The Office Season 4 spoilers and news

Jan. 4: NBC.COM

There is a spoiler in NBC.com’s newly-posted personality quiz! (I’m sorry. I know this will drive y’all crazy.)

Dec. 20: OfficeTally Chat with Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky

More on ‘Dinner Party’:

TwirlingGrace: What’s your favorite episode you’ve written?
leeeisenberg: probably The Dinner Party, which was shut down when the strike started.
leeeisenberg: It’s the fallout of The Deposition. Michael and Jan host a dinner party at Michael’s condo. We tried to write as a play, and it feels different from anything else we’ve ever written
leeeisenberg: in the same way that we try to write small, relatable office stories, we tried to write small observational dinner party moments
leeeisenberg: i know we’re being vague, but… greg daniels will have us executed if we spill too much
leeeisenberg: but our goal was to write the most awkward half hour of television ever.
leeeisenberg: hopefully it’ll turn out well
mg714: was everyone else going to be at the dinner party? or can you not say?
leeeisenberg: we want it to be a surprise for you guys, but it will feel very different from Jim’s bbq.

Dec. 6: Jenna speaks about episode 13

Link

Nov. 8: OfficeTally Chat with Michael Schur and Jen Celotta

Mike and Jen talk about the episode they were supposed to shoot during the week the WGA strike started:

JenCelotta: The one we were supposed to shoot this week as the funniest table read we’ve had.
MichaelSchur: That’s true. It’s an awesome script. Lee and Gene wrote it, and it’s about people going to Michael’s house for a dinner party. Honestly, it was the funniest table read we have ever had, and it’s killing us that we can’t shoot it.

Nov. 7: Jenna’s MySpace blog

I’m sad to say the one we were getting ready to shoot was going to be the funniest of the year. I’m sure of it. They’ve been pitching this particular story idea for over 2 years … it involves Pam and Jim being in Michael’s home but that’s all I’ll say.

Oct. 22: NBC

Synopsis for ‘The Deposition’ (Nov. 15):

SUE CRAZY IN THE OFFICE — Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) finds himself between a rock and a hard place when Jan (Melora Hardin) sues Dunder Mifflin and Michael is deposed as a witness. Meanwhile, Kelly (Mindy Kaling) trash-talks Pam (Jenna Fischer) after Darryl (Craig Robinson) beats Jim (John Krasinski) at ping-pong. Rainn Wilson, B.J. Novak, Leslie David Baker, Ed Helms, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Angela Kinsey, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis Smith, Paul Lieberstein, and Creed Bratton also star.

Tipster: llynn20

Oct. 22: Watch With Kristin

Michael in Gary, Indiana: Am I crazy, or was The Office kinda serious last week?

It was pretty serious, but we still laughed our collective backsides off. Be aware, there will be more drama headed Scranton’s way. I’m hearing Dunder-Mifflin gets caught up in a lawsuit later this season. Also, drumroll, please! Next week is officially Watch with Kristin’s “Office Week,” with castmember (and director Joss Whedon!) interviews every day, so watch for it.

Oct. 15: Watch with Kristin

Marshall in Idaho: Please! Some Office dirt!

I just hit the set on Friday, and you won’t believe who was there: Jim and … Karen!! Gaaah!! And Joss Whedon! Double gaaah! Needless to say, I have much to tell you after visiting the show’s Utica branch (whoops, did I just type that?!) and that will be coming your way much closer to the episode airdate. For the time being, all I know is I heard Michael tell Jim, “Get back together with her and take her to a hotel and sleep with her,” and it made my skin crawl! (P.S.: Love ya, Rashida. Honestly. But keep your paws off Pam’s man!)

Tipster: Julie

Oct. 15: NBC

Synopsis for ‘Survivor Man’ (Nov. 8):

INTO THE WOODS-SPECIAL GREEN WEEK EPISODE — After Ryan (B.J. Novak) excludes Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) from a corporate wilderness retreat, Michael heads into the woods for his own survival adventure with nothing but the suit on his back. Back at work, Jim (John Krasinski) tries to revolutionize the office birthday party. Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Ed Helms, Angela Kinsey, Kate Flannery, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis Smith, Mindy Kaling, Paul Lieberstein, Creed Bratton and Craig Robinson also star.

Tipster: sorano916

Oct. 8: Watch with Kristin

Micky in Alexandria, Louisiana: I like Rashida Jones but good riddance to Karen Filippelli. So glad Jim and Pam are together!

PB&J forever! But don’t forget that we will be seeing more of Karen this season. Word is you’ll soon learn where Karen is now working and how she really feels about the whole Jam situation.

Oct. 8: NBC

Synopsis for ‘Branch Wars’ (Nov. 1):

BATTLE OF THE BRANCHES — RASHIDA JONES (“Boston Public”) GUEST STARS — When Karen (guest star Rashida Jones) tries to woo Stanley (Leslie David Baker) away from Scranton, Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) fights back, dragging her ex, Jim (John Krasinski), into his war. Meanwhile, the existence of a “Finer Things Club” further disturbs Dunder Mifflin’s calm.

Tipster: sorano916

Oct. 7: Ausiello Report

Joss Whedon is directing another episode of The Office … Whedon says his encore Office installment will either serve as this season’s sixth or tenth episode. “It’s Episode 10 … but since the first four episodes are hour-long, it may actually be Episode 6.”

Oct. 2: Ask Ausiello

Question: I’m in need of some scoop on The Office. — Sarah

Ausiello: Jim and Pam are finally happy, so you know what that means: It’s time for Karen to put in an appearance! Rashida Jones is due back on the set next week to shoot scenes at Karen’s new place of employ. Office producers are currently casting the role of her assistant, a twentysomething metrosexual who is friendly and has a good energy. Meanwhile, I hear new bossman Ryan is also in the market for an assistant — and she’s smokin’. According to the casting notice, she’s in her early twenties, businesslike, attractive and smart. In other words, Kelly’s worst nightmare come true!

Tipster: mg714

Oct. 1: NBC

Synopsis for ‘Local Ad’ (Oct. 25):

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF ADVERTISING– When the Scranton branch is asked to participate in a Dunder Mifflin ad, Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) seizes his chance to exhibit his creativity. Meanwhile, Dwight (Rainn Wilson) explores the online world of Second Life. John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, B.J Novak, Ed Helms, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Mindy Kaling, Angela Kinsey, Paul Lieberstein, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis Smith, Creed Bratton and Craig Robinson also star.

Tipster: sorano916

Oct. 1: JustJared

JustJared’s got photos from the upcoming episodes Launch Party and Money.

Tipster: beckless1888

Sept. 28: Oneida Daily Dispatch

Producers of the NBC show “The Office” have enlisted the help of the Utica Chamber of Commerce to collect all things Utica.

“On the show, they have a satellite office in Utica and they need to build an authentic-looking set filled with Utica-based things you would typically see in a Utica office,” said Lisa Morales, a marketing assistant with Mohawk Valley Chamber of Commerce, in a statement.

Tipster: Josh

Sept. 27: Greg Daniels’ live blog

Stephen Merchant will be directing an episode in a few months. We are very excited to spend the week with him. He is an extremely funny and even taller man. Also, starting Monday, Jason Reitman (Thank You For Smoking) starts directing an episode called “Local Ad” where Dunder Mifflin makes an ad and Michael gets very excited and hijacks the production.

Sept. 24: IESB.net

‘Fun Run’ preview clips.

Sept. 24: Watch with Kristin

Brooke in Los Angeles: Anything on The Office?
I talked to B.J. Novak himself on the Emmys red carpet about his burgeoning beard, and he spilled lots about Ryan’s future, saying, “[The beard] is a sign of Ryan’s wannabe maturity, his would-be transformation. Ryan sees himself as completely changed, and he wants to send a message. His clothes are completely different, and his facial hair is different. I narrowly avoided a pencil-thin goatee. At the last minute the other writers decided I could just grow scruff and call it a day. I wrote into my episode that [writer-actor] Mike Schur, who plays Mose, had to wear a horrible neck beard, which he grew for three months. And then he wrote into his episode that I had this awful goatee. And we experimented with a fake beard, actually, but I avoided that fate …”

Denise in Chicago: Greg Daniels said that Michael Scott’s hard to manage and that’ll be one of Ryan’s big struggles this year. What’s the deal with that? Will Michael be cleaning out the back of Ryan’s car?
I asked B.J. just that! He told me, “I do ask him to get me a cold water, in the first couple of episodes.” And how does he take that? Well, according to B.J., “Michael has incredible powers of self-delusion and incredible powers of idealization, so he takes that as a sign that Ryan is his friend who wants to treat him like a host. I mean, it’s a comedy show, and that relationship is very complicated. Michael still thinks Ryan is his best friend and his protégé — his partner in crime.”

Elijah in Philadelphia: The Office!
On the red carpet, I asked Phyllis Smith how Phyllis Vance was going to keep in touch with BFF Karen if she was gone from Scranton, and she said, “I guess we’ll have to blog on the computer with her … Next time I need to go to the beauty parlor, I’m certainly going to call her, because we made a fabulous pair together.” I also asked Phyllis how she does in the already infamous Fun Run, and she said, “I’m a pretty good contender. I have to let you know that.”

Sept. 21: NBC

Synopsis for ‘Money’ (Oct. 18):

EASY COME, EASY GO–As Jan (Melora Hardin) renovates the condo, Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) confronts his growing debt every way he can, which includes pressuring his employees for a loan. Pam (Jenna Fischer) and Jim (John Krasinski) spend a night out on Dwight’s (Rainn Wilson) family farm, now a bed and breakfast. B.J. Novak, Ed Helms, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis Smith, Paul Lieberstein, Mindy Kaling, Creed Bratton and Craig Robinson also star.

Tipster: Jeffrey

Sept. 18: JustJared.com

Photos from ‘Dunder Mifflin Infinity’ (Oct. 4) here.

Tipster: sorano916

Sept. 14: NBC

The Office Summer Vacation: Compilation Video | Individual Videos

Sept. 14: NBC

Synopsis for ‘Launch Party’ (Oct. 11):

THE WORLDWIDE WEB — The Dunder Mifflin Infinity website is launching and Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) is excited about going to the big launch party in New York while Angela (Angela Kinsey) plans a satellite party for the Scranton branch. Meanwhile, Dwight (Rainn Wilson) competes against the website to see who can sell the most paper in one day. John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, B.J. Novak, Melora Hardin, Ed Helms, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Mindy Kaling, Paul Lieberstein, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis Smith, Creed Bratton, and Craig Robinson also star.

Tipster: JJ, Matt

Sept. 13: Watch with Kristin

Kristin’s interview with The Office Executive Producer Greg Daniels includes some vague character discussions, plus a video!

Tipster: Pamera

Sept. 10: Perry Smith

I shot my scene for, THE OFFICE, episode: DUNDER MIFFLIN INFINITY on 8/23. It’s a fun scene with Steve C. & Rainn W, directed by Craig Zisk & written by Michael Schur (check them out on IMDB). I play an office manager and SC/RW come to my place of business with a hugh gift basket hoping to lure me back as a customer.

Tipster: Jon

Sept. 10: nickarmstrong61’s Myspace page

The rumors are true. I was cast in a part on NBC’s THE OFFICE. It’s a small part, but still it was great time and I got to do a scene with the whole cast. My scene was with Steve Carrell! They were all so gracious and nice. Angela Kinsey and Kate Flannery were especially nice because they knew me from IOWEST, the improv theatre we all perform at. They were so supportive and made me feel like on of the cast. So, think good thoughts and hopefully this will lead to more gigs. I thank everyone who has supported me thus far!

P.S – The is a one-hour episode titled “LAUNCH PARTY” it comes out in October so stay tuned!

Tipster: BeckySue

Sept. 10: Watch With Kristin

Stephanie in West Chester, Ohio: I need some Jam news with my toast.
I’m hearing lots of cutie-patootieness for Jim and Pam in the new season. You better stock up on bread and peanut butter, or all that Jam will go lonely!

I can attest to the cutie-patootieness.

Tipster: Matt

Sept. 7: NBC

Synopsis for ‘Dunder Mifflin Infinity’ (Oct. 4):

THERE’S A NEW BOSS IN TOWN — Much to the dismay of Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) and many of the employees, Ryan (B.J. Novak) returns to the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin to bring the company into the digital age. Angela (Angela Kinsey) is still upset about her cat. Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Melora Hardin, Ed Helms, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis Smith, Paul Lieberstein, Mindy Kaling, Craig Robinson and Creed Bratton also star.

Tipster: sorano916

Sept. 5: NBC

Synopsis for the Season 4 one-hour premiere ‘Fun Run’ (Sept. 27):

THE RUN FOR THE CURE-SPECIAL ONE-HOUR PREMIERE – A freak accident causes Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) to feel the office is cursed. He explores the religious beliefs of his employees before deciding to hold a charity 5K fun run. Meanwhile, further developments in the romances of Pam (Jenna Fischer) and Jim (John Krasinski), and Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and Angela (Angela Kinsey) are explored. B.J. Novak, Melora Hardin, Ed Helms, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis Smith, Paul Lieberstein, Mindy Kaling, Craig Robinson and Creed Bratton also star.

Tipster: sorano916

Aug. 30: IGN

Although it appeared that Ryan Howard might be seen on the show less, producer Greg Daniels said that, on the contrary, we may be seeing Ryan more. Now that production is underway, we asked Novak is this turned out to be true. “He’s definitely more on everyone’s mind. Especially in the beginning and it’s a big change, especially for Michael. To think of him as an authority figure slash best friend. And Michael’s powers of denial are incredible, and his idealization of things — especially with Ryan, has been incredible. So he’s setting himself up for some amazing mix of emotions this year. So the specter of Ryan looms very large, and I think we will see more of him. But, I think we will see more of everyone. I don’t know how that will play out, as it’s still in the beginning stages.”

Novak also mentioned that we would be seeing more of Craig Robinson as Daryl, who has been made a regular cast member this year.

More in the article …

Tipster: Ryan

Aug. 31: TV Guide

Where we left off: Jan Levenson (Melora Hardin) lost her job but got a new set of breasts to win back Michael Scott (Steve Carell). Ryan (B.J. Novak), the one-time intern, was promoted to a job in Dunder-Mifflin’s corporate office.

What’s next: Jan moves into Michael’s condo as her new assets rekindles their romance. And we’ll finally have the satisfaction of seeing Jim and Pam get together — we think. “It’s not necessarily what (fans) want to happen or think is going to happen,” says executive producer Greg Daniels. “But I don’t think we’ll have an angry mob on our hands.” You’ll be seeing less of Rashida Jones, who plays Jim’s ex-office squeeze Karen, and more of Ed Helms and Craig Robinson, now full-time regulars. The season will start with four hour-long episodes, but Daniels won’t be filling them with scenes from the cutting-room floor. “It will be a lot tighter and have a lot more stuff happening,” he says. “We’re trying to approach it like a comedy movie.”

Tipster: Mixedberries

Aug. 20: Sparklies Gallery

Official NBC photos from ‘Fun Run’ at Sparklies Gallery!

The Office Fun Run


Aug. 19: US Weekly

Another photo from ‘Fun Run’:

The Office Fun Run


Tipster: Emily

Aug. 15: Ask Ausiello

Question: Since Kristen Bell isn’t doing Lost, can you at least give me some Office scoop? — Matt

Ausiello: If that helps you cope, sure. Don’t hold your breath waiting for Carol Burnett to play Michael’s mama. Although the Office creator considered hiring her to play the plum part, when asked about it at press tour, he acknowledged that her status as a TV legend might prove a distraction for viewers. “The thing I’m a little worried about,” he said, “is she’s so famous.”

Tipster: Tina

Aug. 13: TELEVISION WITHOUT PITY

Jeremy Goodwin’s pictures of Fun Run.

Tipster: Angie

Aug. 13: Watch with Kristin

Silas in Greencastle, Indiana: Did you see that your unconfirmed rumor-spoiler about the Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Fun Run was right?
Yep, which may unfortunately mean our Office source was also right when she said that Meredith Palmer is dead. All dead, not just mostly dead, and as you may know, there is a big difference between all dead and mostly dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive.

Update (9:30 p.m.): A very well-connected Office source assures us that Meredith is not at all dead. Not even slightly dead. Yay!!

This is a spoiler? ;)

Tipster: Tina

Aug. 10: Television without Pity

Eyewitness report from Jeremy Goodwin on ‘Fun Run’: 1 | 2 | 3

Aug. 9: NBC press release

NBC will offer broadcast and online viewers an advanced sneak peek at the network’s new and returning series for this Fall … a 30-minute program showcasing an upfront look to be conveyed on a variety of media platforms beginning August 11 through September 23.

The on-demand and broadband offering will also include … one exclusive scene from “The Office”

Among the new and returning stars that will appear on the special are … Brian Baumgartner and Angela Kinsey …

Update: the Primetime Preview contains NO new Office footage. Boo!

Aug. 8: Photos from ‘Fun Run’

The Office Fun Run


The Office Fun Run


Can you read what the shirt says? Hilarious. (And is that John Krasinski?)

Tipster: Anonymous

Aug. 6: Watch with Kristin

Selena in El Paso, Texas: Do you know anything about season four of The Office?
This is an unconfirmed rumor, but it sounds funny enough to be true. Dunder-Mifflin may be sponsoring a [Name of Office Worker Deleted for Your Peace of Mind] Memorial Celebrity Pro-Am Rabies Awareness Fun Run. Memorial?! Yes. Rabies? Also yes — perhaps from the bat who busted into the office last season?

Rena in Berkeley, California: I needs me some Office news!
Joss Whedon is tentatively scheduled to direct his second Office episode in October.

Aug. 5: FILMING NOTICE

The Office


Tipster: Harut

Aug. 1

“Fun Run,” the first episode of Season 4, was written by Greg Daniels.

Aug. 1: Ask Ausiello

Do you have any scoop on any relationship developments with Jim and Pam on The Office? — Carlee

Ausiello: John Krasinski confirmed that Rashida Jones will be back for a “couple of episodes” this fall. “I think we’re going to find out where she went,” he says, “because she didn’t get to say her piece. I think she’ll come back, slap everyone in the face and then be done — it’ll be glorious!” Regarding Jam, Krasinski says he hopes this season will find the star-crossed lovers enjoying all the ups and downs of coupledom. “I think it would be interesting to see, after all that pressure, what a relationship would be like. I feel like there would be some sort of awkwardness because there is a lot of pressure, and I think both those characters would feel that. There’s a lot of fun you could have with it.”

Tipster: Carly

July 31: Gold Derby Forums chat with Rainn Wilson

Rainn reveals that the title of the first episode of Season 4 is “Fun Run,” adding “so, you can imagine the lack of fun … that will be had by all.”

July 27: Watch with Kristin

Interview with Kent Zbornak:

All of the writers came back July 9, after the holiday, and we had 13 scripts in our hands. I mean four of those are one-hour scripts, but they equate to 13 scripts. So, we did have 13 episodes in our hands already, and we’re going to have another three scripts coming in late next week. So, we’re a bit ahead of the game. We’ve got 16 scripts already out of the 30.

I heard that the first four episodes are the one-hour episodes.
That is correct, and they will air back-to-back. Starting Sept. 29, our first hour will air, and then the following Thursdays our other three hours will air.

Do you have any teasers about anything coming up? Any Dunder-Mifflin field trips? Any new couplings?
There will be new couplings. That’s all I’ll say.

Ryan obviously got the job in the season finale. Will he still be around as much this season?
Ryan is going to be around. Because B.J. [Novak] is instrumental to us as a writer, this was actually a unique story to us that allowed us to still have his character on board, and now he’s in the Jan capacity, occupying Jan’s office at corporate in New York. It gives us the ability to see him on occasion, and the rest of the time he’ll be actually with us writing and rewriting. But he’s still in the process, and of course, now he’s in the role of being Michael’s boss. You’re going to see a lot of fun with that.

That should be interesting.
I have to say, Ryan’s character has embraced his corporate lifestyle, and he’s going to be a tough boss for Michael down the road.

On to Jim and Pam. In the season finale, they moved forward in their relationship. Anything you can tell us about that? Will they be dating?
Will they be dating? Hmmm…

Are we going to see a date possibly?
I will say that they’ve taken that step up. Our first episode takes place two months after that particular moment, and they take a step up.

Are they exclusive?
It’s going to be revealed in the first episode. You’ll have a very clear definition of who they are and where they’re going.

One last question. Is Jan really moving in with Michael, and will we be seeing Melora Hardin in stretch pants?
[Laughs.] That’s a good question. You guys have done a lot of great homework. We laid the foundation that it appears that Jan is moving in with Michael. And I think, in that respect, she is going to embrace her life as a hausfrau.

July 26: NJ.Com

… when “The Office” producer Greg Daniels was asked to preview his new season, he discussed stories on the margins (Ryan’s promotion to Dunder-Mifflin corporate is real, Jan will be unemployed and living with Michael) while refusing to get within spitting distance of the answer the fans really want to know: will Jim and Pam get together for realsies?

“I find spoilers to be a big problem,” said Daniels. “It’s like everyone’s always asking, ‘What’s going to happen? What’s going to happen?’ And then, they pull from different interviews from different cast members and they cross-compare with each other and they figure out what the stories are before we are ready to present them.”

July 19: Watch With Kristin

I pulled The Office’s Oscar Nuñez (Oscar) and Kate Flannery (Meredith) in with my tractor beam and asked them what they thought Ryan’s promotion might mean for his relationship with his colleagues from the Scranton branch. Will angry sparks fly?

Nuñez put the question to Flannery, “Wait, it depends, where’s he going to be? In Scranton or in New York?” Flannery responded, “He’s going to be in New York. But when a younger person is in charge of older people, sparks fly.”

July 19: The Boston Globe

Newton native B.J. Novak doled out hints about what’s in store on the fourth season of “The Office.” In last season finale’s, Novak’s character, Ryan, was promoted to a job at the corporate offices of Dunder-Mifflin. “It’s one of the big new elements of next year that Ryan will be Michael’s boss,” said Novak, who is also a writer on the show. As fans know, office chatterbox Kelly, played by Cambridge native Mindy Kaling , was unceremoniously dumped by Ryan in the final scene. Kaling has vowed that Kelly will make life miserable for Ryan, and Novak jokes: “Mindy’s a writer too, so we can battle it out.”

July 18: John Sparano’s MySpace blog

I’ve talked to some of “The Office” crew and they will be starting late this year because of various scheduling issues, but you will be seeing a PR onlsaught like you’ve never seen before very soon, now that the guy responsible for bringing the show to Amercia, Ben Silverman, is the head of NBC. The production offices have been revamped, and a bevy of new staff have been hired. From what I hear this season is going to be a monster, so clear the disc space on the Tivo.

July 18: National Post

B.J. Novak, who plays Ryan on The Office, said the coming season’s plot will be heavy on the Dwight Schrute factor. B.J. is also a writer/producer on the series. “There’s a lot of Dwight stuff — more than ever,” he said.

July 17: Zap2it

The network announced Monday that the comedy’s season premiere on Thursday, Sept. 27 would be an hour long. Later in the day, though, executive producer Greg Daniels noted that the show would run long for its first four weeks, eating up four of the five extra half-hours NBC trumpeted as a rerun-busting strategy at May’s upfronts.

July 16: iF Magazine

BUFFY creator Joss Whedon will be back to direct another episode for Season Four.

“Joss is going to come back,” reveals Daniels, noting they have some offers out to other people of Whedon and J.J. Abrams caliber they’re targeting for the new season of the NBC Thursday night comedy.

July 16: NBC press release

NBC Entertainment programming, both scripted and unscripted, will adopt green-friendly and environmentally-oriented messages – across all dayparts – to promote the crucial issue of ecological awareness. Among NBC’s many programs to feature this content will be the entire Thursday night line-up, including the Emmy Award-winning comedy “The Office,” “My Name is Earl” and “30 Rock,” the hit drama “Heroes” and “Deal or No Deal.”

July 16: Ausiello Report Live Press Tour Diary: NBC, Day One

Just scored some post-session scoop from John Krasinski. He confirmed that Rashida Jones would be back for a handful of episodes at the start of the season.

July 16: NBC Press Release

The Office goes green on November 8.

July 16: NBC Press Release

The Office Season 4 premieres on September 27 with a one-hour episode!

July 8: BostonHerald.com

“I think that Ryan is in for it,” Kaling said recently. “I don’t think Kelly would even know where the phrase ‘hell hath no fury’ is from or even know what that means, but we’re going to see that literally enacted upon Ryan, which I think is going to be funny to see. My character is kind of such a sweet ditz, so to see her be scorned and turned into Medea will be really fun and a challenge as an actor.”

While on vacation here, Kaling was busy writing the sixth episode of the season.

“We get to see a character who we think is no longer going to be on the show any more,” she said cryptically. “Someone who we think is long gone. They make an appearance so I was excited about the script.”

July 6: LA Times

Kwapis begins shooting his next feature, “He’s Just Not That Into You,” for New Line this fall. [Kwapis and John Krasinski] plan to shoot the season premiere of “The Office” together later this summer, at which time Krasinski’s camera-loving mugging will surely resume.

Tipster: Lori

June 26: Netflix

The fourth season of this hilarious, Emmy-winning American sitcom based on the British show by the same name finds Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer) navigating a tentative romance while Kelly (Mindy Kaling) faces life without Ryan (B.J. Novak). No matter what, it’s still business as usual at the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company as its quirky employees contend with the crazy ups and downs of work and relationships.

Hmmm …

Tipster: iHaveA_Dundie

June 12: Blogcritics Magazine interviews Greg Daniels

And the cast keeps growing. We’ve added Craig Robinson and Ed Helms and Creed Bratton just recently. That’s another three fantastic performers who are now regulars.

Can you give me any hints on what’s happening next season?
A lot of it has to do with Ryan being the new boss. He’s got a plan for Dunder Mifflin Infinity which has to do with the web.

Is Melora Hardin coming back?
I’m hoping we will see her come back. I think she’s coming back.

What the heck is Dunder Mifflin Infinity?

June 11: Toronto Star interviews Greg Daniels

The writers have “broken” the first 13 episodes. Each has two or three rough outlines — Daniels brought his two to Banff — and the plan is to reconvene after July 4 with completed scripts.

June 11: New York Magazine interviews Ben Silverman

As the room clears out, B. J. Novak, who plays Ryan Howard, the newly made boss on The Office, says he’s going to base his character on Silverman. “I want to do for Ben what Piven does for Ari Emanuel,” he says. “I’ve been studying his mannerisms: huge enthusiasm, and then he’ll slip in an incredible knowledge of specifics, way deep into a lot of complicated handshakes and backslapping.”

May 26: The Democrat Newspaper

Not really a Season 4 spoiler, but it does have a little tidbit about the possible longevity of The Office. In reporting about one of the newest members of The Office writing staff, Anthony Farrell, the article states:

Anthony’s contract is for three (3) years and started on May 17, 2007.

That implies that The Offices goes to at least Season 6?

May 22: Boston Herald interviews Rashida Jones

Are Karen’s days at Dunder-Mifflin numbered? Is Jim going to break her heart?? Will she flee Scranton for Stamford???

“Don’t worry — she’ll be fine,” laughed Rashida Jones, the adorable Harvard grad who plays the third wheel in the Jim-Pam-Karen relationship that has fans of NBC’s “The Office” all in a lather.

The comedy’s season finale suggests that Jim will be dumping poor Karen Filippelli for a try at love with his soulmate, Pam. And with Rashida’s new series “The Rules For Starting Over” getting green-lighted by FOX, it’s looking like Andy may be the sole survivor of “The Office” Stamford-Scranton merger!

“It’s really up in the air,” said Jones, who is in town tonight for the annual Peace Rocks show at The Roxy. “It’s not a bad problem to have, though. It’s a rare time, as an actress, when I have the problem of negotiating two jobs at one time.”

Tipster: Paul

May 21: Watch with Kristin

James in Kentucky: I hate to admit it, but I was a little underwhelmed by The Office finale. I thought Jan would be pregnant and Jim and Pam would kiss!

Hey, well, not all’s said and done yet. I’m guessing we could be getting just that next season based on Jan’s insane “mood swings.” I personally thought the ep was hilarious, but yeah, it wasn’t so off the charts on the shocker scale.

Thomasina in Atlanta: Will Rashida Jones be back on The Office next season?

The plan is to bring her back for an episode or two if she can work it out with her new show. My guess is that Karen sees the Jam gooeyness and bolts for the door…running all the way to Fox’s The Rules for Starting Over, where she’ll be a woman rebounding from a relationship and getting back into the dating world. Sorta fitting, right? Maybe John K. can guest star? (By the way, Rashida’s show looks very silly-funny.)

May 19: David Denman’s MySpace blog

I truly have no idea what is in store for Roy on the Office, but as most of you know it’s not in my hands. I’m pretty certain I’ll be back at some point, but I’m sure you all will know way before I’m ever allowed to say.

May 18: B.J. Novak’s MySpace blog

We are already hard at work writing the next season, which will be a very exciting one. Especially for Ryan, of course, who has risen quickly from temp to sexually-harassed salesman… to Michael’s boss.

May 17: Greg Daniels and B.J. Novak live blog after ‘The Job’

I think there will be some very funny plots next year involving Michael and Ryan … Their relationship could take on some characteristics of Michael and Jan … I’m sure that’s Ryan’s fear anyway.

May 16: Ask Ausiello

Question: There hasn’t been any scoop on The Office since early April! Come on, Ausiello! Give us something! — Emily

Ausiello: I tried (and succeeded) to make up for lost time at NBC’s upfront Monday, where the entire cast (sans Steve Carell) was in attendance. John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer confirmed my frienemy’s report that producers shot two different endings for the season finale, but denied it was because they were waiting to see if Rashida Jones’ fall pilot was picked up. Their costar/producer B.J. Novak later backed that up, saying, “We always knew [which ending we were going to use], we just wanted to keep it a secret.” He added that the twist ending is indeed a game-changer, and one that revolves around everyone. “Next year’s going to be different,” he teased, “and you’ll see why in the finale.”

May 8: Us magazine

Re: ‘The Job’ (May 19):

The scoop: There’s an opening at Dunder Mifflin corporate, and Michael (Steve Carell), Jim (John Krasinski) and girlfriend Karen (Rashida Jones) all want it. “Somebody does take the job,” cocreator Greg Daniels tells Us (best bet: Jim). “We’ll see more of the New York offices next year.”

Office crush: Fans rooting for Jim and Pam (Jenna Fischer) to revisit romance may be disappointed: Jones is back for Season 4, and, says Daniels, “Pam is on a journey of self-discovery. Her happiness may be more about her self-realization.”

Tipster: RealityCheck

Apr. 6: Starry Constellation Magazine

Interview with Melora Hardin:

What is it about your role as Jan on “The Office” that really has enticed you to keep coming back to the show?

