Changes: Fun Run

Revision as of 23:35, 15 March 2010

"Fun Run" is the first episode of the fourth season of The Office. It was written and directed by Greg Daniels. It first aired on September 27, 2007 as the premiere of the fourth season and was an hour-long episode.

Synopsis

Part One

In a series of interviews, updates are given on the events that have taken place since "The Job". Michael and Jan are still living together, although she apparently puts little effort into the relationship and is usually still asleep when Michael leaves for work. Jim confirms that he broke up with Karen in New York. He says she insisted that she would continue working in Scranton, but disappeared immediately afterward. Jim and Pam indicate that they have been seeing each other socially, but only as friends. Kevin insists that they're secretly dating, since they seem so happy. He even comes up with a nickname for them: "PB&J" which stands for "Pam Beesly and Jim."

As he arrives at work, Michael accidentally hits Meredith with his car, sending her to the hospital for a fractured pelvis. This event alarms the rest of the office, and especially Michael's new direct superior Ryan, who is concerned about a lawsuit. As Meredith's coworkers make plans to visit her, Michael takes over, insisting they should all go together en masse on their lunch break. Angela bows out at first in order to attend to the intense medical regimen of her ailing cat, Sprinkles. Pam insists that Angela, as head of the Party Planning Committee, has a responsibility to be part of the visit. Dwight agrees to care for the cat in her place. Meanwhile, Pam's computer gets a virus necessitating the technical support employee, Sadiq to be called in; it is revealed she got the virus while trying to buy a celebrity sex tape.

The visit to the hospital is awkward, as Michael tries to extract forgiveness from Meredith, and Creed quizzes her about the pain killers she is taking. Upon the group's return to the office, Dwight unceremoniously informs Angela that her cat is dead, but is now "in a better place" (specifically, Angela's freezer).

The combination of Meredith's accident, Sprinkles' death, and the virus on Pam's computer convinces Michael that the office is cursed. He convenes a meeting to determine the cause, where he demands to know everyone's religious beliefs. Michael ultimately comes to the conclusion that "God is dead." Blaming Toby for the "curse," he orders research into mythical animals to which they could offer a sacrifice.

Dwight discovers during his own courtesy visit to the hospital that Meredith has had a precautionary rabies shot due to several recent animal bites (including a bat bite caused by Dwight himself). He informs Michael, who immediately takes credit for saving Meredith's life by sending her to the hospital. With that bit of good news, he decides the curse is over.

Kevin spies in the parking lot to see whether Jim and Pam are secretly getting together outside the office. He is disappointed to find no evidence, but the camera crew discovers Pam pulling over to a curb a block away and picking up Jim. They kiss and drive away.

Part Two

Jim and Pam privately are shown the footage of them taken at the end of Part One. They lamely deny a relationship at first, but Pam finally gives up and acknowledges they are dating. Both confirm things are going well, although they seem to have no immediate intention of telling the rest of the office.

Michael is still feeling guilty about hurting Meredith, so he decides to lead a charity 5K fun run, entitled "Michael Scott's Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race for the Cure" in an attempt to bring awareness to the dangers of rabies. The staff is mostly unsuccessful in getting donations, and nearly all of the $700 raised was donated by Jan (who is actually just donating Michael's money since she is now unemployed). Michael decides to spend $200 of that money on an oversized check, which he wants to present to a "rabies doctor."

Pam inadvertently walks in on Michael while he is changing for the race, even though Michael had said "Come in" in response to her knock on the door. Michael attempts to defend himself: "European offices are naked all the time." In a talking head interview, Pam rejects the advice that if nervous during public speaking one should picture the listeners naked.

Michael insists that everyone in the office participate in the 5K, although few take it seriously. Stanley, Creed, and Oscar take a taxi to grab some beers, returning to the race just feet from the finish line. Jim and Pam mostly walk, hand-in-hand, stopping at an estate sale where Pam buys a lamp. Kevin is quickly drenched in sweat because he forgot to bring running clothes, while Andy suffers from extremely irritated nipples.

Along the way, Angela confronts Dwight with her suspicion that Sprinkles had been deliberately killed. To her surprise, Dwight acknowledges doing so, saying his "farm" attitude is that any animal that is suffering (and cannot pull its own weight) should be put down. Angela is furious, saying that being euthanized prevents Sprinkles from being in "cat heaven."

Toby ends up finishing first thanks to some inadvertent help from Dwight (who slipped Toby Imodium instead of laxatives). His joy short-lived as he learns that the course Michael created was not circular, leaving everyone five kilometers from the office.

