Second Drink: Blood Drive

This week we’re breaking down Blood Drive! Michael throws a Lonely Hearts Club party at the office for Valentine’s Day, hoping the woman he met earlier at the blood drive shows up. Meanwhile Jim, Pam, Phyllis and Bob Vance (of Vance Refrigeration) go on a double date that ends in Phyllis needing to chug a bunch of water. Katie Aselton sends in clips on what it was like to play the mysterious glove women, Jenna does a deep dive on blood drives, and Angela discusses the new controversial trend of solo moons. This episode is so great, it’s going to inspire single people to hop back into the marina and get hit by cupid’s sparrow. Check out “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6493208-the-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks Read more about Solo Moons - “Until Honeymoons Do Us Part”: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/13/fashion/weddings/until-honeymoon-we-do-part.html Office Ladies Website - Submit a fan question:https://officeladies.com/submitaquestion Follow Us on Instagram:OfficeLadiesPod https://www.instagram.com/officeladiespod/ Follow Us on YouTube https://youtube.com/@officeladiespod?si=D0oKJwFJuK9txzFM Follow Us on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@officeladiespod?_t=ZT-8y1gqTrJyOs&_r=1

• 0:02Speaker 00

  Hello and welcome to our second drink of Blood Drive. In this episode, we get to hear from Katie Aselton, who played the adorable gal in the Bloodmobile with Michael, and we got some really great behind the scenes tidbits from producer Randy Cordray.

• 0:17Speaker 01

  All right, well, let's start with this question from Romano H. from Northridge, California. Hi, Angela and Jenna, I was watching the superfan version of Blood Drive, and Phyllis talks about how she won't let Bob send her flowers to work on Valentine's Day. It was so funny. Were there any alts for it? Okay. First of all, don't you just love that people like Jenna, they just know the language of the show? They're like, were there alts?

• 0:41Speaker 00

  Yes.

• 0:42Speaker 01

  They know Candy Bag. They, all of it.

• 0:44Speaker 00

  You started background catch, which we get in letters. I love it.

• 0:48Speaker 01

  I love it, too. Well, Romano, thank you so much for writing in. You know, I hadn't seen the superfan version of this episode, but after reading your question, I went and watched this talking head specifically. It's super funny, and I actually want to hear it, and then we're going to discuss.

• 1:04Speaker 00

  Okay.

• 1:05Speaker 02

  I learned my lesson years ago. No flowers on Valentine's Day. This place is full of player haters.

• 1:12Speaker 00

  Oh, my gosh. It's so funny because, yes, there's that Valentine's Day episode where flowers just keep coming to Phyllis.

• 1:22Speaker 01

  Yeah, and everyone gets really pissed at her.

• 1:24Speaker 00

  Mm hmm.

• 1:25Speaker 01

  Okay, well, Romano, to answer your question, that talking head that's been added back into the superfan was actually the one and only Candy Bag alt that they wrote for Phyllis, and they picked it over the written one. Here's how it was scripted. Phyllis Talking Head about flowers. "I learned my lesson years ago. No flowers on Valentine's. Not around here. Too much hate. It's no wonder they're all alone."

• 1:51Speaker 00

  Oh.

• 1:52Speaker 01

  So.

• 1:53Speaker 00

  Same idea, different spin.

• 1:54Speaker 01

  Same idea, but maybe they went with the less snarky one.

• 1:58Speaker 00

  Well, we also got this question from Natasha S. in India, who said, "Was there an alternate storyline where Michael unexpectedly meets the girl from the blood drive? Like, was there gonna be a happy ending, basically?"

• 2:12Speaker 01

  I know. I mean, I was so hopeful for that, but yeah.

• 2:16Speaker 00

  Well, Natasha, I went and looked at our table draft from this episode. You know, I wanted to see, like, was that ever a possibility? This is the earliest draft we have of this storyline. And from the very beginning, it just ended with everyone walking out with Michael at the end of the day, and the girl from the blood drive never does come back. Here's how it read in the script. "Exterior Dunder Mifflin parking lot, end of day. They all come out of the office together, surrounding Michael, who has a little smile. They say goodbye to each other and head to their cars."

• 2:51Speaker 00

  And then, Michael has this sort of hopeful talking head as everybody walks out. And we didn't play it in our original breakdown, but I think we should hear it.

• 3:00Speaker 03

  Four months ago, I dated a woman named Holly. And this is actually the first time that I've even considered getting back into that arena again. You know what? Sometimes it's not about whether Cinderella gets her slipper back, but it's about the fact that the prince even picked up the slipper at all.

• 3:25Speaker 03

  There's a lot of princesses out there.

• 3:29Speaker 03

  You know, they have all different sizes and shapes of feet and hands. So, I think...

• 3:39Speaker 03

  I think my odds are pretty good.

• 3:42Speaker 00

  Oh, my God, that's so sweet.

• 3:44Speaker 01

  I know.

• 3:44Speaker 00

  Isn't it?

• 3:45Speaker 01

  And everyone stayed late and all walked out with them. It's actually really sweet. Well, people also wrote in because, Jenna, they loved your Fast Facts.

• 3:55Speaker 00

  Oh, about the blood transfusions and stuff? I really, I really loved researching that.

• 4:01Speaker 01

  Yeah, I think people learned a lot about you, too. You'll see. Nicole M. said, "Hi Jenna, I also loved the book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, and I saw her portrait while I was in Washington DC." So, I looked this up online Jenna, and it's a beautiful portrait, and I guess you can see it, here's what it said on the website. It said, "The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery recognized the life of Henrietta Lacks with the installation of a 2017 portrait by Kadir Nelson. It was jointly acquired by the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, and is shared by the two museums."

• 4:43Speaker 01

  And Nicole goes on to say, "I also found a great article about Dr. Charles Drew on the National Museum of African American History and Culture website. It's titled, 'The Color of Blood.' Thank you so much for sharing about their legacies."

• 4:56Speaker 00

  Oh my gosh, well, I love that, and I'm gonna have to look up that portrait. And I can't tell you how many times I think back on that book. It's such a powerful story, I highly recommend it.

• 5:08Speaker 01

  Okay, well, I'm not done with you, lady, because you also got another book recommendation based off of your fast fact. Mary F. said, "I have a book recommendation for Jenna about the first blood transfusion of the 15-year-old boy she mentions in this episode. It's titled, 'Blood Work: A Tale of Medicine and Murder in the Scientific Revolution,' by Holly Tucker, and it's really good."

• 5:35Speaker 00

  Oh my goodness, okay.

• 5:37Speaker 01

  Okay. And lastly, Lamia wants you to know that in Saudi Arabia, they have their blood type on their driver's license.

• 5:45Speaker 00

  Yes, we said that that should be a thing.

• 5:48Speaker 01

  Yeah. Well, there's other countries that are already doing it.

• 5:52Speaker 00

  Well, you know what hasn't happened since the first time this episode aired? I never did figure out my blood type.

• 6:00Speaker 01

  Oh Jenna!

• 6:01Speaker 00

  I know, I said I was gonna, and I didn't. This is my reminder.

• 6:05Speaker 01

  Okay.

• 6:08Speaker 01

  Well, to wrap up this episode, I did want to point out a little fan mail flurry about something I said. And this cracked me up. A few people pointed it out. Ivana said, lol, Angela saying she might get a word or two wrong in common phrases, and then five minutes later says flash from the past instead of blast from the past.

• 6:28Speaker 00

  You did?

• 6:28Speaker 01

  That amused me greatly.

• 6:31Speaker 00

  That's very funny.

• 6:32Speaker 01

  I mean, a flash, a blast, they're both like pops of light, aren't they?

• 6:36Speaker 00

  They're from the past. That's the important part.

• 6:39Speaker 01

  But anyway, I loved it. And I'll continue saying things wrong, you guys. Don't you worry.

• 6:44Speaker 00

  All right, everyone. Enjoy your second drink of blood drive.

• 6:52Speaker 00

  I'm Jenna Fischer.

• 6:53Speaker 01

  And I'm Angela Kinsey.

• 6:54Speaker 00

  We were on The Office together.

• 6:55Speaker 01

  And we're best friends.

• 6:57Speaker 00

  And now we're doing the ultimate Office rewatch podcast just for you.

• 7:00Speaker 01

  Each week, we will break down an episode of The Office and give exclusive behind the scenes stories that only two people who were there can tell you.

• 7:08Speaker 00

  We're the Office ladies.

• 7:11Speaker 00

  Hello, Angela.

• 7:13Speaker 01

  Hi, Jenna.

• 7:14Speaker 00

  I feel like we're both full of beans today.

• 7:17Speaker 01

  Full of beans? Does that mean?

• 7:19Speaker 00

  Full of energy?

• 7:20Speaker 01

  Oh, gassy beans.

• 7:22Speaker 00

  I guess. I mean, we're not gassy. I'm not gassy.

• 7:26Speaker 01

  Well.

• 7:27Speaker 00

  I do have hot feet today, though. My feet are very warm.

• 7:31Speaker 01

  I don't get hot feet. My feet are always cold.

• 7:34Speaker 00

  I bought a new pair of shoes. I love them. Look at them. Look how cute they are.

• 7:38Speaker 01

  Oh, they're so cute.

• 7:40Speaker 00

  Right? But they have like a sherpa lining in them?

• 7:43Speaker 01

  Why, if you have a tendency for hot feet, would you get shoes with sherpa?

• 7:47Speaker 00

  I don't have a tendency for hot feet. I have a tendency for cold feet, but it's a 90-degree day today. But I wanted to wear them because they're so cute. Here's the other thing. They're a half size too big because they only come in full sizes. So I have to wear a thick sock with a sherpa lining. On a 90 degree day, I've got hot feet.

• 8:05Speaker 01

  All for fashion, y'all. All for fashion.

• 8:08Speaker 00

  Well, you know me.

• 8:09Speaker 01

  I know you. Listen, when you look up fashion, athletic fashion, fashion and athletic.

• 8:16Speaker 00

  It's me.

• 8:17Speaker 01

  It's you.

• 8:18Speaker 00

  And this shoe is a fashion athletic shoe.

• 8:20Speaker 01

  You know what? I'm gonna take a picture of it. It's high fashion.

• 8:23Speaker 00

  All right. Today, we're talking about Blood Drive, Season 5, Episode 18, written by Brent Forrester and directed by Randall Einhorn.

• 8:33Speaker 01

  It's Valentine's Day.

• 8:35Speaker 00

  Yeah, this was our Valentine's Day episode. It was also the 90th episode of The Office.

• 8:42Speaker 01

  Hmm.

• 8:43Speaker 00

  Wow. That's not even a fast fact. I haven't even gotten to fast facts yet.

• 8:47Speaker 01

  Do you have a lot of fast facts? I feel like this means you have a lot of fast facts.

• 8:51Speaker 00

  I have a fun fast fact.

• 8:52Speaker 01

  What is it?

• 8:53Speaker 00

  Well, let's do a summary first. You know, I have to go in order, lady.

• 8:56Speaker 01

  Oh, okay.

• 8:57Speaker 00

  Okay. It is Valentine's Day.

• 8:59Speaker 01

  Mm-hmm.

• 9:00Speaker 00

  And there is a blood drive taking place in the parking lot of the Scranton Business Park. Michael meets a young woman while giving blood, but he passes out before he can get her name and phone number, so he decides to throw a lonely hearts party for The Office.

• 9:17Speaker 01

  Well, he's grumpy because he's single and, you know, he doesn't want to celebrate Valentine's Day.

