The Meeting (The Office)
Encyclopedia
"The Meeting" is the second episode of the sixth season
The Office (U.S. TV series) season 6
The American television comedy The Office was renewed by NBC for a sixth season on January 15, 2009. The season premiered on September 17, 2009 and concluded on May 20, 2010. The episodes aired on Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. EDT as part of Comedy Night Done Right...

 of the American comedy television series The Office, and the 102nd overall episode of the series. 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...

 in the United States on September 24, 2009.

In the episode, 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...

 plots to sabotage 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...

's plans after Jim and David Wallace
David Wallace (The Office)
David Wallace is a character in the American television show The Office and was the chief financial officer of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, before being fired in late 2009 after the company was bought by Sabre. He is portrayed by Andy Buckley.- Character history :David Wallace was...

 have a secret meeting without him. In the end, Jim is promoted to co-manager. Meanwhile, Dwight and Toby become suspicious of an injury Darryl supposedly got at work, and Pam tries to get RSVPs from the office for her wedding to Jim.

The episode was written by Aaron Shure
Aaron Shure
Aaron Shure is a TV writer/producer and two-time Emmy winner. Shure was an executive producer of Everybody Loves Raymond for which he won two Emmy awards in the "Outstanding Comedy Series" category...

 and directed by Randall Einhorn
Randall Einhorn
Randall Einhorn is an American television director and cinematographer. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.Einhorn is best known for his work on The Office . He also directed The Accountants, a ten-part webisode spinoff of The Office which appeared online between the second and third seasons...

. According to Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...

, "The Meeting" was seen by 7.33 million households during its original broadcast, a drop from the previous week's season premiere episode, "Gossip
Gossip (The Office)
"Gossip" is the sixth season premiere of the American comedy television series The Office, and the 101st overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on September 17, 2009....

". The episode received mixed reviews, with some commentators claiming it focused too much on plot development rather than humor.

Synopsis

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...

 (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...

) becomes nervous when 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...

) has a suspicious meeting with CFO David Wallace
David Wallace (The Office)
David Wallace is a character in the American television show The Office and was the chief financial officer of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, before being fired in late 2009 after the company was bought by Sabre. He is portrayed by Andy Buckley.- Character history :David Wallace was...

 (Andy Buckley). He constantly tries to intrude into the meeting, with his last method being sneaked into the meeting in a cheese cart made by 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...

). David asks to see Michael after finishing up with Jim, and David tells him that Jim had an idea to make the branch's workload more feasible as the Scranton branch had taken a set of clients in the wake of the Buffalo branch's shutdown, an idea that included Jim being promoted to Regional Manager. Michael, not wanting to lose his job, tells David that Jim wouldn't be suitable for that position by showing David a file on how much Jim slacks off. However, David mentions that Jim suggested that, in addition to his own promotion, Michael also be promoted to oversee all Northeast sales, but if Michael would not take the promotion, then Jim would accept a job offer somewhere else. Michael is surprised, but David asks Jim to walk him to his car, where he tells him that he has changed his mind without explaining why. Michael, watching Jim and David from his window, notices a downtrodden Jim and says to the camera that he feels "partially responsible".

Meanwhile, 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), wearing a green football jersey, is talking to 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...

) about how he fell off a ladder trying to reach a particular item and broke his leg when the ladder fell on him and wants to put in a claim for workers' comp
Workers' compensation
Workers' compensation is a form of insurance providing wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course of employment in exchange for mandatory relinquishment of the employee's right to sue his or her employer for the tort of negligence...

. 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...

