Garden Party (The Office)
Encyclopedia
"Garden Party" is the fourth episode of the eighth season
of the American comedy
television series
The Office, and the show's 156th episode overall. The episode originally aired on NBC
in the United States on October 13, 2011. It was written by co-executive producer Justin Spitzer
and was directed by David Rogers
. In the episode, Andy (Ed Helms
) throws a garden party at Schrute Farms to impress Robert (James Spader
), with his parents and brother in attendance. Meanwhile, Dwight (Rainn Wilson
) works to make it a classy event.
"Garden Party" received mostly positive reviews from critics with The A.V. Club
writer Myles McNutt criticizing the episode for repeating plot ideas. According to Nielsen Media Research
, "Garden Party" drew more than 6 million viewers and received a 3.2 rating/8% share in the 18-49 demographic, staying even with the previous episode, "Lotto
". It ranked third in its timeslot, and ranked as the highest rated NBC series on Thursday.
(James Spader
) and his parents. Andy is noticeably jealous at the amount of attention his younger brother Walter Bernard, Jr. (Josh Groban
) receives from his father, and he thinks that by throwing an elaborate party he can ensure his father's blessings. At first, the party goes along smoothly. Andy decides to make a toast to Robert in order to get his fellow employees to toast him, as if to show to his parents and California that he is a respected individual among his employees. His plan backfires, however, and instead many people end up praising Robert. To get everybody's mind off of Robert, Andy decides to sing "More Than Words
" as a duet with his father. This too goes awry as his visibly-annoyed father corrects his playing and singing, and ultimately decides to sing a duet with Walter Jr. instead of Andy. Andy, visibly upset, stops their singing and storms off. Soon there-after, Andy is confronted by his father for his "obnoxious attitude", which he turns into a browbeating on Andy as "manager of some rinky dink branch". This conversation is overheard by the other staff on the baby monitor Jim and Pam brought for their daughter, and Pam quickly turns off the monitor to let Andy save face. Darryl Philbin
(Craig Robinson) and Oscar Martinez
(Oscar Nunez
) later confide to the camera that they now understand why Andy feels he needs to prove himself to everyone. After his family leaves, a dejected Andy, feeling unwanted by his family and co-workers, says goodbye to the office staff as they turn the garden party into a barbecue. Darryl and Oscar, however, manage to convince Andy to stay with a cheeseburger and a beer, and they all satisfyingly watch as Dwight performs the closing ceremonies to the garden party.
Meanwhile, Dwight Schrute
(Rainn Wilson
) works to make the garden party a classy event. Dwight thoroughly reads a book called Throwing A Garden Party that he'd bought online, thinking it was a great buy. However, the book is revealed to be an elaborate prank, secretly written by Jim Halpert
(John Krasinski
) under the pseudonym "James Trickington". The book gives outlandish advice such as announcing each guest's name as they arrive in an extremely loud manner among other absurd "duties" (imitating The Last Supper in the middle of a meal, randomly dancing with his party staff, etc). Near the end of the episode, Andy and the staff look on in delight as Dwight and his workers perform a fire court dance (as part of the Trickington book) as closing ceremonies. The episode then ends with footage of Jim abusing Dwight's announcing duties by walking past him and then walking back again, prompting Dwight to shout his name each time he does so.
Pam Halpert (Jenna Fischer
) feuds with co-worker Angela Lipton
(Angela Kinsey
) over baby names. Pam and Angela learn they've both chosen the name Phillip for their soon-to-be-born sons, with Pam choosing to name her child after her deceased grandfather and Angela after the name of her favorite cat. Angela, visibly annoyed that Pam doesn't relinquish the name right away, later makes a toast to "my son Phillip" at the garden party--only to have Pam make the same toast but describe in great detail how the name honours her now-dead grandfather. Angela, unwilling to reveal her feline-centric reasons for the name, grouses to the camera that Pam is always copying her. In a deleted scene, Angela argues with Pam about the name again; when Pam dismisses her complaints, Angela says she will induce labor early to get the name first, and Pam is too stunned by this idiocy to respond.
