Office Ladies "Second Drink: Product Recall" (September 29, 2025)

Episode Overview

In this milestone “Second Drink” Office Ladies episode, hosts Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey go deep into “Product Recall” (The Office, Season 3, Episode 20), celebrating their 50th Office Ladies breakdown. With their signature blend of warmth, banter, and exclusive behind-the-scenes stories, they relive fan-favorite quotes, dig into writing legends, deleted scenes, memorable on-set moments, and answer myriad fan questions. The episode’s tone is lively, nostalgic, and punctuated by genuine admiration for the cast and crew’s work on this classic.

Main Theme: Iconic Cold Open and Behind-the-Scenes Gold

The podcast opens by spotlighting “Product Recall” as one of The Office’s most quotable and beloved episodes, largely thanks to its unforgettable cold open and relentless joke density. Much of the breakdown centers on both the writing and execution of key scenes, notably Jim’s impression of Dwight and the layers of chaos stemming from an obscene watermark scandal at Dunder Mifflin.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Cold Open: Jim as Dwight

• [22:51–24:44] Jenna and Angela agree that Jim’s impersonation of Dwight is one of the most iconic moments of the entire series.
  • Jenna: “John Krasinski was so funny we could not hold it together.” [23:03]
  • Highlights include the origin of the lines “Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.” and “Identity theft is not a joke, Jim.”
  • Notable quote, with speaker attribution:
    • “Bears eat beets. Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.” — Jim as Dwight [24:23]
    • “Identity theft is not a joke, Jim. Millions of families suffer every year.” — Dwight [23:32]
• Writing backstory:
  • The cold open wasn’t in the original script. Justin Spitzer and Brent Forrester (episode writers) say it was pitched by Jean and Lee, with the actual “Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.” line pitched by Mike Schur. [25:18–25:51]

2. Quotable Gold & Fan Favorites

• [02:37–03:04] Jenna enumerates the four quotes from this episode that always appear on fan lists:
  • “Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.”
  • “Identity theft is not a joke, Jim. Millions of families suffer every year.”
  • “Lord, beer me strength.”
  • “I don’t have a headache. I’m just preparing.”
• Angela mentions she often gets sent a meme of her “I’m just preparing” line. [03:04]

3. The Episode’s Writers & Writing Process

• [10:27–11:30] Jenna and Angela explain that Justin Spitzer and Brent Forrester co-wrote the episode—but not as an established team. They split duties (“Brent took a pass at act one, Justin did act two, then split act three”) and report that both were so happy with the other’s work they barely edited each other. [11:30]

4. Inspiration and Real-Life Parallels

• The title idea (“Product Recall”) emerged as a “group mind” pitch from Lee Eisenberg, but coincidentally The Office’s fictional recall occurred mere months before real-life massive toy and crib recalls dominated news in 2007—dubbed "the year of the recall." [13:59]

5. Location Trivia

• The high school apology scene was filmed at St. John Paul Academy in Burbank, not the school used for “Diwali.” [14:22]

6. Deleted Scenes & The “Candy Bag Alts”

• Angela and Jenna share script alts and deleted scenes, especially for the Kelly/Angela office fight:
  • Kelly apologizes to Angela, who begrudgingly forgives her, only to admit she still hates Kelly (just “a little bit less”). [05:09]
• Kevin’s deleted “talking head” involves lingering pettiness: “Angela caught me counting on my fingers once, and she made my life hell. Well, today I will make her life hell. 4. That..." [06:23]

7. The Watermark Scandal & Behind-the-Scenes Details

• Michael’s explanation: a disgruntled paper mill employee put a pornographic watermark (duck & mouse) on 500 boxes of paper, leading Dunder Mifflin into crisis mode. [31:04]
• Angela dives into watermark history (originating in Fabriano, Italy, 1282!) and says she wants to visit the watermark museum with Jenna. [33:16–35:34]
• The prop department created the actual obscene watermark featured in the episode; writer Brent Forrester framed one for his office. [36:41]

8. Iconic Michael & Creed Moments

• Michael, in typical mismanagement, launches a press conference for a “mini scandal” no one even knew about. [43:04]
• Creed, in survival mode, masterfully diverts blame onto an absent employee, Debbie Brown, and even collects money for her after she’s fired—then keeps the cash himself. [76:25]

9. On-Set Memories & Fun Facts

• Angela confesses a “huge zit” on her left cheek during filming and makeup did its best to hide it, but it’s visible in episode closeups. [18:12]
• Jenna admits to a yearlong “no calculator” policy (in her 30s!) to force herself to do math by hand, much to Angela’s teasing amazement. [28:00]

10. Guest Star Shira Scott Astroff (Jamie, Andy’s “girlfriend”)

• Shira was nearly 28 when playing a high schooler (older than John Krasinski!), didn’t know the show before her audition, and became a superfan after filming. She now runs an animal rescue. [53:02–54:33]

11. Other Notable Guest and Crew Notes

• Chad Light, played by Anthony Russell, is outed in a deleted scene as knowing Creed “from the Grassroots,” with Creed referencing one of his many backstories that always end up getting deleted. [55:13]
• Mrs. Allen, the unimpressed customer, is played by veteran TV actress Lisa Darr; fun fact: she played multiple roles over time on both Murder, She Wrote and CSI. [66:53]

