The Office Webisodes: The Accountants

the office webisodes

‘The Accountants’ was written by Michael Schur and Paul Lieberstein, and directed by Randall Einhorn.


July 13, 2006: #1, The Books Don’t Balance

Angela: It is not an accounting error! Well … it was not my accounting error.

Kevin: This is the first I’ve heard of it. They never tell me anything. (Smiles) I like it that way.

Angela: Michael said to stop by on the way out.

Kevin: Ooh, has anyone in the office bought anything nice recently?
Angela: That’s a very nice watch, Oscar.
Oscar: Yes, it is. My grandfather left it to me when he died.
Angela: I’ve never seen it before. He must have died very recently.
Oscar: Yes he did, actually. About three weeks ago.
Kevin reaches for Oscar’s hand across the table; Oscar reaches back.

80 comments

  1. The accountants seem much more upset about the missing money than Jan. Gotta love how Angela slips in “Michael wanted you to stop in on the way out.”

  2. Great start to the webisodes, I thought. Phyllis is so sweet! The “You don’t use it to buy refrigerators, Kevin!” was my favorite part, hands down.

  3. Definitely my favorite part as of now was when Kevin reaches across the table for Oscar’s hand. I laughed so hard, that the guy in the cubicle next to mine peered over the divider.

    Can’t wait for next Thursday. Any clue who’s next?

  4. Wow. I can see why the first webisode(s?) fell flat with critics during the premier at the NBC upfronts or whatever it was. These first two were relatively terrible.

  5. I liked # 1 and loved #2. Any 2-3 min clip that makes me laugh out loud (which I did in both) merits praise. I can’t wait till they call in Dwight.

  6. Angela says (in her myspace blog) she improvised a line in the first one. Which do you think it was? I think it might have been when she told Jan that Michael wants to see her in his office before she leaves. Maybe?

    Plain White Jim — relatively terrible? For real? I thought they were relatively great. Oscar taking Kevin’s hand — hilarious. And really the whole Phyillis one was great. I thought.

  7. Correction: Angela says she improvises a line in one of them — she doesn’t say which one. Hmmm. Maybe the “I knew it” about Phyllis?

  8. Any clue who’s next?

    Barry, Kevin says in his latest MySpace post that Meredith is next to be interrogated.

    I don’t know if this was posted but did you know they slightly changed the season 2 boxart?

    Art, yep, it’s posted on the DVD order page. :)

  9. I enjoyed them. They’re like small appetizers to tie us down till season 3.

    I added the webisodes to The Office Quote Battle so you can now add quotes for them and see how they matchu up. Just click my name to go there.

    Also “Off Topic”, I don’t know if this was posted but did you know they slightly changed the season 2 boxart? They added the other main characters. You can see it here

  10. I thought the webisodes were great. I agree w/ everyone else that Kevin was so awesome. That scene where he comforts Oscar was hilarious! And that comment Angela made to Jan about seeing Michael was great (i also think that was the line she improvised).

  11. My opinion: I think the Phyllis eps is freakin funny. Bring ’em on.

  12. well, it’s back to 4 torsos around a table. i dont want to sound too harsh, because i really do look at these as bonuses for the summer.

    and they arent too bad. pull a two minute clip of the minor characters out of an actual show and these would compare fairly well, i think, in terms of humor and character development. fairly well.

    my main complaint is they seem to be treating the accountants like they are a set. and for the most part the set just sits. i think if they would loosen up, let the characters split up, walk around, have more one on one interactions, these would feel alot more like the regular show. and they might come together into an ok little mini episode for the next dvd.

    but again, this is all bonus. i watch lost and 24, too, but i havent heard anything from either jack in a couple months now.

  13. What I’m looking for in the webisodes is straight out comedy. There just can’t be any character development, because each one is so short, and because it’s totally separate from the main story arcs.

    This week’s webisode was funny. They’ve been getting better each week, although this is the first one I’ve been able to deem “good.” Expecting anything more is just setting up for disappointment.

  14. Meh. I’m not too impressed with the webisodes so far. I think my favorite two moments are the hand-reach to Oscar, and Phyllis scooching back to her desk after being interviewed. It’s the little things that make me laugh. But mostly I’m not impressed.

