Got a ‘Job Fair’ question for Lee and Gene?

Lee and Gene have very generously agreed to a second round of questions! (Read their previous Q&A here.) Thanks again, Lee and Gene!

Do you have a question for writers Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky about last night’s episode, ‘Job Fair’?

Submit your question here.

This post will close at 9pm Pacific Time tonight, so get your questions in today!

Remember, non-spoilerish questions about ‘Job Fair’ only. Thanks!

143 comments

  1. Why did Stanley leave at the first opportunity when he works on commission and has private school to pay for?

  2. I felt sorry for the kid who played Justin. Is there some sort of therapy which guest actors go through after being on the show in order to recover their self esteem?

  3. Brian looked like a pro during the golf scenes. We all know that he has some mad basketball skills. Is this the case with golf as well?

  4. Who wrote the AMAZING line “Kiss her. Kiss her good.”? My biggest laugh out loud moment all season long.

  5. How could Pam have made that animation in ‘Local Ad’ if she didn’t know any of those design programs? It is like the slip where Meredith’s birthday is either after a month of no birthdays or at the end of ‘Birthday Month,’ depending on if you are in season 1 or 4. Otherwise, it was an awesome show!

  6. Hmm, a Gene and Lee episode that references Pam’s hotness. Shocking. ;) I took the Dwight and Angela interaction, or lack thereof, as a sort of date, in their own twisted way. Is this what you were inferring?

  7. Who played the graphic design guy in the tag? Also, did you have in mind the piece of art Pam thought would still be on the wall in her old art room?

  8. Did Ed Helms have a stunt actor for his golf cart mishap? The entire vehicle collapsed. It was great.

  9. I swear I heard someone cracking up in the background during the big PB&J kiss. Please tell us the details of filming that scene. For example, was “Kiss her. Kiss her good” an improvisation?

  10. The graphic design guy in the closing segment- was this one of John K’s brothers, or even John K himself?!? It looked and sounded a LOT like him. If yes (or no, but you cast him understanding the resemblance), what were you trying to convey by choosing someone so Jim-like?

  11. was michael’s search for the “best and the brightest” intern an attempt to replace ryan? it seemed like the equivalent of the chair model replacement for jan.

    great episode guys, love the dwight and angela scenes, perfectly executed.

  12. My question is..Why on earth did Jim bring Andy and Kevin golfing with him?

  13. I could be wrong, but was the actor who played Justin the same actor who played Frasier’s son, Frederick, in Frasier? For some reason, that character popped right in my head when I saw “Justin”.

  14. What kind of beer were the boys drinking on the course and at the office?

  15. Did you have to do several takes of the kissing scene where Steve was up close whispering to them? I imagine that would be a difficult one to get through without laughing or breaking character.

    Thanks guys!! Awesome episode!!!

  16. Why doesn’t Michael just tell Pam that he thinks she’s a great person and a talented artist to her face?

  17. One of my close friends and her boyfriend (now husband) have always said “I like you” to each other instead of “I love you” (not that they don’t say that as well) and I have always found it to be so completely endearing. That little line from Jim made my heart melt. Where did you guys come up with that?

    Thanks so much for an awesome episode/

  18. I loved Jim’s “I like you” line. It was romantic and understated. However, I gotta ask….was it inspired by one of Ty Webb’s lines in Caddyshack? (“I like you, Betty.” “That’s Danny, sir”) Please tell me that you guys slipped a veiled Caddyshack reference into the golf episode!!

  19. Pam looked extremely excited when Jim closed the deal. What was the reasoning behind this? Obviously she’s going to be excited for Jim when he lands a big deal, but was she aware of what was at stake? Had Jim told her about the probation? Or was it just excitement for him accomplishing something?

  20. finally! some jam PDA!!! was your intention in this season to hold off on that for greater effect? If so, it worked! more!!!!

  21. Do you guys golf? Do you shoot more like Jim (102) or Kevin (who I’m assuming was something in the low 80s since he took everyone’s money)?

    I prefer playing “Wolf” when betting on the golf course. What did the gang end up playing?

