The Office: Garden Party, 8.04
Thursday, October 13th, 2011 | 104 comments
Writer: Justin Spitzer, Director: David Rogers
Summary (NBC): Andy throws a garden party at Schrute Farms — Andy decides to throw a garden party to impress Robert California. Dwight researches how to host a garden party and thinks he has made it a very classy event. Meanwhile, Andy’s parents (Stephen Collins and Dee Wallace) and brother (Josh Groban) attend but make him feel self-conscious.
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The Office Garden Party extras
- Mike Schur talks about playing Mose in this episode: “I did do (most of ) my own stunts. And what you can’t see in the scene with Paul is that I am unprofessionally laughing like a goon the whole time. It was a good editing job to not show that.”
- The Ultimate Guide to Throwing a Garden Party, by James Trickington
- Dwight’s Inbox
- Photos: Promo | Episodic. If you’re a Mose fan, you will not be disappointed!
- The Office lolcat inspired by Garden Party.
Rating
In a poll conducted October 13-17, 2011, Tallyheads rated this episode: 7.83/10
The Office Garden Party quotes
Andy: What better face for an ad campaign than our new regional manager?
Dwight: If the soil starts to get acidic, you’ve probably gone too far.
Kelly: What’s the reason, Andy? What’s the reason?
Andy: I promise to be underbearing for a week if you guys just all step it up.
Stanley: Any chance Connecticut Casual is Pennsylvania Business?
Meredith: Woah, who’s the sausage?
Dwight: They don’t warn you when the cameras are driving by.
Book title: Throwing a Garden Party by James Trickington
Robert California: Gretchen, I need another marmalade.
Mose: I’m the valet. You have to give me your car.
Mose: You have a good time at the thing.
Jim: “Chapter Two: Announcing guests as they enter is the height of decorum. The more volume displayed, the more honor is bestowed upon everyone present.”
Dwight: James, Pamela, and Pee Pee Halpert!
Andy: Mabel, Mabel, if you’re able, keep your elbows off the table.
Walter Jr.: Tuna, right? And this must be your lovely wife, Pam.
Meredith: Hell no. She wishes.
Jim: “Chapter Four: One of the host’s most important duties is as dance master. A proper courtly dance sets the tone for the entire afternoon.”
Andy: That’s my favorite part about toasts. The reciprocity.
Gabe: Get in the game, Gabriel! Why are you talking to Stanley’s mistress?
Angela: She just always has to copy anything I do! It’s the Ford Taurus situation all over again!
Ryan: I’d like to make a toast to the troops. All the troops. Both sides.
Jim: “Chapter Nine: The tableau vivant is not only welcome, but expected entertainment. At any garden party.
Andy: You can’t triple toast somebody!
Robert: Andy and I produce nothing. We do nothing.
Robert: You know the difference between a crying baby and a manager? One day the baby will grow up.
Meredith: Get up there and sing or I will cut your larynx and you’ll never be able to sing again. Woo!
Dwight: My first love is beet farming, but it’s a young man’s game.
Robert: I could spend a considerable amount of money having my birthday party here.
Dwight: The Pewter Package has the least amount of goats. The Goat Package obviously has the most goats.
Dwight: I can get you exotic meats. Hippo steaks. Giraffe burgers.
Robert: We’ll talk.
Dwight: It’ll all be goat.
Andy: Hello, Cece Halpert, this is Andrew Bernard. I’d very much like to speak with you about your paper supply needs.
Walter: How long are you going to go on needing my approval? You’re a grown man.
Oscar: Guess we found Andy’s Rosebud.
Robert: My body has somehow become acclimated to Southern Italy. Isn’t that strange, I’ve never been there!
Pam: What are they doing?
Jim: Closing ceremonies.
Pam: Nice touch.
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I’ve been away, and i’m beyond happy to say i came back to 2 fantastic Office episodes – this one and Lotto. I loved both, really really loved both. I have to say i love everything season 8 has chosen to be so far. Whatever it’s become or becoming, i’m in full support. There were Jim pranks, great Dwight and Jim/Pam conversation. LOVE IT.
Try not to be so critical all the time guys.
It seems like they’re doing this “Redemption For Andy” arc without even setting up a need for redemption. It took Michael seasons and seasons to get love from the characters, now in every single episode we see Andy ALMOST screw up, but then have everyone rally around him in the end. It just doesn’t resonate with me because they’re not letting anything marinate.
If Andy becomes too sympathetic of a character, there are no laughs. The reason he was so great before was because he was a semi-annoying buffoon. I know they’ve softened him up BIG TIME the past few years, but I’m just afraid they’re going to spend so much time making us feel sorry for him and show the characters rallying around him that it’ll take away the comedy of the character.
it really blows my mind that people are questioning the ‘authenticity’ of this episode. jim published a book, so what? he also relocated dwights desk 3 times and even stacked one on top of the other. also as for the work place setting thing i think i’ve lost count how many times the staff have left the office. for the record i don’t think any of these things are ‘bad,’ i just can’t believe how harsh the critics of this episode are being when it’s actually one of the better ones of the entire series.
