Search Committee
Encyclopedia
"Search Committee" is the hour-long finale of the seventh season of the American television comedy series The Office. It is the 151st and 152nd episodes of the series overall and the 25th and 26th episodes of the seventh season. It was written by show runner and executive producer Paul Lieberstein
and was directed by Jeffrey Blitz
. It originally aired on NBC
on May 19, 2011 in the United States.
In the episode, Deangelo
's new replacement is sought out through a search committee process led by Jim
(John Krasinski
). Meanwhile, Angela
becomes engaged to her state senator boyfriend, Robert (Jack Coleman) while the rest of the office believes he is gay.
The episode featured several guest appearances including one from The Office co-creator Ricky Gervais
. The episode received mixed to negative reviews from critics. According to Nielsen Media Research
, "Search Committee" was viewed by an estimated 7.29 million viewers and earned a 3.9 rating/10% share in the 18–49 demographic, marking a rise in the ratings from the previous episode and the previous season finale.
in a coma, Dunder Mifflin-Sabre Scranton is left with Creed
(Creed Bratton
) as interim regional manager. Jo Bennett
(Kathy Bates
) puts Jim
(John Krasinski
), Toby
(Paul Lieberstein
) and Gabe
(Zach Woods
) into a committee to interview candidates for the manager position, including Andy
(Ed Helms
), Darryl
(Craig Robinson) and a number of outsiders, including a personal friend of hers, Nellie Bertram (Catherine Tate
), who suggests various strange methods for running an office, including a "zen garden" theme and removal of all official titles for Dunder Mifflin Scranton. Pam (Jenna Fischer
) takes it upon herself to protect the office and their clients from Creed's haphazard managerial style, such as distracting him with activities and pretending to be their own clients when Creed has Jordan (Cody Horn
) contact them.
Dwight
(Rainn Wilson
), still upset over being demoted by Jo, stops taking care of himself, and openly looks through want ads in the office. His attitude changes when he speaks with applicant Robert California
(James Spader
), who disparages the position and the office. Merv ruins his interview, and Dwight becomes incensed that the position might go to someone who doesn't take it seriously. He demands to be interviewed, and while Jim balks, after Dwight's persistent efforts to acquire an interview, Jo instructs Jim to grant him one, as she likes "a little bit of crazy."
Darryl thinks his popularity with the staff will make him a shoo-in, so he thinks he doesn't have to do an interview like everyone else. He is caught off guard when he actually must do an interview and they ask for his resume. Darryl writes up an overly-extensive four page resume, which Jo quickly derides, though Jim encourages Darryl by saying that the interview and resume are mere formalities for him. When Andy interviews for the manager position, Gabe hijacks the meeting in an attempt to sabotage him by asking random trivia questions, most of which Andy is able to successfully answer, although Andy is still frustrated in the end. Gabe is also dismissive of Kelly
(Mindy Kaling
) during her interview. Kelly exacts revenge by telling Jo about his relationship with Erin
(Ellie Kemper
) and his harassing behavior after their breakup. In response, Jo sends Gabe back to Sabre's Florida headquarters, and installs Kelly in Gabe's position on the search committee. Jim eventually takes the discussion to the entire office, but the discussion gets out of control, and Jim brings the committee back to the conference room.
Phyllis (Phyllis Smith) and Erin await the results of a DNA test to see if Erin is the daughter previously given up by Phyllis in high school. The results are negative, but Phyllis holds off on telling Erin after Andy rejects Erin's proposal to start dating again, and continues to show maternal affection toward her.
Meanwhile, Angela
(Angela Kinsey
) becomes engaged to her state senator boyfriend, Robert. Oscar
(Oscar Nunez
), who strongly believes that Robert is gay, shares his feelings with Pam, and the rest of the office. They eventually decide not to tell Angela for a wide range of reasons—not everyone is sure Robert is gay, Oscar is looking forward to the elegant wedding, and Pam doesn't think it's anyone's right to blurt out that information.
