The Office Deep Dive Call-In Edition - Pt. 3

your thanks you brought back from Yeah all professional basketball players. Yeah. Listen to the Welcome to Our Show podcast on the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello. Hello, everyone, and it's a new year, a new dawn of a new age that sounds like the terminator. Uh. We have a new episode of the Office Deep Dive. I am, as always your host, Brian Baumgartner. New year, same guy. I'm excited for you to join me today. I cannot wait to kick off with my

favorite kind of episode. That's right today, I have got another our final call in episode where I get to hear directly from you. We're gonna get down and dirty, all right, and we're gonna answer a whole lot of the questions that you've been dying to know, and then we're gonna talk about love. Mhmm. You didn't see that

one coming, did you. So Happy New Year, everybody, and let's start it on the right foot with another beautiful episode starring the incredible, the inspiring, the unbelievably touching messages that we have received from all of you. Bubble and Squeak, I love it, Bubble and Squeaker, Bubble and Squeaker cooking and everymon left over from the Natty for Brian this Ethan, were big fan of Office all family watch whole series fifteen times you funniest character on show. Okay, this is

a lot harder than it looks. You get the point. I'm Ethan and I'm ten years old. My mom and I really liked The Office, deep Dive and my entire family and I love The Office. It's my favorite show. The Office is like Elf. You can watch it over and over again and still laugh every time. This is my first time talking to a celebrity, so I am really happy right now. I have three older brothers who always make jokes from the Office. At first, I never

got any of them. They would say things like I wanted to eat a pig in a blanket in a blanket, or nothing beat the Cookie season next Truth. The only thing I knew about the things they said were they were from the Office. My favorite storyline from the Office is Jim and Dwight's rivalry. Someone always gets in Office the Christmas or birthday gift. When one of my brothers turned sixteen, my mom got him a custom dundee that

said it is your Birthday. She also attempted to put his money while it was in a ziploc bag into some yellow jello, but when she flipped it upside down, the edge of the bag cut right through the jello. As much as she loves The Office, my mom gets really mad when we say that's what she said. Not a day goes by that someone in my house doesn't quote The Office. Thanks for listening, whoever is, have a great day, Ethan. Thank you so much for calling in

ten years of age. I don't know if you should see every single episode in its entirety, but good on you. Thanks to you and your mom for listening to the Office deep dive. That is huge. Hm. That's what she said, Sorry, Mom, I had to do it. Hello Brian and the Office Deep Dive. My name is Sam Bagwana and I'm eighteen years old um here in Australia and I just wanted to send a quick message to say thanks for making

such an awesome podcast. It's really been great to listen to throughout my final year of high school and the HSC exams. So I guess I just had one question for you. What is your favorite episode of the Office, Brian, And I know that's going to be a hard one. That's what she said, Sam, Thank you for calling all the way from down Under. That was awful. What is my favorite episode? Listen, Sam, I'm gonna be honest, it

changes a little bit. I've recently found out Variety just came out with a list of the fifty best episodes. Their number one was The Dinner Party, which is fantastic. I mean, there's no doubt Lee and Gene and the work that they did. They're making a modern day Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf. It's incredible. Personally, I believe their number two is currently my number one, which is Stress Relief otherwise known as the episode with Dwight's fake fire drill.

Part of it for me is and I've said this quite a bit, you know, for me, now what was going on outside of the show is also significant to me as I go back and I rewatch. So we're about to move here into American football playoffs. And Uh, the episode Stress Relief aired immediately following the Super Bowl, and so for me that was a huge as a big football fan, sports fan, to be on a show that aired immediately following the super Bowl, it was very special.

And that happened to be the first Super Bowl I ever attended in person as well. Uh, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals in Tampa. It rained. It's a long story, but anyway to answer quickly your question, Stress Relief. For me, it's got comedy, it's got complicated camera movements and choreography, a lot of rehearsal. I remember shooting the episode well and and that's that's currently my favorite. But check out the list on Variety or elsewhere and see

how how your list compares to their's. Hi, Brian and team. This is Megan from Amersh, Virginia. Thank you so much for this podcast. I have loved listening to the cast and the crew and hearing their take and there behind the scenes stories that we wouldn't have heard otherwise. My question is, what do you think about the fan theory that Dwight should have ended up with Isabel instead of Angela. Thanks have a great day, Megan. Thanks so much for

your question. I was not aware that this was a movement. Maybe it's happening on the in the dark threads of Reddit. I'm not sure. I haven't heard this one before. Look, I think that there's a lot of reasons that Dwight could have or should have ended up with Isabel. But you know what, sometimes with love, it's in a ineplicable, it's in a splitzable, in explainable. There I changed it.

