Angela Kinsey

So, lady, you know, we've had a ton of volleyball tournaments that we've been going to cause our son plays. And so we're in the car for, like, hours driving to these. And we've gotten into audiobooks as a family, and we're listening to them on these long car rides.

Jenna Fischer

What are you listening to right now?

Angela Kinsey

We're listening to Project Hail Mary, and it is so good. And I haven't seen the movie, but I'm so into the audiobook.

Jenna Fischer

Well, I just finished listening to an audiobook. I listened to strangers. It's sort of the book of the moment, and it was wonderful. I would listen to that while driving my kids to all their summer camps. So you can now get access to audiobooks included with your Amazon Music unlimited subscription. So if you need company while you're washing dishes, walking the dog, or exercising, this might be your place to go.

Angela Kinsey

Amazon Music is your 1 app for music podcasts and audiobooks. Your Amazon Music unlimited subscription now includes access to audiobooks.

Jenna Fischer

Download the app today and start listening. Hello, and welcome to your second drink of golden ticket. This is a really great breakdown because it includes a long interview with Rainnn Wilson. And it's not just about this episode, but it was also just about how he got his role as Dwight and his time playing Dwight on the Office in general.

Angela Kinsey

I mean, so fun to to hear all of that from him. And we've been asking you to write us with your favorite moments from these episodes over in our second drinks folder on OfficeLadies.com this week's winner. We need a sting. We need a winner. Sting.

Jenna Fischer

Oh.

Angela Kinsey

This week's winner, Bew Bew, is a moment between Michael and Darrell. Kate M. From Providence, Rhode Island, Lauren P. From Kansas City, Missouri, wrote in and they said, hi, office ladies. One of our favorite scenes in this episode is when Michael walks up to Darrell and says, hey, you idiot. And Darrell says, start over. And Michael says, sir, I absolutely love that moment. It makes me laugh every single time I watch it. I often find myself saying, sir exactly as Michael says it. Steve performed that perfectly. You know what? Why don't we hear it?

Rainn Wilson

Hey, hey. Hey, you idiot. Start over, sir.

Jenna Fischer

It is such perfect comic timing.

Angela Kinsey

I know.

Jenna Fischer

Well, we also got a letter from Robin Y. In Redmond, Oregon, who said, backstory. I used to work as a bridal consultant. I helped brides find their wedding dresses and help them through everything having to do with the dress. I got very used to lots of happy emotions and not so happy emotions. So one day I was in between Appointments and at the front desk when one of the brides I had helped came storming into the shop with her dress in the bag. More backstory. This bride was legendary at the shop for taking up two appointment time slots because she refused to take a dress off because she was crying. So I knew exactly who she was.

Angela Kinsey

Oh, gosh.

Jenna Fischer

So she storms in, throws her dress on the counter, and says to me, you idiot. And without hesitation, I said, start over. Only after figuring out what the problem was and after she left did I realize that it was exactly like what happened between Michael and Darryl in the Golden Ticket episode. Since then, I've dealt with all sorts of people in weddings and all sorts of emotions. And I can say without a doubt that the best way to respond to someone in that situation is the way Darryl responds to Michael in Golden Ticket. If you work in customer service, absolutely channel the calmness of Darrell.

Angela Kinsey

That's such a great story. Start over.

Jenna Fischer

Start over. I wish I could remember that in the moment.

Angela Kinsey

Me too. You know, I always think of those things after the fact.

Jenna Fischer

I know.

Angela Kinsey

Okay, so the reason Michael is confronting Darryl is because Michael hid five Golden Tickets into boxes of paper, and he's mad that one company found all the tickets. We got this letter from Julia S. In San Jose, California. Julia says, I am currently watching Golden Ticket and something is bothering me. The whole plot of Golden Ticket is that one company gets all of the tickets, but each of the tickets were in separate boxes. How would Blue Cross have seen all of the golden tickets at once? Do they open each one when they arrive for quality check? I feel like they would stack the boxes in a supply closet and open them when needed. I'm just wondering, is it realistic for Blue Cross to have found all of the Golden Tickets all at once?

Jenna Fischer

Okay, I thought about this, and here's what I think happened. He wasn't putting the Golden Tickets into actual reams of paper. Right. It was just in the box. So I could realistically believe that each of these boxes was going to maybe different departments, and that department was unloading that box and putting them into a cabinet. That's what I do when I get my box of paper at home. I take the box, I open it, and I put all the reams of paper in my printer cabinet.

Angela Kinsey

Yeah.

Jenna Fischer

At first I was like, you're right. That's totally implausible. But then I kind of followed my train of thought. I'm like, no, I could see it.

Angela Kinsey

So basically, your theory is, for example, like, an accounting department and human resources and IT and sales all got their box of paper, and they all opened them on the same day. They all needed paper at the exact same time.

Jenna Fischer

I'm not even saying they needed paper. I am saying that in this place, they put paper. So, yes, I guess I'm saying that five different departments received a box. And all five of those departments were very efficient in putting away the paper.

Angela Kinsey

And they put away immediately.

Jenna Fischer

Yes, yes.

Angela Kinsey

Well, I might call bullshit on it, but I'm also just here for the story. Cause I love this episode.

Jenna Fischer

You know, it's almost a bullshit card. It's like bullshit card adjacent, I think. Okay, well, lady, we got a mom detectives case in our mailbag. What about this episode? It's from Dene M. From Cherry Hill, New Jersey. And here's the mystery. It's called whose leg is it?

Angela Kinsey

I'm in already. I love it.

Jenna Fischer

Dene says, this is one of my favorite episodes. I watch it over and over again and noticed that in the superfan episode, Kevin, Pam, Jim, and Andy are sitting in the break room, and there is a leg between Kevin and Pam. It looks like there's a person there, but we never see their face. Who is that?

Angela Kinsey

Who is that?

Jenna Fischer

Whose leg is it? Was there a deleted scene with someone else in the break room with them? It has been bugging me all of these years. Do you know the answer to this mystery? I love your show and appreciate all of the hard work you put into making shows and content for office fans. Thank you. Well, Danae, I'm excited to report this was a very easy case. We're solving this one.

Angela Kinsey

We are. And are you ready for this? At 25 minutes and 43 seconds. I saw the leg.

Jenna Fischer

I saw the leg.

Angela Kinsey

And after doing a little mom detective work, we realized it is our camera operator sitting on a stool. They would often do that. They would have this little stool. You know, we've talked about it.

Jenna Fischer

Well, our walls didn't move. So they'd have to, like, sit in the corner.

Angela Kinsey

Yeah, they'd have to wedge in. So what he was doing was capturing the other angle of the scene on Dwight at the vending machine.

Jenna Fischer

That's right. That's exactly right. And as I was rewatching this scene, looking for whose leg is it? I noticed something else, and it's about Dwight at the vending machine. He has a line where he says, dating advice. Why didn't you ask me? And I noticed that rain pops the tab on his soda between saying dating advice and why didn't you ask me? And I know why he did that. But let's listen. I want you guys to just hear this little moment. Wait a minute.

Rainn Wilson

Dating advice. Why didn't you ask me?

Jenna Fischer

Uh huh. Dating advice. Why didn't you ask me? He did that for sound. Because in film and television, you can never do anything loud on your line or else they can't cut around it. Also in the background of that scene when rain first enters and he's putting the money in the vending machine and then he gets a soda. First of all, I'm convinced he's not really putting any money in there. Cause it would have made a sound. I think he's fakie putting coins in. And then that soda was pre planted at the bottom of the machine so you wouldn't hear the noise of it going kajink kajunk ka chunk. Because it would ruin the dialogue at the table.

Angela Kinsey

They need to get one of those vending machines on a set. That is the arm that just goes.

Jenna Fischer

Those are sometimes loud though.

Angela Kinsey

Are they?

Jenna Fischer

I don't know. Not as loud as like the.

Angela Kinsey

Oh, yeah, yeah, the old school one.

Jenna Fischer

Yeah.

Angela Kinsey

I love watching the arm.

Jenna Fischer

The arm is kind of cool. Yeah, I hear you.

Angela Kinsey

Sometimes I don't even need anything, but I just want to watch the arm.

Jenna Fischer

Oh, so you'll be more likely to buy something out of a vending machine with an arm than a ka ka chunka chunk one?

Angela Kinsey

Yes. I love the arm. I don't know, guys. It's the small things in life. All right, well, acting students out there, that was a hot tip, you know, so if you have an envelope you have to open, don't open it on your line. Don't get that soda can on your line. All the things you learn right here on Office Ladies.

Jenna Fischer

Exactly.

Angela Kinsey

All right, you guys, thanks for sending in your questions and comments. Now please enjoy our second drink of Golden Ticket.

Jenna Fischer

I'm Jenna Fisher.

Angela Kinsey

And I'm Angela Kinsey.

Jenna Fischer

We were on the Office together and we're best friends. And now we're doing the ultimate Office Rewatch podcast just for you.

Angela Kinsey

Each week we will break down an episode of the Office and give exclusive behind the scenes stories that only two people who were there can tell you.

Jenna Fischer

We're the Office ladies. Hello, everyone.

Rainn Wilson

Hi.

Jenna Fischer

Today is Golden Ticket Season 5, Episode 19. This was written by Mindy Kaling and directed by Randall Einhorn.

Angela Kinsey

It's a big day for Michael.

Jenna Fischer

Oh, it's a big idea for Michael.

Angela Kinsey

It's a big idea day for Michael.

Jenna Fischer

Here's your summary. Michael decides to execute a Willy Wonka themed promotional idea. He is going to take some golden tickets. He's gonna hide them in some paper shipments. And any company that finds a golden ticket gets 10% off.

Angela Kinsey

And it's not limited to one.

Jenna Fischer

Well, we're gonna find that out. Yeah. This idea is gonna backfire. He is going to pressure Dwight into taking the fall. But then that backfires. Yeah, A lot of ideas and a lot of backfires.

Angela Kinsey

A lot of layers here playing games. Yeah.

Jenna Fischer

Meanwhile, Pam, Jim, and Andy are all giving dating advice to Kevin. It's somewhat conflicting. Kevin's a little confused, but he's gonna try to make a connection with Lynn from Blood drive from their Lonely hearts mixer. Lynn is still in the mix from the mixer.

Angela Kinsey

Yeah.

Jenna Fischer

Let's get into fast facts. Fast fact number one. This episode contains maybe one of the most famous office gifs of them all. You know what I'm talking about.

Angela Kinsey

A gif or a gif. It doesn't matter. You know the one we're talking about?

Jenna Fischer

Is it gif or gif?

Angela Kinsey

I don't know, guys. I've never known. I'll never know.

Jenna Fischer

Let's ask the two hip young people.