Well, they made me a regular on the show in the second season so they have me for the next five years and I just love her! I just think she’s got a lot of depth and dimension. I always describe her as a woman who has a hard exterior and a soft, gooey center. I love that her flaws are showing through. She’s got so much going on at all times, there are a least three things to play in every moment with her, so she’s a lot of meat to bite in to for an actress. I have to say, I’m madly in love with Jan Levinson, so I guess it’s a good marriage. You’re supposed to be in love with your character.

Mar. 22: IESB interview with Jenna Fischer

Interviewer: Have they told you already which direction the next season is going to be taking?
Jenna: Yes.
Interviewer: Can you give us a little hint?
Jenna (laughing): Does this smile tell you anything? It’s good stuff.

1,256 comments

  1. Well to each his/her own. I wonder if either James or Kristin knows the true significance of the yogurt lid, which obviously was a crucial element. Or perhaps we, as the audience, have just been inundated and de-sensitized with so many over-the-top romantic gestures in the season finales of other shows that if we don’t get a kiss and an overt admission of love, we feel inclined to be disappointed. I personally think that the sublime manner in which “The Office” concluded the Jim/Pam arc for this season was absolutely beautiful in its understatement, and says much more than what mere words alone possibly could.

  2. Regardless of what happens with Rashida, it’s gonna be a long summer. I’m happy to see new spoilers up, though.
    PS: Yeah, very nicely voiced, bales.

  3. To be disappointed by the Jim-Pam is just baffling to me. Pam’s face after Jim asked her to dinner had the sweetest expression I have ever seen. And we have all summer to picture the date. Less is more in this case.

  4. yeah, i’m also in total agreement with bales. i feel like how you saw the ending was pretty tied to how closely you follow the show. “office olympics” happened early in season 2, and a lot of the people that just started watching this season probably didn’t get that reference. additionally, i think this is another time that the office writers clearly did not pander to the lowest common denominator of viewers, hitting them over the head with an obvious romantic ending. and that’s probably one of the top reasons i love the office so much– it really respects the viewer’s intelligence. in my view, anyway!

  5. looks like Bales has a fan club! Can I join? Seriously though did people want it to turn into the disaster that was Grey’s Anatomy? This season finale blew many out of the water. What did people want? Jam to get it on while Karen watched? Yeah. Not that kind of show. It’s the subtle things that make this show great. The writers don’t shove things in your face and expect you to react but we do anyway.

  6. Whoa I can be in the first ten! I wonder what to say here, how about: I can’t wait for season 4 and JAM action, but I really want to know Karen’s reaction to Jim ditching (?) her in New York.

  7. I’m excited to see where the Jan/Michael relationship goes. Woot woot to more Melora!

  8. This is just a guess, but what if Jan didn’t get a boob job afterall. Did she actually say that she did? Because maybe she is pregnant and is just filling out more??

  9. Bales: You are right on. The beauty of the office and the JAM relationship are the subtle moments.

  10. I thought the yogurt lid was perfect! What an awesome way to end the season! But, I must admit, the thought that Roy may be back kind of scares me….

  11. I’ve been reading plenty of commentary on the internet. Most people were doubled over by the beauty of The Job. Others weren’t. You can’t please everyone. As Bales said, perhaps a contingent of the viewing public is desensitized to the contrived immediacy of story arcs and romantic conclusions on TV today. Personally, I was dumbstruck at the beauty of the season finale. There are plenty of open ended questions to keep us talking, and I feel satisfied with the Jim and Pam ending. There is so much to lok forward to in S4. And, I look forward to seeing Rashida’s new show as well!

  12. i actually kind of want to see that jim just LEFT new york. you know? not saying anything to karen at all. i think that would be awesome. bravery. stick to it.

  13. Bales, you rock. I had a perfect post thought out, and now I cant remember a single word, mostly because you summed it up so well. Soooo moving on.

    I’m on the fence about Rashida Jones. I don’t really know whether I want her back or not. She did turn into a plot device, so having her back would be kind of odd. As far as we know, Jim dumped her before he left. I hope her new show does well though!

  14. “What did people want? Jam to get it on while Karen watched?”

    Sorry, I’m still laughing at that.

    _bales, I too applaud your sentiments. But the finale’s “beautiful understatement” leaves plenty of room for NBC to pull a fast one and impose the kind of plot twist that would leave few of us satisfied and smiling.

  15. If anyone wants to read a really insightful _bales comment, check out #674 on the comments page for “The Job”.

  16. Beautiful bales.

    A plot twist where Roy comes back into Pam’s life and/or Jim is still with Karen=Worst Plot Twist in The World. They’ve changed Karen’s character so drastically from GWH and B. Christmas, that no one is going to think she’s right with Jim now. And she’s certainly not going to stick around and watch Jim and Pam do whatever they’re doing. And the FNB cannot backslide with Roy.

    I’d even take a lame “no employee dating” storyline. Karen and Roy aren’t viable options anymore.

  17. First of all:
    Brian — That’s what she said.
    Debi — “the beauty of the season finale” Well said!
    Alyssa — those are some big boobs even for a pregnant lady! Although her mood swings could be pregnancy hormones. I think she did have a boob job and is bi-polar!
    bales — you summed it up perfectly. Personally, I wasn’t looking for a kiss because they did that last year. The writers handled it perfectly.

  18. I’ll say it again – Well said, Bales! Just had to write in and agree with you – I thought the ending was absolutely stunning. I have never seen something so moving and yet so simple. And, I am so happy to see Season 4 spoilers already! Makes me feel like I don’t have too much longer to wait!

  19. I do have to say this: NBC doesn’t pull plot twists, the writers do. I really did like the yogurt lid from Office Olympics, I thought that was a sweet touch. Good call bales.

    Good Ole JR

  20. Wow, spoilers already? Okay, so I read the newest one, but I think that I’m really going to try hard to stay away from them. I learned my lesson when I watched the yahoo spoiler with the whole Roy/Jim thing ending with Dwight and his pepper spray. That was TOO much of a spoiler.

  21. Ok, I don’t want the writers to pull some crazy plot twists. “Up in the air”? What woman sticks with a guy who drove two hours to go on a “date” with his “friend”? I really wish the best for RJ, but Karen is done. Right?

  22. #12 – Jan did say something about the pain killers she’s been on since “the surgery”, so I think it’s pretty clear that she got a boob job…sorry boob enhancement.

  23. thank you E! for the tip and thanks Lacey for the link! Oh my gosh, I cannot wait to find out! (I know only six-grade girls include more exclamations but I am so curious)

  24. hello season 4 spoilers. I will be seeing you a lot over the summer.

  25. Good one E! and Lacey (and GMMR)! Thanks for the tip, great story.

    Remember the spoiler from BJ that said that we’d see Michael on a golf course? It didn’t happen, so will it happen in season four?? And really, who would there be to go golfing with Michael? It’s not like David and Ryan would partner up with him I wouldn’t think.

    Just idle speculation…

  26. I’m with everyone who thinks the season finale was handled perfectly and sets up some great possibilities for next season. I think it will be great to see what happens with Michael and Ryan (does anyone else think Ryan is actually a lot like a Michael-in-training?).

    Maybe I’m a wimp but I’m so ready for Season 4 spoilers already (and it’s been, what, 6 days since the finale?). Maybe we can start a new topic: How I spent my summer vacation without The Office (I just went and bought the BBC version to help me cope).

  27. I love the March 22 interview with Jenna — her smile reveals all! I am SOOO excited for next season. Those two together will be so awesome. Instead of angst it will be so cute to turn in just to see how cute they are. (And of course to see the rest of the awesomeness that is the show.)

    I loved this ending so much better than last years. Last year, we had no idea what would happen, although we kind of knew deep down that she would still stay with Roy. This year we KNOW that something awesome is going to probably happen, so it’s so much fun to imagine it! Wow, September is so far away. I can’t believe there are already spoilers!

  28. Did anyone notice the mention of Kendall, the annoying HR guy at corporate that Wallace mentions during Jim’s interview?

    They give him a name for a reason…

  29. september, seems so far away! i hope these spoilers will help me through!

  30. Yeah #36 — Will he get his long hair back or wear that wig??? I like him so much more with the long hair.

  31. I don’t think that implies “The Office” is guaranteed to go to Season 6. If reports on GMMR that Kevin Reilly has been asked to leave NBC are true, then it just proves the vicissitudes of jobs in the entertainment industry. Didn’t Reilly just sign a new contract earlier this year? If this could happen to the head of NBC entertainment, it could happen to anyone.

    I’m personally a bit apprehensive about the implications of this upheaval within NBC for the future of our little show. Reilly was the one who supported “The Office” during its initial struggle in the ratings. I would expect his successor to be more aggressive in pursuing “instant” hit shows to improve the bottomline, since Reilly was obviously asked to leave because NBC continues to be relegated in its 4th place ranking. While the ratings for “The Office” aren’t bad, it still remains, at best, a niche hit. I’m worried the new boss might cut back on the episode order. Renewal into a 5th season might even be a problem if ratings don’t improve, or (goodness forbid) dip, which is a real possibility considering the timeslot change for the new season.

  32. I think the contract structure for writers is similar to that for actors. They get long-term deals, with no guarantee that the show will last that long. For example, before “ER” started, the principle cast were all signed to 5-year contracts. The show proved to be a hit, and has lasted 14 seasons. If it had failed early on, the actors would have been out of work, even though they all had multi-year deals. Kinda unfair, and definitely tilted in favor of the network.

  33. I think that Jan is pregnant. Granted pain killers may cause some mood changes but theyre more likely to make you sleepy, not sweet and cuddley then psycho and terrifying the next minute

  34. To call any of these spoilers is just completely wishful thinking and sort of irresponsible to report on. Regardless, it is a lot of fun to speculate about the future. So…maybe rename this section? Or save it for REAL spoilers?

  35. Oh, and I highly doubt Jan is pregnant since they basically visited that entire plot line with her one line of dialogue: “I could wear stretch pants and wait for you to come home at 5:15” Sure, it was a good chuckle, but I doubt they would pursue that any more. Think Ricky Gervais, not Friends, people.

  36. Hey just to let you know there is a new Vines show with Kristin on E! (love that exclamation point). Anyway, she interviewed some cast members and answered some really easy questions from fans. Also, she said that Rashida Jones won’t be back full-time due to her new series. She ended it by saying how much she love Jim/Pam and had a message for Karen…
    “good riddance, Tramp!” It was really funny.

  37. six seasons!? hoosha. i’m happy as long as the office keeps on giving. what i want for next season: just some really cute jim and pam scenes of them together just chilling being together and being together and being together and all. you know, being together!!!

  38. #42,
    If Jan is pregnant why would they be having her smoking and taking painkillers? The show wouldn’t go that dramatic, a new baby (possibly deformed) that would just send the comedy of the show on a tailspin. Jan also just got plastic surgery, I don’t know much about that but I’m guessing you would have to do a regular follow up check up with your doctor. She would know if she were pregnant. Middle-end of season 4? Possibly. Any time soon? Not really. That’s just what I think.

  39. the vine show over at watch with kristin has a good amount of spoilers for season 4.

  40. That IESB interview makes me laugh and smile every time I see (and apparently read) it… it just makes me so happy. I can’t wait for September

  41. Bales, I don’t think you have anything to worry about with the changes at NBC. Reilly is being replaced with Ben Silverman who is the head of Reveille which is The Office’s production company. Even the articles that announced his coming contained several references to The Office so the show should be fine…

  42. I hate to spoil everyone’s fun….
    I don’t think Pam and Jim are actually going to get together in Season 4. Many great TV shows are built around wanting a couple to get together (Think Rachel and Ross from Friends). It’s what draws people in to watch and I think the writers know that

  43. You did watch the finale, right?

    While many scenarios could kick off the fourth season I highly doubt Jim and Pam going out, deciding not to continue a relationship they both have been dying for for three years, and then one or both of them secretly becoming in love with the other AGAIN and pining through a bag-of-french-onion-chips-means-I-secretly-love-you phase is one of those options.

    As much fun as season two is these characters have to evolve. The best part about this show since day one is how realistically it deals with, above all else, this particular relationship. These “real people” can’t revert back to will they/won’t they just for the sake of sexually tense television.

  44. JSK makes a good point, and certainly I was mentally prepared for another season of Jim and Pam being apart before the finale aired. But the way the finale was set up points towards the beginnings of a serious relationship between them…anything else would be too cruel a joke on the audience and I don’t think “The Office” is that kind of show to pull such a stunt. Besides, the addition of the Ryan twist, I think, was significant because that was meant to be the big “surprise”, not Jim asking Pam out on a date, i.e. we can (probably) take the latter at face value and not worry about any hidden agenda by the writers.

    I don’t see either Jim or Pam as people who would take a relationship lightly, and certainly they would put in the effort to make the relationship work instead of breaking it off at the slightest hurdle. It would be nice to see a genuine relationship on TV between two people who truly enjoy each other’s company and are willing to be there for each other, instead of the get-together-break-up-get-back-together cliches endemic in so many other shows.

  45. I hope that Jim & Pam become a couple, so then the focus will return more to office comedy rather than office romance.

  46. I have a feeling that Ryan’s Dunder Mifflin Infinity has something to do with the shows new interactive web thing that I believe was introduced back at the Upfronts. Should be interesting. I’m excited and it’s not even September yet!

  47. Aww…Greg Daniels mentioned that the ideal running time for an “Office” episode is 28 minutes, which seems to be the consensus of most of the OT posters too. Such a pity that they have to trim it down for broadcast. I wonder how “The Office” will do on a cable channel like HBO which could give them the 30-minutes of airtime per week, and also fewer restrictions on the material/jokes that the writers can tell. Then again, we would probably have a lower episode order, or have to wait 21 months between seasons (*cough* Sopranos *cough*). I can’t believe I’m complaining about NBC who has shown so much faith in our little show…no cookie for me!

  48. Thrilled for Craig & Ed, but I’m especially happy to see Creed added as a fulltime cast member. I hope that one episode will eventually revolve around him.

  49. Dunder Mifflin Infinity sounds like a Web-based initiative. … Remember, Ryan said in business school that Dunder Mifflin was unwilling or unable to change with the times (a paraphrase).

  50. I think Dunder Mifflin Infinity will be really important to the fans. I think it will play into the new OFFICE 360 site on NBC.com.

  51. I’m surprised no one has brought this up yet, but if Ryan is officially going to corporate, than what’s happening to Karen? I thought Ryan being offered the job was just clever editing and Karen was actually the one on the phone with David Wallace. Rashida was not mentioned as one of the actors moving from guest star to co-star (all of which I am very excited about!) and her pilot was picked up, so does Karen quit and move to New York? That’s what I’m putting my money on, hence Jim driving home alone.
    These spoilers always break my brain.

  52. GMMR — What is this Office 360 website you speak of?? I haven’t heard of this… :)

  53. Here’s what I think:
    Dunder Mifflin Infinity= An international mail order website with language selecting tools and all that jazz??
    It took 30 minutes to think of that.

  54. I knew about Ed Helms being added to the cast of regulars, but good for Craig Robinson and Creed. Creed and Darryl are becoming so popular that they just HAVE to be regulars on the show. If nothing else, for one or 2 lines each.

  55. not really a spoiler, but the WWK spoiler chat debunked the Dwight Schrute Spin-Off rumours.

  56. Ok I have a new idea after watching “Branch Closing” again tonight.
    So the name for the Scranton and Stamford was going to be “Dunder Mifflin North-east” so Dunder Mifflin Infinity sounds like if they merged ALL of the branches into one big copany. I don’t what that has to with the web, but it sounded like a good fit.

  57. So is Michael not in the show anymore?
    I have had a great idea for an episode:
    Ryan gets a real girlfriend that he really likes and may love, and at first kelly is devistated but then spends the rest of the episode sabotoging the new couple.

  58. #70: Casey,
    By “the new boss” they mean Jan’s job, not Michaels. Steve Carell cannot leave The Office, that’s a step away from suicide.

  59. Yeah, I wish there was less inter office dating. Don’t get me wrong I looooove Jim and Pam and Dwight and Angela, but the others seem unrealistic. I’m all for Ryan finding someone outside of his office.

  60. Many thanks for this latest bit of spoiler news, iHaveA_Dundie and tanster! It would be great if we could see Jim and Pam take their first steps at a serious romantic relationship, as the description suggests. I really feel sorry for Kelly now, after reading that synopsis. I’m hopeful that the new season will be as funny and great as the ones that come before. Why is it still June?!? Come quick, you obscure, eternally faraway Season Premiere date!

  61. Ah, sweet spoiler news. It’s not much, but in late June it quenches my Office thirst. I too feel bad for Kelly. As ditzy as she is, Ryan was a total jerk with his “You and I are done” business.

  62. Well the S3 Netflix summary it basically describes the premiere :
    “In the program’s third satirical season, Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer) wade through the aftermath of their Casino Night kiss, and Michael (Carell) accidentally outs a gay employee.”

    So maybe this one is also just a description of the S4 premiere.

  63. They didn’t so much “wade through” as ignore it altogether. After that, I’m not getting my hopes up for S4.

  64. I wonder how valid that netflix description can be. It’s so vague; I think somebody over there just came up with their best guess so they could have a placeholder for the season 4 DVD. It’s silly though. Why bother having a description for a DVD that’s over a year away from even existing?

  65. ten·ta·tive(těn’tə-tĭv)adj.
    1. Not fully worked out, concluded, or agreed on; provisional: tentative plans.
    2. Uncertain; hesitant.

    Oh this worries me. This worries me big time. I just hope it doesn’t mean it wont work. Oye vey.

  66. I think the Netflix description of S4 is BS. They needed to come up with a description and just spec’d on what they think will happen based on the S3 finale. I don’t think anyone should hold their hat on this.

  67. i totally agree that it’s not true. There’s no way anyone associated with the office would give away spoilers like that this early. I think it was definitely people at Netflix just guessing based on the season finale.

  68. I think this is what they were talking about with Dunder-Mifflin Infinity: http://www.tv.com/story/9547.html?q=

    “In addition to making extra content available on digital platforms, “The Office 360″ will allow online users of NBC’s Web site to create their own branches of the comedy’s fictional Dunder-Mifflin paper company with different challenges to complete. The branches could be integrated into a network episode of the show.”

  69. “We get to see a character who we think is no longer going to be on the show any more,” she said cryptically. “Someone who we think is long gone. They make an appearance so I was excited about the script.”

    Roy?!? ROY??

    Can you tell I think it is Roy? Here to f with JammyJam!

  70. “We get to see a character who we think is no longer going to be on the show any more,” she said cryptically. “Someone who we think is long gone. They make an appearance so I was excited about the script.”

    Dumbledore?

  71. HAHAHA that was hilarious, elisabeth.

    the first person that popped into my mind was katy. although, i have no idea what purpose she’d serve. do you think roy has been really “long gone”?

  72. 84 | Elisabeth: Your comment made me LOL! Alas, I’m inclined to agree with 83 | Caroline.

  73. Possible Candidates: Josh, Katy the purse girl, Carol, Devon, the ghost of Ed Truck, Martin the Convict, Hannah, Tony Gardner, Roy, Karen (if for some reason she leaves and comes back). Let the speculation begin!

  74. Elisabeth-

    Tooo Funny!
    I actually laughed out loud- not just a typed LOL.

    My two fictional obsessions?
    Harry Potter and The Office

    But- yeah, I think Roy- Karen would be too obvious.
    Unless Mose takes over Ryan’s position… HeHe.

  75. Caroline – if it is Roy, I doubt he’d have anything to do with JAM. Roy left on a somewhat good note with Pam, and for him to play interference would just be beating a dead horse (and I have more faith in the writers than that – this isn’t Days of our Lives).

  76. Does anyone have any idea when they will start taping the new season?

  77. Apologies for jumping on the bandwagon, but Elisabeth…your comment #84 made me LOL too!

  78. yeah my first inclination was that its roy…i think david denman is awesome and its too bad he got written out of the show…i mean i am glad that his character is out of the jam…i’d like to see him again. but hey it could be a number of different characters.

  79. From me, to you, my bet is on Prison Mike.
    The Office needs more action, be-atch.

  80. I bet its Josh. I’m sure they realize Ryan is too inexperienced for Jan’s job and demote him back to Scranton, leaving it open for Josh (the poor man’s Michael Scott) to become Michael’s boss.

  81. Dude, come on guys. It has to be Katie, Jim’s old girlfriend, from Season 1! Anyone with me?

  82. Posted over at Meevee.com from TCA

    “NBC Universal in all its many corporate guises will have a “Green Is Universal” week Nov. 4 through 11 where they’ll be ecologically pro-active in every possible way. That includes “green-themed” programming on all of NBC’s prime-time shows, with characters like Michael Scott of “The Office” tackling environmental issues. That oughta be good.”

  83. Rashida Jones will be back for a “handful of episodes”? The post-breakup Karen will be funny. I think Kelly will have some competition in the “hell hath no fury” department…

  84. TV with MeeVee talked briefly with John Krasinski about the fate of Karen and how the writers will handle Jim and Pam being together, as well as some other things.

  85. Hi, sorry if this has been posted, but more tidbits from the TCA session with the NBC comedies, including “The Office”, as posted by Alan Sepinwall of the NJ Star Ledger. Joss Whedon is scheduled to direct another episode of “The Office” (yay!!), and Greg Daniels also mentioned that he wants to do an episode that more explicitly acknowledges the presence of the documentary crew.

    http://blog.nj.com/alltv/2007/07/nbc_comedy_tidbits.html

  86. there can’t be a Dwight spin off!!! I thought that was a joke anyway…but seriously, what’s the Office without Dwight? and what’s Dwight without the office?

  87. The only thing about some of the candidates for the “long gone” person, is that some of them aren’t “long gone”. Example: Roy? Not long gone. Karen? Was in the freakin latest episode. It’s gotta be someone we thought wouldn’t come back at all. Who could it be…? I doubt it its an old Season 3 employee (although I guess that would be someone we thought was “long gone”), Ed Truck is silly, Devon was in one episode. That leaves…Josh, Katy and Carol. However, since there is going to be a Ryan/Michael dynamic, doubtful on Josh. Katy got dumped by Jim, doubt she would come back. That leaves…Carol! Although, she left Michael. And that leaves no one! Is there anyone else…?

  88. Just for all those that wish to count down, I got bored and counted the days until the Season 4 premiere, 67 counting today.

  89. Boooo-urns. I can’t believe Karen’s coming back for a few episdoes and that they might NOT be right at the beginning (hopefully when she gets dumped). I’ll bet she comes and messes everything up with JAM (because she sucks like that).
    No bad feelings towards Rashida Jones. I’m sure she’s very nice. I just dislike her character (character that she plays….not her personal character).

  90. Either Steve Carell’s wife (Carol) or Roy will be the one to re-surface. Nobody else makes sense. It is probably Carol because Michael was selling his condo on EBay and Carol was the realtor. He’s going to have issues backing out of it probably.

  91. Uh oh . . . that Greg Daniels interview with NJ.com makes me feel like a little kid who finally got caught cheating. Maybe I’ll reform my spoiler seeking ways . . .

  92. I think that Jan should get a job at Hooters, that would make Michael very happy, or she can also get a job at Chilli’s…

  93. I understand what Greg Daniels is saying. They need that bit of mystery to keep us fans guessing. You have to admit it’s more fun to speculate than to just be told what’s going to happen.

  94. I think Jan should start her own business making homemade jam. Ha! Pun intended.

  95. Greg Daniels did give his blessing to a couple hints that Angela Kinsey gave us in that TheOfficeChat chat the other night. So I guess he understands that we are just crazed Office fiends.
    Even though those hints didn’t tell us much new except that one of Angela’s cats will get sick. I still am happy to know anything at all.

  96. I’m loving the irony here…

    The first spoiler said that Greg Daniels hates spoilers.

    Followed by a cornecopia of more spoilers.

    I love it.

  97. #117 Lauren,

    LOL, I love your comment. That is exactly how I feel too. He is right that you do enjoy the show a lot more when you don’t know what’s going to happen. Maybe I’ll reform too.

  98. I look at spoilers as a sport. We as fans (the spoiled ones) love when any tiny juicy detail comes out. The great thing about spoilers is that we can never really be COMPLETELY in on what’s actually going to happen on screen. Sure a script could leak, or a plot line let out, but the joy of being spoiled comes in the guessing of how it will really be played out. How they deliver the lines or play out the scene. I for one am proud to be a spoiler hunter.

  99. yay! stepping up! that’s a good sign, right? and i’m so glad we’ll find out what’s going on in the first episode. i don’t think any of us could wait to find out!

  100. I am stunned with happiness that Rainn gave us the name of the first episode! I’ve been thinking about what it could be called for a while .. now the premier doesn’t seem so far away!

  101. I’m glad that John sees the same potential in the Jim/Pam relationship I saw and have been trying to communicate to all the “Jim and Pam getting together would ruin the show”-ers out there. I can not wait for this season to begin with a “Fun Run”

  102. Sounds like a cool episode idea- ‘Fun Run’

    But I wish they’d stop leaving THE OFFICE so much :-/

    Unless it takes place in the parking lot. Then I apologize.

  103. A fun run around the Dunder Mifflin building — that’s brilliant!

    And Pam could time everyone with a thermometer. ;)

  104. thats funny and all but i still think the idea of Michael getting everyone trained and exercising around the office to get fit for a marathon race is brilliant

  105. And while Pam is timing everyone, she can share a popsicle with Jim every time he crosses the start/finish line :)

  106. 130: Maybe in episode two they can have a party. And then, in episode three, have a party out of the office.

    Parties! Outside! Outside Parties!

  107. What?!? I don’t want them to start two months after last season!:( I was really hoping to see all the JAM first dates kind of stuff. Oh well, I s’pose I should trust the writers. They’ve never let me down before.

  108. #135 – That’s a great idea. I was thinking they should have an episode where the flu goes around the office. Angela wears a mask and won’t touch anything … Dwight has it the worst, but won’t go home and tarnish his perfect record … Angela gives it to Dwight … Pam gives it to Jim and Michael gives it to Jan … but wait, Jan doesn’t have the cough or sore throat. Jan has … morning sickness!

  109. so I had an idea about Rashida…she was clearly a qualified candidate, but didn’t get the top job. Is is possible she got another job at corporate or was stolen away like Josh was by Staples? I wonder if she was offered the job, but then went over to another company. Because it really doesn’t make sense to me why she would not have got the job, except perhaps since she’s a woman. So maybe that’s how they resolve her storyline. I don’t know if this has already been discussed, so sorry if I’m being redundant. What do you all think?

  110. Alien, I agree that Karen may go to another company. However I don’t think she was offered the Job, and not because she was a woman. We really don’t see much of Karen in sales, or anything for that matter, that would show us she is qualified for the Job. I even thought that Jim going was a bit weird. Oddly enough, considering Michael’s position in the company, he, for me, would be the only logical one of the bunch that was accurately even considered for the corperate position. I’m looking forward to see how Ryan will do. I really don’t know how he even got in. Granted his evening classes apparently brought him an MBA, but that doesn’t really mean much. And knowing how bad he has done in sales, may not bode that will with him in the near future.

  111. Wow! Did they mistake “Law and Order: SVU” for “The Office”? Common mistake :P

  112. WHAT? GUNSHOTS???
    Oh my word.
    Crazed Karen?
    Please don’t tell me Andy loses it. I love him!

  113. they have to be filming the date *yay!*. but gunshots?! it can’t be karen; that’s waaay too all my children. what if it’s like, gunshots on the street and jim dives to save pam but gets hit by the bullet in his leg and knicks a major artery?! wait .. general hospital.

    maybe that’s where they’re doing the “fun run” and the gunshots are like the shots to start the race. or whatever.

  114. Episode title “Fun Run” – single gunshot. I’m thinking… Marathon or race of some sort. Now the better question is… where exactly is this “area” they are filming?

  115. Seriously? People think the gunshot is something other than the start of the race?? I’ll be more than surprised – I’ll be stunned beyond belief if it turns out to be anything but that.

  116. Hmm…yeah, I agree, I don’t think Karen got passed over because she’s a woman as much as because she didn’t have the experience behind her. At least Jim was an ARM – which STILL doesn’t mean he had experience managing a branch. I thought it was more a convenient set-up for the writers than an actual logical plot point to have Karen interview. In real life, she would have known that she was totally underqualified.

    Then again, Ryan got the job. But at least he had an MBA.

  117. I think the gun would have to deal with Michael and Dwight. Just think about it, Dwight already shoots paint balls for fun.

  118. yeah but i still think its just the gun from the start of the race- and i hope we hear more from season 4 today

  119. yikes! i can’t wait to hear more spoilers about the episode. and for the nbc fall preview on aug. 26 – will we see season 4 footage??

  120. GUNSHOT? Pam, you better run fast in those Ked’s, Karen is comming for you, sweetie. Haha.

  121. good question- Tanster will we…
    1. see season 4 clips on the NBC primetime preview
    2. get more info on “FUN RUN”

  122. Okay. I’m guessing it’s Meredith. When Dwight trapped the bat, he trapped it in a garbage bag while it was over Meredith’s head. It make the most sense. There’s also the bat poop “raining from the ceiling”, but I don’t think you can get rabies from poop…

  123. But wait….didn’t somebody say that one of Angela’s cats gets sick? That could be it too couldn’t it?

  124. I just hope it’s not Cousin Mose. I love Mose…but he does spend a lot of time with animals…

  125. i still think the gun is for a race but cars and smoke machine i dont know… maybe a car breaks down

  126. 161: I like that idea. That makes a lot of sense. Perhaps one of Angela’s cats dies and she has a memorial fun run for it.

  127. hmmmm .. interesting. i bet it’s for karen or ryan, and michael holds the memorial since one of his ”children” has ”passed on” or something. but actually i can’t see why it would be for ryn. he’s like the rebel-runaway child.

  128. I don’t think it’s John.. his arms looks to chunky and he doesn’t seem stretched out enough to be John.

  129. So, I’m guessing from the photos… and from the title of the episode, that it might be about a marathon (fundraising maybe). :O

    Awesome!

  130. Tanster-I’m thinking these pics need their own post. These are bound to be debated and discussed at length in the comments. :)

  131. Zoom in on the t-shirts & table sign, which clearly read: “Meredith Palmer Memorial” — yikes!

  132. Tanster,

    Somebody else posted in this comments section as Samuel L. Chang. I contend that I have rightfully claimed that as my alias. Should I be at all bothered by this? I am offended at the other Samuel L.’s far-too-casual punctuation. … Anyway, thanks for the latest spoilers.

    — The real Samuel L. Chang

  133. Meredith Palmer memorial?

    I’m assuming it’s Michael overreacting to her getting attacked by a dog… I hope

  134. meridith palmer memorial?! did she get rabies from that bat?? she’s not dead though, right? she can’t be. michael’s just politacally incorrect again .. RiGHT??!

