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New Boss (The Office)
Encyclopedia
"New Boss" is the twentieth episode of the fifth season of the television series The Office, and the 92nd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC
in the United States
on March 19, 2009. In the episode, Michael Scott
is disturbed by the arrival of his new no-nonsense superior Charles Miner
, played by The Wire
star Idris Elba
, making his first of six slated guest appearances with The Office. Meanwhile, Jim
struggles to make a good impression on Charles, and Angela
and Kelly
both develop crushes on their new boss.
The episode was written by Lee Eisenberg
and Gene Stupnitsky
, and directed by Paul Feig
. It received generally positive reviews from television critics, particularly for the twist of Michael's resignation, which multiple reviewers said added a fresh new change to the series. According to Nielsen ratings
, "New Boss" was watched by 7.95 million overall viewers in its original airing.
(Steve Carell
) wants to throw a party to celebrate his fifteenth anniversary working at Dunder Mifflin. He becomes unnerved when Charles Miner
(Idris Elba
), the new company vice president, exhibits a no-nonsense attitude towards him, making Michael not feel like his own boss. Charles seems to establish a good relationship with the rest of the staff; he buys everyone lunch and reveals the truth about their 401(k)
plans and the possibility of layoffs, which Michael withheld so as not to worry the staff. Taking advice from Chief Financial Officer David Wallace
(Andrew Buckley
), Michael tries to become better acquainted with Charles, but is unsuccessful. Michael attempts to contact Wallace on the phone, one attempt leading to getting transferred to Charles. When Charles catches the Party Planning Committee planning Michael's party during office hours, he dissolves the committee and cancel Michael's party. Michael decides to drive to New York to talk to Wallace.
Meanwhile, Jim
(John Krasinski
) arrives at work wearing a tuxedo in response to a memo written by Dwight
(Rainn Wilson
) ordering employees to follow the company dress code more strictly. This leads to an awkward first encounter with Charles as Jim has to explain why he wore a tuxedo. This does not amuse Charles, who seems to lack a sense of humor. Jim's activity throughout the day is scrutinized by Charles, more so when Charles notes Jim's idea of a "two-way petting zoo" for Michael's party. When Jim tries to smooth things over with Charles, Charles condescends to Jim, questioning the necessity of Jim's position as Assistant Regional Manager, referring to it as made-up. However, this is clearly not the case as seen in Branch Closing
when Jan offers Jim the number two spot in the Scranton Branch, which he accepts. When Charles leaves, Jim tries to say goodbye, with no response. Jim jokes that his career could be over.
Angela
(Angela Kinsey
) and Kelly
(Mindy Kaling
) develop crushes on Charles. They flirt with him, leaving him uncomfortable. At the end of the day Kelly puts on more makeup to tempt Charles into asking her out, but he has already left. Kelly runs out to the parking lot where she finds Angela holding Charles's scarf and starts chasing her. Angela mentions that Charles deserves better than Kelly.
In New York, Michael manages to talk to Wallace, who has seemingly been avoiding him, and complains that it is unfair that he has to drive to New York in order to talk to him instead of on the phone, and that he deserves more respect after being at Dunder Mifflin for fifteen years. David agrees to fund an anniversary party for him and attend, but Michael abruptly announces his resignation from the company and walks out.
and Gene Stupnitsky
and directed by Paul Feig
. Executive story editor Charlie Grandy conceived the idea of Michael leaving Dunder Mifflin. "New Boss" was the first of six episodes Idris Elba
was set to guest star in as Charles, Michael's new Dunder Mifflin superior. It was his first role in a comedy and his first television appearance since leaving his regular role on HBO's The Wire
, where he played the character Stringer Bell
. Elba, a fan of The Office, said, "The creators of the show called me, said they wanted to put me in as this new character, that I’d be perfect for it, and I was honored, so I said yeah. [...] I’m still playing the straight guy, but he’s kind of got a bit of a quirk to him." The writing staff for The Office are fans of The Wire, and have referred to the show in previous episodes. Of the six episodes Elba appeared in, he said "New Boss" was the only one he watched immediately after they aired because, "I'm hypercritical about my work, so I try not to torture myself." Elba is the second actor from The Wire to appear on The Office, after actress Amy Ryan
, who played Michael's love interest Holly Flax
. Paul Lieberstein
, the Office producer who also plays Toby
, said Elba's work on The Wire made him "a really interesting and great foil for Michael". John Krasinski said Elba was initially an intimidating presence on the set, due to the ruthless character he plays on The Wire. However, Krasinski said Elba proved to be "incredibly nice and incredibly funny".
