Chair Model
Encyclopedia
"Chair Model" is the fourteenth episode of the fourth season of the American comedy
television series
The Office, and the show's sixty-seventh episode overall. Written by B. J. Novak
, and directed by Jeffrey Blitz
, the episode first aired in the United States on April 17, 2008 on NBC
.
In the episode, Michael finds himself lonely and wanting a relationship after breaking up with Jan. While looking through a catalog, he falls in love with a chair model. Meanwhile, Kevin and Andy fight to reclaim lost parking spaces, and Jim tells Pam that he's going to propose.
(Steve Carell
), who has broken up with Jan Levenson, becomes enamored of one of the female chair models. As a result, he decides to resume dating with the help of the office employees, even going so far as threatening to fire them if they don't help. No one in the office wants to set up any of their friends with Michael, but when Michael learns that the chair model had died in a car crash some time ago, Pam Beesly
(Jenna Fischer
) takes pity and sets him up on a blind date with her landlady
(Brooke Dillman
). Unfortunately, the date doesn't go well, beginning with Michael pretending he isn't who she was supposed to be meeting. After Michael admits his own blind date was a failure, Dwight Schrute
(Rainn Wilson
) convinces him that he needs closure on this person he loved who is gone. The two end up in a cemetery at the grave of the chair model where Michael "grieves".
With Michael busy, Kevin Malone
(Brian Baumgartner
) and Andy Bernard
(Ed Helms
) work to reclaim parking spaces that they have lost due to construction. They arrange a meeting with the bosses of the office park, and are given the parking spots back. The spaces are retrieved, Kevin feels happy to have won one, as his fiancee Stacy broke off their engagement and it's been a hard time for him.
While flirting, Jim Halpert
(John Krasinski
) reveals he is ready to propose to Pam, even going as far as telling her that he is not going to do it at work ("because that would be lame") and when he does it, it will "kick her ass", and Pam isn't sure if he's joking. Alone with the camera, Jim reveals that he wasn't joking and shows an engagement ring that he bought "the week after [they] started dating." At the end of the show, while walking back to his car, he stops and gets down on one knee. When Pam stops and looks he says he has a question to ask her. After a second or so of hesitation, he asks her if she will wait while he ties his shoes. She laughs and they continue walking hand in hand. At the end of the episode, Michael and Dwight are seen singing "American Pie" and dancing in the same cemetery at night, presumably having never left.
. Blitz had previously directed "The Convict
" and "The Negotiation
". The episode was written by B. J. Novak
, who plays temporary worker turned corporate manager Ryan Howard
. Novak was originally going to name the episode "Michael Dating", but the title could have potentially been a spoiler
because fans with DVRs would have seen it before "Dinner Party" aired and deduced that Michael and Jan's relationship melted down. For a while, "Parking" was going to be the title, but even that was decided against because that refers to the subplot
, and also because it was generic and boring even by the show's no-frills-titles standard. Eventually, someone suggested "Chair Model", which was eventually kept as the name. Originally, Novak wrote Jim putting Dwight through a "phony management training", but NBC
pointed out that it felt like the writers had done it before even though they hadn't. As a group, the writers tried to think of a new idea for the plot, they considered having Pam move in with Jim, but they thought that first the two should be engaged.
There was an auditioning process for both the chair model and the young blond woman that Michael sees in the coffee shop
. According to writer B. J. Novak
, the chair model was supposed to be "pretty" and "perhaps even prettier than your average model", but more of just an "average single girl", because the episode is more about Michael wanting to start dating again than the model herself. In the scene with the "Five Families
", one of the actors, Paul Faust was the only first-time actor. Faust is the cousin of writer Paul Lieberstein
, and had been on a tour of the set and talked to many of the writers. He made a good impression and so the character of "Cool Guy Paul" was based on him. The day before they were scheduled to shoot, the show still hadn't cast anyone for the role, so they called Paul in New York City
and had him read the lines into a camera and e-mail to them. In less than an hour, Faust had landed the part and was flying out to Los Angeles
.
