Gay Witch Hunt
Encyclopedia
"Gay Witch Hunt" is the third season premiere of the American comedy
television series
The Office, and the show's twenty-ninth episode overall. Written by executive producer
and show runner
Greg Daniels
and directed by Ken Kwapis
, the episode first aired in the United States on September 21, 2006 on NBC
.
In the episode, Michael discovers that Oscar is gay
. Michael tries to show Oscar that he is accepting of his sexual orientation, but only ends up insulting him. It is also revealed that after kissing, Jim went through with transferring to Stamford, and Pam called off her engagement with Roy.
After calling Oscar Martinez
(Oscar Nunez
) "faggy
", Michael Scott
(Steve Carell
) learns that Oscar finds the word offensive because he is homosexual
. Michael inadvertently outs
Oscar to the entire office. Jan Levenson (Melora Hardin
) berates Michael for his behavior, after Michael's seminar on homosexuality is a disaster. When Oscar threatens to quit, Michael attempts to reconcile with Oscar, first by hugging him, and then kissing him on the lips. Oscar is given three months paid vacation and use of a company car in exchange for not suing Dunder Mifflin.
It is revealed that after their kiss, Pam Beesly
(Jenna Fischer
) confirmed to Jim Halpert
(John Krasinski
) her intention to marry Roy Anderson
(David Denman
). However, a few days before the wedding, Pam got cold feet
and decided to call it off. She moved into her own apartment and began taking art classes. Pam's rejection sent Roy into a downward spiral, hitting rock bottom with a drunk driving
arrest. When being interviewed by the camera crew, Roy makes a vow to win Pam back.
Jim has transferred to Dunder Mifflin's Stamford
branch and settles into his new office. He befriends smug co-worker Andy Bernard
(Ed Helms
) who brags about his wild college days at Cornell University
. Meanwhile, sales representative Karen Filippelli
(Rashida Jones
) is disconcerted by Jim's constant smirks to the camera.
Dwight had contacted Jim in Stamford regarding a "gaydar
" device. In the final moments, Dwight opens a package from Jim, a novelty "gaydar" machine fashioned from a metal detector and lettered with the prefixes "Homo" and "Hetero". He confirms the device on Oscar, but is dumbfounded when the device goes off as he inadvertently swipes it across his own belt buckle. Pam is then seen smiling to herself.
. Kwapis had previously directed "Pilot", "Diversity Day
", "Sexual Harassment", "The Fire", "The Fight", "Booze Cruise", and "Casino Night". "Gay Witch Hunt" was written by executive producer
and show runner
Greg Daniels
.
The kiss between Michael and Oscar in the conference room was not scripted. The scene had been shot a couple of times with Steve Carell
not kissing Oscar Nunez
. Then on one take, Oscar saw "his (Carell's) lips coming closer and closer". Nunez recalled "I'm like, 'Dear God, he's going to kiss me.' And sure enough, he planted one on my face." Then, as a joke, Rainn Wilson
got up and tried to do the same thing.
Deleted scenes
The Season Three DVD contains a number of deleted scenes from this episode. Notable cut scenes include:
for "Gay Witch Hunt" were up 23 percent from the second season premiere "`The Dundies
". During the 8:30 to 9:00 p.m. ET slot, "Gay Witch Hunt" ranked second among men ages 18–49 and 24–54 and first among men ages 18–34. The episode had more viewers between the ages of 18 and 49-years-old since "Dwight's Speech
", and the most overall since "Boys and Girls".
"Gay Witch Hunt" generally received praise from critics. TV Guide
's Matt Roush admitted that he "loved Oscar's self-deprecating reaction to his newfound notoriety". Roush said that when watching Michael "you can't help but forgive the idiot, while wondering how in the world he manages to keep his job," and that the kiss between Michael and Oscar was "horrifically funny". Steve West of Cinemablend.com stated that "the balance between laughing at Michael’s ineptitude and the discomfit of Oscar was handled so deftly that it’s a wonder the show became successful when similarly great writing in Arrested Development did nothing to garner viewers." James Fan from Northern Attack said that "the sight of her (Pam) finally taking matters into her own hands" was "almost as worthy of celebration (as the wedding itself)". Andy debuted to mixed emotions. While James Fan said that "Dwight Redux isn’t quite as lovable as the original", Steve West said that Andy's reaction to having his calculator put in Jell-O
was "hilarious but frightening".
