Heavy Competition
Encyclopedia
"Heavy Competition" is the 24th episode of the fifth season of the television series The Office, and the 96th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC
in the United States on April 16, 2009. In the episode, Michael
enlists the help of Dwight
in getting Michael's new paper company off the ground, but the two eventually end up engaging in a war for each other's clients. Meanwhile, Jim
pretends to be afraid of his future with Pam
to play a prank on Andy
, who is still reeling over his recent break up with Angela
.
The episode was written by Ryan Koh
and directed by Ken Whittingham
. It included a guest appearance by Idris Elba
, who played new Dunder Mifflin vice president Charles Miner. The episode received generally positive reviews, and was voted the fourth best episode of the season in a poll at the fan site OfficeTally. According to Nielsen ratings
, it was watched by 8.24 million households, and was the most watched program among viewers aged between 18 and 49.
(Steve Carell
) and Dwight
(Rainn Wilson
) have been having secret meetings in the parking lot, where Dwight provides information about Dunder Mifflin so Michael can undercut the company. However, Dwight's loyalty is put to the test as Charles Miner
(Idris Elba
) seems to show more respect for Dwight than Michael ever did. Dwight brings Charles to the parking lot during one of the secret meetings, where Charles orders Michael to stop pestering Dwight. This begins a rivalry between Michael and Dwight, and Michael begins to steal Dwight's clients. Dwight asks for a truce and offers to take Michael and his employees out to lunch; Dwight does not go to the restaurant and instead sneaks into the empty Michael Scott Paper Company office and steals everything on Michael's desk, including his Rolodex
contact list, and places a dead fish in the air conditioning vent.
Meanwhile, Jim
(John Krasinski
) and Pam
(Jenna Fischer
) are attempting to get bargain deals on wedding plans from Andy
(Ed Helms
). When Pam turns down his ideas, Andy suspects that Pam might be acting controlling and cruelly to Jim, in the same way Angela
(Angela Kinsey
) treated Andy. Andy warns Jim, who tries to convince Andy that he and Pam are really happy. Andy remains convinced that Pam will betray him, so Jim asks Andy to provide for his emotional needs as a prank. After Jim feigns crying on Andy's shoulder, Andy blames the office for Jim's emotional troubles and asks them to apologize. Phyllis (Phyllis Smith) tells Andy that Jim is just messing with him. Andy does not believe her until he sees Jim grinning through the kitchen window. When Andy confronts Jim, Jim assures him that he and Pam are really happy and that Andy will find someone else one day.
Michael, Pam, and Ryan
(B.J. Novak) return to their office and believe they have been robbed. Dwight calls and reveals his treachery. Michael calls Dwight on the phone and tells Dwight he is going to steal his biggest client while he listens. Dwight races to the HarperCollins
office, where Michael and Dwight start fighting over the client. The client asks for both of their offers via email, and they agree to do so. Before leaving, Dwight then looks at the client's personal information from Michael's Rolodex card and asks him about his "gay son", which seemingly perturbs the client. Michael reveals his unusual system where he color codes personal information about his contacts so he knows what not to talk about. Michael is seen laughing with the client in the parking lot as Dwight returns to his car alone.
"Heavy Competition" was written by Ryan Koh and directed by Ken Whittingham
. It was the fifth of six episodes guest starring Idris Elba
, best known as Stringer Bell
from The Wire
. Elba said he did not watch the episode after it aired because "I'm hypercritical about my work, so I try not to torture myself." Rainn Wilson said he liked the episode because it demonstrated growth for his character and the relationship between Michael and Dwight; he said "I like the way they let characters grow and change on the show," and said of his character, "It's not the same acolyte ass kissing as season 2". Wilson said the moment Dwight spun around the HarperCollins secretary saying "Spin move", which was included in the script, was one of the most popular moments of the episode among the writers. Wilson said of filming the move, "We did like five spin moves and once I did a somersault. I thought I was being all nimble and quick, but no. I watch it and it looks like a manatee
doing ballet at Sea World
."