Um had Dwight and Angela they were a match made in well, I'm not sure exactly where they were made, but I think in the end, at least on our show, they were meant to be. And I think ultimately, as Greg Daniels and some of the other writers and producers have talked about, they were sort of the anti Jim

and Pam. Jim and Pam were the couple that everybody got that everybody responded to, and I think Dwight and Angela was harder to explain, but I think in the end their love was just as pure or just as creepy. Hi Brian, my name is Jake Ryan. I'm from Johnston, Iowa,

and I'm currently a senior at the University of Iowa. UM. So, to start out, I my funny story comes from back when my dad and I we used to watch The Office when I was little, and we used to stay up late, uh or for me it was late, but every Thursday night watching the premier of the New Office US, and I remember we introduced my mom to the Office in the first episode coincidentally had my to this day, my favorite line from The Office, which came from Kevin

and her reaction to that line. So I remember the episode was the one in which Darryl and Toby were competing to sell Kevin Girl Scout cookies, and I remember the funniest line was when Kevin told them he likes to be wined and dined and blank blank blank um. And I remember just seeing the look of horror on my mom's face when she heard that, and my dad and I obviously hysterically laughing at that age. I didn't know what it meant, but I saw my dad laughing

and I went along with it. So that's that's one of my favorite memories, UM, and one of the funniest memories from the show. UM. And then my question, I wanted to ask you, I mean, other than what your golf handicap is, but I wanted to ask you. You know, I know that The Office Is has always been a pretty well scripted show and there's not a ton of room for improvisation, but were there any times in which

you improvised in the show that you can remember? And if so, what was your what was your favorite improvisation line? Thank you. I I love the show and I'm super excited for to come back in so keep doing great things. Brian. Thanks, Thanks Jake. First of all, I think the words you're looking for our sixty nine and yeah, I guess, I guess. Go look it up, Jake, go hawk Eyes. I was there a couple of years ago into the talk. Had

a great time there in Iowa. Thanks for your call. Um. I can't imagine there as a high school ish kid watching that episode with my mom, and I can I can imagine her face and how you and maybe your dad felt in that moment. I love it. By the way,

six point eight is the handicap. Will move on from that and asking about my favorite improv, I don't know if this is my favorite or not, Jake, but at the moment I had the idea of doing a running improv in the episode where they're evaluating employees by putting beans and Kevin saying what does a being mean? And

that was scripted what does a being mean? But the fact that he becomes obsessed with the idea of not knowing what a bean means but he probably knows and so yes, Towards the end of that scene, you hear him yelling in the background, and I remember laughing standing away in the off camera, just yelling what does a being mean? And the idea that Kevin is just going around to everybody asking what a bean means? I don't know.

That makes me laugh at least right now. Hi, Brian, big fan of the podcast, big fan of the office. I'm not sure if I'm the biggest fan out there. I'm sure there's someone who's much crazier than I am, But I've been a scranted five times now. I'm not sure if my wife will let me go back? Um? Been to Office Fest that was happened last fall. That was kind of cool. I've hosted office trivia at a bar. I had an office theme party where I bought everybody

dundees and we played office trivia. UM. My question is how long of a break did you guys have between shooting seasons? You know the I know it took five days to shoot an episode, but how long of a break did you have, like I said, in between shooting seasons? And another question is who do you think was the funniest on set? I've had the privilege of meeting some of you. I've actually met you at a comic con in Pittsburgh, and everyone seems to say Rain Rain was

the funniest. So just want your opinion on that. And thanks Brandon, thanks for your call. You've been to Scranton five times. You're not sure your wife will let you go back. What happened in Scranton? Brandon? That gives your wife pause for sending you back. Um, it was nice to meet you there in Pittsburgh. Maybe we will meet someday back in Scranton. So a question about the schedule. It varied a little bit. What I typically tell people is it was like a school year but kind of

extended into the summer a little bit. Right, So, the Office, when it was airing for probably the last seven to eight years, it would have its season finale in roughly late May, which means we stopped filming in sometime late April early May. We were done for the year, and then we would have a summer break basically right, so it would give the writers specifically time to recharge. They would come back much earlier and began working on stories

for the coming year. And we usually started late July early August to begin for the fall, and that that would give us time to get episodes in the can as they call it, before the traditional television season started, which was September. So basically September through May is when the network television season lasts, so we had to we were done earlier than that, and we had to come back earlier to get some done. So yeah, roughly end