• 9:23Speaker 00

  He doesn't, and he certainly doesn't need Jim and Pam and Phyllis and Bob rubbing their couple's lunch in his face.

• 9:29Speaker 01

  Their couple's love in his face. I don't need love in my face today. That's what Michael was saying. Not me. I want love in my face.

• 9:38Speaker 01

  What?

• 9:39Speaker 00

  I don't know.

• 9:42Speaker 00

  Okay. Fast fact number one?

• 9:46Speaker 01

  What? You look so excited. Are you still laughing about love in my face?

• 9:51Speaker 00

  I am.

• 9:52Speaker 01

  Okay, what's fast fact number one?

• 9:54Speaker 00

  Fast fact number one are some facts about our blood mobile.

• 9:58Speaker 01

  Okay.

• 9:58Speaker 00

  That was in our parking lot.

• 10:00Speaker 01

  It reminded me a little bit of like the work bus, bus.

• 10:03Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 10:03Speaker 01

  Do they have one bus they just trick out for everything?

• 10:06Speaker 00

  No ma'am.

• 10:07Speaker 01

  Oh.

• 10:08Speaker 00

  Randy Cordray told me we used a real blood mobile from the Providence St. Joseph's Hospital in Burbank. We had it for three days. So on Monday, the set dressers went in and they turned it into kind of a more generic looking blood mobile for our purposes. On Tuesday, we did all of our scenes inside the blood mobile. And on Wednesday, it was staffed with actual nurses and anyone in the cast and crew could actually donate blood.

• 10:39Speaker 01

  I remember that because everyone was walking around with a little sticker that said, I gave blood and I didn't have one. I felt a little shame.

• 10:47Speaker 00

  I was on location that day. That's the day we shot the restaurant stuff. So I didn't get to give blood that day either.

• 10:53Speaker 01

  Well, I went to give blood and they turned me away.

• 10:56Speaker 00

  Because of your tininess and your.

• 10:58Speaker 01

  Because you have to weigh at least 110 pounds to give blood. It's true. So they turned me away. What is, that's a fact.

• 11:05Speaker 00

  I know.

• 11:06Speaker 01

  Okay.

• 11:06Speaker 00

  It's true. No, that is true.

• 11:08Speaker 01

  It is true.

• 11:08Speaker 00

  I've never been turned away from giving blood.

• 11:12Speaker 01

  Well, I still.

• 11:12Speaker 00

  I'm a hearty lady.

• 11:14Speaker 01

  You're not hearty.

• 11:15Speaker 00

  Yes, I am.

• 11:16Speaker 01

  You're what the kids call thick. T H I C C.

• 11:23Speaker 01

  By the way, I'm only saying that because someone wrote in one of my comments on Instagram, oh, Angela is thick. And I had to Google it. I think it's a good thing, lady. I think it means we got a little junk in our trunk, but in all the right places.

• 11:38Speaker 00

  Okay. Well, then I'll take it as a compliment.

• 11:40Speaker 01

  Well, according to Urban Dictionary, it's a good thing.

• 11:43Speaker 00

  Good.

• 11:44Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 11:45Speaker 00

  All right. Now it's fast fact number two, and I'm just so excited, lady.

• 11:48Speaker 01

  Okay.

• 11:49Speaker 00

  Because I looked up the history of blood drives and blood mobiles.

• 11:55Speaker 01

  You guys, I want you to know, a few days ago, Jenna texted me and was like, I'm really excited about my fast fact number two. And I was like, okay.

• 12:04Speaker 00

  Here's the thing, I'm a little bit of kind of a science nerd.

• 12:09Speaker 01

  You are.

• 12:10Speaker 00

  Like, my favorite book that I read in the last two years is this book called The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Do you know what it's about?

• 12:19Speaker 01

  I have no idea.

• 12:20Speaker 00

  Okay. This woman, in 1951, she had a cancer surgery and they took some of her cells. This was like a thing where like you donate, I'm putting that in quotes, your cells for medical research, but it's without your consent. Well, anyway, this woman's cells were so hearty, they are like the basis of all of the most important medical research to this day. Like, her cells are why we have a polio vaccine. It's amazing.

• 12:50Speaker 01

  She's like, superhuman.

• 12:52Speaker 00

  It's just like, her contribution to science is overwhelming, and yet, her descendants and her family have never been compensated.

• 13:00Speaker 01

  Oh.

• 13:01Speaker 00

  And so, the book is fascinating, and my research into blood drives and blood mobiles, it touches on that same part of me that is just fascinated by like, medical discoveries. So, are you ready?

• 13:15Speaker 01

  I wish you could see Jenna right now, you guys. She is so animated. Her hands are moving, like she's bending her fingers, and then she's pointing, and then she's reaching to the sky. Go.

• 13:26Speaker 00

  So, in order to talk about blood banking and blood mobiles, we kind of have to start with people's fascination with the idea that blood carries disease.

• 13:37Speaker 01

  Okay.

• 13:38Speaker 00

  Now, this goes back to the Egyptians. They would do that thing where you would cut yourself and let yourself bleed out your sickness.

• 13:45Speaker 01

  Okay.

• 13:45Speaker 00

  Okay, so it's like, they're on the right track. Like, yes, your blood can have things in it that are making you sick, but this is not the solution, right?

• 13:55Speaker 01

  Right, right.

• 13:55Speaker 00

  So, right idea, wrong solution.

• 13:57Speaker 01

  Wrong solution. I feel like there was like a little house on the prairie where they put a bunch of, um, what are those things in the swamp? Leeches. Leeches all over someone to bleed them out.

• 14:05Speaker 00

  Same idea.

• 14:06Speaker 01

  Okay.

• 14:06Speaker 00

  Okay. So then, someone got the idea that what you need is you need like, to give the person with the sick blood, healthy blood.

• 14:15Speaker 01

  Transfusion.

• 14:16Speaker 00

  A blood transfusion.

• 14:17Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 14:17Speaker 00

  Okay. The first attempted blood transfusion that I could find dates back to 1492. Warning, it's a bit morbid.

• 14:27Speaker 01

  Okay.

• 14:29Speaker 00

  Pope Innocent the Eighth.

• 14:31Speaker 01

  Okay.

• 14:32Speaker 00

  Was going into a coma.

• 14:35Speaker 00

  So they took the blood of three 10-year-old boys. And they put it in the Pope's mouth.

• 14:44Speaker 01

  Ah.

• 14:45Speaker 00

  As a transfusion. But all of them died. The Pope and the boys.

• 14:51Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 14:51Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 14:52Speaker 01

  Oh, man. Well, that is gruesome.

• 14:55Speaker 00

  Very gruesome.

• 14:55Speaker 01

  Barbaric.

• 14:56Speaker 00

  Yes.

• 14:56Speaker 01

  Slightly scary, might haunt me. Continue.

• 14:59Speaker 00

  I'm very sorry. Okay, the first sort of successful blood transfusion was in France in 1667. King Louis XIV's doctor took the blood out of a sheep.

• 15:12Speaker 01

  Hmm.

• 15:12Speaker 00

  And he put it into a 15-year-old boy who survived.

• 15:17Speaker 01

  Now, why? Was the boy sick? Or was this just an experiment?

• 15:23Speaker 00

  I think he needed it.

• 15:25Speaker 01

  Okay.

• 15:25Speaker 00

  I think it was a medical emergency and they were like, let's try this.

• 15:28Speaker 01

  Okay.

• 15:29Speaker 00

  I'm not 100% sure. I probably should have given the disclaimer that this is another segment of a lady who Googles.

• 15:37Speaker 01

  Okay, okay, okay.

• 15:38Speaker 00

  Four to five articles. So then we had a lot of general blood science discovery that happened in the early 1900s. Like, we discovered that there are four main blood types. Right? They figured out how to match people together, a donor and a recipient of blood.

• 15:57Speaker 01

  Do you know your blood type?

• 15:58Speaker 00

  I don't. I should know because they told me when I had my kids.

• 16:02Speaker 01

  So when I had Isabel, I found out I was A positive. And so is she, and so is my mom.

• 16:08Speaker 00

  Hey.

• 16:09Speaker 01

  We're all A positive.

• 16:11Speaker 00

  I always think to myself, oh, remember to look that up so you know your blood type.

• 16:15Speaker 01

  Oh, yeah, it's so fascinating. Okay, go.

• 16:18Speaker 00

  I think we should put that on our driver's licenses.

• 16:20Speaker 01

  Our blood type.

• 16:21Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 16:22Speaker 01

  I think that would be smart. I think that's a good idea.

• 16:25Speaker 00

  So anyway, I'm so sorry. I hope you're interested in this history. I find it fascinating. Stay with me. So now we're going to go to Russia. Okay?

• 16:34Speaker 01

  Okay.

• 16:34Speaker 00

  And this doctor in Russia realizes what I need to do is take blood from one person to another person. And so they would do these person to person transfusions.

• 16:44Speaker 01

  Okay.

• 16:45Speaker 00

  The problem is that it was really hard to get a giver to a recipient in time, like the convenience, right?

• 16:53Speaker 01

  Right, right.

• 16:54Speaker 00

  So that was working. Person to person blood transfusions were working. It was great, but there was a time factor and there was like a convenience factor.

• 17:03Speaker 01

  Mm hmm.

• 17:03Speaker 00

  That is when a doctor in Chicago named Bernard Fantas had the idea of getting donors and storing their blood. And this was possible because they learned there was something you could add to blood to keep it from clotting.

• 17:19Speaker 01

  Okay.

• 17:20Speaker 00

  So now blood storage was possible. And they believe that Bernard Fantas is credited with creating the first blood bank.

• 17:31Speaker 01

  Okay. Go Bernard.

• 17:33Speaker 00

  But perhaps the most important contributor to live donor blood drives was Dr. Charles Drew. Remember this name?

• 17:42Speaker 01

  Okay, Dr. Charles Drew.

• 17:44Speaker 00

  He was an American surgeon and medical researcher. He dedicated his life to researching and improving the techniques for blood storage and blood transfusions. His research is what has contributed to the creation of large scale blood banks. They are the reason why the American Red Cross was able to collect more than 13 million pints of blood during World War II. And it also appears that the blood mobile was the brainchild of Dr. Charles Drew.

• 18:15Speaker 01

  Dr. Charles Drew.

• 18:17Speaker 00

  Yes, yes. Because now, you know, the thing could come to you and get your blood. By the way, January is National Blood Donor Month. It's always a good New Year's resolution and you can find ways to give blood at the Red Cross website.

• 18:30Speaker 01

  There you go. I loved all of it, except for the beginning part.

• 18:34Speaker 00

  I know. I'm sorry for the beginning part, but that is the first blood transfusion on record, according to the four to five websites that I read. Anyway, read the book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. It's really good.

• 18:47Speaker 01

  Okay. Also, Dr. Charles Drew.

• 18:50Speaker 00

  Dr. Charles Drew.

• 18:51Speaker 01

  We're having a blood drive episode because you created the blood mobile.

• 18:56Speaker 00

  We couldn't have had one in our parking lot without him. All right. Fast fact number three. We got a lot of mail. People want to know who played the woman giving blood in the truck with Michael. Chelsea D said, I thought the way Michael met that woman at the blood drive is one of the best meet cutes I've ever seen on a TV show. Well, everyone, she was played by Katie Aselton.

• 19:20Speaker 01

  She is a delight. I adore her. She's so sweet.

• 19:24Speaker 00

  We know her.

• 19:25Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 19:25Speaker 00

  We're friends with her. You guys, you probably recognize her from The League or Togetherness or Legion.

• 19:32Speaker 01

  She's so good in Legion.