Immediately after "Heavy Competition" first aired, NBC
created a sub-page on their official "Angela and Andy" wedding site with the full version of Andy's "You Can Call Me Al
" a cappella
song, as well as an advertisement for their $9,000 wedding performances, both of which were featured in the episode itself. The official website for The Office included two cut scenes from "Heavy Competition". In the first 45-second clip, Michael tries to justify his use of Dwight for leads and Ryan expresses anger when Dwight steals his uncle's dry cleaning company as a client. In the second 50-second clip, Andy tries to sell Jim and Pam a Christian cross-shaped cake from his failed wedding with Angela, and Jim tells Andy he believes the whole office is against him.
". Andy presents a recording of his a capella group singing Pachelbel's Canon segueing into the Paul Simon
song "You Can Call Me Al". Dwight said under Michael's leadership, the office was like the Roman Empire
, the Wild West
, war-torn Poland
, and Poland
all at once. Andy vows to be Jim's "traveling pants", a reference to the young adult novel series The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
. Dwight describes Charles as "Will Smith
-esque", a reference to the American film actor. Michael and Dwight both court HarperCollins, an American publishing company, as a prospective paper client.
. It captured a 5.5 rating/11 share among viewers aged between 18 and 49, making it the most watched episode of the night among that age group. Additionally, the episode captured a 4.5 rating/14 share among viewers aged between 18 and 34.
The episode received generally positive reviews. Margaret Lyons of Entertainment Weekly
said she loved the chemistry between Michael and Dwight, and enjoyed the direction the Michael Scott Paper Company plot was going. She also liked the bond that was forming between Jim and Andy, and said Ed Helms was particularly good in "Heavy Competition". Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger
called the episode "just an awful lot of fun", and wrote having Michael and Dwight at odds with each other "forced both characters to be just human enough for the story and the jokes to breath". Sepinwall did not enjoy the Jim and Andy subplot, except for the final moment when Jim comforted Andy. Will Leitch of New York
magazine said, "This might have been the funniest Rainn Wilson has been in an episode all season, and that's saying something." Leitch also said B.J. Novak was particularly funny, and said he enjoyed being reminded that Michael is an excellent salesman.
Travis Fickett of IGN
said the new paper company continued to serve as a good change for the series, and the Michael and Dwight rivalry was a "fun development, and it feels as though the writers are taking great advantage of the (storyline)". Steve Mullen praised the episode not only for the Michael/Dwight war, but also for smaller moments like the cheese puff tosses and the messages Pam and Ryan wrote on a clipboard for Michael during his phone call; Mullen said, "I'm not sure any other 30 minute comedy currently on TV can even touch The Office." Robert Kuang of The Philadelphia Examiner gave the episode a 5/5 rating and said the episode was a lighter episode compared to "Dream Team
" and "The Michael Scott Paper Company" the previous week. Amy Stetts of The Express-Times
said the Michael Scott Paper Company plot "peaked" with this episode, and she genuinely could not predict how the storyline would end.
Not all reviews were positive. Although Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club
said the cheese puffs scene was "one of the most awesome cold open
s in recent memory", he also said "Heavy Competition" was "one of the weakest episodes of the Idris Elba cycle". Rabin also said Jim's treatment of Andy was mean-spirited and unfunny: "Jim tried to spin it into a character-building lesson for Andy but it left a bad taste all the same."
In her list of the top ten moments from the fifth season of The Office, phillyBurbs.com writer Jen Wielgus ranked Michael's formation of the Michael Scott Paper Company in the downstairs storage closet as number one, citing the "Dream Team", "Michael Scott Paper Company" and "Heavy Competition" episodes in particular. She also said she specifically enjoyed the cheese puff tossing scene, and the moment when Dwight dropped his clothes to show he was not wearing a wire, both scenes from "Heavy Competition". "Heavy Competition" was voted the fourth highest-rated episode out of 26 from the fifth season, according to an episode poll at the fansite OfficeTally; the episode was rated 8.66 out of 10.