, who also plays Toby Flenderson
on the show, his 14th writing credit of the series. The episode was directed by Jeffrey Blitz
, the ninth episode he has directed for the series. The episode features special guest appearances from Ricky Gervais
(as his character David Brent
from the original British version of The Office
), Catherine Tate
, Will Arnett
, Ray Romano
, James Spader
, Jim Carrey
, Cody Horn
and Warren Buffett
. Gervais previously appeared in the episode "The Seminar
", and co-wrote the episodes "Pilot" and "The Convict
"; he also serves as an executive producer for the series. In addition to appearing in "Search Committee", Gervais contributed to the episode script. Initially the guest stars were planned to be a secret, before all were revealed to the media. Lieberstein described the moments with the guest stars in the episode as "more than a montage. It's a number of scenes. We fit it in. We stuff it in".
The episode script was initially 75 pages long, 10 pages too long to stay within the episode's time slot; this led to several cuts, a common problem for episodes of the series according to writer, B.J. Novak. The script received several laughs from the cast and producers specifically for lines read by Creed Bratton
and Kathy Bates
. "Search Committee" was one of the first episodes not to feature former Office lead actor Steve Carell
; the feeling during filming was "weird" according to Lieberstein. Carell's departure made it possible for more scenes with secondary characters, and also allowed for the "very long group scene", described as "observational and conversational" by Novak. The episode features a storyline hinted in "Goodbye, Michael
" in which it is hinted that Phyllis is Erin's birth mother. The rumor was started during an interview with executive producer Greg Daniels
with Entertainment Weekly in which he stated "A tiny mystery story – which I'm not sure anyone’s going to catch and will come out a few episodes from now – is being set up here".
The episode also marks the third appearance of Cody Horn
as Jordan Garfield, Deangelo's executive assistant, and the first of three new roles since Carell's departure. The role was originally said to be recurring at first with a chance of her becoming a series regular in the eighth season. She eventually did not return for the eighth season
. Immediately after "Search Committee" first aired, NBC
posted Andy, Dwight and Darryl's resume on their official website and allowed fans to vote for who they believed should be the manager. Spader would later join the cast as CEO of Sabre in the eighth season
while Tate is currently set to return in the second half of the eighth season. In the eighth season premiere, "The List
", Andy was revealed to be the new manager. Arnett was considered a high possibility to appear on the series, but could not due to his commitment to the NBC comedy series Up All Night
.
and asks whether they still have Clippy, an unpopular feature from Microsoft Office
. Phyllis mentions that many babies were born in 1982 due to the release of the comedy film, Porky's
. Ryan insults Pam, saying that she would prefer Rachael Ray
or the hosts of The View as the new manager. At one point in the episode, Angela says "It's a little flashy. I mean, what am I, Naomi Judd
?", a reference to the country music
singer.
, and a rise from the sixth season finale, "Whistleblower
". The episode became the highest rated scripted program on Thursday and ranked first in its timeslot, beating the season finales for Grey's Anatomy
, Bones
and The Mentalist
. "Search Committee" was the seventh most-watched scripted show for the week of broadcast among adults aged 18–49.
reviewer Cindy White commented that "it's more apparent than ever that 'Goodbye, Michael' should have ended the season, if not the series," and that "the show is just spinning its wheels now". Despite this, she praised the scenes featuring Creed Bratton
and James Spader
, believing Bratton's performance consisted of "the funniest scenes of the episode", and that Spader "was given the meatiest part, gamely channeling his dominating boss role from Secretary
". White ultimately gave the episode a 6.5/10, calling it "Okay". TV Squad writer Joel Keller criticized the episode for not featuring a true plot, writing that "this felt like a series of sketches in search of a plot." The Office co-creator Ricky Gervais also commented on the outlandishness, particularly Warren Buffett
's appearance, saying "If you're going to jump a shark
, jump a big one." He also compared the episode to the Chris Martin
episode of Gervais's other series, Extras. The shark quote was repeated multiple times on other media outlets; Gervais eventually commented that "I fucking didn't [diss The Office], that's for sure."
