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Golden Ticket (The Office)
Encyclopedia
"Golden Ticket" is the 19th episode of the fifth season of the television series The Office, and the 91st overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC
in the United States
on March 12, 2009.
In the episode, Michael
excitedly starts a Willy Wonka
-inspired promotional gimmick providing discounts to customers who receive golden tickets, then tries to blame the idea on Dwight
when the promotion appears to cost the company a large amount of money. In a B story
, Kevin
receives conflicting romantic advice from Andy
, Jim
and Pam
.
The episode was written by Mindy Kaling
and directed by Randall Einhorn
. It received mixed reviews from critics, and many commented on the selfishness and mean behavior of Michael Scott in the episode. According to Nielsen ratings
, "Golden Ticket" was watched by 7.7 million overall viewers the week it aired. In addition to multiple references to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
, "Golden Ticket" includes two knock knock jokes involving the KGB
.
(Steve Carell
), inspired by Willy Wonka
, decides to put five "golden tickets" randomly into five different shipments of paper that will provide Dunder Mifflin clients with a ten percent discount for one year. Michael is initially excited about the promotional gimmick, which prompts him to dress and act like Wonka throughout the day. However, the golden tickets prove to be a problem when all five go to one of their biggest clients, the Blue Cross of Pennsylvania
; because Michael did not specify "limit one per customer", the company is owed a fifty percent discount for a whole year. As a result, the Scranton branch is expected to lose a significant amount of revenue which could shut down the branch, making everyone in the office upset with Michael. When angry Chief Financial Officer David Wallace
(Andy Buckley) demands to know who is responsible, Michael claims Dwight
(Rainn Wilson
) thought of the idea. Michael then tries to convince Dwight to take the fall, explaining that Michael needs the job more than Dwight and insisting it would allow Dwight to focus more energy on his beet farm.
Dwight remains unconvinced. However, when David Wallace comes to the Scranton branch, he explains that the client has decided to make the company their exclusive provider of office supplies due to the idea. Grateful, David congratulates Dwight for the idea and after a moment's hesitation, Dwight accepts the credit. Michael is shocked and upset, especially when the rest of the office plays along with Wallace's misunderstanding and congratulates Dwight. When David sets up a conference call with the marketing department so Dwight can explain his Golden Ticket promotion, Michael interrupts and goads Dwight into revealing the idea actually came from Michael. After much bickering between Michael and Dwight, a frustrated David leaves the office, appearing to be indifferent about the outcome.
Meanwhile, Kevin
(Brian Baumgartner
) seeks advice from others in the office on how to start a relationship with Lynne (Lisa K. Wyatt
), the woman he socialized with at the Valentine's Day singles mixer at the office (from the previous episode, "Blood Drive
"). Andy
(Ed Helms
), still upset from his recent broken engagement with Angela
(Angela Kinsey
), suggests that Kevin should be mean to Lynne, providing only backhanded compliments and ignoring her calls. Jim
(John Krasinski
) suggests he ask her out, but not immediately and take things slow. Pam
(Jenna Fischer
), on the other hand, suggests he ask her out immediately and not be afraid to express himself to her. When Lynne visits the office, Kevin said he has decided to simply tell her what exactly he is thinking. He tells her that she has a nice smile and would like to take her out to dinner and a movie, which she accepts. Kevin then accidentally says "Nice...boobs", but Lynne seems flattered by the statement.
, Kelly
and Meredith
, who discuss how unfair Michael is treating Dwight in making him take the fall over the failed golden ticket promotion. Kelly also makes the remark, "I hope Dwight gets fired and they get a hot new guy to replace him," to which Oscar replies, "Seriously." In another 52-second scene, Michael asks Dwight to go on a stroll, but Dwight suggests turning it into a "power stroll", which he prepares Michael for by applying sunscreen
to his face. And in a follow-up to the scene where workers discuss that Michael should be fired, a visibly angry and upset Michael confronts the office. When he says "Can any of you imagine this office without me?" everyone gleefully raises their hands, but Michael then asks them if they've thought about what kind of terrible person they could get to replace him; he then pointedly says that they could get someone who knows they don't actually need three accountants (Oscar, Kevin, and Angela look visibly ashamed that Michael knew this going back to Season 2's Halloween episode but has never taken any action about it) or someone who doesn't approve of romantic relationships and would transfer one or both people having one to separate branches (Jim and Pam in turn get this message and look thoughtful), and tells the office that they should mind what they're saying about him "when I'm hiding in the bathroom pretending to be pooping."