The official The Office website included three cut scenes from "New Boss" within a week of the episode's original release. One clip includes Andy
, Creed
, Oscar
and Meredith
gossiping about Charles; Andy says, "I'm telling you, when corporate sends somebody it is big trouble, or really good news, and then again sometimes it just means business as usual." Another clip features Jim expressing his worries to Pam about Charles's apparent distaste for him, as Pam playfully makes fun of Jim. The video ends with Pam asking Jim to leave her workspace because, "I don't want him to keep seeing us together."
In what some reporters described as a continuity error, Charles Miner refers to Jim's second-in-command position as "made up", but the position is real and Jim was officially hired for it in the third season episode "Branch Closing
". When asked by a fan about the apparent inconsistency, The Office writer Aaron Shure
said he believed it was because "Charles is clearly not great at reading people and he's headstrong", and the fact that Jim does not normally care about titles, so he was not used to having to defend himself in such a way. However, Shure admitted he was "(trying) to wiggle out of this one" with his answer.
's character Charles Miner is introduced into this episode as Vice President of Dunder Mifflin, making him second in command. Idris plays a similar role in The Wire
, where his character Stringer Bell
is second in command for the Barksdale Organization
.
Kelly describes Charles as a "black George Clooney
", a reference to the Academy Award-winning actor. The party planning committee discusses hiring Cirque du Soleil
, the Quebec
entertainment company, for Michael's anniversary party. Charles's previous employer, Saticoy Steel, is a reference to Saticoy Street, the street on which The Office set is located in Panorama City, California. Pam mentions that Michael often uses a Ace Ventura
"talking butt thing", a reference to Jim Carrey
's comedic routine in the 1994 film, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
. In describing the sacrifices he said he has made for his career, Michael said he has never driven his car to the top of Mount Washington
, the New Hampshire
mountain which is the tallest peak in the Northeastern United States
. Jim cites Mr. Peanut
, the mascot
of Planters
, as an example of a classy character, prompting Dwight to respond, "Mr. Peanut is not classy. He is a regular peanut. He just happens to have a cane, a monocle and a top hat."
of 3.9 among adults aged between 18 and 49, and 4.4 among ages 18 to 34. The episode received generally positive reviews. Marc Hirsh of National Public Radio said the addition of the no-nonsense Charles Miner character infused a sense of reality into The Office, which he said was growing increasingly wacky and out of control: "[The episode] may, in fact, have been one of the most important episodes of the entire series, acting as a corrective to the show's increasing flirtations with ridiculousness. The characters of The Office have lived in a bubble for long enough." Travis Fickett of IGN
said "New Boss" brought a badly needed change to the series, which he said had been in a "stagnant state" over the last several episodes. Fickett said Steve Carell gave "a tour de force" as Michael saw his power slip away, and he called the final scene when Michael quit as one of the show's biggest moments. He said, "Watching Miner work like a monkey wrench thrown into the works is the most fun I've had watching this show in a long time." Shahzad Abbas of TV Guide said, "Overall, this was a terrific episode, tightly structured, some nice laugh-out loud moments, and a genuine shocker at the end that was completely consistent with Michael's personality."
Alan Sepinwall, television critic for The Star-Ledger
, said the episode was satisfying, although he felt it was short on laughs, except for Jim's antics with the tuxedo and the episode's documentary-style interviews. Sepinwall particularly praised the twist of Michael quitting and said he looked forward to seeing where the subplot went. Jeff Labrecque said "watching Jim flail for approval (was) one of the episode's most awkward delights", but he said the episode was really about "the type of man Michael Scott really is". Labrecque also said he looked forward to seeing how Michael regained his job, and raised the suggestion that the reason Michael clashed so much with Charles was because he was intimidated by the man's race. Brian Howard of The Journal News
said, "For 22 minutes of not much fun and only some funny, 'New Boss' was a pretty good episode." He particularly liked the ending, which he said he did not see coming and served as a kind of redemption for Michael; Howard also liked Pam's documentary interviews and Jim's failed efforts to make a good impression to Charles. Several reviewers particularly praised the line about the "two-way petting zoo", a zoo in which people pet the animals and the animals pet back.