Angela Kinsey

Hip young people tell us how to say it. I say jif. What do you say?

Jenna Fischer

No, I say gif.

Angela Kinsey

Sorry.

Rainn Wilson

I think the correct one is jif,

Jenna Fischer

but it feels right.

Rainn Wilson

But everyone I know says gif.

Angela Kinsey

It's kind of like gif, but you

Jenna Fischer

take the T off.

Angela Kinsey

So I. I think it's gif. Well, I've been saying gif.

Jenna Fischer

I say gif.

Angela Kinsey

There you have it. Also, what's a meme? What is a meme?

Jenna Fischer

A gif is if it moves, and a meme is if it's.

Rainn Wilson

And also, I mean, people say gif is correct, but keep in mind, it stands for graphics interchange, whatever the F is. So it starts with a G. So it would be gif.

Angela Kinsey

Right, Graphics g. Yeah.

Rainn Wilson

We should put a poll in office. There it is.

Angela Kinsey

Okay, we'll put a poll, but people

Jenna Fischer

will tell us gif is a peanut butter.

Angela Kinsey

I'm just saying I like it.

Jenna Fischer

You know, I don't know. While you're putting a poll, and since I brought it up, are you a crunchy or a smooth peanut butter?

Angela Kinsey

Smooth.

Jenna Fischer

Same.

Angela Kinsey

Get your peanuts out of my peanut butter.

Jenna Fischer

Peanut butter.

Angela Kinsey

So there is a very famous gif or gif. Oh, I said it wrong again.

Jenna Fischer

Well, we don't know if you're saying it wrong, lady, but it's true.

Angela Kinsey

When Dwight looks at camera and has his hand up to his face, it's

Jenna Fischer

at the end of the cold open and he says it's true. That's everywhere. It even made it to USA Today's ranking of the top 36 gifts of the office. In it's true was number 13.

Angela Kinsey

What's number one?

Jenna Fischer

Number one.

Angela Kinsey

That's what she said.

Jenna Fischer

No, but that's on the list. But it's not number one. Number one was Michael from the super bowl cold open. When he says, oh, my God, it's happening.

Angela Kinsey

Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, that's stress relief.

Jenna Fischer

Stress relief.

Rainn Wilson

Yeah.

Angela Kinsey

Where they're doing the fire drill.

Jenna Fischer

Yes. Do you want to know what number two is on their list? Is one of my favorites. It might be my number one.

Angela Kinsey

Don't throw garbage at my head.

Jenna Fischer

No, it's Kelly. It is. I have a lot of questions. Number one, how dare you?

Angela Kinsey

Oh, yeah, that's a good one.

Jenna Fischer

But I would like to say that number 12 was Jim and Pam's air. High five. We made it on the list, so I'm proud of us.

Angela Kinsey

I don't know that Angela Martin is on the list with dialogue, but I'm on every list. If you type in, I roll.

Jenna Fischer

You've got an eye roll.

Angela Kinsey

I've got an eye roll. And I've got a real good one. In this episode, I'm going to point

Jenna Fischer

out fast fact number two, Speaking of the cold open, which gave us this famous gif. It's all about knock knock jokes, the guys are doing these knock knock jokes with each other and we'll break it down fully when we get there. So I watched this episode with Lee and he said, isn't it amazing how the knock knock joke is so universal that if one person walks up to another person and says, knock knock, you just know to say, who's there?

Angela Kinsey

Yeah.

Jenna Fischer

And then you know you're in a knock knock joke. How did that begin? Well, uh.

Angela Kinsey

Oh, somebody hit the Google button.

Jenna Fischer

Yes. As a lady who Googles, I'm gonna give you the history of knock knock jokes.

Angela Kinsey

I wanna hear it.

Jenna Fischer

So the first written coupling of knock, knock, who's there? The first time it sort of appeared anywhere people believe is Shakespeare's Macbeth.

Angela Kinsey

All roads lead back to Shakespeare.

Jenna Fischer

That's why it was so important to study it in theater school.

Angela Kinsey

Hey, I studied Shakespeare.

Jenna Fischer

I believe you, but I studied it

Angela Kinsey

in my writing class.

Jenna Fischer

Well, there you go. Act two, scene three. The porter is very hungover and he has this monologue where he repeats, knock, knock, who's there? And then he tells you who's there. He's sort of just kind of in his head.

Angela Kinsey

Tis, I am Montague.

Jenna Fischer

But in this play, it is not a joke. He's not doing, like, a jokey thing. It's not like what it is now. So now cut to. It's the early 1900s, and there's this new kind of comedy on the scene.

Angela Kinsey

Ooh, what kind?

Jenna Fischer

It's like a call answer comedy or like a bait and response comedy. And here's an example of one of these jokes from the 1900s. Someone would say, do you know Arthur? And that would make the other person say, arthur who? And then you would say, our thermometer who? Yes, that was one of the jokes.

Angela Kinsey

My kids would love that one. Saving it.

Jenna Fischer

Well, it's very similar to that whole up dog joke. The what's up dog? I don't know. What's up with you. Right, right. That Michael famously botched. So then in the mid-1930s, this kind of, like, pun mania morphed into what is now the traditional knock knock joke. Cartoonist Bob Dunn is credited with inventing this joke in its current form. He wrote a book called Knock knock, who's there? And it's basically filled with knock knock joke puns. It sold, like 2 million copies. It. It took off like crazy. It was a Jeopardy Question. Get this. What Knock knock jokes were especially huge in Pennsylvania? Oh. Versions of knock knock jokes started appearing in advertisements. The Edgemont Cash and Carry grocery store in Chester, Pennsylvania, ran an ad that said, knock knock. Who's there? Don. Don who? Don, forget to do your shopping at the Cash and Carry.

Angela Kinsey

Yeah, Don, forget it.

Jenna Fischer

There was also this one. Ready? Knock knock.

Angela Kinsey

Who's there?

Jenna Fischer

Rufus.

Angela Kinsey

Rufus who?

Jenna Fischer

Roof is the most important part of your house. That was a roofing company.

Angela Kinsey

Okay.

Jenna Fischer

But politicians started using them. There were, like, special clubs called knock knock clubs that formed in Illinois and Iowa and Kansas. And I guess knock knock clubs, you

Angela Kinsey

would just go there and tell your knock knock jokes.

Rainn Wilson

Yes.

Jenna Fischer

It was like a place to have a drink and share your greatest knock knock jokes. Then in 1936, at, like, the peak of the knock knock joke craze, there was a song called the Knock Knock Song by Fletcher Henderson. And I'm gonna play you a clip.

Angela Kinsey

Oh, my word.

Rainn Wilson

Who's that? Manny.

Angela Kinsey

Manny O. Manny, Manny. Thanks to.

Rainn Wilson

Music wherever she goes.

Angela Kinsey

Yeah, I love it.

Jenna Fischer

A whole song full of knock knock jokes. So then, lady, there is a backlash.

Angela Kinsey

Oh, people turn on the knock knock.

Jenna Fischer

Well, all of these psychologists start coming out like Sigmund Freud, uh oh, and AA Brill. They start saying that people who have an incessant need to make puns have A psychological condition? Oh, no, that it is like a sign of narcissism.

Angela Kinsey

Oh.

Jenna Fischer

A German neurologist named Otfried Forster said manic punning was a certifiable syndrome. And he actually called it Forster Syndrome.

Angela Kinsey

He named it after himself. I mean, aren't you being a narcissist, Mr. Forster?

Jenna Fischer

I mean, I don't know.

Angela Kinsey

You're telling me that people that love and pun are narcissists and then you name it after yourself.

Jenna Fischer

That's right.

Angela Kinsey

I just want to point that out.

Jenna Fischer

Yeah. Well, despite their best efforts, knock knock jokes have stayed around. We still have them today, of course. They appear in this episode of the Office. Halloween is coming up. That's when I always hear the knock knock jokes. I think.

Angela Kinsey

At your house. Yeah. What do you got? What do you got?

Jenna Fischer

Knock knock.

Angela Kinsey

Who's there?

Rainn Wilson

Boo.

Angela Kinsey

Boo hoo.

Jenna Fischer

Don't cry. It's just a joke.

Angela Kinsey

Got it.

Jenna Fischer

Do you have any that are like, what are your favorites?

Angela Kinsey

Well, this is the one I remember from elementary school. Knock knock.

Jenna Fischer

Who's there?

Angela Kinsey

Banana.

Jenna Fischer

Banana who?

Angela Kinsey

Knock knock.

Jenna Fischer

Who's there?

Angela Kinsey

Banana.

Jenna Fischer

Banana who?

Angela Kinsey

Knock knock.

Jenna Fischer

Who's there?

Angela Kinsey

Banana.

Jenna Fischer

Banana who?

Angela Kinsey

Knock knock.

Jenna Fischer

Who's there?

Angela Kinsey

Orange.

Jenna Fischer

Orange who?

Angela Kinsey

Aren't you glad I didn't say banana?

Jenna Fischer

I remember that one too. This is my kid's favorite. What? Knock knock.

Angela Kinsey

Who's there?

Jenna Fischer

Interrupting cow.

Angela Kinsey

Oh, my kids like this one too. I know that one. Interrupting cow. Yeah. So the lady has googled. We have gotten to the bottom of the knock knock joke. What's your fast fact number three?

Jenna Fischer

My fast fact number three is that supposedly coming out in November 2021, there is going to be a Michael Scott Funko Pop holding a golden T. Oh,

Angela Kinsey

is he gonna be dressed like Willy Wonka?

Jenna Fischer

Yeah, he's gonna have a little top hat on. I saw their rendering for it and I don't know how accurate it is, but they're saying this is gonna be a new Funko Pop based on this episode.

Angela Kinsey

Well, that's so fun. I just think they're all so cute. I'm about to get one of Angela in her Fun Run outfit.

Jenna Fischer

You know, I don't have a single Pam Funko Pop.

Angela Kinsey

Come on.

Jenna Fischer

I don't have one.

Angela Kinsey

You gotta get one.

Jenna Fischer

I guess I do.

Angela Kinsey

I have one of me and my cat. And now I'm going to have the Fun Run one. But that's so cute. The Willy Wonka one is going to be so cute.

Jenna Fischer

Well, if you're into merch from this episode, I also found that you can buy A frameable golden ticket, just like the one that Michael is putting in the boxes. It was on Amazon. Oh, I don't know why you would want that, but if you do, it is a veil.

Angela Kinsey

If you're having a Willy Wonka themed party. Oh, yeah, maybe. I was curious. Do you think Michael is being the Gene Wilder Willy Wonka or the Johnny Depp?

Jenna Fischer

I think he's Gene Wilder.