Although B. J. Novak
wrote the majority of the episode, Jennifer Celotta
and Paul Lieberstein
were actually the ones that came up with the graveyard
scene in the end. The original song for Michael to sing was going to be a parody of "Candle in the Wind
" by Elton John
. Elton John however, refused to give The Office permission to use the song, because 30 Rock
had requested permission for a parody of Candle in the Wind that offended Elton John, and he didn't want to have his song parodied again. So then, the writers wrote parodies of "Legs
" by ZZ Top
and "Ruby Tuesday" by The Rolling Stones
, but eventually "American Pie" by Don McLean cleared, so the writers went with that.
This episode was one of the submissions for the emmys along with "Local Ad
," "Dinner Party
," "Did I Stutter?
" and "Goodbye, Toby
."
. This means that 5.8 percent of all households with an 18 to 49 year old living in it watched the episode, and nine percent had their televisions tuned to the channel at any point. The episode was watched by 9.86 million viewers.
"Chair Model" was generally well-received by critics. BuddyTV
Senior Writer Oscar Dahl wrote that "The Office is sharp as ever" and Jim saying he was going to propose was "a big time moment in the Jim/Pam story". Dahl also praised the parking lot storyline, saying "what started as merely a joke (Kevin was dumped), became a feel-good moment." IGN
's Travis Fickett said that Michael falling in love with the chair model was "a hysterical turn and highlights just how deluded Michael – and Dwight – can be". Fickett was critical of the "parking" storyline, saying that it was "a bit over the top and runs a bit thin", but he did think that the scene at the end with Kevin was "a sweet and genuine moment". Aubry D'Arminio of Entertainment Weekly
stated that, in relation to the previous episode "Dinner Party
", "Last night's show took another approach. Don't get me wrong. It was a blinder — but a totally different animal, so to speak." D'Arminio went on to praise the dual plots of the episode.
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
The Office, and the show's sixty-seventh episode overall. Written by B. J. Novak
B. J. Novak
Benjamin Joseph Manaly “B. J.” Novak is an American actor, stand-up comedian, screenwriter, and director. He is best known for being a writer and co-executive producer for and playing the role of Ryan Howard on the US version of The Office, as well as appearing in Inglourious Basterds...
, and directed by Jeffrey Blitz
Jeffrey Blitz
Jeffrey Blitz is an American film director, producer and screenwriter from Ridgewood, New Jersey. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his 2002 documentary, Spellbound and he won the Dramatic Directing Prize at the Sundance Film Festival for his 2007 film, Rocket Science.Blitz won the 2009...
, the episode first aired in the United States on April 17, 2008 on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
.
In the episode, Michael finds himself lonely and wanting a relationship after breaking up with Jan. While looking through a catalog, he falls in love with a chair model. Meanwhile, Kevin and Andy fight to reclaim lost parking spaces, and Jim tells Pam that he's going to propose.
Plot
While browsing an office chair catalog, Michael ScottMichael Scott (The Office)
Michael Gary Scott is a fictional character on NBC's The Office, portrayed by Steve Carell, and based on David Brent from the original British version. Michael, the central character of the series, was the manager of the Scranton branch of paper and printer distribution company Dunder Mifflin Inc...
(Steve Carell
Steve Carell
Steven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...
), who has broken up with Jan Levenson, becomes enamored of one of the female chair models. As a result, he decides to resume dating with the help of the office employees, even going so far as threatening to fire them if they don't help. No one in the office wants to set up any of their friends with Michael, but when Michael learns that the chair model had died in a car crash some time ago, Pam Beesly
Pam Beesly
Pamela Morgan "Pam" Halpert is a fictional character on the U.S. television sitcom The Office, played by Jenna Fischer. Her counterpart in the original UK series of The Office is Dawn Tinsley....
