drink.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. You know, he brought so much to that role. It was amazing. And, well, you know when he has to lay down on the desk and get the silly string on him, like when he passes out. I remember shooting that. He had to lay there forever. So he laid down on those desks, which were not comfortable. Right. And then they silly stringed his head. And then we had all these scenes where that's what he's doing. Well, if he got up, all the stuff that he was decorated in would have fallen off. It would have been impossible to recreate. So he had to just lay there. Even when we were on a break.

[Angela Kinsey]

Even when we were on a break. And he was such a trooper. Talk about a trooper. And I wrote in my MySpace blog that Kate and I. Cause Kate and I knew Dave from improv days. We had all, like, done improv shows together that Kate and I walked over and talked to him while he had to lay on his back. And we just sort of, like, caught up and that it was so fun to see him. But I want you guys to know, if you're wondering what Todd Packer looks like at 20 minutes, 19 seconds to really paint a picture here. Yeah, he's laying on his back kind of across a desk area partition right in the middle of the room. He has blue silly string on his head, Christmas lights around his torso, Christmas garland around his torso, Dwight's desk, name plate on his stomach. And there's like a red empty solo cup kind of just like in his, like, the crook of his arm. And he had to lay like that with all those things on top of him.

[Jenna Fischer]

He passes out so quickly. You have to imagine he showed up already half drunk.

[Angela Kinsey]

You know he did.

[Jenna Fischer]

You know he did.

[Angela Kinsey]

You know he did.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay, guys, so now we have the scene where Pam reveals to Jim that She got her teapot back. She trades Dwight the ipod for the teapot, and now she's gonna look inside and find all the items. And it's very charming and sweet, and she is so delighted. But in this moment, Jim secretly steals the note back and puts it in his pocket.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know he lost his courage.

[Jenna Fischer]

He did. Now, when we reached out to fans to ask them what they wanted to know about the Christmas episode, I would say that about 80% of the comments and emails we received were along the lines of what is in the teapot note? Because, as you know, in this episode, Pam does not read it. It is not revealed. But then in season nine, there's a scene where Jim has the documentary film crew put together footage of their romance, and he shows it to Pam. And Pam sees that there was a note that Jim steals back, and then he hands it to her, and she reads it.

[Angela Kinsey]

How brilliant is that? And you know who that is? That's Greg Daniels. Yeah, because he was such a master at beautiful callback moments. I love that.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, from the time that Jim stole the note, it drove people crazy. They always wanted to know what had been written in the note. Would Pam ever get the note? For years and years, Will he ever give her the note? Around the time of the wedding, people wanted him to give it to her as a wedding gift. Greg saved it till the end. I'm gonna say something that I've never said before. I also feel like I'm maybe gonna cry. What?

[Angela Kinsey]

Wait, wait. What are you gonna. Are you gonna say what was in the note? Are you gonna say what was in the note?

[Jenna Fischer]

Sort of.

[Angela Kinsey]

Because I don't know what was on that card. None of us do.

[Jenna Fischer]

I'm the only one who knows. And John knows.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my gosh, lady.

[Jenna Fischer]

In that episode in season nine, I believe Greg suggested to John that he write a personal message from himself to me just saying what our time together on the Office meant to him.

[Angela Kinsey]

Aw, Jenna.

[Jenna Fischer]

Because we were wrapping up filming, we were wrapping up the series, and we were all so emotional at that time.

[Angela Kinsey]

You know, we were all sort of saying goodbye in different ways.

[Jenna Fischer]

We were. And so that was his goodbye. Very similar to when we filmed that scene with Steve where I said goodbye to him at the airport and Paul Feig told me, just run up and say goodbye to your friends, Steve.

[Angela Kinsey]

Jeff Blitz said the same thing to me when I was in the car with Oscar. And I say, I love Dwight. He said, angela, in this moment, express your love for the show and everyone. And if you couldn't have it in your life anymore. And I disintegrated.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. So I'm on camera, and I open up this note that John's written me, and I just start crying. I just start bawling. It probably the first take was probably not usable. It was the sweetest note. And, you know, on camera, Pam says, I'll never say what it said, but just know it was perfect. Well, I'll never say exactly what John wrote, but I will say, just know it was perfect. So that's what was in the teapot note, guys. It was a note from John to.

[Angela Kinsey]

Me, a personal note about what it meant to work with you on the show.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

About our time together on the show. And it was really sweet.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, that would completely wreck me.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, I love that. I didn't know that. Are you okay? Yeah. Well, crap. How do we talk about anything else? That was so beautiful.

[Jenna Fischer]

I'm sorry.