  135. That really does say “Meredith Palmer Memorial” on the shirt. That was a good point brought up by Jamtastic on post 160 about the bat giving Meredith rabies.

  136. That shirt is hilarious. It looks like the premiere will be great (as if we had any doubt). NBC must sell those shirts!

  137. Is that Pam sitting down at the table? It looks like Jenna’s curly hair under that baseball cap!

  138. There is no way they could have killed off Meredith is there? Seems too dramatic for The Office. Hopefully she just has rabies from the bat and Michael is acting like she is dying. Also, I do think that is Jenna sitting down in the first picture, but I am not sure who that is in the second picture. The guy has the height of John Krasinski but he just looks to be too big for John. Maybe its just an extra.

  139. I’m not too worried about Meredith. We all know that Michael Scott goes a little overboard…..always! It would be just like him to have a “memorial” fun-run for someone who wasn’t dead.

  140. I fancy myself somewhat of a John Krasinski expert (ha)and I’m sure that’s not him in the picture above. Our boy is much lankier than that guy. Although the back of the head and the ears certainly do bare a striking resemblence. I wonder if it is the same guy that was in the coffee shop in “Traveling Salesman”.

  141. I think ‘Memorial’ is just part of the joke as Michael is over reacting and just using those words you hear all the time: Celebrity, Memorial, Awareness. Classic Michael.

  142. I can hardly wait until the end of September for the new season to start! I cannot wait to find out about the fun run!

  143. Yes, I DO see the “Meredith Palmer Memorial” bit on the back of the T-shirt. I hope she’s not dead! I’m wondering if Michael maybe just uses Meredith’s name as an excuse to do a “Fun Run” or maybe Meredith just gets sick from the Rabies and doesn’t die, but Michael doesn’t know any better than to call it a “Memorial” for Meredith. You know he’s a little slow with that stuff. ;)

  144. Did you guys not read post 174? It’s Toby standing up.

    And no, that’s not Pam sitting at the desk.

  145. The shirt says Meredith Palmer memorial. I don’t believe the writers would let one of the office members die so it is probably Michael’s “different” way of wording a fundraiser for Meredith. If she contracted rabies via that bat at work would she qualify for worker’s comp? Also, what kind of celebrities would they have in Scranton?

    The guy with his back to the camera can’t be John. I don’t think he would have love handles! Maybe that’s Toby.

    Thanks for sharing the pics!

  146. Those pictures are amazing!!!
    I really don’t think that Meredith is going to die, even though the word memorial is used. I definetly think that there is going to be a whole conversation [not sure if conversation is the right word] on the fact that Michael used the word memorial though! :D

  147. I don’t think that’s John or Jenna. The curly hair looks like Pam, but would she be sitting in an uncomfortable metal chair? Those things are not good for your back. And the side of her face looks un-Jenna-like.
    I could be wrong though.
    I hope Meredith isn’t dead! I bet she’s just sick.

  148. There is a good chance that, even if Meredith Palmer got rabies from the bat, that she might still survive even after the symptoms appear. In 2004 in Wisconsin, Doctors successfully treated the disease with only minor nerve damage. They put the patient into a medical-induced coma and then administered a cocktail of antiviral drugs.

    I can see Michael Scott, hearing that she’s in a coma, automatically assume she’s going to die and does the fun-run. This would put Meredith off of the show for a while, like Oscar last season.

  149. Asian Dude – what makes you so sure it’s Toby (Paul). It doesn’t look like him at all to me.

  150. I don’t think it’s JK… it does look a little like Roy, though. You think? Is he baaack? :)

  151. I love how the words on the back are incredibly long. LOL. Is this the first episode they’re filming? I know they shoot out of order though so probably not.

  152. That looks like Ed Helms, too chunky to be John. Is that Ed’s bracelet on his left hand?

    Hmm…I LOVE the shirts though and Steve in his little bike shorts!

  153. It is a “CELEBRITY Rabies Awareness Pro-AM Fun Run Race For The Cure”…maybe the mystery man is the celebrity.

  154. I don’t think Meredith died of rabies from the bat because she was in later episodes. Remember when some people were teasing Pam about her “Beach Games” speech in the breakroom and Meredith said everone was drunk and probably didn’t remember what she said? She might have contracted rabies sometime later, though, from another, probably comical, source during one of her drunken adventures. I agree with those that said Michael probably overreacted or, as usual, got his facts mixed up.

  155. I’m sure it is exaggerated Michael-style. Remember in the Injury?

    “What is worse a foot injury or a head injury?”
    “A head injury”
    “Wait, I don’t think you have all the details….”

  156. If she got rabies it was definitely from the bat — My question is it is a “celebrity” fun run — who is the celebrity??

  157. conundrum! do i buy the target or best buy package?! i could just make it easier on myself and just by both!!!

  158. I just realized that all the text that is on the back of the shirt is also on the front of the shirt in a tiny little block….so ridiculous.

  159. These pictures are great! That is not John and I don’t think we have to worry about Meredith being gone either. I just think Michael is over-reacting. I love his biker shorts though!

  160. Based upon the MySpace entries the “Michael Scott’s Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race For The Cure” only means that Meredith was diagnosed with Rabies, and nothing more. Everyone likes Kate Flannery. She’s an essential part of the ‘reality’ of the office setting.

  161. Does that say “for the cats” at the end of the huge block of text? If so, then it couldn’t be from the bat in season 3.

  162. I think it might be Jenna. Her hands look like the picture of her and Tanster in the right hand column. Also, it looks like there’s a thin cushion on the chair.

    Wow, back to work now.

  163. YES! a new scene from the first episode will be on the internet at NBC between August- September 23rd (Which is my birthday)

  164. The girl sitting on the chair looks the most like Rashida to me. Isn’t she supposed to come back for the first few episodes?

    I think that the mystery guy is probably Ed Helms, (he’s way too thick to be JK). If it was Paul Lieberstein playing Toby, Michael wouldn’t be smiling at him.

  165. I think the guy standing next to Steve is too thick to be John.

    I know we are supposed to think Michael looks silly in that outfit, but Steve Carell is in really nice shape these days…

  166. I bet Mr. Mystery is Michael’s neighbor, as played by Greg Daniels, although I’ve never seen Greg Daniels’ back.

  167. After looking at this picture again after watching Cocktails:

    It probably is Jenna sitting because if she didn’t hurt her back, the writers would’ve had Pam run. Given they’re together, it would’ve been a nice Jam moment to have them running together for rabies.

    Mr. Mystery aside, who are all of these other mystery people? The lady behind Steve. The lady to the left of Jenna. The man to the right of Jenna with his red truck…we need to know these things!

    Oh ummm…why does one of Steve’s legs look waxed (our left) and the other look quite furry?

  168. I don’t think Michael knows what memorial means. She’s most likely alive.

  169. Oh my, you’re absolutely right Figgy Newton…his leg does look waxed! Wouldn’t it be just like Michael to shave his legs so he could cut down on wind resistance while running? Haha.

  170. i think the woman behind steve is jenna…same visor, same khakis. also, about steve’s legs, i think that just might be pixellation/shadowplay, not necessarily the result of a botched wax job…although, actually, on second thought, i wouldn’t put it past michael.

  171. the woman next to “jenna” somewhat resembles karen, but karen would never wear something like that.

  172. Hi,
    I just saw a shirtless picture of Ed Helms and he is not as big as that dude in the picture.I hope that Jim didn’t gain weight. I just got used to him not having the long hair that I loved so much.Although his new hair is cute too.

  173. Well guys, since these pictures are “behind the scenes,” the people in them do not have to be Jenna or Rashida or John at all. They are probably members of the crew.

  174. Could Mr. Mystery be the CFO? I doubt he’d be there, but he’s got the same build, and it looks like he’s wearing glasses, huh? Just a thought…

  175. The woman in the chair, I think, is Jenna. It looks like Pam’s hair texture. The lady standing could be anyone. I think it is too chunky to be Krasinski.

  176. Matt, #212:
    It says “For the cure” I’m 99% sure. The text above it says “Fun run race” and I don’t think that ‘for the cats’ would follow that phrase.
    And that guy does look a lot like Todd Packer, I didn’t even think about him!

  177. i second that, BeckySue. there’s some pretty interesting stuff over there (; . i won’t ruin it for anyone; you’ll just have to go and look at it yourself!

  178. Link

    there are some great spoilers on there .. it’s also continued onto the next page.

    and after reading it, i’m pretty sure the woman in the picture is jenna.

  179. Whoa, I bet Greg Daniels is annoyed by those spoilers:)!!! Don’t fret Greg! It just makes us want to see the show all the more. And thankyouthankyouthankyouforever for making it by the way.:)

  180. I’m more than a little disgusted with myself for how happy the thought of Jim and Pam holding hands makes me…I think I need therapy.

  181. I don’t have his link, but Bob Vance (Bobby Ray Schafer) has a picture of him and Ed Helms (in his yellow running outfit) on his myspace page. He’s wearing a Vance Refrigeration t-shirt, of course. I clicked onto his page off of Jenna’s page…

    Holding hands and helping Michael…all is right in the world…

  182. Jeremy Goodwin posted a link to his pictures that he took at the shoot over at TwoP (link)

    I guess we can tell from those pics that the girl sitting down in the picture on this page is not Pam. Oh and Yay for old Jim hair!

  183. HEY! i just thought of something tomorrow they will start shooting episode 2 of season 4

  184. oh yay! i’ve been waiting for him to put them up after he mentioned them yesterday or earlier today. great JAM shot,too!

  185. Ok, I just finally read the “Fun Run” shirt. Meredith Palmer memorial…run?! Does that mean Meredith dies? Or quits? Or goes to rehab? That’s pretty serious. What’s going on?

  186. This sounds bad!!
    Silas in Greencastle, Indiana: Did you see that your unconfirmed rumor-spoiler about the Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Fun Run was right?
    Yep, which may unfortunately mean our Office source was also right when she said that Meredith Palmer is dead. All dead, not just mostly dead, and as you may know, there is a big difference between all dead and mostly dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive.
    but then it goes on to say:
    Update (9:30 p.m.): A very well-connected Office source assures us that Meredith is not at all dead. Not even slightly dead. Yay!!

    So shes not dead!!

    link

  187. So I heard that they just started filming within the last week or so and i saw rashida jones out last night in nyc… makes me think she is NOT going to be around for long at all this season. maybe im just over thinking it.

  188. Jenna,
    Maybe she is only going to be in the premiere in a flashback or something and they only needed her in the first week of shooting. That could explain why she is in NY.

  189. JimHalpertIsLife, I noticed that too. The only thing interesting to me about Kristin/Korbi/Jen’s spoiler was the funny Princess Bride reference. Otherwise, meh.

  190. This is kind of off-topic, but I was just re-watching the pilot, and Michael mentions that he has a brother. Does anyone think there’s any chance that we might get to see Michael’s brother at some point. If so, who do you think would be good to play him?

  191. Pamera:

    I think the guy who played his brother-in-law in Little Miss Sunshine would be good. I think they kind of look a little bit alike. Enough to look like siblings.

  192. Eh… I think Greg Kinnear is too well know for an Office appearance. It wouldn’t sit well for me.

  193. Another spoiler thing…..
    From Ask Ausiello:

    Question: Since Kristen Bell isn’t doing Lost, can you at least give me some Office scoop? — Matt

    Ausiello: If that helps you cope, sure. Don’t hold your breath waiting for Carol Burnett to play Michael’s mama. Although the Office creator considered hiring her to play the plum part, when asked about it at press tour, he acknowledged that her status as a TV legend might prove a distraction for viewers. “The thing I’m a little worried about,” he said, “is she’s so famous.”

  194. i think we should see gould, but i can’t seem to find anyone who could play him. i see gould as a tall, dark, sleek business man, but that’s just my opinion.

  195. I can’t remember where, but I’ve read that a lot of people would like to see Stephen Colbert play Gould. I would love to see another “Daily Show” alum come on.

  196. Yeah there is actually a petition for Stephen Colbert to be Gould going around somewhere…..
    I think its a really good idea!

  197. Hey tanster,

    In the most recent UsWeekly, Steve is in it. It’s a picture from the set of Fun Run…and just might possibly be a spoiler…I would send the photo your way but I don’t have a scanner. Anywho, just thought I’d let you know.

  198. hey i went on US weekly.com and could not find anything on the office can u tell about the picture or give a link please

  199. finally another spoiler! (: it’s been a pretty slow spoiler week, even with the office filming. i’ve tried pretty much every forum, but the execs are pretty good at letting pretty much nothing slip out.

  200. I will die if Carol Burnett plays Michael’s mother. She would be perfect! She could totally play her as the crackpot you know Michael’s mom is. I wonder if she’ll rub lotion all over him again like she did when he rode the pony at his birthday party…

  201. I think the idea of having to reveal all these characters is pretty irritating. The show shouldn’t go too far away from the general idea of a day at work, period. Constantly seeing these characters in other settings is becoming irritating to say the least. Keep them in the office, and if you really need guest stars, have them introduced as new employees. That’s perfectly realistic and plausible.

  202. I would love to see Joanna Lumley of Absolutely Fabulous play Michael’s mother. She’s way famous in the UK, but not so much here. Having her as a mother (if the character is anything like what she plays in Ab Fab) would explain lots about Michael. I also think it would be a nod to the UK office in some strange way.

  203. Mr. Mystery is Toby!
    He’s wearing a grey hat with black shorts and has a watch on his left wrist.

  204. Oh! To add to my previous post:
    I don’t think that’s Jenna sitting down because she has a white visor, hair is down, and black capris vs. blue visor, hair up, and khakis. Also, Jenna’s actually participating in the race. The sitting girl may just be a Scrantonian…or Scrantonite.

    It could still be Jenna…they might have decided to change her outfit for whatever reason and maybe she doesn’t participate in the race for the whole episode, but I think that’s highly unlikely.

  205. ahahahah. ohhhh steve in spandex. i mean, he could just stand there and at this point it would still be funny to me. the pic of him running past the dog is priceless. wonder why kevin is in office clothes?

  206. Haha sooo like NBC/Office crew to post a JAM fic where neither character is smiling and they aren’t holding hands. I’m not worried, though ;)

  207. What I find odd about Kevin is how sweaty his hair is (unless he’s trying a new slick back do) any yet, no pit stains. I mean with a guy that size, no deodorant works that well. Heck, my deodorant doesn’t work that well, and I’m like 200 pounds less than him.

  208. is it just me, or do any of you guys notice that in the group photo, andy’s shirt has red stains, but in another photo he doesn’t. are the stains blood?

  209. Jim hair is back. I don’t know how I feel like- I like the significance of it, but then again, Krasinski looked hot with the haircut.

    I just really hope it’s not the obvious wig again.

  210. Okay, two things:

    1)Is it just me, or does Toby look like he’s gained some weight? Maybe his suits just hide it, but he looks a little heavier.

    2)Has anyone seen an NBC promo for Fun Run on TV yet? I’ve been watching for them, but so far I haven’t seen one. If i’ve missed it, can someone please post it on youtube.com, I think alot of people and me would greatly appreciate it. :D

  211. Erin,

    I also notiiced that Toby looked a lot heavier. Who knows what happened. I saw some kind of promo for a bunch of different nbc shows, it only showed the end of The Job when Jim comes back and asks Pam out, no new footage.

  212. Jenna and Angela’s myspace blog posts just make me more excited for the season to start than I already was! Do I really have to wait a month???

  213. Jan did move into Michael’s condo…. its in the deleted scenes of the Job

  214. Hey krentist, I read your other post where you said you got to watch the last disc of the S3 dvd because your friends work at blockbuster. So how was the commentary for The Job. Did Jenna and John have anything interesting to say that you might want to share?

  215. I haven’t gotten to listen to the commentary yet, and I’ve got a conference I’m going to this weekend, so hopefully Sunday night or so I can listen to it with the commentary.

  216. i don’t know if someone brought this up before, but i reread the filming notice: who is going to be firing a gun?!

  217. Is there any word of Mackenzie Crook, Martin Freeman, and Lucy Davis appearing this season? There was talk of them making a cameo last season but it never happened. That would be soo cool if it did. I was a staunch Office UK supporter before the US series started and I grew to love the US series.

    “We are at Threat Level Midnight people!”

  218. thanks, dundies! i thought of that a few minutes later but didn’t know if there was another explanation that someone had uncovered.

  219. adrienne, Tanster posted an AWESOME promo yesterday on the main page, I’m surprised you didn’t see it. I suggest you drop everything you are doing and go watch it… NOW!

  220. I think this ambiguous discussion of Jim and Pam’s relationship suggests what a lot of us have been thinking all the long: they will be back to being friends. No sex, no hot ‘n heavy making out, and other such fluff until they rebuild their basic friendship without Roys and Karens butting in all the time. They’ll be taking it slow, I think, as they should. Which is awesome. :-)

  221. I’m really happy to see the care and passion with which the producers are approaching the new season and in particular the hourlong episodes. Including scenes which would otherwise have been deleted in a half hour broadcast almost certainly would not have worked for the hourlongs. But yikes…it seems like a pretty heavy workload writing four movies in a row. Didn’t Mike Schur mention the original cut of “The Job” was 73 minutes long? I’ve originally been a proponent of weekly hourlongs of “The Office”, but in this light, maybe it is better for the show to remain at half-hour each week, if anything to prevent writer burnout. I’ll gladly take the occasional extended episodes if and when they turn up. So excited for the new season!

  222. CH:

    I would agree with you, but there are too many hints indicating that Jim and Pam will be together. I really don’t think Jim would “dump Karen’s ass” just to go back to being “friends” with Pam. There is something going on between them. I also don’t think “the new Pam” would wear her hair down just because her and Jim were friends… I think they are going to be together, but taking things slow. They are obviously not going to be able to keep it secret, Karen will know something is going on. She will be the person getting in the way all the time. As for what Greg Daniels said, about how it’s not what people expect or want, of course he’s going to say that. He’s not going to say “Oh yea, Jim and Pam will be together as a couple.” So that’s just to throw everyone off. Last but not least, why would Jim ask a “friend” on a date… tried that in Season 2 remember? Pam got mad, but this time, she was ecstatic!

  223. Maybe Greg Daniels is just saying it’s not what people expect because Jim and Pam’s relationship won’t be the A plot every week. I imagine that they might be together but it’s going to seem just like it was when they were friends because obviously they’re not going to be all over each other in the office/in front of the cameras.

  224. I agree with the CH theory as stated by Jamcram – They will be taking it real slow, but definitely be “dating.” I feel like they’ll be in the process of getting to know each other again, only this time with a relationship mindset. I think its a good way to the show to 1) set up something that pleases the fans (because we all know we want us some Pimmy) 2) Avoid the pitfalls of previous shows that have built up seasons of will they/wont they tension, only to have them get together and lose the magic and 3) keep it realistic, which has always been one of the show’s major goals as far as the relationships/interactions go.
    And those are my thoughts on Jam.

  225. I found it interesting that Greg Daniels said that Jim and Pam are not as together as we the viewers hoped. In the summer vacation video, it was never really comfirmed that Jam was finally JAM. all we knew was Karen and Jim were offically over, which is great. we will all just have to find out on sept. 27th.

  226. Just a quick question, have any new characters been mentioned yet? Someone has to take Ryan’s old job…

  227. Stanley Bobanley, I don’t think they will introduce another character for a while. Andy is enough. In my opinion, I could do without him. And I don’t think I could handle yet another character being introduced.

  228. That’s a good question, Stanley Bobanley. Karen will also probably be leaving soon, so they may need to hire a replacement for her as well. Then again, they survived without Karen before, so I suppose they won’t necessarily need someone new. I really like the office right now the way it is, and I hope that they don’t add anyone new just yet. It would be kind of funny watching Michael interview people for that job, though.

  229. Craig Robinson is now a full-time cast member! That’s going to be awesome. Maybe we’ll hear a lot more “black man phrases”?!

  230. Lemonade — oh THAT one. Sorry, didn’t know the official name! I see anything The Office and just whiz on in. Lo Siento senorita.

  231. Tanster, NBC has the episode description for Fun Run:
    (http://www.nbcumv.com/entertainment/storylines.nbc/theoffice.html)

    THE RUN FOR THE CURE-SPECIAL ONE-HOUR PREMIERE – A freak accident causes Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) to feel the office is cursed. He explores the religious beliefs of his employees before deciding to hold a charity 5K fun run. Meanwhile, further developments in the romances of Pam (Jenna Fischer) and Jim (John Krasinski), and Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and Angela (Angela Kinsey) are explored. B.J. Novak, Melora Hardin, Ed Helms, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis Smith, Paul Lieberstein, Mindy Kaling, Craig Robinson and Creed Bratton also star.

  232. So, does this mean the first episode is now titled “The Run for the Cure” instead of “Fun Run”?

  233. oh yeah i didn’t realize that rashida wasn’t in it or that the title was changed. maybe nbc just goofed

  234. 333) They didn’t change the title. The “Run for the Cure” is like a byline. The title is still the same: “Fun Run.”

  235. Lets talk about Craig Robinson being a regular on the show now and how extremely excited I am about that. Is it possible that since Ryan (and very possibly Karen) are leaving the office, that Daryl is now working in the office? Unlikely I know, but I think that would be awesome. Any thoughts?

  236. On the DVD commentary for “Business School”, they talk about Meredith getting rabies from a bat bite – in one of the photos from Fun Run, on the back of Michael’s shirt it says something about rabies….but it’s hard to read. Is THAT why they’re doing the Fun Run??

  237. YAY!! I’ve been waiting for a synopsis! Developments in Dwangela!? Have they gone public? I hope not, half the fun of Dwangela is see how much they try to hide it.

  238. on the back of michael’s shirt it says “….meredith palmer memorial….” so is she or is she not dead?? i dont understand people keep saying different things

  239. I have a sneaking suspicion that Meredith did, in fact, get rabies and that Michael developed this ‘Fun Run’ in her honor. There is probably a side story line about he ‘misunderstands’ the true meaning of the phrase ‘memorial’ and no one corrects him, or he already has the t-shirts printed and can’t do anything about it. After all, this IS Michael we are talking about! I doubt Meredith is actually dead…she’s probably just drunk somewhere:)

  240. New episode description:
    (http://www.nbcumv.com/entertainment/storylines.nbc/theoffice.html)
    DUNDLER-MIFFLIN INFINITY
    10-04-2007 9:00PM

    THERE’S A NEW BOSS IN TOWN – Much to the dismay of Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) and many of the employees, Ryan (B.J. Novak) returns to the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin to bring the company into the digital age. Angela (Angela Kinsey) is still upset about her cat. Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Melora Hardin, Ed Helms, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis Smith, Paul Lieberstein, Mindy Kaling, Craig Robinson and Creed Bratton also star.

  241. Thanks for the new episode synopsis for the second episode! Sounds like it will be great – I think we can maybe now safely assume that Angela’s cat had rabies and she probably brought it into the office for some reason and somehow Meredith was bitten?

  242. I don’t know if anyone said this already… I know there was debate over who the sitting girl was in the Fun Run pictures… we know it’s not Pam now right? Has anyone thought that maybe it’s Jan?? She IS living with Michael now and that kinda looks like her hair color.

  243. Maybe Meredith has rabies (from the bat? I don’t know how long the incubation period for rabies is) and Angela brings in one of her many cats and it bites Meredith and gets rabies from her? I don’t know, it seems kind of unbelievable that even Angela would bring a rabid cat to work.

  244. Here’s my speculation of the day…perhaps Ryan will downsize the sales staff (Karen!) to make way for more internet sales…

  245. Pam’s BBF – that’s really smart haha i never thought of that. but who would be fired? andy? oh, please fire andy!

  246. Write Ed Helms off the show and I will scream in anger; if anything they need to hire someone to replace Ryan, and maybe if things go as we we think, Karen.

  247. In the Rainn Nightline interview, they showed filming of a scene between Dwight and Angela. It looked to be a dinner date. Smiles and nervousness, it seems. Hopefully, someone will catch it on the West Coast. :)

  248. It seems like from the spoilers from the Oct. 4 episode that everyone who is guessing that Ryan is unprepared for his job and as oblivious as Michael to how ridiculous he is behaving is right. I wonder if a new dynamic of the show will be the Scranton employees, Michael included against a ridiculous Ryan.

  249. Write Ed Helms off the show and I will lose my freakin’ mind! LOL

    If they get rid of anyone, it would be Karen because they said she was coming back for a couple episodes to wrap up her storyline.

  250. I think Ed Helm’s Andy is the most ridiculous character on the show, a little of him goes a very long way. I would rather see more Creed.

  251. I absolutely love Andy! He’s quickly become one of my favorite characters on the show. I seriously doubt that he will be written off, seeing as how Karen will be on her way out soon as well. Plus, then who would Dwight have to fight with every day (besides Jim, of course)?

  252. i don’t think andy is funny. but that scene in the nightline thing looks like dwight and angela are out on a date. could they see jam there?? who knows … it’s nebulous (:

  253. Tanster,

    I was reading over at the TWOP forums and someone mentioned a myspace blog from a person that got a role on the show for an episode. They provide a little snippet as to what the episode is called and who they acted with when they were on the set.

    Heres the link

  254. I don’t know if this is news or not, but I found a website for an actress who gives a brief description of the scene she filmed with Steve Carell and Rain Wilson for the upcoming episode, Dunder Mifflin Infinity.
    Here’s the link: http://www.perrysmith.biz/

  255. Is it weird that I am more excited about the season premiere of The Office than I am about my own birthday, which is the same day?

    ………*thinks very hard*……no

    “I’m hearing lots of cutie-patootieness for Jim and Pam in the new season. You better stock up on bread and peanut butter, or all that Jam will go lonely!”

    That totally just made my day.

  256. Ahh, good thinking, Matt. They’re making a huge deal out of this website… I’m looking forward to seeing what this is all about.

  257. Did you see who is included in the cast in Launch Party? David Denman! This could be interesting…

  258. I saw that too, but I noticed that it was listed under “Show Cast”. So I looked under other episodes, like The Job, Women’s Appreciation and Product Recall, and he was listed under “Show Cast” there too. I think NBC usually just tells us is in the episode by releasing the episode description. The episode description usually gives the synopsis of the episode as well as the cast for that particular show. So as of right now, I don’t think that David Denman is in this one yet.

  259. Description of “Launch Party” is up at the NBC Media site:

    THE WORLDWIDE WEB–The Dunder Mifflin Infinity website is launching and Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) is excited about going to the big launch party in New York while Angela (Angela Kinsey) plans a satellite party for the Scranton branch. Meanwhile, Dwight (Rainn Wilson) competes against the website to see who can sell the most paper in one day. John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, B.J. Novak, Melora Hardin, Ed Helms, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Mindy Kaling, Paul Lieberstein, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis Smith, Creed Bratton, and Craig Robinson also star.

  260. I think I have to change my name. I’m not the Matt who posted the episode description. I don’t want to take that Matt’s credit. Oh well. Good find Matt. Not me…the other Matt.

  261. I’m a little worried that I haven’t seen anything about Jim and Pam yet! Maybe they’re just trying to keep it a secret until the show airs! Which I’m totally pumped about! I really hope JAM will be together! If anyone has any more info on them please tell me!

  262. Sounds like the Party Planning Committee is back in “Launch Party.” Yesssss!!!!!!
    Computer-themed rice squares, anyone?

  263. I completely agree, Allison. Dwight just gets funnier as the shows goes on. I wonder what Andy’s going to do. After seeing his excerpt from Summer Vacations, I’m getting so pumped!!

  264. Did anyone else see the individual “What the Office did this Summer” videos. Um……Is Angela PREGNANT?!?

  265. Loved the NBC “what I did over the summer” clips!

    Despite the fact that going to “Knocked Up” was an office outing, I think Angela might still be pregnant – there have been previous hints (remember she’s not on any pills).

    On another note, I think Karen might resurface in New York…hooking up with Ryan! He was interested in her previously.

    On yet another note, Fancy New Beesly might be too fancy for Jim. Maybe the unexpected returning character is Cartoonist Guy,…or Ben Franklin!

    And what did Jan do over the summer, hmmm?

  266. what video is jamtastic talking about? I’ve only seen the one office vacation and I don’t remember anything about Knocked Up…
    linkage perhaps?

  267. Danboy- What if the returning character is Katie? We haven’t seen her for a while and she and Jim used to date…

  268. Why do people think Angela is pregnant? I watched the “What the Office did this Summer” video like four times and I can’t see where they are getting that. :-/

  269. Tanster, I saw at the MTT spoiler forum that Bealsebub (aka The Office crew guy) had posted some behind the scenes pictures of some upcoming episodes on his myspace. FYI!

  270. You know what would be terrible? A Pam and Ryan pairing.

    Jim looks adorbsville.

    Officetally is a-w-e-s-o-m-e.

  271. E I think in that first picture it looks like Ryan is trying to flirt with Pam. Also the next picture seems to be a shot of Jim reacting to the flirting. But hey I could be completely wrong.

  272. OMG, Jim is back!!!! He’s back at his old desk, his sleeves are rolled up, and ‘homeless hair’ is back. That has absolutely made my week!!!!!

    Ryan looks so sleazy….he’s going to be more of an a$$ than ever. This should be fun.

    Awwwwwww, Fancy New Beesly is in the house — Pam looks so pretty with her hair down and her pretty shirt. Jim is having a good influence on her :)

  273. I don’t think Angela is pregnant, if you watch Oscar’s talking head he says going to see Knocked Up was a mandatory work event.

  274. Angela is on pills…When Dwight asked her in a panicked voice “You’re not on ANYthing?” and she gave him that death glare, he eased up and said “Good.” I just don’t think she could voice it aloud without raising Oscar’s or–heaven forbid–Kevin’s interest.

  275. Anyone know what that note on the basket that Dwight is holding says in that justjared.com picture?

    I cant seem to make it out.

  276. oh man. this is the happiest ive been knowing that jim is back home at his old desk and his hair has grown in. is pam’s shirt the same from the “summer vacation” video? because it looks a little better than it did in that, and hopefully even better in the episode.

  277. OMG!!! I agree, it looks like Ryan is trying to flirt with Pam, and then the next shot is JIm reacting. Could be wrong though.

  278. If Ryan was hitting on Pam, doesn’t he know she’s kind-of sort-of maybe with Jim?! She would NEVER like Ryan (in that way). By the way, he looks like a werewolf with those whiskers.

  279. I think we’re perhaps jumping to conclusions. Still photos can be rather misleading. Pam-Ryan: I don’t see it.

  280. Ryan has already been a complete tool. It would not surprise me if he did hit on Pam, just for fun, in front of Kelly even. He doesn’t care that Jim might be with her. I hope that look doesn’t last. I really think he’ll be back in no time.