Joshua Alston of Newsweek
criticized the episode and the introduction of the Charles character. Although Alston said Elba's acting was fine, he said the character "sucked the funny out of every scene he was in" and created an awkwardness inappropriate for the show. During the week following the episode's original broadcast, many fans theorized on the Internet that Michael said "I acquit" rather than "I quit", and that Michael's supposed resignation was something of a prank. Jenna Fischer
, who plays Pam on The Office, addressed this issue on her MySpace
blog, saying, "He said 'I quit'. And he meant it. You will see how it all plays out this week on the show."
The introduction of Charles Miner ranked number 3 in phillyBurbs.com' s top ten moments from the fifth season of The Office.
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
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on March 19, 2009. In the episode, 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...
is disturbed by the arrival of his new no-nonsense superior 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"...
, played by 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...
star 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 ...
, making his first of six slated guest appearances with The Office. 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...
struggles to make a good impression on Charles, and 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:...
and Kelly
Kelly Kapoor
Kelly Rajnigandha Kapoor , is a fictional character from the US television series, The Office. She is played by Mindy Kaling, who is also a writer and producer for the show....
both develop crushes on their new boss.
The episode was written by Lee Eisenberg
Lee Eisenberg
Lee Eisenberg is a film and television writer. He usually works with Gene Stupnitsky.-Life and career:In television, he wrote for the NBC comedy series The Office from seasons 2 to 6, and served as a co-executive producer and directed two episodes with Stupnitsky, "Michael Scott Paper Company" and...
and Gene Stupnitsky
Gene Stupnitsky
Gene Stupnitsky is a film and television writer. He usually works with Lee Eisenberg.In television, he wrote for the NBC comedy series The Office from seasons 2 to 6, and served as a co-executive producer and directed two episodes with Eisenberg, "Michael Scott Paper Company" and "The Lover"...
, and directed by Paul Feig
Paul Feig
Paul S. Feig is an American director, actor and author. Feig is known for playing Mr. Eugene Pool, Sabrina's science teacher, on the first season of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch as well as Tim a camp counselor on the hit kids movie Heavyweights...
. It received generally positive reviews from television critics, particularly for the twist of Michael's resignation, which multiple reviewers said added a fresh new change to the series. 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...
, "New Boss" was watched by 7.95 million overall viewers in its original airing.
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...
) wants to throw a party to celebrate his fifteenth anniversary working at Dunder Mifflin. He becomes unnerved when 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 ...
), the new company vice president, exhibits a no-nonsense attitude towards him, making Michael not feel like his own boss. Charles seems to establish a good relationship with the rest of the staff; he buys everyone lunch and reveals the truth about their 401(k)
401(k)
A 401 is a type of retirement savings account in the United States, which takes its name from subsection of the Internal Revenue Code . A contributor can begin to withdraw funds after reaching the age of 59 1/2 years...
plans and the possibility of layoffs, which Michael withheld so as not to worry the staff. Taking advice from Chief Financial Officer David Wallace
David Wallace (The Office)
David Wallace is a character in the American television show The Office and was the chief financial officer of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, before being fired in late 2009 after the company was bought by Sabre. He is portrayed by Andy Buckley.- Character history :David Wallace was...
(Andrew Buckley
Andrew Buckley
Andy Buckley is an American actor, screenwriter and stock broker who is known for his role as David Wallace on the American television show The Office from 2006 to 2011.-Background:...
), Michael tries to become better acquainted with Charles, but is unsuccessful. Michael attempts to contact Wallace on the phone, one attempt leading to getting transferred to Charles. When Charles catches the Party Planning Committee planning Michael's party during office hours, he dissolves the committee and cancel Michael's party. Michael decides to drive to New York to talk to Wallace.