, his 10th writing credit for the series. It was directed by series editor David Rogers
, his 4th directing credit for the series. Beginning with this episode, Mindy Kaling
was promoted to executive producer. Before this, it was speculated that she might not return to the series as a writer. The episode features guest appearance from Stephen Collins, Dee Wallace and Josh Groban
as Andy's father, mother and brother, respectively. Collins and Wallace were initially reported to appear on the series by Joyce Eng of TV Guide
. Collins reconfirmed this on Twitter
. He had previously worked with Office cast member Rainn Wilson
. Josh Groban was later reported to appear on the series the next day. Writer Mindy Kaling had sent Groban a message through Twitter
asking if he would want to appear on the series. He responded yes with the filming week of the episode lining up with his Los Angeles
concert for his Straight to You Tour
on August 17, 2011.
". The episode ranked third in its timeslot beating Person of Interest
which received a 2.7 rating/7% share in the 18-49 demographic and The Secret Circle
which received a 0.8 rating/2% share, but was defeated by Grey's Anatomy
which received a 3.4 rating/9% share and The X Factor
which received a 3.6 rating/10% share.
writer Alan Sepinwall stated that the episode "offered more laughs than some of this season's other episodes". Despite this, he criticized the episode's main plot with Andy commenting that "where giving Michael Scott power made him a funnier character than he would have been were he just another salesman, Andy has somehow become less funny since the promotion". Chris Plante of New York
called the episode "funny, weird, touching, and unpredictable. A gem, really". National Post
writer Barry Hertz compared the episode to "Booze Cruise", "Beach Games
" and "The Search
". M. Giant of Television without Pity gave the epsiode a B-.
The A.V. Club
reviewer Myles McNutt was more negative towards the episode writing that "Here, we have a case where an episode could have signaled at least some sense of what else the show might be interested in other than Andy as the well-meaning but hapless boss and Pam and Angela’s dueling pregnancies, and all we got were variations on those storylines with no new angle either narratively". He ultimately gave the episode a C. IGN
writer Cindy White considered the episode superior to previous "external" episodes "Christening
" and "Phyllis's Wedding", but considered it inferior to the Niagara
and the "classic" "Booze Cruise
". She critiziced the main plot for rehashing previous plot lines. She ultimately gave the episode a 7.0/10. Several critics praised the return of former Office writer, Michael Schur
as Mose Schrute. Barry Hertz said that "the sight gag of him running atop a field of cars like a watered-down Evel Knievel
was enough to give this episode an easy A".
The Office (U.S. season 8)
The eighth season of the American television comedy The Office premiered on September 22, 2011 on NBC. The Office is an American adaptation of the British TV series of the same name, and is presented in a mockumentary format, portraying the daily lives of office employees in the Scranton,...
of the American comedy
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 156th episode overall. The episode originally aired 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 United States on October 13, 2011. It was written by co-executive producer Justin Spitzer
Justin Spitzer
Justin Spitzer is an American television writer, whose credits include Scrubs and Courting Alex. He is currently serving as a staff writer on The Office...
and was directed by David Rogers
David Rogers (editor)
David Rogers is an Emmy Award-winning, American film editor, television director and producer best known for working on NewsRadio, Entourage and The Office...
. In the episode, Andy (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...
) throws a garden party at Schrute Farms to impress Robert (James Spader
James Spader
James Todd Spader is an American actor best known for his eccentric roles in movies such as Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Crash, Stargate, and Secretary...
), with his parents and brother in attendance. Meanwhile, Dwight (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...
) works to make it a classy event.
"Garden Party" received mostly positive reviews from critics with The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
writer Myles McNutt criticizing the episode for repeating plot ideas. According to Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
, "Garden Party" drew more than 6 million viewers and received a 3.2 rating/8% share in the 18-49 demographic, staying even with the previous episode, "Lotto
Lotto (The Office)
"Lotto" is the third episode of the eighth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 155th episode overall. It was written by Charlie Grandy and directed by cast member John Krasinski...