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five dollar credit before March one. Indeed dot com slash Office Deep Dive terms and conditions apply. Need to hire you need Indeed. Hello, Brian. My name is Brianna and I am calling from Madison, Wisconsin. I first want to say thank you so much for creating this podcast. I love listening to it each and every week just as much as I love watching The Office. The Office is

my all time favorite show. I watch it all the time, and I'm pretty sure all my friends think I'm nuts um, but The Office is such a comforting thing to me have it in the background on all the time. And what I love about is even when I rewatch it over and over again the same episodes, I am able to find little gems hidden in the background of scenes

that I didn't notice before. So, for example, there is a scene where Michael is in the kitchen and he's drinking a diet soda, but if you pay attention, he is pouring sugar into his diet soda as he's talking in the kitchen. Or in St. Patrick's day, there is the water cooler in the background behind Stanley, and if you pay attention the water cooler, the water in there is dyed green. For St. Patrick's Day or in the

garage sale. The yard sale, they kind of pan around the warehouse there and you can see that Michael is trying to sell his broken plasma screen TV that Jan hit with the Dundee and the dinner party episode, and so that just got me thinking that the writers put so much effort into not only the scenes itself and what's in the forefront of the scenes, but also what's happening in the background, and adding these little gems that you may find as you watched the episode over and

over again. You might not catch the first time, but when you catch those things, it puts a smile on your face and makes you laugh. And so I guess I just wanted your take on why the writers put so much effort into the background of scenes and how that added to the show. So thanks again, I appreciate what you do and talk to you soon. Thank you so much for your call. Brianna. By the way, that easter egg of the broken plasma screen in the garage show episode, that's one of the best, So kudos to

you for finding that one. Look, our writers were amazing. I can't truly can't say enough about them, but what I would say is in addition to them, everyone on the crew was working all the time thinking of those type things. Right. So, I don't know whose idea the plasma screen was, but it very well could have been Phil Shay props, or a scenic designer or an actor. It could have been Steve Carrell saying hey, you know what, what do would be funny? And you know I talked

about this in the last Calling episode we did. There is a warehouse of props that exists somewhere. Maybe at this point they've given them up that any prop that was used in any episode at any time, they saved it in case they would need it again, and there's a great example of a time they decided to use

it again. So, yes, our writers were incredible. Maybe that was scripted, but it just as easily could have been Steve Carrell or a prop person or or anyone really, because Greg Daniels created such a collaborative environment that anyone was able to pitch those kinds of jokes, and people consistently were And I think that's one of the things that makes the show so so deep and and have such depth and texture and yeah, as you said, ultimately comedy. Hi, Christina,

mcton on here. I'm a huge Office fan, I will admit, Um, I did not become a fan until covid started. I decided to sit down and watch The Office before they were going to take it off Netflix, and of course that just led to me buying Peacock when it went to Peacock and um, and then once I discovered your podcast and The Office Ladies, you know, Jenna and Angelo's podcast, I really just couldn't get enough. It became more and

more and more of an obsession. And what I like about my obsession is, you know, not only do I put The Office on like right now, just when I'm eating or whatever where it's on in the background, but I put the podcast on it all the time because I absolutely love hearing every little detail about how the show has been made, about every single person that has helped you guys and has been a part of it, every single person, regardless of their role. And you know

how quote unquote trivial it may seem to the whole production. Um, you know, every little bit of it has been so fascinating to me. And most of all, it's like it's it's so inspiring to me. I have been completely uninspired and not creative. I feel like my whole life, which is not true, but I've just struggled to find that spark in that creativity. I'm thirty eight years old. I'm

still trying to figure out what I'm doing. But I have to say you have inspired me, Kevin, you specifically all of you have inspired me to to create, to become creative, to pursue writing again. I've heard about Brent Forrester is writing course that he does online and I just signed up for it lamps or you know, I signed up to get notification about it, and I'm so

