Christmas Party
Encyclopedia
"Christmas Party", alternately titled "Santa Claus is Coming to Scranton", is the tenth episode of the second season of The Office (U.S. version)—the show's sixteenth episode overall. It was written by Michael Schur
and directed by Charles McDougall
. It was first broadcast on December 6, 2005 on NBC
.
In this episode, the office throws a Christmas party with Secret Santas. Jim, having put a lot of effort into finding a gift for Pam, becomes frustrated when Michael makes everyone play Yankee Swap, and an iPod that Michael bought for Ryan becomes the hot object of the game.
" gift exchange at their Christmas party. Jim
received Pam
's name for the first time this year, and puts a great deal of effort into getting her the perfect gift (a teapot filled with some small items and a personal letter from him to her). Michael
buys a $400 video iPod as his gift to Ryan, far exceeding the $20 limit. He is disappointed by the handmade item he receives from Phyllis and introduces a "Yankee Swap
", in which someone can choose to steal someone else's gift or open a new one.
Jim is left feeling uncertain about the fate of his special present for Pam (which is eventually claimed by Dwight) while the staff guns for the iPod. Although Pam ends up with the iPod at the end of the swap, she elects to trade the iPod for Jim's gift that was meant for her to show her appreciation. While she goes through the various aspects of her gift, Jim sneaks the letter he wrote for her into his pocket.
After ruining his staff's mood, Michael disobeys company policy by buying an obscene amount of alcohol for the Christmas party to compensate. Everyone ends up having a good time, with the exception of Angela, who is furious that she received no appreciation for her efforts toward arranging the Christmas party, as well as the fact that Kelly makes advances on Dwight, whom Angela is secretly dating. The episode ends with a drunken Meredith exposing herself to a shocked Michael, who takes a picture and then quickly flees.
wrote them all into the script (the list was confirmed on the Season 2 DVD commentary for the episode). Many can still be seen in the background of certain scenes.
Afterwards, Pam traded the video iPod to Dwight for the teapot, and Kelly traded the book of short stories to Toby for the nameplate. Stanley ended up with the picture frame determined by process of elimination
. Ryan intends to give Creed's shirt "to a homeless guy".
The themed poster hangs on the wall in Angela's workspace below the large whiteboard calendar, and it catalyzed the events of "Conflict Resolution". It also appeared briefly in "Ben Franklin
".
The shamrock keychain can be seen briefly in "Traveling Salesman
" when Jim tosses his keys to Dwight.
Pam's teapot is used once again in "Branch Wars
" during the meeting of the Finer Things Club.
Michael Schur
Michael Herbert Schur is an American television producer and writer, best known for his work on the NBC comedy series The Office and Parks and Recreation, the latter of which he co-created along with Greg Daniels...
and directed by Charles McDougall
Charles McDougall
Charles McDougall is a British Emmy Award and BAFTA-winning director.-Biography:McDougall has directed for popular television series which include the pilot episode of ABC's Desperate Housewives . McDougall has also directed episodes of Queer as Folk on Channel 4 and Sex and the City on HBO...
. It was first broadcast on December 6, 2005 on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
.
In this episode, the office throws a Christmas party with Secret Santas. Jim, having put a lot of effort into finding a gift for Pam, becomes frustrated when Michael makes everyone play Yankee Swap, and an iPod that Michael bought for Ryan becomes the hot object of the game.
Synopsis
The office staffers hold a "Secret SantaSecret Santa
Secret Santa is a Western Christmas tradition, in which members of a group or community are randomly assigned a person to whom they anonymously give a gift. Often practiced in workplaces, or amongst large families, participation in it is usually voluntary...
" gift exchange at their Christmas party. Jim
Jim Halpert
James Duncan "Jim" Halpert is a fictional character in the United States version of the television sitcom The Office, played by John Krasinski. The character is based on Tim Canterbury from the original version of The Office...
received Pam
Pam Beesly
Pamela Morgan "Pam" Halpert is a fictional character on the U.S. television sitcom The Office, played by Jenna Fischer. Her counterpart in the original UK series of The Office is Dawn Tinsley....
