Chair Model
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| The Office episode |
| "Chair Model" | |
| Image:Chair model.png Michael meets Pam's land-lady at a coffee shop |
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| Episode No. | 61 |
| Prod. Code | 4014 |
| Airdate | April 17, 2008 |
| Writer(s) | B. J. Novak |
| Director | Jeffrey Blitz |
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The Office Season 4 |
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| List of all The Office episodes... | |
"Chair Model" is the tenth episode of the fourth season The Office (U.S. version). It was written by B.J. Novak and directed by Jeffrey Blitz. It aired on April 17, 2008.
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[edit] Synopsis
While browsing an office chair catalogue, Michael becomes enamored with one of the female chair models (who happens to have features that are very similar to Jan's). As a result, he decides to resume dating with the help of the office employees. No one in the office wants to set up any of their friends with Michael, but Pam takes pity and sets him up on a blind date with her landlady, which doesn't go well.
With Michael busy, Kevin and Andy work to reclaim stolen parking spaces, as they arrange a meeting with the bosses of the "Five Families" of the office park. The spaces are retrieved and Kevin feels happy to have won one, as Stacy broke off their engagement and it's been a hard time for him.
After Michael learns that the Chair Model had died in a car crash some time ago and admits his own blind date was a failure, Dwight convinces him that he needs closure on this person he loved who is gone. The two end up in a cemetery at the grave of the chair model where Michael "grieves".
Jim reveals he is ready to propose to Pam, even going as far as telling her that he is not going to do it at work ("because that would be lame") and when he does it, it will "kick [her] ass", and Pam isn't sure if he's joking. Alone with the camera, Jim reveals that he wasn't joking and shows an engagement ring that he bought "the week after we started dating." At the end of the show, while walking back to his car, he stops and gets down on one knee. When Pam stops and looks he says he has a question to ask her. After a second or so of hesitation, he asks her if she will wait while he ties his shoes. She laughs and they continue walking hand in hand.
At the end of the episode, Michael and Dwight are seen singing "American Pie" and dancing in the same cemetery at night, presumably having never left.
[edit] Reception
"Chair Model" received a 5.8 Nielsen Rating and a 9% Share. The episode was watched by 9.81 million viewers and achieved a 4.9/13 in the key adults 18–49 demographic.[1]
[edit] The Five Families of the Scranton Business Park
For the first time, the concept of the "Five Families" is introduced. The "Five Families" are the five businesses who operate out of the Scranton Business Park (The five families is a parody of the Five Families of New York, a crime organization). This episode introduces three of those businesses. The business are as follows:
- Dunder Mifflin, Scranton branch, paper company managed by Michael Scott
- Vance Refrigeration, refrigeration company managed by Bob Vance
- Disaster Kits Ltd., motorcycle-related business managed by Paul Faust (according to Kevin, Faust is nicknamed "Cool Guy Paul")
- W.B. Jones Heating & Air, heating and air repair company managed by W.B. Jones (according to Kevin, Jones is a "grade 'A' badass")
- Cress Tool and Die, tool and die company managed by William "Bill" Cress (whom Kevin states is "super old and really mean")
[edit] Notes
- B.J. Novak does not appear in this episode, despite having written it. This corresponded to a general Season 4 trend of the show's writer-actors (Novak, Mindy Kaling and Paul Lieberstein) having little or no acting work in episodes they write. Paul Lieberstein did have extensive screen time in the season finale that he co-wrote Goodbye, Toby, because it was the final appearance of his Toby Flenderson character.
- Melora Hardin also does not appear in this episode, although her voice is heard when Michael accidentally calls her while on his blind date.
- Michael's love of caramel, since "Initiation," is referenced with his coffee order.
- In a deleted scene, Michael reveals it has been a month since he and Jan broke up; he has been staying at Schrute Farm, and Jan is visiting her sister in Scottsdale. Dwight tries to charge Michael for his stay at the otherwise deserted B&B before Michael gets annoyed and Dwight backs off.
- Paul Faust, who plays "Cool Guy Paul" really owns a company called "Disaster Kits Limited", he is the only one of the "five families" to not be a real actor. When he found out he was going to be on the show, he purchased Coolguypaul.com, and linked it to disasterkitslimited.com. He is the cousin of Paul Lieberstein.[2]
- Kevin uses his foot bath from "Christmas Party."
- For the graveyard song, Elton John's "Candle in the Wind" was asked for permission to use and was denied. Besides "American Pie," ZZ Top's "Legs" was cleared, but was not used as they enjoyed Rainn and Steve singing "American Pie" so much.
- The number shown on the screen during the introduction of W. B. Jones who is a member of the "Five Families" is an actual phone number. When called you hear a brief message by Jones containing heating and AC related tips to help the environment. This was the same number printed the "pervert" flyer in "Women's Appreciation."
- According to B.J Novak - “The original working title was “Michael Dating.” But we knew the episode title would be released before the airing of “Dinner Party,” and we knew that if that title were next up on people’s Tivos, they’d be able to figure out that the dinner party probably wasn’t going to go that well for Michael and Jan. So “Parking” became the working title. But that’s a pretty bland title, even for an “Office” episode, where we pride ourselves on our bland titles. At one point someone suggested changing it to “Chair Model,” which sounds more fun and still a bit mysterious, and, most importantly to us, more specifically related to the main story of the episode.”[2]
- After pledging to Michael "she will bear your fruit", Dwight acquires the chair model's name and address from the modeling agency. (A real modeling agency would not give any of that information due to privacy considerations, but it's plausible they did so here because the model in question is, after all, dead).
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Broadcast TV Ratings for Thursday, April 17, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-04-18.
- ^ a b OfficeTally: "B.J. Novak answers ‘Chair Model’ questions". Retrieved on 2008-04-23.
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