  281. Okay, why are Dwight and Michael wet in the picture where Dwight is holding the basket? And not in the other picture? I guess one is the before and one is the after.

  282. Why would Ryan flirting with Pam mean that Jim and Pam aren’t a couple? If you have a hot girlfriend guys(especially if they’re a-holes like Ryan) are going to flirt with her even if your a few feet away. And especially if noone in the office knows they’re a couple. You think Jim is going to punch Ryan out just for trying to make an unsuccessful pass at her?

  283. Even if Jim and Pam aren’t together he’d get a little a jealous if Ryan did flirt with Pam. Ryan does seem to be the cocky type that would think his corporate position would impress a girl. I think the sexual tension between Michael and Ryan will be funnier than the tension between Ryan and Kelly.

  284. What with Pam wearing the same top in these pictures as she was in the “office summer vacation” promo, it would appear that the documentary crew asks only asks them about their summer in this episode (episode 2). Wouldn’t those be some of the first scenes from the first episode (fun run) when the documentary crew comes back? I’m confused… but then again maybe I’m unnecessarily complicating things.

  285. OK, let me clarify: The photos look like what zorro and others have pointed out — Ryan flirting and Jim-Pam not a couple. I just don’t want that to be the case, so it’s wishful thinking on my part.

    Non-sequitor: One of my favorite bloopers on the Season 3 DVD is when Ed Helms says, “Pam Beesly. More like Pam Babely.”

  286. Pam practically wore the same blouse every day in the previous seasons. Wouldn’t she wear her new “Jim clothes” constantly too?

  287. Maybe I’m the only person who thinks this, but I think Jim and Pam are together. Last season Jim treated Pam cold because he wanted to be with her, and she didn’t want to be with him. So why would Jim break up with Karen, change desks, and become closer to Pam if they’re not together? Maybe I’m just wishful thinking also. Anybody agree/disagree?

  288. hey, i found this at spoilerfix!

    The Office
    An upcoming episode will feature East Indian Vikram, a man aged between 30 and 50 years old who speaks English well but has an accent. It is unknown at this point what his storyline will be about.

    :]

  289. Here’s my take: I think they are just taking it slow and probably not announcing it to everyone (including the “documentary” crew and cameras). I bet there will be some flirty-flirt glances and the like, but I don’t think it will be overt (until the launch party maybe?). I think they might trade places with Dwangela and be the secret office romance while they let Dwangela become the focal point, taking a lot of pressure off JAM but still leaving us the viewers wanting more. And as for Ryan flirting with Pam, I wouldn’t put it past him, but I don’t think that’s what he’s up to in that picture — I think they’re just laughing about something….

  290. Hey Office Tally – Ask Ausiello has been updated with some Jam action!!!

    http://www.tvguide.com/ask-ausiello

    Question: Have to tell you that I am still talking about running into you at Sapporo East outside Harrisburg two weeks ago. I pretty much tell everyone. No one is quite as excited as me, but they all appreciate the idea. I think that me hunting you down in Pennsylvania deserves anything you’ve got regarding the opening episode of The Office! — Natalie
    Ausiello: Funny, I’m still talking about our meeting, too… usually as I pass the security guards on my way into the office. “You remember what I told you Natalie looks like, right?” I ask them. “Yes, Mike,” they groan. “We’ll shoot to stun.” I kid, I kid. In fact, since it’s you asking, I’ll spill what Office-mate Brian Baumgartner (aka Kevin) told me at the Emmys. “I know that Pam was asked out on a date by Jim, and I think they might have gone out on that date,” he said. “I’m not exactly sure.” Which, translated, means, “I believe we will find out in the first hour-long episode.” In it, as Baumgartner revealed, “Kevin becomes an investigative journalist, not unlike you, and tries to determine their relationship.” And if he really is anything like me, he won’t rest until he knows for sure.

  291. MONEY
    10-18-2007 9:00PM

    EASY COME, EASY GO–As Jan (Melora Hardin) renovates the condo, Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) confronts his growing debt every way he can, which includes pressuring his employees for a loan. Pam (Jenna Fischer) and Jim (John Krasinski) spend a night out on Dwight’s (Rainn Wilson) family farm, now a bed and breakfast. B.J. Novak, Ed Helms, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis Smith, Paul Lieberstein, Mindy Kaling, Creed Bratton and Craig Robinson also star.

  292. “Pam (Jenna Fischer) and Jim (John Krasinski) spend a night out on Dwight’s (Rainn Wilson) family farm, now a bed and breakfast.”

    thats pretty exciting! can’t wait! beet farm is back!

  293. Did I just read the words “Jim,” “Pam” and “bed” all in the same sentence? Oh my…

    ::fanning myself::

  294. wow – the “Money” episode sounds like it’s really going to get the JAM fans going! I cannot wait for this season to start! Is it crazy that I have the season premiere marked down on my calendar and have already made sure I have absolutely no other plans that night? Probably not, right?

  295. Spend the night on Dwights farm?!! Yes! I can’t wait, that is comedy gold right there. Plus, “spend the night together” that has to be a good sign. :)

  296. HAHAHAHAHA!!! I cannot HANDLE that synopsis for ‘Money’. It’s so wonderful and RIDICULOUSLY ABSURD. I AM SO EXCITED. Seriously, I am in the library right now and am making gasping, choking noises trying not to be to loud, but I might have to leave the building for a minute and go laugh outside.

    *gets out of chair and dashes off*

  297. hahaha dwights dream of owning a bed and breakfast is coming true! granted it isn’t in hell with satan, but the schrute farm with mose is a close second.

  298. WHAT!?! That episode sounds hilarious, but am I reading this synopsis right? Pam and Jim at Dwight’s farm which is now a Bed & Breakfast?! That can’t be true. But what I am wondering about is why Dwight’s farm is now a Bed & Breakfast. It would be hilarious if Michael forced Dwight to turn Schrute Farm into a B&B so he could make money. Also, does this mean we get to see the return of Mose? One can only hope.

  299. Well, I guess the synopsis for “Money” answers a few questions we’ve had so far–Pam and Jim definitely seem to be dating, and it doesn’t seem to be a secret. But this new episode definitely raises another question for me:

    Why the HECK would Pam and Jim go to Dwight’s (former) beet farm voluntarily? Can’t wait to see how that gets set up…

  300. The synopsis for Money made me laugh so hard! It just proves that The Office is great when you burst into hysterics upon reading their episode synopsis’s.

    Dwight’s family farm now a bed and breakfast? I am -amazed-.

  301. Pam and Jim on Dwight’s beet farm. I cannot imagine any other scenario that tickles me more. We’ll probably get great JAM stuff, and the opportunity for the JAM super-duo to react to Dwight’s farm? Cannot. Wait.

    I think I’m going to watch all 3 seasons this coming week to keep me from going crazy – all of these fantastic episode descriptions and this anticipation of the premiere is killing me.

  302. Didn’t Jenna say that she was really excited about the 4th episode on her blog? The B&B&B (Bed & Breakfast & Beets) date sounds tremendous :-)

  303. I don’t believe Ryan and Pam are flirting. (People are trying to create controversy where this is none.) He probably walked in and said something funny or smug and got a Pam reaction.

    Oh, and the Dwight Schrute Bed & Breakfast? That’s classic. I wonder if he’s making his goal salary of $80,000 a year yet. Plus, I can’t ignore that Jim and Pam are going, presumably together, presumably in the same room, and same bed… Interesting, indeed.

    I’m so excited about next Thursday!

  304. I’m excited that we get to see the Schrute beet farm. I wonder if cousin Mose will be poking around. At some point I’d like Dwight’s parents to appear on the show, not just for Jim’s reaction but also to see how ended up like he is.

  305. I hate to be pessimistic but I hope the subtitle “EASY COME, EASY GO” is just refering to Michael’s money or Michael & Jan and not Jim & Pam.

  306. Pam + Jim + Bed and Breakfast = SQQUUUEEEEEEEEEE!

    That rocks…but will Dwight make them sleep in separate rooms? Or, if his B&B is all booked up, will he (translation: Angela, since Dwight is obviously the woman in the relationship) make them hang a sheet between them like in “It Happened One Night”??

    I’m SOO PSYCHED for this episode!!

  307. Perhaps Dwight gives the offer a reduced rate at the B & B & B to get business going. He kinda owes it to Pam for her brief stint as Secret Assistant to the Regional Manager.

  308. Oh my gosh! “Money” sounds like an AMAZING episode!
    I already think that this season will be just as good as Season 2, and that’s saying A LOT!

  309. OMIGOD!!! Sounds like the best episode ever. Jim and Pam, together? In the same house? in the same room? in the same bed? AHH Thursdays can’t come soon enough!!!

  310. Okay, “Money” is going to rock, not only because of Jammy goodness at the B&B, but we will also get to see Dwight achieving his greatest dream—being the owner of a bed and breakfast! The only question remaining is whether or not he’s co-owning with Satan.
    And will Jim and Pam’s sheets be made of fire?? Hmm….

  311. “Pam and Jim spend a night out” … did anyone else’s’ heart skip a beat? *Rushes to circle October 18th on his calender*

    What if the title eludes to a Jim/Pam break up? Easy come-Easy go.
    They wouldn’t to that to us, would they?

    I am now afraid.
    Very afraid.

  312. J.D.,

    Absolutely! And it’s about time, too…don’t you think? ;) Will there be a trumpet (or was it a bugle? I forget) beside the bed? Perhaps that’s how the B&B guests get their breakfast…bugle/trumpet call.

    I’m swimming in squeeeness here people! :)

  313. Vampire-Bat Jim,

    The title of the episode is “Money”, not Easy Come, Easy Go. That was just a tagline.

    Thank goodness.

  314. Re: #432 (Matt) and #441 (Vampire-Bat Jim): You guys raise good points, and it could well work out that way, but it assumes the “easy-come” element, and I think most of us can be in agreement that it has been anything but easy for Jim and Pam to get from the Cugino’s (sp?) “Best first date is also my worst first date” to the point of “Then it’s a date” at the end of last season. Of course, this is all a matter of semantics. But still, let’s be hopeful until proven otherwise.

  315. 447- I think they’re being deliberately misleading about how/why they get there and what they will be doing. I DO wish they’d stop leaving The Office so much, though!!!

  316. This season hasn’t even started yet and I’m more excited then I can put into words!! Come on Thursday!!

  317. Jennifer,

    It was a toy trumpet I believe, though Jim and Pam may have to settle for Dwight’s recorder. And I misquoted the line earlier. The walls of Jericho were toppling, not crumbling. I agree with you, by the way, it’s about time. In the words of Mr. Andrews, “Let ’em topple!”

  318. It says they “spend a night” out at the farm, not “spend the night.” For some reason, and I’m probably ridiculously bogged down in semantics, but to me that doesn’t suggest they have sex or even sleep over. Sounds like they go out for a visit.
    I could be way off base, but in my opinion, there will be no “Moonlighting Effect” on “The Office.” I have faith in our writers to keep the tension going and leave us all wanting more.

  319. J.D.,

    Recorder?!? That would be DAWESOME. :) Love that.

    Also, I think that if they visited but didn’t spend the night that would be good too. Someone had it right: prank! prank! Prank at the beet farm! Prank! Prank! Prank at the beet farm! (lame imitation of Kelly saying, “Fashion Show! Fashion Show! Fashion show at lunch!”) :)

  320. CH (#459), I understand what you’re saying, but why would JAM go to a bed and breakfast if they weren’t planning to sleep over?

  321. I agree with AP about the loss of sexual tension whenever a TV couple hook up. That’s why whenever I read posts of Jammers all upset that Jim and Pam weren’t together in S3 I thought “be careful what you wish for”. That’s why I really hope Karen sticks around for a while this season for some awkwardness so it won’t get boring during the honeymoon phase of this relationship.

  322. 458- But don’t you think they had to get together at some point? I mean who wants to watch 9 years of will they/won’t they?

    I am happy that they’re together, I think it gives the show a chance to focus a little less on the Pam/Jim dynamic, and a little more on the supporting cast, who I don’t think we know nearly well enough.

  323. Wow! People jump to some pretty wild conclusions. Trust in this writing staff. If we’ve learned anything in 3 seasons it’s that things won’t happen exactly as you are expecting.

  324. My two cents on the bed and breakfast thing:
    My first reaction was excitement…not over spending the night (or “a” night), but just how cool it will be to see Jim and Pam at the Dwight’s beet farm. Personally, I have yet to be let down by the writers of this show. Though I am a little worried that things will change if Jim and Pam are actually dating, I still think The Office will be as good as ever.

    And I think people should stop making judgments about the show (one that’s 4 episodes away!) and the season before we’ve seen it and just wait and see what happens.

  325. I bet Dwight made his house into a B&B to help get Michael out of debt, I mean there has to be a connection between the two plots.

  326. We should remember that Mike Schur and others have said Jim and Pam aren’t together in a predictable way, so let’s not read too much into this little synopsis. Let’s revisit some of the past…

    -The Return: “Jim turns to Karen and Pam for help to stage a prank on a new target.” Yeah, we know Karen did NOTHING in that situation.

    -Cocktails: “At the party, Jim meets Karen’s ex.” Turns out that wasn’t even real, so 0-2, NBC.

    -Branch Closing: “When Jan tells Michael the Scranton branch will be shutting down, Michael strives to keep his staff’s spirits up.” I think we’ll all agree that bolstering is the LAST thing Michael did that day.

    So there you have it, three examples of why these paragraph blurbs are not to be trusted. Let’s just wait and see how the season kicks off before we make rushes to judgment…

  327. Yes, the tension between Jim and Pam lasted us through Seasons 1 and 3 and it’s what attracted us to the characters in large part. If the writers pull out the same ol’ will they/won’t they dynamic again for Season 4, though, then I’ll be seriously disappointed. These characters need to make some progress, and not necessarily together. (Although I think we all realize where the developments have been leading.) My point? We’re worried about manufactured tension, but that’s exactly what we’re going to have if Season 4 resurrects the relationship Jim and Pam had for years. I enjoyed that awkward friendship, too, but doesn’t anybody else think it’s played out?

  328. Well then, maybe the show should have ended in two seasons. Gervais knew what he was doing. Personally, I’d rather see a Dwight spin off then turning them into a Ross and Rachel or heaven forbid, J.D. and Elliot situation.

    Horrors of horrors if they go with the Jim and Pam are only together to find the “real person” they’re supposed to be with idea. Roy and Karen are essentially losers. New people means new characters and Meredith is never going to be heard from again.

  329. Like I said last season, I have complete faith in the writers.

    I don’t think the show’s going to go downhill with Jim/Pam. I think they’re going to hide whatever’s going on between them away from The Office…so there’s the tension. I mean, wasn’t there stuff out there about Kevin doing some investigating? I’ll be very surprised if Jim/Pam date openly.

    Bottom line: Jim/Pam together is not the end of the show. Period. And the writers are much smarter than to have Jim/Pam date on and off all season long. That’s just torture. I think they’ve been through enough.

  330. this show is called ‘the office’ not ‘the jim and pam show’. yes their relationship affects a portion of what the show is, but whatever happens “the show must go on” i’m as crazy as most about the jim/pam story, but i won’t let that break my loyalty to the show. i hope everything works out and i know that i shouldn’t trust everything it says. its a gray area with the synopsis everytime.

  331. I think everybody that is worried about the shows’ future needs to take it down a notch. Have we been disappointed yet? I know that i’ve been satisfied. I think that the writers have a handle on what their fans deserve. We should all just have faith and brace our selves for a most excellent season

  332. Re: AP (#458) and zorro (#467). Excellent points! But I think the crucial element here is how well the relationship resonates with the audience, not whether Jim and Pam are together. Ross/Rachel, David/Maddie, etc use romantic tension to “tease” the audience in the same way “24” uses the tension of a car chase, i.e. goal attainment.

    On the other hand, Jim and Pam “speaks” to most of us because we have been in Jim or Pam’s position before. There’s undeniably a will-they-won’t-they element involved, but in this case, it’s more that we want them to be together and be happy, because in a way, it’s like we could be happy someday too. Jim and Pam are a real-life fairy tale presented in very tangible, heartfelt terms. The beauty of the little moments in Jim and Pam’s friendship are not inextricably linked to romantic tension, e.g. one could argue Pam’s voicemails in “The Carpet” work as well if they were a couple. Jim and Pam will continue to be compelling as long as aspects of their relationship are presented in the beautifully subtle way that we can either relate to from our personal experience, or wish could happen to us.

  333. The potential hilarity of Mose/Dwight interacting for a night on their ranch with JAM COMPLETELY overshadows any worries about the Jim/Pam relationhip arc, imho.

  334. It sounds like Dwight’s wildest dream may be coming true! He has a bed and breakfast now-is he co-owning it with the devil and making $80K?

  335. Even though I shouldn’t judge it before I’ve seen it…this sounds like a filler episode. I’m probably wrong though but I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

  336. i believe in the writers. jim and pam still have a long way to go. season 3 took a turn that we didn’t expect with the whole jim/pam sitch. why wouldn’t they do that with season 4 too? the writers even said that it would be a surprise and NOT what we’re expecting.

    on another note, a bed and breakfast at dwight’s beet farm? that is EXCELLENT.

  337. I think the tension between Jim and Pam as friends is totally played out. They need to be a couple. For example, Friends was at its best when Ross and Rachel were together, yes it was wonderful when they were pining after each other for the season and a half that they were but viewers wanted to see them together and when we did it was great.
    It didn’t take away from the show in fact I think it gave MORE to the show by allowing other characters to shine. I think the biggest mistake the writers can make is to either continue to keep them apart or put them together and then break them up. Again with Friends once R&R broke up it was downhill from there. I hope Jim and Pam are together from here on out, so we can get on with the show!

  338. Bloody hell people, c’mon, if Pam and Jim never got together you’d be following this show grumbling to the end of the earth like that guy from Lord of the Rings. Now there’s a slight chance they’re going to get together and your apalled and think it’ll end the show. It WON’T, don’t you have faith in these writers, these same writers that have made your Thursdays fantastic these past years, to make this show awesome no matter what?

  339. I have to agree ES, if Jim and Pam get together it won’t be the end of the show. I’d like to see a show with a will they/won’t they couple get together before the series finale and break the mold. It would be more interesting to watch a developing relationship. Plus there are many ways they can handle the relationship and keep it realistic. For instance, they could be taking it slow. Just an example.

  340. i agree #488 & #489, i want to see that too. just because they’re together doesn’t mean they are without problems. i mean, let’s face it, we are all going to have to undergo a jim/pam breakup at some point, but they will always end up together. the season finale doesn’t have to be another “i’m in love with you” it could be a “i do”.

  341. Re: #491: I agree that the Jim/Pam relationship is as much a part of the show as the comedy. The raison d’etre is naturally the comedy, but being the subplot doesn’t make Jim/Pam any less integral to the show. It’s the primary counterpoint to the comedy, not a “problem” that has to be “solved” so the show can “move on”.

    zorro, I have to disagree on the rest of your post. Ross/Rachel is a precedence that has been cited as a reason to be pessimistic, and maybe there are parallels. However, I think a more apt comparison might be Doug/Carol from “ER”. It’s not wholly similar, but Doug is a charming, funny guy, while Carol is the voice of compassion and reason in the craziness of the “ER”; they have an easy, effortless chemistry, and it’s a relationship that’s handled with more maturity (pretty much as Jim/Pam is) than Ross/Rachel, which being the typical sitcom-y relationship, has more of a comic undertone. As a couple, Doug/Carol were as compelling as ever (until Clooney’s departure), and “ER” was still a great show after they got together (decline didn’t start till year 8, and has nothing to do with Doug/Carol).

  342. The writers have concocted the storyline of two ppl who secretly pine for each other developing within the ‘realism’ of an office setting. We watch for the comedy, and we are enticed by the budding romance. If the writers are going for realism then the JAM relationship will only be baby steps and bumps this season, with bigger developments NEXT season, and the final steps for the sixth–perhaps marriage and/or kids. Successful shows tend to weaken after a sixth or seventh season, so it’s likely they will end on a high note. As Greg Daniels said, the JAM relationship this season is NOT going to be what people expect. If they care about the fans, they won’t let us down, but they will make us wait, because real-life makes us wait, too.

  343. zorro, you misunderstand me. The gist of my argument is that the appeal of Jim/Pam is not (solely) in the tease of the will-they-won’t-they element, but that it’s the ultimate wish-fulfillment for most of us. In the UK Office, there’s a Tim TH where he said a true connection between two people is so hard to come by, and that’s what Jim/Pam provides in a fictional context. We love Jim/Pam because we hope we could have a friendship like theirs; that they are eminently relatable as characters only serve to accentuate the resonance of this relationship. In a way, Jim/Pam are more like Lorelai/Rory on “Gilmore Girls”, which presents the parent/child relationship in a way that most parents and kids would love to have. The problems that Lorelai and Rory face are eminently relatable to most parents and kids, but at the heart of this relationship is this extremely appealing element that parents can be best friends to their kids. As long as the friendship between Jim and Pam is presented in very relatable terms, whilst keeping at its heart the fact that Jim and Pam are true soulmates to each other, then they will never lose their appeal.

  344. i completely agree, _bales. we’re all entitled to our own opinions! anyway moving on i am so excited to see mose aka michael schur in “money”! and i think that is such a great title, too!

  345. We were watching football and they just showed a new promo for Fun Run. Pam walks in on Michael who is pantless and another clip shows Jim doing a TH with no shirt on! Can’t wait!

  346. _bales, those were some excellent comparisons. Especially Doug/Carol. I loved them as a couple. More than when they were apart.

    Actually, word to absolutely everything you’ve said. I couldn’t agree more.

    Sorry zorro, I just don’t agree with you at all. Ross/Rachel and Sam/Diane aren’t the template that all tv shows have to go by (see Doug and Carol). I wasn’t invested in Jam for the ‘will they/won’t they’ factor (I mean, OBVIOUSLY they were always going to get together, no matter how long it took). I just love their relationship. I love their banter and their obvious love for each other (I want that relationship myself, dammit!). Neither of which is going to change now they’re together. As long as they keep being ridiculously cute and pranking Dwight, their appeal isn’t going to diminish (maybe for you, but not for me and many others).

    Also, I read fanfiction (laugh it up), and my favourites are ALWAYS the ones set in the future with them as a couple. I love that insight into their lives together. That’s what I want to see.

    And Dov Cohen – I totally agree with your rough timeline.

  347. Did anyone else notice that those synopsis all say also starring Craig Robinson? Does that mean we’ll be seeing a lot more of Darryl?

  348. zorro, primarily-

    Season Two’s brilliance may never be matched. People may say they want to see two people together but they don’t. They want to see the tension beforehand because a) it’s more relatable, and b) it makes for better TV.

    HOWEVER, the show is evolving. I would rather see the relationship change and show it’s different aspects over the life of the show. When it’s all said and done I want to have a collection showing the alpha and the omega of Jam.

    Creating Season 2A, 2B, etc. would be funny and heartfelt, but it would also be easy. And far from the realm of realism, which the Jim/Pam aspect has always brought to this faux-documentary.

    I heart Season Two to death and may hold it as the greatest collection of TV episodes ever. But I’m ready for Season Four, not more of the same.

  349. I’m not saying that Jim and Pam will get together this season, I was making an argument against the moonlighting/sam and diane type relationship popular on tv, popular because its a means to get ratings. I think it would be nice to see one of types of couples get together before the final season or series finale, which is standard in those type of tv relationships

  350. Wow, nobody’s seen the spoiler clips of “Fun Run” on IESB yet? There are six of them. And ladies I KNOW you’re going to like clip 4(and it’s not because of Michael)! From what I see of Season 4 Pam looks great and Jan is f@#in’ nuts!

  351. why did i just get BEYOND excited and smiled like a geek reading zorro’s comment?? wow. therapy is needed for this addiction, asap.

    although, i too, am frightened for what this relationship may do to the tone of the show, but it needs to happen…

  352. If you look closely towards the end of the EW video clip of John and Jenna, you can see a small gold band on Jenna’s finger. I assumed it was Jenna’s and that the video was shot before she separated from her husband. But maybe the ring is Pam’s.

  353. “Local Ad”
    THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF ADVERTISING– When the Scranton branch is asked to participate in a Dunder Mifflin ad, Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) seizes his chance to exhibit his creativity. Meanwhile, Dwight (Rainn Wilson) explores the online world of Second Life. John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, B.J Novak, Ed Helms, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Mindy Kaling, Angela Kinsey, Paul Lieberstein, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis Smith, Creed Bratton and Craig Robinson also star.

  354. I can tell what’s going to happen in “Money.” Jim and Pam, for whatever reason, decide to stay at Dwight’s Bed & Breakfast. Jim goes to pay with his credit card, but Dwight doesn’t take credit or something like that. Jim probably offers to pay when he gets back into the city, but Dwight doesn’t trust him, so he forces them to work off their debt on his beet farm.

  355. Dwight on 2nd life! Ha I can’t wait to see what kind of profile he makes for himself.

  356. The synopsis for “Local Ad” – besides the Second Life subplot – sounds exactly like a Spongebob episode from a couple years ago, of all things (titled “As Seen On TV”). It’ll be interesting to compare the two after this one airs. (By the way, “As Seen On TV” is hilarious, so “Local Ad” has a high standard to meet.)

  357. Never mind. I just figured out what Second Life is.

    Thank you very much, Wikipedia!

    (BTW, that Spongebob episode is comedy gold)

  358. Can’t they just say Karen has a new job? Do we really have to show it? Or talk about it? Or cast a new person(s)? Did I miss the episodes where Karen gets a personality and isn’t boring?

    I hope Ausiello is just full of crap.

    I DON’T CARE ABOUT KAREN.

    If this is true, I’ll be joining the agnostics in the no faith zone.

    But I’m sure Ausiello is just BSing.

    I hope.

  359. I don’t get it. Why would they bring Karen back? Hasn’t she served her purpose already? I don’t think that character was that interesting or funny, to justify an entire new story line around her.

  360. Are we to believe DM has hired Karen back after walking out like she did? I don’t buy it.

    Perhaps she works for the local advert. company producing the commercial.

    Also, are we supposed to think Karen is some big threat to Jim and Pam’s relationship? Puh-leaze. Karen’s not a threat to anyone but herself.

  361. I was listenig to a random podcast the other day and the host of the show was from the upstate New York town of Utica. At the end of the podcast he said that the producers of The Office are contacting Utica businesses, radio stations, restaurants, etc. for props because they are going to be creating a Utica branch of Dunder Mifflin. Maybe Karen transferred to this branch, and some people from the Scranton branch (Jim and Pam?) have to go up there for some reason (a meeting or training session, etc.). Maybe that is the reason why Karen is going to be making an appearance. Hopefully, for Jim and Pam’s sake, this will only be an awkward, one episode appearance for her. I agree with what M said. Can’t the producers just say Karen has a new job? Why do they need to bring her back? Oh well, I guess there has to be some type of a roadblock for Jim and Pam.

  362. i am too excited for the money episode

    the more we see dwight in his natural element, the better

    plus, who doesn’t love jim in casual wear?

  363. Building a storyline around Second Life is no different than building a storyline around Call of Duty.

    And I really hope Hunter’s band made it, because it sounds like Ryan’s not keep him on as an assistant.

    Or maybe he’s earning a living as a James Van Der Beek look alike.

  364. I just had a scary thought. I read from someone’s comments under the new DMInfinity promo section that BJ Novak claimed he would have issues with Jim. With the return of Karen for two episodes (is this one full hour episode which they consider 2 full half eps or she’ll be on 2 thursdays?), could this mean that Karen is suing Jim for sexual harassment? He was technically her slight superior and she could claim she felt she could never get ahead after he broke up with her, that he made her feel as though she were not welcome at the office. BJ could be trying to clean up and instigate a no-dating rule which would solve his kelly problem (and mean a prob for PB&J)…

  365. RixChick ~ A no-dating policy could be a way they go. I’m not so sure about lawsuit though. That seems a little over the top.

    I don’t understand why dating couples at DM, they way their policy is now (as if I know the actual wording of the policy or something), don’t just disclose to HR. What’s the big deal?

    Maybe I just don’t understand corporate America, but if that’s the way to legally and ethically date within the office, why wouldn’t you just do that, Jim/Pam and Dwight/Angela?

  366. “Office producers are currently casting the role of her assistant, a twentysomething metrosexual who is friendly and has a good energy.”

    Don’t we know someone who could be cast for this? LOL

    [from tanster: hmmm. can’t imagine who.]

  367. RixChick — I’ve thought that for a while now! A no dating rule would certainly end his Kelly problems once and for all. I bet Ryan catches wind of Jim turning down the job and considering the problems he says are in store between them, he institutes the policy to peeve Jim off even more…

    I wouldn’t put it past Karen to sue Jim either — hell hath no fury…

  368. I would like to see Karen back because I think Jim was kind of an a-hole to just leave her in NYC and I need to see consequences to that.

  369. Did anyone else notice that David Denman (Roy) appears in the cast list on the NBC website description for “Branch Wars”?

  370. There was another promo that aired during the Bears v. Packers game, unfortunately I am not blessed with DVR, but its basically the same scenes as the other one except with a bit more of Michael. I know he says “I’ll bring the pizza.” (For the party I assume?)

  371. I’m curious as to what the premise of Branch Wars will be. Is Scranton going to have to fight corporate downsizing by competing against another branch like Buffalo? Maybe DMI isn’t an immediate success, thus necessitating further downsizing.

  372. #525 – That’s just their default “Show Cast” list. Notice that it doesn’t mention Ed Helms, Craig Robinson, or Creed Bratton.

  373. k, I noticed that Denman’s name appeared on all of season 4’s episodes on the site so far. I think they might have forgot to remove it. Either that or there is some secret deleted scenes that we are not privy to :P

  374. I wonder if Jim will have to make a sales call and the person he has to sell to is Karen. And I have to wonder if Ryan’s new assistant will look like Pam.

  375. what is “second life”? on the synopsis for Local Ad it says Dwight explores the online world of Second Life… what is that?

  376. BATTLE OF THE BRANCHES-RASHIDA JONES (“Boston Public”) GUEST STARS–When Karen (guest star Rashida Jones) tries to woo Stanley (Leslie David Baker) away from Scranton, Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) fights back, dragging her ex, Jim (John Krasinski), into his war. Meanwhile, the existence of a “Finer Things Club” further disturbs Dunder Mifflin’s calm. Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, B.J Novak, Ed Helms, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Mindy Kaling, Angela Kinsey, Paul Lieberstein, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis Smith, Creed Bratton and Craig Robinson also star.

  377. For Branch Wars, does this mean that Karen disappeared because she was offered a regional manager job at Dunder-Mifflin? I don’t think the title “Branch War” would apply unless Scranton was fighting with another branch over Stanley. Maybe I’m way off base in my reasoning.