". It ranked third in its timeslot, and ranked as the highest rated NBC series on Thursday.
Plot
Andy decides to throws a garden party at Schrute Farms to impress both Robert CaliforniaRobert California
Robert California is a fictional character on The Office, played by James Spader. He has no counterpart on the original British version of the series.- Season 7 :...
(James Spader
James Spader
James Todd Spader is an American actor best known for his eccentric roles in movies such as Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Crash, Stargate, and Secretary...
) and his parents. Andy is noticeably jealous at the amount of attention his younger brother Walter Bernard, Jr. (Josh Groban
Josh Groban
Joshua Winslow "Josh" Groban is an American singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and record producer. His four solo albums have been certified at least multi-platinum, and in 2007, he was charted as the number-one best selling artist in the United States with over 21 million records in that country...
) receives from his father, and he thinks that by throwing an elaborate party he can ensure his father's blessings. At first, the party goes along smoothly. Andy decides to make a toast to Robert in order to get his fellow employees to toast him, as if to show to his parents and California that he is a respected individual among his employees. His plan backfires, however, and instead many people end up praising Robert. To get everybody's mind off of Robert, Andy decides to sing "More Than Words
More Than Words
"More Than Words" is a ballad written and originally performed by the rock band Extreme. It is built around acoustic guitar work by Nuno Bettencourt and the vocals of Gary Cherone . Released in 1990 on the album Extreme II: Pornograffiti, the song marked a departure from the funk metal that had...
" as a duet with his father. This too goes awry as his visibly-annoyed father corrects his playing and singing, and ultimately decides to sing a duet with Walter Jr. instead of Andy. Andy, visibly upset, stops their singing and storms off. Soon there-after, Andy is confronted by his father for his "obnoxious attitude", which he turns into a browbeating on Andy as "manager of some rinky dink branch". This conversation is overheard by the other staff on the baby monitor Jim and Pam brought for their daughter, and Pam quickly turns off the monitor to let Andy save face. Darryl Philbin
Darryl Philbin
Darryl Mathias Philbin is a fictional character from the US television series The Office. He is played by Craig Robinson.-Overview:Darryl Philbin is the foreman of the warehouse of the Scranton branch of fictitious paper distributor Dunder Mifflin....
(Craig Robinson) and Oscar Martinez
Oscar Martinez
Oscar Jual Paul Martinez is a fictional character from the US television series The Office. He is played by Oscar Nunez.-Overview:Oscar Martinez is an accountant at the paper distributor Dunder Mifflin. He is a first generation Mexican-American. Oscar is also openly homosexual after being...
(Oscar Nunez
Oscar Nunez
Oscar Nunez , sometimes credited as Oscar Núñez, is a Cuban American actor and comedian.He currently appears as Dunder Mifflin's paper supply accountant, Oscar Martinez, on NBC's The Office.-Career:...
) later confide to the camera that they now understand why Andy feels he needs to prove himself to everyone. After his family leaves, a dejected Andy, feeling unwanted by his family and co-workers, says goodbye to the office staff as they turn the garden party into a barbecue. Darryl and Oscar, however, manage to convince Andy to stay with a cheeseburger and a beer, and they all satisfyingly watch as Dwight performs the closing ceremonies to the garden party.
Meanwhile, 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...
) works to make the garden party a classy event. Dwight thoroughly reads a book called Throwing A Garden Party that he'd bought online, thinking it was a great buy. However, the book is revealed to be an elaborate prank, secretly written by Jim Halpert
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...
) under the pseudonym "James Trickington". The book gives outlandish advice such as announcing each guest's name as they arrive in an extremely loud manner among other absurd "duties" (imitating The Last Supper in the middle of a meal, randomly dancing with his party staff, etc). Near the end of the episode, Andy and the staff look on in delight as Dwight and his workers perform a fire court dance (as part of the Trickington book) as closing ceremonies. The episode then ends with footage of Jim abusing Dwight's announcing duties by walking past him and then walking back again, prompting Dwight to shout his name each time he does so.
