Office Ladies Podcast — "The Paper" Ep 5: Scam Alert!

January 28, 2026 | Hosts: Jenna Fischer & Angela Kinsey

Episode Overview

In this lively episode, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey break down "Scam Alert," the fifth episode of season one of The Paper. The theme centers around online romance scams, particularly a catfishing storyline involving a beloved character. As always, Jenna and Angela pepper in hilarious behind-the-scenes stories, background trivia, fan questions, character deep-dives, and some personal tangents. Writer Mo Welch (who also plays Kimberly) joins via anecdotes to reveal writing room secrets, and the hosts dip into real-life tales of scams and mistaken identities.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Around the Town Segment (03:05–06:49)

• Introduction of New Segment: Inspired by Angela's grandmother's "slice of life" newspaper column. Listeners send in their own hometown tidbits.
• Memorable Submissions:
  • Kathleena (Newton, KS): Visiting the Van Gogh Experience, lunch at Dairy Queen.
  • Trista (Morinville, Alberta, Canada): Joyful return of church bells after reconstruction post-fire.
  • Elizabeth P. (Bellingham, WA): Ongoing saga of "Slothie," a giant sloth doll that local pranksters keep placing in increasingly hard-to-reach places by the freeway.
• Jenna’s Authentic Response: “That they rebuilt [the church] and to hear them ring, I mean, throughout the town, it just feels like such a... very poetic. Symbolic of, you know, rebuilding.” (05:22)

2. Chit Chat Question: Hosts' Fitness Routines (06:54–13:47)

• Listener Amy H. asks about their weightlifting workouts
• Jenna:
  • Passionate advocate of weightlifting post-injury and cancer treatment.
  • Focuses on strength over weight loss; “It's really about strength. It's really about, like, being capable.” (08:12)
  • Trainer: Body Fit by Amy (YouTube & in-person).
  • Lost 1.5 inches from her waist with no change on the scale.
• Angela:
  • Inspired by Jenna but focuses on tennis and squats.
  • Husband Josh is a fitness fanatic; does “leg day,” “arm day,” and eats tons of protein.
• Sam (audio engineer):
  • Does CrossFit; describes it as “a lot of cardio and weightlifting together… sets of things. You'll do five sets of running a mile and then 100 burpees and then 50 sit-ups…” (09:51)
• Lighthearted Banter & Quotes:
  • Angela: “You’re like a transformer, a little bit in disguise.” (09:15)
  • Jenna: “You want some of my watery chalky shake?” (12:12)
  • Discussion of “megaprotein” shakes and their questionable taste.

3. Episode Breakdown — "Scam Alert" (17:02–68:29)

3.1. Writers’ Room Insights and Fast Facts (17:02–20:24)

• Credit to Mo Welch (writer/Kimberly) & director Tasba Chavez
  • Mo, a married lesbian, credits fellow writer Ben for dating app authenticity: “Sorry to expose you, Ben.” (17:29)
  • Tasba’s impressive TV résumé highlighted.
• Fan-favorite episode: Among season’s highest rated; Reddit and IMDb both praise it (19:39)

3.2. Plot Summary (18:19–19:07)

• Ned investigates a catfishing scam; Esmeralda is — predictably — the victim.
• The newsroom gets involved, both to help and to poke fun.

3.3. Scene Breakdown & Behind-the-Scenes Observations

• Detective Arnold’s Briefing (22:09–23:58)

  • Ned’s giddy “deputized” moment reminiscent of Dwight Schrute.
  • Angela: “This was a meeting. That could have been an email.” (23:58)
  • Jenna & Angela highlight background actors/Easter eggs: yo-yo color-matched to Esmeralda’s dress, “the five W’s” sign.

• Whiteboard Continuity Catch (24:56)

  • Listener Cheska spots a background continuity error: “Desperate for a Daddy” vs. “Call me Daddy.” (24:56–25:26)

• The Catfishing Details & Slang Rabbit Hole (25:45–30:12)

  • Jenna lists the scammer’s endearments: “Sweet cheeks, Baby, babe, Cookie Princess…”
  • Angela deep-dives food-as-sexual-slang: “cookie,” “peach,” “hot dog in a bun,” “corn on the cob.” (26:38–30:12)
  • The duo riffs hilariously about British slang, unintentionally mature metaphors, and a possible new MA (mature audience) rating.