Michael, who had decided to "carbo-load" on fettuccine alfredo and abstain from water, quickly becomes ill, but is convinced by Jim and Pam to continue. He considers reaching the finish line a major accomplishment, and is given Pam's lamp as a trophy.

Michael's poor dietary choice puts him in the hospital for dehydration, where he is visited by Meredith. In recognition of his attempt to make up for the car accident, she forgives Michael.

Deleted scenes

Much to the office's horror, Michael jokes that he got "25 points" for hitting Meredith, as seen in the film Death Race 2000 - though in a talking head, Creed, who has played the game for years, insists that Meredith is not worth 25 points.
Darryl erases the number on a poster in the warehouse saying how long it has been since an accident caused someone to miss work.
As Pam tries to organize a hospital visit, Stanley doesn't see the point since he barely knows her - he claims he would visit Phyllis in that situation, but looks into the camera and shakes his head.
Michael asks why Sadiq is there - when he answers that Pam's sex tape crashed hard drives, Phyllis whispers not to worry, because "we all do it".
Dwight compares his relationship with Angela to various different farm needs.
Michael tries to find a rationale where he is not subordinate to Ryan.
Ryan says that Michael can no longer protect himself by sleeping with his boss, only to recoil as various memories come back to him.
Pam finds Kelly lying under her desk, tissues and candy wrappers strewn all over the floor.
Toby reveals that Kelly has been so upset since the breakup that "she can't even talk", breaking into a smile as it occurs to him what he just said.
Michael infuriates those in the breakroom by suggesting Meredith was drunk at the time (Kevin feels 9 in the morning is too early "even for her"), though when asked she essentially admits as much, insisting that you can't get drunk off Kahlua.
As Oscar looks on, Kevin tries to set Jim up with a non-existent friend, but Jim plays along and asks to meet her, leaving Kevin desperate to find such a person.
Sitting in on the Cursed Office meeting, Sadiq asks Kevin if this really is what they do all day
Kelly does a talking head where she makes up terrible things about Ryan.
Dwight says that, if Meredith does have rabies, she can only be treated with a silver bullet - and pulls out a silver bullet.
Michael has a typically awkward conversation with Billy Merchant before the race.
Michael receives a visit from his pediatrician at the hospital.

Trivia

Despite appearing in every episode since the pilot, this marks the first episode that Creed Bratton is credited as part of the main cast. Craig Robinson also joins the main cast.
An old name for rabies is "hydrophobia". In advanced stages of the disease, the victim has a fear of liquids.
The religious affiliations of many characters are revealed in this episode.
- Darryl and Pam are Presbyterian.
- Phyllis is a Lutheran and Bob is a Unitarian.
- Sadiq is a Sikh.
- Creed has been in many cults, both as a leader and a follower.
- Stanley is Catholic.
- Kelly is Hindu.
- A deleted scene reveals that Oscar was raised Catholic, but now identifies as agnostic.
At the end of the episode when Michael is making his final effort to the finish line, a palm tree can be seen in the background, despite the setting of the series being in Scranton, PA.
The Fun Run (in particular the estate sale scene) was filmed on Longridge Ave between Weddington St and Magnolia Blvd in Los Angeles. This appears to be a popular location, because Oscar's house is in this neighborhood.

Goofs

As Jim and Pam begin the Fun Run, a sign can be seen with a phone number bearing area code 818, which is not used in Scranton but is the primary area code in the San Fernando Valley, which lies almost entirely within the city of Los Angeles. The building they shoot in is at 13928 Saticoy Street, Los Angeles, California.
Jim says that he is going mountain biking at Montage Mountain. Montage Mountain was sold in November 2006 and renamed Sno Mountain. (Jim may have been referring to it by its old name out of habit.)

Amusing details

During the argument between Karen and Jim, both Phyllis and Angela look towards the reception desk as if to say "This is your fault."
Karen cleared everything off her desk, including her computer and phone (which belong to Dunder Mifflin).
Angela says that Sprinkles has an infection "under her tail" and that medicine goes "at the base of her tail"; in other words, on her anus.
In a deleted scene, Michael gives the correct definition of secular humanism (which is surprising).

Connections to previous episodes

Phyllis sews three squares of a 'rabies quilt' on Michael's orders. In Safety Training, Dwight suggests that a 'despression quilt' be made as a visual aid.
Meredith's medical history indicates she got a tetanus shot when she was bitten by a bat, an event that took place in the episode Business School.