    [From tanster: Callan, I think you are right on target.]

  378. I think you’re right, Callan.
    It seems like that would also leave open the possibility of seeing Karen from time to time down the road. As much as I didn’t want Jim and Karen together, I do like the character.

    What is a “Finer Things Club?”

  379. “Branch Wars” sounds awesome – and I don’t say that about just any episode. It sounds as if several characters will be in interesting positions, and if the “Finer Things Club” is instituted by the new, cocky “I’m so great” Ryan, all the better. Even if it’s not, it should still be amusing. I’m looking forward to this one more than any other that’s been announced so far.

  380. I definitely thought it was weird that Karen would emphatically declare that she wasn’t going to compromise her career just because Jim broke up with her, then suddenly went back on everything she said and quit. I think she got a better offer- wasn’t the one branch manager from Albany pretty incompetent? I bet she got his job.

  381. RE: #537 I looked to see what I could find about the “finer things” club.

    They started a Finer Things club (for men) at the University of Pittsburgh.

    From their student paper:
    The University Society for the Finer Things is a cigar club that teaches people how to carry themselves in business situations. The organization’s president, Chris Weber, stated that the organization teaches its membership necessities such as etiquette and instructions on tying a bow tie. (2002)

  382. Why would Karen try to hire Stanley away? Stanley of all people? He has to be the worst salesperson in Scranton, this one already sounds great.

  383. I thought Stanley was the only one who did his job while everyone was goofing off. He has to pay for college for his daughter, after all. ;)

    Am I the only one who really and truly doesn’t care what Karen thinks about Jim and Pam? I mean…whatever. They existed before her. Her opinion of them shouldn’t matter so much.

  384. Does that mean that Karen has an important position at another branch? That’d be pretty interesting.

  385. I agree, ES…might as well have Roy and Katie weigh in on the situation, too, while we’re at it.

  386. Branch Wars looks awesome! Too bad it’s not an hour. Oh well. I agree with both 543 & 544. Like honestly, Karen, get out of here. No offense to anyone who likes her, but Jim and Pam are together now. She knew they should’ve been and probably would’ve been, and I don’t really care what she thinks about it because she really just was the “rebound girl”.

  387. I agree with everybody- I feel like the Karen card has been played. She served her purpose.

    Does anybody else think that Michael dragging Jim into it is a bad idea? All Karen’s gonna think when she sees Jim is “You dumped me by a fountain.”

  388. I don’t think he regrets it. The CFO David Wallace probably made Karen the Utica branch RM over Jim because he turned down the job at corporate. David’s probably like if he wants to stay in Scranton then I’ll give the job to somebody else!” I hope we see David feeling rejected and miffed at Jim as well as Karen!

  389. I definitely agree with you AP; Jim said in LP that he withdrew his name from consideration for the corporate job. If the butterflies ever stop fluttering, what he’s traded off for Pam will start to become a sore subject. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

  390. Nov. 8 Episode: Survivor Man
    The same source as always, i don’t have the link right now.

  391. If Karen is the Utica RM than everyone in the Scranton office but Jim and Pam now knows it because JAM were up on the roof while all the Dunder Mifflin RMs were saying their greetings on the launch party webcast.

  392. I feel like the whole branch would know, including Jim and Pam, if Karen was a Regional Manager. Someone would have probably told Ryan and, knowing Michael, everyone in the office would know that within 2.5 seconds.

  393. Just to play devil’s advocate, if it’s true, then there’s a good chance Michael isn’t aware that Karen is a regional manager of another branch. He isn’t exactly knowledgeable about anything that occurs outside the Scranton Wilkes-Barre area, or even his own little world.

  394. It’s interesting that people think that Jim is going to be the one who is feeling badly about what he’s let go for Pam. I actually thought that Pam would be the one who becomes upset, when she finds out. In several episodes she talks about Jim’s (wasted) potential, and I think that she would be upset to know that he gave up such opportunities for her. (I know I would in her situation.)

    I also feel like this might be the case because of how the Ryan vs. Jim conflict was described by B.J. Novak (Paraphrased: Ryan chose the greedy path, while Jim is the opposite of that.. to a fault.)

  395. Nice point LL. Jim has always encouraged Pam to do what she wants. Maybe she’ll do the same this season. Not paper sales wise, but it would be interesting to see what Jim wants to do with his life.

  396. I agree, Elisabeth. Maybe we’ll get to see Jim play the guitar or in the Tour de France or something (-;

  397. Hey Tanster, did the Tallyhead who won the Sierra Mist thing give you any info on the episode?

    [from tanster: yes. but i don’t know when i’ll be able to post it.]

  398. INTO THE WOODS-SPECIAL GREEN WEEK EPISODE–After Ryan (B.J. Novak) excludes Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) from a corporate wilderness retreat, Michael heads into the woods for his own survival adventure with nothing but the suit on his back. Back at work, Jim (John Krasinski) tries to revolutionize the office birthday party. Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Ed Helms, Angela Kinsey, Kate Flannery, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis Smith, Mindy Kaling, Paul Lieberstein, Creed Bratton and Craig Robinson also star.

  399. There is no way that Jim and Karen will EVER get back together.
    I’m honestly not worried.

  400. “Michael heads into the woods for his own survival adventure with nothing but the suit on his back.”

    Are you kidding me?

  401. Woo! Karen lives in the other armpit of NY! ;-) She totally deserves it. (I can say that, I’m from Utica.)

  402. I bet Michael tells that to Jim because from the rumors of Branch Wars, Karen tries to “woo” Stanley away, so Micahel’s telling Jim to get Karen out of the office. I hope.

  403. Aw, I wonder if it’s Pam’s birthday and that’s why Jim goes to all the trouble. That would be cute.

  404. Yeah! Karen totally deserves to live in Utica for stealing Jim away from Pam! Oh wait, actually Pam rejected Jim and he used Karen to get over her.

  405. My thoughts exactly, 569. I’m approaching this episode like walking on eggshells; it could go either way. Remember when he used to sit behind a desk and just talk about how great he thought he was? *sigh* Those were the days.

  406. Have faith, OfficeHeads! PB&J are strong — their relationship won’t be hurt by job insecurities or the return of Karen. Jim worried about what he “gave up” for Pam? I don’t think so! Besides, Jim is a romantic — remember his teapot gift to Pam in Season 2? They’re finally together, which is what both of them have wanted for….forever. Now let’s see what happens to Angela and Dwight!

  407. Lynda – Utica is in upstate NY. I mapquested it and it’s close to a 3 hour drive from Scranton. I don’t think Jim would be interested in starting up a long distance relationship with this ex when he has the love of his life in his backyard. I’m not too worried about the Michael comment, Jim never listens to anything Michael has to say anyway (with the one exception of “never give up”, that was sound advice).

  408. Aaww I bet Jim is planning Pam’s birthday! But wait – on Jenna’s (and Pam’s) myspace page, it says she is an Aries, but her birthday is March 7 (Pisces. I’m an Aries and that starts March 21). So maybe Pam is the Aries? Or is it that poor Jenna doesn’t know her true sign? Or did she just pick out the *BEST* sign for her beloved character Pam (-:

  409. I dunno, I think it’s Creed’s birthday. Didn’t he keep saying that his birthday’s in November? And couldn’t you imagine annoying Michael (“the older you get the greater chance you’re gonna die”) doing a happy birthday party for him? Maybe Creed could pull a Kelly and slap Michael. Or maybe the Survivor Man could be a double title, like Michael says Creed’s a survivor for living to 82 or something. lol I’d love that!

    Sorry for the ramble…

  410. michael probably tells jim to sleep with karen so that jim can “woo” her into not stealing stanley.

    just a guess?

  411. Honestly, i don’t see how the writers could have jim and karen get back together and make it believable to the viewers. This show has been one of the most believable show’s i’ve ever seen. All of the characters tend to react the way any normal person would, i don’t see karen and jim happening.

  412. No, they won’t. I would seriously stop watching it if they did, and I think the writers know that.

  413. Anyone else see E!News last night? They showed filming footage from an upcoming episode of The Office. I assume it was from Branch Wars. Jim, Michael, and Dwight were together, in “Utica”, hiding in a car, dressed in uniforms that looked like ones from the warehouse. I believe Jim had a fake moustache on. Then Jim and Karen had a confrontaion while he was still in the car. She said something along the lines of “What are you doing here?”

    It was footage from Kristen’s visit to the set. It also showed her interviewing Steve and Raiin.

    Good stuff.

  414. Oh, Watch with Kristin, how many rumours you give, how frequently you are wrong…I think they feed her false (or harmless) info on purpose.

  415. Kristin is actually usually right but she just blows little details out of proportion.

  416. Karen’s return to Scranton causes a ruckus when she courts Stanley to relocate, prompting Michael to go on the offensive and recruit Jim in his battle. Elsewhere, a “Finer Things Club” riles the employees.

    Episode description of Branch Wars from tvguide.com

  417. If it was Michael wearing the mustache, I’d be worried. Jim MUST be doing it for a goof. He’s not stupid.

  418. Sorry I’m stupid I had to look it up…

    dep·o·si·tion
    –noun 1. removal from an office or position.

    What??!

  419. Back from Vacation

    Pam: Hannah quit while you were gone….so you might have to be deposed.

    July 8th Spoiler from Mindy: “We get to see a character who we think is no longer on the show.”

    Hannah Smoterich Barr?

  420. I thought Mindy said she was writing the sixth episode. That would be Branch Wars, so I’m sure it’s Karen who we think is “long gone.”

  421. Survivor Man? Do you think the birthday party Jim is revolutionizing is possibly for a very special girlfriend of his? I hope so.

  422. For those of you who have Youtube capabilities, E! News weekend aired the Kristin set visit to Utica and she interviews John and Rashida, and Steve and Rainn. They air it many times over the weekend.

  423. I’m not worried about Jim and Karen, especially after this week’s episode. I mean, he’s in love with her. He LOVES Pam. Its just where his heart is. A little encounter with his ex during his “awful times” wouldn’t hurt a thing.

  424. Why do I have this feeling Karen and Ryan are dating now and Michael tells Jim to get back together with her to make Ryan mad? Ryan tried to date Karen at one point while she was dating Jim, so it makes sense that he might go for her now that he knows Jim is with Pam.

    I’m just trying to think of a reason Michael would say that to Jim.

  425. PB&J – I agree with your thinking! I’ve thought for a while that Ryan would somehow hook up with Karen, considering he thinks Kelly is with Darryl and he knows that Jim is with Pam. Even Michael Scott wouldn’t say something like that to Jim without something behind it, like getting back at his new nemesis…

  426. From NBCUMV:

    “The Deposition”
    SUE CRAZY IN THE OFFICE–Michael finds himself between a rock and a hard place when Jan sues Dunder Mifflin and Michael is deposed as a witness. Meanwhile, Kelly trash-talks Pam after Darryl beats Jim at ping-pong.

  427. “kelly trashtalks pam after darryl beats jim at ping-pong”

    this should be hilariousss!

  428. Wow! OK two things I can conclude from this:

    1) Pam and Jim are still together after Jim seeing Karen after Branch Wars

    2) This is going to be awesomely INSANE.

  429. OMG! Two words that made me laugh for a good solid minute: PING and PONG. Wow. Just picturing Darryl playing that with Jim is too funny for words! Can’t wait!

  430. Why is everyone always trash-talking Pam? How dare anyone make fun of Pam? After all she’s been through- she went through a break up, she had to put up with Karen, and Michael! Jim ignored her for a year, she’s a human, leave Pam alone!

  431. Oh Kelly. Now you shall feel the wrath of the Jammers upon you. If you think we gave it to Karen…

  432. 597- OMG!! Maybe they’re bringing Roy back and we get to see his reaction to Pam and Jim!!! Cuz I thought he was done.

    And wow, “The Deposition”, that’s going to be an awesome episode. That’s an amazing plot with sooo much room for funny stuff!!! And wow, Jan has really hit rock bottom. Suing DM…wow. There are probably going to be more Jan/Ryan awkwardness.

  433. in season 2 it was angela and pam dealing with pam-pong. now its kelly and pam with ping-pong.lol

  434. Pam is doing great now. She has Jim now and is a lot less meek in the office. She can take a little trashtalk from Kelly. She’s become a much stronger person this year and I hope it continues.

  435. I loved tonight’s episode! did anyone else think there was a *tiny* bit of tension between Jim and Pam tonight or was that just me?

  436. I think, there was an awkward moment between Jim and Pam.As she was fulfilling her dreams with Jim’s encouragement,Jim’s professional dreams remain yet unfulfilled.Anyway, it may be very uncomfortable to share your “second life” self. On the other hand, I felt that Pam was not quite her sensitive self leaving Jim to find his own ride home.Very realistic though.
    I enjoy the show very much. Thanks.

  437. tanster- it is office week on e watch with kristen. there will be interviews and there is a video posted right now with her talking to steve on set. this might be old news to you but i thought i would give you a heads up anyway!

  438. 582: Jim said he was going to wait to tell Pam about Dwight and Angela until her birthday. I would think her birthday was coming up in the near future, otherwise that doesn’t make sense.

  439. i really don’t think the office could continue for 30 more episodes or more with everyone staying in the office, interacting in the work environment and having talking heads in the conference room. i know people are resistant to change and to moving outside the office but is the alternative better? i think we would all get very bored very fast.

  440. COLEreport, me too! I think the estimate for most returning shows is that if the strike happens this Thursday (earliest possible strike date), then there’s likely to be enough completed scripts for episodes to last till the end of February, assuming December is rerun month and January might have some reruns as well in order for the networks to save the new eps for February (sweeps month).

    I think the following site (http://artfulwriter.com/) keeps pretty good updates on the strike situation. Hope all parties can come to an amicable arrangement, but I have to say my sympathies are with the writers on this.

  441. uhm..i don’t know if anyone mentioned this yet….
    but could the “long lost employee” possibly be Devan?

  442. Elisabeth, Greg Daniels made all of the convention attendees sign a pact in our own blood. It was all very official.

    But actually, we didn’t get any spoilers. One audience member asked if we could get any hints about what’s coming up, and a bunch of non-spoiled people in the audience started booing. Mike Schur started thanking them for booing.

    So yeah, unless someone spoke to Greg one-on-one and he said something, we got nothing. Except that we got to watch the first act of tonight’s ep.

  443. i hope when jim tries to “revolutionize” the office birthday party, angela flips out like she did about karen and pam trying to change the office christmas party.

    that would be gennniuusss. very excited.

  444. I just read that the 9th episode of this season is called “REALITY SCRANTON” where Michael watched trading spouses and got an idea for that warehouse people and the office people to switch jobs for one week.

  445. Bring Back Ricky Gervais as ANYTHING , Maybe someone to “tag team” the job with Ryan…

  446. It’s KILLING me that we were so. close. to supposedly the funniest episode ever. :(
    Oh, strike, when will you end?

  447. I saw Kristin in a video today say that they are going to work Angela pregnancy into the storyline once the show returns and daddy could be Dwight according to her

  448. Don’t want to be pessimistic, but the strike came at such a bad time for The Office. I really wanted to see the next episode! Also, Angela is pregnant and the show needs to start up again soon in order for that to make any sense in the story-line! Plus, Christmas is coming up and the Christmas specials are really good. And what’s with NBC trying to make all these reality shows? Celebrity Apprentice, Battle of the Choirs…. they all seem so stupid…. I miss my Office :(

  449. i have watched every episode of seasons 1-3 countless times, and i miss the new season!!!!! please everyone come to a compromise soon! i want to see Dinner Party and the rest of the season!!!

  450. What is the spoiler in the Personality quiz? I took it several times, but didn’t really “get” what the spoiler was supposed to be. Yes, driven crazy! I’ll take what I can get these days, Office-wise!

  451. AHHHH! Tanster! You are right – it is driving me crazy. I have a couple theories – the love contract? Is it going to bite Jim and Pam in the butt since they didn’t sign one? Or is it winning a million dollars? Hints, please! And….. how do you know there is a spoiler?

  452. is the spoiler “new housewives of lackawanna county” ????? the new housewife being pam? ha.

  453. HA!!

    “My family is:
    B. At work with me every day”

    Pam and/or Angela pregnant? Hmmm…

  454. Yes, could you please just tell us what the spoiler is? I’ve taken this quiz three times now and still haven’t got a clue. Also, being most like Jim isn’t that great, I didn’t need this quiz to know I don’t like my job.

  455. Well, of course I’m most like Pam! I strive to be like Pam every day! :)

    But come on, Tanster, what’s the spoiler??? Is it going on vacation with my boyfriend? The Newhouse of Lackawanna County?? What is it???

  456. The quiz is dawsome but I’ve taken the quiz 7 (yes you read that right) times and don’t know what it is! Please Tanster tell us! I need some new office info or else I might go crazy!

  457. ok.. most like Pam, didn’t see that coming!
    What is the spoiler please, and how are there spoilers anyway with no writing going on? *confusion*

  458. I’m sad, I have a spilt personality. I’m just like Pam AND Kelly! What does that mean? Anyways, I can’t find what the spoiler might be? There was lots of stuff that it might’ve been, but…Tanster please tell us!

  459. I’m a Jim, it seems, but I did it again to look for the spoiler and came out as a Jan. That’s a new kind of “Jam,” no?

    I still don’t see what the spoiler is.

  460. Is the spoiler the “vacation with my boyfriend” comment? (It’s one of the possible answers for the million dollar question…)

  461. Didn’t find any spoilers. I have a split personality. I’m most like Jim and Angela.

    Laid-back and judgmental?
    I guess. Yea, pretty much. Stupid accurate personality tests.

    Vampire-Bat Jangela?

  462. I’m most like Pam! Sweeet. Now if only I could find my own Jim Halpert (if he looked like John Krasinski, that would be an added bonus).

    As for the spoiler, is Jan starting a candle-making business? Maybe that was a detail in the dinner party episode…? Grasping at straws, here. Tanster, can you help us out??

  463. I can’t figure the spoiler out exactly, but I would just like to see a new episode so badly. I hate so much about the things the networks choose to be.

  464. i agree with 644.. i think its
    My family is at work with me everyday, except i think that it has to do with a marriage. I dont know who it’d be between though…

  465. I think that the “family” comment is from Michael since he always refers to the office as one big happy family. I am dying for the real spoiler though.

  466. I don’t think its the family thing, that just sounds like something Michael would say normally.

  467. I couldn’t figure it out either (and I went through the whole quiz twice!)
    I do like the thinking behind both 644 and 663’s comments, but the first thing I thought of when I read that question and choice B (re: my family is with me at work) was that was something Michael would say, don’t you think?
    “You cannot tear Stanley from his family like this.”
    “I’m pretty sure his family’s coming with him.”
    “No, his work family….You may have Toby.”

  468. Oh… god. I am most like Kelly. Though a lot of them I just kind of picked random ones because none of the answers applied to me. Tanster PLEASE give us a hint on the spoiler???

  469. It could be the “New Housewives of Lackawanna County” show…..maybe Pam and Jim get married! (I wish!)

  470. I’m most like Jim, and I’m a girl! Does the spoiler have something to do with having a car service? Starting a candle making business?

  471. The Family comment I think definitely goes with Michael. C’mon tanster, what’s the spoiler!

  472. is it the new housewives of lackawanna county??? is someone tying the knot?? Tanster, enlighten us!

  473. I am so happy! I am Jim. I am a girl version of Jim!! Just what I was trying to be due to the very obvious questions! I feel so accomplished. But what was the spoiler?

  474. Split personality – Jim and Pam. Perfect!

    I think it’s the “family at work” comment.

  475. Oh no – misread it – I’m also Jan and Pam. Not that they have anything in common.

  476. Family at work refers to Michael – his work “family” is his real “family” to him.

    Maybe it’s the candle thing.

  477. I’m most like Pam. And I’m guessing the spoiler is the “vacation with my boyfriend” thing.

  478. I’m thinking #14. My future is me not working at the same job I’m working at now. Jim or Pam???? I wish the show would come back on and we’d find out then.

  479. I don’t know if anyone has said this, but maybe Michael hires Jan after losing her case for her.

    Just a thought.

  480. I just took the test and I am a mix of Jan and Angela, which is strange because I am not a woman.

  481. OK, I am convinced, Pam wins 1 million dollars from a scratch-off at Michael’s dinner party. You heard it here first, people…

  482. I don’t think it would have anything to do with Jim or Pam hating work, because we’ve known that for the last five years.

    And I’m not counting on the vacation one, because i think it just represents the simplicity of Pam and what she really would do if she won a million dollars .. and I doubt getting a million dollars for free is the spoiler.

    The best bet if probably the candle making business just because it is so randomly put in there, and there is no character that we have already just assumed owns a candle making business on the side.

  483. Was the spoiler about having a martini even though she didn’t have a job? Does Meredith get fired?

  484. 678, Jim’s dream has always been not working at the job he has now, so I don’t know if that’s particularly it.

  485. Tanster – Is this a special spoiler that only you know? I didn’t think of that before…LOL!

  486. They said I was most like Jan… what does that mean? (Slowly crawls in a ball) I’m scared.

  487. Well, whatever the spoiler is, Tanster got what she wished for – this quiz is driving us crazy! lol.
    In the quiz I got Pam, yes!! But I was really close to being Kelly I think. *shudders*

  488. The only thing I can think of is Jim going out to get another job for real but that’s been hinted at so much that I really wouldn’t see it as a spoiler.

  489. Personality-Pam
    I think the spoiler is either the frozen yogurt one or the candle one……

  490. I’m a Jim, woohoo!
    I really should be doing my homework though…
    I think I’ll start after I figure out this spoiler.

  491. Ha..I’m both Michael and Jan.
    I really can’t figure out the spoiler, i’ve been staring at each question for like half an hour! lol

  492. I’m a Pam!!! Slash Jan…? ummm…..
    ok, I’m bummed. What’s the spoiler?

  493. I got Jim! But I can’t figure out the spoiler. : ( Help Tanster, you’re my only hope!

  494. I’m most like Pam (what a surprise … umm … not), but seriously what’s the spoiler … I couldn’t figure it out.

  495. Please give us a hint or something Tanster :)
    My brain is going to explode due to over thinking.

  496. The candle making business could be from Phylis knitting Michael an oven mitt, just a thought. I’m stumped!

  497. The spoiler is probably the question about “What do you see yourself doing in the future”, answer “Not working here”, meaning Jim will probably want to find a new job. That’s what I think.

  498. I’m a Pam. Not surprising but there’s a shout-out to Boscov’s department store! Will the store at Steamtown mall be featured in an upcoming episode?

  499. i’m a pam too!

    WHAT IS THE SPOILER?!? i’ve gone through the quiz like 4 times and i still can’t figure it out! tanster, this is mean!! you’re going to break my brain…

  500. maybe it could be the question that says “my family is…” and then it says at work with me everyday

    hhmmm…

  501. Ugh Karen? I’m guessing someone is going back to Utica for her to be back in the picture…

  502. I will die if Karen comes back into the picture! Jim and Pam are perfect together, and I want them to stay together forever, and if Karen comes back that will make things difficult. Pam and Jim has been through soooo much already, I really hope that the writers just let them be together.

  503. I think that the spoiler is the question “my family is…” and Pam saying (I assume it’s Pam) “at work with me everyday.
    As for the whole Karen thing, that’s old news. I think I remember reading about Karen coming back a few times at the start of the season, if not earlier.

  504. I think the spoiler is in the office relationship question (#16). I think it is the one about the wrongful firing and is alluding to something that may happen with Michael.

  505. Tanster – we’ve been trying to figure this out for weeks! Please just give us a little tiny morsel of a hint!

  506. Woo – 5 to 10!! It would be really awesome if we could have 10 new episodes. 5 is good too, but I need as much Office as I can get now!!

  507. Actually, I can’t wait to see how they explain it – my guess, cold open with Michael telling us the camera crew went on strike and how inconvenient it was for him.

  508. Also, let’s not forget about Angela’s pregnancy!! Hmmmm….after her line about Pam being the office mattress it would be hilarious to see Angela try to hide this!

  509. I don’t think they would explain the time lapse. We never know how long each episode is set apart. I don’t even think they would mention it.

  510. I’m pretty sure the thing about wrongful firing was about Jan getting fired, not Michael. I have NO idea what the spoiler is. Maybe they re-phrased the quiz questions to hide the spoiler. Tell us Tanster, please!!

  511. Oh, I forgot to say: I’m a Jim!

    Also, I just ran through the quiz again and think I might have figured it out. Could it be the question about which TV show or movie you would star in, “New Housewives of Lackawanna County”? Maybe Jan and Michael are getting married? Who else would be the house wife? What d’ya think?

  512. Has anyone else watched the latest video posted on E!’s watch with kristin page? Well, in it she says that we will get to see the dinner party episode, but that the storyline will then jump ahead, acknowledging the show’s five month absence because of the strike.

  513. What does everyone think about if/how the 5-month time jump will e(a?)ffect JAM? They can’t stay so darn cute forever, although I love them more than some real people, and I was almost looking forward to some ups and downs. Does anyone think we’ll still get that?

  514. Maybe we’ll get a JAM engagement since now they’ll have been dating for awhile…One can hope.

  515. Well it seems like the E! story was more speculation than fact. If “Dinner Party” takes place five months later, why would Michael and Jan still be fighting about the deposition? Since this was supposedly ‘the funniest table read ever’ I really hope they don’t tweak the script TOO much.

  516. Haha, I like Samantha’s idea. The jump forward in time should also include a jump forward in their relationship. Of course, maybe they’ll be saving a Jam proposal for a season finale in the future. Oooh, I just got chills.

  517. I’m split personality: Pam and Jim.

    nice. and is the spoiler in the quiz the date with frozen yogurt?

  518. Rashida Jones is quoted in OK magazine today saying
    “Karen still works for the company,” so it sounds
    like she will be back sometime……..yet, for the life of me I don’t understand why!

  519. Wouldn’t it be hilarious if they came back from the five-month break and the first shot of the show was Ryan back at his old desk?

    Haha, just kidding.

  520. HAHA Stephanie
    i would laugh so hard.
    Angela’s Pregnant…so …they’re either going to cover it up or put it in the role…
    maybe it’s Dwight’s? haha Dwight as a father…hilarious

  521. On E! news today, Kristin dos Santos spoke with Rainn about Angela’s pregnancy, and he said that the pregnancy storyline wouldn’t fit it in seeing as Angela would be 6 or 7 months pregnant when they begin shooting. But Kristin also said that from her writers’ sources a pregnant Angela Martin isn’t out of the picture. Hmm..

  522. can’t wait for the dinner party – the last episode with michael on the train was a riot. Dwight was pitiful, angela, sly, andy, manipulative, while jim and pam remain sympathetic and kind.

  523. Nooo! Michael and Jan should be in it for the long haul. I’d love to see Michael struggling with parenting. And is she preggers? Hmm…

  524. Noooooooooooooooooooo!!!!! I see no reason to jump forward. The Office has become too linear. All the episodes of the first season and half of the second are virtually interchangeable. I miss the simply funny self-contained episodes without so many plot lines strung between them. I would have been happy with 6 more of those. Of course I’ll be there at 9 sharp on April 10th anyway :P

  525. Laundry and Betrayal – I totally agree with you! I miss the days where the only thing you needed to know to watch The Office was that Jim loved Pam, but that was pretty obvious anyway. Old Office – please come back!!

  526. I can’t wait to see what happens in the second episode, simply because I wonder what everyone is supposed to look like. Wouldn’t be hilarious if Michael gained like a bunch of weight or something? I don’t know… I just want the office back!!!

  527. probably the jump won’t effect much of how they look…unless someone’s pregnant.

  528. I sort of miss the glory days of s2 where they just sold paper and didn’t mess around with call girls. Sigh.

  529. The vodcast says no baby. I suppose that’s probably for the best, but it could’ve been fun!

  530. I’m bummed that they are going to leap ahead…I feel like we already missed the beginning stages of Jim and Pam’s relationship and now we are going to miss more. Sigh.However, I am still ecstatic that we get new episodes!

  531. CH- Feel ya, dawg! I do miss the feel of season two, but at least we get to see the old gang again for six new episodes. Even call girls couldn’t ruin that joy for me!

  532. Aw no! I was looking forward to Dinner Party! Oh well .. Parking better own up for a wait this long!

  533. tanster, so you think “Dinner Party” is still airing on the 10th and “Parking” will be the one for the following week?

  534. Since the writers have stated that Dinner Party, chronologically, is supposed to follow The Deposition by a week or two, and THEN episodes jump forward to real time, I think that Dinner Party will air before “Parking”.

    Parking…hmm, I’m interested already!

  535. Hey NBC! What happened to Dinner Party? Parking. What an interesting name. But it can air on the 17th, after Dinner Party. Agreed?

  536. Parking. Hmmm…. interesting. Well… first guess off the top, it has to deal with cars…. Am I right?

  537. GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER-Pam (Jenna Fischer) and Jim (John Krasinski) find they have run out of excuses and are forced to go to Jan (Melora Hardin)and Michael’s (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell)house for dinner. When Andy (Ed Helms) and Angela
    (Angela Kinsey) are also invited to dinner, Dwight’s (Rainn Wilson) jealousy gets the best of him. Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis Smith, Paul Lieberstein, Mindy Kaling and Creed Bratton also star.

  538. Okay… it’s official. I am so pumped about this episode! The description of this episode is insanely amazing. I have never squealed at a tiny paragraph before.

  539. AH! I’ve been checking everyday for the synopsis – and now here it is!! It looks awesome. I wonder what Dwight will do…

  540. How exciting to see a new episode synopsis! It’s been so long. Dinner Party sounds like it’s going to be a classic episode.

  541. OMG IT IS SO EXCITING TO SEE A NEW SYNOPSIS UP!

    “I just got goosebumps.”

  542. I hate to speculate but it sounds like this is going to be a great episode. I usually don’t get this excited but… come on, it’s been six months!

  543. Yay, synopsis! Bring on the Dinner Party, Office folks, we all know it’s been waaayy too long! ;D

  544. That basketball girl casting call has me all kinds of excited! I’m a basketball player so I can’t wait to see what this episode is about!

  545. Maybe the “basketball” connection has something to do with “Philly Jim” and the sports writer reference.What do you think?

  546. Oh my god. I really couldn’t hate living in WI more than I do now! I’M 23 years old (but looks younger)6’2″ former college basketball player. WHY couldn’t I live in LA? WHY CRUEL WORLD WHY??

  547. Are you kidding me, Lindsey? Get on a plane now! If I weren’t almost twice your age and 4’11” tall, I would!

  548. I have a conspiracy about the basketball girl…

    MAYBE, and I sure hope this isn’t going to be correct, but it’s possible that Jim might have a little ‘basketball buddy’ or a former friend who visits, and causes turmoil or something. Maybe some jealousy going on with Pam?