excited to do that. And so I just wanted to thank you Kevin specifically for making the podcast, but also each and everyone of you that has been on the office and has helped create the office and as you know, contributed the ways that you have the fans and the ways you contributed contributed as well. I am just so thankful to all of you. I feel like we're all a big family. You guys just make me so happy. Your new episodes coming out every week. Brian just make

me so happy. I feel like I'm friends with you now. Just thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you so much. I'm eternally grateful to you. Thank you well, Christina, thank you for your message. I appreciate that so much. Look, I think that's what the show is about. It's about finding beauty in ordinary things, and I think that's what does it. I think that's what gives you that inspiration. Hopefully it helps you find that spark. Good luck to

you working with Brent Forrester. You're gonna need it working with him, Brent Forrester joke, Sorry brent Um, but good luck to you, all right, and thank you for your call. Thanks for letting me know. I know that everybody who worked on the show will appreciate hearing that, because, I mean, look, the fact that our show is inspiring you now to take a chance on doing something new at thirty eight years old. That's awesome. Like, there's kind of nothing else

to say except that's awesome and good luck. I'm gonna be rooting for you. Hey, Office, Deep Dive family. This is Derek Crenshaw from Tulsa, Oklahoma. I started watching the show whenever it was still live, and I worked a blockbuster at the time, and I got caught up through season one and I was able to get completely caught up through through my gig at Blockbuster, and then continued watching the show as it as it came on every week.

I did ask for DVD sets, so I have every single one of those, and that came in helpful because when I was in college, I couldn't afford a even Netflix subscription, much less any kind of cable subscription or anything like that. So I had all my Office DVD so I continued. I continuously watched The Office whenever I was in college. Um, you guys were with me through

some really tough times. You were with me through um, almost a divorce, UM through the birth of my two perfect children, and you sho, you guys do not know how important you are. I just listening to you to the Office ladies, hearing you guys break down sometimes it's uh, it moves me into tears. Obviously it's doing it now. Um, but you guys are more important to me than anybody else who has no idea who I am. UM, But I did wanna. I didn't want to pose what I

thought was an interesting question. So as I've watched seriously, I've probably watched the whole series, UM twenty times. I I don't know I I constantly before it got taken off of Netflix, I had it on. It was just a constant loop. M a funny story my oldest My oldest son is five, and he loves the part where Andy he calls him Michael's son, which I think is funny. But he loves the part where he punches a hole

in the wall. Um but but anyway, So, as I've watched these over and over and over and over and over again, I have pondered who I would like and dislike to work with the most if it were a real life situation for me. Uh, it would probably be Oscar would be the person I would like to work with. He's uh, he's good at his job. He could be a good mentor he doesn't get worked up too easy. Unpopularly,

my leasayer would probably be Jim. I think his pranks would get on my nerves in real life, and he doesn't seem like he would be a real good friend unless it was on his terms, and so that would be mine. I would ask you, Brian, if you who would be yours? I know you've recently watched this, and so who would be your favorite and least favorite people

to work with? Um? I hope that you do listen to this and know that, UM, you know, I love you guys, so so I apologize for the for all of the tears, but um, but you guys are really really important to me, so so thank you, and UM know that I love you guys. Thanks by Thanks Derek, I love you too, my friend. Thanks so much for your message, and never ever apologize for feeling all right. As for your question, I mean, I hear what you're saying about the gym thing. Michael would be really difficult,

all right, let's be honest about that. Angela is a hard no for sure. Now, maybe I'm biased. I thought as you were talking you were going to say Kevin, because listen, he makes things more fun. Am I wrong? I'm definitely not wrong. Now, granted he might be he might be frustrating to work with on occasion as well, but I think he would make things most fun. Um gosh, that's really tough. I'm gonna go, Pam. She wants to be upward lee mobile is that the right phrase? Better herself?

She works her way up. I'm gonna go, Pam. I mean Dwight. There's no doubt Dwight is excellent at his job. So if I really wanted the company to succeed what I put up with his eccentricities, probably not, but he is really good at his job. Thanks Deerk, thanks for

the call. Hello, Brian, this is Kira. I'm a teacher from Pennsylvania and I am a huge fan of the Office and I have followed your podcast and Jenna and Angela's podcast from the beginning, and your podcasts have given me so much joy as an Office fan, just because The Office has meant so much to me, because it's such a real show and it connects to your life no matter what character you're connecting to on what day,

and it just brings so much joy to me. To know that you guys love the show just as much as the fans who are watching the show. I think it makes that ten times more special, and all of the relationships that you guys have had throughout the show makes that even better. I I just want you to know that some of my classroom decorations involved The Office.