• 19:33Speaker 00

  So good.

• 19:34Speaker 01

  Oh, man.

• 19:35Speaker 00

  Well, we reached out to her.

• 19:36Speaker 01

  We did.

• 19:37Speaker 00

  And she told us how she got her role on The Office.

• 19:40Speaker 04

  Hi, guys. I hope you guys are great.

• 19:45Speaker 04

  I'm missing your faces, but I'm thrilled that you reached out. Getting to work on The Office has and will ever be just a real career highlight for me. What a thrill. It was my first big job. So yeah, what a way to start, right? So let me just jump right in to answer. Alison Jones, who is a champion of so many of us, was a champion of mine. She is from Maine and I am from Maine and we just have always had that really beautiful connection. But she called me in for this. And you know, when an audition just clicks and this one felt that way. And it was like, one of those things where I was like, oh, man, this like, might actually

• 20:29Speaker 04

  happen. And it did. They bought it. And that it really like started everything for me. I got just instant cred getting to be a part of that show. And I'm just like, what a, what a fun, fun first role it was.

• 20:51Speaker 00

  So cool.

• 20:52Speaker 01

  You know, I hadn't watched this episode in a long time. And when it got to that scene, I was like, oh, my God, there's Katie. And she is so incredibly charming. Like, I want her and Michael to date, you know?

• 21:04Speaker 00

  I know.

• 21:05Speaker 01

  They're so cute.

• 21:06Speaker 00

  Same. Angela, when I saw it, I was like, oh, my gosh, it's Katie. And she's an amazing actress. She's also a director. She's directed three films. Her latest film is starring Diane Keaton, Elizabeth Lael, and Nicole Byer. It's called Mac and Rita. She's in post-production on it now. And I told her that when it comes out, we'll put a shout out in the pod so that people can find it.

• 21:27Speaker 01

  Yeah, that's a great cast.

• 21:29Speaker 00

  Well, lady, that is all of my fast facts.

• 21:33Speaker 01

  Well, I think we should go to break because when we come back, I might need to throw Jim a little shade.

• 21:39Speaker 00

  Really?

• 21:39Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 21:41Speaker 00

  I can't wait to find out why.

• 21:43Speaker 01

  I might have something tacky to say.

• 21:45Speaker 00

  Oh.

• 21:47Speaker 00

  Those are always my favorite messages.

• 21:48Speaker 01

  What do you mean?

• 21:49Speaker 00

  You'll like text me and be like, hey, can you call me? I have something tacky to say. And I'm like, oh, I can't wait. I'm like, drop everything. I have to call Angela.

• 21:59Speaker 01

  All right, we'll be back.

• 22:11Speaker 00

  Angela, while you were getting tea during your break, Sam told me something beyond fascinating that I didn't know. It's more news about blood.

• 22:19Speaker 01

  What?

• 22:20Speaker 00

  Sam, will you please share?

• 22:21Speaker 05

  Yeah, they have blood donors and banks, just like for humans, but for dogs.

• 22:25Speaker 01

  Aww.

• 22:26Speaker 05

  And they do the same thing. They donate little, little pouches of blood.

• 22:30Speaker 00

  And Sam got to meet a dog that donates his blood once a month at your vet.

• 22:34Speaker 05

  His name is Ben, and he's a golden retriever. And he has a little vest with a heart on it.

• 22:38Speaker 01

  Aww.

• 22:40Speaker 05

  And he's a very good boy.

• 22:42Speaker 01

  Oh, that is so sweet.

• 22:43Speaker 00

  Very good boy.

• 22:43Speaker 01

  That is like stuff I don't even think about.

• 22:45Speaker 00

  I know.

• 22:45Speaker 01

  But of course.

• 22:46Speaker 00

  Of course. All right, should we get started?

• 22:49Speaker 01

  Let's get started. Guess what?

• 22:52Speaker 00

  What?

• 22:52Speaker 01

  There is a rep from Tech Star.

• 22:55Speaker 00

  Mm hmm.

• 22:56Speaker 01

  Who says there's a whole new operating system for the phones. And he could like meet with Michael Scott, but Michael Scott's never around. I wonder why.

• 23:04Speaker 00

  Well, Pam says if they get this new phone system that allows the caller to contact the salespeople directly, that's basically 95% of her job. So she is clearly never letting this guy meet Michael because she doesn't want to lose her job.

• 23:18Speaker 01

  I don't think Michael would ever let her go. I just want to say Pam, you don't have to worry because Michael thinks you're his personal secretary.

• 23:25Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 23:26Speaker 01

  Even if you got that phone system, you know what it would mean? She'd probably have to spend more time with Michael. You wouldn't be as busy. So he'd be like, Pam, come in my office.

• 23:33Speaker 00

  It's true. I have to say, I appreciate when a person answers the phone when I call a business.

• 23:39Speaker 01

  Me too.

• 23:41Speaker 00

  I wouldn't like that new phone system.

• 23:43Speaker 01

  I like to get a human.

• 23:44Speaker 00

  I do too.

• 23:44Speaker 01

  I'm chatty. Well, I want you to know at 49 seconds, there are a few messages taped to Pam's desk.

• 23:51Speaker 00

  I saw the same thing.

• 23:54Speaker 01

  You did? Okay. I want to know who Nick is.

• 23:57Speaker 00

  Oh yeah, there's like a message.

• 23:59Speaker 01

  On a Penn Star Post-it note, which by the way, Penn Star was a bank branch in Pennsylvania. Love those details. Nick in office all day.

• 24:08Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 24:08Speaker 01

  That's what the note said. I mean, who is Nick?

• 24:11Speaker 00

  Well, I know who Nick will be. Nick will be our IT guy.

• 24:16Speaker 01

  Nick will be?

• 24:18Speaker 00

  No, Nick will be our IT guy.

• 24:22Speaker 01

  No, I'm sorry. That just made me laugh. Okay. So we don't know who Nick is, but someday in the future, we're going to have an IT guy named Nick.

• 24:29Speaker 00

  Yes.

• 24:30Speaker 01

  Also Jenna, was that your grocery list?

• 24:33Speaker 00

  It was my grocery list.

• 24:34Speaker 01

  I know you're getting green tea.

• 24:36Speaker 00

  And pomegranate seeds and pine nuts.

• 24:39Speaker 01

  What were you, what's happening?

• 24:41Speaker 00

  Okay, there was the salad I really liked at the time and it had pomegranate seeds and pine nuts in it. When I saw that sticky note, I was like, oh my gosh, I should make that salad again. I loved it.

• 24:51Speaker 01

  I thought I recognized your handwriting. I was like, that's Jenna's grocery list.

• 24:55Speaker 00

  It was. Did you also notice there is a photo of me and John on my desk? We're standing up. This was our engagement photo.

• 25:07Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 25:07Speaker 00

  We did this special photo shoot. It was the day that we shot at Jim's parents' house when he's showing me around. We brought this extra set of clothes and we posed in the backyard.

• 25:18Speaker 01

  Jim has one on his desk, too.

• 25:20Speaker 00

  He does, but on his desk, I'm sitting on his lap.

• 25:23Speaker 01

  Right. And on yours, you're standing.

• 25:24Speaker 00

  Yes. So this was, I think they went out for this Valentine's Day episode, our engagement photos.

• 25:31Speaker 01

  Hmm. Jim's gonna come to Pam's rescue. He's like, "Michael Scott here." And then this next bit was so funny. And Jenna, you were so excited to be part of it. I remember you were like so excited. Cause you know, Michael walks out and it's like, "Hey." And Jim is like, "Jimbo." And instead of Michael being like, "What, what are you talking about?" He's instantly like, "Ooh, what are we doing?"

• 25:54Speaker 00

  We're doing a bit.

• 25:55Speaker 01

  We're doing a bit. I'm so excited. And then all of a sudden, everyone's Fonzie.

• 25:59Speaker 00

  I know. It was really fun. We were laughing on the day when we shot that. It was so fun to do those. I feel like I should let you know that the phone tech rep was played by Rob Brownstein.

• 26:13Speaker 01

  He looked familiar to me.

• 26:15Speaker 00

  Well, he's been on Monk.

• 26:16Speaker 01

  Ah!

• 26:17Speaker 00

  Mm-hmm.

• 26:18Speaker 01

  Ah!

• 26:18Speaker 00

  He was also on the short-lived Law & Order: Los Angeles.

• 26:23Speaker 01

  Oh.

• 26:23Speaker 00

  He's been on Breaking Bad and on Mad Men, but Lady.

• 26:28Speaker 01

  What?

• 26:29Speaker 00

  His latest movie.

• 26:30Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 26:31Speaker 00

  Which has not come out yet.

• 26:32Speaker 01

  Oh, no. No, wait, wait, wait. Is it John Wick?

• 26:35Speaker 00

  No.

• 26:36Speaker 01

  Oh.

• 26:37Speaker 00

  It's called Hummingbird.

• 26:40Speaker 01

  Oh, I'll go see it.

• 26:42Speaker 00

  It's a sci-fi movie. Listen to the tagline.

• 26:45Speaker 01

  I'm in.

• 26:46Speaker 00

  "When beloved telepathic superhero Hummingbird, also known as Lola Laxman, is left for dead after a major battle, she makes a deal with the devil to save her life."

• 26:57Speaker 01

  Sign me up.

• 26:58Speaker 00

  Sign us both up.

• 26:59Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 27:00Speaker 00

  We're gonna go see Hummingbird.

• 27:02Speaker 01

  I'm gonna be in a sci-fi with you. Listen, you know what? You can be the science lab tech lady that comes in and gives the science behind the thing.

• 27:12Speaker 00

  Okay. You know what I would love to be in is a movie like... What's it called?

• 27:16Speaker 01

  Outbreak.

• 27:18Speaker 00

  No. No. Not that movie with Kurt Russell. The Thing.

• 27:24Speaker 01

  Ew.

• 27:24Speaker 00

  The Thing.

• 27:25Speaker 01

  Ew.

• 27:26Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 27:27Speaker 01

  Gross.

• 27:27Speaker 00

  Have you seen it?

• 27:29Speaker 01

  I feel like I saw part of it and I had to bail.

• 27:31Speaker 00

  It's so good. The practical effects in that movie are outstanding.

• 27:35Speaker 00

  All right. Should we get into this episode?

• 27:36Speaker 01

  We should. There is a Valentine's Day blood drive happening, as you guys know. And I want to point out that, um, the Scranton Business Park went all out with decorations.

• 27:49Speaker 00

  They really did.

• 27:49Speaker 01

  I mean, there is a Happy Valentine's Day banner. There's three red Cupids shooting heart arrows, big hearts with love messages all on the walls. There's like a vase with like little plastic hearty things on the counter. There's a giant heart on the elevator doors that opens when they get in. Who is decorating the Scranton Business Park? I have a theory.

• 28:11Speaker 00

  What's your theory?

• 28:12Speaker 01

  I think it's Phyllis. She's married to Bob Vance. He's one of the five families.

• 28:18Speaker 00

  You might be right, since she can't be the Dunder Mifflin party planner anymore.

• 28:22Speaker 01

  Yeah, she's like, Bob, I've got a bin of hearts and Cupids. I can put them around the lobby.

• 28:27Speaker 00

  I love Phyllis's voice when she's talking to Bob.

• 28:31Speaker 00

  Well, we also find out that it is Jim and Pam's first and only Valentine's Day as fiancés. Did you see at 2 minutes 41 seconds that Pam's got some real cute dangle pink earrings and a sassy ponytail?

• 28:47Speaker 01

  I love the sassy ponytail.

• 28:48Speaker 00

  Me too. I do love a sassy ponytail.

