The Banker (The Office)
Encyclopedia
"The Banker" is the 14th episode of the sixth season
of the U.S. comedy series The Office and the show's 114th episode overall. It was written by Jason Kessler and directed by Jeffrey Blitz
.
In this episode, an investment banker comes to the office to speak with HR rep Toby Flenderson
(Paul Lieberstein
), since the company has recently been bought out. The episode is a clip show
featuring montages of episodes past, as the banker asks about events in the office.
The episode "The Banker" received mixed reviews from critics and 3.7/9 in the 18-49 demographic.
) comes to Dunder Mifflin Scranton to check for any discrepancies, Michael
(Steve Carell
), Dwight
(Rainn Wilson
), Andy
(Ed Helms
) and Pam (Jenna Fischer
) pull out all the stops in hopes of impressing him with their high-profile contacts. Michael – now the highest-ranking employee of Dunder-Mifflin, since all of Corporate in New York have been removed – flagrantly lies to make the office look more attractive, including having Dwight pretend to be the HR rep to impress the banker. Unfortunately, Toby
(Paul Lieberstein
) returns to speak with the banker and he struggles to keep from lying to the fact-checker. As they go over all of the liabilities the office, viewers are shown plenty of instances where the staff have destroyed property, engaged in dangerous activities and office romance, time wasting and conflict. At the end, we are shown clips where the office have come together as a family, and some of more memorable highlights of the franchise, including every significant moment in Jim and Pam's romance.
his sixth directing credit for the series who previously directed Stress Relief
. "The Banker" is the first clip show
of the series.
.
Dan Phillips of IGN
said the episode was "Passable" and gave it a 6.5/10 saying that "If you're a fan of the show, you'll no doubt find it at least somewhat charming and entertaining to re-watch many of the show's funnier moments in rapid succession. I know I did. In the end, though, the biggest shortcoming of 'The Banker' isn't simply that it's a cheap clip show, but that it's not even an inspired take on the clip show." Steve Heisler of The A.V. Club
gave the episode a C+ saying that "'The Banker' was hardly an episode at all, but rather a clip show. Why does The Office need a clip show now? Are ratings really that low? Perhaps after six seasons and amidst the most rock-solid Thursday comedy line-up in years, people have simply forgotten what's been happening in Scranton and needed a refresher. Whatever. I'll take an Office clip show over almost anything on CBS any day, even though I still think it's a cop-out. (See what I did there?)" The episode was also voted as the worst episode of season 6 on Office Tally.
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 U.S. comedy series The Office and the show's 114th episode overall. It was written by Jason Kessler and 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...
.
In this episode, an investment banker comes to the office to speak with HR rep 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:...
(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...
), since the company has recently been bought out. The episode is a clip show
Clip show
A clip show is an episode of a television series that consists primarily of excerpts from previous episodes. Most clip shows feature the format of a frame story in which cast members recall past events from past installments of the show, depicted with a clip of the event presented as a flashback. ...
featuring montages of episodes past, as the banker asks about events in the office.
The episode "The Banker" received mixed reviews from critics and 3.7/9 in the 18-49 demographic.
Synopsis
When an investment banker (David CostabileDavid Costabile
David Costabile is an American actor. Born in Washington, D.C. He is best known for his recurring television roles on The Wire , Flight of the Conchords , Damages , and Breaking Bad...
) comes to Dunder Mifflin Scranton to check for any discrepancies, 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...
), 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...
), 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...
) and 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,...
) pull out all the stops in hopes of impressing him with their high-profile contacts. Michael – now the highest-ranking employee of Dunder-Mifflin, since all of Corporate in New York have been removed – flagrantly lies to make the office look more attractive, including having Dwight pretend to be the HR rep to impress the banker. Unfortunately, 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...
) returns to speak with the banker and he struggles to keep from lying to the fact-checker. As they go over all of the liabilities the office, viewers are shown plenty of instances where the staff have destroyed property, engaged in dangerous activities and office romance, time wasting and conflict. At the end, we are shown clips where the office have come together as a family, and some of more memorable highlights of the franchise, including every significant moment in Jim and Pam's romance.
Production
The episode was written by Jason Kessler and directed by Jeffrey BlitzJeffrey 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...
his sixth directing credit for the series who previously directed Stress Relief
Stress Relief
"Stress Relief" is a two-part episode of the American comedy television series The Office. They constituted the fourteenth and fifteenth episode of the fifth season, and the 86th and 87th overall episodes of the series...
. "The Banker" is the first clip show
Clip show
A clip show is an episode of a television series that consists primarily of excerpts from previous episodes. Most clip shows feature the format of a frame story in which cast members recall past events from past installments of the show, depicted with a clip of the event presented as a flashback. ...
of the series.
Cultural references
The song featured during the Jim and Pam flashbacks is "Sing" by TravisTravis (band)
Travis are a post-Britpop band from Glasgow, Scotland, comprising Fran Healy , Dougie Payne , Andy Dunlop and Neil Primrose...
.
Reception
In its original American broadcast, "The Banker" was viewed by an estimated 7.29 million households, with a 3.7 rating/9 share in the 18-49 demographic falling 12% from the last episode.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 "Passable" and gave it a 6.5/10 saying that "If you're a fan of the show, you'll no doubt find it at least somewhat charming and entertaining to re-watch many of the show's funnier moments in rapid succession. I know I did. In the end, though, the biggest shortcoming of 'The Banker' isn't simply that it's a cheap clip show, but that it's not even an inspired take on the clip show." Steve Heisler 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 the episode a C+ saying that "'The Banker' was hardly an episode at all, but rather a clip show. Why does The Office need a clip show now? Are ratings really that low? Perhaps after six seasons and amidst the most rock-solid Thursday comedy line-up in years, people have simply forgotten what's been happening in Scranton and needed a refresher. Whatever. I'll take an Office clip show over almost anything on CBS any day, even though I still think it's a cop-out. (See what I did there?)" The episode was also voted as the worst episode of season 6 on Office Tally.
External links
- "The Banker" 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...