My motivational quote is by Dwight, so above my door of a picture of Dwight, and it says, I am ready to face any challenge that is foolish enough to face me and one of my favorites that I have in there is I found a decoration that has Stanley's face on it and it says, did I Stutter? And I like to use that when my students don't listen to the directions I give them the first time. Everybody knows I'm an Office fan, and I just have a couple of questions that I would love to get your

opinion on. If you were gonna show someone a season of the Office that really portrayed what the Office was about, what season would you tell them to watch? Um, what many arc of the show was your favorite, and what episode was your favorite to shoot? Thank you so so much. I appreciate all of you. Sometimes I feel like I know you personally, but thank you so much. Thanks so much Kira for your call the being a teacher and using did I stutter? Is amazing, So well done there.

I'm not sure about using Dwight to motivate, but there you go. As I just said, he's good at his job. So what season would I choose to show someone. I guess I'm gonna go with two, though I could say three or five. You know, I think if you're gonna watch the show. I think you start at the beginning.

That's truly what I think. I think part of what stays with people when they watch the show is getting into the characters, and I think that jumping in if you haven't seen it at all before could be difficult. In terms of my favorite mini arc for me, it was Holly when Dwight tells Holly that Kevin is is not all there. It's I don't know any other I'm sure that they exist, but a joke that is set up for four years that is then played off. And that's kind of what I'm talking about about starting at

the beginning. That story isn't funny unless you have experienced Kevin for four years before that. So that's what I'm going with. And last, my favorite episode to shoot. I'm gonna go a little different on this one. For me, the episode that I think about the most and where the memories are most in the forefront of my mind is the finale. I think about shooting the finale a lot. Now. Maybe it's because it was the last one, but I

don't think so. The number of things that happened there, from Michael slash Steve coming back and the wedding and the Q and A session and lots of locations and Kevin nettis bar. That's the episode I think about the most. So yeah, today, that's my favorite episode to shoot the finale. Hello Brien and other office edits. My name is Alicia Maw. I am an artist from Springfield, Missouri, and I would love to share my awkward office moment with you all.

Back in two nineteen, it was late at night. I was trying to come up with a design and for some reason, the quote popped into my head. We all have a little bit of Michael Scott in us, and of course Steve Gril's voice immediately shoved itself into my brain screaming that's what she said. So I drew up the design. I ordered of the Tope bags, which are my signature item that I sell, and I had them

at the next festival event. So we had a booth set up and this elderly woman and I'm assuming her granddaughter, walk in. She was immediately drawn to my Michael Scott toats and she exclaims to me, Michael Scott is the name of our pastor. He would love this bag. And I thought, oh, this woman does not know, she must not know who the real Michael Scott is. So it

went really silent. I was looking at the granddaughter. She was staring at me the most awkward few moments, and then she leans over and whispers the explanation of that's what she said to the woman, and she was not happy. She was not pleased at all. She looked at me like I might be the devil. And they definitely walked out without purchasing anything from me, which you know, in the end was fine because it's this hilarious moment that

I will always remember. And of course, throughout that day I made a lot of office sales because so many fans are down here in Springfield, Missouri, and the love and the bonding that we all had just from a simple quote or a simple moment from the show. It just brings strangers together and it's just like the funnest time to meet these people that as an introvert I never would have spoke to you in the first place.