[Angela Kinsey]

That was so beautiful. I love that. That was the direction that Greg gave those moments. Became very honest for us under that kind of direction.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

And we all had little moments like that. That's a really big one, though.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, there were those moments on the show that were surprises. Steve didn't know I was gonna run up and tell him that. Basically that same thing. Steve, I'm gonna miss you. All the things that I said to him.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oscar didn't know the note that Jeff Blitz. So when all that emotion came, it was very, like, completely out of nowhere for him.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay. Well, geez Louise.

[Jenna Fischer]

I'm sorry.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's okay. Where are we at in this episode?

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, we're at the moment when Kelly approaches Dwight in the kitchen.

[Angela Kinsey]

Kelly, that hussy.

[Jenna Fischer]

Ooh. With her hair half down, half up.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know. She goes up to my man and lays one on him.

[Jenna Fischer]

She does.

[Angela Kinsey]

And Angela sees it. And that is it.

[Jenna Fischer]

You know, a lot of people wrote in and commented that you're standing in front of a poster that says commitment.

[Angela Kinsey]

Am I really?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my gosh. I didn't even notice. That is so funny. I think I was just so focused on the scene.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Wow. Yes. Angela loses it. Loses it. And this takes us outside. She's left the party. And now I have some stuff to tell you guys about this scene.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

All right. 20 minutes, 16 seconds. The ultimate Angela pissed offness has happened. Here's some behind the scenes of this scene. You have a guy up on the roof, and he's got the soap snow.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yep.

[Angela Kinsey]

That he's gonna.

[Jenna Fischer]

Falling into your eyes.

[Angela Kinsey]

He's gonna. Yeah. Stinging And Then there's snow on the ground, because they've put real snow on the ground. We filmed this scene at the end of the day, and everyone had gone. It was just me and Charles McDougall, Randall Einhorn and Mike Schur. So it was just kind of a skeleton crew at this point.

[Jenna Fischer]

Those are always some of my most favorite shoots.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, me too. And we did not have a lot of time. We didn't have a lot of time to get this.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, the clock was ticking.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, exactly. Because we didn't want to go into overtime for everyone. And it was the end of the day. And so Charles McDougall said to me, we're probably only going to do, like, two takes, you know, maybe three. But they gave me these ornaments, and my instruction was that my character has just lost it. Michael has ruined Christmas. Kelly has kissed my man. Ryan is the king of the party planning committee, right?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

He said, I want you to take these ornaments and just throw them and shatter them. They were written in the script as glass ornaments. They were not glass ornaments.

[Jenna Fischer]

What?

[Angela Kinsey]

Watch the scene. I throw them down, they bounce straight up in the air.

[Jenna Fischer]

What were they?

[Angela Kinsey]

They were like some kind of plastic composite. Whatever.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, no.

[Angela Kinsey]

So when you look. Watch it, you guys. You see them bounce in the air.

[Jenna Fischer]

I assumed. Well, that makes sense. We did not have the budget to get special breakaway glass ornaments. And there's no way they would give you real glass.

[Angela Kinsey]

No. So these things bounced like a tennis ball. And so Charles is like, cut. And he goes, okay, two things. One, we need you to stand closer to the wall. Like, if you can in the scene, get as close to the wall as possible, because that's where the guy is with the soap coming down. Yeah, the soap doesn't fall very far. So we have another take. And he's like, why aren't you breaking the ornaments? I'm like, charles, they're bouncing. What are you talking about? He goes, can you throw them harder? I was like, yeah, they're just going to bounce higher. And I was like, okay, I got it. I got it. I have an idea. So I know now we're really running out of time, so. And Michael Gallenberg had taken the most awesome photo that I have, and it's the snow falling and me throwing the ornaments and Charles McDougall in the distance watching me.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's the coolest. That's great. Michael Gallenberg, our set designer.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. He took this photo. It was so cool. But anyway, here I am. We're running out of time. I gotta stand. I gotta get Myself to the wall. I gotta throw these ornaments, and I need them to break, and I have to shriek. Right. So I throw them with. I said, I'm gonna throw them harder this time. I don't know. So I threw them as hard as I could. They bounced up higher. I shrieked, and I just started stomping on them and shattering them with my feet.

[Jenna Fischer]

Was that your intention going in when you're like, I have an idea. I can do it. I can do it.

[Angela Kinsey]

I was thinking, if I can't get the, I have to start stomping on them.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

So that's what I just did. That was just an improv in the moment. I just started stomping on them. Folks, notice I'm wearing my sass shoes.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, that's the perfect shoe for this.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know. And so I shriek. I get to the wall. I'm stomping things. I rip the box apart. We got the scene.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, let me tell you, toneloke89 is going to be very happy because they wrote in with a fan question.