Angela Kinsey

That's what I thought too. But Gene's blazer is purple and Johnny Depp's is maroon and Michael's is maroon,

Jenna Fischer

but he's doing all the somersaults and the dialogue from the Gene Wilder one.

Angela Kinsey

I agree. I agree.

Jenna Fischer

Those are all my fast facts. We're gonna go to a break, and when we come back, we have a delicious surprise. We have a guest.

Angela Kinsey

Yes. Oh, we can't wait to talk to him. Oh, I gave a little bit away. Okay. It's a guy. He's tall, and his name is also a weather condition.

Jenna Fischer

All right, we'll leave you guessing and then we'll be back.

Angela Kinsey

This show is sponsored by BetterHelp.

Jenna Fischer

I really love that in our day and age, we talk more openly about mental health. But even though that is true, I think sometimes asking for help can feel hard. And in fact, BetterHelp's latest research confirms this. BetterHelp's 2026 State of Stigma report surveyed 2,000Americans and revealed that 85% of Americans believe getting support is wise, yet 74% say society discourages people from doing so.

Angela Kinsey

Well, you know, I think better help is really changing how people approach mental health. They're making it easier to find a quality therapist, and they are the world's largest online therapy platform.

Jenna Fischer

Don't let stigma stand in the way of support. Start therapy with better help. Sign up and get 10% off@betterhelp.com OfficeLadies that's better.

Angela Kinsey

H E L P.com OfficeLadies your summer

Rainn Wilson

watch list is officially sorted with Netflix. Experience the epic return of Avatar the last Airbender. The gripping mystery of I will find you'd in the wild comedy of office romance. Plus, dive into Enola Holmes 3. Hit the greens with Will Ferrell and the hawk and survive Kevin Hart's wild weekend in 72 hours.

Angela Kinsey

The biggest movies and shows are all on Netflix.

Rainn Wilson

Sign up now and unlock your ultimate summer watch list.

Jenna Fischer

Is someone on the phone?

Rainn Wilson

Hi, it's me, Rainn Wilson.

Jenna Fischer

Rainn. Wilson Rain.

Angela Kinsey

What are you doing? Why are you calling us?

Rainn Wilson

Well, I just wanted to see how you guys doing. I missed you. I Miss you. I just want to know if you want to hang out.

Angela Kinsey

Oh, I do want to hang out.

Jenna Fischer

I would like to hang out.

Rainn Wilson

Great. So when are we getting together?

Jenna Fischer

You tell us. You know what we want to do? Rain, for reals. We had this on the text thread. We want to come to your house and listen to Creed and play the guitar. Play guitar together.

Angela Kinsey

And I want to see your new place, and I want to meet your pigs and your zonkey.

Rainn Wilson

Have you heard about our newest pet sensation?

Angela Kinsey

Oh, the peacock.

Rainn Wilson

We have Alma the peacock, and now rain.

Angela Kinsey

Did she just walk on up or did, like, how did Alma get there?

Rainn Wilson

So my wife had a horse for a long time named Gus, and Gus was a very old, white lipizan horse, and he passed away this summer. He lived a rich, full horse life, and he died very quickly, so that was all fine. But his stall was empty, and they put a vase of flowers in there, and it was just kind of left empty as a kind of a salute to old Gus. And two weeks later, no joke. And Gus was white, by the way. Two weeks later, out of nowhere, sitting in Gus's horse stall was a white peahen, a female peacock.

Angela Kinsey

Oh, my goodness.

Rainn Wilson

No one knows where it came from. It had never been seen there previously. It hadn't been seen in the neighborhood or the area of where my wife's horse, where she rides her horses, and it just moved in to his stall. And so she kind of trained it to eat, feed, and it couldn't stay there because it was spooking some of the horses because it would flap around and squawk. And so she trained it to eat, feed, and go into a carrying container bin. And we took it to our house, and it made the transition perfectly. And, you guys, Alma is amazing, and she sleeps during the day when she's not hunting bugs. She sleeps in the olive tree right outside my office window and just stares in at me all day. So if I'm, like, podcasting or on zoom calls or whatever, I have a white peacock staring into my office.

Angela Kinsey

This is all I could ever hope for. Rain. I'm excited about my hummingbirds. If I had a peacock in my tree, I'd lose it.

Jenna Fischer

I mean, rain. It's Gus. It's Gus, right?

Rainn Wilson

My friend said if there was ever more proof needed for reincarnation. Now, I don't know about. I don't know that I buy reincarnation, but, I mean, it was magical. It's a magical experience. It's kind of crazy.

Jenna Fischer

Well, there's something happening there.

Angela Kinsey

I was Gonna say, whether you believe in Reincarn or not, there's just something beautiful in the universe that happened right there.

Rainn Wilson

Yeah, yeah. So besides, now our pigs that live at our house, now we have a peacock who's very demanding. Holly, my wife just went crazy. She bought, like, a big box arrived yesterday, and I opened it up and it was filled. I'm not kidding you, it was filled with mealworms.

Angela Kinsey

Ew.

Rainn Wilson

Two, like, 20 pound boxes of bag of mealworms.

Jenna Fischer

Where do you keep those?

Angela Kinsey

Yeah. How do you refrigerate them? Like, what do you do with the meal? Where do you put a mealworm?

Rainn Wilson

You just put them on the ground and then she eats the mealworms.

Angela Kinsey

But in between eating.

Rainn Wilson

Not my wife. The peacock.

Angela Kinsey

The peacock.

Jenna Fischer

We got that part.

Angela Kinsey

Well, Rain, listen, we're so excited to have you on. We know you've been on before and you've sent in audio clips and you're always so supportive. But we realize there are just some real general questions we ask our guests, and we never got to do that with you. And here is the one we always lead with. Are you ready?

Rainn Wilson

Okay, hit me.

Angela Kinsey

All right. So how did you get your job on the Office? Is it true that you first auditioned for the role of Michael Scott? Tell us your Office origin story.

Rainn Wilson

Oh, I have a great Office origin story. I love to tell the story. It's fantastic. I was starting to do this show Six Feet under, and I was just at the very beginning of that. Of that show. And that was right when HBO was starting to take off, and it was a very widely, highly regarded show. And I got cast in this Jeanine Garofalo comedy pilot for abc. And, you know, it was a very small role, but I was like, hey, you know, it's an amazing paycheck. This is great. I'm gonna be a series regular. It was my first, like, real stab at a series regular job, and. Which is a lot better money than doing a guest star, just for those who are listening and wondering. And I was very excited about it. Bob Odenkirk was in it. Marc Maron was in it. It had a really kind of great cast. And I was walking to the table read.

Angela Kinsey

Wait, wait, Rain, Rain, what was it called? Do you know the name of it?

Rainn Wilson

Oh, boy. It'll come to me. Okay. I can't remember right now.

Jenna Fischer

Okay.

Rainn Wilson

Real life, still life, something like that.

Angela Kinsey

I'll look it up. Okay, go on, go on, go on.

Rainn Wilson

I can't remember. And I was on the way to the table read, which is something that Actors you do at the studio, or you used to do, you all sit in a room behind a table and you read it out loud. And all the executives are there so they can kind of see the cast together, get their energy, hear the rhythms of the read, give notes, et cetera. Very common occurrence. On my way there, I ran into this NBC executive that I knew at the time, who I had met a couple times. I forget why. And I was like, oh, hi. It was Vernon. Vernon Sanders.

Angela Kinsey

Oh, we love it.

Rainn Wilson

I was like, hi, Vernon.

Angela Kinsey

Yes.

Rainn Wilson

Yeah, yeah, he's at Amazon now, and. Nice guy. And I was like, hi, Vernon. And he's like, hi, what's going on? He goes, well, I'm so excited because we just landed the rights to the BBC office, and I had seen a couple episodes. My friend Sam had them recorded from someone in England on a vhs. It was before they were, like, available in the United States. It was really early on. I had seen them, and I just loved them. And I. And inside and outside, I was like, oh, that's great. That's great. And inside I was like, oh, God damn it, I want to be in that show. That show's so awesome. And so I was like, okay, see you later. Went to the table read. This is one of the most incredible experiences. In fact, Kent Zvornak was the producer on it. Oh, my gosh.

Jenna Fischer

Wow. Kentopedia.

Rainn Wilson

Yeah. So we did the table read, and this was an infamous event. We did the table read. It went so bad that the plug was pulled immediately.

Jenna Fischer

They canceled it. You didn't even shoot it.

Rainn Wilson

I did not shoot it. They had sets built. We had plane tickets. We had hotel rooms booked. I was supposed to fly the next morning and then start shooting in, like, two days. And the table read went so poorly.

Angela Kinsey

We found the name, by the way. The name is Slice O Life.

Rainn Wilson

Slice O Life. That's what I knew. It had life in it and an S. So all of a sudden, I was free to do the Office. So I called my agents and I was like, I'd really like to audition for this Office. And, yes, I was the first person to audition on the very first day. Allison Jones, the casting director, kind of knew me from six Feet under and some other things. I was so excited. And I auditioned for both Dwight and Michael on that first day, and she keeps threatening to release my Michael Scott audition. It is truly terrible because I just did a Ricky Gervais impersonation. I didn't know what else to do. So I was kind of pulling on my tie a Lot. And it was. But Dwight, I knew. I was like, this is completely in my wheelhouse. I know exactly who this person is. This guy is in my DNA. I have cousins who are really not that different from Dwight Schrute, and the rest is history.

Jenna Fischer

Well, Rain, I remember being paired with you during the screen tests, and they were mixing and matching us. There were like four PAMs and four Jims and four Dwights and a few Michaels. Bob Odenkirk was one of the Michaels, which is so crazy because I guess he was available as well, since Slice o Life didn't go forward and Kent Zabrnack was available.

Rainn Wilson

Yeah. Wow.

Jenna Fischer

We really.

Angela Kinsey

We got a lot of folks from

Jenna Fischer

Slice of Life got lucky there.

Rainn Wilson

We scored.

Jenna Fischer

But, Rain, I remember being paired with you, and I. I mean, I couldn't believe it. Of all of us. Of all of us, you were 100% there from the beginning. I feel like from that moment that I did that first audition scene with you, everybody else, I was paired, like, I was paired with John, and I was like, oh, yeah, this is great, and. And Steve and everybody. But Rain, you were just like. I didn't even know where Rain began and Dwight ended or Dwight began and Rain ended. I mean, it was so fluid. It was amazing.

Rainn Wilson

But you were. I have to say, there's a mutual admiration society. For those who don't know, Jenna was totally in Pam dressed as Pam. You were reading the book on John Belushi Wired that you thought Pam would be reading.

Jenna Fischer

It was in the script that she was reading it. So I read the whole novel. I read the whole thing. I was like, my character, read it. I'll read it.