So even though my life is a lot of awkward moments like what happened, I love that we keep Michael Scott in it because I mean, we all really have a little bit of him in us, you know, we we don't want to admit it, especially during the extremely cringing times, but you know what, there have been times where I've thought, oh, man, I may have done the same thing that Michael just did. And it's definitely a Michael Scott thing to admit that you wouldn't do those

awkward cringe eatings. So thank you for sharing in the awkwardness that is my life. And I just wanted to give a big shout out to everyone else who loves this amazing show, and to Brian and everyone else in production that helps give us all the insider notes and all of the amazing, amazing info. We never would have known what I thought you guys, Alicia, thank you. I need a tote. I need. I need one of these

totes so that I can remember your story. It is interesting, though, it is worth noting that very often I am surprised by those that are fans of the office and that do get the jokes. In this case, I guess, I guess she didn't, But thank you. I need I need a tote. I need a tote because who doesn't need a little Michael Scott in them? Oh let's move on, roses are red? She shot him six times? And violets are blue. It's almost like her dream man came into

her life. Are you looking for love? I do anything for you? And a little murder too. She would kill her own daughters to get away with it. He has a weapon chopped gun. In honor of Valentine's Day, Listen to Crazy and Love the entire month of February on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What can I say? Love made me crazy?

So listen. There was one thing that we weren't quite expecting when we put the call out for call ins, and it was how many of you had your own Jim and Pam stories. Because we really thought out there there would be more of the Dwight and Angela stories. You might be afraid to admit it, but that's what we thought. But seriously, one of our favorite episodes from the oral history of the Office was episode five, when we dove deep into relationships. What can I say? Everybody

loves Love? Am I right? So? Act three of today's podcast will be dedicated to the beating heart of the Office and the way it helped your hearts beat a little bit harder too. So let's get into it. I wanted to call in and just tell you how much the show has meant to my husband and I and how your podcast has meant to me over the last two years especially. I met my husband about eight years ago, and one of the first things that we talked about on our first date was The Office and how great

it was. You know. I would throw a little one liners in there, you know, I asked some questions, didn't really get anywhere. But it wasn't until I asked her what she planned on doing that night after we got out of class, and she said, well, we'll watch The Office with my roommates. When my husband and I first started dating, it was The Office that originally brought us together. We quote the show daily and by each other show

merchandise often. When we got married three years ago, we walked out to a piano version of the theme song. I kept up with the Office and really followed Jim and Pam's relationship, being that they were friends, they flirted together, they had this great relationship, and then they got into a romantic relationship and they had their ups and downs, their challenges, their disagreements, and I saw so many parallels in my own relationship and knowing that my wife and

I are. We are different people, we like different things, and sometimes we want to go in different directions, but we came together because we of that love and appreciation. I've always loved Jim and Path. It's been wonderful and of course can't beat Kevin. Kevin's the best. Well I can't argue with that. Thank you, Sarah, Katie, Tim, Kate,

and you Tyler, thank you so much. And you know what, relationships they're not perfect and people are different, but I'm glad to know that maybe you found a little love through the office. Hi, Brian, I just wanted to share this little story kind of show how culturally pervasive the office was. It was over a decade ago, which seems crazy. My then boyfriend End you know, we were serious and so it just seemed natural that he would propose any

minute now. Um. And so one day we were outside and he knelt down to um while on one knee in front of me, and yeah, I thought that was it. And then he reached to tie his shoe much like Jim did with Pam on the Office. And we were big fans and still are, and so I just want to say that that worked on the show, but it did not work in real life. I was very mad. I was really mad, and it became a moment of tension definitely in our relationship. Everything worked out. We are

now happily married for the past decade. He proposed six months later, which is a whole other story, but he had proposed and things turned out great. But that's how you know. The Office is in the cultural milia at the time, and just how much how influential it was on all of our lives. Anyway, love your show, take care. Thanks by Justine. That is amazing. I love what you say. It worked on the show, it did not work in

real life. But listen, I'm guessing he then chose not to propose in the rain at a gas station, so you're probably happy about that as well. Thank you for your call. I was hoping also that you would say that he keeps doing that over and over in life, and if he doesn't, he should, because listen, it's funny now. It may not have been funny then, but it is definitely it's definitely funny now. Hi, Brian. My name is Katie Neufield and I'm from Orlando, Florida. Thanks to the Office,