• Esmeralda’s Denial & Lobster Metaphor (51:26–53:32)

  • Esmeralda, in a classic talking head: “They will not clow down this lobster.” (51:26)
  • Jenna fact-checks the “female lobsters claw each other down” myth — it’s a pop culture metaphor, not scientific fact.

• Cameo Mishap — The Real ‘Jarson’ (58:06–59:59)

  • Esmeralda receives a convincing but clearly fake video from “Jarson,” actually actor Josh Holloway.
  • Host reaction: “It’s a cameo video. He’s speaking in the third person.” (58:57)
  • Oscar calls it out, Esmeralda remains in denial.

• Catfish Stories IRL (60:07–64:52)

  • Mo Welch’s real-life yogurt scam story; Angela and Jenna discuss fans impersonating them online.
  • Jenna reads a scam email offering $2,000 to appear on Office Ladies; warning to listeners about email scams from fake “Liam Carter.”

3.4. Character Deep-Dives

• Esmeralda (Sabrina): Hosts gush over her divisive yet comedic portrayal, highlighting her language play and one-liners — “Life is strong and I’m a strong woman.” (34:40)
• Detrick & Nicole: Hot-and-cold romance; Detrick deleted his dating app after one date, Nicole keeps him as “Detrick Work” in her phone. Angela questions: “What does he see in her? She’s not very nice to him.” (39:00, 56:53)
• Costume Details: Interview with costume designer Kathleen Felix Hager: the gray sheep on Kimberly’s sweater is the Softies logo; Esmeralda’s off-kilter style is vintage and deliberate; Ned’s color palette is blue, gray, green. (31:28–33:44)

3.5. Real-World Catfishing Case — The Brad Pitt Scam (46:01)

• Angela details the tale of a French woman scammed for over $850,000 by a Brad Pitt impersonator — complete with photoshopped hospital pics and love letters.

3.6. Resolution

• Esmeralda’s heartbreak: Nicole buys a real cameo from Josh Holloway, confirming Esmeralda’s lover isn’t real (66:07).
• Esmeralda’s isolation and the newsroom’s pledge to protect her — Ned: “The award can wait.” (67:24)
• Hint at romance between Ned and Mare.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jenna on strength:

  “The weightlifting is about something else. It's about being physically strong and capable in my body.” (08:12)

• Angela, on relationship dynamics:

  “He just seems like he is open to intimacy, to commitment, to monogamy. Those are the things I was looking for when I was dating. Nicole might just want the leg wrap.” (39:11)

• Esmeralda’s denial:

  “Life is strong, and I’m a strong woman.” (34:40)

• Esmeralda’s lobster metaphor:

  “They will not clow down this lobster.” (51:26)

• Angela, on real-world catfishing:

  “My identity has been used to try to catfish someone, and I'm actually happy that I can talk about it, because I haven't known how to let people know.” (61:41)

• Jenna, on the meta scam:

  “If someone who says they're representing Office Ladies... they're not gonna have a Gmail address... they're gonna have an Odyssey email address or they're gonna have a William Morris Endeavor email address.” (63:24)

Important Timestamps

• 03:05 – Launch of "Around the Town" segment
• 07:06 – Listener question: weightlifting
• 17:02 – Start of episode breakdown ("Scam Alert")
• 24:56 – Listener background catch on whiteboard error
• 26:38 – Breakdown of catfishing language/slang
• 34:40 – Esmeralda: “Life is strong and I’m a strong woman.”
• 39:11 – Angela & Jenna debate Nicole and Detrick’s dynamic
• 51:26 – Esmeralda's lobster metaphor talking head
• 58:06 – The cameo video from "Jarson"/Josh Holloway
• 60:23 – Real-world stories of impersonation and scams
• 64:47 – Jenna details scam emails using her identity
• 66:07 – Nicole’s final takedown via cameo
• 67:24 – Ned’s compassionate support of Esmeralda

Final Thoughts

• Mo Welch will return as Kimberly in Season 2, with more emotional moments.
• Hosts encourage listeners to contribute letters, questions, and "Around the Town" tidbits via officeladies.com.
• Episode closes with appreciation for Mo Welch (writer/Kimberly), Kathleen Felix Hager (costumes), and the Office Ladies audience.

Summary in One Line

A hilarious and heartfelt deep-dive into online romance scams — both fictional and real — with signature warmth, wit, and behind-the-scenes color only the Office Ladies can provide.

“They will not clow down this lobster.”
– Esmeralda (Sabrina), 51:26