• 28:52Speaker 01

  Kelly has received a Valentine from a secret admirer. She opens it up. It says, roses are red, violets are blue. It's time for your dental cleaning and maybe a checkup too.

• 29:04Speaker 00

  I want to say that this resonated with me.

• 29:09Speaker 00

  I have been Kelly where I've gotten what looks like a personal holiday card.

• 29:15Speaker 01

  Mm hmm.

• 29:16Speaker 00

  And then it's from like my dry cleaner.

• 29:19Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 29:19Speaker 00

  You know what I mean?

• 29:20Speaker 01

  Mm hmm.

• 29:20Speaker 00

  Or a Valentine's Day card that I think, oh, oh, or birthday. Do you ever get the birthday greetings?

• 29:28Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 29:28Speaker 00

  From like.

• 29:28Speaker 01

  From like, you get like a birthday greeting from your gynecologist.

• 29:32Speaker 00

  Right, exactly.

• 29:34Speaker 01

  At Christmas, you know, a lot of businesses will send out like a company Christmas card.

• 29:39Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 29:39Speaker 01

  I tape them right up with all my family and friends' Christmas cards. It just tickles me to be like, oh, there's like my friend's family. They're so cute and there's my aunt and uncle and there's my air conditioning company.

• 29:51Speaker 00

  Yep.

• 29:51Speaker 01

  Right there with a little wreath over a giant air conditioning unit.

• 29:55Speaker 00

  Mm hmm.

• 29:56Speaker 01

  It goes up on the wall, guys, if you send it to me.

• 29:59Speaker 00

  This is true about you. Should we talk about Pam's beautiful Valentine's Day floral arrangement?

• 30:07Speaker 01

  Oh, we shall, and I'm putting on my glasses for this conversation.

• 30:11Speaker 00

  Wow.

• 30:11Speaker 01

  Mm hmm. At three minutes and three seconds, we get a real nice shot of this flower arrangement that Jim gave Pam. And now I'm about to be tacky.

• 30:21Speaker 00

  Oh, okay.

• 30:22Speaker 01

  Here it is. I had a friend growing up who worked at our local flower shop. She told me that carnations are the cheapest flower and they use them to fill out arrangements. And another cheap flower they use are daisies. So if you want to go cheap, you get carnations and daisies. Jim's Valentine flowers are all carnations and daisies, I'm just saying.

• 30:44Speaker 00

  I noticed it as well.

• 30:46Speaker 01

  Mm hmm.

• 30:47Speaker 00

  So I looked in the script. I wanted to see.

• 30:50Speaker 01

  Mm hmm.

• 30:51Speaker 00

  If there was a script note about Jim's flower arrangement to Pam.

• 30:55Speaker 01

  I want to hear it because I have a theory that I will prove. I think I can prove it.

• 31:01Speaker 00

  Okay. Here is what the script said. There was a note. There is a small bouquet of non-rose flowers on Pam's desk.

• 31:12Speaker 01

  Okay. Well, I think Phil Shea from props ran with this because later in the episode, when they go to the fancy restaurant with Bob and Phyllis, the same arrangement is on all the tables.

• 31:25Speaker 00

  Really?

• 31:25Speaker 01

  Yes. And if you look up cheap flowers for big events, carnations and daisies, if you have an event like a wedding or whatever, they help fill out the arrangements. So I think Phil was like, okay, great. I can get this small bouquet of the same arrangement that I'm doing for the dinner at the restaurant.

• 31:45Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 31:46Speaker 01

  So in Jim's defense,

• 31:49Speaker 01

  I don't know, maybe it helped out our props department.

• 31:51Speaker 00

  Well, I'll also have you know, in the same scene at three minutes and 17 seconds, my grocery list is gone. So we obviously shot this on a different day. And I've been shopping now. So in case you were worried, I got all my stuff.

• 32:04Speaker 01

  Michael does not like the flowers.

• 32:05Speaker 00

  No.

• 32:06Speaker 01

  He's not a fan. He puts them on the floor.

• 32:07Speaker 00

  On the floor.

• 32:08Speaker 01

  He doesn't want to see them. I was like, you know what? I get that he doesn't want to see them. The floor, couldn't he just like put them on like on one of those tables behind her?

• 32:16Speaker 00

  I don't know.

• 32:16Speaker 01

  He wouldn't be able to see them.

• 32:18Speaker 00

  Well, he goes up to Jim and he says, I need to have a word with you. And he says that today is a very difficult day for many people in the office and that Pam and Jim's sexy vibes are creating a hostile work environment.

• 32:32Speaker 01

  This whole conversation made me laugh so hard. First of all, it's kind of in hushed tones, you know? And they're saying ridiculous things in hushed tones. That was always really hard for me.

• 32:41Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 32:42Speaker 01

  And when you were like, Michael, you do not get to be in our relationship.

• 32:47Speaker 00

  Lady, I wrote that down because I remember making a choice to say that as if it's not the first time I've had to explain it to Michael.

• 32:55Speaker 01

  It was really good.

• 32:56Speaker 00

  I wanted it to have history.

• 32:57Speaker 01

  It did. It really paid off.

• 32:59Speaker 00

  Well, we had a fan question from Maddie L. who says, when Michael asks Jim to have a word with him, he starts to stand up as if he's going to head to Michael's office, but then awkwardly sits back down when Michael chooses to sit on Jim's desk instead. Was this improvised?

• 33:15Speaker 01

  I think it

• 33:15Speaker 00

  Was I looked in the script to see if there was any

• 33:19Speaker 01

  Stage direction.

• 33:20Speaker 00

  Yeah, there wasn't, except that it clearly says they don't move into Michael's office. They stay at Jim's desk. So I think that feels like something that John and Steve probably found in the moment. It's very funny.

• 33:31Speaker 01

  A hundred percent. And I feel like those guys, you know, we've talked about this a lot. By this time, everyone knew their characters so well. So those tops and bottoms of a scene, you could kind of play around a little bit and it looked like them just having fun.

• 33:45Speaker 00

  It's time to talk about Dwight.

• 33:49Speaker 01

  I feel like Dwight.

• 33:52Speaker 01

  How do I say this? I feel like this episode really shows so much of who Dwight is. There's deleted scenes where he talks about the blood mobile being a vampire magnet after dark. He's ready for anything and everything, you know?

• 34:07Speaker 00

  Yes.

• 34:08Speaker 01

  And he has a lot of stuff to share about how his body can do things.

• 34:12Speaker 00

  Yes. The nurse is trying to take blood, but she can't find a vein. Well, you know why? He's hidden it from her. And when he's ready, he's gonna pop it on out for her.

• 34:24Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 34:24Speaker 00

  Then he has the talking head where he tells us he can also retract his penis up into himself.

• 34:30Speaker 01

  Yeah. He says, I train my major blood vessels to retract into my body on command. Also, I can retract my penis up into itself.

• 34:39Speaker 00

  We had a fan question from Robin T.

• 34:41Speaker 01

  Robin, go.

• 34:42Speaker 00

  Dwight's lines about retracting his blood vessels and penis is one of my favorite quotes from the entire show. It is so absolutely absurd and hilarious and so very Dwight. I want to know everything about this line. Was it scripted? How hard was it to get through? I'll tell you, it was scripted, but this was an alternate talking head. This is not the one that appeared in our shooting draft. So I wasn't there when they shot it, but I have to imagine it was very difficult to get through.

• 35:13Speaker 01

  Well, it's Michael's turn to give blood, guys.

• 35:16Speaker 00

  Wow, that's a big needle, he says.

• 35:18Speaker 01

  Are you squeamish around needles?

• 35:20Speaker 00

  I can give blood. I don't get faint or anything, but I don't like to watch it.

• 35:25Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 35:26Speaker 00

  I don't like to see the needle go in my arm. I don't like to see the bag fill up, but I don't like it faint or weird around blood.

• 35:33Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah.

• 35:33Speaker 00

  If someone's bleeding, it doesn't make me faint.

• 35:36Speaker 01

  Yeah, same, same.

• 35:37Speaker 00

  Okay. Michael, on the other hand, is very nervous, but luckily there's a lovely young woman also giving blood, and they start joking around.

• 35:46Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 35:48Speaker 00

  We asked Katie about this scene. I wanted to know, did she do any research into the process of giving blood? And all of that. And here's what she had to say.

• 36:01Speaker 04

  I didn't do any research for this role, but I didn't need to, because my character was just nervous and pleasant. And I didn't have to dig super deep to access those emotions. But the funny, I do have a very funny anecdote about being nervous, or my character being nervous, is that my first line was me just laughing nervously and saying, I'm so sorry, I'm so nervous. And Steve,

• 36:39Speaker 04

  Steve kept cutting, and he would be like, oh, no, it's okay. We'll go again. We'll go again. And finally, I was just like, I think it's my line. I think that's what I'm supposed to say. But that has always made me laugh. And of course, yes, I was thrilled to work with Steve to get that, to get the show was its own triumph, but then to have my scene be with him was just like, I was over the moon.

• 37:09Speaker 00

  I love that story about Steve. Because he was such a caretaker like that. He would want our guest actors to feel really comfortable. And you know, he'd be like, oh, no, it's okay. We'll start again. We'll wait till you're comfortable. I was like, no, it's actually my line.

• 37:23Speaker 01

  I would also be relieved if the first time I ever had to be in a scene with Steve, I got to just laugh nervously and say I was nervous.

• 37:29Speaker 00

  Yes.

• 37:30Speaker 01

  Because it would be so truthful.

• 37:32Speaker 00

  Such an honest moment.

• 37:33Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 37:34Speaker 00

  There's a third person in this scene. It's the nurse.

• 37:37Speaker 01

  She was great.

• 37:39Speaker 00

  I wondered if she was a real blood mobile nurse, since that was a real blood mobile.

• 37:43Speaker 01

  Yeah, and she seemed kind of no nonsense, like very comfortable there.

• 37:47Speaker 00

  Well, she was in fact, an actress. Her name is Julie Ramala. She has not been on Monk or Law and Order, but she was on several episodes of The Young and the Restless, as well as many movies and TV shows.

• 37:59Speaker 01

  Well, Michael's gonna make the mistake of looking at his blood bag. He freaks out a little, and he says to her, "Tell me stories. Say something. Distract me." And she says he's cute.

• 38:09Speaker 00

  Mm-hmm.

• 38:10Speaker 01

  And he's, I think, so happy. And then he shares that he didn't eat for three days because he was so nervous about giving blood, and he passes out.

• 38:18Speaker 00

  Yes. We had a fan question. Many, many people wanted to know, "How do we do these scenes of people giving blood?" Some people wanted to know, "Did they actually give blood?" No. Oh, my goodness. No.

• 38:32Speaker 01

  No. Not in the episode.

• 38:34Speaker 00

  Well, yes, the next day, but not while we were filming. No one actually-

• 38:38Speaker 01

  The next day with trained professionals and not actors pretending to take blood.

• 38:41Speaker 00

  Correct. I found out how they make fakie blood.

• 38:47Speaker 01

  Oh.

• 38:47Speaker 00

  Thanks to Randy Cordray.

• 38:49Speaker 01

  How do they do it?

• 38:50Speaker 00

  All right. It's a combination of water, food coloring, and, you're not gonna believe it.

• 38:58Speaker 01

  Um.

• 38:59Speaker 00

  One more thing.

• 39:00Speaker 01

  Wait, wait, wait. Um.

• 39:03Speaker 00

  You'll never guess.

• 39:04Speaker 01

  Wait, wait, wait. I wanna try to guess.