  22. The only real evidence we’ve seen of Pam’s art skills in the series so far are her art show drawings and the animated logo for the Dunder Mifflin ad. From my perspective, neither of these artistic examples were particularly inspired.

    As writers, do you work from the premise that Pam is a truly talented artist who hasn’t yet had the opportunity to truly spread her wings, or merely an average artist who has loaded a lot of expectations into a dream that might not be realistic?

  23. Gene and Lee-

    How did H&R Block and the Airforce ever agree to be bashed by Michael Scott in this episode? Was there some serious cash needed to do that?

    Thanks!

  24. Hi Lee and Gene,

    This episode seemed to feature a lot of nonverbal facial expressions by the characters – glances into the camera, shocked/exasperated expressions by the actors, etc. The Office uses a lot of this kind of subtle humor – are these cues written into the script, or are they decided on by the actors/director?

  25. Can you explain what Pam was hoping to see on the art room wall?

    Obviously it was something she drew or painted in high school, but can you offer any more detail?

    By the way, loved the episode.

  26. I was stunned when Michael said the job fair was going to be at my alma mater, Valley View High School. Was there a reason for selecting this school or was it just a random selection of schools in the area?

  27. As an Office obsessed fan, and a golfer, I thought Kevin rattling off the names of golf games to play was very funny. I didn’t recognize all the names though, were some made up?

  28. Why was the scene with Pam and the graphic design job booth at the end of the episode and not earlier?

  29. Who was the guy at the end of the show that Pam was talking to that sounded a lot like John Krasinski?

  30. i am confused about the back story for this guy that jim is playing golf with. it seems like the golf game is set up so that jim can pitch to him but then when he tries the guy says he is just there to play golf. how does jim know this guy and how did he come to play golf with him? why are kevin and andy there?

    also was there any motivation on michael’s part to choose darryl and oscar to attend the job fair in order to show how diverse dunder mifflin is?

  31. As I was clicking between the Red Sox and The Office, half asleep and not watching so much as listening…I heard Jim’s voice when Pam was in that very last scene. Then I looked up as what I was hearing didn’t make sense…and lo and behold,it wasn’t Jim, but he SOUNDED just like him. Woke me right up! Had to check my DVR and the credits to see if I was being scammed. Very clever.

  32. I’m about 99% sure the art booth guy was played by John Krasinski. Just wondering why him? Just seems an unusual thing to do, though obviously he’s so talented that hardly anyone has even noticed it’s him .. but, why do an eddie murphy with so many other actors available? It would make sense to use him as a possible suitor, since he would remind pam of jim and hence be attractive to her, but this just seems random..

  33. Great episode! I was wondering how you came up with the idea that Dwight and Angela are left alone in the office. It was genius, and I loved how forced and yet strained their communication was!

  34. A small thing that left me desperately curious– can Kevin no longer afford to pay his rent, or does he just want to pay for it outside of his salary?

    (And if it’s the former… poor guy!)

  35. Fantastically funny episode! I was really anticipating something between Angela and Dwight when they were left alone together, but didn’t notice anything. Was there supposed to be something ‘going on’? (good job with that scene, I was laughing hysterically each time when they were together- although nothing was happening… :))

    (Bad way of phrasing that question- i’ll leave the writing to you guys!)

    Thanks Gene & Lee! (And Tanster!)

  36. If Pam doesn’t know any of the graphic programs mentioned at the Job Fair booth – how did she create the DMI animation?

  37. I loved everything about Andy in this episode! I was just wondering if he was really the one crashing the golf cart and flying off or if it was a stunt double.

    Great episode guys! Can’t wait ’til next week!

