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Revision as of 07:45, 6 February 2009

"Halloween" is the second episode of the second season of The Office. It was written by Greg Daniels and directed by Paul Feig. It first aired on October 18, 2005.

Synopsis

When Michael enters the office, Pam tells him Jan has called. Michael knows it's because he was supposed to fire someone by the end of the month. So far, he has been putting it off hoping someone would quit, move, or die so he wouldn't have to do it. Of course, he has no idea who he is going to let go. Michael goes to the Accounting Department (Kevin, Angela, and Oscar) and asks them to find $50,000 in the budget (basically, a salary and benefits), who come to the conclusion that the Accounting Department has three people doing the work of two, but don't tell Michael. Dwight gets on Jim's nerves so he and Pam decide to post Dwight's resume on the web. Angela gets mad at Pam for bringing brownies instead of chips and dip to the office party. Dwight's resume gets a hit from a company in Maryland, so Jim plays Michael and gives Dwight a great reference. When the company, Cumberland Mills, calls Dwight to set up an interview, Dwight immediately ruins his chances by having a rather stern argument with the caller over the importance and relevance of martial arts.

Pam thinks Jim should be the one to be getting better job offers and mentions to Jim that, given the salary and growth potential there, he should apply for the Cumberland Mills job. Jim is clearly hurt by the suggestion, thinking that perhaps Pam wouldn't care if he left. Pam tries to back-pedal but Jim makes clear his feelings. Michael tries to practice his firing skills with Jim, but doesn't fire him. Michael decides to fire Creed, after unsuccessfully trying to fire Pam and Stanley. Creed is unwilling to be fired so he talks Michael into letting Devon go, which he does. Devon retailiates by smashing a pumpkin on Michael's car. As Jim is leaving to go home, Pam apologises for pushing him into taking the Cumberland job and reassures him that she would 'blow her brains out' if he ever left. In a talking head, Jim brushes off the remark, saying that if Pam were the one leaving, he wouldn't necessarily blow his brains out...though he would take the Cumberland Mills job. At the end of the episode, we see a guilty Michael alone at home on Halloween, handing out candy to trick-or-treaters.

Deleted scenes

The Season Two DVD contains a number of deleted scenes from this episode. Notable cut scenes include:

  • Michael walks sadly through the office, unconvincingly reassuring everyone that "everything's going to be fine."
  • Toby asks Michael for the name of the employee that will be fired so he can start the paperwork. Michael tries to fire Toby.
  • As Michael takes the elevator downstairs. Leo and Gino from Vance Refrigeration mug for the cameras. At the security desk, Michael unsuccessfully asks the guard to be available to subdue an employee that has "gone postal." (He also tries to fire the guard.) Michael is determined to have made his decision by the time the elevator returns him to the second floor, but the door opens before he is ready.
  • Michael's proposal that everyone take a 10% pay cut is not met with enthusiasm.
  • Additional footage of Michael trying to fire Creed.
  • Michael tells a long, rambling story about a deer hunting trip. The deer did not die instantly, and "it's hard to hit another living thing in the face with a shovel for about an hour."
  • Michael calls Jan, angry that he was forced to betray "one of my best buddies."
  • Michael sulks at the lame office Halloween party, along with those not invited to Poor Richard's by Devon (Dwight, Angela, and Creed).
  • In a talking head interview, Dwight explains that he is destined to sell paper at Dunder Mifflin.

Cultural references

  • A Sith Lord is a type of warrior priest from the Star Wars movie franchise. Dwight later refers to characters Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader from the same movie series.
  • Kelly is dressed like Dorothy, the heroine of the movie The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
  • Bend It Like Beckham is, like Kelly says, "the movie about the Indian girl who plays soccer."
  • Monster.com is a web site devoted to job placement, Google is a search engine, and Craig's List is a free classified ad web site.
  • Stanley says "You're fired!" in the style of Donald Trump, host of the television reality game show The Apprentice.
  • Cumberland Mills is a fictional paper company. The name may have been inspired by the Westvaco paper company in Cumberland, Maryland. Coincidentally, paper manufacturer Sappi has a factory in Cumberland Mills, Westbrook, Maine.
  • Chili's and Poor Richard's previously appeared in the episode The Dundies.
  • Janet Jackson's boob refers to a controversial Super Bowl halftime show in 2004 which accidentally exposed the singer's breast. Monica Lewinsky and the stained dress refer to the 1999 sex scandal involving then-president Bill Clinton. O.J. refers to former football great O. J. Simpson, whose 1995 murder trial garnered intense publicity.
  • Sopranos style refers to the television series The Sopranos about a fictional Mafia family.
  • The term going postal entered United States slang after a series of incidents in the 1980's and 1990's of postal service workers shooting and killing colleagues and members of the public. It can refer to workplace massacres, or, more generally, any violent outburst.

Cast

Main Cast

Recurring Cast

Guest Cast

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