[Angela Kinsey]

What was that?

[Jenna Fischer]

One of my favorite scenes is when Angela screams and smashes the glass ornaments. What was it like to film all of that? Yes, exactly.

[Angela Kinsey]

But now if you go back and watch the scene, you guys watch, like, the first two that I throw. I think that's kind of from the first take. They bounce straight up.

[Jenna Fischer]

So when we go back up in the office, I have to point out that when everybody decides to go to Poor Richard's, Michael gets invited. And the look on his face, it's better than any gift he could have been given.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know. And this is that moment where you're like, michael has been just such a jerk this whole episode. And then you see this sort of sad, wounded person that just wants people to like him.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. How much he needs people to invite him to have drinks. Like he needs it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Or he needs his gift to be the most popular.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

He needs that acceptance.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, we have Michael's talking head at the end where he's talking about Christmas and gifts. Here's a little fun tidbit. This talking head was originally shot to be at the beginning of the episode.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh.

[Jenna Fischer]

But when they were editing, they put it at the end because Greg wanted to do kind of a montage of scenes and of people leaving of us out in the snow in the parking lot. And he was like, oh, wait, that talking head. That works perfectly. Because something that we couldn't do because of the documentary style. You couldn't do a montage with a song.

[Angela Kinsey]

No.

[Jenna Fischer]

You had Montages were set to talking.

[Angela Kinsey]

Heads, and we have had a montage of a song, but it's like the song playing in the car.

[Jenna Fischer]

Sure.

[Angela Kinsey]

Something like that.

[Jenna Fischer]

It has to be sound. That is. What do they call that? Like a live sound?

[Angela Kinsey]

A live sound?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, something like that. Active sound. Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Before we get to the final scenes of the show, I just wanted to point out two lines that fans have quoted as some of their favorite lines ever in this episode.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, yes. Say them.

[Angela Kinsey]

One is happy birthday, Jesus. Sorry your party is so lame.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

And another fan favorite is Yankee Swap is like Machiavelli meets Christmas. And I really do want you guys to check out the DVD deleted scenes from this episode.

[Jenna Fischer]

By the way. We're not getting paid to say that. We're not. We just really think they're good.

[Angela Kinsey]

We just really think they're good. And, you guys, Oscar Nunez is so great with physical comedy. I did a sketch show with him before the Office years ago in my 20s. We've known each other forever. He is a great physical comedian, but he didn't get to do very much of that on the office. But there is a scene in the deleted scenes where him and Creed move a desk, and he gets pinned in by the desk and he has to get out from being stuck. And it's really, really funny.

[Jenna Fischer]

I want to see that.

[Angela Kinsey]

And Phyllis reveals in a deleted scene for this episode how she met Bob.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh.

[Angela Kinsey]

She says that they met because he works next door.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, well, there you go.

[Angela Kinsey]

So there you go. They were right there together. And Kevin has a whole rap. He raps. Oh, a whole portion of a song. So really check out these deleted scenes if you can. They're fantastic. All right, let's talk about the final scene inside the office.

[Jenna Fischer]

All right. It happens in Michael's office. He's getting ready to leave. He's gonna go downstairs. Meredith just walks into his office, takes off her top. And then Steve, as Michael takes a picture and then walks out. I have a fan question.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, first of all, Kate. I really wanted Kate to be able to call in for this one. I traded text with her, but she is starting a tour with Dancing with the Stars.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

And she's traveling today. She's on a plane. And she called me night before last, and she was like, ange, I'm so sorry I can't come in. But she was like, I really do want to come in and talk about all things Meredith. So she will come eventually.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, that's good. I have a feeling you might know the answer to this. Fan question.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay.

[Jenna Fischer]

Carrie Schaub said, or maybe it's Carrie Schab said, when characters flash each other, are the actors really flashing each other in real life?

[Angela Kinsey]

No. No, no, no, no.

[Jenna Fischer]

I mean, sort of.

[Angela Kinsey]

Sort of.

[Jenna Fischer]

But no.

[Angela Kinsey]

I mean, it's still embarrassing. Even if I had to, like, be in a bathing suit, I'd feel awkward. You know what I mean? Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Kate was wearing pasties.

[Angela Kinsey]

Kate had things.

[Jenna Fischer]

She was kind of covered.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. She had things over her hoo ha's.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Steve is such a gentleman. He said, kate, I'm just gonna look at, like, your neck.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. Stare at your clavicle.

[Angela Kinsey]

They had no crew inside.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yep.