  15. This week’s webisode is awesome. By far my favorite so far. Angela has never had shown so much emotion.

  16. This was DEFINITELY the best webisode yet! And it actually has some possible effect on Season 3! I mean, what if this thing with Roy and Angela actually develops? He DID say he would “do” her in “The Fire” episode. I’m certainly a Dwangela fan, but if this is where the writers are headed…bring on Rangela!

  17. I think the other hint was in “The Secret,” when Phyllis asked Angela in the kitchen, “Who do you think Pam should choose? Roy or Jim” Angela says “Roy” and then runs off. Hmmm. :)

  18. I agree: what happens in this webisode will probably resurface in season 3 and i am so excited! I, too, am a Dwangela fan (i would feel so bad for Dwight if he got hurt…as in dumped by Angela), but if Angela is needed to bring a kink in the works for Pam and Roy (other than Jim), then let’s do it! :-) Despite Angela’s crush on Roy, i don’t think it will amount to anything. Roy is defnitely not Angela’s type. Dwight fits perfectly for her.

  19. And there are alot of short cuts showing them together. I can only think of one now, it’s in Casino Night at 13:10 if you have it on itunes.

  20. This is the first time a talking head has been interrupted. Exciting. I still think my favorite is #4, Stanley.
    J

  21. Well we know that Roy thinks Angela is hot. In the fire episode when everybody is outside playing that game, when asked who he’d “do”, he says something to the effect of ” That tight-ass Christian chick from accounting”……….hmmmmm. I wonder if that’s where the crush started.

  22. Hey J, I thought of that too. It was almost like an outtake when Angela jumps out and tells him to shutup.

    Angela and Roy only makes sense to me if it’s a one-night stand kind of thing where she indulges her kinky side and he’s, well, doing what guys do.

    I dunno. I really can’t get my head around this one as a possible storyline, though it’s true there are a lot of hints and examples of them together. It just seems about as likely as Toby and Creed hooking up.

  23. Angela is now offically my favorite character on the entire show. Whatever comes out of her mouth I am laughing at. Come to think of it, she doesn’t even have to talk and I am already laughing. Now that is talent.

  24. Oh and there was one other time a talking head has been interrupted. In the Halloween episode when Michael interrupts Jim when he wants to talk to him in his office about firing Creed.

  25. I am in the process of watching the entire series again, and last night I watched episodes 105-202. Here are some thoughts:
    Maybe I’m crazy, but Jim and Roy would totally be really good friends if it weren’t for the fighting over Pam.
    Steve Carell really does have a very symmetrical face. (106, Hot Girl)
    In 201 (The Dundies), Michael calls Jim “Fat Halpert”. I forget when, but, later in the series, doesn’t he call him “Slim Jim”?
    In 201, Pam kisses Jim. I was listening to this psycologist talking about the recent Mel Gibson debacle, and he said your true feelings come out when you’re drunk. So, she totally likes Jim.
    In 202 (Sexual Harassment), did anyone else notices the smile when Pam’s Mom whispers “Which one is Jim?”

    About the last webisode, PB&J don’t appear in webisodes because it would be weird for them to be completely normal after Kiss II (Kiss I being in 201, and II being in 226, Casino Night), and because Jim could be in Stamford. However, Roy just appeared in a webisode. Which means, he probably has no idea. And he’s probably still engaged to Pam. Oh, and in an ultimate move of Office dorkiness, I watched webisode 5 a few times, and theres no wedding ring on his finger.

    Ponder all that.
    J

  26. I thought it interesting that David Denam does NOT have a beard in the Webisode. You’ll have to dig back into the “spoiler” threads to understand the possible significance of that. :)

  27. There’s been some question about the webisodes’ timeframe, whether it’s real-time or an unrelated storyline to the regular episodes. That would explain the reference to Roy getting married as opposed to being married.

    I admire your undertaking J. I want to watch them all before season 3, but I’m missing five, including The Dundies (201) and The Fight (206), which I won’t get far without. I hate to download them with the DVD coming so soon. I hope they re-run the ones I’m missing soon.

  28. I swore I would only download a few episodes on iTunes, esp. with so many excerpts available on YouTube, but I’ve ended up downloading all but maybe 3. I was probably a fool not to just purchase the whole set on iTunes, but I figure I’ll just support the show twice (on iTunes and DVD), it’s the least I can do for my favorite show. :)

  29. Towards the end I thought the camera angle was really strange when it was coming from slightly below and next to Kevin as he typed. Very funny Kevin moment at the end though!