  38. I’m going to ask one that I think very likely has already been asked, but here we go:
    Did John Krasinski play the graphic design booth representative, and if so, was there any significance to this? (I have been watching WAY too much Lost, so I’m thinking there may be deeper meaning behind this… probably not :) )

  39. When the camera lingered in the art room after Pam left, were we supposed to notice anything?

  40. I have two questions about the guys shooting the documentary. First, Jim seems to have a really good, personal relationship with them. He’s not afraid to reveal his long-term personal plans (and even the ring!) to them. Last week, Pam felt like they were teasing her about her glasses. Is there ever any discussion about what kind of relationships the office workers have with the documentary crew? Do they go out for drinks on Fridays? Do they chat when the cameras are off? That’s one aspect of all of this that is just fascinating for me. Secondly…this must be a high-budget production company. They had 3 camera crews out and working on the day in the episode. Is that realistic?

  41. How much does it cost to crash a golf cart like that? ;-)

    and did you go to an actual high school to film these scenes, like, were these people actual students, or did you just put a lot of extras into one room?

  42. Hello guys, great job last night!

    I wanted to know if all of Michael’s mis-speaks were actually scripted, or did he just improv those? For example, when he used the word “euthanize,” or “migraine worker.”

    As always you two delivered a great episode, thanks!

    -Sarah (isms)

  43. I loved the episode, especially the the jim/pam kiss, which seemed long and was definitely passionate. There was the cut away to Michael’s TH, but how long was the kiss actually?

  44. Great Episode – I’m excited about the finale next week!

    Did you ever consider having the pizza boy Michael kidnapped earlier this season show up at the job fair, since he’s probably one of the few high schoolers the Dunder Mifflin crew know?

    Thanks!

  45. Was there some sort of significance to the fact that the graphic design representative seemed a lot like Jim?

  46. After Michael sent Pam back to the office, why did she only get one sheet of card stock? After dealing with Michael for so many years, it seemed out of character for her to not prepare for the worst and bring extra paper, just in case.

  47. To add to a few other requests, any chance we get to see Pam’s art?

    Also, where in the world was Toby?

  48. We know Ryan can be a jerk at times but even he should not be allowed to put Jim on probation without valid reasons and at the very least a couple warnings beforehand. Moreover I don’t think that Ryan should be able to fire Jim without a very good reason or the involvement of Michael. How is Ryan getting away with this and does Michael even know about Jim’s probation and the possibility of him losing his job?

  49. When Jim said “screw it,” was it the first time that Jim & Pam were aware that the documentary crew were around to film them kissing? From what I remember, the other times we (the audience) saw them kissing, they were not aware that the camera was rolling on them (Casino Night, Fun Run, DMI, Money).

  50. Another great episode, Gene & Lee! Although most of the episode took place out of the office, I liked the fact that the rest of the gang did business/office-related things; that’s what happens in real work life so. Yay!

    Anyways, my two questions: is there a difference between the “formal warning” and the “suspension” and were there any bloopers of Jim and Pam/John and Jenna kissing with Michael, Andy, and Kevin/ Steve, Ed, and Brian in the background?

  51. Oh wow, SUCH a good episode! Did you guys discuss other ways to handle the Dwight/Angela alone in the office thing? Were you tempted to give them more interaction? I think we all want to see them back together!!

  52. Fantastic episode, not just for the PB&J moments but I just can’t get enough of the cringe worthy Michael episodes. My question is, what was the pattern on Andy’s pants?

  53. Was Creed’s nickname of Pumpkin for Angela a wink to the real Angela’s pregnant belly? BTW, the camera guys have done a fantastic job of hiding said belly.

  54. Was the thing that Pam was looking for in her old art room of any significance? And did she get embarrassed and decide not to show the camera, or was the whatever-it-was really gone?

    I’m trying to decide if there was any significance as far her character and how much she is willing/not willing to share, or if it was just one of those typical scenes of high school nostalgia.

  55. Much like last year’s “Beach Games”, this episode before the finale had a lot of set up leading to next week’s hour long episode. Do the writers plan out these episodes together? By the time this was written, did you already know what was going to happen in the finale and then write accordingly?

  56. Great episode, guys! Just a quick question: Did Michael pick Oscar and Darryl to show Dunder Mifflin’s ‘diversity’ as well, or just sheerly for their respective job positions?

  57. Hey guys, great episode!

    I can’t wait to see Jim’s full potential now that the heat is on; both from Ryan directly and Pam indirectly. Was Ryan’s decision to put Jim on probation cleared with Wallace? If not, is this the type of situation that the writers love because there are so many ways to take this story?