I accidentally manifested the gym to my pain. I'm complete with falling in love with a co worker and calling off an engagement. So now I am married to my coworker turned husband, Jeremy, and we have a one year old son. I started watching The Office in high school and it has gotten me through the good and the bad times. I introduced my husband to the show, and now I have someone who laughs whenever I work in

an office. Quote into the conversation, I would say I'm the biggest fan of the Office, but I know that there are thousands of people who might disagree. Thank you for doing this podcast because if there's two things I love, it's Deep Dives in the Office. I look forward to all the new episode and thanks again by Katie. Congratulations you and Jeremy. That is great that you manifested him by your fandom through the show you created. Jeremy made him work with you, and then you fell in love

with each other. That is amazing. You are Pam. Katie, You are Pam. Congratulations. Best of luck to you and your future, and thank you so much for calling in. My name is Jenna Davis. My husband's name is Michael Davis. I am an HR professional, that is my my passion,

as my calling. I absolutely love human resources. Um. My husband is a firefighter paramedic for our city fire department, so he's been at the front line, UM, during this whole pandemic, doing the dirty work, meeting patients before they even get to the hospital. UM. So if I can do a shout out to my husband, UM, not biased, I'm very proud of him. So when we first met, my husband had already been a fan of the Office.

He already loved it, already seen it multiple times. And when we met, you know, we'd go on dates and the Office would never not come out of his mouth, like he'd either say something about it or asked me if I've seen it, and I'd always be like, no, I have no idea what you're talking about. And he

was just like, Nope, we gotta watch it. So we sat down and we started season one, episode one, and as an HR professional, I cannot explain the cringe that was going on inside of my body watching those earlier shows. I could not believe somebody was just walking around in office doing the things that Michael Scott was doing, saying the things he was saying. Uh, and UM, there's a specific point in the Office series in which everything clicked

to me. It was when Dwight had just pierced the CPR dummy and they're chatting with David Wallace now and David Wallace is saying something about how the dummy is worth three thousand dollars, and Michael Scott somehow interprets that as five thousand, three hundred dollars. I lost my mind, laughing hysteric glee. It was like, in that moment, I suddenly understood the show's intention, the show's humor. It all

made sense, and I was done. Since then, me and my husband, of course together have seen it several times through and through UM, and our love for the Office grew, just as our love for each other was growing. You know, our foundation of our relationship is built on the Office. It was something we could have in common and we laugh about and joke about UM. And because of that Um, the bond we formed over the Office, we thought no better place than to get married in good old Scratt

in Pennsylvania. So we got married and I ended up getting pregnant with my son UM while he was in my tummy every day going to work, coming home, from work. I would have The Office on playing in my car. And it wasn't long after my son was born that we noticed him like looking at the TV when The Office would come on, when the scene sign will come on, he would stop what he was doing, stare at the TV with a big smile on his face, and just dance.

And it was so awesome because we knew that he was hearing it while he was in my tummy, and his love for the Office or the joy that the Office brings him, came before he even took his breath, like in this world. And I think that is just so amazing. UM. We love the podcast. We love Brian and what he's able to pull out of people. Honestly are Our son is a huge fan of trash Truck. So when UM that when trash Truck is on, my

son instantly recognizes Brand's voice. We are so happy to talk to you and share our story with the rest of your listeners. UM, if you you know, select us, UM, but if not, I hope either way this message brings a smile into her face. And you you really I mean every single word inside this message, UM, and I just hope you all continue what you're doing. And bringing smiles to people. Um every day. Wow, Jenna, thank you for your message. You and Michael getting married in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

I haven't heard of that as a destination wedding place yet. That's a first. Obviously. I know people get married in Scranton, but I assume you're not from there, and that you chose to go there and get married. That is incredible. UM. I have to point out that in the beginning of your message, you keep saying how much you love HR, and I just needed to point that out that you love HR, which of course makes people think of Toby. But anyway, thank you so much and Michael, God bless you.

Thank you so much for the work that you're doing keeping people safe and healthy every single day. So my best to the two of you. And uh, obviously your son has great taste if he's watching trash Truck. Hi, Brian. My name is Abigail Peters. I am recording this from Lovely Gray and Gloomy in Canto, Ohio. I've always wanted to tell anyone of the Office, essentially my comment in what the Office means to me. I'd always heard of

the Office growing up, but I never watched it. By the time I was eighteen, I had gone through a really bad high school breakup with a boyfriend who I thought I loved, young love type of thing, and he was quite mean, to say the least to me. So I was going through a rough time mentally and emotionally. And I come from a household of divorce. My parents

are divorced. So for me when it comes to love, I was always very confused and watching The Office like binged it satin on my couch in the corner day in and day out and watched it and just watching things like Jim and Pam, or even Michael and Holly, even Aaron finding her parents that love, unconditional love. He gave me hope. It gave me solace. It was, you know, a young girl who thought her heart was broken, forever depressed. What have you lost? Hopeless watching someone who looked hopeless.