• 39:06Speaker 00

  You can eat it.

• 39:07Speaker 01

  I, I thought you could eat it. I was gonna say like Jell-O.

• 39:11Speaker 00

  Nestle's Quick.

• 39:12Speaker 01

  Oh!

• 39:13Speaker 00

  Yeah. That thickens it a little, I guess.

• 39:16Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 39:17Speaker 00

  So our blood was all made by our special effects team led by Ron Neri. Had to make fakie blood that day.

• 39:23Speaker 01

  Fakie blood. Well, I thought the reveal of Hank when Michael comes to, it was one of the best moments. I laughed so hard. It was so perfect.

• 39:33Speaker 00

  It was so perfect.

• 39:34Speaker 01

  And then he calls the nurse a waitress. He's like so out of it.

• 39:37Speaker 00

  And he finds her glove.

• 39:38Speaker 01

  He does.

• 39:40Speaker 00

  And this starts his whole mission to find her.

• 39:44Speaker 01

  To return the glove.

• 39:45Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 39:45Speaker 01

  Like Cinderella's slipper.

• 39:47Speaker 00

  I know. It's really cute. We have one more clip from Katie where she just shares her memories of her time on the show. I asked her, anything stick out to you? And Angela, wait until you hear what she says.

• 40:00Speaker 01

  Oh, I can't wait.

• 40:02Speaker 04

  I don't remember a ton of details about my time on set, except for that you guys were on your last day of like a very, very, very long cycle of shooting and everyone was just dead, tired and just ready for a hiatus. So that is what I remember. But they were lovely. Everyone was great. But just like, the talk was all about how this hiatus was just so needed. So that's what I remember. That and that you guys moved so quickly. It was like

• 40:47Speaker 04

  the fastest, I don't even know if I got lunch that day. Like I showed up, I did my scene and I, I'm pretty sure you guys banged me out and I didn't even get a free lunch.

• 40:58Speaker 00

  All right. This was, remember early on, we had to do 18 episodes in a row so that we could create that hiatus for Steve to go to a movie?

• 41:08Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 41:09Speaker 00

  This was that 18th episode.

• 41:10Speaker 01

  We were so wiped.

• 41:13Speaker 00

  Yep.

• 41:13Speaker 01

  18 weeks of 12 to 14 hour days.

• 41:16Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 41:17Speaker 01

  And you guys, you know, when you have that stretch of work where you leave work and it's dark out and then you come back to work and it's still dark out, you know what I mean? Because you're there so early.

• 41:27Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 41:28Speaker 01

  And you're just like, and you sort of all look at each other and joke and be like, see you in a few hours.

• 41:33Speaker 00

  There's a whole thing now, it's called clopening.

• 41:35Speaker 01

  Clopening?

• 41:36Speaker 00

  Clopening. And it's a lot of people who work in the service industry or in the food industry where you have to close the restaurant and then like a few hours later, you have to open it.

• 41:46Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 41:46Speaker 00

  Clopening.

• 41:47Speaker 01

  Clopening. Well, we were in the clopening phase.

• 41:50Speaker 00

  We were.

• 41:50Speaker 01

  That is hilarious to me because I do remember like when we would rap after a big stretch like that. I would get like a cold. I would get sick.

• 41:58Speaker 00

  We talked about that.

• 41:59Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 41:59Speaker 00

  Right now, we were about to all get sick.

• 42:02Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 42:03Speaker 00

  Basically, and Katie clocked it and has remembered it all these years later. That's how tired we were.

• 42:08Speaker 01

  We were so tired.

• 42:09Speaker 00

  Next up is a scene I'm dying to talk about. It's in the conference room. Kelly and Meredith are decorating for the Lonely Hearts party. Is this a good time to talk about how Meredith is wearing the vest again?

• 42:21Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 42:22Speaker 00

  The sweater vest?

• 42:22Speaker 01

  It is making its second appearance in the series pretty quickly because it was just in the duel.

• 42:28Speaker 00

  Yes, this is the vest that I wore to a press event with John Krasinski. And by the way, it was not Betsy Johnson, it was Nanette Lepore.

• 42:38Speaker 01

  Fancy. And Meredith loves it clearly and is wearing it again.

• 42:43Speaker 00

  They were really, I think, rubbing it in my face. I take it personally. I'm kidding.

• 42:49Speaker 01

  Well, there's something happening now that I, as an actor, am super jealous of. Because Jim and Pam are gonna go to frickin' lunch with Bob and Phyllis.

• 42:57Speaker 00

  Mm-hmm.

• 42:58Speaker 01

  Jenna, I would have loved to been there. That looked like so much fun. And I love it. It's like the thing we talk about when random characters get thrown together. What's gonna happen? What's the chemistry? I lived for every scene and there was so much more in the script. And there's more in the deleted scenes.

• 43:17Speaker 00

  Phyllis and I were so excited for this storyline. We're the two St. Louis gals.

• 43:21Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 43:22Speaker 00

  And we got to have this whole day of shooting together.

• 43:25Speaker 01

  We got to talk about bowling.

• 43:26Speaker 00

  Yes. We had a fan question from Joe S. Where were the restaurant scenes for the double date filmed? I will tell you. They were filmed at a real restaurant called Barsac Brazier. It was on Lancashire Boulevard in North Hollywood. We filled the restaurant with background performers who were pretending to be servers and diners. We had the restaurant for half a day. It is no longer in business, but that's where we were. And we ate their real food.

• 43:58Speaker 01

  Well, if you look at the tables, there you're gonna see Jim's bouquet of flowers to Pam on every table. I'll do a side by side in our stories. And I want to ask you Jenna about the scene with the bowling.

• 44:09Speaker 00

  Okay.

• 44:10Speaker 01

  All right. So Bob says, everyone here who's bowled a 280, please raise your hand. And you guys are like, super impressed.

• 44:16Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 44:17Speaker 01

  What's the highest bowling number?

• 44:18Speaker 00

  300.

• 44:19Speaker 01

  Oh, my gosh.

• 44:20Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 44:21Speaker 01

  That's a big deal. I don't know a lot about bowling. I don't know much about bowling.

• 44:24Speaker 00

  300 is if you get a strike in every frame.

• 44:26Speaker 01

  Wowzers. Okay. Well, there was a whole other storyline where clearly the writers wanted Jim and Pam to be impressed by how cool Bob and Phyllis were. There was a whole other scene where you guys talk about how you went to Dave Matthews Band.

• 44:43Speaker 00

  Yes, I remember shooting it.

• 44:45Speaker 01

  And that they had great seats and that Phyllis like went backstage and all this stuff.

• 44:49Speaker 00

  Yeah. We're like, oh, my gosh. Bob and Phyllis are kind of cool.

• 44:54Speaker 01

  And then they excuse themselves to the restroom.

• 44:57Speaker 00

  We got some mail from Emily Y, who really appreciated the callback from Phyllis's wedding about Phyllis being a good bowler.

• 45:05Speaker 01

  Oh, yeah.

• 45:06Speaker 00

  I also enjoyed that. If you guys remember, Bob has a speech at their reception where he refers to Phyllis as, quote, "a hell of a bowler."

• 45:13Speaker 01

  That's right.

• 45:15Speaker 00

  I think we should take a break before we go to Michael's Lonely Hearts party.

• 45:19Speaker 01

  I do, too.

• 45:20Speaker 00

  Is that okay?

• 45:21Speaker 01

  I, I think we should, too. Before we go to break, I just want to say one thing.

• 45:25Speaker 00

  What is it?

• 45:25Speaker 01

  That I love that Bob says, "I don't know how you work with that one jackass and then that new jackass and that other jackass."

• 45:33Speaker 00

  Yeah. And Phyllis is like, he means Michael Dwight Nandy. And Jim's like, oh, I knew who he was.

• 45:38Speaker 01

  I know, I know.

• 45:40Speaker 01

  All right. Let's go to break.

• 45:52Speaker 00

  We are back. And since I shared about my hot feet today, I thought I would also share about another wardrobe malfunction that I discovered during my bathroom break, which is that I put my underwear on inside out today.

• 46:08Speaker 01

  Oh.

• 46:09Speaker 00

  I'm having that day, everybody. I think I look really put together today. Do I? Or is it? No.

• 46:18Speaker 01

  You know?

• 46:18Speaker 00

  You didn't say yes. In fact, you got a look on your face like, how do I say this?

• 46:23Speaker 01

  I, you know what? You know why? I don't want you to move. Don't move.

• 46:27Speaker 00

  Oh, no.

• 46:27Speaker 01

  Don't move. I just want to take a picture of your hair and then I'm going to answer.

• 46:34Speaker 00

  Okay.

• 46:34Speaker 01

  Now you just said, "I feel pretty, pretty put together today." Now I want you to look at this.

• 46:41Speaker 00

  Okay. Okay.

• 46:44Speaker 01

  Now your outfit, lady, it's all happening. You have your little shirt and pants and your fancy sneakers. I like your look today.

• 46:53Speaker 00

  Good.

• 46:54Speaker 01

  Okay.

• 46:54Speaker 00

  Okay.

• 46:55Speaker 01

  All right, let's go to the lonely hearts party.

• 46:58Speaker 00

  Let's do, because Michael wants to go around and have everyone tell their worst relationship story.

• 47:05Speaker 01

  Michael has this way of like, "Oh, you don't feel good? I want you to feel worse."

• 47:09Speaker 00

  Yeah, I think he thinks this is gonna be, I don't know, bonding, cathartic?

• 47:15Speaker 01

  Hmm, well, you guys, we had to sit in a circle facing each other. We could not get through these scenes. We each went around and said the most ridiculous things. There was way more than what you're seeing here. There was more on the page. And we just were laughing all day. Also, for the supporting cast, we got to have Steve all to ourselves.

• 47:35Speaker 00

  Mm-hmm.

• 47:36Speaker 01

  And interact with him and as Michael Scott and our characters. And it just was a frickin' hilariously fun afternoon.

• 47:44Speaker 00

  I love how Oscar doesn't want to share, and then he clearly has been going on and on.

• 47:50Speaker 01

  Yeah, it actually, in the script, starts with Meredith, and she talks about the woman her husband left her for. I think we need to hear some of it.

• 48:00Speaker 03

  So.

• 48:01Speaker 06

  My husband ran off with some broad. Who was she? She was our garbage woman.

• 48:06Speaker 03

  Nice.

• 48:07Speaker 06

  Well, I totally get it. I mean, she was strong, she had a career. She could heave a bag of garbage as high as a two-story house. So sorry, Meredith. My kids call her mom now. I guess it's for the best.

• 48:20Speaker 03

  Oh, my God. Oh, my God, okay, all right, well, let's, let's, who else?

• 48:27Speaker 00

  Kids! She said, "My kids!"

• 48:30Speaker 01

  I know!

• 48:31Speaker 00

  Laurel! More evidence that there's more than one.

• 48:34Speaker 01

  More evidence. And then I don't know if you heard at the end, Steve as Michael goes, oh, God, okay. Like every time he did that after everyone's story, it was so hard to keep it together.

• 48:46Speaker 00

  Michael tries to get Kelly to share, but she insists that, I guess, her heart wasn't broken, that Ryan's okay, that his heart was in the right place. Michael reminds her that his heart and body are now in Thailand having random sex.

• 49:03Speaker 01

  Awesome. Again, great pep talk, Michael. Angela had a talking head here. It's in the deleted scenes. I want to play it, Jenna, because I then want to read you what was my alt talking head, because we talk a lot about how our alternate talking heads sometimes would just be all over the map. And I want you to hear the difference. Okay, play what would have actually ended up in the episode if we'd had more time. I do not have a Valentine this year. I have recently got out of two long-term relationships, so I want to wait before I do that again.