[Angela Kinsey]

Her image wasn't on any monitors anywhere.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's right. And there was no chip in the digital camera. So the flash goes off. It looks like Michael's taking a picture. But there was actually never a picture.

[Angela Kinsey]

Taken, never a photo. So they were very, very mindful of taking care of Kate in that moment. Kate would go on as Meredith to take off her clothes quite a bit. Quite a bit. One of my favorite things is that Kate's father wrote her a handwritten letter.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, my goodness.

[Angela Kinsey]

And all it said, this is her father who, you know, Kate is from Pennsylvania. And all it said was, dear Kate, stop taking your clothes off. Love, dad.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh.

[Angela Kinsey]

What did Kate do?

[Jenna Fischer]

How did she respond to that?

[Angela Kinsey]

She was like, oh, man.

[Jenna Fischer]

Now, is that her dad having a sense of humor or is that him being like, seriously, stop it.

[Angela Kinsey]

I think both. I think both.

[Jenna Fischer]

All right, should we talk about the parking lot? We're almost done here.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes, let's talk about the parking lot. Because it is definitely one of the most magical moments that I remember in filming all nine years. And we all say that.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. People often ask, like, what were your favorite scenes? And it's always hard to explain because sometimes your favorite scene, it doesn't seem like that exciting of a scene. But it's what happened behind the scenes that make it your favorite. And this parking lot scene is one of mine.

[Angela Kinsey]

Definitely. Definitely. Okay. So it's the end of the day. We have all of this real snow on the ground, and everyone is leaving, and everyone's in good spirits, and it's really nighttime.

[Jenna Fischer]

It was rare for us to ever work past 6pm so we always got excited to walk out in the dark. I think we all felt like we were up past our bedtime.

[Angela Kinsey]

But also, you have to remember, this is Los Angeles. There's never snow on the ground. So this is magical in itself that we Have a parking lot full of snow. And as we're walking to the cars, I don't know, like, the shot you see, I'm actually in the front passenger seat of an suv, but I'm only half in. Like, the door's open. But I remember one of the guys just picked up some snow and flung it at the other one. And then they all started picking up snow and having this impromptu snowball fight.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

And everyone loved it, and they wanted us to keep doing it, but it was just sort of like us just all hanging out in the snow.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. We turned into a bunch of kids. We couldn't help it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

We were up past our bedtime with snow on the ground. Fresh snow on the ground. It was so fun. And, you know, I have a picture of all of us together in the parking lot with Charles McDougal. And it's great. I love it. I covet it.

[Angela Kinsey]

I covet it. I love that. I want to see it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. Well, this is why we have to make our scrapbook thingy, Angela.

[Angela Kinsey]

We do.

[Jenna Fischer]

We should combine. That's what we need to do. We need to compile and combine all.

[Angela Kinsey]

Of our stuff, all of our photos.

[Jenna Fischer]

And then make it so that we can both have what we both have.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Right.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Before we lose it all, we need to do it. Okay.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's 2020. We need to do this. This is a goal for this year. I'm setting the goal for us this year.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, you guys, she said it. Now I've. Jenna's gonna put me to task. This episode was really special. I really hope we did it justice. Cause it means so much to us. These episodes are almost harder for me than other ones because there's so much emotion attached to it. There's so much that happens in the scene. Not only is it special to us personally, but it was a big moment for our characters. And just that moment at the end, that snowball fight, that is just a group of people who love each other who are all getting to hang out. And we just happen to be on a TV show together. It's just a really special moment. And I love that they let that be how it ended.

[Jenna Fischer]

And that's really how it felt when we left this show. That we were just a bunch of friends who happened to be on a TV show together. Cause we. We were friends.

[Angela Kinsey]

And we are friends.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

And we're family.

[Jenna Fischer]

We are. So next week, we've got another big episode. Ange.

[Angela Kinsey]

Huge episode.

[Jenna Fischer]

I mean, we listen the rest of this season two is just gonna be one momentous episode after the other. Next up is Booze Cruz with our special guest creator of the American Office, Greg Daniels.

[Angela Kinsey]

Greg Greg Daniels is gonna be here. We are super excited. We cannot wait to talk to him. Thank you, Greg in advance. And Booze Cruise is a huge, huge episode.

[Jenna Fischer]

We'll see you next week.

[Angela Kinsey]

Bye.

[Jenna Fischer]

Thank you for listening to Office Lady's 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 Daniela Silva.

[Jenna Fischer]

Odyssey's executive producers are Jenna Wise Berman and Leah Reese. Dennis.

[Angela Kinsey]

Office Ladies is mixed and mastered by Chris Basel.

[Jenna Fischer]

Our theme song is Rubber Tree by Creed Bratton.