Alan Sepinwall of HitFix
referred to the episode as a "bumpy, awkward, great big mess of a finale" and a "very poorly-executed sweeps stunt". He also wrote that the guest stars "did not fit comfortably into the world of the show". Entertainment Weekly
writer Hillary Busis called the episode a "major cop out" and criticized the writers for having a whole year to figure out how to end the season, but instead waiting to announce the new manager in the fall. She ultimately concluded that "I don't love some of the choices the show has made recently" and that "the show has just been spinning its wheels for the past several weeks". Many critics expressed relief that Erin and Phyllis were not mother and daughter. "Search Committee" was voted the fourth lowest-rated episode out of 24 from the seventh season, according to an episode poll at the fansite OfficeTally; the episode was rated 6.93 out of 10. In another poll, "Search Committee" was voted the thirteenth-highest rated episode out of 24 from the seventh season, according to a "Survivor" poll by OfficeTally.
Paul Lieberstein
Paul Bevan Lieberstein is an American screenwriter, actor and television producer. An Emmy Award winner, he is most widely known as a writer, producer, and as supporting cast member Toby Flenderson on the U.S...
and was directed by Jeffrey Blitz
Jeffrey Blitz
Jeffrey Blitz is an American film director, producer and screenwriter from Ridgewood, New Jersey. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his 2002 documentary, Spellbound and he won the Dramatic Directing Prize at the Sundance Film Festival for his 2007 film, Rocket Science.Blitz won the 2009...
. It originally aired 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...
on May 19, 2011 in the United States.
In the episode, Deangelo
Deangelo Vickers
Deangelo Jeremitrius Vickers is a fictional character in the television series The Office. Played by actor Will Ferrell, Vickers was Michael Scott's replacement as Branch Manager during the end of Season 7, since Michael was moving to Colorado with his fiancee Holly...
's new replacement is sought out through a search committee process led by 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...
(John Krasinski
John Krasinski
John Burke Krasinski is an American actor, film director, and writer. He is most widely known for playing Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom The Office...
). Meanwhile, Angela
Angela Martin
Angela Noelle Martin is a fictional character from the US television series The Office played by American actress Angela Kinsey. She is an original character, and has no equivalent in the British version of the show, The Office.-Overview:...
becomes engaged to her state senator boyfriend, Robert (Jack Coleman) while the rest of the office believes he is gay.
The episode featured several guest appearances including one from The Office co-creator Ricky Gervais
Ricky Gervais
Ricky Dene Gervais is an English comedian, actor, director, radio presenter, producer, musician, and writer.Gervais achieved mainstream fame with his television series The Office and the subsequent series Extras, both of which he co-wrote and co-directed with friend and frequent collaborator...
. The episode received mixed to negative reviews from critics. According to Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
, "Search Committee" was viewed by an estimated 7.29 million viewers and earned a 3.9 rating/10% share in the 18–49 demographic, marking a rise in the ratings from the previous episode and the previous season finale.
Synopsis
With Deangelo VickersDeangelo Vickers
Deangelo Jeremitrius Vickers is a fictional character in the television series The Office. Played by actor Will Ferrell, Vickers was Michael Scott's replacement as Branch Manager during the end of Season 7, since Michael was moving to Colorado with his fiancee Holly...
in a coma, Dunder Mifflin-Sabre Scranton is left with Creed
Creed Bratton (character)
Creed Rowland Bratton a.k.a. "William Charles Schneider" is a fictional character from the U.S. television series The Office. Confusion may arise from the fact that the character is played by and partially based on the musician of the same name, Creed Bratton...
(Creed Bratton
Creed Bratton
Creed Bratton is an American actor and musician, a former member of The Grass Roots...
) as interim regional manager. Jo Bennett
Jo Bennett
Joleen MaryAnn "Jo" Bennett is a fictional character from the US comedy television series The Office, who first appeared in Season 6. She is the CEO of Sabre, who purchased Dunder Mifflin, and is played by Kathy Bates.-Biography:...
(Kathy Bates
Kathy Bates
Kathleen Doyle "Kathy" Bates is an American actress and director.After several small roles in film and television, Bates rose to prominence with her performance in Misery , for which she won both the Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe...
) puts 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...
(John Krasinski
John Krasinski
John Burke Krasinski is an American actor, film director, and writer. He is most widely known for playing Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom The Office...