  30. Webisode 6 is my favorite! Kevin is SOOO funny! But, I agree on the awkward camera angles at the end. The audio wasn’t even at the same levels. Seemed very amateurish.

  31. Oh my gosh, Kevin was absolutely hilarious in webisode 6! Loved it! I can always depend on him to give me a laugh on these webisodes.

  32. Yay Kevin! 4 to go!
    By the way, the last webisode will come out September 7th, exactly 2 weeks to the day before the season 3 premere.
    J

  33. Ok, sorry about the double post. But I have an idea.
    There should be some sort of webisode rating system just like the full episodes. Maybe 1-5 instead of 1-10. As opposed to just having a “Favorite Webisode” Poll at the end. And then they can be put in order and such. Just a thought. I mean, this is Officetally after all.
    J

  34. Hit enter too soon, and posted under the wrong thread. That was in reference to the season 3 promo. Nice non sequitir, no? Anyway….
    Classic webisode. They’re finishing strong. They should call them the Kevisodes, since he rules them.

  35. Oh, Kevin. Apparently he’s a Pistons fan. Good to know. (So am I). Haha. Oh yes, we did beat the Cavs. It was great.

    Anyways, funny about the new necklace. Definitely given to her by Dwight. Yes.

    Cliffhanger! They’re investigating Michael. Sweet.
    3 to go!
    J

  36. Good, but not great. It was weird that Kevin actually stole money, gambled it and then gave it back. I think they let the janitor who vaccumed up all the Halloween decorations write that webisode.

    Nice set up for the final three, though.

  37. I agree – this episode was very poorly written. Almost no funny lines in it. :P But maybe I’m just being picky because I just saw the best episode ever (The Injury)?

  38. Has anyone mentioned the thought that Angela could be cheating on Dwight with Roy? Roy mentions “the hot uptight christian” aka Angela, as the girl in the office that he’d hook up with in a previous episode where all the Dunder-Mifflin-ites are commenting on who they’d hook up with at the office. Now, in the recent webisodes, Angela admits to a crush on Roy….Maybe that’s why Roy was so “beat” on Casino Night? Maybe he’s schtupping Angela, and was anxious to meet up with her?!? Comments…

  39. Oops, I just read the previous comments. Guess I”m not alone in my Angela-Roy suspicions….I think Rangela would clear a wonderful path for Jam to start right up. However, I would hate to lose Angela on the show. She’s great! :)

  40. Oh man, these keep getting better. They had actual drama and character development crammed into the latest one. Angela actually caring what people think about her? Kevin calling her out for being mean? Oscar buying a new wok? How are they going to tie up all these loose ends???

    And when Kevin does the Animal House impression then says, “You guys are breaking my spirit,” I was hysterical. I know all too well what it’s like when people don’t laugh at your stupid jokes.

  41. You’re mean:

    Overall, just a weak one like the last one. We did get a passing glance at “Michael Scott.” That and the Kevin dance (which was not as funny as the idea sounds) were the highlights of the episode. We have another one of Oscar’s mysterious out of office plans that make sense to viewers who’ve seen The Secret. Another awkward Angela/Kevin interaction. And we discover, that deep down inside, Angela is a human being. Who doesn’t like being told that she is mean.

    It had such potential. I would have liked it more if “You’re Mean” had been combined with “Things are getting tense,” both seem like unecessary filler.

    Really, I honestly wanted to laugh at the Kevin dance. It just wasn’t funny. Maybe it wil be if I watch it tomorow afternoon. I think I was just mad that they weren’t in Michael’s office by then.

    The whole webisode tanked.

    I know, I’m mean.

  42. Wow. Maybe I’m alone in this, but so far, I haven’t been disappointed with any of the webisodes! Personally, I’m just taking the webisodes for what they’re worth (to me, they’re filler until September 21, and I’m happy with that because it means we get to see Office folk, even though it’s summer hiatus!).

    The show itself is still better, but the webisodes are giving us a nice glimpse into the dynamic between Kevin, Oscar, and Angela, which is something we don’t get to see much of in the show.

    In this webby, I think Kevin’s “dance” was brilliant. At first, I was like, “What the heck is he doing?” because it was just so OOC for him, but when he was trying to be all stealthy, I just burst out laughing.