Cultural references

Kevin insists that Jim and Pam are hooking up, slang for having sex.
A flea market is a disorganized marketplace for inexpensive products. A drive-in is an outdoor movie theater wherein customers watch the movie from their cars. Montage Mountain is a local ski resort.
Michael calls Ryan a little fish in a big pond, turning around the idiom a big fish in a small pond (meaning an important person but only within a small group). He also uses the idiom top dog (meaning the most important person in a group).
Michael tries to reassure David Wallace by using the phrase double jeopardy incorrectly. Double jeopardy is putting a person on trial a second time for the same offense, something prohibited by the United States Constitution. Double jeopardy is also the name of a round in the game show Jeopardy!. The gimmick of the game show is that it reverses the question/answer format of traditional quiz shows. Contestants are given the answer, and they must ask the appropriate question, usually of the form What is X?
Angela says that she has to visit the alky, slang for alcoholic.
Dwight suspects that Meredith pretended to injure herself at work to get worker's comp, short for Workers' compensation.
Shotgun is a nickname for the front passenger seat.
Michael asks if anybody did anything involving an Indian burial ground. According to popular culture, one becomes cursed if one shows disrespect to an (American) Indian burial ground.
Michael wins a week of free pizzas from Alfredo's Pizza, a Scranton pizza restaurant.
Michael says, "God is dead," a quotation associated with philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.
Michael asks if rabies is like an STD, short for sexually transmitted disease.

Cast

Main Cast

Supporting Cast

Recurring Cast

Jackie Debatin as Elizabeth (The Stripper)
Rashida Jones as Karen Filippelli
Bobby Ray Shafer as Bob Vance
Omi Vaidya as Sadiq
Marcus A. York as Billy Merchant
Calvin Tenner as Lester (uncredited)

Guest Cast

Takayo Fischer as ???
Sylvia McClure as Nurse
Justin Spitzer as Hospital Intern

@@ Line 45: / Line 45: @@
 Michael's poor dietary choice puts him in the hospital for [[Wikipedia:dehydration|dehydration]], where he is visited by Meredith. In recognition of his attempt to make up for the car accident, she forgives Michael.
+==Deleted scenes==
+*Much to the office's horror, Michael jokes that he got "25 points" for hitting Meredith, as seen in the film ''Death Race 2000'' - though in a talking head, Creed, who has played the game for years, insists that Meredith is not worth 25 points.
+*Darryl erases the number on a poster in the warehouse saying how long it has been since an accident caused someone to miss work.
+*As Pam tries to organize a hospital visit, Stanley doesn't see the point since he barely knows her - he claims he would visit Phyllis in that situation, but looks into the camera and shakes his head.
+*Michael asks why Sadiq is there - when he answers that Pam's sex tape crashed hard drives, Phyllis whispers not to worry, because "we all do it".
+*Dwight compares his relationship with Angela to various different farm needs.
+*Michael tries to find a rationale where he is not subordinate to Ryan.
+*Ryan says that Michael can no longer protect himself by sleeping with his boss, only to recoil as various memories come back to him.
+*Pam finds Kelly lying under her desk, tissues and candy wrappers strewn all over the floor.
+*Toby reveals that Kelly has been so upset since the breakup that "she can't even talk", breaking into a smile as it occurs to him what he just said.
+*Michael infuriates those in the breakroom by suggesting Meredith was drunk at the time (Kevin feels 9 in the morning is too early "even for her"), though when asked she essentially admits as much, insisting that you can't get drunk off Kahlua.
+*As Oscar looks on, Kevin tries to set Jim up with a non-existent friend, but Jim plays along and asks to meet her, leaving Kevin desperate to find such a person.
+*Sitting in on the Cursed Office meeting, Sadiq asks Kevin if this really is what they do all day
+*Kelly does a talking head where she makes up terrible things about Ryan.
+*Dwight says that, if Meredith does have rabies, she can only be treated with a silver bullet - and pulls out a silver bullet.
+*Michael has a typically awkward conversation with [[Billy Merchant]] before the race.
+*Michael receives a visit from his pediatrician at the hospital.
 ==Trivia==
@@ Line 113: / Line 131: @@
 *[[Bobby Ray Shafer]] as [[Bob Vance]]
 *[[Omi Vaidya]] as [[Sadiq]]
-*[[Marcus York]] as [[Billy Merchant]]
+*[[Marcus A. York]] as [[Billy Merchant]]
 *[[Calvin Tenner]] as [[Lester]] (uncredited)