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 April 16, 2009. In the episode, Michael
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...
enlists the help of Dwight
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...
in getting Michael's new paper company off the ground, but the two eventually end up engaging in a war for each other's clients. Meanwhile, Jim
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...
pretends to be afraid of his future with Pam
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....
to play a prank on Andy
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...
, who is still reeling over his recent break up with Angela
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:...
.
The episode was written by Ryan Koh
Ryan Koh
Ryan Koh is an American television writer and producer who is currently serving as a staff writer and co-producer on the ABC comedy series Cougar Town.- Early career :Koh began his writing career as a story editor on the fifth season of The Office...
and directed by Ken Whittingham
Ken Whittingham
Ken Whittingham is an American television director.His most notable directorial work includes a number of episodes from each of the television series 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, Suburgatory, The Middle, Parenthood, The Bernie Mac Show, Scrubs, Everybody Hates Chris, The Office, My Name Is Earl,...
. It included a guest appearance by Idris Elba
Idris Elba
Idrissa Akuna "Idris" Elba is a British television, theatre, and film actor. He has starred in both British and American productions. Elba grew up in Canning Town, East London. One of his first acting roles was in the soap opera Family Affairs. He has worked in a variety of TV roles including ...
, who played new Dunder Mifflin vice president Charles Miner. The episode received generally positive reviews, and was voted the fourth best episode of the season in a poll at the fan site OfficeTally. According to Nielsen ratings
Nielsen 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...
, it was watched by 8.24 million households, and was the most watched program among viewers aged between 18 and 49.
Plot
MichaelMichael 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...
) and Dwight
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...
) have been having secret meetings in the parking lot, where Dwight provides information about Dunder Mifflin so Michael can undercut the company. However, Dwight's loyalty is put to the test as Charles Miner
Charles Miner (The Office)
Charles Miner was the Vice President of Northeast Sales for Dunder Mifflin, having taken over the position vacated by Ryan and Jan. He is portrayed by Idris Elba.-Character history:Charles is first introduced in "New Boss"...
(Idris Elba
Idris Elba
Idrissa Akuna "Idris" Elba is a British television, theatre, and film actor. He has starred in both British and American productions. Elba grew up in Canning Town, East London. One of his first acting roles was in the soap opera Family Affairs. He has worked in a variety of TV roles including ...
) seems to show more respect for Dwight than Michael ever did. Dwight brings Charles to the parking lot during one of the secret meetings, where Charles orders Michael to stop pestering Dwight. This begins a rivalry between Michael and Dwight, and Michael begins to steal Dwight's clients. Dwight asks for a truce and offers to take Michael and his employees out to lunch; Dwight does not go to the restaurant and instead sneaks into the empty Michael Scott Paper Company office and steals everything on Michael's desk, including his Rolodex
Rolodex
A Rolodex is a rotating file device used to store business contact information currently manufactured by Newell Rubbermaid. The Rolodex holds specially shaped index cards; the user writes the contact information for one person or company on each card...
contact list, and places a dead fish in the air conditioning vent.
Meanwhile, Jim
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...
) and Pam
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,...
) are attempting to get bargain deals on wedding plans from Andy
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...
). When Pam turns down his ideas, Andy suspects that Pam might be acting controlling and cruelly to Jim, in the same way Angela
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:...
) treated Andy. Andy warns Jim, who tries to convince Andy that he and Pam are really happy. Andy remains convinced that Pam will betray him, so Jim asks Andy to provide for his emotional needs as a prank. After Jim feigns crying on Andy's shoulder, Andy blames the office for Jim's emotional troubles and asks them to apologize. Phyllis (Phyllis Smith) tells Andy that Jim is just messing with him. Andy does not believe her until he sees Jim grinning through the kitchen window. When Andy confronts Jim, Jim assures him that he and Pam are really happy and that Andy will find someone else one day.
Michael, Pam, and Ryan
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...
