Body Language

"Body Language" is the twenty-third episode of the sixth season and the 123rd episode of The Office overall. It was written by Justin Spitzer, who also wrote Shareholder Meeting and Michael Scott Paper Company and directed by Mindy Kaling who directed The Office: Subtle Sexuality. It originally aired on April 29, 2010. It was viewed by 7.01 million people.

Cold open
Michael enters the office trying to speak in Spanish, claiming in a talking head that it is because he believes that everyone in the country should speak the language, but mainly because he is going to Cancun for vacation next week. Michael greets Jim in Spanish, but is left dumbfounded when Jim replies in seemingly fluent Spanish, replying with a forced laugh instead. Michael then greets Dwight in Spanish, who replies in German as he believes that it is a waste to learn Spanish since he has it on "Very good authority that within 20 years, everyone will be speaking German. Or a Chinese-German hybrid." Oscar is then shown trying to teach Michael Spanish, but explains in a talking head that Michael has a problem with the gender part of Spanish. He tells Michael to mark objects in his office with the international symbol for gender, but Michael misunderstands and uses drawings of genitalia. With his office covered in genitalia Post-it notes, Michael tries to make a "That's what she said" joke, which comes out as "That's what he said." Angela walks in and Michael attempts to greet her in Spanish, only to mispronounce her name as "Angelo." In an effort to learn, he places a Post-it note of a drawing of breasts on Angela's forehead, who rips it off in disgust.

Synopsis


Jim and Pam plan their joint sales pitch, while Dwight is angry that he isn't getting the client. The client is revealed to be Donna, the manager of the bar from "Happy Hour". Michael asks her if she is a hooker, to Jim and Pam's chagrin, however she finds it amusing instead. Donna believes that Jim and Pam are twins at first, and insists that they must have similar ancestors. As Jim tries to explain to Donna the prices, Michael barges in and offers Donna a Victoria's Secret catalog, that he claims was left behind by a woman who used to live in his condo.

Meanwhile, Gabe talks to Darryl about a minority program. Dwight wants to join the program ("Print in All Colors"), however, only minorities can join. Dwight explains his concern in a talking head that because Darryl is competent and hardworking, he has a chance at succeeding and becoming his boss. Knowing that Kelly could be easily bribed if she becomes an executive, he goes up to her and asks her to consider the program. Dwight tells Kelly that she could be a CEO because of this program, which she becomes excited about as she could be "the Indian Julia Roberts."

Michael continues to ruin Jim and Pam's sale, and shows Donna a slide show. The slide show is comprised of pictures of Michael, alternated with pictures that he believes "turn (Donna) on," so that she will associate Michael with being turned on. Donna responds politely, but turns away when Michael tries to kiss her. With the conference room windows open, Jim and Pam watch in shock at the development to Michael and Donna's embarrassment.

In his office, Michael insists to Jim and Pam that Donna was sending him signals. Jim tells Michael that he shouldn't kiss people at work, to which Michael responds that Jim and Pam did a lot more than kiss at work and claims Donna could be his "Pam." Sympathetic to Michael's plight, Pam points out that if Donna wasn't interested she would have left by now out of anger. In a talking head, Donna says that while what happened wasn't professional, she finds it flattering. Michael apologizes for ruining their sale and asks for a chance to fix the situation. Pam then offers to let Michael finish the sale with Jim, to the latter's shock. Outside of Michael's office, Pam convinces Jim, arguing that "People meet each other all sorts of ways" and in the worst case scenario, the sale with Donna would not be a big loss anyway.

Dwight continues to prepare Kelly for her interview to get into the program, as Jim and Michael talk to Donna. During the meeting, the entire office watches Donna through the conference room windows, to determine from body language if she is attracted to Michael. Donna takes off her jacket flirtatiously during the meeting while asking if there is a better price for the printers, prompting Michael to offer a lower price, despite Jim and Oscar telling him that the company will lose money. Jim says that Donna could just be flirting to get a lower price, but Pam insists that "you can flirt with someone to get what you want, and still be attracted to them." Meanwhile, Dwight asks Kelly why she isn't preparing for the interview, but Kelly explains Ryan has coached her to the point that she is sure to get into the program and be an executive. She also further reveals that once she becomes an executive, she will make Ryan the Regional Manager and that the two of them will be making changes to the staff, to Dwight's horror.