The NBC site also featured more than two minutes-worth of clips involving the subplot between Kevin and Lynne, including Andy discussing his new method of being mean to women while courting dates, in response to his recent failed engagement with Angela. Among the deleted scenes are Kevin telling Lynn he will be too busy for three weeks to talk to her and giving a backhanded compliment to her shirt, both at Andy's suggestion.
novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
, as well as the 1971
and 2005
film adaptations of the book. Throughout the first half of the episode, Michael wears a purple suit and top hat similar to Willy Wonka
, the character responsible for the promotion from which this episode takes its name. Blue Cross of Pennsylvania, the Dunder Mifflin client who receives the Golden Tickets, is a real-life division of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association
, an American health insurance company. After throwing away the Willy Wonka outfit, Michael wears a gray T-shirt advertising the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers
, a minor league arena football
team. One of the excuses Michael uses to avoid David's phone calls is that he is attending an "Obama fashion show", a reference to U.S. President
Barack Obama
and First Lady
Michelle Obama
.
Dwight Schrute makes knock knock jokes involving the KGB
, the secret police
and intelligence agency
for the Soviet Union
. Michael also makes a knock knock joke involving Buddha
, with the punch-line that Pam "buttah" (butter, pronounced like Buddha) a slice of bread. Gautama Buddha was a spiritual
teacher in the northern region of the Indian subcontinent
who founded the religion Buddhism
. During an office meeting in which Michael asks his employees to come up with other Golden Ticket-like ideas, Andy suggests the breakfast cereal
brand Golden Grahams
and American sitcom
The Golden Girls
before confessing he does not understand the assignment.
of 4.1 among adults aged between 18 and 49, despite directly competing with ABC
's Grey's Anatomy
and CBS
's CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
. For the week of March 9–15, the episode ranked number 10 among adults 18–49, within two shares of the time-period lead in that age group. "Golden Ticket" was number four among all programs in adults 18–34, behind Grey's Anatomy and the Tuesday and Wednesday editions of American Idol
. In the 9 to 9:30 p.m. time-slot, the episode also ranked number one among men 18–34 and men 18–49, tied with Grey's Anatomy for number one among the broadcast networks in adults 18–34, and tied with CSI for number two among adults 18–49.
"Golden Ticket" received mixed reviews, with several reviewers commenting on the selfishness and mean behavior of Michael in the episode. In a New York
magazine article entitled "Michael Finally Goes Too Far", Will Leitch
describes it as "one of the funnier recent episodes", but found Michael's willingness to sell out Dwight unsettling: "Usually, when he’s about to do something over-the-top (like plant drugs
on Toby
), he backs off at the last second. This time, he's willing to go all the way and sell out Dwight, his most loyal friend. It's a little jarring." Leitch, however, said the sweetness of the subplot involving Kevin and Lynne offset some of the darker aspects of the episode, and praised several of the jokes including Michael's "Shoe-La-La" shoe store idea, Dwight's idea for a "Horse Boat" invention and the KGB knock knock jokes.
Kona Gallagher, of TV Squad, praised "Golden Ticket", especially the final act: "Between Michael's face and Dwight's conference call, the last ten minutes of this episode were absolutely golden." Gallagher said the episode returned to "season one levels of Michael Scott stupidity", and particularly liked the way Dwight so readily accepted credit once the golden ticket promotion proved to be a success. Nathan Rabin
of The A.V. Club
gave "Golden Ticket" an A- grade and particularly praised Steve Carell's Willy Wonka impression and the way Michael tried to distance himself after the promotional idea went bad. Rabin said, "Tonight’s episode lacked a certain gravity but it delivered the goods, comedy-wise." He also pointed out that the script was technically illogical in that Michael pretended he did not come up with the golden ticket idea despite the documentary camera crew filming his earlier discussions about it.