), Toby
Toby Flenderson
Toby Wyatt Flenderson, M.S.W. born 1971 is a character from the US television series The Office. He is played by Paul Lieberstein. He is an original character and has no equivalent in the British version of the show, The Office.-Overview:...
(Paul Lieberstein
Paul Lieberstein
Paul Bevan Lieberstein is an American screenwriter, actor and television producer. An Emmy Award winner, he is most widely known as a writer, producer, and as supporting cast member Toby Flenderson on the U.S...
) and Gabe
Gabe Lewis
Gabriel Stuart "Gabe" Lewis is a fictional character on NBC's The Office. He first appears in the sixth season, where he is the Coordinating Director of Emerging Regions for the Sabre Corporate headquarters in Florida...
(Zach Woods
Zach Woods
Zach Woods is an American actor and comedian. From 2010-11, he portrayed Gabe Lewis on the NBC sitcom The Office. He was promoted to a series regular beginning in Season 7....
) into a committee to interview candidates for the manager position, including Andy
Andy Bernard
Andrew "Andy" Baines Bernard is a fictional character from the U.S. television series The Office. The character is highly insecure, yet egotistical, constantly mentioning his education at Cornell University...
(Ed Helms
Ed Helms
Edward Paul "Ed" Helms is an American actor and comedian known for his work as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, as Andy Bernard on the US version of the sitcom/mockumentary The Office and for his role as Dr. Stu Price in The Hangover films.- Early life :Helms was born and raised...
), Darryl
Darryl Philbin
Darryl Mathias Philbin is a fictional character from the US television series The Office. He is played by Craig Robinson.-Overview:Darryl Philbin is the foreman of the warehouse of the Scranton branch of fictitious paper distributor Dunder Mifflin....
(Craig Robinson) and a number of outsiders, including a personal friend of hers, Nellie Bertram (Catherine Tate
Catherine Tate
Catherine Tate is an English actress, writer, and comedian. She has won numerous awards for her work on the sketch comedy series The Catherine Tate Show as well as being nominated for an International Emmy Award and four BAFTA Awards...
), who suggests various strange methods for running an office, including a "zen garden" theme and removal of all official titles for Dunder Mifflin Scranton. Pam (Jenna Fischer
Jenna Fischer
Regina Marie "Jenna" Fischer is an American actress and director. She is most widely known for her Emmy-nominated portrayal of Pam Halpert on the NBC situation comedy and mockumentary The Office, and has also appeared in several films, including Blades of Glory, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story,...
) takes it upon herself to protect the office and their clients from Creed's haphazard managerial style, such as distracting him with activities and pretending to be their own clients when Creed has Jordan (Cody Horn
Cody Horn
Cody Horn is an American actress and model, and the daughter of entertainment executive Alan F. Horn. She has appeared on Rescue Me and guest starred on 3 episodes of The Office. She also played Lynetta Loski in the 2010 movie Flipped.- Film :- Television :-External links:...
) contact them.
Dwight
Dwight Schrute
Dwight Kurt Schrute III is a character on NBC's The Office portrayed by Rainn Wilson. He originally exactly resembled Gareth Keenan from the original UK version of The Office. Dwight is the top salesman and former acting manager for the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company and has won numerous awards for...
(Rainn Wilson
Rainn Wilson
Rainn Dietrich Wilson is an American actor and comedian. He is primarily known for his role as the egomaniacal Dwight Schrute on the American version of the television comedy The Office...
), still upset over being demoted by Jo, stops taking care of himself, and openly looks through want ads in the office. His attitude changes when he speaks with applicant Robert California
Robert California
Robert California is a fictional character on The Office, played by James Spader. He has no counterpart on the original British version of the series.- Season 7 :...
(James Spader
James Spader
James Todd Spader is an American actor best known for his eccentric roles in movies such as Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Crash, Stargate, and Secretary...
), who disparages the position and the office. Merv ruins his interview, and Dwight becomes incensed that the position might go to someone who doesn't take it seriously. He demands to be interviewed, and while Jim balks, after Dwight's persistent efforts to acquire an interview, Jo instructs Jim to grant him one, as she likes "a little bit of crazy."