• 49:38Speaker 01

  Okay, so that's what we shot.

• 49:40Speaker 00

  Amazing.

• 49:40Speaker 01

  Amazing. Here was my alt, one of my alts, guys. The major holidays are Christmas, Easter, and the Fourth of July. Valentine's Day is bull

• 49:52Speaker 01

  And then they said, we could try it this way. Valentine's Day is bullpucky.

• 49:58Speaker 00

  Ah.

• 49:59Speaker 01

  But that was my alt.

• 50:01Speaker 00

  Well, Angela does share her, I guess, heartbreak story, which is that there was a time when she was in a relationship with two men, both of whom she loved, and they ended up dueling over her.

• 50:14Speaker 01

  And Oscar's like, we know, we were there, Dwight and Andy. And she's like, no, this was years ago when I was living in Ohio, John Mark and John David.

• 50:22Speaker 00

  Ohio! John Mark and John David.

• 50:25Speaker 01

  What was her other life? And then Oscar's like, wait a second, you had two sets of different men actually duel over you? And I had so much fun saying, I guess I have.

• 50:37Speaker 00

  And then your deleted talking head implies that you might do this a third time, but you need a moment.

• 50:41Speaker 01

  I need a moment.

• 50:43Speaker 00

  Before you do that again.

• 50:44Speaker 01

  Again. And then you guys, Oscar's whole story was so great. There was so much more to it. I wish it hadn't been cut. He talks about like the whole entire way he met this guy and how it all played out and it really builds and we're hanging on his every word. And a lot of that had to be cut for time, but it was really fun to shoot.

• 51:05Speaker 00

  We also find out where Andy is because guys, he has not been in this episode at all. Where is he? He is on his honeymoons.

• 51:16Speaker 01

  Yeah. Oscar said, you know, he had to put full deposits down that he couldn't get back, non-refundables on these honeymoons. So he's just going and doing them all. He's got a hot air balloon thing of massage. Lady, this got me thinking, how many times does this happen? Do people share about this where they had an engagement that got broken off and they've already paid for the honeymoon and who goes on it?

• 51:37Speaker 00

  Mm hmm.

• 51:38Speaker 01

  I guess it happens quite a bit.

• 51:40Speaker 00

  Mm hmm. I know someone it happened to.

• 51:42Speaker 01

  You do?

• 51:42Speaker 00

  Mm hmm.

• 51:43Speaker 01

  What was the honeymoon destination?

• 51:45Speaker 00

  I think the honeymoon destination was Hawaii.

• 51:48Speaker 01

  Mm hmm.

• 51:49Speaker 00

  And what they did was they each like canceled their plane ticket and they got the credit and my friend came and visited me on what would have been her honeymoon week.

• 52:02Speaker 01

  Wow.

• 52:03Speaker 00

  So instead of flying to Hawaii, she rerouted it to LA and then I took her to Laguna Beach and we just hung out the week that it would have been her honeymoon.

• 52:11Speaker 01

  Oh my gosh, you have such a personal story about this. Well, in my search online about these stories, guess what I found?

• 52:18Speaker 00

  What?

• 52:19Speaker 01

  In March of 2019, the New York Times ran an article saying that traveling alone for your honeymoon is actually on trend.

• 52:30Speaker 00

  What?

• 52:30Speaker 01

  Yeah, I know.

• 52:32Speaker 00

  I'm sorry, wait, but the marriage happened.

• 52:34Speaker 01

  The marriage happened.

• 52:35Speaker 00

  And then you go by yourself on a honeymoon?

• 52:37Speaker 01

  You both go separately by yourselves. They said it's been given two nicknames. Solo moons are uni moons. And according to Jessica Carbino, who's an online dating expert and a sociologist for the dating app Bumble, she says, frankly, the idea of separate honeymoons may signal the continued evolution of marriage. Given the recognition that for most couples today, marriage and partnership is considered all consuming, with the partner needing to fulfill every role, physical, spiritual, emotional, and sexual, perhaps separate vacations is a recognition among some couples that all expectations cannot be met by a single person. This caused a stir on Twitter.

• 53:22Speaker 00

  Look at my face.

• 53:23Speaker 01

  I know, this whole article. So Helen Fisher from the Kinsey Institute, guys.

• 53:28Speaker 00

  Mm hmm.

• 53:28Speaker 01

  I'm not related, but you know, same last name. Helen Fisher, who works at the Kinsey Institute, said, perhaps I'm old fashioned, but I think it should be marked. You are at a new stage in your life when you marry and you are missing out on triggering the three most valuable brain systems for a lasting relationship.

• 53:45Speaker 00

  I'm with this.

• 53:46Speaker 01

  Same. Like, oh, my gosh, you just got married. This is a celebration of your union. Isn't the whole idea to go take a trip together?

• 53:53Speaker 00

  Yeah, I just think it's a milestone that is best celebrated together.

• 53:59Speaker 01

  I know.

• 54:00Speaker 00

  I mean, I do see the value in, once you are married, and especially if you have kids, there is a great restorative, wonderful indulgence if you can take a trip solo, right? I mean, my dream vacation is me going and sleeping somewhere for three days. You know, so, yes, sign me up. But when you first get married.

• 54:25Speaker 01

  You've also been married a long time and you have young children and the idea of getting to sleep in.

• 54:30Speaker 00

  No, I've been married over 11 years. And yes, I'm thinking, what solo vacation? I mean, even now, if there's a chance that we could have someone watch our kids, I'd want to go somewhere with Lee for three days. We could just sleep. I think he'd like it, too.

• 54:46Speaker 01

  I get excited when Josh and I can both run errands at the same time together. Like if I turn to him.

• 54:52Speaker 00

  That's sometimes a date night for us.

• 54:54Speaker 01

  It is. Like if I turn to him and say, I gotta go to Target. And he's like, oh, I can go too. I'm like, oh, no way. I'm so excited.

• 55:02Speaker 00

  I hear all of that. Here's the thing. I'll just say it. I like to be around my husband all the time. We don't even have to be talking to each other. I like to text him all day. I like to get his texts. I mean, I don't know. I like him.

• 55:19Speaker 01

  I know.

• 55:19Speaker 00

  I want to go on honeymoon with him.

• 55:21Speaker 01

  I know. I want to go on a honeymoon with my person. Anyway, so Andy is on sort of a sad uni moon.

• 55:29Speaker 00

  Well, I'll tell you where he really was.

• 55:31Speaker 01

  Oh, where Ed Helms was.

• 55:32Speaker 00

  Yes. Ed was filming The Hangover in Las Vegas.

• 55:36Speaker 01

  Oh, that's right. This is when we had the crazy schedule for him. He was so tired, Jenna.

• 55:41Speaker 00

  He was.

• 55:42Speaker 01

  Do you remember? He would get off the plane from Vegas and come straight to our set.

• 55:45Speaker 00

  Yeah. Here's what we did. It was this big negotiation between the studios. He would be on set with us Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. We only got him three days.

• 55:56Speaker 01

  Right.

• 55:57Speaker 00

  Then he would fly after work and start work on The Hangover Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday. He was working seven days, but there were two weeks when he had to work on The Hangover all week. And this was one of those weeks. Remember BJ was also gone right now filming Inglourious Basterds. So two of our fellows were off making movies.

• 56:21Speaker 01

  Mm hmm.

• 56:22Speaker 00

  So they created these storylines for these guys so that they could do their movies. They got very creative with this idea of Andy being on his honeymoons because after this episode aired, NBC uploaded photos of Ed pretending to be on vacation. They put him in the Angela Martin, Andy Bernard wedding website. They had him pose in all these different outfits in front of a green screen. They had him scuba diving, standing in front of a hot air balloon in Napa Valley and visiting Epcot Center.

• 56:52Speaker 01

  I think I might still have those.

• 56:54Speaker 00

  I found the one of him in front of the balloon.

• 56:57Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 56:58Speaker 00

  And I also found the message that they wrote from Andy to everyone on the wedding website. It said this, quote, "Wanted all my bros and bras in cyberspace to know that the old Nard Dog is doing just fine."

• 57:14Speaker 01

  Back to our group of sadness. Kevin is going to share about his breakup from Stacy.

• 57:20Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 57:20Speaker 01

  Michael decides to become a problem solver. He says, there's got to be a way to get all the lonely people together, a mixer.

• 57:27Speaker 00

  First White says, a giant net.

• 57:30Speaker 01

  Jenna, I thought that that was an improv and I went and looked in the script and it was completely 100% written.

• 57:36Speaker 00

  It's so funny.

• 57:37Speaker 01

  It's so funny.

• 57:38Speaker 00

  But no, you're right. Michael is saying a mixer, AKA an old fashioned meat market.

• 57:44Speaker 01

  Mm hmm.

• 57:45Speaker 00

  They're going to put up flyers.

• 57:47Speaker 01

  Yep.

• 57:47Speaker 00

  They're going to invite people and on the flyer, Michael is going to make sure that he is, you know, sending out a beacon to this lost glove lady.

• 57:58Speaker 01

  Yeah. And he says, you know what? Cupid is going to shoot his sparrow at unsuspecting victims.

• 58:05Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 58:05Speaker 01

  His sparrow, a funny little bird, but he gets the job done.

• 58:08Speaker 00

  That's right.

• 58:09Speaker 01

  That tickled me because I feel like I get phrases, one or two words off.

• 58:15Speaker 00

  You feel like it? You do. You do.

• 58:18Speaker 01

  Why is Sam applauding? Oh my gosh.

• 58:21Speaker 00

  Cause we thought the same thing when you said it.

• 58:24Speaker 05

  Like there's a debate to it.

• 58:26Speaker 00

  I feel like it might be possible.

• 58:30Speaker 01

  That in this moment, I really relate to Michael.

• 58:34Speaker 00

  When the mixer gets underway, two women enter.

• 58:38Speaker 01

  Yes, Lynn and Ree.

• 58:40Speaker 00

  Ree was played by Tate Hanyak. She's done a ton of comedy television work, everything from Scrubs, Community, Superstore. She has been on Monk and I can't believe I'm going to say this.

• 58:54Speaker 01

  What?

• 58:54Speaker 00

  I was so excited.

• 58:56Speaker 01

  What?

• 58:56Speaker 00

  She has.

• 58:57Speaker 01

  John Wick.

• 58:58Speaker 00

  No.

• 58:58Speaker 01

  Oh, I've seen John Wick. What? With Keanu Reeves?

• 59:02Speaker 00

  No.

• 59:02Speaker 01

  How does she know him? What?

• 59:03Speaker 00

  No. Oh my gosh, you are so on Keanu today. No, she was in a television pilot called Hummingbird.

• 59:12Speaker 01

  Oh my Lord, I should just know today, all of your anecdotes are hummingbird related.

• 59:16Speaker 00

  I mean, I couldn't believe it. When I was looking her up, she played Sienna. The series was a thriller about a young girl who vanishes.

• 59:24Speaker 01

  Hmm.

• 59:25Speaker 00

  The other lady who has entered is Lynn.

• 59:28Speaker 01

  Mm hmm.

• 59:28Speaker 00

  She was played by Lisa K. Wyatt. This is her first of four episodes.

• 59:32Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 59:33Speaker 00

  She's going to become a love interest for Kevin. In addition to her numerous film, television, and commercial credits, such as Donnie Darko, Legally Blonde, and Days of Our Lives, Lisa Wyatt also does stand-up. And along with her husband, she coaches other actors in an acting technique. Acting technique? Called the mechanics of believability at the Acting Garage in Los Angeles.