Pam Halpert (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,...
) feuds with co-worker Angela Lipton
Angela Martin
Angela Noelle Martin is a fictional character from the US television series The Office played by American actress Angela Kinsey. She is an original character, and has no equivalent in the British version of the show, The Office.-Overview:...
(Angela Kinsey
Angela Kinsey
Angela Kinsey is an American actress. She currently appears as the uptight accountant Angela Martin on the hit NBC television series The Office.-Personal life:...
) over baby names. Pam and Angela learn they've both chosen the name Phillip for their soon-to-be-born sons, with Pam choosing to name her child after her deceased grandfather and Angela after the name of her favorite cat. Angela, visibly annoyed that Pam doesn't relinquish the name right away, later makes a toast to "my son Phillip" at the garden party--only to have Pam make the same toast but describe in great detail how the name honours her now-dead grandfather. Angela, unwilling to reveal her feline-centric reasons for the name, grouses to the camera that Pam is always copying her. In a deleted scene, Angela argues with Pam about the name again; when Pam dismisses her complaints, Angela says she will induce labor early to get the name first, and Pam is too stunned by this idiocy to respond.
Production
The episode was written by co-executive producer Justin SpitzerJustin Spitzer
Justin Spitzer is an American television writer, whose credits include Scrubs and Courting Alex. He is currently serving as a staff writer on The Office...
, his 10th writing credit for the series. It was directed by series editor David Rogers
David Rogers (editor)
David Rogers is an Emmy Award-winning, American film editor, television director and producer best known for working on NewsRadio, Entourage and The Office...
, his 4th directing credit for the series. Beginning with this episode, Mindy Kaling
Mindy Kaling
Vera Mindy Chokalingam , better known as Mindy Kaling, is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer who plays Kelly Kapoor on the NBC sitcom The Office. Kaling is also a co-executive producer and writer of several of the show's episodes.-Early life:Kaling was born Vera Chokalingam in...
was promoted to executive producer. Before this, it was speculated that she might not return to the series as a writer. The episode features guest appearance from Stephen Collins, Dee Wallace and Josh Groban
Josh Groban
Joshua Winslow "Josh" Groban is an American singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and record producer. His four solo albums have been certified at least multi-platinum, and in 2007, he was charted as the number-one best selling artist in the United States with over 21 million records in that country...
as Andy's father, mother and brother, respectively. Collins and Wallace were initially reported to appear on the series by Joyce Eng of TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
. Collins reconfirmed this on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
. He had previously worked with Office cast member 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...
. Josh Groban was later reported to appear on the series the next day. Writer Mindy Kaling had sent Groban a message through Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
asking if he would want to appear on the series. He responded yes with the filming week of the episode lining up with his 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...
concert for his Straight to You Tour
Straight to You Tour
The Straight to You Tour is the fourth concert tour by American recording artist Josh Groban. Visiting North America, Europe and Africa, the tour will support Groban's fifth studio album, Illuminations.-Background:...
on August 17, 2011.
Ratings
In its original American broadcast on October 13, 2011, "Garden Party" was viewed by an estimated 6.050 million viewers and received a 3.2 rating/8% share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49. This means that it was seen by 3.2% of all 18–49 years olds, and 8% of all 18–49 year olds watching television at the time of the broadcast. Although seeing a 3.8% increase in viewership, the episode stayed even in the ratings from the previous episode, "LottoLotto (The Office)
"Lotto" is the third episode of the eighth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 155th episode overall. It was written by Charlie Grandy and directed by cast member John Krasinski...