(B.J. Novak) return to their office and believe they have been robbed. Dwight calls and reveals his treachery. Michael calls Dwight on the phone and tells Dwight he is going to steal his biggest client while he listens. Dwight races to the HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
office, where Michael and Dwight start fighting over the client. The client asks for both of their offers via email, and they agree to do so. Before leaving, Dwight then looks at the client's personal information from Michael's Rolodex card and asks him about his "gay son", which seemingly perturbs the client. Michael reveals his unusual system where he color codes personal information about his contacts so he knows what not to talk about. Michael is seen laughing with the client in the parking lot as Dwight returns to his car alone.
Production
Ken Whittingham
Ken Whittingham is an American television director.His most notable directorial work includes a number of episodes from each of the television series 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, Suburgatory, The Middle, Parenthood, The Bernie Mac Show, Scrubs, Everybody Hates Chris, The Office, My Name Is Earl,...
. It was the fifth of six episodes guest starring Idris Elba
Idris Elba
Idrissa Akuna "Idris" Elba is a British television, theatre, and film actor. He has starred in both British and American productions. Elba grew up in Canning Town, East London. One of his first acting roles was in the soap opera Family Affairs. He has worked in a variety of TV roles including ...
, best known as Stringer Bell
Stringer Bell
Russell "Stringer" Bell is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by English actor Idris Elba. Bell served as drug kingpin Avon Barksdale's second in command, assuming direct control of the Barksdale Organization during Avon's imprisonment...
from The Wire
The WIRE
the WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...
. Elba said he did not watch the episode after it aired because "I'm hypercritical about my work, so I try not to torture myself." Rainn Wilson said he liked the episode because it demonstrated growth for his character and the relationship between Michael and Dwight; he said "I like the way they let characters grow and change on the show," and said of his character, "It's not the same acolyte ass kissing as season 2". Wilson said the moment Dwight spun around the HarperCollins secretary saying "Spin move", which was included in the script, was one of the most popular moments of the episode among the writers. Wilson said of filming the move, "We did like five spin moves and once I did a somersault. I thought I was being all nimble and quick, but no. I watch it and it looks like a manatee
Manatee
Manatees are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows...
doing ballet at Sea World
Sea World
Sea World is a marine mammal park, oceanarium, and theme park located on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It includes rides, animal exhibits and other attractions, and promotes conservation through education and through the rescue and rehabilitation of sick, injured or orphaned wildlife. The...
."
Immediately after "Heavy Competition" first aired, 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...
created a sub-page on their official "Angela and Andy" wedding site with the full version of Andy's "You Can Call Me Al
You Can Call Me Al
"You Can Call Me Al" is a song by Paul Simon, the first single released from his album Graceland. The song originally charted in the U.S. at No. 44 in October 1986 but it was reissued with greater promotion in March 1987 and hit No. 23. In the UK it peaked at No. 4, while in Sweden and the...
" a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
song, as well as an advertisement for their $9,000 wedding performances, both of which were featured in the episode itself. The official website for The Office included two cut scenes from "Heavy Competition". In the first 45-second clip, Michael tries to justify his use of Dwight for leads and Ryan expresses anger when Dwight steals his uncle's dry cleaning company as a client. In the second 50-second clip, Andy tries to sell Jim and Pam a Christian cross-shaped cake from his failed wedding with Angela, and Jim tells Andy he believes the whole office is against him.
Cultural references
Michael, Pam and Ryan have lunch at Alfredo's Pizza Café, a reference to the restaurant first referenced in the fourth season episode "Launch PartyLaunch Party
"Launch Party" is the fifth episode of the fourth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's fifty-eighth episode overall. The episode was written by Jennifer Celotta and directed by Ken Whittingham...
". Andy presents a recording of his a capella group singing Pachelbel's Canon segueing into the Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
song "You Can Call Me Al". Dwight said under Michael's leadership, the office was like the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, the Wild West
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
, war-torn Poland
History of Poland (1939–1945)
The history of Poland from 1939 to 1945 encompasses the German invasion of Poland as well as the Soviet invasion of Poland through to the end of World War II. On 1 September 1939, without a formal declaration of war, Germany invaded Poland...
