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"Broke" is the twenty-second episode of the fifth season of The Office. It was written by Charlie Grandy and directed by Steve Carell in his directorial debut. It first aired on April 30, 2009.
Synopsis
The strain of early morning paper deliveries takes its toll on the Michael Scott Paper Company. Michael, Pam and Ryan visit an accountant to determine whether they can afford to hire a delivery person and discover that not only can they not afford one, but Michael's deep discounts and Ryan's flawed cash flow model mean that the company is on the brink of collapse.
Meanwhile, CFO David Wallace visits the Scranton branch to determine what can be done to stop Michael from stealing Dunder Mifflin's clients. Dwight's bizarre suggestions on how to get rid of the Michael Scott Paper Company cast him in a new light in Charles Miner's eyes.
Wallace realizes that he has to buy out the Michael Scott Paper Company. Jim "investigates" the situation (although he knows from Pam the Michael Scott Paper Company's desperate situation) and thwarts Dwight's efforts to warn David Wallace and Charles Miner that they are offering too much for the company.
Michael shows an uncharacteristic flash of brilliance during the negotiations, first bidding up the offer for his company from $12,000 to $60,000, and then on top of that demanding (and getting) his old job back as Regional Manager of the Scranton branch, as well as jobs for both Pam and Ryan. Wallace is furious that Ryan will be back at Dunder Mifflin considering the enormous damage he caused the company, and Ryan doesn't seem too thrilled to be working there either.
Amusing details
- When Michael honks the horn to pick up Pam, a light turns on in the neighbor's house.
- The buyout of the Michael Scott Paper Company came not a moment too soon: They just ran out of cheese balls!
- Michael's fish is different yet again. Poor guy can't keep a fish alive for more than a few days.
Cultural references
- Michael asks, It's 4:30 in the morning. Do you know where your kids are? This is a slight misquote of the public service announcement popular in the United States in the 1960's to the 1980's. At 10pm or 11pm, a brief announcement came on the television set: "It's (time). Do you know where your children are?"
- A paper route is a job typically held by teenage children delivering newspapers to houses early in the morning.
- Michael says, Time to make the donuts!, the catch phrase from a series of television commercials for donut chain Dunkin' Donuts featuring Fred the Baker waking up before dawn muttering the phrase to himself.
- Ryan says Ever since I've gotten clean... To get clean is slang for to stop taking drugs.
- Michael shouts, Boner patrol! Boner is slang for a male erection.
- The message on the side of the van really does say Scranton Hallelujah Church in Korean.
- Michael, Pam, and Ryan sitting on the floor of their "office" sharing confessions echoes a similar scene from The Breakfast Club.