The Lover (The Office)
Encyclopedia
"The Lover" is the 7th episode of the sixth season
of the U.S. comedy series The Office and the show's 107th episode overall. It was written by Lee Eisenberg
and Gene Stupnitsky
and directed by Lee Eisenberg. It originally aired on October 22, 2009 on NBC
.
In this episode, Jim and Pam return from their honeymoon and discover that Michael is dating Pam's mother, which infuriates her. Meanwhile, Dwight tries to install a recording device in Jim's office, by giving him a wooden mallard as an apology for their long rivalry.
(John Krasinski
) and Pam (Jenna Fischer
) return from their honeymoon in Puerto Rico
and Michael
(Steve Carell
) tells Jim that he has been dating Pam's mother, Helene (Linda Purl
), after spending the night with her in "Niagara". Jim is in shock and tells Michael not to mention anything to Pam (which he reluctantly agrees to do) and to break it off with Helene immediately (which he doesn't agree to). However, when Jim and Pam give Michael a gift from Puerto Rico, Michael asks if Pam thinks he should date who he wants. He then lets it slip he is dating Helene, and Pam storms out of the office and into the parking lot in shock and anger, screaming all the way down. She calls her mother and angrily asks her why she started dating him after she continuously complained to her about Michael's behavior over the past several years.
During a conference room meeting about an overseas crises involving a D-M plant, Pam maintains a hostile attitude toward Michael and openly defies him in response to the news. Michael then gets a call from Helene, who wants him to tell Pam to calm down. Pam then announces that he has been dating Helene to the rest of the office. Everyone is disgusted by this (except for Kevin, who is impressed), but when Michael says he doesn't understand why he doesn't deserve happiness, they then say that Pam is overreacting, and Michael becomes hostile towards Pam. Michael asks Toby
(Paul Lieberstein
) to resolve the situation in a very kind manner and for a brief moment, they seemingly are friendly and working together. But, when Toby fails to strike an agreement with Pam, Michael goes back to resenting Toby, and the situation continues to worsen. Pam then brings Michael into the kitchen and orders him to stop dating Helene, and Michael responds by saying he will date her "even harder". At the end of the day, Michael feels bad about being so belligerent and says goodnight to Pam, without response. He briefly stops before getting into the elevator to leave and looks back at the office with a pained expression, before he turns around and heads home.
Meanwhile, Dwight
(Rainn Wilson
) apologizes to Jim for years of torment, and offers him a token of his desire for peace with a wooden mallard
. However, he has secretly put a recording device taped underneath the mallard so that he can monitor Jim's financial endeavors and sales. Jim quickly finds the device and starts using it to mess with Dwight. He first brings Andy
(Ed Helms
) into his office and plays "Ach, so fromm" from the opera Martha
loudly while he talks to Andy so Dwight will not hear their conversation (his excuse to Andy is wanting to give Dwight the aria
for his birthday). He then gives the mallard to Ryan
(B. J. Novak
) and Kelly
(Mindy Kaling
) in the annex, and Dwight is forced to pay $10 for it back. When Jim finds the mallard back in his office, he addresses Dwight directly through the recording device, and Dwight knows that Jim discovered it. Dwight admits his guilt and says he did it because of Jim's promotion, which he felt that he was more deserving of. Jim punishes Dwight by making him wash his car. Jim then brings Pam into the conference room and successfully cheers her up by saying Dwight is washing their car as an apology for what she's been through and recounting stories from their honeymoon. Pam admits she may have overreacted, but still doesn't believe she actually did given the situation.
At the end of the episode, Dwight reveals that that recording device underneath the mallard was not his "primary" recording device, as his actual primary recording device was installed on the tip of a pen that he claimed Jim left on his desk earlier, along with the mallard. Dwight then plays back the audio on the pen, of which he says he has over 8 hours worth of "information" on Jim.
" by Salt-n-Pepa
.
The phrase "frank and beans" that Jim and Pam repeat throughout the episode is an allusion to the 1998 film There's Something About Mary
.
", Dwight tells Angela that she can bury her cat Sprinkles beside his mother, meaning that she died. It is possible that this mother Dwight is referring to is his step-mother.
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 107th episode overall. It was written by Lee Eisenberg
Lee Eisenberg
Lee Eisenberg is a film and television writer. He usually works with Gene Stupnitsky.-Life and career:In television, he wrote for the NBC comedy series The Office from seasons 2 to 6, and served as a co-executive producer and directed two episodes with Stupnitsky, "Michael Scott Paper Company" and...
and Gene Stupnitsky
Gene Stupnitsky
Gene Stupnitsky is a film and television writer. He usually works with Lee Eisenberg.In television, he wrote for the NBC comedy series The Office from seasons 2 to 6, and served as a co-executive producer and directed two episodes with Eisenberg, "Michael Scott Paper Company" and "The Lover"...
and directed by Lee Eisenberg. It originally aired on October 22, 2009 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 this episode, Jim and Pam return from their honeymoon and discover that Michael is dating Pam's mother, which infuriates her. Meanwhile, Dwight tries to install a recording device in Jim's office, by giving him a wooden mallard as an apology for their long rivalry.