    Thanks again, and have a nice day.

  58. Great episode, gentlemen!

    Was the dig from Andy to Phil a reference to Mindy, who’s a alumna of Dartmouth? I thought it was hilarious nonetheless.

    Again, great job guys!

  59. Great episode you guys! It was packed with so much stuff!

    Did you guys pick a random high school to shoot the job fair at? Or was this an actual Scranton High School?!
    Oh and was that actually John Krasinski playing the graphic design guy?! We’re having quite the debate here on OfficeTally, and I am convinced that it is false.

  60. were there any mishaps with Steve kicking the basketball? any injuries?

  61. Thanks so much for another great episode! I have noticed a distinct trend this season taking the cast out of the office itself. Has this been on purpose?

  62. Was Pam aware of Jim’s probation that Ryan gave him in the previous episode ?

  63. Wow! What an incredible episode! I really love seeing Andy and Kevin together–what has inspired the newly formed team? They are so different, which makes for an awesome dynamic. It’s really great to see more of the “background characters”–especially Kevin. Thanks for another great episode!

  64. Do you think Michael would choose working at Dunder-Mifflin over spending the rest of his life on a beach somewhere, living off an inheritance?

  65. Lee and Gene,

    First I just want to say Job Fair was an incredible episode. I think it had both the heart and the hilarity Office fans have come to love and appreciate about the show.

    In the comments for Job Fair, there are a lot of people who think John Krasinski played the graphic design guy who appeared in the tag of the episode. I personally don’t think for one second that it was John and don’t understand why anyone would think that it was! I agree that the tone of their voices is very similar, but thats all. Can you PLEASE set the record straight?!

  66. How many different “cool-for-school” outfits were there for Steve Carell before somebody picked the casual denim and canvas sneakers look? It looked like something right out of Sesame Street, it was amazing.

  67. Thank you for such a fantastic and funny episode. I have yet another reason to add to my list of why you are both my favorite writers.

    Does Pam know that Ryan reprimanded Jim?

    Did Ed Helms do his own stunt when Andy crashed the golf cart?

  68. As many have probably noticed, you guys seem to be throwing in a lot more references to the original BBC series, i.e. Michael’s blind date, Dwight’s “make out session” at the club. Last night’s episode had a brief reference in which Michael used the word “mental”. I’ve been loving all of these references, even the less obvious ones. What made you decide to do this more frequently during Season 4?

  69. I bet that the makeup department enjoyed the opportunity to branch out a bit with Andy’s blisters. They don’t get to stand out quite so much in a show that imitates reality so much. Did you guys intend for it to look that horrible (in terms of pain) for Andy?

    Additionally, what did you feel was the biggest challenge in writing this particular episode?

  70. I have 2 questons:

    1. Where did you find clothes like Michael’s for adults?

    2) Who played Justin? He looked a bit like Napoleon Dynamite, but I am 99% sure it isn’t him.

  71. Really fantastic episode! I especially liked the scene of Pam going to her high school art classroom and looking for her old project on the wall, and not finding it. To me it came across as a relatable, sweet and kind of poignant part of the Pam story. Likewise, the compatibility of Dwight and Angela in their scenes was great. The fact that they are such die-hard rule followers that they would remain at work until promptly five, and their slight thaw with each other, really pushed their story forward, even though not a lot of “big stuff” happened. When these more subtle types of scenes are shot, are you able to work actively with the actors and director to make sure the intended feeling you had when writing this comes across, or are you mostly kept in the background as an observer while they work?

  72. Hey guys, thanks for a great episode! It was one of my favorites! :) My question is did Ed Helms really do his own stunt when the golf cart crashed into the sand pit Or did he have a stunt double? He went flying!

  73. The golf cart crash was amazing. How did you set that up? I assume that whoever was actually was in the crash was a stunt double. Not the real Andy.

  74. How many times did Pam and Jim have to kiss before it was perfect? NIIICE. Also, did they crack up during it?

  75. I felt so bad for Justin! Who is that kid, where did you find him, and what was he like to work with on set? He’s one lucky kid!