Rainn Wilson

Yeah. And you were Pam in the waiting room, too. But that was so much fun. And we had. I don't know if they'd ever released that audition, but that improvisation where I was just sitting, I was kneeling, like, way too close to you, which is something I love to do. As Dwight is like, he doesn't have an understanding of personal space.

Jenna Fischer

He does not.

Rainn Wilson

He could be talking to someone like 4 inches away from them. And I thought. I always thought that was really funny and where I talked about my girlfriend being stationed in Kuwait. And that was very funny. And you just. And it was such a great improv because most actors feel like, oh, I'm improving. I need to talk a lot. You know, they think like, oh, improvisation means talking a lot. And this was an improv where I kind of did this monologue and you just gazed painfully into space, just taking in my body odor and My proximity and the strangeness of my story. And it was. It was fantastic. And when we did that, I was like, oh, I know that we're going to have these parts.

Jenna Fischer

Yeah, I felt that way too. And I felt at that audition, it was very clear to me that you were their choice.

Angela Kinsey

Did they keep pairing different people with Rainn? Because that's how, you know. You know that's the person when they're like, oh, let's see him with this person and this person and this person.

Jenna Fischer

And I only got paired with him once, and that made me a little nervous because it was very clear to me that Rain had the part. And so I was like, oh, well, can I?

Rainn Wilson

They mostly met with a lot of different gyms. I remember reading with a lot of different gyms.

Jenna Fischer

Yeah.

Rainn Wilson

And the reason they said ultimately they went with John, I mean, obviously he's charming and handsome and funny and great. Deadpan and smart as hell and likable, but that his size was comparable to mine. There were a couple other gyms that were like 5 foot 7 and it just seemed like Dwight would just overpower them. But Jim was actually taller than me. So we kind of, like, we really matched up kind of energy wise.

Jenna Fischer

That makes sense to me.

Angela Kinsey

Yeah, that does.

Jenna Fischer

But then they went a whole other way with your romantic life. And they picked the tiniest person in the room, the office.

Rainn Wilson

Tiniest, tiniest little sprig. Yeah. But I didn't think they knew that Dwight and Angela were gonna get together. They just were. I don't know where that storyline came from, but I imagine they were just kind of floundering in season two. Like, oh, we gotta mix things up. Like, because at first they had me together with Kelly. They had me kiss Kelly Kapoor.

Angela Kinsey

But Angela was furious. Angela watched it and was furious. Remember, they had me, like, look in the camera. Like, they made me look so, like, they kept saying, more anger, more. I was like, my God, my eyes are gonna pop out of my head. But I think. I think our writers just sat there. Jenna and I have talked about this and we've talked to our writers about it. How they would just take two names and put them on a card and just see what that felt like and sort of spitball a little bit about what those two people would bring out of each other.

Rainn Wilson

Right. And that is one thing that Greg talked about. And I remember, and it's really great lesson for comedy writers and screenwriters. He said a lot of shows really focus on a character and like, oh, let's make this character really specific. And funny and interesting. But he was really about, like, when these two characters bang up against each other. That's what she said. Then what do.

Angela Kinsey

What happens?

Rainn Wilson

What happens with that energy? So it was more about. He was much more about dynamics between characters. And I think that's one of the successes of the ominous.

Jenna Fischer

Well, this episode that we're talking about today, Golden Ticket, has a classic Michael Dwight pairing. And we just. I love, in this rewatch, watching the way that Dwight can be both Michael's lackey and then also, like, you can take him to task. You stand up to him. What was that like for you? You were in this comedy duo with Steve Carell for seven years, playing out moments like this. What was that experience?

Rainn Wilson

Well, that's a bunch of questions. And I'll let you know.

Jenna Fischer

That's how I like to interview people.

Angela Kinsey

She just likes to throw, like, 13 big overarching, like, huge questions. Yeah.

Jenna Fischer

Thematic questions all at once.

Rainn Wilson

I love it. Well, let. Let me hit that one. Let me just say that, you know, when I look back on that work with Steve, I'm just so grateful because he's obviously, like, one of the greatest actors. Comedy actors, but even just actors, like, ever. And the fact that I got to do so much work with him was just such a gift. I didn't come from an improv background. I was always good at improv, but I went to theater school, and I did Shakespeare and I did Eugene o'. Neill. And I was in New York, kind of off off Broadway theater guy. And Steve was from Second City and had done years and years and years of improv. So that was his thing. But the thing about Steve that I'll. You know, they always have this. It's kind of become a cliche, like the. Yes. And, you know, like an improv. If you say, like, hey, you know, I bought a pet peacock, then you say, yes, and. And like, oh, I'd love to see it. Can I feed it my mealworms? Or whatever? And Steve was incredible at that. No matter what I did. And I was. Sometimes I would try to go really out of the box. Steve would completely react in character and accept what was being proposed. Yeah, I could just. In the. Because obviously we would shoot a scene, we would improvise. I mean, we would do the script. We would shoot the script and make sure we got it scripted correctly. And then we would. Could improvise, and then sometimes it would just. We just freely improvise and just go off. And I remember just being like. I could say something like, I've Decided to open a llama farm just out of nowhere or something. And Steve would just listen as Michael, take that in and be like, dwight, what are you talking about? Llamas? What? What does that have to do with anything? Why? You're so weird, Dwight. Ugh, go away. You're icky. Like, and it would just be completely in the moment. And I just learned so much from that process. He never got kind of like, God damn it, Rainn, why are you being so weird and so silly? Like, stay on the point of the scene. And we could go way off kilter, way off the path, and he would just be right there all the time. It was really a privilege to work with him.

Angela Kinsey

I loved it when there'd be a conference room scene and clearly Michael had an agenda and things to say. And you, as Dwight, of all people, would interject, right? And Rain, so many times I go to the script to see if it was written or improvised, because I feel like I can tell now. And they're always so good, but it's, like, seamless. You would never know because of exactly what you just shared, because Steve is Michael, no matter what you piped up and said, just, like, would just take it and run with it. And it was always, like, an absolute joy. You know me, I'm a nerdy, nerdy improv gal. We've talked on the podcast that you and Jenna had your whole did theater, and Jenna likes to remind me of it Rain, much like you did, but as, like, a nerdy improv gal. Watching you guys, it was just awesome. I felt like I had a front row seat of just some really magical

Rainn Wilson

moments and getting specifically to golden ticket. Thank you, Angela. But, yeah, I hadn't seen this one since it came out, and it was so fun to watch. And Jenna, just like you said, that dynamic of Dwight being toady, lackey, suck up, just so desperate for Michael's approval and then oddly realizing he's got some power here. And you know that switch when he's shaking David Wallace's hand and he says, you know, thank you, and takes the credit for it. And then Steve's expression of was so priceless. Of like, oh, that guy.

Angela Kinsey

And then your fight in the marketing meeting, like, when you get on the phone with the marketing guys, the two of you back and forth with your big ideas.

Rainn Wilson

Yeah, Horse, boat and all the toilet, toilet, toilet, net. Get a lot of toilet ideas. You don't have ideas. Yes, I do. I would love to see an extended cut of that because I bet that there were a lot more Ideas we tossed back and forth in that scene.

Jenna Fischer

We should ask Dave Rogers, the keeper of all of the extra footage, because I bet you're right. There had to have been even more. Also, this one was written by Mindy Kaling, and she was amazing at coming up with on the fly in the moment. Extra stuff to hand you.

Angela Kinsey

I have to tell you guys, in the script, I reread it, Pam tries to butt in with an idea.

Rainn Wilson

What?

Jenna Fischer

Yes.

Angela Kinsey

And Michael and Dwight shoot her down. It's the one thing they agree on, is that Pam's idea is so stupid. She says, as they're yelling all their ideas, Pam meekly just says, remote control toilets. And they're both like, nah, it's stupid. Doesn't make sense. That's dumb.

Rainn Wilson

That's great. I wish they would have kept that. That's great.

Jenna Fischer

We have another question that we've never asked you, Rain. This is a popular one we ask all our guests.

Rainn Wilson

Okay.

Jenna Fischer

Did you take anything from set when the show wrapped?

Rainn Wilson

Oh, this breaks my heart. I should have taken so much more. I should have fleeced NBCUniversal. I took Dwight's glasses. I took his little desk plate that said Dwight Schrute on it. I took his stapler and one or two other things I can't quite remember. I have to look around and see. But I had a whole list of things I gave to Phil Shea, and I said, phil, pull these aside for me, and I'll get them from you later. And it was, you know, Dwight's briefcase and this and that and the other thing and blah, blah, blah. And. And Phil's like, okay. And then I went back to Phil, and he's like, I don't have them, or I couldn't get them. Sorry, blah, blah, blah. And then I heard from someone else. They were like, oh, they threatened the crew to be fired and never work for NBC Universal again if they caught them taking anything from the office set. And we didn't know why. And then they had that big auction where they auctioned all the stuff off on ebay. You know, even, like, Dwight's desk was auctioned off.

Jenna Fischer

Did you not get your bobblehead?

Rainn Wilson

I got one of the rejected bobbleheads that doesn't look anything like the Bob. I did not get my original bobblehead.

Jenna Fischer

No, I see. That's.

Rainn Wilson

And I asked Phil Shea for the painting. The. The Dwight painting. That's kind of where he's like Chairman Mao. Yeah, yeah. And that didn't happen either.

Angela Kinsey

Well, Rain, you know, you've gone on to do so many awesome things. But we would love to talk to you about your podcast, Metaphysical Milkshake. I listened to a great episode last night when you had Mike Schur on.

Rainn Wilson

Yeah.

Angela Kinsey

And that was so amazing. Just talking about what is good, what is bad. And he sort of, like, folded in his show the Good Place, into that episode. But you and Reza are so thoughtful, and you're really asking life's big questions, and it's a great listen.

Rainn Wilson

Yeah, thanks. Well, you guys know, this is something that's always been really important to me, and it was kind of the impetus and Inspiration for starting SoulPancake, the digital media company that I created with some friends. But this whole idea of life's biggest possible questions has always really intrigued me. You know, I took philosophy in college, and I love studying spirituality, and I love psychology and sociology and kind of creativity and how creativity works and why. So this was kind of the foundation for Metaphysical Milkshake. Our first season, we did on this company called Luminary, but that didn't really work out. So now we're doing a second season, which is available wherever podcasts are available and including a lot of the stuff we did for our first season. And it's super fun. We get to talk to just artists and thinkers and writers. We just yesterday interviewed Avi Loeb, who's the head of the astronomy division of Harvard University, talking about alien life and discovering extraterrestrial life. And then we had Jason. Speaking of office auctions. Jason Isbell is one of my favorite kind of country rock.

