The Dundies

"The Dundies" is the first episode of the second season of The Office. It was written by Mindy Kaling and directed by Greg Daniels. It first aired on September 20, 2005.

Synopsis

It's time for "The Dundies", Michael's annual embarrassing awards show for the Dunder-Mifflin Scranton employees, which takes place at the local Chili's restaurant. He thinks they love the awards and his comedy act, but in fact, they're dreaded.

Phyllis, Pam, and Kelly chat and giggle by the water cooler. Dwight asks them what the joke is, and learns that somebody wrote something on the ladies' room wall about Michael. He demands to know what it is, but the women won't tell. Dwight's attempts to determine what is written on the wall are embarrassingly unsuccessful.

Jan tells Michael that corporate will not fund the party, which breaks his hopes of a drunken show. Michael invites friends and family to the show to quiet rumors.

Michael asks Pam to go through the old Dundies footage for highlights. From an earlier Dundies, we see Michael award Pam the "World's Longest Engagement" award. Jim tries to convince Michael to give Pam a different award this year.

The awards begin with Michael attempting to perform a rap, but he can't keep up with the lyrics. As everyone prepares to order, Michael tells them they have to pay for their meals and drinks. Michael's jokes fall flat; Dwight's contributions don't help matters any. Darryl and Roy, concluding that the awards are lame, leave early, taking Pam with them. In the parking lot, Pam and Roy have an argument, and Pam returns to the awards show, just in time for Michael's caricature of a Chinese man named Ping.

While Michael awards Dundies to various members of the office staff, Pam consumes a beer and two margaritas and shows signs of being drunk. As he sings another song, Michael gets heckled by some other customers. Humiliated, Michael decides to wrap it up, but an intoxicated Pam (along with Jim) encourages him to finish the show, which he does. Pam braces herself for her annual "World's Longest Engagement" award, but is relieved to get the "Whitest Sneakers" award. Pam thanks Michael and, after an emotional acceptance speech, drunkenly kisses Jim on the lips.

As Jim recaps the Dundies for the documentary camera, Pam drunkenly falls off her stool. Dwight springs into action, but his assistance is unwelcome. In a talking-head interview, the manager of the Chili's restaurant explains that Pam is no longer welcome at the restaurant chain due to her behavior.

While waiting for designated driver Angela to arrive, Pam admits to Jim that it was she who wrote the graffiti on the ladies' room wall. She also begins to ask Jim a question, but stops herself when she notices the cameras. Jim helps Pam into Angela's car and smiles as he watches them leave.

Trivia

This episode introduces the fact that Dwight is a volunteer sheriff's deputy.
The only scene with the Chili's manager that made the final cut almost didn't get shot at all. The crew started packing up at the end of the day, and Christopher T. Wood had to remind the director that they hadn't shot the talking head yet. [1]
The episode ends with Elton John's 'Tiny Dancer' playing in the background, the first time in the series that background music is added.

Deleted scenes

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

Extension of Michael's "TMI" talking-head interview.
In talking-head interviews:
- Toby is glad that he hasn't won any Dundies.
- Kelly describes having dinner with Toby at the Dundies.
- Angela is annoyed at always being the designated driver.
- Jim explains that Michael puts more effort into the Dundies than anything else.
- Dwight describes being a whistleblower.
- Kevin finds Ping funny.
- Michael tries to guess what the letters O.P.P. stand for.
Dwight mocks the women as they chat by the water cooler.
Michael asks Jim for ideas for Kevin's Dundie. When Dwight informs Michael of the graffiti in the ladies' room, Michael instructs him to find out what it says.
Dwight tries to peek into the ladies' room without going in. (An alternate take of the scene in which Phyllis catches him in the ladies' room.)
Dwight interrogates Angela about the graffiti.
Kelly and Oscar ask Michael not to do his Ping impression. Michael is unrepentant.
Extension of the scene in which Phyllis catches Dwight in the ladies' room. Phyllis goes to Michael and demands that Dwight be disciplined.
Dwight abruptly shuts off the accounting department computers to get them to leave for the Dundies.
Michael prepares backstage at the Dundies.
Extension of the opening Dundies rap.
Kevin talks with Pam and Roy about the "Longest Engagement" award.
Michael presents the "Most creative writing on the ladies' room wall" Dundie.
Toby tells Michael that Ryan's Dundie was inappropriate.
Dwight tries to order drinks that Chili's doesn't serve.
Extension of Dwight tending to Pam after she falls off her stool.
The Chili's manager orders Michael to leave.

Cultural references

Fat Albert is a character created by Bill Cosby. Michael does an impression of the character when he calls Jim Fat Halpert.
T.M.I is an outdated slang phrase. Short for "Too much information", it is used when someone reveals too much personal information about himself. Don't go there is another outdated slang phrase, used to indicate the speaker's discomfort with at a new topic of conversation.
Show me the money! is a catch phrase from the movie Jerry Maguire.
Dave Barry is a humorist who used to write for the Miami Herald.
Carnac is a comic character of late night talk show host Johnny Carson. Wearing a turban, Carnac would use his psychic powers to answer a question written inside a sealed envelope.
Chili's is a chain of casual dining restaurants.
Wrap it up music is Dwight's way of describing music played at an awards ceremony to indicate that the award recipient has talked too long and should leave the stage.
Poor Richard's Pub is a pub in Scranton.
Beaver is a vulgar term for female genitalia.
Tight ass is a rude term for a person who is uptight. Caboose is slang for the buttocks.
Keds is a brand of casual athletic shoes.
Xerox is informally used as a verb meaning "to use a copy machine."
Goldschläger is a brand of schnapps notable for the tiny gold flakes floating in the bottle.
Foster's is an Australian brand of beer. For a time, it advertised itself in the United States with the catch phrase "in the big can."

Cast

Main Cast

Recurring Cast

Devon Abner as Devon (uncredited)
Leslie David Baker as Stanley Hudson
Brian Baumgartner as Kevin Malone
Creed Bratton (actor) as Creed Bratton (uncredited)
Joanne Carlsen as Terri Hudson (uncredited)
David Denman as Roy Anderson
Kate Flannery as Meredith Palmer
Trish Gates as Stacy (uncredited)
Melora Hardin as Jan Levinson-Gould (credit only)
Mindy Kaling as Kelly Kapoor
Angela Kinsey as Angela Martin
Paul Lieberstein as Toby
Oscar Nunez as Oscar Martinez
Craig Robinson as Darryl Philbin (credit only)
Karly Rothenberg as Madge (credit only)
Phyllis Smith as Phyllis Lapin

Guest Cast

Matthew McKane as ???
Beau Wirick as Frat Guy
Christopher T. Wood as Chili's Manager