, and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
all at once. Andy vows to be Jim's "traveling pants", a reference to the young adult novel series The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is a best selling novel written in 2001 by Ann Brashares. The book follows the adventures of four best friends—Lena Kaligaris, Tibby Rollins, Bridget Vreeland, and Carmen Lowell, who will be spending their first summer apart. When a magical pair of jeans comes...
. Dwight describes Charles as "Will Smith
Will Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
-esque", a reference to the American film actor. Michael and Dwight both court HarperCollins, an American publishing company, as a prospective paper client.
Reception
In its original American broadcast on April 16, 2009, "Heavy Competition" was watched by 8.24 million households, according to 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...
. It captured a 5.5 rating/11 share among viewers aged between 18 and 49, making it the most watched episode of the night among that age group. Additionally, the episode captured a 4.5 rating/14 share among viewers aged between 18 and 34.
The episode received generally positive reviews. Margaret Lyons 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...
said she loved the chemistry between Michael and Dwight, and enjoyed the direction the Michael Scott Paper Company plot was going. She also liked the bond that was forming between Jim and Andy, and said Ed Helms was particularly good in "Heavy Competition". Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
called the episode "just an awful lot of fun", and wrote having Michael and Dwight at odds with each other "forced both characters to be just human enough for the story and the jokes to breath". Sepinwall did not enjoy the Jim and Andy subplot, except for the final moment when Jim comforted Andy. Will Leitch of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
magazine said, "This might have been the funniest Rainn Wilson has been in an episode all season, and that's saying something." Leitch also said B.J. Novak was particularly funny, and said he enjoyed being reminded that Michael is an excellent salesman.
Travis Fickett of 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...
said the new paper company continued to serve as a good change for the series, and the Michael and Dwight rivalry was a "fun development, and it feels as though the writers are taking great advantage of the (storyline)". Steve Mullen praised the episode not only for the Michael/Dwight war, but also for smaller moments like the cheese puff tosses and the messages Pam and Ryan wrote on a clipboard for Michael during his phone call; Mullen said, "I'm not sure any other 30 minute comedy currently on TV can even touch The Office." Robert Kuang of The Philadelphia Examiner gave the episode a 5/5 rating and said the episode was a lighter episode compared to "Dream Team
Dream Team (The Office)
"Dream Team" is the twenty-second episode of the fifth season of the television series The Office, and the 94th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on April 9, 2009. In the episode, Pam and Michael try to keep each other motivated as the two form their new...
" and "The Michael Scott Paper Company" the previous week. Amy Stetts of The Express-Times
The Express-Times
The Express-Times is a daily newspaper published in Easton, Pennsylvania, with an emphasis on local news. It has won awards in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania.-Ownership:...
said the Michael Scott Paper Company plot "peaked" with this episode, and she genuinely could not predict how the storyline would end.
Not all reviews were positive. Although Nathan Rabin of 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...
said the cheese puffs scene was "one of the most awesome cold open
Cold open
A cold open in a television program or movie is the technique of jumping directly into a story at the beginning or opening of the show, before the title sequence or opening credits are shown...
s in recent memory", he also said "Heavy Competition" was "one of the weakest episodes of the Idris Elba cycle". Rabin also said Jim's treatment of Andy was mean-spirited and unfunny: "Jim tried to spin it into a character-building lesson for Andy but it left a bad taste all the same."
In her list of the top ten moments from the fifth season of The Office, phillyBurbs.com writer Jen Wielgus ranked Michael's formation of the Michael Scott Paper Company in the downstairs storage closet as number one, citing the "Dream Team", "Michael Scott Paper Company" and "Heavy Competition" episodes in particular. She also said she specifically enjoyed the cheese puff tossing scene, and the moment when Dwight dropped his clothes to show he was not wearing a wire, both scenes from "Heavy Competition". "Heavy Competition" was voted the fourth highest-rated episode out of 26 from the fifth season, according to an episode poll at the fansite OfficeTally; the episode was rated 8.66 out of 10.
External links
- "Heavy Competition" 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...