Darryl thinks his popularity with the staff will make him a shoo-in, so he thinks he doesn't have to do an interview like everyone else. He is caught off guard when he actually must do an interview and they ask for his resume. Darryl writes up an overly-extensive four page resume, which Jo quickly derides, though Jim encourages Darryl by saying that the interview and resume are mere formalities for him. When Andy interviews for the manager position, Gabe hijacks the meeting in an attempt to sabotage him by asking random trivia questions, most of which Andy is able to successfully answer, although Andy is still frustrated in the end. Gabe is also dismissive of Kelly
Kelly Kapoor
Kelly Rajnigandha Kapoor , is a fictional character from the US television series, The Office. She is played by Mindy Kaling, who is also a writer and producer for the show....
(Mindy Kaling
Mindy Kaling
Vera Mindy Chokalingam , better known as Mindy Kaling, is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer who plays Kelly Kapoor on the NBC sitcom The Office. Kaling is also a co-executive producer and writer of several of the show's episodes.-Early life:Kaling was born Vera Chokalingam in...
) during her interview. Kelly exacts revenge by telling Jo about his relationship with Erin
Erin Hannon
Kelly Erin Hannon is a fictional character from the U.S. television series The Office. She is the office receptionist for the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin, a position previously held by Pam Halpert before she left the company. Erin is played by Ellie Kemper...
(Ellie Kemper
Ellie Kemper
Elizabeth Claire "Ellie" Kemper is an American actress, comedian and writer best known for her role as Erin Hannon in NBC's The Office.-Personal life:...
) and his harassing behavior after their breakup. In response, Jo sends Gabe back to Sabre's Florida headquarters, and installs Kelly in Gabe's position on the search committee. Jim eventually takes the discussion to the entire office, but the discussion gets out of control, and Jim brings the committee back to the conference room.
Phyllis (Phyllis Smith) and Erin await the results of a DNA test to see if Erin is the daughter previously given up by Phyllis in high school. The results are negative, but Phyllis holds off on telling Erin after Andy rejects Erin's proposal to start dating again, and continues to show maternal affection toward her.
Meanwhile, Angela
Angela Martin
Angela Noelle Martin is a fictional character from the US television series The Office played by American actress Angela Kinsey. She is an original character, and has no equivalent in the British version of the show, The Office.-Overview:...
(Angela Kinsey
Angela Kinsey
Angela Kinsey is an American actress. She currently appears as the uptight accountant Angela Martin on the hit NBC television series The Office.-Personal life:...
) becomes engaged to her state senator boyfriend, Robert. Oscar
Oscar Martinez
Oscar Jual Paul Martinez is a fictional character from the US television series The Office. He is played by Oscar Nunez.-Overview:Oscar Martinez is an accountant at the paper distributor Dunder Mifflin. He is a first generation Mexican-American. Oscar is also openly homosexual after being...
(Oscar Nunez
Oscar Nunez
Oscar Nunez , sometimes credited as Oscar Núñez, is a Cuban American actor and comedian.He currently appears as Dunder Mifflin's paper supply accountant, Oscar Martinez, on NBC's The Office.-Career:...
), who strongly believes that Robert is gay, shares his feelings with Pam, and the rest of the office. They eventually decide not to tell Angela for a wide range of reasons—not everyone is sure Robert is gay, Oscar is looking forward to the elegant wedding, and Pam doesn't think it's anyone's right to blurt out that information.
Production
"Search Committee" was written by executive producer Paul LiebersteinPaul Lieberstein
Paul Bevan Lieberstein is an American screenwriter, actor and television producer. An Emmy Award winner, he is most widely known as a writer, producer, and as supporting cast member Toby Flenderson on the U.S...
, who also plays Toby Flenderson
Toby Flenderson
Toby Wyatt Flenderson, M.S.W. born 1971 is a character from the US television series The Office. He is played by Paul Lieberstein. He is an original character and has no equivalent in the British version of the show, The Office.-Overview:...
on the show, his 14th writing credit of the series. The episode was directed by Jeffrey Blitz
Jeffrey Blitz
Jeffrey Blitz is an American film director, producer and screenwriter from Ridgewood, New Jersey. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his 2002 documentary, Spellbound and he won the Dramatic Directing Prize at the Sundance Film Festival for his 2007 film, Rocket Science.Blitz won the 2009...
