"Promos" is the eighteenth episode of the ninth season of the American television comedy series "The Office" and is the show's 194th episode overall. It was written by Tim McAuliffe and directed by Jennifer Celotta. It aired on April 4, 2013.
In the episode, everyone in the office is excited when promos start running on TV for the documentary, but some private things are shown to the internet, including Angela cheating on the senator with Dwight. Dwight makes Angela jealous when he starts dating a brussel sprout farmer. Meanwhile Jim has a big meeting with Major League baseball player, Ryan Howard
Synopsis
The office is excited to see promos for the upcoming documentary "The Office: An American Workplace." However, many of the workers are dismayed to learn just how much of their activities have been recorded, and how much of their conversations the microphones picked up. Several excuse themselves and go to the warehouse to talk, turning off their microphones in an unsuccessful effort to keep the discussion private. Pete suggests that Pam talk to dismissed crew member Brian to learn more. It's noticeable that Pam seems to of miss the "old Jim", and questions Brian if he's changed. She reminiscences about the old times that she and Jim shared in the past. She does talk to Brian, primarily to talk about her recent troubles with Jim but Brian also informs her that the staff's private moments were still recorded, regardless of using their own microphones or not. This causes her to get upset and leave, once he tells her she practically had no privacy for the past 10 years. Jim discusses with Ryan Howard, and Darryl. Meanwhile Angela and Oscar, after some arguing, jointly call Angela's husband Sen. Robert Lipton to inform him that the documentary will probably out him and reveal that Angela slept with Dwight.
Dwight makes Angela jealous when he starts dating a Brussels sprout farmer. Meanwhile, Jim and Darryl have a big meeting with Major League baseball player Ryan Howard, a meeting that ends up with Darryl and Jim reading Ryan's self-written screenplay of a baseball player turned superhero.
Meanwhile Andy enjoys reading the comments from the promos and even replies to some of them, but becomes annoyed when some of them being insulting him. It is revealed at the end of the episode that some of the comments were from Nellie.
Cultural references
Connections to previous episodes
- The promos are connections to several previous episodes. But nobody wants to go back and find all that random B-Roll.
- Upon seeing a clip of her and Dwight exiting the warehouse, Angela remarks that she didn't know the film crew was filming her. However, in that episode, that scene ends with Angela noticing the camera, fixing her cardigan indignantly, and storming off.
- An internet comment calls Andy gay, which is a continuation of a running gag where Andy's sexuality is called into question.
- When Andy is reading the comments on the promo videos, he encounters someone who calls him a 'butt'. And then shouts, "I'm gonna lose my freaking mind!" which is a reference to Andy's first debut in Gay Witch Hunt.
- When Dwight says that Angela is a nine in terms of looks, Clark says that she is a Scranton nine. Ryan Howard says something similar to this in Michael Scott Paper Company about Pam, saying she is a seven in Scranton but only a six in New York.
Amusing details/Trivia
- The Pam Halpert "Get Glue" sticker was released alongside the episode.
- While watching the first promo, Nellie says "Who is..." when Michael is shown, as she has never met Michael.
- Philadelphia Phillies slugger Ryan Howard, who meets with Jim and Darryl, is the acknowledged namesake of the character of the same name; in Season 4's Night Out, the DMI Ryan Howard claimed to be the baseball player while attempting to get inside a New York City nightclub.
- While remarking how everyone has changed, Stanley is holding a pretzel. A slight nod to Pretzel Day.
- The Danish promo is narrated by someone with a very heavy English accent.
- The song Angela plays to muffle her mic in the stairwell is "God Bless the USA" by Lee Greenwood. This is a slight nod to her faux patriotism while dating Senator Lipton.
Cast
Main Cast
- Ed Helms as Andy Bernard
- John Krasinski as Jim Halpert
- Jenna Fischer as Pam Halpert
- Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute
Supporting Cast
- Ellie Kemper as Erin Hannon
- Jake Lacy as Pete Miller
- Phyllis Smith as Phyllis Vance
- Oscar Nunez as Oscar Martinez
- Brian Baumgartner as Kevin Malone
- Angela Kinsey as Angela Martin
- Clark Duke as Clark Green
- Creed Bratton (actor) as Creed Bratton
- Leslie David Baker as Stanley Hudson
- Catherine Tate as Nellie Bertram
- Craig Robinson as Darryl Philbin
- Kate Flannery as Meredith Palmer
Guest Cast
- Ryan Howard as Himself
- Nora Kirkpatrick as Esther
- Chris Diamantopoulos as Brian
Gallery
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