Angela Kinsey

I love him.

Rainn Wilson

Yeah, he's so great. He came on the show talking about, like, what music is. Like, where does music come from?

Angela Kinsey

Oh, I need to listen to that

Rainn Wilson

one he bought years ago. He bought his wife Dwight's scissors from the NBC auction.

Angela Kinsey

Whoa.

Rainn Wilson

Oh, my. Isn't that crazy?

Jenna Fischer

Yes. Well, Rain, I listened to your interview with Adam Grant where you discussed this concept, what if I'm wrong? And this idea, our resistance as people to consider that you might be wrong or even. What I loved when you guys talked about how when you know you're wrong, but the cost of admitting you're wrong, that idea of, like, there's that social cost. Oh, no, if I admit I'm wrong once, people will paint me with a brush that. Oh, that's the person who gets things wrong. I mean, it was just. It was so thoughtful. I love that kind of introspective discussion that makes me think about things that maybe I wouldn't have thought of otherwise. It's a great podcast.

Rainn Wilson

You know, I'M glad you brought that one up, because I feel like this is kind of where our country is. It's very stuck in kind of two sides that are convinced they're 100% right, and no one's really talking to each other and learning and listening from each other. And when you go to life's biggest questions, these are the questions that we've been asking since the caveman days, since ancient Greece. You know, why are we alive? Do we have free will? What's the meaning of it all? And these discussions can unite us. So that's really the whole purpose, is to unite people by getting young folk thinking about talking, wrestling with the human experience.

Angela Kinsey

Well, Rain, at the end of your podcast with Reza, you guys do this sort of rapid fire of questions. And I love when you ask people, when do you most feel connected to the universe? I'm paraphrasing, but it's something like that question, right? So when do you, Rain, feel most connected to the universe?

Rainn Wilson

Wow. Okay. You're hitting me with my own weapon. That's what she said. The. That's a profound question. And wow, no one's ever asked me that before. You know, I. You know, so I meditate. That's part of my daily practice. But. But I'll have a new answer to that, which is I've gotten really, really deep into tennis, and we joined a tennis club in this new little town that I moved to in California. And I've been playing a lot, two, three times a week. And there's something really incredible about the game of tennis because it. It requires such focus that when you're playing it, you're just completely in the moment. You have to be completely in the moment, or you will screw up and hit the ball out. So forces a kind of like a focus, and that allows one to be, like, connected. When I'm playing tennis, like, time doesn't really exist in the same way that exists in my regular life. My anxieties go away. And I know that's not a terribly profound one, but I have truly been felt feeling connected to the universe through tennis.

Angela Kinsey

I think that's great because I think for me, I have to get out of my head sometimes and get in my body. You know, when I get nervous or anxious about something, I stop everything. I put screens away. You know, I love tennis as well, but I like to just get in my body somehow, whether that's a hike or just going on a long walk, just anything to just get back in my body and get out of my head. And I Just love that. Rainn, do you remember working on my serve with me on the side of our soundstage? I had my racket, and I was telling you I was struggling with my serve. And so we went to the side of the building where the hair and makeup trailers were, and you had me work on my toss, and then I would hit it onto the side of the building.

Rainn Wilson

Oh, my God.

Angela Kinsey

And you told me my toss was horrible. It was, like, all about my toss. My toss wasn't high enough.

Jenna Fischer

Did you feel connected to the universe as Rain told you your toss was horrible, Angela?

Angela Kinsey

I felt frustrated, but connected.

Rainn Wilson

So funny. Isn't it funny how it must be old age. I have no memory of that, but that's incredible. That's incredible. How is your serve these days?

Angela Kinsey

You know what? It's much better. It's much better. I do toss higher, but I also throw myself at it in a way I didn't before. Maybe it's like being 50 and having the past few years of just craziness. I throw myself at that ball in a way I haven't before. And my tennis coach is like, I got some power there, Angie. He calls me Angie.

Rainn Wilson

Nice. Wow. Fantastic.

Angela Kinsey

It's a. I'm like, low to the ground, Rain. I've got a good torque.

Rainn Wilson

That is so weird, you guys. What a pleasure being on your show. And thanks for the deep dive. And God, what a. What an amazing pleasure it was watching Golden Ticket again. That's a. That cold open, too. The KGB and the knock knock jokes. It was so good. That's such. There's so many classic office moments throughout it.

Jenna Fischer

I have to ask, since you brought it up, how did you guys get through that cold open with slapping each other? I mean. Cause if you broke, you'd have to do it again. And obviously you didn't want to have to keep slapping and getting slapped, but I mean, how'd you do it?

Rainn Wilson

People always ask, like, how do you keep a straight face? It's like, I didn't keep a straight face.

Angela Kinsey

You didn't range.

Jenna Fischer

You didn't.

Angela Kinsey

Because I watched the bloopers and you are one of the top breakers.

Rainn Wilson

I just laugh all the time. Especially John and I, we would just make each other laugh. We could look at each other's eyes and know a laugh was coming. So I don't remember, but I am certain that especially that little last section when John was, like, doing the kgb, that I'm sure I was crying with laughter and we had to cut, you know, at least a dozen times.

Angela Kinsey

I also. I Mean, listen, the bookend of this is that it starts with the KGB and it ends with the KGB and the tag and you going back and forth with the time when he's like, I'm busy. And you're like, what's about 4:45? I was like, I know. Those guys were laughing.

Rainn Wilson

Yeah, I'm sure we can fit you in. Yes. 5:15.

Jenna Fischer

Oh, rain, thank you so much for calling in and chatting with us. We love you. You are our most frequent guest on Office Ladies. That is your title. It belongs to you.

Rainn Wilson

Wow.

Angela Kinsey

And we love you, Rain. And we love you. We love your heart. We love. You know, you have such a heart for service, Rain, and I've always admired that about you. And we're just excited for folks to hear Metaphysical Milkshake. And I love it because then it's kind of like, you know, you're in my bathroom with me. No, that's weird. Like, I was listening as I got ready, but you know what I mean,

Rainn Wilson

you guys are the best. Congrats on the success of Office Ladies. I hope it launches an Oprah esque empire for the two of you. Thank you.

Angela Kinsey

We'll receive that.

Jenna Fischer

We love you, Rain. We'll talk to you soon.

Angela Kinsey

Take care. I want to come meet Alma.

Rainn Wilson

Yes. Come over and meet the peacock.

Jenna Fischer

We will.

Angela Kinsey

All right. Bye.

Rainn Wilson

Bye.

Angela Kinsey

This podcast is brought to you by Squarespace.

Jenna Fischer

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Angela Kinsey

Almost seven years. Yeah.

Jenna Fischer

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Angela Kinsey

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Jenna Fischer

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That's right, you guys, Squarespace is that all in one website platform for entrepreneurs to stand out and succeed online.

Jenna Fischer

I have to say, Squarespace has really grown with us. It has, and it has helped us grow in ways that I wouldn't have imagined. We just went through and Ileana did a whole reorganizing of how to find our back catalog, and Squarespace made that really easy.

Angela Kinsey

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Jenna Fischer

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Rainn Wilson

Queen Carvania stood haloed by the morning sun.

Angela Kinsey

An army hung on her every word. My champions, I have sold my chariot on Carvana. Twas a lovely suv, an inexplicably queenly offer. They're even coming to the castle to collect it. Tonight we feast an offer you can feast on. Sell your car today on Carvana. Pick up. Fees may apply. I just love that fella.

Jenna Fischer

I beyond love him.

Angela Kinsey

I love him. Rain, thank you so much for stopping by. And now, lady, we gotta get into this episode.

Jenna Fischer

Let's do it. You know, we've talked a little bit about this cold open already, but we haven't really broken it down. So let's get into it.

Angela Kinsey

Pam is on the phone. She's trying to give someone like maybe a fax number. I want to point out at 10 seconds, Nick is still in office all day.

Jenna Fischer

In the. In the note, in the post it

Angela Kinsey

note, there's the same post it note from last week. It's on the pin star post it paper. Nick in office all day. He's still there, folks. So Michael's gonna come over and he's messing with Pam. She's trying to give this phone number and he's like, fiverr nine, three two, like, trying to mess her up. She hangs up and she's like, michael, that makes us look so unprofessional. Yeah, well, he can't wait. He's been there because he has a really good knock knock joke for her.

Jenna Fischer

That's right. Knock knock.

Angela Kinsey

Who's there?

Jenna Fischer

Buddha.

Angela Kinsey

Buddha who?

Jenna Fischer

Buddha. This bread for me.

Angela Kinsey

And then he sits a stick of butter. It's been in his hand. It's not even in the wrapper.

Jenna Fischer

I know. I'll have you know it was not scripted to be unwrapped, but on the day, we just thought that would be really funny. And originally my line in the script, when I look at the butter and the everything on my desk, I was supposed to say, you're making a mess. But I changed it to, there's butter on my desk.

Angela Kinsey

Yeah.

Jenna Fischer

And I thought that was like such a great little find in the moment when we were rehearsing.

Angela Kinsey

It's very Pam, though. It's like people leave trash on your desk, throw things at you. It's just a statement. It's like resignation.

Jenna Fischer

It is.

Angela Kinsey

Now there's butter on my desk.

Jenna Fischer

Now there's butter on my desk. That's my day today.

Angela Kinsey

Well, Dwight is super excited about this knock knock joke and he wants in on the fun.

Jenna Fischer

He's got a great one.

Angela Kinsey

Yeah. And he's like, michael, please. And Michael doesn't want to hear it. He's like, please. And I just feel like we got to hear Dwight's knock knock joke.

Jenna Fischer

Let's do it. No.

Angela Kinsey

Okay.

Rainn Wilson

Gosh, Michael, please Please, please, please, please let me. All right. Knock, knock. Who's there? Kgb.

Jenna Fischer

Kg.

Rainn Wilson

We were asked the question. What the hell was that? What are you doing? What are you doing? Hey. Hey, you stupid.

Angela Kinsey

So then they just get in, like the slapping festival, and then Jim has to get in on it.

Jenna Fischer

Yep. Do we need to hear that one?

Rainn Wilson

No more knock, knock jokes. That's it.

Angela Kinsey

Ding dong. Who's there?

Rainn Wilson

Kgb. Twice at the door. I'm not answering the door.

Angela Kinsey

Ding dong.

Rainn Wilson

No way. It's the kgb.

Jenna Fischer

Ding dong.

Rainn Wilson

I'm not answering that. You answer it.

Angela Kinsey

I'm not gonna answer it.

Rainn Wilson

I'm not gonna answer it. It's the kgb. The KGB fulfilled for no one. It's true.

Angela Kinsey

It's true.