Entertainment Weekly
writer Whitney Pastorek described the episode as "kind of cute tonight, and kind of flat in places, and kind of sad." Pastorek said one of the most interesting aspects of "Golden Ticket" was the relationship between Michael and Dwight: "After their respective failed romances with Holly and Angela, Michael and Dwight may be coming to the awkward realization that the most successful relationship in either of their lives is with one another, and that may be causing a little tension." Travis Fickett of IGN
said "Golden Ticket" was a "solid offering", but felt it lacked any big moments and fit too much of a status quo mold he feels other recent episodes had fallen into. Fickett said it was "fun to watch Michael squirm" both when he thought he was in trouble, and when he was robbed credit for his good idea; he also liked when Jim encouraged Dwight not to take the fall for Michael, and when the others in the office rallied around Dwight when David Wallace gave Dwight credit for the success.
Alan Sepinwall, television writer for The Star-Ledger
, said Michael acted so "nakedly selfish and unfeeling" that it made the episode unpleasant to watch: "If last week's 'Blood Drive' gave us Michael at his most human and sympathetic, then 'Golden Ticket' showed how a human Michael could also be a monster." However, Sepinwall said he did think the subplot involving Kevin receiving romantic advice was funny and sweet: "Brian Baumgartner's just been aces the last two weeks, and if it hadn't been for this story, I might have found 'Golden Ticket' unbearable." Dan Hopper of VH1
's Best Week Ever
strongly criticized the episode and the behavior of the characters: "Why was every single character on last night’s Willy Wonka episode acting like a complete idiot? Not 'idiot' in the sense that the characters are always dumb and goofy in an amusing way, but 'idiot' as in 'none of these human beings would ever act this way and this is really frustrating to watch?'"
"Golden Ticket" was voted the eleventh highest-rated episode out of 26 from the fifth season, according to an episode poll at the fansite OfficeTally; the episode was rated 8.33 out of 10.
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
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on March 12, 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...
excitedly starts a Willy Wonka
Willy Wonka
This article is about the fictional character. For the candy company, see, The Willy Wonka Candy Company.Willy Wonka is a fictional character in the 1964 Roald Dahl novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the film adaptations that followed. The book and the 1971 film adaption both vividly...
-inspired promotional gimmick providing discounts to customers who receive golden tickets, then tries to blame the idea on 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...
when the promotion appears to cost the company a large amount of money. In a B story
Subplot
A subplot is a secondary plot strand that is a supporting side story for any story or the main plot. Subplots may connect to main plots, in either time and place or in thematic significance...
, Kevin
Kevin Malone
Kevin Jaye Malone is a character in the United States television series The Office. He is played by Brian Baumgartner. Kevin's counterpart in the UK series is Keith Bishop.-Biography:...
receives conflicting romantic advice from 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...
, 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...
and 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....
.
The episode was written by 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...
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...
. It received mixed reviews from critics, and many commented on the selfishness and mean behavior of Michael Scott in the episode. 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...
, "Golden Ticket" was watched by 7.7 million overall viewers the week it aired. In addition to multiple references to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a 1964 children's book by British author Roald Dahl. The story features the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory of the eccentric chocolatier, Willy Wonka....
, "Golden Ticket" includes two knock knock jokes involving the KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
.
Plot summary
MichaelMichael 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...
), inspired by Willy Wonka
Willy Wonka
This article is about the fictional character. For the candy company, see, The Willy Wonka Candy Company.Willy Wonka is a fictional character in the 1964 Roald Dahl novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the film adaptations that followed. The book and the 1971 film adaption both vividly...
, decides to put five "golden tickets" randomly into five different shipments of paper that will provide Dunder Mifflin clients with a ten percent discount for one year. Michael is initially excited about the promotional gimmick, which prompts him to dress and act like Wonka throughout the day. However, the golden tickets prove to be a problem when all five go to one of their biggest clients, the Blue Cross of Pennsylvania
Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is a federation of 39 separate health insurance organizations and companies in the United States. Combined, they directly or indirectly provide health insurance to over 100 million Americans. The history of Blue Cross dates back to 1929, while the history of...
; because Michael did not specify "limit one per customer", the company is owed a fifty percent discount for a whole year. As a result, the Scranton branch is expected to lose a significant amount of revenue which could shut down the branch, making everyone in the office upset with Michael. When angry Chief Financial Officer 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) demands to know who is responsible, Michael claims 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...