12. Office Dynamics: Kelly Trains the Accountants

• Angela struggles mightily (and hilariously) with customer service, refusing to apologize sincerely; Kelly’s patience and Angela’s obstinance unfold in great deleted scene detail. [58:46]
• Angela confirms she took “sugar pills” for her on-camera aspirin-taking scene. [39:16]

13. The High School Apology & Andy’s “Girlfriend”

• Andy is shocked to learn his “girlfriend” works in the high school because she’s a student—which devastates him. [50:19]
• Jim tries to console Andy in the car by singing “The Lion Sleeps Tonight;” Andy eventually joins in, a running bit among the cast off-screen too. [75:34–76:13]

14. The Press Conference Disaster & Apology Video

• Michael’s live apology fails: Mrs. Allen “gives zero Fs” and refuses the apology certificate. [65:09]
• Dwight’s defense that the animals in the watermark “were smiling, so it was consensual” leads to a classic Dwight moment about farm life and “getting it exactly right.” [68:02]
• The apology video with Pam filming Michael is one of Jenna’s favorite Office memories—full of silent, awkward hair-spraying and stoic Pam. [70:03]
  • Angela: “11 seconds of silence. Except for while he sprays the hair.” [70:04]
• Multiple apology videos were filmed; in deleted scenes, one features Michael griping his mortgage is “hundreds of dollars a month.” [71:58]

15. The Episode Tag: Dwight as Jim

• In a reversal, Dwight shows up as Jim, but unlike Jim’s razor-sharp impression, Dwight’s has “a messier edge,” and everyone just compliments him on how great he looks—frustrating him. [77:10]
• Originally, this was scripted as the cold open’s end, but splitting it into the tag worked better editorially. [77:26]

Memorable Quotes (with Timestamps & Attribution)

• “Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.” — Jim as Dwight [24:23]
• “Identity theft is not a joke, Jim. Millions of families suffer every year.” — Dwight [23:32]
• “I don’t have a headache. I’m just preparing.” — Angela [03:04]
• “Lord, beer me strength.” — Jim [48:22]
• “I just can’t keep my ducks straight. There’s so many.” — Jenna (reacting to cartoon references) [31:54]
• “Our official position is one of apology.” — Angela (customer service struggle) [58:46]
• “You have one day. What?” — Michael (apology video ultimatum) [76:50]
• “Why do bad things always happen to good people?” — Creed (while keeping money meant for fired employee) [76:38]

Notable Moments & Easter Eggs (with Timestamps)

• [04:11–05:30] Kelly and Angela’s deleted “apology” scene and talking head script alts.
• [14:22–15:06] Location details for the high school scenes.
• [26:16–26:29] Reception desk plant watch: another new plant, this time a sad one in a purple pot.
• [41:05–41:35] Steve Carell (Michael) putting his foot on the conference table, making John Krasinski break.
• [53:02–54:33] Shira Scott Astroff’s experience as Jamie, Andy’s girlfriend.
• [70:03–70:13] 11-second silent hairspray moment during the apology video.
• [73:01] Kevin’s rare sass toward Angela (fan-called-out moment).
• [77:10–77:51] Dwight’s “Jim” impression in the episode tag—meta commentary on mimicry.

Flow & Tone

• The episode captures Jenna and Angela’s friendly teasing and genuine friendship, with asides about life, personal quirks, guest stars’ careers, and their own career starts (Angela’s “Conan internship hustle” story [44:39]).
• The language mirrors the upbeat and conversational style of the show, filled with affectionate jabs, relatable tangents, and deep admiration for the craft of The Office—perfectly suiting super-fans and newcomers alike.

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------------|----------------| | Cold Open breakdown | [22:51–25:51] | | Iconic quotes rundown | [02:37–03:10] | | Writing team & process | [10:27–11:43] | | Real-life recall context | [13:21–13:59] | | Deleted scenes—Angela/Kelly apology runner | [04:11–05:30] | | Watermark making-of | [32:20–36:41] | | Michael’s apology video filming | [68:54–71:59] | | Guest star (Shira Scott Astroff) profile | [53:02–54:33] | | Jim and Andy high school scenes | [47:51–50:19] | | Kevin sassing Angela | [73:01] | | Creed’s “collection” for Debbie Brown | [76:25–76:43] | | Tag: Dwight as Jim | [77:10–78:13] |

Conclusion

This “Second Drink” episode is a treasure trove of Office trivia, inside jokes, and loving deconstruction of one of the series’ most packed episodes. Whether it’s the story behind the “Battlestar Galactica” line, deleted scene gems, or the hosts’ personal stories, the episode is both a nostalgic joyride and a master class in comedy writing and ensemble performance—offering plenty for die-hard fans and new listeners alike.

Final advice from the Office Ladies:
Angela: “Lord, beer me strength!”
Jenna: “Identity theft is not a joke. Millions of families suffer every year.” [79:01–79:08]