(Jenna Fischer
Jenna Fischer
Regina Marie "Jenna" Fischer is an American actress and director. She is most widely known for her Emmy-nominated portrayal of Pam Halpert on the NBC situation comedy and mockumentary The Office, and has also appeared in several films, including Blades of Glory, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story,...
) takes pity and sets him up on a blind date with her landlady
Landlord
A landlord is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called a tenant . When a juristic person is in this position, the term landlord is used. Other terms include lessor and owner...
(Brooke Dillman
Brooke Dillman
Brooke Dillman is an American actress and comedian best known as a series regular maternal roles on the skit comedy Blue Collar TV .-Career:...
). Unfortunately, the date doesn't go well, beginning with Michael pretending he isn't who she was supposed to be meeting. After Michael admits his own blind date was a failure, Dwight Schrute
Dwight Schrute
Dwight Kurt Schrute III is a character on NBC's The Office portrayed by Rainn Wilson. He originally exactly resembled Gareth Keenan from the original UK version of The Office. Dwight is the top salesman and former acting manager for the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company and has won numerous awards for...
(Rainn Wilson
Rainn Wilson
Rainn Dietrich Wilson is an American actor and comedian. He is primarily known for his role as the egomaniacal Dwight Schrute on the American version of the television comedy The Office...
) convinces him that he needs closure on this person he loved who is gone. The two end up in a cemetery at the grave of the chair model where Michael "grieves".
With Michael busy, Kevin Malone
Kevin Malone
Kevin Jaye Malone is a character in the United States television series The Office. He is played by Brian Baumgartner. Kevin's counterpart in the UK series is Keith Bishop.-Biography:...
(Brian Baumgartner
Brian Baumgartner
Brian Baumgartner is an Emmy Award-winning American film and television actor, best known for playing Kevin Malone on The Office.-Personal life:...
) and Andy Bernard
Andy Bernard
Andrew "Andy" Baines Bernard is a fictional character from the U.S. television series The Office. The character is highly insecure, yet egotistical, constantly mentioning his education at Cornell University...
(Ed Helms
Ed Helms
Edward Paul "Ed" Helms is an American actor and comedian known for his work as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, as Andy Bernard on the US version of the sitcom/mockumentary The Office and for his role as Dr. Stu Price in The Hangover films.- Early life :Helms was born and raised...
) work to reclaim parking spaces that they have lost due to construction. They arrange a meeting with the bosses of the office park, and are given the parking spots back. The spaces are retrieved, Kevin feels happy to have won one, as his fiancee Stacy broke off their engagement and it's been a hard time for him.
Jim Halpert
James Duncan "Jim" Halpert is a fictional character in the United States version of the television sitcom The Office, played by John Krasinski. The character is based on Tim Canterbury from the original version of The Office...
(John Krasinski
John Krasinski
John Burke Krasinski is an American actor, film director, and writer. He is most widely known for playing Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom The Office...
) reveals he is ready to propose to Pam, even going as far as telling her that he is not going to do it at work ("because that would be lame") and when he does it, it will "kick her ass", and Pam isn't sure if he's joking. Alone with the camera, Jim reveals that he wasn't joking and shows an engagement ring that he bought "the week after [they] started dating." At the end of the show, while walking back to his car, he stops and gets down on one knee. When Pam stops and looks he says he has a question to ask her. After a second or so of hesitation, he asks her if she will wait while he ties his shoes. She laughs and they continue walking hand in hand. At the end of the episode, Michael and Dwight are seen singing "American Pie" and dancing in the same cemetery at night, presumably having never left.
Production
"Chair Model" was the third episode of the series directed by Jeffrey BlitzJeffrey Blitz
Jeffrey Blitz is an American film director, producer and screenwriter from Ridgewood, New Jersey. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his 2002 documentary, Spellbound and he won the Dramatic Directing Prize at the Sundance Film Festival for his 2007 film, Rocket Science.Blitz won the 2009...