, the ninth episode he has directed for the series. The episode features special guest appearances from Ricky Gervais
Ricky Gervais
Ricky Dene Gervais is an English comedian, actor, director, radio presenter, producer, musician, and writer.Gervais achieved mainstream fame with his television series The Office and the subsequent series Extras, both of which he co-wrote and co-directed with friend and frequent collaborator...
(as his character David Brent
David Brent
David Brent is a fictional character in the BBC television mockumentary The Office, as well as a recurring character in the NBC series of the same name, portrayed by co-writer and director Ricky Gervais. Brent is a white-collar office middle-manager and the principal character of the BBC series...
from the original British version of The Office
The Office (UK TV series)
The Office is a British sitcom television series that was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 9 July 2001. Created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the programme is about the day-to-day lives of office employees in the Slough branch of the fictitious...
), Catherine Tate
Catherine Tate
Catherine Tate is an English actress, writer, and comedian. She has won numerous awards for her work on the sketch comedy series The Catherine Tate Show as well as being nominated for an International Emmy Award and four BAFTA Awards...
, Will Arnett
Will Arnett
William Emerson "Will" Arnett is a Canadian actor and comedian best known for his role as George Oscar "G.O.B." Bluth II on the Fox comedy Arrested Development. He is also known for his role as Devon Banks on the NBC comedy 30 Rock. Since his success on Arrested Development, Arnett has landed major...
, Ray Romano
Ray Romano
Raymond Albert "Ray" Romano is an American actor, writer and stand-up comedian, best known for his roles on the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond and in the Ice Age film series. He recently starred in the TNT comedy-drama Men of a Certain Age.-Early life:Romano was born in Queens, New York to Italian...
, James Spader
James Spader
James Todd Spader is an American actor best known for his eccentric roles in movies such as Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Crash, Stargate, and Secretary...
, Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
, Cody Horn
Cody Horn
Cody Horn is an American actress and model, and the daughter of entertainment executive Alan F. Horn. She has appeared on Rescue Me and guest starred on 3 episodes of The Office. She also played Lynetta Loski in the 2010 movie Flipped.- Film :- Television :-External links:...
and Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett
Warren Edward Buffett is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is widely regarded as one of the most successful investors in the world. Often introduced as "legendary investor, Warren Buffett", he is the primary shareholder, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He is...
. Gervais previously appeared in the episode "The Seminar
The Seminar
"The Seminar" is the fourteenth episode of seventh season of the American comedytelevision series The Office, and the show's 140th episode overall. Written by Steve Hely and directed by B. J. Novak, the episode aired January 27, 2011 on NBC....
", and co-wrote the episodes "Pilot" and "The Convict
The Convict
"The Convict" is ninth episode of the third season of The Office . It aired on November 30, 2006 on NBC. It was written by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant specifically for the U.S. series...
"; he also serves as an executive producer for the series. In addition to appearing in "Search Committee", Gervais contributed to the episode script. Initially the guest stars were planned to be a secret, before all were revealed to the media. Lieberstein described the moments with the guest stars in the episode as "more than a montage. It's a number of scenes. We fit it in. We stuff it in".
The episode script was initially 75 pages long, 10 pages too long to stay within the episode's time slot; this led to several cuts, a common problem for episodes of the series according to writer, B.J. Novak. The script received several laughs from the cast and producers specifically for lines read by Creed Bratton
Creed Bratton
Creed Bratton is an American actor and musician, a former member of The Grass Roots...
and Kathy Bates
Kathy Bates
Kathleen Doyle "Kathy" Bates is an American actress and director.After several small roles in film and television, Bates rose to prominence with her performance in Misery , for which she won both the Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe...
. "Search Committee" was one of the first episodes not to feature former Office lead actor Steve Carell
Steve Carell
Steven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...
; the feeling during filming was "weird" according to Lieberstein. Carell's departure made it possible for more scenes with secondary characters, and also allowed for the "very long group scene", described as "observational and conversational" by Novak. The episode features a storyline hinted in "Goodbye, Michael
Goodbye, Michael
"Goodbye, Michael" is the twenty-second episode of the seventh season of the American comedy series The Office and the show's 148th episode overall. The episode was written by series developer and executive producer Greg Daniels and was directed by Paul Feig. The episode originally aired on April...