) thought of the idea. Michael then tries to convince Dwight to take the fall, explaining that Michael needs the job more than Dwight and insisting it would allow Dwight to focus more energy on his beet farm.
Dwight remains unconvinced. However, when David Wallace comes to the Scranton branch, he explains that the client has decided to make the company their exclusive provider of office supplies due to the idea. Grateful, David congratulates Dwight for the idea and after a moment's hesitation, Dwight accepts the credit. Michael is shocked and upset, especially when the rest of the office plays along with Wallace's misunderstanding and congratulates Dwight. When David sets up a conference call with the marketing department so Dwight can explain his Golden Ticket promotion, Michael interrupts and goads Dwight into revealing the idea actually came from Michael. After much bickering between Michael and Dwight, a frustrated David leaves the office, appearing to be indifferent about the outcome.
Meanwhile, Kevin
Kevin Malone
Kevin Jaye Malone is a character in the United States television series The Office. He is played by Brian Baumgartner. Kevin's counterpart in the UK series is Keith Bishop.-Biography:...
(Brian Baumgartner
Brian Baumgartner
Brian Baumgartner is an Emmy Award-winning American film and television actor, best known for playing Kevin Malone on The Office.-Personal life:...
) seeks advice from others in the office on how to start a relationship with Lynne (Lisa K. Wyatt
Lisa K. Wyatt
Lisa K. Wyatt is an actress and comedian. According to the biography on her official site, she has appeared in more than 150 film, television and regional theatre credits. She is currently appearing in a recurring role as Lynne, the love interest of Kevin Malone, in NBC's The Office.-Life and...
), the woman he socialized with at the Valentine's Day singles mixer at the office (from the previous episode, "Blood Drive
Blood Drive (The Office)
"Blood Drive" is the eighteenth episode of the fifth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the 90th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on March 5, 2009....
"). 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...
), still upset from his recent broken engagement with 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:...
), suggests that Kevin should be mean to Lynne, providing only backhanded compliments and ignoring her calls. 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...
) suggests he ask her out, but not immediately and take things slow. 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,...
), on the other hand, suggests he ask her out immediately and not be afraid to express himself to her. When Lynne visits the office, Kevin said he has decided to simply tell her what exactly he is thinking. He tells her that she has a nice smile and would like to take her out to dinner and a movie, which she accepts. Kevin then accidentally says "Nice...boobs", but Lynne seems flattered by the statement.
Production
The official The Office website included three cut scenes from "Golden Ticket". One 72-second clip includes Michael eavesdropping from the men's bathroom on Angela, OscarOscar 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...
, 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....
and 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....
, who discuss how unfair Michael is treating Dwight in making him take the fall over the failed golden ticket promotion. Kelly also makes the remark, "I hope Dwight gets fired and they get a hot new guy to replace him," to which Oscar replies, "Seriously." In another 52-second scene, Michael asks Dwight to go on a stroll, but Dwight suggests turning it into a "power stroll", which he prepares Michael for by applying sunscreen
Sunscreen
Sunblock is a lotion, spray, gel or other topical product that absorbs or reflects some of the sun's ultraviolet radiation on the skin exposed to sunlight and thus helps protect against sunburn...
to his face. And in a follow-up to the scene where workers discuss that Michael should be fired, a visibly angry and upset Michael confronts the office. When he says "Can any of you imagine this office without me?" everyone gleefully raises their hands, but Michael then asks them if they've thought about what kind of terrible person they could get to replace him; he then pointedly says that they could get someone who knows they don't actually need three accountants (Oscar, Kevin, and Angela look visibly ashamed that Michael knew this going back to Season 2's Halloween episode but has never taken any action about it) or someone who doesn't approve of romantic relationships and would transfer one or both people having one to separate branches (Jim and Pam in turn get this message and look thoughtful), and tells the office that they should mind what they're saying about him "when I'm hiding in the bathroom pretending to be pooping."