. Blitz had previously directed "The Convict
The Convict
"The Convict" is ninth episode of the third season of The Office . It aired on November 30, 2006 on NBC. It was written by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant specifically for the U.S. series...
" and "The Negotiation
The Negotiation
"The Negotiation" is the nineteenth episode of the third season of the U.S. version of The Office, aired on April 5, 2007 on NBC...
". The episode was written by B. J. Novak
B. J. Novak
Benjamin Joseph Manaly “B. J.” Novak is an American actor, stand-up comedian, screenwriter, and director. He is best known for being a writer and co-executive producer for and playing the role of Ryan Howard on the US version of The Office, as well as appearing in Inglourious Basterds...
, who plays temporary worker turned corporate manager Ryan Howard
Ryan Howard (The Office)
Ryan Bailey Howard , played by B. J. Novak, is a fictional character on the US television sitcom The Office. He is based upon Ricky Howard from the original version of The Office , but his role is significantly expanded and he is a main character.-Character profile:Little is known about Ryan's...
. Novak was originally going to name the episode "Michael Dating", but the title could have potentially been a spoiler
Spoiler (media)
Spoiler is slang for any element of any summary or description of any piece of fiction that reveals any plot element which will give away the outcome of a dramatic episode within the work of fiction, or the conclusion of the entire work. It can also be used to refer to any piece of information...
because fans with DVRs would have seen it before "Dinner Party" aired and deduced that Michael and Jan's relationship melted down. For a while, "Parking" was going to be the title, but even that was decided against because that refers to the subplot
Subplot
A subplot is a secondary plot strand that is a supporting side story for any story or the main plot. Subplots may connect to main plots, in either time and place or in thematic significance...
, and also because it was generic and boring even by the show's no-frills-titles standard. Eventually, someone suggested "Chair Model", which was eventually kept as the name. Originally, Novak wrote Jim putting Dwight through a "phony management training", but NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
pointed out that it felt like the writers had done it before even though they hadn't. As a group, the writers tried to think of a new idea for the plot, they considered having Pam move in with Jim, but they thought that first the two should be engaged.
There was an auditioning process for both the chair model and the young blond woman that Michael sees in the coffee shop
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
. According to writer B. J. Novak
B. J. Novak
Benjamin Joseph Manaly “B. J.” Novak is an American actor, stand-up comedian, screenwriter, and director. He is best known for being a writer and co-executive producer for and playing the role of Ryan Howard on the US version of The Office, as well as appearing in Inglourious Basterds...
, the chair model was supposed to be "pretty" and "perhaps even prettier than your average model", but more of just an "average single girl", because the episode is more about Michael wanting to start dating again than the model herself. In the scene with the "Five Families
Five Families
The Five Families are the five original Italian-American Mafia crime families which have dominated organized crime in America since 1931. The Five Families in New York remain as the powerhouse of the Italian Mafia in the United States.-History:...
", one of the actors, Paul Faust was the only first-time actor. Faust is the cousin of writer Paul Lieberstein
Paul Lieberstein
Paul Bevan Lieberstein is an American screenwriter, actor and television producer. An Emmy Award winner, he is most widely known as a writer, producer, and as supporting cast member Toby Flenderson on the U.S...
, and had been on a tour of the set and talked to many of the writers. He made a good impression and so the character of "Cool Guy Paul" was based on him. The day before they were scheduled to shoot, the show still hadn't cast anyone for the role, so they called Paul in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and had him read the lines into a camera and e-mail to them. In less than an hour, Faust had landed the part and was flying out to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Although B. J. Novak
B. J. Novak
Benjamin Joseph Manaly “B. J.” Novak is an American actor, stand-up comedian, screenwriter, and director. He is best known for being a writer and co-executive producer for and playing the role of Ryan Howard on the US version of The Office, as well as appearing in Inglourious Basterds...