I mean, think about Jim. He moved, he thought, I'm never going to be with the woman I love, and then look and they had their hard times and they overcame adversity and their relationship. It just showed me patience and kindness. And I just think for young generations trying to figure out life. It gives up us almost a peace at heart, peace of mind that there are still adults. I mean, these are adults in an office still trying to figure out life. Even Michael. I mean, by the

time I'm he finds hollow and everything. They always talk about his agent stuff. He's mid forties when he finally finds Holly and finds love. I mean it might happen later in life, Phyllis, you know, later in life type of a situation, but that even adults are still figuring it out. Even when you look at an adult and sit sit there and go, man, I had to become an adult somehow, and then here are these adults still trying to figure it out, and you kind of go, okay, okay,

I'm not alone. It's just the love and the unconditional nous, the patience, the let's work things through, and let's all that. I mean, coming from a home and experiences of people screaming and yelling at each other and being so impatient and calling each other names, to watch people genuinely sit and go, you know what, let's talk about this. Let's not just blow up on each other, Let's not just tell each other off. It just it means. The show

means so much to me. You all means so much to me, just because a girl who's going through a tough time, a young, freshly eighteen adult thinking, my god, him, I'm not going to be able to figure this out. I always, I always find comfort in this show knowing I still have time I can figure it out. Life is short but also still quite long. I mean, I'm twenty five now, but as an eighteen year old girl in two dozen fourteen who had no idea where life was going to take me, I mean, I'm getting choked

up thinking about it. Like I said, watching Jim and Pam Michael find Holly, you know, I found someone. I'm twenty five and I finally found someone, and I it brings me peace and joy, and I just I love you all. I thank you all so so much, and I just this show will never mean more to me than anything ever has. And I just I thank you guys so much. So that's all. Thank you, Brian, Abigail,

thanks for your call. And I think I'm going to end this episode quoting the great Greg Daniels, muttering, truth and beauty, truth and beauty, truth and beauty, and that's what we were trying to do on this show to bring a degree of realism that is not typically seen on television, certainly not network television. To show the truth, which is sometimes ugly. Look, we've talked about dinner party today. All you gotta do is look at dinner party. That

is a disfunctional relationship. Um, But ultimately finding the beauty in people through that truth, finding that little flower growing out of the concrete parking lot, That's what the show was trying to do. And I think that is what brings comfort to people. I think that's what brings hopefulness to people. And it sounds like for you, Abigail, So there is beauty in ordinary things. That was our point.

And to those of you who have received comfort from watching the show, thank you to all of you for sharing that with us and know that you are important and beautiful. Wow. Thank you guys, Thank you all of you truly from the bottom of my heart, and the entire team here at the office Deep Dive, thank you for reaching out. Going through all of your messages. It has been a roller coaster to say the least, but myself and the whole team here we have loved every

single minute of it. And here we are. Thank you for joining me for another great year of podcasts. I cannot wait for you to see it we have in store for you next so as always, I will see you next time. The Office Deep Dive is hosted and executive produced by me Brian Baumgartner, alongside our executive producer Langley. Our producers are Liz Hayes and Diego Tapia. Our theme song Bubble and Squeak performed by my great friend Creed Bratton, and the episode was mixed by Seth o Landski. Hi, Brian,

this is Josh. I love the podcast. I've been watching the show since two thousand and six, when I was in college. It's helped me through some hard times in my life. It's made me laugh and cry. I don't think my life would be the same without The Office. It's tough for me to put into words adequately. I guess exactly what The Office means to me. I even put it on when I go places now. I put

it on for my dog. And recently my TV died and my dad joked that it was because my dog was sick of watching the Office over and over again, um, which she doesn't. She loves it. My dad passed away when I was eight years old, and I didn't realize how much he loved the show until I grew up and after he was gone. But I feel like I get my love for the show from him, and it just feels so nice to be able to have this connection with him that I didn't know I had um

until recently to summit Mason. Silly to instill such an emotional connection to a television show, but the fans of this show, as well as the cast and crew alike, understand it. I know you've gotten such a positive reception for your podcast, and I just wanted to echo that and reiterate that you deserve every arms of that response. As Dave Rogers said, thank you for this. Thank you,

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