" in which it is hinted that Phyllis is Erin's birth mother. The rumor was started during an interview with executive producer Greg Daniels
Greg Daniels
Gregory Martin "Greg" Daniels is an American television comedy writer, producer, and director.-Life and career:...
with Entertainment Weekly in which he stated "A tiny mystery story – which I'm not sure anyone’s going to catch and will come out a few episodes from now – is being set up here".
The episode also marks the third appearance of Cody Horn
Cody Horn
Cody Horn is an American actress and model, and the daughter of entertainment executive Alan F. Horn. She has appeared on Rescue Me and guest starred on 3 episodes of The Office. She also played Lynetta Loski in the 2010 movie Flipped.- Film :- Television :-External links:...
as Jordan Garfield, Deangelo's executive assistant, and the first of three new roles since Carell's departure. The role was originally said to be recurring at first with a chance of her becoming a series regular in the eighth season. She eventually did not return for the eighth season
The Office (U.S. season 8)
The eighth season of the American television comedy The Office premiered on September 22, 2011 on NBC. The Office is an American adaptation of the British TV series of the same name, and is presented in a mockumentary format, portraying the daily lives of office employees in the Scranton,...
. Immediately after "Search Committee" first aired, 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...
posted Andy, Dwight and Darryl's resume on their official website and allowed fans to vote for who they believed should be the manager. Spader would later join the cast as CEO of Sabre in the eighth season
The Office (U.S. season 8)
The eighth season of the American television comedy The Office premiered on September 22, 2011 on NBC. The Office is an American adaptation of the British TV series of the same name, and is presented in a mockumentary format, portraying the daily lives of office employees in the Scranton,...
while Tate is currently set to return in the second half of the eighth season. In the eighth season premiere, "The List
The List (The Office)
"The List" is the eighth season premiere of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 153rd episode overall. The episode original aired on NBC in the United States on September 22, 2011. It was written and directed by executive producer B. J. Novak...
", Andy was revealed to be the new manager. Arnett was considered a high possibility to appear on the series, but could not due to his commitment to the NBC comedy series Up All Night
Up All Night (TV series)
Up All Night is an American television comedy series created by Emily Spivey that premiered on NBC on September 14, 2011, at 10 p.m. , before assuming its regular time slot on Wednesday, September 21, 2011, at 8 p.m....
.
Cultural references
Darryl calls MicrosoftMicrosoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
and asks whether they still have Clippy, an unpopular feature from Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office is a non-free commercial office suite of inter-related desktop applications, servers and services for the Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, introduced by Microsoft in August 1, 1989. Initially a marketing term for a bundled set of applications, the first version of...
. Phyllis mentions that many babies were born in 1982 due to the release of the comedy film, Porky's
Porky's
Porky's is a 1982 comedy film about the escapades of teenagers at the fictional Angel Beach High School in Florida in 1954. It was released in the United States in 1982, and spawned two sequels: Porky's II: The Next Day and Porky's Revenge! and influenced many writers in the teen film genre...
. Ryan insults Pam, saying that she would prefer Rachael Ray
Rachael Ray
Rachael Domenica Ray is an American television personality, businesswoman, celebrity chef and author. She hosts the syndicated talk and lifestyle program Rachael Ray and three Food Network series, 30 Minute Meals, Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels and $40 a Day...
or the hosts of The View as the new manager. At one point in the episode, Angela says "It's a little flashy. I mean, what am I, Naomi Judd
Naomi Judd
Naomi Judd is an American country music singer, songwriter, and activist.-Personal life:She was born Diana Ellen Judd to Charles Glen Judd and his wife Pauline Judd on January 11, 1946, in Ashland, Kentucky. Her father owned a gas station; her mother started out as a homemaker but later became a...
?", a reference to the country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer.