    Who knows. I could be completely wrong.

    April 10th can’t come soon enough!

  549. Lindsey- Go for it! I would so totally do it if I weren’t 5’4″ and the age was a teeny bit older [As in 28]. I see myself as more of a Pam type, [hence the name], not a Philly Jim Love Interest type. But totally go for it!

  550. Pam and Jam –
    I totally would go, but I have no idea how to send my resume to Allison Jones Casting. I looked online for their info, but couldn’t find anything. Anyone have any clue?

  551. I’m from Philly and tall?? Should I go for it? Plane tickets from Philly to LA may be a bit much though ..

    WOAH those pictures! Pam’s face is hilarious.

  552. I immediately thought Jim’s sister, but the love interest idea is good too. Now I’m all kinds of intrigued.

  553. Who’s that brunette from the pictures? (She’s at the end of the table in the Pam, Jim & Dwight picture..)

  554. Some really tall actress who never got any roles is about to get her big break…crazy. I hope it doesn’t cause any turmoil between my Jim and Pam.

  555. Ooh, new spoilers! And I’m super-excited about seeing Dwight dating other people… bound to be hilarious! And I might be alone on this one, but I’d love to see some JAM turmoil! But not too much, because after all, they ARE the perfect couple.

  556. We need to have an intervention I think – a season 2 intervention. Where for 5 episodes, the writers have to think like season 2 and keep it in the office – no exceptions!

  557. I’m glad I’m not the only one wanting the Dunder Mifflin employees to stay in the office.
    Other than that though, these new spoilers have kept me so excited this week. But how would Dunder Mifflin infinity have sexual predators on it?

  558. Dude… sex predators? Hilarious but how? I personally can not wait until they explain that storyline. I’m actually kinda excited about the episode “Parking”. Meeting other office park employees should be interesting, like Pretzel Day and meeting the wheelchair guy.

    All in all, my heart is very full with joy! My TV is about to be used again!!!

  559. Season 2 was often out of the office, guys. Michael’s Birthday, Jim and Michael at Hooter’s, The Dundies at Chili’s, Michael buying his condo, Jan and Michael at Chili’s.

  560. Yeah. And there were only like 5 outtings in Season 2. I think every episode this season has had them going somewhere outside the office! In Season 2 it was kind of a breath of fresh air to see them out of the office, but now I get a nostalgic feeling just when I see Pam answer the phones!

  561. Aaron: Booze Cruise is the biggest example in Office history of a location driving the plot. It was an excuse to take Michael somewhere new and different and have him act wacky. If there was a season 4 episode where Michael’s antics caused someone to jump off the side of a boat, this place would go NUTS. And even though we shouldn’t discuss shows that haven’t even been SHOT yet, let’s not forget that the characters going to clubs and bars was a big part of the British original.

  562. No spinoff!!! No!! Well, if there is one, it can’t include any of the current people. The office won’t be the same without them. I guess they can do like a corporate or Utica one. But they can’t take away any of out beloved Dunder Mifflinites.

  563. Ok, so I have a Dinner Party question…what exactly is Celebrity?! I know it’s a game (ill-fated, in the episode) but how does it work? How do you play?

  564. I just read the description of Parking and I can’t stop laughing–I’m in tears! Michael obsessed with a picture of a model in an office supply catalog! I can’t wait!

  565. Totally agree with Epinson! Kevin/Andy is something we really haven’t seen yet. We haven’t seen much of Kevin this season and I think he needs more development! Oscar too!

  566. Should we read into BJ Novak’s name missing from the Parking description? hmmm…

  567. i dont know. Maybe beacuse SAFETY TRAINING was the only other episode where we saw alot of the building-

  568. It’s the funniest show ever; if I ever got stranded somewhere, I would take the entire series with me, like Tom Hanks in Cast Away.

  569. i’m stoked.
    they both sound like hilarious episodes. :)

    please come soon, april 10th!

  570. Also, Safety Training was an episode that focused on the actual office itself during a time in the show in which every episode seemed to take everyone outside of the office.

  571. Alamedaman- yeah it does. it has the feeling to be either really good or really bad. It should be a big change.

  572. I’m really excited to see Parking, because I’ve always been curious to know what the other businesses are in that building. I mean, all we’ve been able to see is Dunder Mifflin and Vance Refrigeration, unless I overlooked something…

  573. I’m guessing Night Out is the one where Michael and Dwight go clubbing with Ryan.

  574. I’ve refreshed the spoiler page like, 50 times and I still don’t see anything new for 3/30

    [from tanster: updated today, 3/30, with backdated items 3/24 and 3/25]

  575. Night Out sounds like some pretty good potential on both the A and B stories.

  576. ‘Night Out’ sounds quite cool. Maybe because I was just forced to work on a Saturday. Jim’s storyline sounds a bit ‘Office Olympics-y’ which should please all the season two huggers out there. I wonder if it’ll backfire and make him feel like Michael again.

  577. I’m a tipster! I’m a tipster! (I’m singing this to the tune of “Where’s the rabbit?” from Bugs Bunny) Is it lame that I almost cried? Probably. (P.S. I’m Vikki)

    I think Night Out will be fantastic – actually, I was just watching the British Office the other night and it was the episode where they all go clubbing too. Anytime Michael dances, I must watch – it’s kind of like a traffic accident that way.

  578. Ah! John Krasinski & Jenna Fischer, I love you. And now I can’t wait till the second episode back!!

  579. an engagement?! Don’t you think that’s a little fast/ unrealistic? first a spin-off now this… Writers, please don’t ruin my favorite show!

  580. Eh, I don’t think an engagement would be that unrealistic. Assuming Jim and Pam got together right after “The Job,” they’ve been together almost a year, plus all of their history before they actually started dating… I don’t think it’s unrealistic at all!

  581. Eh, I have a feeling that the ‘curveball’ will be a breakup or fight or something, which will be sad if its true.

  582. I personally don’t hope an engagement’s in store this soon..
    I mean, I realize it’s not unrealistic, but to me it just seems like there’d be nowhere to go but down once theyre engaged.
    It’s too climactic, you know?! I dont want the Office to start wrapping things up too fast!

    And, as much as I’d hate to see a JAM fight, I think it’d add a good amount of depth into their relationship. If the writers want to keep their relationship “real”, then it’s pretty much inevitable.

    Either way, I’m still counting down the days!

  583. I’m convinced that Pam is preggers…I mean, that’s a curveball if I’ve ever heard one.

  584. Hmmm…I wonder if maybe Jim and Pam aren’t together anymore? Since Dinner Party is supposed to be before the strike, maybe they broke up over the break and don’t tell the cameras anything. That would be a huge curveball.

  585. Engagement? Oh no, Pam might be afraid of an engagement since she was in one with Roy for 3 years. That smells like trouble to me… NOOOOOOO! *cue dramatic music*

  586. I think the “curveball” has something to do with Pam’s past, something about Pam that maybe she didn’t want anyone to know about. And then when everyone does find out, how will it affect PB&J? In the latest Entertainment Weekly, she said to not miss the second episode back, that on May 1 we find out something out about Pam. So I think that is the “curveball” being referred to…but now the question is, what is it about Pam that she doesn’t want anyone to know about?

  587. New and ‘big’ about Pam? Could the the tall ( big) girl they are casting be Pam’s sister??

  588. I’m with you, Sabrina. I don’t think Pam is ready to get engaged – I mean, she just found her own voice. Of course, last time The Office had “big” news, it was Jan’s chest that was big, so it could mean anything.

  589. i really don’t think a curveball from the office writers would be as predictable as a pregnancy or an engagement. that seems more like a sped up natural progression. a curveball comes out of left field, something we don’t expect. and given the type of stuff these writers come up with a curveball sounds pretty unpredictable.
    i agree, did i stutter is an odd name for an episode. not as simply descriptive as they usually are… hmmm…

  590. Wow, the first punctuation mark in an Office episode title. This is truly groundbreaking!

    [from tanster: LOL!]

  591. Yeah, I noticed that with punctuation mark too. Only Tallyheads would think that’s important. Anyway, I have no idea what that episode is about, but it sounds really funny. I’m so excited!

  592. “Something new and big about Pam you have never known.”

    …Oh God. She’s a cyborg isn’t she?

  593. Maybe Pam has been pregnant before but had a miscarriage…which would be really sad…

  594. So Michael and Jan are splitsville? It would be a shame if Michael actually had all those vasectomies and then he and Jan broke up anyway!!

    I am dying to know what the April 17th PB&J curveball will be, as well as the May 1st Pam reveal. So much suspense!!

    Also, I really really miss Dwangela. The Office will not be the same until their kitchen/breakroom conversations are restored to their rightful place.

  595. About the development with Jim and Pam – do you think the title “Parking” could be a reference to this? A lot of The Office titles have double meanings (see The Injury, The Return, etc). Maybe the title suggests they were caught making out? I have no idea…

  596. 848: That’s a very realistic and probable secret; something that wouldn’t veer too much into soap opera territory. But then how would something like that be brought up and why?

  597. 853: I was trying to think of that too. Maybe she decides its time to confide that in Jim and the cameras overhear it. I don’t know why she would tell him something like that at work though, they would have to be alone, I don’t know…

  598. 852: True, parking could have a double meaning, don’t forget about The Job, references to the corporate job and Jan’s, er, job.

    Michael is set up on a date? Looks like Stretchpants Jan’s days may be numbered.

  599. 848 – I highly doubt that. It would be WAY too serious. It’s a good thought and it’s what I thought of too, but I keep forgetting that this show is a comedy and not a drama because of all this serious stuff that’s been happening…

    I bet she has/had a stuttering problem.

  600. Pam’s a porn star.

    No… I think there’s something to be said that we find something out about Pam in the episode “Did I Stutter?” there’s something there.

  601. Pam didn’t hook up with Andy (or someone else in the office), did she?

  602. OMG. MICHAEL AND JAN BROKE UP.

    Nice going, Jenna Fischer. Spoiler alert.

  603. 852- Oh my, that woud be hilarious. :D I’m hoping Parking is one of those double-meaning titles!

    As for the big Pam news in “Did I Stutter?”, she very well might have had a stuttering problem like 856 said. I could see it!

  604. A stuttering problem could definitely be the Pam reveal! It would explain the unusual choice of title, and it would not be something as shocking as some of the other suggestions. That still leaves the big Parking curveball though.. hmm…

    Also, let’s not forget that some great TV comedies like Friends, Frasier, etc have all had emotionally driven story lines and remained GREAT comedies. If The Office chooses to tug at a few heartstrings this season, I’d like to remain open to the idea (that’s what she said.)

  605. I think Pam’s secret is less serious and just something fun. I can’t think of what ‘big’ secret it could be without it being overly dramatic.

    I dunno what’ll happen with Jim/Pam. I don’t see any reason for them to break-up. Perhaps they’re just moving in together.

  606. Hmmm…’Pam deals with an unexpected inconvenience after spending the night at Jim’s.’

    1) That counts out the ‘virgin’ theory that was floating around.
    2) I do think that it is a stuttering problem. Maybe she talks in her sleep, but stutters…
    3) I really don’t have a clue.

  607. Hmmmmm? This latest bit has me thrown as to what Pam is inconvenienced by… I can’t wait for Thursdays again!

  608. Okay, well, it looks like come May 1, PB&J are still together…now, here’s the question, is the “unexpected inconvenience” something quirky or is it a big deal? hmmmm….it kind of sounds like the writers are setting us up for a bit of a tift and then they might move in together?!?

  609. So, am I on something or did they change the name of Parking to The Chair Model? When did this happen? I liked the name Parking and was hoping it had some sort of double meaning. Oh well.. Still excited for it! Is it Thursday yet!?

  610. The Chair Model link doesn’t work. I want to review the description! Is this the one with Michael looking at some sort of catalog? Maybe they decided not to introduce the new characters this early… (more time to think about the spin-off?)

    [from tanster: oops, sorry. now fixed!]

  611. Maybe she has a weird sleeping problem. Maybe she does *things* to Jim in her sleep.. (;

  612. Perhaps Pam is left “inconvenienced” by her lack of a drive to work when either (a) while sleeping or (b) definitely NOT sleeping she calls Jim, “Roy” and James leaves her stranded at his apartment. Nah…

  613. Okay so with the newest spoilers we can pretty much conclusively say that the April 17th “curveball” that Jenna has been hinting about is NOT a Jam breakup. Also the descriptions use of the word “inconvenience” and Jenna calling it a “fun little fact” probably rule out some of the more heavy ideas (ie miscarraiges, infidelities, fertility issues, etc) that some of us have been mentioning.

    Still doesn’t help us figure out what it IS though, just narrows down what it ISN’T.

  614. I don’t think Jan is necessarily out of the picture just because Michael is set up on a date. Maybe they’re on a break? Or maybe he chickens out and doesn’t go because he still loves Jan?

    I think all the stuff about JAM and Pam’s secret will be light-hearted. But who knows!

  615. Maybe what Jenna was talking about was that Jim does propose, but Pam decides it isn’t time yet. Then in “Did I Stutter?” she finds out she’s pregnant… which would be a curveball that we wouldn’t be expected because she isn’t ready to settle down yet and yet here comes a baby!

    I don’t know.. Just a theory.

    And I think we could rule out the stuttering problem due to the fact that it obvious they slept together at Dwight’s B&B. I could actually just imagine Stanley snapping back at Michael with a “Did I stutter?” remark.

  616. When I read the summary for “Did I Stutter?” I gasped and nearly fell off my chair.
    Stanley’s attitude adjustment? Dwight buying Andy’s car? Pam spending the night at Jim’s? An unexpected inconvenience?
    Aiieeee!
    All I can do now is sit here and chew my nails until May 1st.

  617. Ok, does it look from Jenna’s chat transcript that perhaps Jim will be leaving Dunder Mifflin at the end of the season? He has been unhappy, and perhaps that is what the big thing is for Jim and Pam?

  618. Ryan’s website and campaigns are going to get DM in serious trouble. They are going to have to pay out millions in law suites. To keep the company alive they are going to have to close several branches including the Corporate New York branch and move the headquarters to Scranton. Ryan will be demoted to junior sales rep. and Jim will move into the management position. Michael is not going anywhere. Pam might try and get a job as a graphic artist but that could be a problem now that her boyfriend is the boss.

  619. Does “The Chair Model” part with Michael remind anyone of when Arrested Development’s Gob fell for the boat model? haha

  620. Cher is Bonto –

    Some of The Office staff have mentioned that Ryan’s Dunder Mifflin Infinity model will not go as well as he had planned, something about it getting filled with sex predators! And there have been promo pictures of Ryan back at the Scranton office looking pretty down, but I doubt corporate headquarters will move to Scranton.

  621. Thanks for the clarification, Jamie. I knew about the sex predators, which I think is genius, but the other info from that comment scares me a little. I really don’t want anyone to leave, espeicially Jim. He already left before. And Corporate moving to Scranton… sounds unlikely. But I’ll leave my undying faith in the writers. They haven’t failed me yet. Thanks again!

  622. I’m not sure how I’d feel about Jim leaving Dunder-Mifflin in Scranton. They have already done that, and quite honestly, the show was missing something when Jim was in Stamford. What it was missing was the day to day interaction of Dwight and Jim.

  623. I was getting sort of attached to the name “Parking.”

    I have convinced myself that “unexpected inconvenience” means a rowdy roomate.

    And “curveball” is just to throw us off. They probably discuss moving in together or something.

    And “fun fact” is something random and fun, like Pam’s sister is an actress or something.

    I don’t want to make too big a deal of this!

  624. I still am wondering why BJ Novak’s name isn’t showing up in the NBC releases…

    Hmm…

  625. My guess is that Stanley leaves. He’s already been close. Maybe the Did I Stutter confrontation with Michael pushes him over the edge.

  626. I’m wondering who is leaving at the end of the season. and Jenna said it would be a series regular.

  627. Here’s my two cents.

    Jenna said that in the second episode back, something big happens between Jim and Pam. I think they move in together.

    Did I Stutter?- I think that maybe Pam had a stuttering problem, and it returns. Maybe she talks her in sleep (and stutters during it). I think Jim brings it up to her, and maybe she literally asks “did I stutter?”

    Even though I don’t want anyone to leave, I wonder if it would be Dwight. Although I would totally watch the spinoff if it was a character that wasn’t in the ‘main ensemble’, a show with Rainn Wilson seems like it could have a better chance of a following and pick up new viewers. He’s a pretty strong character.

    I’m sure I’m completely wrong, but its fun speculating since the funniest show on tv is returning. :)

  628. I’m pretty sure the person leaving is Ryan. Jenna says a person leaves Dunder Mifflin. This means it (probably) won’t be Jan. If Jenna said Scranton my guess would be Jan. Jim leaving is highly unlikely because that would just be a rehash of him going to Stamford. Dwight left already in season 3. He could be a likely candidate though. A possible mental breakdown? I also don’t think that the person leaving is related to the spinoff.

  629. #892 (With one of the best names on here!)- I think they’re been building for the fall of Ryan Howard. BJ Novak IS a writer for the show, but he’ll likely get fired, or get a branch of his own, a la Karen. Stanley and Jim leaving are out of the running, since they either thought about leaving, or did, respectively. If not Ryan, I think the person to go might be someone unexpected, like Meredith. When the person leaves, you have to be like “WOW! Was not expecting that”. And I too miss “Parking”. So mysterious, so simple…

  630. #891- OMG, I was thinking the same thing about “Did I Stutter?” Although I think it would be even funnier if Jim was the one talking and stuttering in his sleep…even though that doesn’t coincide with the idea that we “learn something big and new about Pam”.

  631. Oh my God! How did you guys not figure it out yet!!!
    In “Did I stutter,” PAM DEALS WITH AN “UNEXPECTED COMPLICATION.”
    After SHE SPENDS THE NIGHT AT JIMS.
    Pam is pregnant!
    She tells jim! After she tells him, he is stunned and doesn’t reply,
    so she says “Did I stutter?”
    How did you people not get this yet?

  632. Nooo….I think “Did I stutter?” is the thing that Stanley says when he “snaps” at Michael. I’ve heard people use that as a rude comment before.

  633. Krentistthedentist said that already, sorry.
    And I think the “unexpected complication” is that Pam forgets clean panties or something like that.

  634. haha, so the baby is the “unexpected inconvenience”!
    I can’t really seen that happening, though.

  635. I agree with Betsy #896. I think the title has something to do with what Stanley says to Michael. Sounds like something he would say anyway…

  636. Although I kind of suspected it, I am still a bit surprised that the spinoff *might* take Ed Helms off The Office. I’m definitely a big fan of his, so I think it would be a great opportunity for him, but I hate to see any of the current cast move to a new show – if there has to be a spinoff I would definitely prefer a whole new cast.

  637. I am not cool with one of the four options, and I’m afraid it’s going to be that one. And when did they break up before to make it “again?”

  638. As much as I love Andy/Ed, The writers haven’t really given the character much to do since his anger management/Dwight rivalry/annoying the crap out of everybody arc. I miss that side of his personality. I’d rather see him leave than any of the original guys.

  639. With the May 1 episode Did I Stutter? …what happens if Jim asks Pam to marry him and she hesitates, hence a stutter? Maybe that would create insecurities as they go forward to be used as a device for more plot lines? Or I could be thinking too hard and it could be like other people think that one of them has a stuttering problem.

  640. I’m so happy that Ausiello’s 4 options does not include a pregnancy! In my opinion that would ruin the show. I’m guessing that they won’t break up, and I don’t think they’ll elope. We ASSUMED they’re having sex (beds pushed together in Money). So maybe a proposal, Pam turns it down? I think it is way too soon to be entering engagement territory. Save that for season 5. I would have been happier if they left Jam alone for these next 6 episodes.

  641. When did Jim and Pam ever break up?! Ausiello said ‘break up (again)’! I’ve watched every single episode of The Office and I can’t say that I recall them ever breaking up! Or is that just me?! As for the predictions: Jim and Pam getting engaged (maybe); I always figured that they were having sex (They’ve been together for six months and Jim’s been pining over her for 3 years); They’re eloping (doubt it); They’re breaking up (They better not, or I’ll cry). So, I think the only likely possibility is the engagement one! That’s just my take on things, though.
    -Waffle

  642. #905 that is what I thought. Maybe the Did I Stutter either has to do with the Michael/Stanley plot or possibly Jim (or Pam) proposes.

  643. That newest spoiler is worrying me, I really don’t want anyone to leave.
    I’m happy that it isn’t Jenna or Steve leaving, but I don’t want it to be John (leaving again would be redundant), Rainn is my favourite so please not him.
    Maybe it will be Angela (only for a while) so she can have a nice long maternity leave.

  644. I think the “unexpected inconvenience” is that Pam wears contacts, but has to wear her pop-bottle glasses to work after staying over at Jim’s.

  645. I think that we learn that Pam suffers from a stuttering problem, hence the name of the episode “Did I Stutter?”

  646. what if the person who is leaving is John? Jenna said it is not her or Steve but she does not say any thing about John. I hope it is not John that leaves. Maybe it is Toby or Phyllis. I don’t know, all I know is that I do not like change.

  647. Just keep in mind that leaving Dunder Mifflin doesn’t necessarily mean leaving the show.

  648. I don’t think John’s leaving either because if you watch the preview of him on Rachael Ray, he makes a joke about leaving the show, but then explicitly says he’s not.

    I agree that leaving D-M doesn’t mean the person is necessarily leaving the show, but it’s sort of already been done (Jim in Stamford, Dwight in Staples).

  649. addendum: I think it’s Toby. I think he simply won’t be able to deal with Michael any more, and Pam and Jim being together might just be the last straw.

  650. In the Money episode, Jim and Pam slept together at Dwight’s B&B, which I think implies that they are already having sex. So, I doubt that is the big event in next week’s ep. I also don’t think they will be eloping as there is no need for them to marry in secret (except to prevent Michael from crashing their wedding like he did Bob and Phylis’s). So, either they are getting engaged or breaking up. I am hoping for the former.

  651. Well.. before we get ahead of ourselves- it doesn’t say leaving the show. It just says leaving Dunder Mifflin. They may be back, or may still be in the show. For instance- Dwight went to staples (yesss.. only for half an episode but still..) but he still came back.

  652. I’m thinking either Toby or Andy. Good to see other people think so too : )

  653. Hi, I just wanted to point out a few things about the new spoiler thats alerting people.

    I think the person leaving will definitely be one of the following: Stanley / Phyllis / Andy

    For these reasons.

    1.) Stanley may leave considering he’s almost done so before (Branch Wars.), as well as the synopsis stating he “snaps” at Michael. This could mean he does a little more than “snap” at Michael by the end of the season.

    2.) Phyllis might leave because she has stated in a previous episode that “Once I marry Bob, he says I won’t have to work anymore, he said my new job would be to be Ms. Bob Vance.” This could mean she wouldn’t be afraid to quit after tolerating Michael for so long.

    3.) It could be Andy, due to the rumors and speculation that a possible Office-Spin Off would revolve around him. Another significant reason the writers would feel justified for having him leave Dunder-Mifflin, would be him being the last transfer employee from the now defunct Stamford Branch still working at DM-Scranton.

    So, I’m not certain, but it makes sense for any of those characters to “Leave Dunder-Mifflin.”

  654. Here’s my speculation:

    1) Jenna said it wasn’t her or Steve leaving the show. If you watched Rachael Ray today with JKras, he also stated he wasn’t leaving the show. NBC made it clear the Dwight wouldn’t leave bc his relationship with Michael is very integral to the show…

    2) I think Dwight is going to win Angela back and we’re gonna see Andy leave.

    3) Michael and everyone teases Pam about some kind of quirk that she has. I think we’re gonna find out that JAM had never slept together until now and she has some kind of quirk that people will assume she got lucky the night before.

    but you never know!

  655. We’re making the mistake of assuming that it’s someone from DM-Scranton. Ryan is likely going to be let go from the company after his website starts collapsing. We’ve seen spoilers hinting toward this and would make for a great storyline.

  656. I’m pretty sure it’s Angela leaving, because she needs to be on maternity leave in real life, right? By that episode, that’s one day before her daughter was supposed to be born isn’t it?

  657. The title is Did I Stutter?

    Pam and Jim have sex. The day after sex pam stutters..hilarity ensues

  658. Anyone think there is a double-meaning for the word stutter?? It could be something totally different then its sp-sp-sp-speech (stuttering) meaning.

    Anyone have any thoughts????

  659. I just saw the new promo for next weeks episode, and they showed a very happy Jim and Pam walking in the sunset…maybe there is an engagement…

  660. ok, what if the big “unexpected, inconvenient surprise” that happens to Pam after spending the night at Jim’s is that she is preggers?

  661. Maybe meredith could be leaving, as they mentioned she has another alcohol relaetd injury and this could just end it at dunder mifflin for her.

    but i’d be so sad if she left her character is hilarious!

  662. Job Fair…hmmm could this be the golf outing episode described in the TV Guide article?

  663. in either US Weekly or People (can’t remember which) Jenna Fischer said that there would be a “going-away party” at the end of the season. So it makes me think someone leaves amicably, and doesn’t get fired/storm out in a fit of rage.

  664. In the TV Guide article, Fischer and JKras said that Pam still had a little growing to do. Unfortunately, I think this could mean a less than euphoric cliffhanger for the season finale.

    *Sigh* More waiting… :(

  665. I’m assuming this has something to do with the former casting call asking for a female basketball player. Perhaps she is a date for Michael. Wouldn’t that be interesting…

  666. When I thought about the title “Job Fair” after reading that they were filming in a high school gym, I had a theory about what the episode is. My school had a “Job Fair” where different companies representing the different local occupational choices came for the students to learn about to see if that would be something they want to do after they graduate. Maybe that’s what it is.

  667. Yet another out of the office location?!?

    Seriously, people, give me a break!

    What used to be a fun once or twice a season thing has now become a weekly “guess what crazy place the gang is going this week” thing.

    Someone should go through every episode this season and time it–I’d be willing to bet that there have been more minutes spent out of the office than in it.

    Come on, this show is called “The OFFICE”, isn’t it?

  668. I’m itching for the title of the season finale. I have a feeling that the finale is going to be really good for some reason.

  669. i agree with T about the Job Fair theory. that sounds like it has the potential to be pretty hilarious. i would love to see dwight trying to convince high school kids that a career selling paper is a great thing!

  670. Jenna just updated her myspace (from the desk of Pam).

    She said that they watched “The Chair Model” and she got a little choked up. I wonder what happens?

  671. Ryan is leaving. He gets fired by Corporate for the failure of his Dunder Mifflin Infinity initiative. Michael will hold him a leaving party, that nobody wants to attend, least of all Ryan.
    Jim will leave the office, but won’t break up with Pam.
    Michael will find the confidence to stand up to Jan and either force her back to work or leave her.
    Mark my words!

  672. I doubt Ryan will get fired, they can’t just write him off the show or put him back in Scranton.

  673. i agree, i think that ryan is leaving. i do not think that jim leaves though. they did that once before, i don’t think they would do it again.
    what if the unexpected inconvenience is that pam wets the bed? i know that sounds totally absurd but what if she has some condition or something? just a weird thought…

  674. #943: I like your Ryan idea, but I don’t think two people would leave D-M. Jim already left in S3, and I know he has ambitions that aren’t being fulfilled, but he wouldn’t leave when he had just (well, a year ago, but…) “come back” for Pam.

    I bet it’s Marjorie. ;)

  675. I bet you jim and pam eloped!!!! did you see that clip of them all happy walking outside like they just got back from getting married?? but i doubt they would come directly back to work if they got married…..MAN! WHATS GOIN TO HAPPEN!!!11 hours!!

  676. Maybe I’m not the first to say this, but I really don’t think the big JAM thing is having sex. They’ve been together for nearly a year… they’ve had the sex. They probably got that over and done with over the summer break. They have been implying that they stay at each other’s places all season… you don’t do that without a little somethin-somethin’ people! ;-)

    I mean, they pretty much said Dwight and Angela were having sex… if Angela is, Jim and Pam are.

    My guess is a question will in fact be popped. She doesn’t have to say yes though (thus, the growing). But they stay together and then we have Jim-Pam tension, but still happiness. And that is your season 5 preview according to me :-)

    For what it’s worth.

  677. Okay… who has a drug problem? Maybe Jan… she has been taking medication for her implants. Hmm… If there is another Drug bust on this show…. oh man. The return of my favorite episode, Drug Testing, would be sweet.

  678. Just saw that Jen Celotta and Paul Liberstien are writing the finale. Those two are by far my favorite writers on the show. They wrote my favorite episodes, Drug Testing and The Client. Squee!!!! I’m dying to find out what these two brilliant writers have for the big episode.

  679. Tanster,

    A little lower in the Ausiello Report (April 17th) there was a little tid-bit on The Office Spin-Off. Just thought you’d like to know…

  680. It would be something if they just eloped. In a way it would kind of make sense. Why go through all the hub-bub?
    As long as there isn’t a break-up, I’m happy. :)

  681. My theory:

    JAM is gettin’ it on (woooooooo!)

    CREED is so the one with the drug problem!

  682. I think Ryan is hiding the drug problem. They alluded to it in Season 3 with Creed’s remark about the kid he used to sell weed to got a job at corporate.

    My guess is that corporate will do a random drug screen (they do them here at my work) and he will test positive and be terminated, Thus allowing Stanley to take his place as hinted to by Dwight’s Org chart from “Did I Stutter?”

  683. i vote ryan has the drug problem too. maybe michael and dwight find out when they go clubbing with him. or more likely they are clueless about it and the audience finds out. he has that coke-head corporate america vibe.
    i feel like with creed and jan we already know about their drug use.

  684. so the ask ausiello hint at who might be headlining, one name that fits is amanda peet. that is my guess.

  685. totally agree with 955. i think michael or dwight (probably the latter) finds out when they “party” or w/e with ryan in new york.

    it also might be creed, not that that was a secret.

  686. SQUEEEEE! Learning that JAM isn’t breaking up is a load off of my mind. I bet anything they are eloping. Think about it…engagement would be too obvious, and who DIDN’T think they were already having sex (and why would that be such a big deal anyway?).

  687. #955- Good idea, but I highly doubt they’ll do drug testing again. There’s a season 2 episode by the same name, in which they do exactly that. But I seriously don’t think they’re going to make it TOO big of a shocker. Same with the JAM theory. How many couples wait until they’re engaged/married to have sex? That’s probably the big spoiler. Hmm, not Pam will know what Jim’s…. whoo, I am saying a lot of things. :)

  688. It is no secret that Ryan is the one with the drug problem. Think back to the episode “drug testing.” He actually asked the woman conducting the test if they were hiring, obviously b/c he didn’t think he would have a job once his drug test results came back positive(I believe that was actually a deleted scene, but I’m not positive.) There have been subtle clues all along. Not to mention he totally comes across as a coke head. During his scenes where he talks to the camera(I guess you guys call those talking head scenes?) his mannerisms are always similar to those of a coke head.