The NBC site also featured more than two minutes-worth of clips involving the subplot between Kevin and Lynne, including Andy discussing his new method of being mean to women while courting dates, in response to his recent failed engagement with Angela. Among the deleted scenes are Kevin telling Lynn he will be too busy for three weeks to talk to her and giving a backhanded compliment to her shirt, both at Andy's suggestion.
Cultural references
The golden ticket promotional gimmick, from which the episode receives its title, is a reference to the golden tickets from the 1964 Roald DahlRoald Dahl
Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...
novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a 1964 children's book by British author Roald Dahl. The story features the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory of the eccentric chocolatier, Willy Wonka....
, as well as the 1971
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a 1971 musical film adaptation of the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, directed by Mel Stuart, and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. The film tells the story of Charlie Bucket as he receives a golden ticket and visits Willy...
and 2005
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (film)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a 2005 film adaptation of the 1964 book of the same name by Roald Dahl. The film was directed by Tim Burton. The film stars Freddie Highmore as Charlie Bucket and Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka...
film adaptations of the book. Throughout the first half of the episode, Michael wears a purple suit and top hat similar to Willy Wonka
Willy Wonka
This article is about the fictional character. For the candy company, see, The Willy Wonka Candy Company.Willy Wonka is a fictional character in the 1964 Roald Dahl novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the film adaptations that followed. The book and the 1971 film adaption both vividly...
, the character responsible for the promotion from which this episode takes its name. Blue Cross of Pennsylvania, the Dunder Mifflin client who receives the Golden Tickets, is a real-life division of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association
Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is a federation of 39 separate health insurance organizations and companies in the United States. Combined, they directly or indirectly provide health insurance to over 100 million Americans. The history of Blue Cross dates back to 1929, while the history of...
, an American health insurance company. After throwing away the Willy Wonka outfit, Michael wears a gray T-shirt advertising the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers were a minor league arena football team that played in the AF2. The team was part of the East Division in the American conference. The Pioneers were an expansion team for the league's 2002 season, and were the runner-ups in ArenaCup VIII and ArenaCup X.-2001:The...
, a minor league arena football
Arena football
Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....
team. One of the excuses Michael uses to avoid David's phone calls is that he is attending an "Obama fashion show", a reference to U.S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and First Lady
First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...
Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
.
Dwight Schrute makes knock knock jokes involving the KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
, the secret police
Secret police
Secret police are a police agency which operates in secrecy and beyond the law to protect the political power of an individual dictator or an authoritarian political regime....
and intelligence agency
Intelligence agency
An intelligence agency is a governmental agency that is devoted to information gathering for purposes of national security and defence. Means of information gathering may include espionage, communication interception, cryptanalysis, cooperation with other institutions, and evaluation of public...
for the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Michael also makes a knock knock joke involving Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
, with the punch-line that Pam "buttah" (butter, pronounced like Buddha) a slice of bread. Gautama Buddha was a spiritual
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
teacher in the northern region of the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
who founded the religion Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
. During an office meeting in which Michael asks his employees to come up with other Golden Ticket-like ideas, Andy suggests the breakfast cereal
Breakfast cereal
A breakfast cereal is a food made from processed grains that is often, but not always, eaten with the first meal of the day. It is often eaten cold, usually mixed with milk , water, or yogurt, and sometimes fruit but sometimes eaten dry. Some cereals, such as oatmeal, may be served hot as porridge...
brand Golden Grahams
Golden Grahams
Golden Grahams is a brand of breakfast cereal owned by General Mills. It consists of small toasted square shaped cereal pieces made of whole wheat and corn. The taste is a mix of honey and brown sugar...
and American sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris, which originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. Starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show centers on four older women sharing a home in Miami, Florida...
before confessing he does not understand the assignment.
Reception
In its original American broadcast on March 12, 2009, "Golden Ticket" was watched by 7.7 million overall viewers and received a Nielsen ratingNielsen 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...
of 4.1 among adults aged between 18 and 49, despite directly competing with ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's 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...
and CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
. For the week of March 9–15, the episode ranked number 10 among adults 18–49, within two shares of the time-period lead in that age group. "Golden Ticket" was number four among all programs in adults 18–34, behind Grey's Anatomy and the Tuesday and Wednesday editions of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. In the 9 to 9:30 p.m. time-slot, the episode also ranked number one among men 18–34 and men 18–49, tied with Grey's Anatomy for number one among the broadcast networks in adults 18–34, and tied with CSI for number two among adults 18–49.