I was never a Michael fan but I am very surprised at how much I have been enjoying S8. Everyone seems at ease. I am glad there is room in the eps for Jim/Dwight and Jim/Pam in this last one. I hope the Jim/Pam dynamic is brought back…that has pretty much been missing other than the big episodes like Niagara and when Cece was born. Yes, some parts have been pretty stupid (e.g. the warehouse scenes from last week) but for the most part, everything has at least been funny.
Wasn’t this a tv show about small, realistic social interactions in the workplace? Just sayin…
i know they’re fictional characters, but… jim & pam, PLEASE don’t name your little boy phillip. it would go nicely as a middle name with james. come on, james phillip!
So many funny things in this episode: Mose peeling off with Toby’s car and plowing it into the cornfield, leaving Toby with an acorn; Jim’s Garden Party etiquette book; Erin’s hat; Mose trying to jump the cars (but expected him to fall through the open sunroof when running across them); Josh Groban calling Jim Tuna.
It was downright painful to watch Andy dying inside at his parents’ nit-picking and disapproval, but glad that we all have a better understanding as to the result of his upbringing.
Some pleasant moments: the staff encouraging Andy to stay longer and hang out with them; nice Jim and Pam interaction at the end during closing ceremonies.
Where was Creed ? Was he at the party ?
@ 93. John
You made perfect sense, and I agree with you. I like how they have a boss they can really share a beer with. Even in the later years of Michael’s tenure, when Pam and Jim liked him, he was still annoying to the point casual outings never happened.
I really liked this episode and laughed quite a few times. With the exchange between Dwight and Robert California about goats being the absolute stand out, James Spader has gone up in my books.
I thought it was a big step up from last week, but I hope they get away from Andy centric storylines.
@85 kikibeesly: Shannon Cochran, who played Helene in Season 2, was unavailable when they wanted to bring Helene back in Season 6 (I think she had a stage commitment).
Dwight: It’s all gonna be goats!
Hit me at the right spot.
I liked that part when they were having beer, just chilling out. I love the direction as far as the dynamics of the staff and Andy is concerned.
The office workers see their boss as somebody they can enjoy a beer with.
Remember when Jim didn’t include Michael in the guest list for his barbecue in season 2?
(Upon reading this comment, I realized I’m probably not making a lot of sense. Sorry ’bout that.
I think this was a great episode. At first the season premier was a bit lame but after this episode, I would watch the rest of the season.
“Robert Litpton’s sexuality when Angela claimed he was grossed out by her cup size growing?”
Pam looked at the camera on that. I think it’s going to become harder for her to keep this secret now that Angela’s in her business.
On Andy’s parents in the engagement episode he said his Dad was named Andy, so they’d already changed that. However I could almost see Season 4 Andy just hiring an older couple to play “his parents” and naming the Dad “Andy Senior.” Having them there gave an excuse for a big public proposal and he may not have wanted her meeting his real, unpleasant, parents. I almost wondered if they’d say that.
#86 There has been no hint that Michael is going to come back this season. I’m pretty sure they don’t want him coming back when they are trying to move on. Maybe next season if the show is still around.
This episode was brilliant. It was just missing one thing: Michael.
Back in the S6 episode “Manager and Salesman”, when Dwight and Ryan were planning a diabolical scheme to take Jim down, Dwight says “Of course I seesaw, Mose and I seesaw all the time”. So when I saw that google map picture of them actually seesawing, I couldn’t stop laughing for the longest time. I think it’s great for Justin to have referenced that fact. Other highlights include Andy and Dwight’s billboard, Andy singing,and Jim’s prank. Although a bit farfetched, I thought the book delivered a ton of laughs with my favorites being tableau and Dwight dancing. Also, I just enjoyed learning about Andy’s past because it does explain a lot. Best S8 episode imo.
I’d just like to echo the same sentiments as everyone else who thought this was forced and over-the-top.
I loved seeing Mose again, but more than anything, seeing Mike Schur for such an extended period made me want to reach through my television, grab him by the shoulders and beg him to come back. I think the decline in quality over the past 3-4 seasons is in large part due to his leaving (among a few other things).
I loved this episode — so many great ideas that kept it moving and kept me laughing! Mose is the best — loved his haircut and “classy” valet suit. And Josh Groban as Andy’s favored brother — genius. Question: when is Michael coming back for a visit? I thought he was supposed to make an appearance this season??? All in all, though, the show continues to shine — shades of seasons 2-4.
@Stapler, #83
How about Pam’s mom? She had been a normal Scranton-esque looking person and then all of the sudden she’s this VERY done-up tv show lookin’ lady. What the heck was that?!