Grief Counseling (The Office episode)

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The Office episode

"Grief Counseling"
Michael leads the office through "Grief Counseling".
Episode No.	32
Prod. Code	03003
Airdate	October 12, 2006
Writer(s)	Jennifer Celotta
Director	Roger Nygard
The Office Season 3 September 2006 - May 2007
Gay Witch Hunt The Convention The Coup Grief Counseling Initiation Diwali Branch Closing The Merger The Convict A Benihana Christmas Back from Vacation Traveling Salesmen The Return Ben Franklin Phyllis' Wedding Business School Cocktails The Negotiation Safety Training Product Recall Women's Appreciation Beach Games The Job
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"Grief Counseling" is the third filmed and fourth aired episode of the third season of The Office (U.S. version). It was written by Jennifer Celotta and directed by Roger Nygard. It aired on October 12, 2006.^[1]

1 Synopsis
2 Deleted scenes
3 Notes
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Synopsis

Michael learns from Jan that his former boss Ed Truck has died. Kelly and Phyllis console Michael after he breaks the news to a mostly unmoved staff. Meanwhile, Jim gains authority over Karen's schedule for the day, which turns into a quest for Herr's potato chips.

Michael learns from Creed that Truck was decapitated in an automobile accident. Michael summons the staff to a primitive grief counseling session involving a collapsible Hoberman sphere ball. Toby tells Michael death is a part of life, and uses an example of a bird that flew into a first-floor window that morning. Michael charges outside, picks up the deceased animal and tries in vain to revive it.

Michael schedules a parking lot funeral for the bird. Pam fashions a makeshift coffin and reads a prepared speech that comforts Michael. Pam sings "On the Wings of Love" as Dwight accompanies her on his recorder. The coffin is placed in a box of shredded paper and set afire. Karen finds a bag of Herr's on her desk. Jim tells the documentary crew that he traced the chips from the manufacturer to the distributor to the vending machine company to an adjacent office building.

[edit] Deleted scenes

The Season Three DVD contains a number of deleted scenes. Notable cut scenes include:

Michael is more preoccupied with the fact that he is the first person in the office to learn about Ed's death than with the death itself.
Dwight considers how Ed's death could have been prevented.
Since nobody appears to be affected by Ed's passing, Toby ends his grief counseling session early, which infuriates Michael. In a talking head interview, Michael calls Toby "a plague on this company".
Extension of Pam and Roy's small talk in the parking lot.
Michael and Dwight try unsuccessfully to dig a grave for the bird.

[edit] Notes

This episode was originally scheduled to air after "Initiation".^[2] Jenna Fischer's blog refutes this claim, however, claiming that the episodes were filmed out of order due to the need for location shooting in "Initiation".^[3]
It is revealed that Michael, Phyllis, and Creed have worked in the office the longest.
Pam's story mirrors the plot of Million Dollar Baby, Ryan's The Lion King, and Kevin's Weekend at Bernie's. (In a deleted scene from "The Fire", Kevin lists Weekend at Bernie's and Weekend at Bernie's II as two of his favorite movies.)
The coffin made by Pam resembles the Judeo-Christian Ark of the Covenant.
Dwight's extinguishing of the fire was improvised.^[4]
Dwight claims that his late grandfather was taken from his original grave and reinterred in "an old oil drum"; this would explain how Dwight acquired the suit his grandfather was buried in, which he wore in "Casino Night".
Karen is looking for Herr's Salt & Vinegar Chips, and says that there are none in the vending machine. However, the white Herr's Salt and Vinegar Chips are clearly visible in the machine.
Deleted scenes in this episode begin a theme of Angela making remarks about Kevin's feet, which continues through "Diwali" and "Beach Games". Kevin reveals that he has hyperhidrosis, one of his many diseases that have cropped throughout the series.
Josh asks Karen about the company’s account with "Fairfield County Schools." In truth, counties in Connecticut are just names on a map and there are no county-wide school districts or governments.

[edit] References

^ CHANGES/ADDITIONS TO THE NBC PRIMETIME SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY, OCT 18 2006 - FRIDAY, OCT 20 2006
^ Kinsey, Angela. October 19, 2006. blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=32799810&blogID=182445884&Mytoken=EAFA6276-75ED-40CE-9C0B975FEF96535A52549839 The Initiation, MySpace.com
^ Fischer, Jenna. October 19, 2006. blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=27753303&blogID=182408565 Tonight - "The Initiation" - A new episode of The Office, MySpace.com
^ Sparano, John. October 16, 2006. blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=102409815&blogID=179791257