Synopsis
JimJim 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...
) 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,...
) return from their honeymoon in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and 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...
) tells Jim that he has been dating Pam's mother, Helene (Linda Purl
Linda Purl
Linda Purl is an American actress and singer, perhaps best known for portraying Ben Matlock's daughter Charlene Matlock in season one of Matlock.-Early life and education abroad:...
), after spending the night with her in "Niagara". Jim is in shock and tells Michael not to mention anything to Pam (which he reluctantly agrees to do) and to break it off with Helene immediately (which he doesn't agree to). However, when Jim and Pam give Michael a gift from Puerto Rico, Michael asks if Pam thinks he should date who he wants. He then lets it slip he is dating Helene, and Pam storms out of the office and into the parking lot in shock and anger, screaming all the way down. She calls her mother and angrily asks her why she started dating him after she continuously complained to her about Michael's behavior over the past several years.
During a conference room meeting about an overseas crises involving a D-M plant, Pam maintains a hostile attitude toward Michael and openly defies him in response to the news. Michael then gets a call from Helene, who wants him to tell Pam to calm down. Pam then announces that he has been dating Helene to the rest of the office. Everyone is disgusted by this (except for Kevin, who is impressed), but when Michael says he doesn't understand why he doesn't deserve happiness, they then say that Pam is overreacting, and Michael becomes hostile towards Pam. Michael asks 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...
) to resolve the situation in a very kind manner and for a brief moment, they seemingly are friendly and working together. But, when Toby fails to strike an agreement with Pam, Michael goes back to resenting Toby, and the situation continues to worsen. Pam then brings Michael into the kitchen and orders him to stop dating Helene, and Michael responds by saying he will date her "even harder". At the end of the day, Michael feels bad about being so belligerent and says goodnight to Pam, without response. He briefly stops before getting into the elevator to leave and looks back at the office with a pained expression, before he turns around and heads home.
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...
) apologizes to Jim for years of torment, and offers him a token of his desire for peace with a wooden mallard
Mallard
The Mallard , or Wild Duck , is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia....
. However, he has secretly put a recording device taped underneath the mallard so that he can monitor Jim's financial endeavors and sales. Jim quickly finds the device and starts using it to mess with Dwight. He first brings 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...
) into his office and plays "Ach, so fromm" from the opera Martha
Martha (opera)
Martha, oder Der Markt zu Richmond is a 'romantic comic' opera in four acts by Friedrich von Flotow, set to a German libretto by Friedrich Wilhelm Riese and based on a story by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges....
loudly while he talks to Andy so Dwight will not hear their conversation (his excuse to Andy is wanting to give Dwight the aria
Aria
An aria in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment...
for his birthday). He then gives the mallard to 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...
) and 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...
) in the annex, and Dwight is forced to pay $10 for it back. When Jim finds the mallard back in his office, he addresses Dwight directly through the recording device, and Dwight knows that Jim discovered it. Dwight admits his guilt and says he did it because of Jim's promotion, which he felt that he was more deserving of. Jim punishes Dwight by making him wash his car. Jim then brings Pam into the conference room and successfully cheers her up by saying Dwight is washing their car as an apology for what she's been through and recounting stories from their honeymoon. Pam admits she may have overreacted, but still doesn't believe she actually did given the situation.
At the end of the episode, Dwight reveals that that recording device underneath the mallard was not his "primary" recording device, as his actual primary recording device was installed on the tip of a pen that he claimed Jim left on his desk earlier, along with the mallard. Dwight then plays back the audio on the pen, of which he says he has over 8 hours worth of "information" on Jim.
Reception
This episode was watched by 8.5 million viewers, with a 4.2 rating and a 11 share in the 18-49 demographic.Cultural references
When Michael receives a call from Pam's mother Helene during the conference meeting, the ringtone is "Push ItPush It
Push It may refer to:* "Push It", 1987 song by Salt-N-Pepa.* "Pushit", 1996 song by Tool.* "Push It", 1998 song by Garbage.* "Push It", 1999 song by Static-X.* "Push It", 2006 song by Rick Ross....
" by Salt-n-Pepa
Salt-N-Pepa
Salt-N-Pepa is an American hip hop trio from Queens and Brooklyn, New York, that was formed in 1985. The group, consisting of Cheryl "Salt" Renee James, Sandra "Pepa" Denton, and Deidra "DJ Spinderella" Roper, was one of the first all-female rap crews....
.
The phrase "frank and beans" that Jim and Pam repeat throughout the episode is an allusion to the 1998 film There's Something About Mary
There's Something About Mary
There's Something About Mary is a 1998 American comedy film, directed by the Farrelly brothers, Bobby and Peter. It stars Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon and Ben Stiller, and it is a combination of romantic comedy and gross-out film....
.
Errors
Dwight tells Michael that he would've introduced him to his own mother. However, in "Fun RunFun Run
"Fun Run" is the fourth season premiere of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's fifty-fourth episode overall...
", Dwight tells Angela that she can bury her cat Sprinkles beside his mother, meaning that she died. It is possible that this mother Dwight is referring to is his step-mother.
External links
- "The Lover" 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...