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...
) arrives at work wearing a tuxedo in response to a memo written by 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...
) ordering employees to follow the company dress code more strictly. This leads to an awkward first encounter with Charles as Jim has to explain why he wore a tuxedo. This does not amuse Charles, who seems to lack a sense of humor. Jim's activity throughout the day is scrutinized by Charles, more so when Charles notes Jim's idea of a "two-way petting zoo" for Michael's party. When Jim tries to smooth things over with Charles, Charles condescends to Jim, questioning the necessity of Jim's position as Assistant Regional Manager, referring to it as made-up. However, this is clearly not the case as seen in Branch Closing
Branch Closing
"Branch Closing" is the seventh episode of the third season of The Office . It was first aired on November 9, 2006 on NBC. It was written by Michael Schur and directed by Tucker Gates. It is the first episode to have a "Producer's Cut" on NBC.com, with deleted scenes edited into the full episode...
when Jan offers Jim the number two spot in the Scranton Branch, which he accepts. When Charles leaves, Jim tries to say goodbye, with no response. Jim jokes that his career could be over.
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:...
) and Kelly
Kelly Kapoor
Kelly Rajnigandha Kapoor , is a fictional character from the US television series, The Office. She is played by Mindy Kaling, who is also a writer and producer for the show....
(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...
) develop crushes on Charles. They flirt with him, leaving him uncomfortable. At the end of the day Kelly puts on more makeup to tempt Charles into asking her out, but he has already left. Kelly runs out to the parking lot where she finds Angela holding Charles's scarf and starts chasing her. Angela mentions that Charles deserves better than Kelly.
In New York, Michael manages to talk to Wallace, who has seemingly been avoiding him, and complains that it is unfair that he has to drive to New York in order to talk to him instead of on the phone, and that he deserves more respect after being at Dunder Mifflin for fifteen years. David agrees to fund an anniversary party for him and attend, but Michael abruptly announces his resignation from the company and walks out.
Production
"New Boss" was written by Lee EisenbergLee Eisenberg
Lee Eisenberg is a film and television writer. He usually works with Gene Stupnitsky.-Life and career:In television, he wrote for the NBC comedy series The Office from seasons 2 to 6, and served as a co-executive producer and directed two episodes with Stupnitsky, "Michael Scott Paper Company" and...
and Gene Stupnitsky
Gene Stupnitsky
Gene Stupnitsky is a film and television writer. He usually works with Lee Eisenberg.In television, he wrote for the NBC comedy series The Office from seasons 2 to 6, and served as a co-executive producer and directed two episodes with Eisenberg, "Michael Scott Paper Company" and "The Lover"...
and directed by Paul Feig
Paul Feig
Paul S. Feig is an American director, actor and author. Feig is known for playing Mr. Eugene Pool, Sabrina's science teacher, on the first season of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch as well as Tim a camp counselor on the hit kids movie Heavyweights...
. Executive story editor Charlie Grandy conceived the idea of Michael leaving Dunder Mifflin. "New Boss" was the first of six episodes 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 ...
was set to guest star in as Charles, Michael's new Dunder Mifflin superior. It was his first role in a comedy and his first television appearance since leaving his regular role on HBO's 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...
, where he played the character 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...
. Elba, a fan of The Office, said, "The creators of the show called me, said they wanted to put me in as this new character, that I’d be perfect for it, and I was honored, so I said yeah. [...] I’m still playing the straight guy, but he’s kind of got a bit of a quirk to him." The writing staff for The Office are fans of The Wire, and have referred to the show in previous episodes. Of the six episodes Elba appeared in, he said "New Boss" was the only one he watched immediately after they aired because, "I'm hypercritical about my work, so I try not to torture myself." Elba is the second actor from The Wire to appear on The Office, after actress Amy Ryan
Amy Ryan
Amy Ryan is an American actress. She has been nominated for an Academy Award and Golden Globe for her performance in Gone Baby Gone and is also known for her roles in the HBO series The Wire, playing Port Authority Officer Beadie Russell; In Treatment, playing psychiatrist Adele Brousse; and The...