Kevin advises Michael to offer Donna a mint as a test to see if she is attracted to him. Michael takes his advice and Donna does accept a mint. However, when Donna offers Michael a mint and Michael picks it up by licking it off her hand she responds with outrage. Michael asks everyone their opinion in the break room, and everyone tells Michael that he should stop. Pam however insists that, while unlikely, it is not impossible for Donna to be attracted to him, pointing out "most printer sales are done over the phone, Miss Boob Shirt."

Dwight tries to convince Gabe that Kelly is not applicable for the progam, and to choose Darryl instead, however Darryl has already dropped out as he decides his softball league takes priority. In a talking head, Darryl explains that while he has the rest of his life to become a minority executive, he only has a few good years before he can no longer play softball. Dwight realizes in horror that unless there is another applicant, Kelly will now be accepted by default, as she enters the room in ethnic attire while behaving with more ethnicity.

Donna and Michael wrap up their meeting, but Michael continues to awkwardly follow her after they have said goodbye. He continues to follow her all the way to outside the office, asking if she has anything else to ask him while leaning closer as she awkwardly stumbles against the blinds and leaves, showing no interest in him, to Michael's sadness.

Dwight talks to Stanley and Oscar about the minority program but they refuse to do it out of fear of crossing Kelly. As Kelly lists the stereotypes of Indian people as her hobby, Dwight introduces Hide to Gabe as another candidate, which angers Kelly. Kelly tells Dwight she now hates him and leaves, as Hide tells Gabe about his life in Japan as a surgeon.

Upset that Donna isn't interested in him, Michael sits on the couch sorrowfully. Pam comforts Michael and tells him that it wasn't just him who was wrong, she thought Donna was interested in him as well. Phyllis and Andy share their own experiences to console Michael, as Erin tells him that Donna forgot her hair clip. Michael sees it as a sign that Donna wants him to return it to her, to everyone's disagreement, but he runs down to his car anyway. Surprisingly, Donna is still in the parking lot and Michael gives her the hair clip. Michael tells Donna that he is sorry he thought she was interested in him, and tries to give her the hair clip back. However, Donna says that he was actually right, and they kiss passionately.

Gabe walks into the bullpen and reveals that Kelly has been accepted into the minority training program. Gabe reveals in a talking head that corporate will be pleased with his choice, since the program itself requires more diversity as "it's almost too black," a statement he immediately regrets saying. As the office congratulates Kelly, Dwight offers his hand to her in defeat. Kelly hugs Dwight and thanks him, but then threateningly tells him "I never forget anything" as Dwight laments in a talking head that for once he would like to have nothing go wrong in his plans. Michael returns triumphantly and tells everyone that Donna and he kissed, however no one believes him because he forgot to give her the hair clip. In a talking head, Michael claims that he doesn't care if no one believes him, but then he yells "I did do it!" in frustration.

Deleted scenes

 * Attempting to bolster Kelly's chances for the executive training program, Dwight challenges Gabe to name an Indian CEO. Gabe names several, including Indra Nooyi. Dwight then challenges him to name one female Indian CEO. Gabe points out that Indra Nooyi is a woman. Dwight then asks him to name a female Indian CEO of a paper company, after which "I'm out of your hair." Gabe names one. Dwight then challenges Gabe to name two.
 * In Michael's office, Donna sits at his desk and plays with his toys while mentioning that in her business, she offers free onion rings to her friends. Michael continues to have trouble reading Donna's behavior.
 * Talking head interviews with Michael, Andy, and Stanley on how to tell if someone is interested in you.
 * Kelly visits Ryan in his workspace (the closet) and is disgusted that Yale's mascot is a bulldog. (Recall that the executive training program includes two weeks study at Yale Business School.) Ryan reassures her that nobody actually wears the clothes from their school. Andy proves them wrong by showing his undershirt, his socks, and pulls up his underpants, accidentally giving himself a "front wedgie."

