"Mrs. California" is the ninth episode of 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,...

 of the American comedy

Comedy

Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...

 television series

Television program

A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...

 The Office, and the show's 161st episode overall. The episode will air 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 December 1, 2011.

Plot

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...

) gives his wife (Maura Tierney

Maura Tierney

Maura Therese Tierney is an American film and television actress, who is best known for her roles as Lisa Miller on NewsRadio and Abby Lockhart on the television medical drama ER.-Early life:...

) a job in the office. Meanwhile, 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...

) opens a gym in the building.

Production

The episode features a guest appearance from Maura Tierney

Maura Tierney

Maura Therese Tierney is an American film and television actress, who is best known for her roles as Lisa Miller on NewsRadio and Abby Lockhart on the television medical drama ER.-Early life:...

 who is set to play 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 :...

's wife, Susan California. Showrunner 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...

 stated that he was "a big fan of hers" and said he was excited for her guest appearance. The episode also markes the third appearence of Lindsey Broad who plays Kathy, Pam's replacement during her maternity leave. She is currently set to appear in a recurring role for the season.

Like cast members 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...

, 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...

, B.J. Novak 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...

, Tierney is also from Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

, particularly Boston.