• 59:59Speaker 01

  I thought she was very believable.

• 1:00:01Speaker 00

  There you go.

• 1:00:01Speaker 01

  Spot on. Did you guys all notice that Ree is dressed like Angela Martin?

• 1:00:05Speaker 00

  Yes, we got mail about it. People wanted to know if that was on purpose.

• 1:00:10Speaker 01

  I think so, yes.

• 1:00:11Speaker 00

  Yes, I think so.

• 1:00:12Speaker 01

  Mm hmm.

• 1:00:12Speaker 00

  Yes. Well, Michael's gonna bring Lynn right on over to Kevin. He wants to make a love connection.

• 1:00:18Speaker 01

  I mean, Michael's playing Cupid.

• 1:00:19Speaker 00

  He is. Kevin tries to chat her up, but he kinda keeps putting his foot in his mouth. He does mention the Circle Drive-In.

• 1:00:27Speaker 01

  Mm hmm.

• 1:00:28Speaker 00

  That's a real place. I looked it up. It's in Scranton, and it's still in operation.

• 1:00:32Speaker 01

  One of my favorites, though, is when Michael tries to set up Meredith.

• 1:00:35Speaker 00

  Mm hmm.

• 1:00:36Speaker 01

  He says, "So Eric, you mentioned that you are in tool and die repair."

• 1:00:40Speaker 00

  I loved that.

• 1:00:41Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:00:42Speaker 00

  Do you think he works at Crest Tool and Die?

• 1:00:44Speaker 01

  Probably.

• 1:00:45Speaker 00

  It's on the sign down in the lobby.

• 1:00:46Speaker 01

  Yes. This is like a business park, right?

• 1:00:49Speaker 00

  Yes, exactly.

• 1:00:50Speaker 01

  Eric says, "I am." And then Michael says, "Well, Meredith recently had a total hysterectomy, so that's sort of a repair."

• 1:00:57Speaker 00

  All right, I'll let you two talk. Would you like a guest star breakdown on Eric?

• 1:01:03Speaker 01

  I would.

• 1:01:04Speaker 00

  He was played by Jason Rogel, and I found a very interesting crossover connection.

• 1:01:11Speaker 01

  I know it.

• 1:01:12Speaker 00

  Tell us, Angela.

• 1:01:14Speaker 01

  Jason and I, when he played Eric, we didn't know each other. But years later, we would both be in the Netflix movie Toll Girl together.

• 1:01:23Speaker 00

  Yes. So crazy.

• 1:01:25Speaker 01

  I know, a little mini office reunion. He played the doctor, the pediatrician. When Steve Zahn, who plays my husband and I, we go to meet with the pediatrician because our daughter is so incredibly tall at such a young age. And he played the pediatrician.

• 1:01:38Speaker 00

  Should we go to the restaurant?

• 1:01:40Speaker 01

  We should because Bob and Phyllis have not come back from the bathroom.

• 1:01:45Speaker 00

  No, and Jim and Pam are very hungry.

• 1:01:47Speaker 01

  Their food is there. This is getting so awkward.

• 1:01:50Speaker 00

  They're discussing, when are you allowed to eat? And Jim says, did you get hot food? And Pam says, no, she got cold food. And he said, then I think you need to wait.

• 1:02:01Speaker 01

  Right, you have to wait for the other people.

• 1:02:03Speaker 00

  And Pam says, Bob got hot food. And I think his fries are getting cold. And then they start eating his fries. And then they eat his steak.

• 1:02:12Speaker 01

  I know.

• 1:02:12Speaker 00

  Did you see how I was really eating the steak? Lady, I was starving. I was like so excited to eat the fries and the steak. That was real. That's my real hunger.

• 1:02:22Speaker 01

  I thought it rang pretty true, just knowing you the way I know you when you get hungry.

• 1:02:26Speaker 00

  Yep.

• 1:02:26Speaker 01

  That you would not hesitate to take food off someone else's plate. Especially because they hadn't been on that plate yet.

• 1:02:33Speaker 00

  When I was a caterer.

• 1:02:35Speaker 01

  Would you take things and nibble?

• 1:02:38Speaker 00

  When I was clearing the tables, if there was like a roll or like part of a chicken breast that had clearly not been touched, I would eat it. I mean, I was hungry and I, you know, was a struggling actor. It was a free meal. I would sort of piece it together from everybody's plate. Let me tell you something, Angela, because you brought up food and eating for me. You know, it's important to me. And it's so important to me, this idea of like being at a large dinner party and people are getting served food and when do you get to eat your food? But I actually looked it up once.

• 1:03:12Speaker 01

  Like the etiquette of it?

• 1:03:13Speaker 00

  Yes. And I read that in a large dinner party, if they're serving something cold, you have to wait for everybody to get their cold dish, like a salad or a cold soup, before you start eating. But if something hot is being served, after two or more people have been served that hot dish, you can begin eating while you wait for the rest of the party to get their dish. And I've stuck with that in my life.

• 1:03:42Speaker 01

  Mm hmm.

• 1:03:42Speaker 00

  When I've been at like, let's say a table of 10.

• 1:03:45Speaker 01

  Mm hmm.

• 1:03:45Speaker 00

  If I get my hot dish, I'm the fourth person to get it. I start eating it because that's what the book said and because I want to.

• 1:03:53Speaker 01

  Hmm.

• 1:03:53Speaker 00

  But I digged a little deeper.

• 1:03:55Speaker 01

  Okay.

• 1:03:55Speaker 00

  Since we're on the topic of dining etiquette.

• 1:03:58Speaker 01

  Okay.

• 1:03:59Speaker 00

  Here are some other dining etiquette rules for you. Apparently, if you get a dinner roll, etiquette says you should only butter one bite at a time. You shouldn't butter your whole piece of bread.

• 1:04:12Speaker 01

  Get out.

• 1:04:12Speaker 00

  Isn't that crazy?

• 1:04:13Speaker 01

  I'm gonna put butter all over it.

• 1:04:15Speaker 00

  I butter the whole thing.

• 1:04:17Speaker 01

  I want more butter.

• 1:04:19Speaker 00

  But if you butter it one bite at a time, you might.

• 1:04:21Speaker 01

  You're double dipping.

• 1:04:23Speaker 00

  But it, no, because you're using a special knife.

• 1:04:26Speaker 01

  And you're putting it on your bread and you're taking a bite and then you're doing that knife on that shared communal butter again. Etiquette, I don't think you're right.

• 1:04:34Speaker 00

  Well, that's what it said.

• 1:04:36Speaker 01

  Okay.

• 1:04:36Speaker 00

  Also, out of respect for the chef, you should always try several bites of your food before adding any salt or pepper.

• 1:04:45Speaker 01

  Well, we always say that to our kids. Like, try it before you salt it, guys.

• 1:04:50Speaker 00

  If someone asks you to pass the salt, do you know you're supposed to pass the salt and pepper together?

• 1:04:55Speaker 01

  I do.

• 1:04:56Speaker 00

  They're a pair, they like to travel together.

• 1:04:58Speaker 01

  They travel together.

• 1:05:00Speaker 00

  If you're enjoying a family-style meal, you're supposed to pass the dishes clockwise around the table.

• 1:05:06Speaker 01

  Oh, gosh, at our family, it's like a free-for-all.

• 1:05:08Speaker 00

  Same. Also, this one I found very interesting. If you leave the table and you're in the middle of a meal, do you know where you're supposed to put your napkin?

• 1:05:18Speaker 01

  To the left of your plate?

• 1:05:20Speaker 00

  That's what I thought, to the side of your plate.

• 1:05:23Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:05:23Speaker 00

  Your chair.

• 1:05:24Speaker 01

  What?

• 1:05:25Speaker 00

  Supposed to set it on your chair.

• 1:05:27Speaker 01

  Gross.

• 1:05:28Speaker 00

  My butt was just there. Why do I want to put that up? What?

• 1:05:32Speaker 01

  No. Maybe your hot feet were tucked up under your butt.

• 1:05:37Speaker 00

  I know, I could have a hot foot, inside out underwear, chair.

• 1:05:42Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:05:43Speaker 00

  That's gross. Why are we talking about my chair?

• 1:05:47Speaker 01

  You brought up all of these things. The hot feet, your underwear, the chair, this is all your stuff.

• 1:05:55Speaker 00

  Why are you making me talk about this?

• 1:05:59Speaker 00

  Pam and Jim can't take it anymore. It's been so long. They're like, did they ditch us?

• 1:06:06Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:06:06Speaker 00

  Where are they?

• 1:06:08Speaker 01

  Maybe they just left.

• 1:06:09Speaker 00

  Well, they go to look for them.

• 1:06:11Speaker 01

  Mm-hmm.

• 1:06:11Speaker 00

  Over by the restrooms.

• 1:06:13Speaker 01

  Yeah. And what do they hear moaning behind a door?

• 1:06:16Speaker 00

  It is on. They are clearly getting it on.

• 1:06:19Speaker 01

  And Jim and Pam are horrified.

• 1:06:22Speaker 00

  But then, but then, when they come back to the table, can we talk about Phyllis chugging her water?

• 1:06:31Speaker 01

  She's so flustered. She's like sweaty, chugging her water. Phyllis should get an Emmy for that moment. She's so brilliant.

• 1:06:42Speaker 00

  It's so good. And then, at 17 minutes, 35 seconds, can we please talk about the way that Bob Vance holds his fork when he starts cutting his steak? He's like, got his fork in like a fist, and he stabbed it into the steak, and he's cutting it. He feeds it to Phyllis.

• 1:07:03Speaker 01

  I had a question about this moment, okay? He says, do you want any steak? And she's like, sure. And he passes it over to her, and she says, no mushrooms. He says, sorry, I forgot. And then she eats the steak. I was like, this is so nuanced. This feels so personal and intimate. Was this written? And I went to the script, and this is not in the script.

• 1:07:23Speaker 00

  The whole steak thing, is it?

• 1:07:25Speaker 01

  Him feeding her in the mushroom.

• 1:07:27Speaker 00

  Wow, that's crazy because I just remember shooting it several times. So it must have been an on the day thing because it wasn't a one time improv.

• 1:07:35Speaker 01

  Right.

• 1:07:35Speaker 00

  Because they had to set up that camera specifically to get that look from me and John.

• 1:07:40Speaker 01

  Right.

• 1:07:40Speaker 00

  And I remember that we had a hard time holding it.

• 1:07:42Speaker 01

  But was-

• 1:07:43Speaker 00

  It was very funny.

• 1:07:44Speaker 01

  But my question is, was the mushroom thing an accident?

• 1:07:48Speaker 00

  I don't remember.

• 1:07:48Speaker 01

  When he stabs the steak and maybe in real life Phyllis doesn't like mushrooms.

• 1:07:52Speaker 00

  Maybe not.

• 1:07:53Speaker 01

  So she just improvised, no mushrooms.

• 1:07:55Speaker 00

  I don't know.

• 1:07:56Speaker 01

  It's so specific.

• 1:07:57Speaker 00

  It's so good.

• 1:07:58Speaker 01

  I loved it.

• 1:07:59Speaker 00

  Back at the mixer, Michael keeps looking at the door. He's really hoping Glove Girl will show up.

• 1:08:05Speaker 01

  And Dwight is like, why do you keep looking at the front door? Someone after you?

• 1:08:10Speaker 00

  Okay, wait, we got a fan question about that from Amy P. She says, when Dwight asks Michael if someone's after him and Oscar says, why do you always go to that? Has anyone ever been after anyone in this office? Amy says, um, yes, Oscar?