Ratings
In its original American broadcast on May 19, 2011, "Search Committee" was viewed by an estimated 7.29 million households and received a 3.9 rating/10% share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49. This means that it was seen by 3.9% of all 18–49-year-olds, and 10% of all 18–49-year-olds watching television at the time of the broadcast. This marked a rise in the ratings from the previous episode, "Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting) ManagerDwight K. Schrute, (Acting) Manager
"Dwight K. Schrute, Manager" is the 24th episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 150th episode overall. The episode was written by Justin Spitzer and directed by Troy Miller. It originally aired in the United States on May 12, 2011...
, and a rise from the sixth season finale, "Whistleblower
Whistleblower (The Office)
"Whistleblower" is the 26th episode and season finale of the sixth season of the U.S. comedy series The Office and the show's 126th episode overall...
". The episode became the highest rated scripted program on Thursday and ranked first in its timeslot, beating the season finales for Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
, Bones
Bones (TV series)
Bones is an American crime drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on September 13, 2005. The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent...
and The Mentalist
The Mentalist
The Mentalist is an American police procedural television series which debuted on September 23, 2008, on CBS. The show was created by Bruno Heller, who is also the show's executive producer...
. "Search Committee" was the seventh most-watched scripted show for the week of broadcast among adults aged 18–49.
Reviews
The episode received generally negative reviews from critics and fans and is considered one of the worst episodes of The Office among critics. IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
reviewer Cindy White commented that "it's more apparent than ever that 'Goodbye, Michael' should have ended the season, if not the series," and that "the show is just spinning its wheels now". Despite this, she praised the scenes featuring Creed Bratton
Creed Bratton
Creed Bratton is an American actor and musician, a former member of The Grass Roots...
and James Spader
James Spader
James Todd Spader is an American actor best known for his eccentric roles in movies such as Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Crash, Stargate, and Secretary...
, believing Bratton's performance consisted of "the funniest scenes of the episode", and that Spader "was given the meatiest part, gamely channeling his dominating boss role from Secretary
Secretary (film)
Secretary is a 2002 independent film directed by Steven Shainberg and starring Maggie Gyllenhaal as Lee Holloway and James Spader as E. Edward Grey...
". White ultimately gave the episode a 6.5/10, calling it "Okay". TV Squad writer Joel Keller criticized the episode for not featuring a true plot, writing that "this felt like a series of sketches in search of a plot." The Office co-creator Ricky Gervais also commented on the outlandishness, particularly Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett
Warren Edward Buffett is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is widely regarded as one of the most successful investors in the world. Often introduced as "legendary investor, Warren Buffett", he is the primary shareholder, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He is...
's appearance, saying "If you're going to jump a shark
Jumping the shark
Jumping the shark is an idiom used to describe the moment in the evolution of a television show when it begins a decline in quality that is beyond recovery....
, jump a big one." He also compared the episode to the Chris Martin
Chris Martin
Christopher Anthony John "Chris" Martin is an English song-writer, who is the lead vocalist, pianist and rhythm guitarist of the band Coldplay. He is married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow.-Early life:...
episode of Gervais's other series, Extras. The shark quote was repeated multiple times on other media outlets; Gervais eventually commented that "I fucking didn't [diss The Office], that's for sure."
Alan Sepinwall of HitFix
HitFix
HitFix, or the HitFix.com is an entertainment news website that launched in December 2008 specializing in breaking entertainment news, insider information and providing reviews and critiques of film, music and television...
referred to the episode as a "bumpy, awkward, great big mess of a finale" and a "very poorly-executed sweeps stunt". He also wrote that the guest stars "did not fit comfortably into the world of the show". Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
writer Hillary Busis called the episode a "major cop out" and criticized the writers for having a whole year to figure out how to end the season, but instead waiting to announce the new manager in the fall. She ultimately concluded that "I don't love some of the choices the show has made recently" and that "the show has just been spinning its wheels for the past several weeks". Many critics expressed relief that Erin and Phyllis were not mother and daughter. "Search Committee" was voted the fourth lowest-rated episode out of 24 from the seventh season, according to an episode poll at the fansite OfficeTally; the episode was rated 6.93 out of 10. In another poll, "Search Committee" was voted the thirteenth-highest rated episode out of 24 from the seventh season, according to a "Survivor" poll by OfficeTally.
External links
- "Search Committee" at NBC.comNBCThe 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...