  76. Pam seemed very excited for Jim’s big sale. Does she know about Ryan putting him on probation?

    Also, does Michael know that Jim is on probation?

  77. LOVED the episode, but I was confused about when Pam went into her old art classroom. She went to see if some of her art work was still there. After seeing that they must have took it down she walks out, but the camera then focuses on something. Was it her art or something else? I couldn’t really tell what it was.
    (I can’t wait for next weeks finale!!!)

  78. Was Michael wearing his jeans to the job fair an intentional call back to “The Client” cold open when he gets them dry-cleaned?

  79. Loved, loved, loved this episode. So many great Michael lines. Who wrote the “Thank you, Dateline.” and “euthanize this place” lines?

  80. Was Pam excited about Jim closing the deal because she’s in on the “long term plans” he has for them?

    and
    Where did “Pumpkin” come from?

  81. Have you guys intentionally been making Andy more accident prone? Examples: chafing/bleeding nipples, floating around Lake Scranton in a Sumo suit, blisters, golf cart launch, dating Angela.

    Is this karma catching up with him for his old manipulative behavior?

  82. Unbelievable episode. My question is, which one of you is the golfer? Those scenes (especially where Kevin shows off his gambling knowledge) were so true to life. Getting stuck in the sand trap is the most embarrassing thing you could go through on the course (even more than crashing your cart).

  83. Why did you choose to tag Andy along on the golf day, and not Dwight? Seems to me, it would have been interesting seeing Dwight and his competitive nature out and about golfing, trying to impress the big client!
    Congrats on another fantastic episode!!

  84. Michael’s “Yeah, kiss her,” line was really creepy and cringe-worthy (which I like on the show). Who came up with that? Did Steve cringe when he said it at all? Did he laugh? Did it creep out John and Jenna for real? It seems as though that would be awkward even just to act out.

    Great moment, by the way.

  85. Why was Kevin brought along with Jim and Andy when he has nothing to do with sales?

  86. Some of the writers have spoken before about episodes being easier/harder to break than others, how did Job Fair stack up in that respect? There was clearly a lot of set up for the finale and, I’d assume, next season – did this make it more difficult to write story-wise?

    Also, this season more so than past seasons have been heavily set out of the office. What kind of challenges or differences are there when shooting on location as opposed to on your stage? Do you guys prefer taking the characters outside of Dunder Mifflin?

    Loved Creed and the “Pumpkin” lines in this episode. Thanks!

  87. Was there a scene that was cut out for time that showed what Pam was looking for in the art room? I was thinking maybe the cameraman snuck in the room after she left.

  88. Shouldn’t the paper that Pam got be Dunder Mifflin paper? In “The Client”, Michael got the contract to provide the paper for the entire Lackawanna county school district. Was this just a mistake, or was the high school not in Lackawanna county?

  89. Hi Gene and Lee :) I had a question for you guys. When Pam goes into the art room, the scene ends with a shot of the paint pallets, was that significant in any way or mean anything, or was it just a random shot?

  90. Were you limited in the interaction between Dwight and Angela due to having to hide the baby bump? (I loved the angle of the copy machine shot by the way.)

  91. Were the interactions (or lack thereof) between Dwight and Angela in the office explicitly scripted, or did you just let Rainn and Angela do their own thing?

  92. Loved the show last night!
    Wondering…what was the significance of Keven being at the golf game with Andy and Jim?

  93. Hi guys, thanks so much for answering questions. I look forward to the Office every week!! My questions,

    Was there a reason that nothing happened with Dwight and Angela all alone in the DM office? Are you guys trying to show that both have moved on?

    Also, What was the significance of the Pam/Jim kiss? (how they first kissed, and were embarrassed, then shook hands, then Jim saying, “Screw it?” Why have they both suddenly become more comfortable in showing PDA?

  94. hey guys!

    where was toby this episode? I didn’t see him leave with Creed’s little troop, and he certainly did not stay with Angela and Dwight.