Jenna Fischer

And there's the. It's true.

Angela Kinsey

And there it is.

Jenna Fischer

Well, now we're gonna start the main plot of this episode. Michael arrives to work dressed as Willy Wonka.

Angela Kinsey

He's so excited, he points out the jelly beans. What are these? Pam's like, jelly beans. She's like, no, they're extraordinary jelly beans. He's like, so ready for his performance. And he shares that he's put this golden ticket, 10% off in different boxes of paper. And someone's going to get it, and their day is going to be full of whimsy and excitement and fantasy.

Jenna Fischer

Here is what the golden ticket says.

Angela Kinsey

What?

Jenna Fischer

This whimsical promotion saves you 10% off your total order with Dunder Mifflin, Scranton, Pennsylvania. That's what it says. This whimsical promotion. In the conference room, Michael is just, like, already taking credit for his great idea. It's such a great idea. He needs everyone to come in the conference room and talk about how we need more good ideas. Like this one.

Angela Kinsey

He says, and this is like, something like, people that do this crack me up. He goes, it might be the best idea ever in, like, the history of ideas. You're like, okay, buddy.

Jenna Fischer

Here's what I don't understand. He's written on a board. Marketing greatness. Michael. I didn't get it. It was very amusing to me.

Angela Kinsey

Well, his job is to profiligate great ideas, I guess so. He really wants the group, though, to tell them their golden ticket idea. He knows his golden ticket.

Jenna Fischer

A golden ticket.

Angela Kinsey

Yeah. Jim's like, well, we could rent out our trucks. He's like, eh, no post it notes. Right. Golden ticket NASA. Lots of golden ticket ideas there. Andy's going to say golden girls and a few other things that start with

Jenna Fischer

the word golden that start with golden grams.

Angela Kinsey

Look over his shoulder, Angela Martin. 1 minute, 59 seconds. Major eye roll at Andy.

Jenna Fischer

Angela, eyeroll.

Angela Kinsey

Yeah. She thinks Andy's an idiot. Guys, she was only engaged to him just two seconds ago, but she's over it.

Jenna Fischer

Well, now we're going to move to the kitchen. Andy and Kevin are at the table. Pam and Jim are over by the counter. And Kevin really wants to ask out Lynn. And he's just getting a lot of advice from these guys. Conflicting advice.

Angela Kinsey

I have two background catches that just delighted me. Oh, all right. Number one, these guys are both eating donuts.

Jenna Fischer

I noticed that. And I swear to God, those are the donuts we got every morning. Because Kevin's donut is my donut.

Angela Kinsey

The sprink.

Jenna Fischer

Yes.

Angela Kinsey

And Andy had the powdered sugar. Okay, background catch number two. I love it when our show does this, when it takes an object from a prior episode and pops it back into a new one. Ready?

Jenna Fischer

Four minutes. I think I saw it, too.

Angela Kinsey

Kevin's coffee mug.

Jenna Fischer

Yep.

Angela Kinsey

Kevin's coffee mug is the same mug that Kelly gave to him at her customer survey party. You know, everyone's face and the big star. But what about Andy's mug? Andy's mug is the same one from Moroccan Christmas, and it was featured in a deleted scene I talked about when Jim and Pam decide to shop within the office for Christmas for each other because they're so broke. Jim goes up to Andy and asks him about his mug. And it's in the bloopers. It was also in the script. Two coffee mugs from two prior episodes. I love that.

Jenna Fischer

Well, later in this episode, if you look at Oscar's desk, he's going to have his America's Got Talent mug, too.

Angela Kinsey

Ah, Love it. Well, this whole Kevin and Andy and Jim and Pam storyline was much bigger in the actual shooting draft. And there are a few deleted scenes and things I want to share. First of all, this is the scene that would have set up this whole storyline. It's at the beginning of the day, and they're getting in the elevator. Kevin, Jim, and Pam. And who rushes in at the last minute because she works in the Scranton Business Park. But Lynn, can we hear it?

Jenna Fischer

Hold the door, please.

Angela Kinsey

Hi, Kevin.

Rainn Wilson

Hey, Lynn.

Angela Kinsey

Did you get my message?

Rainn Wilson

Um, yeah, I've been really busy. Oh, it's okay. Yeah, I'm probably gonna be busy for the next 20 days or so, so. Yeah.

Jenna Fischer

Bye.

Rainn Wilson

You're going to be busy for the next 20 days or so.

Jenna Fischer

I thought you liked Lynn.

Rainn Wilson

I do like Lynn. That's what Andy told me to say.

Jenna Fischer

Aha.

Angela Kinsey

Right.

Jenna Fischer

So Jim And Pam are learning that Andy has been giving Kevin some pretty bad advice.

Angela Kinsey

Yeah, he likes Lynn, but tells her, you know, he didn't return her messages, and he's gonna be busy for 20 days.

Jenna Fischer

Wow, that's amazing.

Angela Kinsey

Jim and Pam can't let Andy do this to Kevin, so they start giving him advice. Right? Just ask her out. And in the deleted scenes, you really get a sneak peek into where Andy's brain is at. You gotta hear this talking head.

Rainn Wilson

I was raised to be a gentleman around women, but when your fiance is Satan, that doesn't work. So I have some new ideas and new techniques, and I'm trying them out. Kevin Malone is my guinea pig.

Jenna Fischer

Oh, man, I wish that had stayed in.

Angela Kinsey

Doesn't that explain at all?

Jenna Fischer

It does. I mean, I think I was able to realize that the reason that Andy is being this way is because he's still reeling from his breakup with Angela. But that really would have been great.

Angela Kinsey

I know, because, I mean, I don't think Andy's a bad guy, but he's clearly hurt and acting out and using poor Kevin.

Jenna Fischer

Well, listen, Jim's gonna get a phone call now. Guess what?

Angela Kinsey

What?

Jenna Fischer

His client, Tom has found a golden ticket.

Angela Kinsey

Tom from Blue Cross of Pennsylvania, our biggest client.

Jenna Fischer

Oh, Oscar. How much is that gonna cost us? Michael wants to know.

Angela Kinsey

It's gonna hurt a bit.

Jenna Fischer

Well, what about this, guys? Tom found all five golden tickets.

Angela Kinsey

Holy moly.

Jenna Fischer

Did they say one per customer?

Angela Kinsey

Nope, nope.

Jenna Fischer

Our biggest client just got 50% off their total order with us.

Angela Kinsey

I mean, this is a huge win. Talk about winning the golden ticket.

Jenna Fischer

He sure he won all the golden tickets.

Angela Kinsey

He won all of them. This made me think. Jenna, have you ever won, like, a really big ticket item?

Jenna Fischer

I don't think so.

Angela Kinsey

I called my mom because I know my Aunt Ann has won things, like she signs up for, you know, raffles and things, and she's won trips.

Jenna Fischer

Really?

Angela Kinsey

Yeah. She's super lucky. And I was like, mom, doesn't Aunt Ann win a lot of things? And she said, well, you know, your dad won a very big ticket item.

Jenna Fischer

What did your dad win?

Angela Kinsey

And I was like, mom, what are you talking about? And she said, well, this was before you were born. And, Jenna, this story just delighted me so much. One, because, you know, my dad's passed away, and so any new information, because, you know, you play every memory, you look at everything, but anything that you hear about someone you loved who's no longer with you, you just. Oh, it's like this beautiful, wonderful thing. So my mom said, oh, yeah, before you were born, we had just moved to Lafayette, Louisiana, and the school was having a fundraiser and they were raffling off a brand new pink station wagon.

Jenna Fischer

What?

Angela Kinsey

She said it had a cream white top. And your dad went and donated some money and signed up and he won the car.

Jenna Fischer

Your dad won a pink station wave?

Angela Kinsey

Yes. And she said, and it was a very good car. And we drove it for a long time.

Jenna Fischer

Do any of your sisters remember this car?

Angela Kinsey

I was like, my sister Billy said, she remembers it. But I was like, oh, my goodness. And my mom's like, I know we have a picture somewhere. I said, mom, please, I have to see it. And she said, oh, Ange, your dad was so tickled that he won that car. He was so excited. And she said, and it was a light pink with a cream top. And they drove it around for years.

Jenna Fischer

I love that story.

Angela Kinsey

I know. It made my day.

Jenna Fischer

You know, I have been pitching for years a documentary series that I call Little Winners. And it is all about people who have won, not the lottery, but raffles. And they get something like this car, or like a new recliner or like a trip. Right. And how did it affect their life? Well, Little Winners, no one will buy it from me. No one wants to make it. I pitch it all the time. Why will no one make Little Winners?

Angela Kinsey

I love Little Winners. We could do it as a podcast and have the winner on and they could tell us all about it. Here's the thing. You know, I like to think about my parents. They were young parents. They had three young girls at this time and what that car meant to them. And then I also think about the car dealer there in Lafayette, Louisiana, and how the school, probably the superintendent, was buddies with the guy at the dealership and was like, what do you got that we can raffle off? And he's like, well, that pink station wagon, I can't believe it. No one wants it. We can't sell it.

Jenna Fischer

It's a write off.

Angela Kinsey

I'll give it to you. Okay, well, amazing. So Michael is spiraling out, though, because he's realizing blue Cross from Pennsylvania, getting this many golden tickets, he's gonna get fired.

Jenna Fischer

And Jim is upset too, because that's his commission. Oh, right, right. So Michael is gonna storm down to the warehouse. I love the beginning of this scene.

Angela Kinsey

This scene is brilliant. He goes barreling in, going, hey, hey, hey, you idiot. To Daryl.

Jenna Fischer

And Daryl says, start over.

Angela Kinsey

So good. I was like, I'm keeping that. I am keeping that. The next time one of the kids has a moment where they're sassing me. I'm gonna be like, start over.

Jenna Fischer

Exactly. And then Michael comes back with, sir, that was all in the script. I looked that up. So did. I know.

Angela Kinsey

So did I. Michael's like, daryl, how could this happen? How could this happen? And he says, I put three pallets on the truck for Blue Cross every week. Where were you putting the boxes? Were they near each other? And Michael's like, I need to ask you something. I need you to be honest with me. What is a pallet?

Rainn Wilson

So good.

Jenna Fischer

So good. David Wallace is not happy. He calls. Pam takes the call. But Michael is sort of sneaking out of his office. He's taken off his Willy Wonka outfit.

Angela Kinsey

Yeah. He's getting rid of the evidence.

Jenna Fischer

Yes. He's like, do not. I am not here. I am not here. So Pam has to say that he's at a civil rights rally at the Lincoln Memorial, which I want to point

Angela Kinsey

out is in Washington.