  689. I’ve finalized my theory on the Jim/Pam situation:

    Jim will propose to Pam while they are on a date at her apartment (or she wakes up to a ring or something amazing) That is the unexpected inconvenience that she deals with!

  690. I’m curious to see how they handle drug addiction in a comedy, since it’s such a bleak subject (well, except when it comes to Creed, of course).

    While I could see it being Ryan (please writers. Making him the bad guy AND a drug addict? That wouldn’t be cool), I think Jan is the more likely option. She’s broke and jobless, she was depending on Michael Scott of all people to support her, and she lost a lawsuit with DM that she was pretty sure she was going to win. Most importantly, she’s kind of crazy.

    With the way she acted in “Dinner Party”, I’d probably be surprised if she *weren’t* abusing street drugs, meds, alcohol, etc.

  691. I’m going to go out on a limb here.. but here is my theory:

    Ryan, Andy or Toby all possible drug suspects. First two for uppers… unfortunately Toby with the downers. Whoever has the drug problem will be forced to leave, might not be a firing but maybe for ‘rehab.’

    Jim proposes on the season finale at the gymnasium, which serves as the setting for a reunion or homecoming type event, and Pam either says not now/no as in maybe next season the timing will be right.. or he asks and she freezes until this fall :(.

  692. I had a bad feeling after watching “Survivor Man,” with Jim, his reaction to Phyllis’ comment and even what Michael says at the end… It seemed like a foreboding moment for Jim…I sure hope not. Oh i would cry if Jim left…

  693. Okay, so, assuming that out of the three JAM possibilities, engagement is the most likely one, right? Because Ausiello said the field would be narrowing on last night’s episode, and the ring pretty much confirms that. So the storyline “picks up steam” next week (probably another faux proposal from Jim) and then climaxes on May 1st (that’s what she said.) So does that mean that we will NOT be having a proposal or what have you on the finale? As in, May 1st would be the actualy proposal and we’d get an answer that week or in the finale? Cause that would make me really happy, because then no cliffhanger a la the Season 2 finale which TORTURED me forever.

    Also, I doubt the ring will be the “unexpected inconvenience” because Jenna has mentioned it’s a “quirk” about Pam that others in the office will tease her for, and I don’t see finding the ring as being a quirk in someone’s character. I think more than likely it’s some kind of strange habit.

  694. Maybe I’m way off on a limb… but maybe the Chair Model had the drug addiction? (It would, technically, classify as a “problem”, seeing as how she met her end by crashing into airplane hangar.)

  695. After last night’s episode I think the “inconvenience” of Pam staying over at Jim’s is her finding the ring.

  696. #967 I think the Chair Model was the one with the drug problem mentioned by Ausiello.

    Because in the episode after learning she died Michael says “She was so innocent.” Then Dwight says “Actually, she was stoned at the time.”

    My Speculations:
    -Jan will show up to cause trouble in the finale
    -Jim will propose (probably in finale), hopefully we will hear Pam’s answer and not have to deal with a cliffhanger
    -Ryan will be the one that leaves Dunder Mifflin
    -Dwight/Andy/Angela season cliffhanger

  697. #968- OH MY GOD. That is SO what they are going to do. She’ll wake up at Jim’s house and find the ring in his stuff, and try to hide that she knows. Great theory!

  698. Great theory 968. And then maybe he’ll find out and propose and she’ll be like “what?” because she’s all shocked and he’ll be like “Did I stutter?” Haha, just a possibility. I think that would be so cute.

  699. He actually asked the woman conducting the test if they were hiring, obviously b/c he didn’t think he would have a job once his drug test results came back positive
    961 | Kristen Thu. Apr. 17, 2008 at 7:49pm

    actually i think he asked because any job would be better than the one he had at that point. i thought it was hilarious, working for michael scott was actually worse, for the temp, than collecting urine samples!!!

  700. The episode title on NBC.com for the finale is 51508. I think that’s just because the date is 5/15/08, but it could be the name of the title. Probably not though..

  701. 968 great idea, but based on the spoilers and descriptions, apparently what everyone discovers about Pam is some fact that they tease her about. I don’t think an engagement ring fits into that.

  702. My ground-breaking theory:

    The line “Did I stutter?” will not actually be said in the episode.

  703. i think in “did i stutter” Jim will propose and something tells me Pam will say no

  704. I bet Pam will come in to work wearing the same thing she did the night before, but that’s just a guess.

  705. I think it will be that Pam snores really loud or something, I dont think it would be anything engagement related because no one in the office knows Jim is going to propose.

  706. This is a little random and I’m not sure if I’m posting this on the right page, also I haven’t read all of the comments (several other people have probably posted this already), but I bet someone finds a new job at the job fair! That was probably really obvious, but I had kind of an epiphany. (“epiphery…life is short”)

  707. Wait wait wait, just realized that my theory/epiphany makes no sense.

  708. actually i think he asked because any job would be better than the one he had at that point. i thought it was hilarious, working for michael scott was actually worse, for the temp, than collecting urine samples!!!
    973 | tuna tuna tuna Fri. Apr. 18, 2008 at 4:40pm

    Ohh ok. Very good point! That’s actually really freakin funny… lol

  709. “Unexpected inconvenience”…

    I just don’t think a proposal or finding the engagement ring would be considered an inconvenience by anyone. An unplanned wedding would be an inconvenience…

  710. i thought in one of the articles or spoilers someone said i would definitely not be jim. where did i read that?

  711. I wonder if Jim will propose to Pam in Night Out, and we’ll get the answer in Did I Stutter.

    I still think that the unexpected inconvenience is something silly. Plus it can’t be too serious because why would JAM discuss it at work?

  712. I think the person leaving will be Ryan, it would tie in with several spoilers and story lines. He could be the person with the drug problem. And there have been hints that he’s not well liked at corporate and he is in over his head.

  713. Maybe Pam sleepwalks or something…But would Jim be a jerk and tell the office about an embarrassing quirk?

  714. I bet the person who leaves will be Toby. Maybe he’ll finally snap over the crap he gets from Michael.

  715. Oh no! I hope this secret isn’t a proposal-breaker. That’d be awful and more than likely damage their relationship. I hope it’s something silly – like she wants to go to Art School or something and not be that she doesn’t want to marry Jim.

  716. I have a feeling Roy is going to be in the next couple of episodes; maybe not physically, but be mentioned. I mean Pam being engaged again (possibly) so soon might stir up a couple of things.

  717. My guess is that Pam’s quirk is that she snores. Jim teases her about it at work and someone overhears the conversation and it spreads throughout the office.

  718. Whatever the quirky thing is, I bet that Jim finds it completely adorable. It will be anything but a proposal-breaker.

  719. Wouldn’t anything like snoring or sleepwalking already have come up with them? At the very least we know that they slept together at Dwight’s B&B. I don’t have a clue what it could be (and my first thought was talking in her sleep) but then thought that that would have already come up.

  720. My guess is that Pam either stutters hence the title “Did I Stutter?”…or maybe it’s that she’s addicted to Celebrity Pornography…remember how she downloaded a celebrity sex tape early on this season?! ;-) I’d say it was that she snores, but I don’t think that would effect everyone in the office. Knowing the Office, it either should be painfully obvious or completely revolutionary!

  721. Kristin really didn’t offer any insight, did she? Where’s Ausiello when you need him?

  722. Wildflower-
    I don’t think snoring or sleepwalking would’ve come up yet, because the show is focused on the office, of the four(Jim, Pam, Michael, and Dwight) we’ve never seen Pam’s apartment or much of her outside the office life. I’ve always thought it was sort of ironic that for two characters who are often the focus of attention on the show, we know next to nothing about Jim and Pam’s backgrounds.

  723. candicane150 – I tend to agree with you unless it’s something about Roy or past boyfriends (like a collection of items from past boyfriends or something).

  724. Maybe the ‘unexpected results’ from Jim’s attempt to save everyone in Night Out is that he ends up proposing to Pam.

  725. # 987: I love that idea. Plus that would mean we get the proposal in 2 days! My head may explode. Or implode. Or detate?

  726. Maybe we’ll find out about Pam’s weird quirk when Michael is at her high school…

  727. Job Fair sounds awesome. Andy, Kevin, and Jim…golfing. And I’m sure it will be so awkward at the high school! :)

  728. I wonder if she’ll warn any “young Pams” about working with Michael.

    Maybe after being at the job fair, she’ll decide to move forward with her art. But, in a positive way. Not in any way that would negatively affect our JAM. :)

  729. Did Pam go to college? Oops, I assumed the alma mater was a high school. Perhaps not.

  730. Jim and Andy golfing? Break out the pastel polo shirts and the Advil, folks. Interns? Michael’s perfect opportunity to find a new possibly-underage man-crush!

  731. Job Fair sounds interesting, my question is why is Kevin going on a sales call if he is in accounting. Plus, it looks like we’ll get to see some of Pam’s background, the summary says alma mater but summaries can be misleading. I’ve wondered if Pam finished college or Roy forced her to drop out.

  732. in the new episode, “did I stutter”, it says that Pam has an unexpected problem after spending the night at Jim’s. What is it? Is she pregnant or something?

  733. Maybe Pam will take the summer internship this time and she’ll leave jim during the summer without answer at the proposal

  734. I’m pretty pumped for the rest of these episodes. I think Job Fair sounds great but hopefully there is another storyline that takes place in the office, perhaps a Dwight storyline? Also what happened to some of the other things we were told about this season about a month ago? Remember Ausiello mentioning Old Man Jones (I guess they changed the name of the character in Chair Model)? Also the Scranton call girl, Dwight in a management training program, and Dwight suing a bunch of kids; these things have yet to come.

    I have a strong feeling something big is going to happen in the corporate offices in the season finale. Jan’s lawsuit picks up steam? Ryan is fired? I can’t wait. That’s what she said.

  735. If Jim and Pam break up that will be so cheesy and like every other stupid tv show that I will have to stop watching. It’s suppose to be a documentary and in real life they would be getting married because they love each other. Hopefully the writers don’t ruin it.

  736. We know that the weird quirk comes out as a result of spending the night over at Jim’s house and that everyone finds out about the quirk and makes fun of her about it. So my guess is that she can’t wear the same clothes two days in a row. Since she doesn’t have a change of clothes and doesn’t have time to back to her apartment, she’ll have to show up in Jim’s clothes. Because she will look so weird, she will have to own up to it and the making-fun will commence…

  737. Stephanie-
    I thought it was ambiguous whether or not Pam finished college. I don’t know of many internships for high school students.I might have a bad memory but didn’t she mention attending college in Boys and Girls. What I’m unclear on is whether or not she graduated. Because Roy was the type of guy who would force/convince her to drop out of college. Maybe that will be the cliffhanger, Pam deciding to go back to school.

  738. Didn’t Ausiello say before that he could confirm the “big stuff” didn’t involove any sort of Jim/Pam split? I hope he meant for the whole remainder of the season! Please writers, don’t break them up! We have waited so long!

  739. Well, I am going to bank on the best situation according to Ausello’s previous post…. Jim and Pam elope. That leaves some other couple to “get engaged”.
    Viva Las Vegas!

  740. My far-out predictions: Jim and Pam elope, Michael then asks Jan to marry him, Toby can’t take it any more now that Pam is married to Jim so he leaves, Ryan gets fired and/or demoted down to Toby’s position, which makes him inches away from Kelly. I think it may be a Dwangela cliffhanger: Dwight redeems himself and she dumps Andy…hence, opening up Andy for the spin-off. For some reason, this all seems plausible…I just don’t see Jim and Pam not moving forward in their relationship and I don’t seem them wanting a long engagement, so eloping seems like a great option! I don’t see Michael getting over Jan, and, come on, the antics of their engagement would be AWESOME. I could see Toby just losing it, with Pam no longer an option, he’s got to move on. I could also see Ryan having to eat crow and come back to Scranton, with Kelly flaunting her relationship with Darryl. I could also see Angela forgiving Dwight, but there has to be some sort of cliffhanger. Thoughts?

  741. An office couple engaged but not necessarily JAM, and someone leaves? Couple that info with the rumors that Ed Helms was going to head the potential spinoff and you have a new conspiracy:

    The engaged couple is Dwight and Angela, which causes Andy to leave Scranton. They can leave it open ended to allow Andy to come back if the spinoff doesn’t happen. :o

  742. what if jan and michael get engaged? i feel like we haven’t seen that last of jan.

  743. According to Jenna’s myspace, Pam went to Marywood for a few years, which is a university in Scranton. Art Education, I think was what it said she’d be doing, I could be wrong though.

    I have a weird feeling that the engagement is Dwangela. It would set it up perfectly for Andy to leave for a spinoff?

  744. Everybody’s been talking about Pam’s quirk in ‘Did I Stutter’, but what I’m waiting for is to find out why Dwight wants to buy Andy’s car. To transport dead relatives? To carry bigger fire arms and rifles? To attract a certain accountant?

    The thought of Dwight giving up his Trans Am is reason enough to wonder.

    These next four episodes are gonna be insane!!!!

  745. Even if you did not graduate, the college you attended is still your alma mater and you are still an alumnus/alumna.

    In terms of who is leaving, my guess is Angela dumps Andy and he leaves.

  746. ok… well a twist is definitely not Jim and Pam, so I’m guessing Jan and Michael get back together or something else crazy like Darrell and Kelly get engaged… as long as Jim and Pam don’t break up, I’ll be fine.

  747. 969!!!

    “After last night’s episode I think the “inconvenience” of Pam staying over at Jim’s is her finding the ring.”

    I think you called it!

  748. well, i was right about the actress nbc has in mind for the spin-off: amanda peet.

  749. Micnael and Jan getting married would be hilarious. A regular JAM wedding would be too cheesy. And if Jim and Pam do get married won’t their work life be kind of odd. Will they both continue to work there? Hmmmm….

    I hope Dwangela gets back together, and maybe we will even get a Dwangela cliffhanger. It would be cool to have a cliffhanger not involving Jim and Pam.

  750. I agree with #1029. I just don’t want to see a Jam break up. Too cliche for a show that doesn’t follow what would be considered the “normal” sitcom plotlines. I also call it that Toby is the one who leaves- if Pam gets engaged along with all the crap Michael throws at him, I could see that being it for Toby.

  751. Job Fair looks awesome. Actually, all these eps coming up sound awesome…

    They make me kind of scared though, too. I always tell myself that I won’t look at spoilers but check at least thrice daily (dang you Tanster and your constant updates), but now that there really aren’t too many because of the confidential whatever agreements … it’s killing me! I don’t know what I would do if Jam broke up. I would really have to be prepared. For like, 6 weeks.

  752. #1022–

    Your predictions are exactly what I’ve been thinking all along! I predicted at last season’s finale that Ryan would screw up his new position, get fired/demoted and have to beg Michael for his old job back. How awesome would that be?!

  753. I don’t think that Pam’s inconvenience is the discovery of the ring. The synopsis says that the office teases Pam about her problem. But why would they tease her about an engagement ring?

  754. 1019: no, it doesn’t sound good. It sounds awesome ;) seriously, “The Job” was pretty twisty and we all know that turned out for the best in the end.

    1022: I love it. I think the big cliffhanger this season won’t be anything Jim/Pam related (love ’em, but they get the lion’s share of the cliffhangers!). I think it’ll be Dwight/Angela/Andy or Jan coming back and doing something even crazier to get Michael again…

  755. OK, not really spoiler related but I just thought of this: Why is it that Angela doesn’t mind that the office knows she’s dating Andy, but with Dwight she was so concerned about keeping it secret?

  756. #1022 wow! Those do sound plausible, though I would think Pam would want her family at her wedding, so everything but that sounds possible. Oh boy, this is getting exciting people!

  757. they could tease her about an engagement since she was engaged to Roy for so long. It’s like, her thing…(like Ryan didn’t want to have a thing at work–then he became fire boy)

  758. #1039–Pam Halpert. In answer to your question, I believe that Angela is flaunting her relationship with Andy to make Dwight jealous! For one, she wouldn’t even have started dating Andy, but Andy’s Dwight’s arch-enemy (He got him fired) so that means it will hurt Dwight even more! As much as I love Angela, she’s a nasty peice of work and Dwight killed her cat so she’s extra-nasty! (Yes, I realize how stupid I just sounded) Anywhoozle, I hope that this helped answer your question!
    Thanks
    Waffle

  759. 1039, Andy did openly come on to Angela and ask her; so it wasn’t like the office had no idea when it started.

  760. here’s betting pam doesn’t want to get married so fast and michael and jan get engaged.

    what i just wrote is the exact OPPOSITE of what i want to happen.

  761. My bet is Kevin’s next big client has to do with Scrantonicity II. With the mention of an engagement in the office, I would say he’s hoping to play another wedding!

  762. #1022, what about Toby’s girlfriend? If Jim and Pam elope, where will that great tension be for the next seasons? Still, many of those predictions sound plausible…I think at least one may come true!

  763. Amy Ryan guest starring? Maybe Jim’s ex? A new girlfriend for Michael?? Oh, the possibilities….

  764. Guest star?! That’s new! Such a random choice too? Hmmm what can this mean?

  765. 1049–Amy Adams was on The Office for one episode in the first season.

    I’m interested to see why she makes a return….

  766. My prediction – Jim goes to ask Pam to marry him and gets trumped by Dwight proposing to Angela. Andy, heartbroken, leaves to go make a spin-off series.

    But I’m probably totally wrong. I usually am about these things.

  767. Having a guest star is very strange for The Office. Could Amy Ryan have any connection to the spin-off? If she isn’t than I expect her to be involved in a Michael storyline.

  768. 1039, Pam Halpert-

    Andy sang to her. In front of everyone. Kinda hard to keep that a secret.

  769. #1050, the guest star is not Amy Adams, it’s Amy Ryan. And when Amy Adams was on, she was still fairly unknown, so not so much a guest “star”. But I do like this theory about Amy Ryan being connected to the spin off.. whatever keeps our people on this show!

  770. Hmm, A guest star? I’m not sure I like this idea. But my guess is that Amy Ryan will be in the spinoff. If she’s not in the spinoff, i’m sure hoping she and michael date or something.. Or maybe she’s Dwight’s replacement for Angela.. They’re both petite and blonde, right?!

    Oh, the suspense!

  771. Shoot! I got confuse-ed. Too many eyes made me cross-eyed. Amy Ryan, not Amy Adams. She was incredible in Gone Baby Gone–still very interested to see how she plays in this storyline. I’d see her as more of a love interest for Michael than an ex of Jim’s.

  772. Let’s all take a moment to realize that it says “Amy Ryan” and not “Amy Adams” who played Katy in seasons 1-2.

  773. it is sort of strange to have a guest star but not that odd. i mean, you could count ben franklin or dwight’s babysitter or carol or the purse girl or rob riggle as guest stars. i am so curious though!
    i know a couple of other people think things along the same lines but i really think there is going to be something involving toby’s feelings for pam before the end of the season. i feel they have set that up for so long and it can’t be for no reason.

  774. 1050- The guest star for the season finale is Amy Ryan, not Amy Adams. Amy Adams played Katie in “Hot Girl” and “Booze Cruise”, Amy Ryan will be making her first appearance on the show during the finale. Very exciting!

  775. Hmm, we know that Ryan will soon prove to be a failure at corporate. Could Amy Ryan be playing Michael’s new boss? Perhaps a strong no-nonsense business woman like Jan used to be before they totally destroyed her character?

  776. Wait a second! Amy Ryan was from Gone Baby Gone! I never got the chance to see that movie, since it’s rated R and too explicit for my 14 year old virgin eyes, but it looked really good. I bet she’s a potential Andy love interest after he leaves Dunder Mifflin. Quote me on that!

  777. Oh, and one last thing: Tanster, did you meet Amy Ryan when you visited the set?

    [from tanster: i didn’t personally meet her, but i got to watch her shoot scenes!]

  778. if toby is the one who leaves in the season final (that i think) it could be fun that amy ryan play his ex wife

  779. For some reason I don’t believe that Ed would be leaving since he was recently ‘promoted’ as a series regular….it just seems too soon

  780. For some reason, I have a feeling that Toby may do his own “Casino Night” type of confession in the finale which will even solidify Jim and Pam. Just my opinion.

  781. Kristen- Wow, you’re good. :)

    I think Meredith will get her own show.

    “Booze Island”.

  782. Ok I can’t remember where I read this, and I will re-post if I find it again, that Amanda Peet will be headlining The Office spin-off. An NBC mole said that no one from the current show will be going to the spin-off. (but we all know how reliable they are!)

    Also, did anyone catch the connection between The Office and Amy Ryan? She played Eileen on Dan in Real Life with Steve!

    …I could see the writers throwing us off track by making it obvious who or who isn’t leaving, but it does make sense that one of the actor/writers would leave because they wouldn’t actually be leaving The Office, just on screen.

  783. “It is no secret that Ryan is the one with the drug problem. Think back to the episode “drug testing.” He actually asked the woman conducting the test if they were hiring, obviously b/c he didn’t think he would have a job once his drug test results came back positive(I believe that was actually a deleted scene, but I’m not positive.) There have been subtle clues all along. Not to mention he totally comes across as a coke head. During his scenes where he talks to the camera(I guess you guys call those talking head scenes?) his mannerisms are always similar to those of a coke head.”

    I told ya’ll!!!! :) I know a coke head when I see one! I’ve been spending too much time in South Beach, lol.

    Now one of the following will happen:

    A. Andy will take over Ryan’s spot at corporate and headline the spinoff.
    B. Rashida Jones will come back and headline the spinoff.
    or C. Pam and Jim will get their own show (highly unlikely, but I can *hope* right?! lol)

  784. Found it! It was in the ask Ausiello blog at tv guide.

    “Question: Is the actress NBC has in mind for The Office 2.0 Amanda Peet? — Gary
    Ausiello: Y*s! C*ng*at*lati*ns!”

  785. Toby will NOT be the one to leave the show. The writers threw in the idea of him moving to Costa to throw us off. BUT… I’ve got to give them credit b/c that scene was SO damn funny!

  786. I’m not sure, I still think there will be some Jim/Pam drama at the end of the season to prolong that storyline. I really don’t see Jim and Pam getting married until the very last episodes of the show (hopefully many seasons from now, knock on wood :) )–kind of a way to tie up the loose ends and leave the show on a romantic/good note.

  787. Amanda Peet? Now I want Bradley Whitford in the spin-off. I’ve been thinking that Pam and Jim were a more sane and less hot version of Jordan and Danny from Studio 60.

  788. I think Ryan will be forced to come back to Scranton. And Kelly will nurse him back from party drug addiction.
    Also, did anyone notice that in the spoiler photos for Did I Stutter, there is a line drawn from Stanley to Ryan. Sayin’…if Stanley gets in a fight with Michael, maybe he’ll be hired for Ryan’s job because he’s the antithesis of Ryan…conservative, calm, no nonsense.

  789. I hope they don’t reserve the JAM wedding for the final episode! Too 90210/Lifetime/whatever. I hope they just have the quietly marry one weekend….elope or something like that. They shouldn’t make it a big production and then life should go on as normal in the office.

  790. I cannot figure out what they are going to do with Jim (not specifically the Jam storyline). It’s pretty obvious he is in a dead end job where he will never be able to reach his true potential. But I also don’t want him moving to corporate. His and Pam’s chemistry as well as his dynamic with Michael and Dwight in the office is too integral to the show as a whole.

  791. why do I think all this means that it’s definitely NOT Toby who’s leaving? I feel like that title has some double meaning…

  792. I agree that I think by the end of the finale, Toby will not be leaving, or at least he won’t be gone permanently (besides, Amy Ryan isn’t joining the cast).

    I bet we are in for some big surprises though, which I cannot wait for!

  793. The title and new HR person (played by an in-demand actress) confirms that Toby is not the spin-off.

    Angry Angela though… there’s a setup for Andy to leave.

  794. It’s quite interesting that there’s not one mention of Jim or Pam in the finale synopsis. Hmmm. I’m still guessing they elope and become the only really happy couple on TV. I would love to see a very functional and lovely couple actually stay happily together ever after. And what about Andy?

  795. Yeah after all the secrecy around the finale I highly doubt that Toby is leaving. It’s in the title and way too obvious. Toby will probably announce that he’s staying towards the end of the episode (can’t wait to see Michael’s reaction!). I still think that someone else will leave….

  796. I think what will happen is the HR woman won’t last through Michael and Dwight’s hazing and Ryan will, somehow, end up in Toby’s place. We may not find out until next season, but I think Michael would possibly beg corporate to let him come back to Scranton after rehab (which seems inevitable). I don’t see many other places hiring him too soon after that.

    I think it could be like the premiere of season three when Ryan was at Jim’s desk.

  797. Oh my gosh, the synopsis made me laugh! So typical of Michael to finally throw a huge party for Toby because he is leaving when he wouldn’t even let Toby have a birthday party. Hilarious. I am sure something big will go down in this episode though as a repercussion of Toby leaving though. :)

  798. Amy Ryan? Holy guacamole, Batman!

    Yeah, I agree with the posters here. Amy Ryan is not going to be the new HR person.

    Which means, something is up with the finale. There has to be a twist to all this, which should be expected since there was a big one in each of the season finales in the show’s history.

  799. Don’t go, Toby! Don’t go!

    I really hope that we’re in for a real twist in this episode (something not too “soap-opera”) and it’s not really Toby who leaves. Man, look how they play with our minds!

  800. WHAT?!! N0oooooo it can’t be? There has to be some kind of twist here. I refuse to believe it.

  801. I am crying! NOT TOBY!!!! he is my favorite character!!!!!! I am in tears… but the synopsis looks hilarious nonetheless. Oh Michael, what are we gonna due with you.

    And could Amy Ryan be a new love interest for Michael, completely changing his feelings towards HR?

    Only time will tell, my friends!!!

  802. NOT TOBY!

    If he leaves, and his character becomes the basis for the spinoff, it will be so disappointing. Also, I forget who posted it, but I too remember that conversation on the Season 3 commentary that Toby could carry his own spinoff.

  803. Nooo!!! Michael’s hatred of Toby was one of the funniest parts of the show. It’s like taking away “that’s what she said.”

  804. Remember in Season 3, “Branch Closing”, Dwight talks about his first day, when Michael ‘hazed’ him by spraying him with the fire extinguisher? They used the same term in the summary for the finale.
    This makes me gravely concerned for the new HR lady.

  805. Like what the previous posters have expressed, I’m utterly dismayed that it seems Toby is apparently leaving the show! He’s my absolute favorite character on “The Office”…somewhere in my heart, I’m still holding onto the dim hope that Toby would end up with Pam one day. But yea, as some have already pointed out, it does seem a bit too obvious that it’s Toby, and I’m really hoping it’s a curveball being thrown by the writers, and it’s actually someone else who’s leaving the show.

  806. Yeah.. I was prepared for Toby.

    Crazy prediction: New HR rep poses a threat to the glory that is JAM.

  807. If Toby actually leaves (and like people have said- not sure if he actually will), I don’t think I’d mind too much. I will miss the Michael-Toby dynamic but he was creepy in this last episode. Jam all the way too!

  808. Remember guys. The Office season finales have been always been outstanding and things aren’t always what they seem.

  809. NBC listed David Denman as appearing in the finale!? Can anyone confirm that he will be starring in the finale or if it was a mistake….please????

  810. I agree with bigtunette (1082). There must be some double meaning. Remember “The Return” from season 3. It was originally called “Oscar’s Return” but it turned out instead to be Dwight’s return.

    By the way, if Paul Lieberstein is leaving the cast, that means that Amy Ryan will join it next year at least as a regular. But, just like Amy Adams, she’s an Oscar nominated actress and must have many offers now. I’m not sure she would commit herself to a TV show, if she’s not one of the leads. She has been directed by Albert Brooks, Sydney Lumet and Ben Affleck. She has been cast in forthcoming movies by Clint Eastwood and Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Ultimatum). So it’s quite unlikely she would just replace Toby. Either she’s a guest star, or she also becomes Michael’s love interest in the workplace, which would make a big change in the balance of the show.

    So, I bet that Toby will be reluctantly brought back to the fold. But that Ryan might be the one who says “Goodbye” to Toby.

  811. why is it creepy when Toby accidentally acts on a crush but when Jim purposefully does it’s acceptable? Toby was not creepy on thursday night’s episode, he slipped up.

  812. Actually, maybe no JAM threats. Holly seems a little dated to be seducing Jim in any way.

  813. My Theory New Show — if there is a new Office spin off they are going to need a show runner/producer I bet Paul (Toby) is going to be it therefore he can’t be on show anymore

  814. In total agreement with josh (post 1104). People can’t help how they feel; it’s totally understandable for Toby to have a crush on the sweet girl of the office. Calling him creepy for having a crush on Pam is totally unfair, and might I add, deeply insensitive.

    Toby has a crush on Pam, and he acted on it without thinking. How is this different from Jim’s impulsive confession to Pam on Casino Night? Six of one, half-dozen of the other to me. Jim gets away with murder simply because he’s good-looking and charming.

  815. 1106- Good idea. Besides, I thought Paul has said before that he didn’t really like being in front of the camera.

    I really like Toby, and I hope he doesn’t leave for good. I never thought he was creepy or odd. Just a quiet guy.

  816. my guess is that Toby will be leaving, but maybe not indefinitely. Paul will probably focus more on writing (either for this show or the spin-off if that goes through). Amy Ryan will likely be a one-time deal since she has 6 or so movies lined up until 2009.

    I wouldn’t mind if Ryan left. I think BJ Novak is probably better as a writer. His character seems kind of pointless now. Unless he takes over Toby’s HR position in Scranton considering his drug problem haha

  817. i think it would be really funny if michael developed feelings for the new hr rep and then had some sort of internal struggle about how much he hates human resources but how much he loves amy ryan. i could just see that happening.

  818. Dwight is going to buy Andy’s car, because Andy won’t be needing it once he starts his job @corporate in NYC. Mark my words.

  819. RE: Paul being the showrunner for the spin-off if he leaves the show.

    Wasn’t it already announced by NBC that Greg Daniels is the showrunner for the spin-off too?

  820. No one expected Ryan to get the job last season. I’m sure Toby isn’t leaving, and not just because my heart would break.

  821. 1112- Yes that was announced, but he can’t do it all alone. :)
    It’s just a theory though. Just what the “real-world” reasoning could be for his character’s departure.

  822. Don’t know if this was said before but #1103’s post made a lightbulb go off in me head. What if the title means that someone is saying goodbye to Toby as they leave, hence the comma. Instead of everyone saying goodbye to Toby.