    I have to say, I was expecting more tension between Dwight and Angela or at least some sort of proclamation now that they are alone in the building.

    I loved that last JAM scene, and after looking at a couple other questions, I also wonder if Pam knows about the “long term plans” and who came up with kevin and andy doing the back up music? that was hilarious, as was Michael’s line. How close did he get to them, exactly?

  95. Why hasn’t the fact that Jim plays golf ever been mentioned before: he got a good score, knew what he was doing, was wearing Callaway Golf hat?

  96. 99 – Valley View High is a real HS located in Archbald, PA. It is located in Lackawanna County, 9 miles north of Scranton. If you remember, Pam mentions driving 20 miles roundtrip to get the paper, so it is 10 miles from the school to Dunder Mifflin. Another dead on for the writers!

  97. Was there a lot of discussion in the writer’s room about Jim being a golfer? I wouldn’t have pegged him as one.

    P.S. Awesome episode! My husband missed it and asked how it was, sweeter and more poignant was my original take. We watched it together this morning (late for work) and laughed out loud.

  98. After Pam did the graphics for local ad, how was she not familiar with any of the requirements for the graphic design?

  99. Loved this episode!

    Who gave Andy the straw so he could drink his beer or did he actually think of it on his own?

  100. Hi Gene and Lee –
    Thanks for answering our questions! The actor who plays Justin is Trevor Einhorn, correct? Is he any relation to Randall Einhorn?

    And how did you decide on having Oscar, Pam and Darryl go to the job fair? Were they supposed to be representative of each department or just that they are the least “insane” of the employees and least likely to make fools of themselves and the company at the fair?

    Also, Melissa (#49) – I love your question!

  101. Michael’s little speech to the students and the job fair was genius! Was it improv-orientated or scripted?

  102. Was the recruiter’s reference to classes in Philly a reference to Jim’s avatar? Did Pam go see the recruiter after Michael told her to get more paper or after he told Justin she’d “do him”?

  103. Great episode, Lee and Gene! The scene with Andy trying to hold the bottle was hysterical! I was wondering if you perhaps chose to name the poor kid at the job fair after one of your fellow writers? Or was it pure coincidence that his name was Justin?

  104. I saw in the “Job Fair” comments a great question… I don’t know if that person posted it here, but if not, here it is:

    Shouldn’t the paper that Pam got from the art room be Dunder-Mifflin paper, because Dunder-Mifflin supplies paper to all Lackawanna County schools?

  105. I loved the episode guys.

    Were any of the lines in the episode improvised by the actors?

    Was Pam’s phone call to Jim what motivated him to try again with Mr. McGuire?

    What was the hardest scene for the actors to get through as far as breaking goes?

    Was Angela saying “bless you” to Dwight a sign that maybe they are semi-speaking again?

  106. Hey Gene and Lee!

    Great work as always, and I just wanted to know where the Job Fair scenes in the gym were shot? Seemed like a lot of extras, was that a difficult shoot to set-up?

    Also, the non-stop teases of who may leave are killing me. Can’t wait for the FINALE!!

  107. I always love your episodes, they are always awesome and funny. It surprised me that Pam didn’t know how to use any of the graphic design software mentioned in the tag scene. She was using Illustrator in Local Ad, wasn’t she?

  108. Dr. Gene and Professor Lee, if you were to eat any food during the production of “Job Fair”, what food would it be?

    You can name any number of foods.

    Thanks!

    Silas P. Silas II, esquire.

  109. Great episode guys. I loved the tiny little Dunder Mifflin sign behind the job fair booth. That cracked me up. Is that something you came up with as writers or since it is more of a visual joke is it something the director came up with?

  110. Was there any kind of back story to the missing piece of Pam’s art? Or was it just written without anything particular in mind?

  111. Why did you decide include the Dwangela storyline, even though nothing really happened between them?

  112. Another great episode from you guys! I was wondering what made you decide to give Michael a “Don’t call me Shirley” reference when he’s already used the line in Valentine’s Day. Or did that never even cross your mind?

    Keep writing brilliant scripts!