's name for the first time this year, and puts a great deal of effort into getting her the perfect gift (a teapot filled with some small items and a personal letter from him to her). Michael
Michael Scott (The Office)
Michael Gary Scott is a fictional character on NBC's The Office, portrayed by Steve Carell, and based on David Brent from the original British version. Michael, the central character of the series, was the manager of the Scranton branch of paper and printer distribution company Dunder Mifflin Inc...
buys a $400 video iPod as his gift to Ryan, far exceeding the $20 limit. He is disappointed by the handmade item he receives from Phyllis and introduces a "Yankee Swap
White elephant gift exchange
A white elephant gift exchange is a popular holiday party game found primarily in North America. It has many variations in both the name and the game play. Generally, white elephant parties need a minimum of six participants. With a larger group, game play may be more protracted...
", in which someone can choose to steal someone else's gift or open a new one.
Jim is left feeling uncertain about the fate of his special present for Pam (which is eventually claimed by Dwight) while the staff guns for the iPod. Although Pam ends up with the iPod at the end of the swap, she elects to trade the iPod for Jim's gift that was meant for her to show her appreciation. While she goes through the various aspects of her gift, Jim sneaks the letter he wrote for her into his pocket.
After ruining his staff's mood, Michael disobeys company policy by buying an obscene amount of alcohol for the Christmas party to compensate. Everyone ends up having a good time, with the exception of Angela, who is furious that she received no appreciation for her efforts toward arranging the Christmas party, as well as the fact that Kelly makes advances on Dwight, whom Angela is secretly dating. The episode ends with a drunken Meredith exposing herself to a shocked Michael, who takes a picture and then quickly flees.
Deleted scenes
- Oscar and Creed move a desk.
- Phyllis confides to the camera that her new boyfriend is Bob Vance.
- Dwight compares humans opening presents to bears.
- Additional scenes from the Yankee Swap and its aftermath.
- Kevin sings Christmas in HollisChristmas in Hollis"Christmas in Hollis" is a single by Run-D.M.C. that was included on two 1987 Christmas compilation albums featuring various artists: A Very Special Christmas and Christmas Rap . A&M Records originally released the song as a single in 1987 off of the A Very Special Christmas album...
by Run DMC. - Angela scolds Kelly.
- Michael explains that Christmas is about seeing people envy the gift that you gave someone.
Christmas gifts
The following is a list of the Christmas gifts that were given amongst the employees for secret Santa. Though not all of the gifts are explicitly featured in the episode, Michael SchurMichael Schur
Michael Herbert Schur is an American television producer and writer, best known for his work on the NBC comedy series The Office and Parks and Recreation, the latter of which he co-created along with Greg Daniels...
wrote them all into the script (the list was confirmed on the Season 2 DVD commentary for the episode). Many can still be seen in the background of certain scenes.