Jenna Fischer

Yeah, he's gone to Washington, D.C. i

Angela Kinsey

guess in the same day, he's going to go to a civil rights movement in Washington, D.C. and get a colonoscopy and scran.

Jenna Fischer

Exactly. Well, Michael tosses his Willy Wonka costume into a dumpster. He's now wearing a Pioneers football shirt. And I had to look this up. This is a minor league football team from Wilkes Barre, Scranton, that played in the af2, and they had a really strong season in 2009. When we shot this episode, it's kind of, like, perfect that he's wearing this shirt, because they only ended up losing two of their games that year. They made it to the playoffs. Then they made it all the way to the arena cup, which is like the Super bowl of af2football. They ended up losing, but it was, like, a great, great season for them. They were kind of on a roll. Their previous season had been good as well.

Angela Kinsey

I love it.

Jenna Fischer

I love every time we have every single time these local references on the show in ways that don't even get mentioned.

Angela Kinsey

Right.

Jenna Fischer

We never even mentioned this shirt, but there it is. Just creating specificity.

Angela Kinsey

I love it. Michael's gonna make an announcement. Everyone to the conference room. He's. A lot of announcements in this episode. A lot of announcements. He's really, I think, just trying to find a way out. He says he has a big net where he takes all of their subconscious ideas and tries to turn them into something. And Michael's like, guys, guys, they're not gonna fire us. We're fine. And Oscar's like, what do you call shutting down a branch?

Jenna Fischer

And Then Michael says, someone needs to come up with a golden ticket idea to get them out of this mess, you know? And Pam says, do you mean an idea that blows up in our faces later? That kind of idea?

Angela Kinsey

That's some Pam sass.

Jenna Fischer

That is some Pam sass. So while Michael's up at the top of the conference room, he's wearing a suit jacket. And I'm thinking, where did that come from? Because the last time we saw him, he was at the dumpster in his Pioneers football shirt.

Rainn Wilson

Right.

Jenna Fischer

I looked it up. It's Andy's jacket. He's wearing Andy's jacket. And there was a bit at the top of this scene that got cut, where as they're entering the room, Michael says, andy, give me your jacket. You can do something for me. I want your jacket. So that is why he's now wearing this odd jacket over his football shirt.

Angela Kinsey

Well, he's gotta still look like the boss.

Jenna Fischer

The phone's gonna ring now.

Angela Kinsey

Not good.

Jenna Fischer

It's David Wallace.

Rainn Wilson

Yep.

Jenna Fischer

Pam says Michael's having a colonoscopy. I'm not sure that David Wallace believes it.

Angela Kinsey

You think because he was just in Washington. Michael gets on the phone with him and literally is reading off the procedure of how you give a colonoscopy off his computer.

Jenna Fischer

It's pretty amazing. But now it is clear. David Wallace says the company is going to lose a lot of money. How did you let this happen? Whose idea was it?

Angela Kinsey

Someone's got to pay for this terrible idea. Michael tells David Wallace. It was Dwight. Just so devious.

Jenna Fischer

I know.

Angela Kinsey

Oh, Michael.

Jenna Fischer

It's like David Wallace is just naming people. And he says, was it Dwight? And Michael's like, yes.

Angela Kinsey

Well, now Michael has got to convince Dwight to take the fall for him.

Jenna Fischer

And so he's going to get out his diary and he's going to say, dwight, I wrote it down that it was your idea. He tries to convince Dwight that Dwight is remembering wrong. What happened this morning.

Angela Kinsey

Now you know. Dwight runs to get his diary. It's like the dueling diaries where they're going back and forth. Michael realizes he's not making any headway with this whole diary business. So he says, would you like to go out to lunch with me, just the two of us? And Dwight says, with all my heart. This scene continues in the script, Jenna. So after Dwight says, with all my heart, he says, but I already ate lunch. And Michael says, It's 11am Dwight says, As a farmer, I eat breakfast at 4:30. At 10, I'm famished for lunch. If you wait three hours, we can have supper. Maybe. Michael says, no, no, no. How about we do something else you like? Jenna, did you notice there are no scenes of them at the restaurant? They're supposedly going to have lunch.

Jenna Fischer

Right?

Angela Kinsey

Because in the episode, Michael says, go have lunch. We don't know that Dwight's already eaten. All of that's been cut out.

Jenna Fischer

Right.

Angela Kinsey

And then the remainder of their scenes, they're on the side of the road.

Jenna Fischer

They're taking a walk.

Angela Kinsey

Well, here is a scene that was in the deleted scenes that I just love so much. Of all the things that Dwight would want to do, guess what he loves to do.

Jenna Fischer

Go for walks.

Angela Kinsey

Oh, lady, no. He likes a stroll.

Rainn Wilson

Are you still taking those strolls that you like to take thrice weekly. Okay, let's go take a stroll together. I thought you said my strolls were silly. No, just because you can't call them walks. You really want a stroll? Yes. You want a power stroll or just a regular stroll? You call it power stroll. Okay. You wearing sunblock?

Jenna Fischer

Yes.

Rainn Wilson

What? SPF1. That's like water. I'll grab my tube. Okay.

Angela Kinsey

He loves a stroll, clearly. It's like a whole thing with him and Michael about calling it a stroll or a walk. Then there's another scene where they're down in the lobby and Hank is there and Dwight is putting sunscreen on Michael's face. And Hank looks up and deadpan says, you found somebody to go on a stroll? And Dwight goes, I did. And Hank goes, nice.

Jenna Fischer

This is amazing because we got a ton of mail because people were pointing out Dwight's shoes in the scene when he is walking, AKA strolling with Michael, Tons of people said, why does Dwight have on very white, very non Dwight trainers? Like, where did these come from? And I looked in the script, and it says Michael and Dwight are walking. Dwight is wearing sneakers and walks with his hands clasped behind his back. That was like a script note, but I'm sure it was all based on this backstory that Dwight strolls three times a week. He's got his sunblock, he's got his shoes.

Angela Kinsey

He had probably has a little bag he takes to work. Clearly, Hank knows how much Dwight loves a stroll and how he's been looking for a stroll.

Jenna Fischer

Buddy, I love it. I love it.

Angela Kinsey

You know, it tickled me.

Jenna Fischer

Well, this stroll is not going to convince Dwight. Dwight says, I am not going to fall on my sword for you. It's not going to happen.

Angela Kinsey

He's done it before. He's fallen on his sword, and it

Jenna Fischer

wasn't Pleasant it wasn't.

Angela Kinsey

Michael makes a pretty big speech to Dwight. He's like, listen, why would you want to stay here? Yeah. You're cooped up. You're not even dating Angela anymore.

Jenna Fischer

You have a whole farm.

Rainn Wilson

Yeah.

Angela Kinsey

And he says, you know, on the other hand, I would be lost without Dunder Mifflin.

Jenna Fischer

And Dwight says, what about Shoe La La? Michael? This is a Mindy Kaling thing for sure. This has Mindy Kaling written all over it.

Angela Kinsey

And then Michael has a talking head where he says, I have an idea for a fancy men's shoe store called Shoe La La. And it's just men's shoes for the special occasions in a man's life. Like the day that you get married or the day your wife has a baby or just for lounging around the house.

Jenna Fischer

Yeah. Well, we got some mail from Kayla G. Who said, I just want to let you ladies know that Michael seems to have gotten Shoe La La up and running in Nelson, British Columbia.

Rainn Wilson

Oh.

Jenna Fischer

And I looked it up and sure enough, there is a Shoe La La. According to their website, they are a boutique shoe store offering exquisite leather footwear and handbags from all over the world. They are a family run business that has been around since 1983.

Angela Kinsey

Well, I want you guys to know that there is a Shoe La La in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Jenna Fischer

I saw that too.

Angela Kinsey

My town where I was born. Lafayette. And you know what? I love the slogan for their shoe store. If you go on their website, it's a clothing boutique and shoes, but their slogan is life is short. Buy the damn shoes.

Jenna Fischer

That is amazing. So there are two Shoe La La's Michael, but none of them seem to sell men's shoes.

Angela Kinsey

Oh, well, I would love nothing more for Michael to have Shoe La La. Well, we have a great reverse talking head.

Jenna Fischer

Yes, I noticed.

Angela Kinsey

So Dwight is in Michael's chair and you pull back to reveal Michael perched behind him. Basically in this talking head, Michael's like, he's going to do it for me. He's going to do it. He's going to take the fall. And Dwight's like, no, I haven't decided. Well, folks in the office are starting to catch on. They get it. They know what Michael's doing. He wants Dwight to take the fall and they start gossiping about it. There's a scene in the kitchen, you guys, that was deleted, where Meredith, Kelly and Angela and Oscar are all being real chatty and Michael walks in and overhears a bit and he's spying on them from the bathroom.

Jenna Fischer

Let's hear it, ladies, really. I hope Dwight gets fired and we get a hot new guy to replace him. Seriously, what if it's a hot new girl?

Rainn Wilson

Oh my God.

Jenna Fischer

I had not thought of that.

Angela Kinsey

I think it's horrible what Michael is doing.

Jenna Fischer

Really?

Angela Kinsey

I mean, this is unacceptable.

Rainn Wilson

Hey, did you ever notice that our bathroom is right next to our kitchen? How's that up to code?

Angela Kinsey

I don't know. This is not fair what he's doing to Dwight.

Jenna Fischer

Of course you think that.

Angela Kinsey

You used to bone the guy.

Jenna Fischer

I think men bone women.

Rainn Wilson

I hate that.

Angela Kinsey

I'm correcting that. All I'm saying is that Dwight can't take the blame for this. It has to land on Michael. It's time for a reckoning. It's true.

Jenna Fischer

Okay. These are the kind of slice of life. Slice of life.

Angela Kinsey

Slice o life. You brought it back.

Jenna Fischer

These are the kind of slice o life office moments that I love so much. Just the scuttlebutt.

Angela Kinsey

There's so much going on, just the

Jenna Fischer

gossip and the opinions, you know, I loved this scene.

Angela Kinsey

And Michael overhears it, you guys. And there's a whole scene where Michael confronts everyone and he really lets him have it. He goes barging into the bullpen and he's like, hey, everyone, I need to make an announcement. And Jim is like, this is a new record. And Michael goes, that's because I have a lot to say today, James.

Rainn Wilson

Uh huh.

Angela Kinsey

He's ticked off. And then he goes around the room and he's like, yells to the room, have you wondered what it would be like if I was fired? And everyone, super happy, raises their hand and Michael's like, damn it, I didn't ask for a show of hands. If I get fired and corporate brings in new leadership, you have no idea who might come. And then he starts singling people out. He says, you have no idea how bad it could get. Maybe it would be someone who knows that we don't actually need three accountants.

Jenna Fischer

I remember shooting this scene now.