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 twenty-ninth episode overall. Written by executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
and show runner
Show runner
Showrunner is a term of art originating in the United States and Canadian television industry referring to the person who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of a television seriesalthough such persons generally are credited as an executive producer...
Greg Daniels
Greg Daniels
Gregory Martin "Greg" Daniels is an American television comedy writer, producer, and director.-Life and career:...
and directed by Ken Kwapis
Ken Kwapis
Ken Kwapis is an American film and television director and screenwriter. He specialized in the single-camera sitcom in the 1990s and 2000s and has directed feature films such as Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and He's Just Not That Into...
, the episode first aired in the United States on September 21, 2006 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 discovers that Oscar is gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
. Michael tries to show Oscar that he is accepting of his sexual orientation, but only ends up insulting him. It is also revealed that after kissing, Jim went through with transferring to Stamford, and Pam called off her engagement with Roy.
Plot
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:...
) "faggy
Faggot (epithet)
Faggot, often shortened to fag, is a pejorative term and common slur used chiefly in North America against homosexual males. Its pejorative use has spread from the United States to varying extents elsewhere in the English-speaking world through mass culture, including movies, music, and the...
", Michael Scott
Michael 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...
) learns that Oscar finds the word offensive because he is homosexual
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
. Michael inadvertently outs
Outing
Outing is the act of disclosing a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person's true sexual orientation or gender identity without that person's consent. Outing gives rise to issues of privacy, choice, hypocrisy, and harm in addition to sparking debate on what constitutes common good in efforts...
Oscar to the entire office. Jan Levenson (Melora Hardin
Melora Hardin
Melora Diane Hardin is an American actress, best known for her roles as Jan Levinson on NBC's The Office and Trudy Monk on USA's Monk.-Early life:...
) berates Michael for his behavior, after Michael's seminar on homosexuality is a disaster. When Oscar threatens to quit, Michael attempts to reconcile with Oscar, first by hugging him, and then kissing him on the lips. Oscar is given three months paid vacation and use of a company car in exchange for not suing Dunder Mifflin.
It is revealed that after their kiss, 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,...
) confirmed to 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...
) her intention to marry Roy Anderson
Roy Anderson (The Office)
Royson "Roy" Allan Anderson is a fictional character from the US television series The Office, portrayed by David Denman. His counterpart in the original UK series of The Office is Lee.-Overview:...
(David Denman
David Denman
David Denman is an American film and television actor.-Education:After graduating from Fountain Valley High School, Denman attended the summer training congress at American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco before receiving his B.F.A. from Juilliard.-Career:He made his film debut with Keanu...
). However, a few days before the wedding, Pam got cold feet
Cold feet (metaphor)
Cold feet is apprehension or doubt strong enough to prevent a planned course of action.The origin of the term itself has been attributed to American author Stephen Crane, who added the phrase, in 1896, to the second edition of his short novel, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets.The behaviour may be...
and decided to call it off. She moved into her own apartment and began taking art classes. Pam's rejection sent Roy into a downward spiral, hitting rock bottom with a drunk driving
Driving under the influence
Driving under the influence is the act of driving a motor vehicle with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit...
arrest. When being interviewed by the camera crew, Roy makes a vow to win Pam back.
Jim has transferred to Dunder Mifflin's Stamford
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
branch and settles into his new office. He befriends smug co-worker 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...
) who brags about his wild college days at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
. Meanwhile, sales representative Karen Filippelli
Karen Filippelli
Karen Filippelli is a fictional character from the U.S. television series The Office. She is played by Rashida Jones. She is loosely based on the character of Rachel from the original UK version of the show, in that she transferred during the merger of the two branches, and became romantically...
(Rashida Jones
Rashida Jones
Rashida Leah Jones is an American film and television actress, comic book author, screenwriter and occasional singer. She played Louisa Fenn on Boston Public and Karen Filippelli on The Office as well as roles in the films I Love You, Man and The Social Network...
) is disconcerted by Jim's constant smirks to the camera.
Dwight had contacted Jim in Stamford regarding a "gaydar
Gaydar
Gaydar is a colloquialism referring to the intuitive ability of a person to assess others' sexual orientations as homosexual, bisexual, or heterosexual. Gaydar relies almost exclusively on non-verbal clues and LGBT stereotypes...