Cultural references

 * Sid & Dexter's is a fictitious bar (the location of the episode Happy Hour) based on the real bar.
 *  is a chain of stores selling women's clothing and lingerie. It is known for its provocative catalogs.
 * The ' is the graduate business school of ', a member of the prestigious.
 *  is a folk tale in which a mistreated girl triumphs over her situation. In common use, it is used to describe a situation in which an unappreciated person meets with sudden success.
 * Texting, short for, is a form of short-message communication over mobile devices. Although laws prohibiting became popular in the United States starting in 2008, there was no law specifically banning texting while driving in Pennsylvania at the time the episode aired.
 * ' and ' are well-known business magnates.  is an award-winning actress.
 * Michael shows a picture of his -green eyes. Shrek is a green ogre, the lead character in a series of animated movies.
 * Michael inserts a into his presentation by showing very briefly a slide consisting of the word SEX.
 *  are candy-covered chocolates. They are Kevin's favorite candy.
 * Pam wishes Jim luck as Michael's , an informal term for somebody who helps a friend approach potential sexual partners.
 * Kelly creates a fake IM account, short for.
 *  is a brand of breath mints, previously seen in "Phyllis' Wedding".
 *  is a 1993 sports film about Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger who overcomes a series of setbacks (including being rejected three times) to enroll in the and play on the football team. The movie is not a comedy.
 * Michael asks Donna if she needs validation, short for parking validation. To discourage their parking lots from being used by non-customers, some businesses charge for parking, but waive the fee if the driver can show that they were a customer at a sponsoring business. This is typically done by stamping the parking ticket, thereby "validating" it. However, the Dunder Mifflin parking lot does not have an attendant to collect parking fees.
 * Dwight calls Erin paleface, an insulting term for "white people" originally used by Native Americans to describe European settlers.
 * Dwight says, "speaking of rainbows" when addressing Oscar. The gay movement adopted the as its symbol.
 * Andy mentions tearing his scrote (short for scrotum) and that the urologist was performing examinations to charge his HMO, short for, an organization which manages health insurance.
 * The red dot on Kelly's forehead is a, a traditional decoration for women in South Asia. Although it carried meaning in the past, in modern times it is used merely as a fashion accessory.
 * The Indian CEOs named by Gabe are (Citigroup), Surya Mohapatra (Quest Diagnostics),  (Harman International Industries), and  (PepsiCo). Paper company CEO Nisha Das appears to be fictitious.
 * Michael says that 50 years ago, dating was much simpler, citing , a dramatic television program set at an advertising agency in the 1960s.
 * Kelly wishes she was going to ' instead of ' so it would be just like , a 2001 comedy movie about a sorority girl who attends Harvard Law School. Harvard is also a member of the.

Amusing details

 * Angela claims that she believes Jim and Pam have the same ancestors, "you should see their baby."
 * Kelly is rude to the customer service representative on the phone, even though her own job is customer service.
 * Dwight mentions that he is a cholera survivor, a disease that has long not affected developed society.
 * Kelly says she cannot name "any CEO, any race", even though the CEO of Sabre, Jo Bennett visited the Scranton branch a few episodes earlier.
 * The last slide Michael shows Donna in an attempt to seduce her flashes the word "SEX" in bold before changing to a black screen.
 * Most of the pictures of Michael shown to Donna were likely taken that same day, since he is wearing the same suit.
 * Dwight wears his cell phone on his belt, a trait Kelly tells him she dislikes.
 * Kevin crosses his arms to test Pam's theory that Donna does so to make her breasts more prominent.
 * Dwight reveals that he and Mose are attempting to reanimate a bull.
 * Ryan tells Kelly to turn every question asked of her in the interview back on the interviewer, advice she takes when she is unable to tell Gabe the meaning behind her ethnic garb.
 * Kevin compares Michael's lack of control around Donna to his feelings about the M&Ms in the jar on his desk.
 * Michael is seen wiping his face after washing it when he is asking for everyone's opinions in the kitchen area.
 * The interview for the minority program is in the break room since the conference room is used for the meeting with Donna and Gabe's office was given to Darryl in "St. Patrick's Day."
 * Michael is so eager to rush to Donna's workplace that he takes the stairs instead of the elevator.
 * Oscar eyes Kelly when she speaks with Dwight, averting his gaze when she threatens him.
 * Erin wears Kelly's red dot on her forehead after Michael returns to the office.