, who played Michael's love interest Holly Flax
Holly Flax
Hollis "Holly" Partridge Flax is a fictional character from the US television series The Office played by Amy Ryan. She was an original character, and not based on a character from the British version of the show...
. 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...
, the Office producer who also plays Toby
Toby Flenderson
Toby Wyatt Flenderson, M.S.W. born 1971 is a character from the US television series The Office. He is played by Paul Lieberstein. He is an original character and has no equivalent in the British version of the show, The Office.-Overview:...
, said Elba's work on The Wire made him "a really interesting and great foil for Michael". John Krasinski said Elba was initially an intimidating presence on the set, due to the ruthless character he plays on The Wire. However, Krasinski said Elba proved to be "incredibly nice and incredibly funny".
The official The Office website included three cut scenes from "New Boss" within a week of the episode's original release. One clip includes 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...
, Creed
Creed Bratton (character)
Creed Rowland Bratton a.k.a. "William Charles Schneider" is a fictional character from the U.S. television series The Office. Confusion may arise from the fact that the character is played by and partially based on the musician of the same name, Creed Bratton...
, Oscar
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:...
and Meredith
Meredith Palmer
Meredith Elizabeth Palmer is a fictional character from the US television series The Office. She is played by Kate Flannery. She is an original character and has no equivalent in the British version of the show, The Office....
gossiping about Charles; Andy says, "I'm telling you, when corporate sends somebody it is big trouble, or really good news, and then again sometimes it just means business as usual." Another clip features Jim expressing his worries to Pam about Charles's apparent distaste for him, as Pam playfully makes fun of Jim. The video ends with Pam asking Jim to leave her workspace because, "I don't want him to keep seeing us together."
In what some reporters described as a continuity error, Charles Miner refers to Jim's second-in-command position as "made up", but the position is real and Jim was officially hired for it in the third season episode "Branch Closing
Branch Closing
"Branch Closing" is the seventh episode of the third season of The Office . It was first aired on November 9, 2006 on NBC. It was written by Michael Schur and directed by Tucker Gates. It is the first episode to have a "Producer's Cut" on NBC.com, with deleted scenes edited into the full episode...
". When asked by a fan about the apparent inconsistency, The Office writer Aaron Shure
Aaron Shure
Aaron Shure is a TV writer/producer and two-time Emmy winner. Shure was an executive producer of Everybody Loves Raymond for which he won two Emmy awards in the "Outstanding Comedy Series" category...
said he believed it was because "Charles is clearly not great at reading people and he's headstrong", and the fact that Jim does not normally care about titles, so he was not used to having to defend himself in such a way. However, Shure admitted he was "(trying) to wiggle out of this one" with his answer.
Cultural references
Idris ElbaIdris 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 ...
's character Charles Miner is introduced into this episode as Vice President of Dunder Mifflin, making him second in command. Idris plays a similar role in 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...
, where his character 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...
is second in command for the Barksdale Organization
Barksdale Organization
In the television series The Wire, the fictional Barksdale Organization led by Avon Barksdale began as the most powerful and violent drug crew in Baltimore, Maryland and was the main focus of investigation in seasons one and three...
.
Kelly describes Charles as a "black George Clooney
George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...
", a reference to the Academy Award-winning actor. The party planning committee discusses hiring Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
, the Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
entertainment company, for Michael's anniversary party. Charles's previous employer, Saticoy Steel, is a reference to Saticoy Street, the street on which The Office set is located in Panorama City, California. Pam mentions that Michael often uses a Ace Ventura
Ace Ventura
Ace Ventura is a fictional character, created by screenwriters Jack Bernstein, Tom Shadyac and Steve Oedekerk. Ace was played by Jim Carrey in the films He was voiced by Michael Daingerfield in the animated television series.-Biography:Ace is a...
"talking butt thing", a reference to Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
's comedic routine in the 1994 film, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective is a 1994 American comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac and starring Jim Carrey. It co-stars Courteney Cox, Tone Loc, Sean Young and former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino....