wrote the majority of the episode, Jennifer Celotta
Jennifer Celotta
Jennifer Ann Celotta is an American television producer and writer. Among her credits are Home Improvement, Malcolm in the Middle, Greg the Bunny, Andy Richter Controls The Universe and The Office...
and Paul Lieberstein
Paul Lieberstein
Paul Bevan Lieberstein is an American screenwriter, actor and television producer. An Emmy Award winner, he is most widely known as a writer, producer, and as supporting cast member Toby Flenderson on the U.S...
were actually the ones that came up with the graveyard
Graveyard
A graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead, with or without monuments such as headstones...
scene in the end. The original song for Michael to sing was going to be a parody of "Candle in the Wind
Candle in the Wind
"Candle in the Wind" is a song with music by Elton John and lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It was originally written in 1973, in honour of Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier....
" by Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
. Elton John however, refused to give The Office permission to use the song, because 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
had requested permission for a parody of Candle in the Wind that offended Elton John, and he didn't want to have his song parodied again. So then, the writers wrote parodies of "Legs
Legs (song)
"Legs" is a song performed by the band ZZ Top from their 1983 album Eliminator. The song was released as a single in 1984 and reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States...
" by ZZ Top
ZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based boogie rock, has come to incorporate elements of arena, southern, and boogie rock. The band, from Houston Texas, formed in 1969...
and "Ruby Tuesday" by The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, but eventually "American Pie" by Don McLean cleared, so the writers went with that.
This episode was one of the submissions for the emmys along with "Local Ad
Local Ad
"Local Ad" is the ninth episode of the fourth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's sixty-second episode overall. The episode was written by B. J. Novak, who also acts in the show as Ryan Howard, and directed by Jason Reitman...
," "Dinner Party
Dinner Party (The Office)
"Dinner Party" is the thirteenth episode of the fourth season of the American comedy television series The Office—the show's sixty-sixth episode overall. Written by the writing team of Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky and directed by Paul Feig, the episode originally aired on NBC on April 10, 2008...
," "Did I Stutter?
Did I Stutter?
"Did I Stutter?" is the sixteenth episode of the fourth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's sixty-ninth episode overall...
" and "Goodbye, Toby
Goodbye, Toby
"Goodbye, Toby" is the fourth season hour-long finale of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's seventy-first episode overall...
."
Reception
"Chair Model" received 5.8/9 in the ages 18–49 demographic in the Nielsen ratingsNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
. This means that 5.8 percent of all households with an 18 to 49 year old living in it watched the episode, and nine percent had their televisions tuned to the channel at any point. The episode was watched by 9.86 million viewers.
"Chair Model" was generally well-received by critics. BuddyTV
BuddyTV
BuddyTV is an entertainment-based website based in Seattle, Washington, which generates content about television programs and sporting events. The website publishes information about celebrity and related entertainment news through a series of articles, entertainment profiles, actor biographies and...
Senior Writer Oscar Dahl wrote that "The Office is sharp as ever" and Jim saying he was going to propose was "a big time moment in the Jim/Pam story". Dahl also praised the parking lot storyline, saying "what started as merely a joke (Kevin was dumped), became a feel-good moment." IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Travis Fickett said that Michael falling in love with the chair model was "a hysterical turn and highlights just how deluded Michael – and Dwight – can be". Fickett was critical of the "parking" storyline, saying that it was "a bit over the top and runs a bit thin", but he did think that the scene at the end with Kevin was "a sweet and genuine moment". Aubry D'Arminio of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
stated that, in relation to the previous episode "Dinner Party
Dinner Party (The Office)
"Dinner Party" is the thirteenth episode of the fourth season of the American comedy television series The Office—the show's sixty-sixth episode overall. Written by the writing team of Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky and directed by Paul Feig, the episode originally aired on NBC on April 10, 2008...
", "Last night's show took another approach. Don't get me wrong. It was a blinder — but a totally different animal, so to speak." D'Arminio went on to praise the dual plots of the episode.
External links
- "Chair Model" at NBC.com