) overhears him and tells Toby that there's no way that could have happened. When they go to the warehouse to see where it happened, they see that the ladder he would have used to get what he wanted is too short to reach the top shelf, and Toby starts to believe that Dwight may be right. Dwight and Toby stake out Darryl's house where they share a nice moment before finding someone wearing a green football jersey carrying a big bag of dog food without crutches. Thinking that person is Darryl, they drive to the house and Toby shouts an obscenity, but they see that the person is not Darryl and the real Darryl comes out, still on crutches. They try to flee the scene, but crash into Darryl's trashcans on the street. Dwight and Toby drive back to the office where Darryl confronts them, angry at the fact that Toby shouted at his sister, the other person with the green jersey, and threatens to file complaints on both of them. (Darryl's jersey is #94 and a lighter shade of green; his sister's jersey is #12 and a darker shade of green.) Dwight and Toby go back to the warehouse to apologize, where Dwight sees that employees are misusing a lift as an elevator and a railing at the top of the stairs was replaced, leading Dwight to believe that Darryl misused a lift. Darryl admits this and Dwight decides to complain about Darryl's falsified complaint. Darryl retorts by deciding to complain about sexual harassment against his sister. Toby tries to convince them that they should let it slide rather than drown in paperwork. Later, Toby, with a bruised forehead, is shown writing up both complaints.

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....

 (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,...

) is trying to get her co-workers to RSVP that they can't attend her and Jim's upcoming wedding, as their plan--scheduling the wedding on a weekend in Niagara Falls so that people in Scranton wouldn't be able to attend and get back in time for work on Monday--was torpedoed when Michael closed down the office on the Friday before AND Monday after the ceremoy was scheduled. 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...

) says she will only go if Ryan
Ryan Howard (The Office)
Ryan Bailey Howard , played by B. J. Novak, is a fictional character on the US television sitcom The Office. He is based upon Ricky Howard from the original version of The Office , but his role is significantly expanded and he is a main character.-Character profile:Little is known about Ryan's...

 (B. J. Novak
B. J. Novak
Benjamin Joseph Manaly “B. J.” Novak is an American actor, stand-up comedian, screenwriter, and director. He is best known for being a writer and co-executive producer for and playing the role of Ryan Howard on the US version of The Office, as well as appearing in Inglourious Basterds...

) goes, because she wants to support Jim. Ryan says he will go so Pam checks off both Ryan and Kelly. Meredith
Meredith Palmer
Meredith Elizabeth Palmer is a fictional character from the US television series The Office. She is played by Kate Flannery. She is an original character and has no equivalent in the British version of the show, The Office....

 (Kate Flannery
Kate Flannery
Katherine Patricia "Kate" Flannery is an American actress best known for playing the role of Meredith Palmer on the NBC hit series The Office.-Personal life:...

) asks Pam to send her directions via text message on the morning of the wedding. Additionally, Meredith says she wants the fanciest meal there, unless there are ribs. Pam and 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:...

) comment on how unreasonable Meredith is being. However, as Pam sits down, moving a purse, Angela rudely notes she had put her purse on the chair.

Jim confronts Michael after coming back in, and Michael ultimately says that he believes Jim should be promoted. Jim asks Michael to call David back, and David is confused as to why Michael changed his mind after citing Jim's previous work ethic. When Jim hears this, he becomes upset that Michael would try to sabotage him. When Michael tries to apologize, David calls Michael back and asks to speak with both him and Jim. David proposes that Michael and Jim be co-managers of the Scranton branch, with Michael handling clients and Jim handling day-to-day operations. Michael and Jim accept the offer and announce it to the rest of the office, and Dwight is shown screaming in anger and astonishment.

Production

"The Meeting" was written by Aaron Shure
Aaron Shure
Aaron Shure is a TV writer/producer and two-time Emmy winner. Shure was an executive producer of Everybody Loves Raymond for which he won two Emmy awards in the "Outstanding Comedy Series" category...

 and directed by Randall Einhorn
Randall Einhorn
Randall Einhorn is an American television director and cinematographer. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.Einhorn is best known for his work on The Office . He also directed The Accountants, a ten-part webisode spinoff of The Office which appeared online between the second and third seasons...

. The episode included the promotion that established Jim as co-manager of the office along with Michael, which for a brief time drastically changed the hierarchy of the office.

Cultural references

Michael said he would have to discuss a possible promotion with his consultant from H&R Block
H&R Block
H&R Block is a tax preparation company in the United States, claiming more than 22 million customers worldwide, with offices in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. The Kansas City-based company also offers banking, personal finance and business consulting services.Founded in 1955 by brothers...