" device. In the final moments, Dwight opens a package from Jim, a novelty "gaydar" machine fashioned from a metal detector and lettered with the prefixes "Homo" and "Hetero". He confirms the device on Oscar, but is dumbfounded when the device goes off as he inadvertently swipes it across his own belt buckle. Pam is then seen smiling to herself.
Production
"Gay Witch Hunt" was the eighth episode of the series directed by Ken KwapisKen Kwapis
Ken Kwapis is an American film and television director and screenwriter. He specialized in the single-camera sitcom in the 1990s and 2000s and has directed feature films such as Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and He's Just Not That Into...
. Kwapis had previously directed "Pilot", "Diversity Day
Diversity Day
"Diversity Day" is the second episode of the first season of the American version of The Office. Written by B. J. Novak and directed by Ken Kwapis, it first aired in the United States on March 29, 2005, on NBC. The episode guest stars Office consulting producer Larry Wilmore as Mr...
", "Sexual Harassment", "The Fire", "The Fight", "Booze Cruise", and "Casino Night". "Gay Witch Hunt" was written by executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
and show runner
Show runner
Showrunner is a term of art originating in the United States and Canadian television industry referring to the person who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of a television seriesalthough such persons generally are credited as an executive producer...
Greg Daniels
Greg Daniels
Gregory Martin "Greg" Daniels is an American television comedy writer, producer, and director.-Life and career:...
.
The kiss between Michael and Oscar in the conference room was not scripted. The scene had been shot a couple of times with 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...
not kissing 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:...
. Then on one take, Oscar saw "his (Carell's) lips coming closer and closer". Nunez recalled "I'm like, 'Dear God, he's going to kiss me.' And sure enough, he planted one on my face." Then, as a joke, 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...
got up and tried to do the same thing.
Deleted scenes
The Season Three DVD contains a number of deleted scenes from this episode. Notable cut scenes include:
- Karen pulls a prank on Jim by setting his dial tone to call Hong Kong.
- Andy brags to Jim about his jumping skills comparing it to Michael Jordan.
- Michael asks Pam how she is holding up (since the wedding broke off), then advises her to buy a huge pillow if she gets lonely.
- Jan is furious at Michael.
Reception
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...
for "Gay Witch Hunt" were up 23 percent from the second season premiere "`The Dundies
The Dundies
"The Dundies" is the second season premiere of the American comedy television series The Office—the show's seventh episode overall. Written by Mindy Kaling and directed by Greg Daniels, who is also a producer for the show, the episode originally aired in the United States on September 20, 2005 on...
". During the 8:30 to 9:00 p.m. ET slot, "Gay Witch Hunt" ranked second among men ages 18–49 and 24–54 and first among men ages 18–34. The episode had more viewers between the ages of 18 and 49-years-old since "Dwight's Speech
Dwight's Speech
"Dwight's Speech" is the seventeenth episode of the second season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's twenty-third episode overall. Written by Paul Lieberstein, and directed by Charles McDougall, the episode first aired in the United States on March 2, 2006 on NBC.In...
", and the most overall since "Boys and Girls".
"Gay Witch Hunt" generally received praise from critics. 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...
's Matt Roush admitted that he "loved Oscar's self-deprecating reaction to his newfound notoriety". Roush said that when watching Michael "you can't help but forgive the idiot, while wondering how in the world he manages to keep his job," and that the kiss between Michael and Oscar was "horrifically funny". Steve West of Cinemablend.com stated that "the balance between laughing at Michael’s ineptitude and the discomfit of Oscar was handled so deftly that it’s a wonder the show became successful when similarly great writing in Arrested Development did nothing to garner viewers." James Fan from Northern Attack said that "the sight of her (Pam) finally taking matters into her own hands" was "almost as worthy of celebration (as the wedding itself)". Andy debuted to mixed emotions. While James Fan said that "Dwight Redux isn’t quite as lovable as the original", Steve West said that Andy's reaction to having his calculator put in Jell-O
Jell-O
Jell-O is a brand name belonging to U.S.-based Kraft Foods for a number of gelatin desserts, including fruit gels, puddings and no-bake cream pies. The brand's popularity has led to it being used as a generic term for gelatin dessert across the U.S. and Canada....
was "hilarious but frightening".
External links
- "Gay Witch Hunt" at NBC.com