"Golden Ticket" received mixed reviews, with several reviewers commenting on the selfishness and mean behavior of Michael in the episode. In a New York
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
magazine article entitled "Michael Finally Goes Too Far", Will Leitch
Will Leitch
William F. Leitch is a writer based in New York City and the founding editor of the Gawker Media sports blog Deadspin...
describes it as "one of the funnier recent episodes", but found Michael's willingness to sell out Dwight unsettling: "Usually, when he’s about to do something over-the-top (like plant drugs
Frame Toby
"Frame Toby" is the ninth episode of the fifth season of the television series The Office, and the show's eighty-first episode overall. The episode aired in the United States on November 20, 2008 on NBC....
on 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:...
), he backs off at the last second. This time, he's willing to go all the way and sell out Dwight, his most loyal friend. It's a little jarring." Leitch, however, said the sweetness of the subplot involving Kevin and Lynne offset some of the darker aspects of the episode, and praised several of the jokes including Michael's "Shoe-La-La" shoe store idea, Dwight's idea for a "Horse Boat" invention and the KGB knock knock jokes.
Kona Gallagher, of TV Squad, praised "Golden Ticket", especially the final act: "Between Michael's face and Dwight's conference call, the last ten minutes of this episode were absolutely golden." Gallagher said the episode returned to "season one levels of Michael Scott stupidity", and particularly liked the way Dwight so readily accepted credit once the golden ticket promotion proved to be a success. Nathan Rabin
Nathan Rabin
Nathan Rabin is an American film and music critic. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Rabin was the first head writer for The A.V. Club, a position he continues to hold today....
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...
gave "Golden Ticket" an A- grade and particularly praised Steve Carell's Willy Wonka impression and the way Michael tried to distance himself after the promotional idea went bad. Rabin said, "Tonight’s episode lacked a certain gravity but it delivered the goods, comedy-wise." He also pointed out that the script was technically illogical in that Michael pretended he did not come up with the golden ticket idea despite the documentary camera crew filming his earlier discussions about it.
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 Whitney Pastorek described the episode as "kind of cute tonight, and kind of flat in places, and kind of sad." Pastorek said one of the most interesting aspects of "Golden Ticket" was the relationship between Michael and Dwight: "After their respective failed romances with Holly and Angela, Michael and Dwight may be coming to the awkward realization that the most successful relationship in either of their lives is with one another, and that may be causing a little tension." Travis Fickett 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 "Golden Ticket" was a "solid offering", but felt it lacked any big moments and fit too much of a status quo mold he feels other recent episodes had fallen into. Fickett said it was "fun to watch Michael squirm" both when he thought he was in trouble, and when he was robbed credit for his good idea; he also liked when Jim encouraged Dwight not to take the fall for Michael, and when the others in the office rallied around Dwight when David Wallace gave Dwight credit for the success.
Alan Sepinwall, television writer for The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
, said Michael acted so "nakedly selfish and unfeeling" that it made the episode unpleasant to watch: "If last week's 'Blood Drive' gave us Michael at his most human and sympathetic, then 'Golden Ticket' showed how a human Michael could also be a monster." However, Sepinwall said he did think the subplot involving Kevin receiving romantic advice was funny and sweet: "Brian Baumgartner's just been aces the last two weeks, and if it hadn't been for this story, I might have found 'Golden Ticket' unbearable." Dan Hopper of VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's Best Week Ever
Best Week Ever
Best Week Ever is a weekly television program on the United States cable/satellite network VH1. It started airing in 2004 and was put on hiatus in the summer of 2009...
strongly criticized the episode and the behavior of the characters: "Why was every single character on last night’s Willy Wonka episode acting like a complete idiot? Not 'idiot' in the sense that the characters are always dumb and goofy in an amusing way, but 'idiot' as in 'none of these human beings would ever act this way and this is really frustrating to watch?'"
"Golden Ticket" was voted the eleventh highest-rated episode out of 26 from the fifth season, according to an episode poll at the fansite OfficeTally; the episode was rated 8.33 out of 10.
External links
- "Golden Ticket" 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...