, a tax preparation company. During an evaluation of Jim's work performance, Michael compares Jim to Big Bird
Big Bird
Big Bird is a protagonist of the children's television show Sesame Street. Big Bird, like many of the other Sesame Street characters, is a Muppet character. He is sometimes referred to simply as "Bird" by his friends....

, a character from the PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....

 children's show, Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...

. While discussing Darryl's suspicious injury, Dwight says they are not living in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

, which he incorrectly describes as a communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...

 country. In response, Darryl says the injury would not be a problem there due to Sweden's universal healthcare
Healthcare in Sweden
The Swedish health care system is mainly government-funded and decentralized, although private health care also exists. The health care system in Sweden is financed primarily through taxes levied by county councils and municipalities....

. When Pam asks Ryan about coming to the wedding, Ryan can be seen reading the 2006 Tucker Max
Tucker Max
Tucker Max is an American author and public speaker. He chronicles his drunken and sexual encounters in the form of short stories on his website TuckerMax.com, which has received millions of visitors since Max launched it for a bet in 2002, making him an Internet celebrity.Max's book I Hope They...

 book, I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell
I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell
I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell is a New York Times #1 bestseller and has made the Best Seller List each year from 2006 to 2011. It has sold over one million copies worldwide, including 400,000 copies in 2009 alone...

.

Reception

In its original American broadcast on September 24, 2009, "The Meeting" was seen by 7.33 million viewers. It received a 3.8 rating/10 share among viewers aged between 18 and 49. It marked an almost 800,000-viewer drop from the previous week's premiere episode, "Gossip
Gossip (The Office)
"Gossip" is the sixth season premiere of the American comedy television series The Office, and the 101st overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on September 17, 2009....

", which itself was seen by 18 percent less viewers than the fifth season premiere. "The Meeting" received generally mixed reviews, with some commentators claiming it focused too much on plot development rather than humor.

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 Darren Franich called the episode "an instant classic". Franich said he was excited about the new co-manager plotline, and he particularly praised the cold open between Michael and Oscar, as well as the comedic chemistry between Dwight and Toby. Tara Tanzos of The Express-Times
The Express-Times
The Express-Times is a daily newspaper published in Easton, Pennsylvania, with an emphasis on local news. It has won awards in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania.-Ownership:...

said she was interested to see where the co-manager plot development went in future episodes. She particularly praised the scene in which Michael spies on Jim and Wallace from underneath the cheese cart. Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...

said "The Meeting" advanced the show's overall plot drastically with the Michael and Jim co-manager plot, but not at the expense of humor. He particularly praised the pairing of Dwight and Toby, the look of Darryl's sister and Dwight's scream of rage at the end of the episode.

North by Northwestern
North by Northwestern
North by Northwestern is a daily online newsmagazine at Northwestern University, started in September 2006 by students at the Medill School of Journalism. It is noted for its multimedia coverage of campus events. In 2008 the site was recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists with eight...

writer Sarah Collins said the co-manager and wedding preparation stories were dull, despite advancing the show's plot. However, she said the Dwight and Toby subplot provided most of the episode's "high moments", and said Darryl's sister added more dimension to his character. Dan Phillips of IGN
IGN
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...

said the episode was high on plot summary both low on laughs, which he said felt like a step back after an excellent sixth season premiere. Phillips said the biggest laughs came from the "outrageous cold opening". Yvonne Villarreal of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....

called "The Meeting" a lackluster episode. She said it was more low-key than recent episodes, and that "when the office antics go on the back burner, so do the laughs". Caitlin Fairchild of The Flat Hat
The Flat Hat
The Flat Hat is the official student newspaper at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA. It prints Tuesdays and Fridays during the College's academic year. It began printing twice-weekly in 2007; since its inception in 1911, The Flat Hat had printed weekly.The newspaper is printed as...

said the episode was "not that funny", mainly because of the focus on "actual plot developments rather than ridiculous antics".

External links

  • "The Meeting" at NBC.com
    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...

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