• 1:08:26Speaker 01

  Roy!

• 1:08:27Speaker 00

  Yes, remember Roy? He was definitely after Jim and Dwight saved the day.

• 1:08:32Speaker 01

  Listen, Dwight is ready with weaponry all the time.

• 1:08:37Speaker 00

  There is a moment where a woman shows up who is not Michael's lady.

• 1:08:42Speaker 01

  Mm-hmm.

• 1:08:42Speaker 00

  And he turns her away.

• 1:08:44Speaker 01

  Everyone groans. I don't know that he turns her away, but she walks in and everyone is so excited for Glove Girl that when Michael's like, nope, they're like, meh.

• 1:08:53Speaker 00

  And she leaves.

• 1:08:54Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:08:54Speaker 00

  This unnamed woman. I looked her up. Do you know who she is?

• 1:08:59Speaker 01

  Oh, I do.

• 1:09:00Speaker 00

  Dorian Frankel.

• 1:09:02Speaker 01

  Uh-huh.

• 1:09:02Speaker 00

  She was Allison Jones' casting associate for The Office after Phyllis left.

• 1:09:07Speaker 01

  Let me tell you a little bit about Dorian. I met her a lifetime ago. Dorian, if you're hearing this, hi, it was so fun to see your face. We did improv together at Improv Olympic, also known as I O West. We were on a long form team called, ready for this, Fluffers.

• 1:09:25Speaker 00

  Oh.

• 1:09:26Speaker 01

  Dorian, do you remember this? If you hear this, we were on a team called Fluffers. We would rehearse in her apartment and she was lovely and I'm so happy for her. She recently won an Emmy for casting Veep.

• 1:09:38Speaker 00

  Yes.

• 1:09:39Speaker 01

  So she's amazing. Dorian, oh my gosh, flash from the past. So that was my other crossover connection with a guest star in this episode.

• 1:09:48Speaker 00

  Amazing. Dwight has kind of zeroed in on Ree, woman who is dressed like Angela, but not for the reasons we think.

• 1:09:57Speaker 01

  Well, he finds out when they're talking that she works at a place that does catalogs for community colleges and small businesses.

• 1:10:05Speaker 00

  They must use a lot of paper.

• 1:10:07Speaker 01

  I mean, at first we're like, is he attracted to her? No, he's just trying to make a huge paper sale.

• 1:10:12Speaker 00

  Yes.

• 1:10:13Speaker 01

  Jenna, there was a lot in deleted scenes of like, people just sort of chit chatting, trying to flirt, trying to meet people, make conversation. Well, Creed talks to Lynn.

• 1:10:24Speaker 00

  Oh.

• 1:10:24Speaker 01

  He tries to strike up conversation with her. You gotta hear it.

• 1:10:29Speaker 07

  How old are you? Wait, let me guess. Thirty. No, no, no. Sixty.

• 1:10:38Speaker 01

  Thirty-four.

• 1:10:39Speaker 07

  Cool beans. Me too. What year were you born?

• 1:10:48Speaker 00

  Wow.

• 1:10:49Speaker 01

  I know. First of all, he leaves off with like, how old are you? Let me guess. And then he goes from thirty to sixty. This is Creed trying to make small talk, guys.

• 1:11:00Speaker 00

  I remember I was in a bar once and a guy tried to flirt with me by asking me how much I weighed.

• 1:11:06Speaker 01

  Mm-hmm.

• 1:11:07Speaker 00

  And then he said, I bet I can guess. And then he picked me up without my consent and then said a number. Fellas, there's so much wrong with this. I hope we don't have to break it down for you, but like, don't do that.

• 1:11:24Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:11:25Speaker 00

  All those things.

• 1:11:26Speaker 01

  Yeah. Don't say, as your pickup line, let me guess your age or your weight.

• 1:11:31Speaker 00

  Yeah. Don't put your hands on a lady unless she invites you to. So many things.

• 1:11:36Speaker 01

  So many things. But you know who did spark some interest in Lynn ultimately was Kevin.

• 1:11:41Speaker 00

  I know. And he's very charming.

• 1:11:45Speaker 00

  In his just nervousness and honesty and doesn't Brian kill it in the scene where he shows that she gave him her business card?

• 1:11:58Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 1:11:59Speaker 00

  It reminds me of that episode when they won their parking lot back from the five families.

• 1:12:07Speaker 01

  And he's like, sometimes you just need things to go your way.

• 1:12:10Speaker 00

  Yes, I mean, I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it when he does that. Such a good actor.

• 1:12:15Speaker 01

  I know.

• 1:12:17Speaker 00

  Unfortunately, it looks like they're gonna have to close down the party and Glove Girl never shows up.

• 1:12:26Speaker 01

  Michael doesn't want to leave. He wants to keep waiting it out and people stick around for a while. It's very sweet.

• 1:12:31Speaker 00

  Even Angela.

• 1:12:33Speaker 01

  Even Stanley.

• 1:12:35Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 1:12:36Speaker 01

  Yeah. And Oscar's ultimately like, no, come on, Michael. It's time. Let's all walk out together.

• 1:12:42Speaker 00

  We got mail.

• 1:12:43Speaker 01

  Okay.

• 1:12:44Speaker 00

  Aiden M. wrote in to say, why did Michael never get to find the lady who left her glove in the blood drive van? It has driven me crazy, even though he ends up with Holly. And Diana P. went on to say, why didn't this storyline continue? I asked Katie about it because I was curious.

• 1:13:07Speaker 01

  It just shows you how good of a job they did together in that scene that people wanted to see more of the blood drive girl in Michael.

• 1:13:16Speaker 00

  Well, the message boards after this episode aired were all for Glove Girl. And here's what Katie had to say.

• 1:13:24Speaker 04

  Oh, man, you guys. So here is the thing about my experience is that when I auditioned, it was with the caveat that it was a possible recurring character.

• 1:13:46Speaker 04

  And so all I wanted was to perform well and to impress and to be asked back. And it didn't happen. It didn't happen. And I'm sure they had their creative reasons, but oh, boy, I wanted nothing more.

• 1:14:09Speaker 04

  But I'm happy with the time I got. That's for sure.

• 1:14:13Speaker 00

  So I will tell you, story wise, why Glove Girl did not come back. It was not because we were not completely charmed by Katie and her performance.

• 1:14:23Speaker 01

  No, she crushed it.

• 1:14:24Speaker 00

  Clearly, yes. Michael has a talking head, and it's really written in this talking head. He says that this is the first time since Holly that he's even considered getting back into the dating marina.

• 1:14:39Speaker 01

  Marina?

• 1:14:39Speaker 00

  The marina.

• 1:14:42Speaker 00

  Like Cupid's Sparrow.

• 1:14:43Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:14:45Speaker 00

  Um, and that was the story point of this episode, was not to introduce a new love interest for Michael. They ultimately decided. They were toying with this idea, but really, it was just for Michael to feel like he could connect with someone again. But ultimately, they're going to keep him on this trajectory toward Holly. But because of this storyline, he's not going to be kind of as broken when he does finally reunite with her. Does that make sense?

• 1:15:18Speaker 01

  Yeah. No, he's hopeful. He's getting a little bit of his confidence back.

• 1:15:22Speaker 00

  Yes.

• 1:15:22Speaker 01

  And that's important.

• 1:15:24Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 1:15:25Speaker 01

  Well, the whole gang is going to leave the building. And Jenna, I just want you guys to know, when you watch us all exit, Mindy and I are just having a conversation.

• 1:15:33Speaker 00

  Yeah, I saw that.

• 1:15:34Speaker 01

  I'm gesturing to my hair. I don't know what we're talking about.

• 1:15:37Speaker 00

  You're very animated.

• 1:15:38Speaker 01

  Very animated. And then I feel like they sort of let us know that we were on camera because then I'd go back to Angela Martin and I do these little awkward waves goodbye. But everyone is very pleasant and nice to one another.

• 1:15:49Speaker 00

  Mm hmm. Michael's Lonely Hearts Party was kind of a success.

• 1:15:54Speaker 01

  Yeah. I mean, they were all sort of lonely together.

• 1:15:57Speaker 00

  Yeah. This episode ends with a great tag.

• 1:16:00Speaker 01

  So funny.

• 1:16:01Speaker 00

  Found it very funny. Stanley goes into the blood mobile and he's got a little bandage on his arm. He's got a cotton ball with a little bit of medical tape and he says, I'm so sorry. I gave blood earlier and I'm still feeling a little woozy. Do you have a cookie?

• 1:16:17Speaker 01

  Can I have one of those cookies?

• 1:16:19Speaker 00

  Right. And she says, you know what? You have a cotton ball and medical tape, but we're using Band-Aids.

• 1:16:27Speaker 01

  Yeah. She's like, huh.

• 1:16:29Speaker 00

  Weird. And behind him, Phyllis walks up. He's making a quick exit and he just goes Band-Aid.

• 1:16:35Speaker 01

  And she's like, damn it.

• 1:16:39Speaker 00

  And then Creed leaves the truck with his blood in a bag or someone else's. I'm not sure.

• 1:16:45Speaker 01

  To go where? To do what?

• 1:16:47Speaker 00

  I don't know, but this is what Dwight has been worried about the whole episode.

• 1:16:50Speaker 01

  I know.

• 1:16:51Speaker 00

  Where is Dwight? I don't know.

• 1:16:54Speaker 01

  Well, that was blood drive, everybody.

• 1:16:56Speaker 00

  That is blood drive, everyone. I'm gonna go home. I'm gonna put on different shoes.

• 1:17:01Speaker 01

  Cool off your feet. Don't put on any shoes. Just take shoes off. It's like 95 degrees out. I encourage you to get a pair of flip flops.

• 1:17:09Speaker 00

  Yeah, and I guess I have to fix my hair.

• 1:17:11Speaker 01

  Well, you do have one guy that's going.

• 1:17:15Speaker 01

  He's like at attention. Just in your bangs.

• 1:17:19Speaker 00

  I'm growing my bangs out.

• 1:17:20Speaker 01

  Oh, it's a transition.

• 1:17:22Speaker 00

  They're a strange length.

• 1:17:24Speaker 01

  Mm hmm.

• 1:17:25Speaker 00

  It was a summer thing. We're moving into fall.

• 1:17:28Speaker 01

  Yeah, you gotta have your fall hairdo.

• 1:17:29Speaker 00

  That's right. I'm moving into, I don't know what my fall hairdo is yet, but we're transitioning out of bangs right now.

• 1:17:36Speaker 01

  I can't wait to see what your fall hairdo is.

• 1:17:38Speaker 00

  Well, I know I'm gonna get the truth from you, that's for sure.

• 1:17:41Speaker 01

  That's for sure.

• 1:17:42Speaker 00

  All right.

• 1:17:42Speaker 01

  I love you, lady. All right, guys, have a great week.

• 1:17:46Speaker 00

  We'll see you later.

• 1:17:53Speaker 01

  Thank you for listening to Office Lady's Second Drink. This episode was initially created in collaboration with Earwolf. Office Ladies is a presentation of Odyssey and is produced by Jenna Fisher and Angela Kinsey.

• 1:18:05Speaker 00

  Our senior producer is Matt Beagle.

• 1:18:07Speaker 01

  Our Second Drinks episodes are produced by Molly Nugent.

• 1:18:10Speaker 00

  Our audio engineer is Sam Pfeifer.

• 1:18:12Speaker 01

  Odyssey's executive producer is Leah Reese Dennis. Office Ladies was mixed and mastered by Bill Schultz. Our theme song is Rubber Tree by Creed Bratton.