Angela Kinsey

Yes, it's in the deleted scenes. Then he looks right at Jim and Pam and he says, or lets couples work together without sending them to different branches. And then he has this moment and made me laugh. He goes, so you didn't think about that, huh? So let's just bite our tongues instead of saying mean things about me when I pretend to be pooping in the bathroom. Okay. But it was a long speech and he really just lets them all have it.

Jenna Fischer

I love this episode so much. I think Steve Carell just is brilliant in this episode. He's playing so many different things. We already talked about this with Rain, but I just absolutely love the Michael Dwight dynamic. I really loved this one.

Angela Kinsey

I did, too. This was like one of those sleeper ones that we hadn't seen in forever. And we're like, oh, my gosh. Golden ticket.

Jenna Fischer

I agree. Golden ticket is a golden ticket. Well, now David Wallace is gonna show up.

Angela Kinsey

He drove from New York, you guys.

Jenna Fischer

Yeah. David Wallace arrives at the office. Right. Because this is a serious thing.

Angela Kinsey

Yeah.

Jenna Fischer

He goes into Michael's office with Dwight.

Angela Kinsey

You could hear a pin drop.

Jenna Fischer

And he turns to Dwight and he says, dwight, I owe you an apology. Blue Cross was so excited about the golden ticket promotion that they have made Dunder Mifflin their exclusive provider for all office supplies.

Angela Kinsey

Huge. This is huge.

Jenna Fischer

And he puts his hand out to shake Dwight's hand.

Angela Kinsey

Michael is about to split in half. He's looking at Dwight like, you better let him know it was my idea.

Jenna Fischer

And Dwight shakes his hand and says, thank you, David.

Angela Kinsey

And now all the power has been flipped.

Jenna Fischer

Amazing. Amazing writing. They go out into the bullpen. Wallis tells everybody.

Angela Kinsey

Dwight gets this victory lap. Pam hugs him.

Jenna Fischer

I loved doing that. I loved it.

Angela Kinsey

And then Creed's like, way to go, kid.

Jenna Fischer

I don't. Creed is like, sure, it was Dwight. Jim is giving Dwight credit. And they are all watching Michael squirm.

Angela Kinsey

And then David's like, you know what, Dwight? You need to talk to the marketing guys in New York in corporate.

Jenna Fischer

We want to hear more of your ideas, more of your brilliance.

Angela Kinsey

Pam, can you set up that call? And Michael's like, I could be in there. And he's like, no, no, no, no, no. You got things to do. Come on, Dwight.

Jenna Fischer

Being in that conference room for that phone call was a delight. This was one of my favorite things to do. We've talked about this. I loved taking notes during these comedic scenes. And, you know, pretty soon, Pam isn't going to be the receptionist anymore. I know. And this was the part of the job that I missed the most, Getting

Angela Kinsey

to be in these ridiculous situations with

Jenna Fischer

Michael being the note taker. Because they're on the phone and Dwight is just saying ridiculous stuff. And of course, Michael bursts in.

Rainn Wilson

Right.

Angela Kinsey

Because it's really clear that Dwight doesn't know anything about Willy Wonka.

Jenna Fischer

No. Then call back. Call back to a deleted scene. But that. We love the toilet, buddy.

Angela Kinsey

That's right. This is a deleted scene from Job Fair. Remember, Michael comes out of the bathroom flustered because all the contents of his pockets fell into the toilet.

Jenna Fischer

Yes.

Angela Kinsey

And then he threw his Cell phone in the toilet out of anger.

Jenna Fischer

Yes.

Angela Kinsey

And he says then that he had this brilliant idea about this mesh toilet guard cover.

Rainn Wilson

Mm.

Angela Kinsey

Now, Jenna, in the episode, Michael calls it the toilet buddy, but in the shooting draft, it was called the toilet guard. And I think in the moment, Steve called it toilet buddy, because then he corrects himself as Michael. He goes. Previously known as the toilet guard.

Jenna Fischer

Yes.

Angela Kinsey

So I think that's just Steve staying in the moment, but catching that he had flubbed a line.

Jenna Fischer

And then Dwight mentions his idea called Horse boat, which I love. Horse boat. You can go from riding to just being on the water. Yeah. And then Michael hits back with toilet sponge. I don't know what that was.

Angela Kinsey

It's more absorbent. The toilet sponge. It's more absorbent.

Jenna Fischer

So it's a toilet that's a sponge?

Angela Kinsey

No, I think it's a sponge for your bum.

Jenna Fischer

Oh, I don't know.

Angela Kinsey

It doesn't say. He just says, we're not sure. He says it's more absorbent. That's what he says.

Jenna Fischer

Now, lady, in this back and forth, this brought up a product that my friend Stacey and I invented in high school that we thought we were convinced was our ticket to being millionaires.

Angela Kinsey

What?

Jenna Fischer

It's called the tan baster. You know that thing that you wash your dishes with that you fill up with dish soap and it has a little sponge at the end? Yes, the tan baster is very similar, Angela. It has a little sponge on the end, but it's with.

Rainn Wilson

Filled.

Jenna Fischer

Filled with sunblock, and you just baste it on yourself and your hands stay clean. The tan baster.

Angela Kinsey

Or you could get spray.

Jenna Fischer

Well, spray wasn't around yet, Angela. It hadn't been invented yet. You see, now we can go nowhere with the tan baster. But at the time, it could have been. There was a need. And clearly the spray has filled the need, but.

Angela Kinsey

And the stick. I love me a, you know, sunscreen stick.

Jenna Fischer

Yeah, Ange, I get it. There's a lot of solutions today. But I'm taking you back to the 1990s, when none of these things existed except for goopy sunblock. And we were solving a problem. Also, we had the whole, like, television commercial, the whole infomercial in our head, because, you know, who else could use it? Maybe older people who need to apply, you know, lotions because they have arthritis.

Rainn Wilson

Right.

Angela Kinsey

Or maybe they've lost range of motion and they can't reach some places.

Jenna Fischer

Well, that was the other great thing about the tan baster. It was like a back scratcher. It could Go down your back. See? Tan baster.

Angela Kinsey

I think the name was part of the problem.

Rainn Wilson

Why?

Angela Kinsey

Because every time you say tan baster, I just think of a turkey on Thanksgiving. Okay, let me take brown and crinkly with gravy.

Jenna Fischer

Let me take you back to the 1990s. This was again before we kind of knew about sun damage so much.

Angela Kinsey

No, no, no, because you based a turkey.

Jenna Fischer

I know. And you based your body. You're gonna get nice and tan if you use the tan baster. You know what I'm saying? This is when people wanted that. Right. They weren't into sunblock for the spf. Right, right. This is when you were still basically applying baby oil to yourself. Yeah, right. I don't know. I'm just saying.

Angela Kinsey

Okay, well, the toilet, buddy.

Jenna Fischer

The tan baster. Stacy. I'm sorry. We never got it off the ground.

Angela Kinsey

Oh, well, Stacy, somewhere you guys have a sketch of the tan baster, and I'd love to see it.

Jenna Fischer

We do have a sketch of the tan baster. You know, I've been trying to work that tan baster into a lot of projects for you and I.

Angela Kinsey

Lady, we're not going to have an office ladies tan pasta. It's just not happening. Okay, you know what I want? Before we do a tan baster? I want a. Okay, I think more of us would use the let's put a poll out there.

Jenna Fischer

What do you want more? An office ladies or an office ladies tan baster?

Rainn Wilson

I gotta go. Tan baster.

Angela Kinsey

Damn it. I knew you were gonna say it, Sam. I knew it.

Rainn Wilson

Why'd you think I was gonna say that?

Angela Kinsey

Novelty. No, because a lot of the sprays

Rainn Wilson

and sticks have harmful chemicals in them, like aerosols and things that are bad for you. Cassie.

Jenna Fischer

I'm Team Yay. Always down to try wine.

Angela Kinsey

Well, you know what? Let's drink rose while we baste ourselves.

Rainn Wilson

Is it possible to baste rose into my mouth? Hey,

Angela Kinsey

baster.

Jenna Fischer

Perhaps.

Angela Kinsey

Oh, my word. Where are we? Oh, you guys, we gotta check back in with Kevin and Lynn.

Jenna Fischer

We do, because poor Kevin has been receiving a lot of advice this whole episode. And guess what? When he finally does meet up with Lynn in the parking lot, he does just fine being Kevin.

Angela Kinsey

He says. I'm just gonna say everything I'm thinking. She has a great smile. He'd like to take her for dinner and a movie. She says, yes, he's happy. And then he says boobs, and she's delighted.

Jenna Fischer

Yeah, Lynn just likes Kevin. Yeah, like you said, there's a lid for every pot. There is.

Angela Kinsey

Dwight's advice to Kevin was just go be alive next to her.

Jenna Fischer

Will it work? And finally, we have our tag. A final knock knock joke. A ding dong joke. Really?

Angela Kinsey

Yeah. We talked about this with Rain. This one is so hilarious because Dwight thinks he's gonna get Jim back and he does. Ding dong. And then Jim's like, you know what? I just got out of the shower. I need one second. And then like we talked about, they go back and forth with like, well, I can come back when's good for you. It's like so ridiculous. And that is golden ticket.

Jenna Fischer

We hope you enjoyed. I loved this episode.

Angela Kinsey

I did too.

Jenna Fischer

And thank you, Rainn Wilson, for coming on our podcast that just gave me all the warm fuzzies for the whole day.

Angela Kinsey

I really do want us to go over there. You know, we have an office text thread. We've talked about this where the cast text each other and we have all invited ourselves over to Rain. So Rain and sorry, Holly, we're coming.

Jenna Fischer

We are are. You know, you told us sometime after Labor Day. Well, it's after Labor Day.

Angela Kinsey

Guess who remembered the date. You told her.

Jenna Fischer

That's right. Of course I want to go. Well, guys, we will see you next week. Please check out Rain's podcast, Metaphysical Milkshake with Reza Aslan. We love you.

Angela Kinsey

Love you guys. Have a great one.

Jenna Fischer

Thank you for listening to Office LA Ladies. Second Drink.

Angela Kinsey

This episode was initially created in collaboration with Earwolf.

Jenna Fischer

Office Ladies is a presentation of Odyssey and is produced by Jenna Fisher and Angela Kinsey. Our senior producer is Matt Beagle.

Angela Kinsey

Our Second Drinks episodes are produced by Molly Nugent.

Jenna Fischer

Our audio engineer is Sam Kiefer.

Angela Kinsey

Odyssey's executive producer is Leah Reese.

Jenna Fischer

Dennis. Office Ladies was mixed and mastered by Bill Schultz.

Angela Kinsey

Our theme song is Rubber Tree by Creed Bratton.