| Secret Santa | Gift | Intended Recipient | Final Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael | video iPod | Ryan | Pam (Dwight)* |
| Dwight | paintballs and free paintball Paintball Paintball is a sport in which players compete, in teams or individually, to eliminate opponents by tagging them with capsules containing water soluble dye and gelatin shell outside propelled from a device called a paintball marker . Paintballs have a non-toxic, biodegradable, water soluble... lessons |
Phyllis | Michael |
| Jim | teapot Teapot A teapot is a vessel used for steeping tea leaves or a herbal mix in near-boiling water. Tea may be either in a tea bag or loose, in which case a tea strainer will be needed, either to hold the leaves as they steep or to catch the leaves inside the teapot when the tea is poured... and inside jokes In-joke An in-joke, also known as an inside joke or in joke, is a joke whose humour is clear only to people who are in a particular social group, occupation, or other community of common understanding... |
Pam | Dwight (Pam)* |
| Pam | drawing of the office | Meredith | Oscar |
| Ryan | book of short stories by George Saunders George Saunders George Saunders is a New York Times bestselling American writer of short stories, essays, novellas and children's books. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper's, McSweeney's and GQ, among other publications... |
Toby | Kelly (Toby)* |
| Kevin | footbath | Kevin | Kevin |
| Angela | picture frame Picture frame A picture frame is a decorative edging for a picture, such as a painting or photograph, intended to enhance it, make it easier to display, or protect it.-Construction:... |
Stanley | Stanley* |
| Oscar | shamrock Shamrock The shamrock is a three-leafed old white clover. It is known as a symbol of Ireland. The name shamrock is derived from Irish , which is the diminutive version of the Irish word for clover .... keychain Keychain A keychain or key chain is a small chain, usually made from metal or plastic, that connects a small item to a keyring. The length of a keychain allows an item to be used more easily than if connected directly to a keyring... |
Creed | Jim |
| Stanley | customized desk nameplate | Kelly | Toby (Kelly)* |
| Phyllis | knitted oven mitt Oven glove An oven glove, or oven mitt, is an insulated glove or mitten usually worn in the kitchen to protect the wearer's hand from hot objects such as ovens, stoves, cookware, etc.... |
Michael | Meredith |
| Meredith | "Cancún Cancún Cancún is a city of international tourism development certified by the UNWTO . Located on the northeast coast of Quintana Roo in southern Mexico, more than 1,700 km from Mexico City, the Project began operations in 1974 as Integrally Planned Center, a pioneer of FONATUR Cancún is a city of... " shot glass Shot glass A shot glass is a small glass designed to hold or measure spirits or liquor, which is either drunk straight from the glass or poured into a mixed drink.... es |
Dwight | Phyllis |
| Kelly | shower radio Shower radio A shower radio is a battery-powered radio that is waterproofed to allow it to be used in a bathroom or other wet environment. Some versions also include a CD player and/or a clock. Shower radios generally lack headphone jacks and AC adapter ports, which could short out or electrocute the user... |
Oscar | Creed |
| Creed | old, worn shirt | Jim | Ryan |
| Toby | themed poster Poster A poster is any piece of printed paper designed to be attached to a wall or vertical surface. Typically posters include both textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or wholly text. Posters are designed to be both eye-catching and informative. Posters may be... of babies |
Angela | Angela |
Afterwards, Pam traded the video iPod to Dwight for the teapot, and Kelly traded the book of short stories to Toby for the nameplate. Stanley ended up with the picture frame determined by process of elimination
Process of elimination
Process of elimination is a method to identify an entity of interest among several ones by excluding all other entities.-In education testing:...
. Ryan intends to give Creed's shirt "to a homeless guy".
The themed poster hangs on the wall in Angela's workspace below the large whiteboard calendar, and it catalyzed the events of "Conflict Resolution". It also appeared briefly in "Ben Franklin
Ben Franklin (The Office)
"Ben Franklin" is the fifteenth episode of the third season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's forty-third episode overall. Written by Mindy Kaling, who also acts in the show as Kelly Kapoor, and directed by Randall Einhorn, the episode first aired in the United...
".
The shamrock keychain can be seen briefly in "Traveling Salesman
Traveling Salesmen (The Office)
"Traveling Salesmen" is the thirteenth episode of the third season of the US version of The Office. It aired January 11, 2007. It was written by Michael Schur, Lee Eisenberg, and Gene Stupnitsky and directed by Greg Daniels. This is the first episode to use an abbreviated title sequence, presumably...
" when Jim tosses his keys to Dwight.
Pam's teapot is used once again in "Branch Wars
Branch Wars
"Branch Wars" is the tenth episode of the fourth season of the American comedy television series The Office—the show's sixty-third episode overall. Written by Mindy Kaling and directed by Joss Whedon, the episode originally aired in the United States on November 1, 2007 on NBC...
" during the meeting of the Finer Things Club.
External links
- "Christmas Party" at NBC.com