. In describing the sacrifices he said he has made for his career, Michael said he has never driven his car to the top of Mount Washington
Mount Washington (New Hampshire)
Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at , famous for dangerously erratic weather. For 76 years, a weather observatory on the summit held the record for the highest wind gust directly measured at the Earth's surface, , on the afternoon of April 12, 1934...
, the New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
mountain which is the tallest peak in the Northeastern United States
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
. Jim cites Mr. Peanut
Mr. Peanut
Mr. Peanut is the advertising logo and mascot of Planters, an American snack-food company and division of Kraft Foods. He consists of a drawing of an anthropomorphic peanut in its shell dressed in the formal clothing of an old-fashioned gentleman: a top hat, monocle, white gloves, spats, and a...
, the mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
of Planters
Planters
Planters is an American snack food company, a division of Kraft Foods, best known for its processed nuts and for the Mr. Peanut icon that symbolizes them. Mr. Peanut was created by grade schooler Antonio Gentile for a 1916 contest to design the company's brand icon...
, as an example of a classy character, prompting Dwight to respond, "Mr. Peanut is not classy. He is a regular peanut. He just happens to have a cane, a monocle and a top hat."
Reception
In its original American broadcast on March 19, 2009, "New Boss" was watched by 7.95 million overall viewers and received a Nielsen ratingNielsen 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...
of 3.9 among adults aged between 18 and 49, and 4.4 among ages 18 to 34. The episode received generally positive reviews. Marc Hirsh of National Public Radio said the addition of the no-nonsense Charles Miner character infused a sense of reality into The Office, which he said was growing increasingly wacky and out of control: "[The episode] may, in fact, have been one of the most important episodes of the entire series, acting as a corrective to the show's increasing flirtations with ridiculousness. The characters of The Office have lived in a bubble for long enough." 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 "New Boss" brought a badly needed change to the series, which he said had been in a "stagnant state" over the last several episodes. Fickett said Steve Carell gave "a tour de force" as Michael saw his power slip away, and he called the final scene when Michael quit as one of the show's biggest moments. He said, "Watching Miner work like a monkey wrench thrown into the works is the most fun I've had watching this show in a long time." Shahzad Abbas of TV Guide said, "Overall, this was a terrific episode, tightly structured, some nice laugh-out loud moments, and a genuine shocker at the end that was completely consistent with Michael's personality."
Alan Sepinwall, television critic for 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...
, said the episode was satisfying, although he felt it was short on laughs, except for Jim's antics with the tuxedo and the episode's documentary-style interviews. Sepinwall particularly praised the twist of Michael quitting and said he looked forward to seeing where the subplot went. Jeff Labrecque said "watching Jim flail for approval (was) one of the episode's most awkward delights", but he said the episode was really about "the type of man Michael Scott really is". Labrecque also said he looked forward to seeing how Michael regained his job, and raised the suggestion that the reason Michael clashed so much with Charles was because he was intimidated by the man's race. Brian Howard of The Journal News
The Journal News
The Journal News is a newspaper in New York serving the suburban New York City counties of Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam, a region known as the Lower Hudson Valley. It is owned by the Gannett Company, Inc. The Journal News was created through a merger of several daily community newspapers...
said, "For 22 minutes of not much fun and only some funny, 'New Boss' was a pretty good episode." He particularly liked the ending, which he said he did not see coming and served as a kind of redemption for Michael; Howard also liked Pam's documentary interviews and Jim's failed efforts to make a good impression to Charles. Several reviewers particularly praised the line about the "two-way petting zoo", a zoo in which people pet the animals and the animals pet back.
Joshua Alston of Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
criticized the episode and the introduction of the Charles character. Although Alston said Elba's acting was fine, he said the character "sucked the funny out of every scene he was in" and created an awkwardness inappropriate for the show. During the week following the episode's original broadcast, many fans theorized on the Internet that Michael said "I acquit" rather than "I quit", and that Michael's supposed resignation was something of a prank. 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,...
, who plays Pam on The Office, addressed this issue on her MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
blog, saying, "He said 'I quit'. And he meant it. You will see how it all plays out this week on the show."
The introduction of Charles Miner ranked number 3 in phillyBurbs.com
External links
- "New Boss" 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...