  113. In ‘Fun Run’ Andy had chafing nipples and now in ‘Job Fair’ he has blistered hands, who came up with the idea for his really bad skin/chafing problems?

  114. What would Michael’s favorite class have been in high school? Also, was Michael specifically looking for a male intern?

    Thanks for answering questions, and thanks to tanster!

  115. Why did Kevin go on the sales call? I’ve heard that Brian is a great golfer, but isn’t Kevin just an accountant?

  116. Did you use a stunt double for Ed when Andy crashed the golf cart? The scene looked rather dangerous!

  117. This episode had some of the funniest scenarios.
    -was it a lot harder to write this compared to past episodes, or a lot easier to write this, seeing as 3 different backgrounds were available,
    -and also, how many takes did it take to get the shot of Andy going into the sand trap

  118. Great episode!
    Who picked out Michael’s sneakers? Were they detailed in the script or is that just what wardrobe came up with?

  119. You two seem to have a fixation with occupational gatherings…have either of you been to a job fair or convention?

  120. I feel like Michael’s creepy factor has been steadily increasing over the past few episodes. From the way he was talking to the students (including in the deleted scenes) to his leering over Jim and Pam’s kiss. Is this intentional or just for laughs?

  121. Oh, I like you, Gene and Lee.

    In reference to the graphic design recruiter – sounds A LOT like Jim/John. I never thought it was John in a dual role, but I did think the interaction reminded me a bit of a Jim/Pam interaction. Re-watching today, it really struck me how many of the recruiter’s lines and mannerism were things I could picture Jim saying/doing, such as “absolutely.” Any significance?

    I didn’t think this at first, but my boyfriend agrees with others here that Dwight and Angela were “courting” while in the office alone. True? And, was it just me, or was Angela checking out Dwight’s backside when at the copier??

    Speaking of them being the only two in the office – since we never saw Toby, was Toby really stuck in the back alone, working, sad because everyone forgot about him?

    It seemed Pam did know how important the golf outing was for Jim as she was very encouraging before he left (and after). Did he tell her? And does Michael know?

    In closing, I really felt the primary purpose of this episode was setting us up for next week’s finale…

  122. Great episode! But what did Pam use to make that nifty logo in “Local Ad” if she doesn’t know how to use any of those programs? Microsoft Paint?

  123. I was wondering if the name of the design business Pam applies to has any reference to her and Jim’s relationship, and the decisions they make in the episode: acting on “Impulse”?

    Also, the reference to Angela as “pumpkin” was brilliant.

  124. Wow, Job Fair is an instant classic. It immediately went into my top five. Do you guys sit around the writers’ room and come up with a list of words that Michael can butcher (like youthanize) and then look for ways to work them into an episode, or do you come up with them one episode at a time? That’s one of my favorite things about the office.

  125. Sorry if this has already been asked…were the other participating vendors at the Job Fair actual Scranton area businesses? If so, did you have to jump through any legal loopholes to show the trademarks, business names, etc.?

  126. First, Toby was following his dream to move to Costa Rica. Then Stanley seemed certain to get fired. Now Jim is on probation and Pam needs to move to Philadelphia or New York to pursue her career.

    Truth: are all of the writers TRYING to make us crazy wondering which character(s) will be leaving for the spin-off? Or am I reading too much into this/need a relaxing vacation at Schrute Farms?

  127. Hi guys! This was one of my favorite episodes to date! I always laugh at Andy’s excessive pride of being a Cornell grad and liked his bit about the Dartmouth rivalry in this episode. Did either of you or any of the other Office writers graduate from Cornell? Just wondering if there was someone in particular who inspired Andy’s preppy Ivy league image. Thanks! Wendy

  128. I loved how small and plain the Dunder Mifflin sign was at the job fair. It was one of those understated background details that made me laugh so hard. Whose idea was it to have such a ridiculous sign? Are there any other fun background details you could share with us?

  129. I was wondering who came up with the idea of Angela and Dwight being stuck in the office for hours, but barely exchanging any words. It was a very bold move. Was it hard not to want to write dialog for the two?

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