Trivia

 * Jim says "Soy fantástico" (I'm fantastic) while replying to Michael. He is incorrect in his reply, as the correct way to phrase that would be "Estoy fantástico" (I'm feeling/currently fantastic).
 * Donna implies that she is in her late twenties. As of this episode, Donna's actress Amy Pietz is 41.
 * The difference between the Sabre Profile Ink Jet printer and Sabre 9030 Laser printer are as follows:
 * Sabre Profile Ink Jet
 * Low initial cost
 * Desktop Convenience
 * Best for: Low Volume Printing
 * Sabre 9030 Laser
 * Fine Text Detail
 * Higher Printing Speeds
 * Lower Cost Per Page (toner vs. ink replacement)
 * Best for: High volume and text output
 * Toby does not appear in this episode.
 * A white board above Kelly shows the sales for the final quarter:
 * Michael: 128,500
 * Jim: 126,720
 * Dwight: 119,820
 * Phyllis: 117,424
 * Pam and Andy are not visible on the board, but it is shown for an unknown reason that Creed has a sales number of 89,113 while an unknown person has 96,720.
 * Donna appears to want to tell Michael something after she kisses him, saying "I..."

Connections to other episodes

 * Dwight pretends to call 911 to report the Scranton Strangler.
 * Andy mentions his torn scrotum, an injury he suffered in the episode "Niagara".
 * Jim jokes about Pam being a gold digger in "Customer Survey".
 * Pam is sympathetic to Michael's plight in this episode. In "The Whale", Pam reveals that since her pregnancy she has become more concerned for others.
 * Spoiler: Darryl says that he has only about a year left in his knees playing softball. At the start of the next season, in "Nepotism", Darryl says that he blew out his knee playing softball.
 * Spoiler: Darryl says that he has only about a year left in his knees playing softball. At the start of the next season, in "Nepotism", Darryl says that he blew out his knee playing softball.
 * Spoiler: Darryl says that he has only about a year left in his knees playing softball. At the start of the next season, in "Nepotism", Darryl says that he blew out his knee playing softball.

Flashbacks

 * Donna tells Michael to get off the table. Michael tells Donna that she cannot talk to him like that in front of his friends in "Happy Hour".

Main cast

 * Steve Carell as Michael Scott
 * Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute
 * John Krasinski as Jim Halpert
 * Jenna Fischer as Pam Halpert
 * B.J. Novak as Ryan Howard
 * Ed Helms as Andy Bernard

Supporting cast

 * Leslie David Baker as Stanley Hudson
 * Brian Baumgartner as Kevin Malone
 * Creed Bratton as Creed Bratton
 * Kate Flannery as Meredith Palmer
 * Mindy Kaling as Kelly Kapoor
 * Ellie Kemper as Erin Hannon
 * Angela Kinsey as Angela Martin
 * Oscar Nunez as Oscar Martinez
 * Craig Robinson as Darryl Philbin
 * Phyllis Smith as Phyllis Vance

Recurring cast

 * Zach Woods as Gabe Lewis
 * Amy Pietz as Donna
 * Hidetoshi Imura as Hidetoshi Hasagawa