    I’m eagerly waiting for next Thursday! Can we even begin to speculate on what they might find in Michael’s office? LOL

  43. Wow. Angela’s good side. Im legitamately excited for how that’s going to play into the series.
    J

  44. “When I say it out loud, it really doesn’t sound like a good idea.” Oscar’s my favorite. Next to Jim… and Dwight of course.

  45. “you guys are breaking my spirit” was the funniest line. My friend yells at the top of her lungs “you can’t break my spirit!!” at work and that reminded me of her. So good.

  46. I can’t believe the mixed reaction on this one. People really seem to either love it or hate it. I thought it was great. I admit that not a lot happened, but I wasn’t thinking about that after I watched it. I was actually thinking, ‘Damn, human Angela is hot!’

    J, you really think these’ll play into the real episodes? That would be cool if they did.

  47. OMG! #8 has to be my favorite, next to #5, “Roy and Angela sittin’ in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” LOL! When Kevin is doing his Animal House thing, so *beeping* hilarious! Can’t wait for the next one, and season 3!

  48. Wow, tanster, Quicken’s huge…you get a piece of that? ;)

    Even though very little “happened” in this webisode, I think it’s a fav. The mommy/child dynamic with Kevin & Angela makes me laugh.

  49. The real question is…how can I get my hands on one of those Dunder Mifflin snow globes?

  50. Eh. It wasn’t great, but it sets up well for an exciting webisode 10. webisode 9:webisodes::harry potter 5:the harry potter books. someone smart will understand that. The key line was pretty funny, and so true of michael.
    And, John and Jenna had once pointed out the Seyko cirtificate in an interview with Kristen from E!, but Im amused that its now official canon.
    Love!
    J

  51. Double post, and unrelated to the webisodes, so, two strikes in one post, but does any one know how to pronounce David Koechner (Todd Packer)’s last name?
    J

  52. Well, it only took me roughly 20 minutes to watch the whole thing on my computer at home, but oh well. J, great analogy!

  53. Do you think they showed the Dunder Mifflin snow globes in hopes that the fans would want them like they did with the Dwight bobblehead?

    Because it worked… Where do I get one?

  54. My company gave out snow globes to people who showed up for work during a blizzard a couple years ago. You can almost see Michael Scott conceiving that morale booster: “My comic genius and this snow globe will make these sad workers happy that they risked their lives to come to work on a day most people were smart enough to stay home.”

    A Dunder-Mifflin snow globe on my desk would be a very cool counterpoint to those blizzard globes.

  55. I’ve decided I think I know what happened. Michael spent the 3000 on the snowglobes which he was planning on giving out as a surprise to his employees, and didnt file the report yet as to not spoil the surprise, thus the missing money.
    The one blaring flaw: $3000 for snowglobes? Sheesh.

  56. wow best webisode of my life. the end was amazing. “this is the best day of my life” hahaha

  57. And to think that Angela could’ve avoided the Roy situation, the “you’re mean” situation, the obvious lie about the necklace– all if she had just been a little more of a perfectionist. Oh, the irony! Similar to when Ryan, of all people, started the fire. Except we felt sorry for him.

  58. hahahhaa that was brilliant. i love the semi-hidden near-hysterical glee in kevin’s voice at the end. and angela’s inability to apologize for leading them on a wild goose chase. and dwight…

  59. Completely different reactions here and on Northern Attack. I side with the sentiment here… loved it.

  60. Wow. Until September 21st, lets just say this was the best day of my life.

    Oh, and this is the second time this exchange has happened:
    {Oscar informs Angela of something}
    Angela: Oh.
    Keving: Yeah, oh.

    Well, I’d really like to watch them in succession. 2 Weeks left!!!
    J

  61. Lame. Seems like NBC put this lame plotline together to get some extra advertising dollars from FedEx Kinkos and Yaris while putting VERY limited dollars into production.

    The final webisode? Worst-Day-Ever. Not clever. Not funny. Not worth the 10 weeks of watching the entire crummy plotline.

    Hope the writing for the upcoming season doesn’t follow suit.

    What a crappy payoff for the ending.

  62. That’s just it- it’s not supposed to go anywhere. This happens all the time in the regular episodes. Hardly anything ever comes from anything at Dunder Mifflin- except characters becoming more and more like themselves. And that alone is worth watching. Way to go, Oscar and Kevin! Two more weeks!

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