". The episode ranked third in its timeslot beating Person of Interest
Person of Interest (TV series)
Person of Interest is an American crime drama television series broadcasting on CBS. It is based on a screenplay developed by J. J. Abrams and Jonathan Nolan. The series was officially picked up by CBS on May 13, 2011, and debuted on September 22, 2011. On October 25, 2011 the show was picked up...
which received a 2.7 rating/7% share in the 18-49 demographic and The Secret Circle
The Secret Circle (TV series)
The Secret Circle is an American television series broadcast on The CW Television Network. It was developed by Andrew Miller, based on the book series of the same name written by L. J. Smith. On May 17, 2011, The CW announced they had picked up the pilot as a series...
which received a 0.8 rating/2% share, but was defeated by Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
which received a 3.4 rating/9% share and The X Factor
The X Factor (U.S.)
The X Factor is an American television music competition to find new singing talent. The show is produced by creator Simon Cowell's company SYCOtv. It premiered on September 21, 2011 on Fox....
which received a 3.6 rating/10% share.
Reviews
The episode received mostly positive reviews from critics. HitFixHitFix
HitFix, or the HitFix.com is an entertainment news website that launched in December 2008 specializing in breaking entertainment news, insider information and providing reviews and critiques of film, music and television...
writer Alan Sepinwall stated that the episode "offered more laughs than some of this season's other episodes". Despite this, he criticized the episode's main plot with Andy commenting that "where giving Michael Scott power made him a funnier character than he would have been were he just another salesman, Andy has somehow become less funny since the promotion". Chris Plante of New York
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
called the episode "funny, weird, touching, and unpredictable. A gem, really". National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
writer Barry Hertz compared the episode to "Booze Cruise", "Beach Games
Beach Games
"Beach Games" is the twenty-third episode of the third season of the US version of The Office, and is the 51st episode aired of the show. It was written by Jennifer Celotta and Greg Daniels and directed by film director Harold Ramis, who previously directed the episodes "A Benihana Christmas" and...
" and "The Search
The Search (The Office)
"The Search" is the fifteenth episode of seventh season of the American comedytelevision series The Office, and the show's 141st episode overall...
". M. Giant of Television without Pity gave the epsiode a B-.
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
reviewer Myles McNutt was more negative towards the episode writing that "Here, we have a case where an episode could have signaled at least some sense of what else the show might be interested in other than Andy as the well-meaning but hapless boss and Pam and Angela’s dueling pregnancies, and all we got were variations on those storylines with no new angle either narratively". He ultimately gave the episode a C. 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...
writer Cindy White considered the episode superior to previous "external" episodes "Christening
Christening (The Office)
"Christening" is the seventh episode of the seventh season of the American version of the comedy television series The Office and the show's 133rd episode overall...
" and "Phyllis's Wedding", but considered it inferior to the Niagara
Niagara (The Office)
"Niagara" is an hour-long episode of the sixth season of the U.S. comedy series The Office. It is the 4th and 5th episodes in the season's episode count and the 104th and 105th episode of the series overall. The episode was written by executive producer Greg Daniels and Mindy Kaling, and was...
and the "classic" "Booze Cruise
Booze cruise
Booze cruise is a British colloquial term for a brief trip from Britain to France or Belgium with the intent of taking advantage of lower prices, and buying personal supplies of alcohol or tobacco in bulk quantities...
". She critiziced the main plot for rehashing previous plot lines. She ultimately gave the episode a 7.0/10. Several critics praised the return of former Office writer, Michael Schur
Michael Schur
Michael Herbert Schur is an American television producer and writer, best known for his work on the NBC comedy series The Office and Parks and Recreation, the latter of which he co-created along with Greg Daniels...
as Mose Schrute. Barry Hertz said that "the sight gag of him running atop a field of cars like a watered-down Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel , born Robert Craig Knievel, was an American daredevil and entertainer. In his career he attempted over 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps between 1965 and 1980, and in 1974, a failed jump across Snake River Canyon in the Skycycle X-2, a steam-powered rocket...
was enough to give this episode an easy A".
External links
- "Garden Party" at NBC.comNBCThe 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...