  823. WHAT?!?!!? THE OFFICE WITHOUT TOBY!?!? this is an outrage. and its definitely happening because of “holly”. no. no. no. wow. and i guess that means toby is headlining the office spinoff? i’m still trying to recover from that news. this just isn’t right.

    but i don’t understand why the writers would give it away so easily. there has to be a twist. there just has to.

  824. I think the synopsis for Job Fair is going to be the key to how the Jim/Pam dynamic is going to play out for the rest of this season. Pam going back to her old school and remembering her goals and dreams she had in high school have to come rushing back and make her want to do more with her life. Then when Jim proposes in the finale, I think she will want to delay getting married till she gets her life in order. I don’t think either one of them is really happy with where they are professionally and it isn’t the best idea to start a marriage till you get everything in your personal life in order.

  825. Yeah 1118, I completely agree. But I’m not sure if Jim proposes in the finale. Apparently the proposal thing is supposed to “climax” in “Did I Stutter?”. But it didn’t “heat up” last week like Ausiello said would happen, so who knows.

  826. the fact that Ausiello says engagement, and not just a proposal, is one of the options, makes me think the whole Jim/Pam thing will turn out for the best…but it could be that I’m just overanalyzing it. At this point, they seem like the only couple that WOULD get engaged, except for maybe Michael/Jan…

    Oh, and I’d heard that David Denman (!!!) and Melora Hardin were credited for “Goodbye, Toby.” Can someone confirm or deny this?

  827. Melora Hardin is definitely credited but I haven’t seen David Denman’s name anywhere in relation to the finale.

  828. So anyone else think the “quirk” of Pam’s might just be that she wears contacts and, after spending the night at Jim’s she either lost them or forgot to bring her solution? I was just thinking that because in the promo for “Did I Stutter?” it shows her wearing glasses.
    I can see Michael teasing her, calling her “four eyes” or something like that.
    Just a thought. Don’t know if anyone else has pointed that out yet.

  829. I do not want Toby to go. Who will Michael blame now for all the bad things that happen in the office? I wonder if all the writers will all leave the show at some point. B.J. left first. He is only in a few episodes. Now Paul. I hope Mindy stays.

  830. Does anyone else find it hysterical tht Dwight and Meredith are hazing the new HR rep? An odd paring, but funny nonetheless!

  831. The thing I find most funny is that Michael is finally giving Toby a party. (Remember how in Survivor Man, Toby explained to Jim that Michael scheduled a party for him at 4:58 on a Friday so no one would go?) Can’t wait to see what the writers are going to give us! May 15 can’t come soon enough.

  832. yes! i thought the meredith and dwight combo was pretty hilarious! i can’t wait for thursday. that’s probably the most obvious statement ever.

  833. Toby is not leaving. It’s just a cruel trick those writers are playing on us. The screen at the end will say, “This one’s for you, Tallyheads!” as Jim proposes and Pam looks at the camera uneasily.

  834. Am I the only one ok with Toby leaving? (That’s assuming he actually does- I’m sure there is a twist to the finale.) If I had to pick a character who would go (and wouldn’t have that much of an impact if he left) I would have picked Toby hands down. Michael can always find someone new to hate. Thoughts?

  835. i disagree that michael can easily find a new foil. toby is perfect. i love that michael hates the hr guy because that is the person who is always trying to stop him and curtail his crazy schemes. and then on top of that the character of toby himself is a perfect foil. he is low energy, quiet, rational, intellectual and a total eeyore to michael’s tigger. and i LOVE how resigned he is to the fact that michael hates him.
    if i could pick someone to leave i would pick ryan only because i feel that they have taken the character to an extreme and i am not sure of where they can go from here that would still be realistic and worthwhile and not seem contrived. he CAN’T replace toby, despite everyone’s theories. he isn’t in human resources and has NO qualifications to take over that job. that isn’t how the working world operates.

  836. I guess I can see your point. And I just want to make it clear- I don’t have a problem with Toby as a character. I am a Jam fan all the way but some of my favorite moments have come out of the Michael-Toby relationship. I do not think, contrary to some speculation that Dwight, Pam, or Jim can be removed from the office. The Pam-Jim element is very important but so are the Michael-Dwight and Dwight-Jim interactions (more pranks, please!).

  837. Aha! Sorry if this was already posted, but I think Pam forgot her contacts at home. She couldn’t get them before work and had to wear those big ol’ glasses that we see in the preview. That’s the harmless secret about Pam. Ohhhh snap =)
    I love sudden bursts of enlightenment!

  838. #1119 – I agree the Jim/Pam situation didn’t really heat up last week, so I am hoping that this week it heats up, Job Fair is where we see the “climax” … giving room in the finale for lots of JAM action! =)

  839. #1129–tuna, tuna, tuna

    Can I just say, kudos to you for your description of Toby as “a total eeyore to michael’s tigger”! It’s so true, and as a complete fan of all things Winnie the Pooh (well, the classic, stuff, anyway), I thank you for putting a little smile on my face today!

  840. i am also a fan of classic winnie the pooh, i loved the books growing up. thanks for the kudos and i am glad it made someone smile!

  841. I think Pam has to wear Jim’s boxers to work, because she forgets an extra pair.

  842. Let’s go with Pam and Jim get engaged (I don’t think they’d give Pam a pregnancy), Andy cheats on Angela, maybe Jan gets pregnant, or Toby’s house sets on fire and he can’t move to Costa Rica.

  843. 3 of the 6, involving Jim, Pam, Jan, Michael, Toby, Andy, Dwight, and Angela. Let’s see:

    1. Infidelity: Angela cheats on Andy with Dwight
    2. Engagement: JAM
    3. Pregnancy: Michael and Jan

    A death? Too serious (and already done)
    A fire? Too random (and already done)
    An outing? Already done

  844. Haha, here’s a thought that makes me laugh, even though I’m sure it wouldn’t happen: Jan goes Lesbian AND is pregnant with Michael’s baby, oh boy what a concept. Honestly, I highly doubt we will have another coming out. I like #1140’s idea!

  845. If something bad happens to Jim and Pam and they break up I will seriously stop watching the show… why do writers always do that?

  846. Okay at first I got really excited, and then I realized that Ausiello is probably just tricking us. I read the fine print and basically he says that it MIGHT be 3 of those 6 options and it might be NONE of them. So, speculation may abound but he could be in cahoots to throw us off the real trail.

  847. I totally agree with Shaun’s analysis. I’d love if little miss priss Angela was messing around with Dwight on the side! Brilliant! And come on, let’s get real, neither Jim nor Pam would cheat on each other. I still think he’s going to give her the ring wrapped up in the yogurt lid she gave him last year. I’d love to see a crazy Jan pregnant, Michael proposes assuming it’s his (wouldn’t that be a lovely story arc for next season!), and they get married. Re: Toby, hmmm. That’s a hard one (TWSS). A fire is a bit random. Perhaps he fakes being gay in order to get out of the embarassment of groping Pam’s leg?! It seems like he’d be so mortified by the situation that the only way out is to “out” himself!

  848. Since Toby most likely is staying, since Michael will most likely drive away the new HR person, what if Toby “comes out” to avoid the awkwardness of what he did?

    Plus him and Oscar could have some pretty funny conversations.

  849. Everyone should trust that the writers will not do anything to spoil the pleasure of watching the greatest post-Seinfeld comedy.

    Every season finale has deftly handled the surprise twists and turns. I am confident this year will be the same. Enjoy it.

  850. Well, we won’t know what’ll happen until the season finale airs right? Even Ausiello isn’t really sure about what is going to happen. They’ve done a pretty good job keeping a tight lid on things so far.

    Have faith guys, these people know how to write a season finale.

  851. i KNEW the new HR person would be a love interest for michael. that is great.
    i also think it would be great if jan were preggers although i am not sure how that works with the whole vasectomy thing.

  852. Ausiello already told us there will be an engagement so I think it’s safe to say that Jam will get engaged.

    1. Jim/Pam engaged
    2. Andy cheats on Angela (or Angela cheats on Andy w/ Dwight)
    3. Jan pregnant

    No fire, coming out, or death. But where does Toby fit into this? I guess we’ll know in 2 more weeks!

  853. GOODBYE TOBY: HE IS DEAD.

    Angela cheats on Andy with Dwight.

    JAM gets lit on fire (no, kidding, duh, engagement.)

  854. People: When Ausiello said “A Fire”, he was probably talking about someone getting fired, not someone setting a fire.

    Now that’s been said, here’s my prediction:

    JAM: engagement (obviously)
    Michael and Jan: pregnancy
    Firing: RYAN (I know that wasn’t on his list, but since he has a drug problem and DMI has been a total bust, I could see that happening)

  855. #1158- Ohhh. Like someone GETTING FIRED. That would be Toby. Convicted Rapist!

  856. If the thing that impacts JAM is infidelity, I will never watch this show again…so here’s hoping it’s engagement or pregnancy!

    I was happy to see Jan in that list, it would be funny if she “came out” – as in Michael turned her off all men!

  857. #1160- I’m opposed to infidelity as well. COME ON. That’d be insanely out of character. Who does either one of them like enough to cheat with?

  858. Anyone else worried that since we’re all predicting engagement for Jam, the writers will throw us a curveball? I really hope not but…and I totally agree that if infidelity affects them, I might be done with the show. That’d be way too far out of character.

  859. My predictions:
    1. Toby dies
    2. Jan gets pregnant
    3. Andy comes out

    Am I the only one who thinks that Jim’s fake-out proposal in “Chair Model” is as close to a JAM engagement as we’re going to get?

  860. 1164: Probably, though more might agree with you if we hadn’t actually seen the ring. It’s the Chekov’s gun principle; they wouldn’t have shown that to us unless it was going to come into play relatively soon.

    As far as my predictions:
    – Jan is pregnant
    – Jim & Pam get engaged
    – Angela cheats on Andy with Dwight
    Plus Toby’s moving to Costa Rica, so that’s how his life changes… I guess.

  861. The thing that throws me off is the grouping of names. If 3 of those 6 things are going to happen, then you would assume there would be three groupings of names in order for these things to affect all of these people…

    the obvious:
    -Angela, Dwight, Andy (possible infedelity)
    -Michael, Jan (either pregnancy, or Jan could be gay)
    -Jim, Pam
    …but then where does Toby fit in.

    To me the only logical place to fit his character in with the others is with JAM. But how? Will Toby get fired for violating his own HR rules with Pam?

  862. My guess is….

    1. Jam engaged.
    2. Ryan Fired.
    3. Death of Toby’s ex wife, he will have to take care
    of his daughter, so no Costa Rica. He is doomed to
    stay at DM forever.

  863. #1167- Way to think like a writer! And if Andy’s gay, he should SO hook up with Oscar.

  864. A JAM infidelity would be totally out of character, I agree but I am a little nervous with the fact that they always wanted to bring Rashida Jones back at the end of the season for another appearance.

  865. I love reading everyone’s theories. Jan turned off men forever? Hilarious!

    I hope that infidelity doesn’t affect JAM. I am afraid that they want us to think engagement, but it won’t happen. Besides, I thought we were supposed to find out in Did I Stutter. Tonight’s episode was supposed to be the one where it comes to a head. Why would we have to wait for the engagement until the finale?

    So many thoughts!

  866. This is a little out there, but hey this wouldn’t be called a guess.

    Toby gets Pam Pregnant?

  867. ok, I know this might sound stupid or whatever, but what if the infidelity is that Toby kisses Pam right before he leaves.

  868. My predictions….

    INFIDELITY: Angela/Dwight
    PREGNANCY: Michael/Jan
    DEATH: Roy dies

    I think JAM will already be engaged before the finale, so fingers crossed they elope :O)

    I still can’t make Toby fit in – maybe Michael fires the new HR woman and Toby stays??? (clutching at straws)

  869. Andy’s pregnant.
    Jim’s gay.
    Pam’s engaged to the ghost of Dwight. Oh yeah, Dwight’s dead.
    Angela cheats on Andy with Michael.
    Jan’s on fire.

  870. “A fire” and “a coming-out” could definitely be combined: Andy is a flamer!

    Although I suppose Arrested Development already did a take on this (T-Bone).

  871. My revised theory: Jim wins over his biggest client in Job Fair. He’s so excited and happy that he finally does a real proposal. But Pam’s spent all day at her old high school — this either leaves her happy to be the love of her life, or it leaves her dissatisfied with how her life has turned out. Either way, she says absolutely I will. Jim turns the table on Toby by having Pam file a complaint against him but Jim can tell him to forget about the incident if his performance review is revised. Ryan gets the boot from corporate — perhaps Michael volunteers to take him back instead of firing him completely (will Michael fight for love?). Jan comes back, possibly preggers, they get engaged. With both Ryan and Jan back in his life and a child on the way, Michael is finally happy. And Dwangela’s back! How’s this sound?

  872. I’m wondering if Jim and Pam not signing that relationship contract at the beginning of this season will come into play. Maybe Toby throws that in their faces and Jim will be forced to propose at the Office…even though it would be “lame”.

  873. I have a question Tanster, but I am not sure if this would be the correct page for it. I remember last year when the cast was talking about the alternate ending they shot for the finale. It seemed to hinge on weather or not Rashida’s new pilot would get picked up by Fox or not. Was that alternate ending ever released to the public or not? If not do you know if it ever will be?

  874. But what happens if Jim doesn’t land the big client? Then that would be even more of a set up and create more tension for the finale with a greater possibility of Jim getting the axe. I really hope Ryan (and Toby) are getting set up for a fall. I used to feel sorry for Toby but his character is just really unlikeable right now. And Ryan has always been sort of a tool. I hope Kelly is able to give it to him sometime soon.

  875. Does anyone think the writers would go so dark as to have Ryan OD and that death is an actual possibility? I only say this because each of the last two finales have had twists that no one saw coming. Everyone thinks its engagement/infidelity/pregnancy as the three that will play out with the possibility of someone being fired. I myself think that is too dark of a plotline for this show but Jenna said the person leaving is a shocker & no matter how much you think you have this show pegged it will surprise you.

  876. Wow, Mr. Poop (great name, btw), that is quite the theory, but you know what, it is quite plausible. And it would impact Michael greatly. And it is shocking. But is it too shocking for a “comedy”? Interesting thought…

  877. I don’t think Jim will get the big client just for the fact that it leaves things in play for the finale. By not getting the client, Jim’s job is still on the line and we are left to wonder who gets fired- him or Ryan.

  878. Just saw the promo for Job Fair. Dunder-Mifflin sends four people to the fair:Pam, Michael, Oscar and Darryl.

  879. #1172: Haha, I could see that happening! Phyllis with a baby … I think Michael’s reaction to that would be very funny indeed.

    Anyway, on a “Job Fair” note, I think that Jim will get his big sale. He is a capable salesman, when he wants to be, and I think he could definitely pull it off.
    My guess is that Jim finds out that he’s a terrible golfer. He then enlists Andy and Kevin to teach him so he can impress the client. And in the end, he lands the sale thanks to those two.

  880. Amy Ryan from The Wire. (Michael mentioned The Wire at the party episode with Ryan). Also, she starred in the film Dan in Real Life with Steve Carrell!

  881. 1193- Really? I just watched that movie last night! Who did she play?

  882. I really don’t think he mis-used “a fire” for “a firing.” So, I am guessing that is a joke. Remember the way he phrased this, the twists are among (OR NOT)…

    Assuming there is any truth to them, my vote is:

    Michael finds out that Jan cheated on him with Toby.
    Andy proposes to Angela, stealing Jim’s thunder when he was set to propose to Pam.
    Dwight and Michael, both in a jealous rage, end up setting something on fire.

  883. Mose!!! He better make an appearance now! I love Mose moments so much.

  884. My life gets a little better every time Mose is on the show. I’m excited to see him again :)

  885. Mose is awesome. Perhaps we will be seeing Dwight’s beet farm in Goodbye, Toby.

  886. MOOOOOOOOSSSSSE!!

    I kind of really want there to be another Office fire, even though I’m guessing that it’s rather unlikely. XD

  887. I too will never watch the show again if the twist is more roadblocks for Jam. There are so many other things that could happen without taking the sweetest part away from the office.

  888. Mose and the possibility of a fire in the finale? Anyone think Schrute farms will be burned down?

  889. okay for all of you who are worried that jim is leaving, read the article with kate flannery in the weekend tally section. jim is not going anywhere, its like michael and dwight, they are not going to take away jim and pam- they are an essential part of the show.

  890. Another office fire? I can see it now. Ryan burns down Corporate in “Cheesy Pita II: The Reckoning”

  891. I heard a wild rumor the other day that Toby’s character would die in a plane crash on the way to Costa Rica, and his child would then be taken care of by Michael.

  892. Eric, that was a dawesome comment.

    Brian confirms what I’ve always thought about Michael and Toby. It’s not that Michael hates Toby specifically, he just can’t stand anyone else being the daddy of the office, i.e. any corporate HR rep who he can’t order around. So he will have it in for the new HR person Amy Ryan as well. I’m sure she’ll be gone by the end of the episode, off to win another Oscar nomination.

  893. I’m really worried that Jim will get fired. I don’t mean that he’ll leave the show… they’ll work something out. But I just hate when he’s down – it affects the entire mood of the show for me since he is such an instrumental and likeable character.

    And oh my word how I want him and Pam to have a *squee* moment.

  894. Kristin and her oodles of useless spoilers. I really really hope Jan isn’t gone for good.

  895. 1203: I heard that rumor too. *ominous music* But apparently it was just someone updating the Wikipedia page, so probably not true…but who knows.

  896. 1999 i think that is a serious possibility. makes a ton of sense. especially in regards to a spinoff.

  897. It better not be Pam. Jan would be good – she and Michael wouldn’t have to get back together, but she would still be a part of the show. Or Kelly, that might be an unexpected plot twist. But again, please not Pam!

  898. Hmm..pregnancy on the show? If that’s true I have a feeling it would be Jan. That would bring her back into Michael’s life.

  899. 1181…I really like that theory!

    Does anyone know for sure wheather or not Roy will be in the season finale? I could just see him kissing Pam in a last ditch effort to win her back, and Jim walking in at the wrong moment. I’d like to say I hope that this doesn’t happen, but if he’s slated to appear I can’t think of any other reason for him to.

    Give us a JAM proposal, or at least something really sweet leading up to it.

  900. I really think that Kelly is the pregnancy. (Darryl’s baby.) Remember how in a past deleted scene Ryan says that Kelly likes to “forget” to take her birth control pills?

  901. Someone on IMDB predicted the pregnancy for Pam, the engagement for Michael and Jan, and the cheating for Dwight and Angela. Now that would be something!

  902. I hope that Pam is not the one with child. I think it should be Phyllis. Baby Vance, Vance refrigeration.

  903. Angela? Phyllis? Jan? Kelly? I think 1 of those 4 is pregnant (most likely Jan). I really hope Pam isn’t pregnant, that would ruin the show (too sitcomy).

  904. Phyllis is pregnant. There’s no way they’d go the obvious way and make it Pam or Jan.

  905. If Pam is the one who’s pregnant, I will blow my brains out.

    Hopefully it’s Kelly. She’s always wanted babies… ;)

  906. I think Ryan will intentionally burn something in a coke rage. Maybe Jim’s apartment, maybe DM Scranton…

  907. According to Dwight’s chart, isn’t Phyllis menopausal or even post. Still…would love to see a Vance baby!

  908. It’s really hilarious that in the Korbi TV poll, more people voted for Phyllis than Pam or Angela. But I am betting on Jan. Can’t wait to find out!!

  909. I think it’d be hilarious if Kelly was pregnant. Maybe when Ryan was coked up, he had a one-night stand with Kelly and it’s his baby!
    I would be okay with Jan being pregnant, too. Then Michael will always get the kid he has wanted!

  910. Looking at the organizational chart, and seeing that Madge is an option, I think she’s pregnant. The twist is that it’s Andy’s baby. Two birds with one stone, pregnancy and infidelity. Proposal… Ryan to Meredith.

  911. I hope it’s one of the minor characters who is pregnant. If Jan, Pam, or even Angela were, it would seem like too much of a sitcom cliche.

    The most logical, IMO, is Phyllis.

  912. My bet is that Angela cheats on Andy with Dwight and we’re gonna have a for real Dwangela baby!

  913. Jan’s totally going to end up being the pregnant one. I just feel it. I don’t think they’d add a JAM baby – before they even were engaged – and I think it’d be too Maury Povich if they went the Andy-Angela-Dwight who’s my baby’s daddy story-line. It has to be Jan. Especially with how much Michael’s pushing the “I want a kid” comment. AHHH!

  914. Has anyone else noticed this.. During the current NBC preview for Thursday night TV, right after The Office clips, they show the 30 rock clips. When Tina Fey is holding up all the pg tests they play a voice (sounding like someone on the phone) saying “I think I’m pregnant” or something like that. Is it me or does it sound like Pam?! I wasn’t even looking at the TV when it came on and I thought it was her.

  915. I know a lot of people are saying it’s Phyllis, but, and yes I spend too much time analyzing these things, the spoiler says “what a storyline it will be” and “this pregnancy has the potential to change everything,” which makes me think it’s definitely NOT a minor character (unless something totally ludicrous and unrealistic happens, like … Angela has Jim’s baby or something). Plus, wasn’t Phyllis menopausal on Dwight’s chart last week?

    1230: That’s Tina Fey.

  916. Ok, on the pregnancy thing…I had a brief flashback to Michael asking Jim if he would sleep with Meredith and thinking that Meredith might be pregnant….And then I remembered that she had a hysterectomy. How could I forget that? Dwight would be ashamed of me.

    Please, please let it be Jan or Kelly.

  917. I totally understand where people are coming from when they worry that pregnancy is too sitcommy…but don’t babies happen in real life? Sometimes truth is more crazy than fiction. I’m confident that if any show can handle a pregnancy with class and humor, it would be “The Office”.

    And if it does turn out to be a JAM baby…I’m sure we’d never see it…kind of like their relationship! :-D

  918. I bet Ryan will get busted for soliciting a prostitute. Just another thing to bring him down a peg. He is always talking about how great the girls in NY are, it would be funny if he had to resort to paying for sex. Even more humiliating if it would turn out to be a transsexual.

  919. Yeah, it’s definitely Jan. She and Michael expecting would make for that “what a story line..”

  920. Sorry to comment again, but the only way that a pregnancy would turn to ‘sitcomy’ is if the baby is born at the beginning of season 5 and by the end of season five has grown into a precocious five year old that wanders around the office and gives snappy one liners.

  921. if it’s jan who is pregnant I just thought about a problem : michael had a vasectomy…..twice

  922. I. Am. Brilliant.

    The pregnant woman is Meredith!

    I know what you all are thinking…she had a hysterectomy. But hasn’t Dwight always been suspicious of this, and that she lied to get a few weeks off? Hmmm…

  923. I don’t think it’s Meredith. That would not be that crazy of a plot twist. It’s Jan with either Toby or Hunter’s baby. It can’t be one of the office women because they would have to stay home with the baby and thus would not be on the show that much anymore. Jan has no job and sits at home all day.

  924. my predictions:
    1. Kelly is pregnant with Daryl’s baby. For a while, I was certain it was going to be Jan, but if Michael got 3 vasectomies, then that means the last one would have fixed him up good. So, no potential for a Jan/Michael baby.
    2. Jim/Pam engagement, obviously. I think most of us expect nothing less than that.
    3. Stanley is the one who is leaving. He has been sort of defiant lately, more than ever. He yelled at Michael, and left when Dwight told him not to. (At least the others had the decency to wait til Dwight left the room before they bailed.)
    4. (for the future) Jim will get a better job in NY or Philly, and Pam will be able to get a graphic design job. I think next season will entail Pam going through the classes to get to know graphic design programs. Maybe even some company that Jim sells to will offer him a job (that isn’t a joke and has way better pay).

    I don’t really know. I am just trying to come up with crazy scenarios to get me though the week till the finale.

  925. Vasectomies aren’t 100%, especially if you’ve had them reversed multiple times. A Jan pregnancy is still totally on the table.

  926. how funny would it be if meredith was preggers and so she had to give up drinking! that would change everything (for her) and seeing her go through that would be painful and hilarious to watch.
    i think when the show ends we will see jim and pam in philly, jim as a sportswriter maybe and pam doing graphic design. for now i think they will stay right where they are. i think that saving up for a wedding will keep them in these jobs for a bit longer.

  927. I think it’s Kelly. Remember, she enjoys not taking her birth control pills. Looks like Kelly and Barack Obama are having a baby!

  928. Maybe it’s Angela. They TOTALLY set her up with Dwight at the end of Job Fair. Infidelity…!

  929. It’s either:
    Jan
    Pam
    Angela
    Phyllis
    Meredith
    Kelly

    It’s gotta be one of them. Who can YOU most see getting pregnant? I betcha it’s Stanley.

  930. I think that Andy is leaving. In the opening credits of Job Fair it said “starring” Ed Helms like he’s not a regular cast member anymore. Maybe he’s gonna be on the spinoff.

  931. I’ve got it!

    Ryan gets fired.

    Pam will be promoted to some sort of marketing/design position.

    Michael will offer Ryan Pams’ old receptionist job.

    Also, I think Jan is a pregnant and gay.

    Totally plausible ;O)

  932. Can I ask a question? I’m honestly confused. Could someone who believes that the person who is “leaving” in the season finale is the person who will be in the spin-off explain why they think that? The spin-off does not happen until January, and many people have left The Office before and come back (Jim left at end of S2, was back before Christmas in S3, Andy left and came back, Oscar went on “vacation” and came back, Dwight was fired and back in what, an episode?) Spin-offs usually involve a peripheral character, not a major one. I’m just not getting the leap, I’m sorry. Can someone help? Did I miss a spoiler? Please? :D

  933. My predictions about the whole pregnancy thing based on previous episodes and Dwight’s flow chart…
    -Although Michael did have a vasectomy, they are not 100% so it could be Jan (or it could be Jan pregnant with Hunter’s baby, which doesn’t seem all that absurd).
    -It more than likely is not going to be Phyllis or Meredith because Dwight’s chart has them as post-menopausal.
    -I don’t think it will be Angela -would be hilarious though- because I think that would just be cruel of the writer’s to make Angela Kinsey wear the whole fake pregnant belly just after being pregnant (even if it wouldn’t be for a while).
    -It very well could be Pam. According to Dwight’s flow chart Pam’s period is the first of the month, so if she missed her period…well yeah…anyway.
    -Quite frankly though, I think it Kelly just because it is the least obvious.

  934. Ryan starts a fire at the DM corporate office!

  935. Will there be a season 5 ?
    1254 | Adam Sat. May. 10, 2008 at 10:41pm

    yes. you can read all about it in the season 5 spoilers section of office tally.

    i am also perplexed by everyone’s conviction that someone is leaving at the end of the season to go start the spin off. there has been NO indication that the 2 things are related. there has been SPECULATION about ed helms leaving but that is more kristen at e! saying “wouldn’t that be great!”

    in the interview with meredith (link at the top of this page) she says as far as she knows no one is going to the spin off. so yeah, it is all just speculation, you didn’t miss anything.

  936. 1. Pam is not leaving Dunder Mifflin, Jenna already told us that she and Steve aren’t leaving. But I guess she could get a graphic design job at DM.

    I doubt Jim will be fired or promoted but there probably be some drama with his job. Pulling Jim and Pam out of the office is a bad idea. Think about what the show would be like if they weren’t in Scranton. The writers wouldn’t do that to us.

    2. I don’t think Pam is pregnant. The Korbi article says “I will say that this pregnancy has the potential to change everything. And it’s also hilariously funny, too … That is, if you find comedy in hopeless situations that are anchored in deceit and despair, as I do!” Why would it be hilarious if Pam was pregnant? Jan and Phyllis being pregnant is hilarious. The word deceit makes me think that Hunter is involved if Jan is pregnant.

  937. Jan is totally the one pregnant. It makes sense. Ok, the first episode back from the strike was Dinner Party. Michael and Jan break up after that episode and she goes off to stay with her sister. Didn’t they say the next episode after Dinner Party would jump ahead in time? So that means that quite a bit of time has passed since Dinner Party and now. Jan hasn’t been in any of the episodes following dinner party because she is going to come back in the finale sporting a nice round baby bump! That’s why she hasn’t been in the episodes. Her belly is growing and we can’t see it til the finale. That has to be it. It makes sense.

  938. My guess, if there is to be a pregnancy it will be Jan. This will be revealed in a similar fashion to the boob job. Michael might hit it off with the new HR lady, only for Jan to waltz into the office rocking a full pregnant tummy. Cue disaster as Michael’s newly found happines is scuppered with the burden of dealing with a hormonal and now even crazier Jan.

  939. Ryan in trouble with the law? One character pregnant?

    My money’s on Stanley’s daughter.

  940. #1260- Way to think like a writer! Throw us all off! Or possibly Stacy is pregnant… that would be interesting!

  941. I, for one, am not really worried about the whole pregnancy thing. The Office is 2 for 2 in season finales, so I am confident they’ll hit it out of the ballpark once again. Even if it’s been a subpar season, the finales are something they know how to handle. That and Christmas episodes.

  942. Just a slight spoilerish revelation in BJ Novak’s NPR review: He says that in the finale, Toby is indeed leaving to move to Costa Rica.

  943. I really like the Stanley’s daughter is pregnant theory! Plus it would explain why Stanley’s been so grumpy lately (he’s really ticked off about this new development- cameras somehow find out about it in the finale.)

    I won’t go so far as to guess that Ryan is the father (which would be his brush w/ the law) – too soap opera-esque.

  944. Pregnant Pam = Not Funny

    Pregnant Jan = Funny

    Pregnant Jan + Daddy Michael = Scary Funny

    Pregnant Jan + Daddy Hunter = Tragically Funny

    Pregnant Phyllis or Meredith = Uncomfortably Funny

  945. Meredith had a hysterectomy and Phyllis is post-menopausal. Neither of them are pregnant. If anyone is pregnant, it has to be Angela,Kelly,Jan or Pam.

  946. I have this sneaking feeling that tonight Jim and Pam will show up with wedding bands on. No hoopla, no big announcement, just maybe something like Jim’s at reception talking to her with his hands on her desk, and then she puts her hands up there and the camera notices, and cuts to it. Then it cuts to a talking head of them together or of just Jim explaining his side or Pam explaining her side. I’m not sure either one cares that much of people in the office actually see them get married, and since this is “the office,” the camera doesn’t get to follow them everywhere and they could have had a subtle wedding.

  947. tuna tuna tuna (#1256) – thank you, thank you, thank you! I don’t feel alone now. :D

  948. I can’t take this anymore! I need to see the finale!!!

  949. I am so sad right now…why do I get the feeling that Jim and Pam are going to break up next season?

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