Pam's Replacement
Encyclopedia
"Pam's Replacement" is the seventh episode of the eighth season
of the American comedy
television series
The Office, and the show's 159th episode overall. The episode aired on NBC
in the United States on November 10, 2011. It was written by Allison Silverman
and was directed by Matt Sohn.
In the episode, Pam (Jenna Fischer
) trains a temporary worker to take her place while she is on maternity leave, and enlists Dwight's support when she tries to show that Jim (John Krasinski
) finds her replacement attractive. Meanwhile, Robert (James Spader
) surprises Andy (Ed Helms
), Kevin (Brian Baumgartner
), and Darryl (Craig Robinson) when he asks to join their band.
The episode received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics with Myles McNutt calling it one of the "laziest" episodes of the series. According to Nielsen Media Research
, the episode received 5.96 million viewers and received a 3.0 rating/7% share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49 marking a slight drop in the ratings from the previous episode, "Doomsday
".
(Ed Helms
) tries to impress a potential client by pretending to turn down an "important phone call" (really a made-up ruse with the help of Erin
(Ellie Kemper
)). However, Erin describes the fake phone call in depth with the "death" of Andy's mother, prompting the potential client to urge Andy to take the call (helped along with concern from a knowing Dwight
(Rainn Wilson
)). After pretending to talk to the "police" on the phone (actually Darryl
(Craig Robinson), who is reluctantly part of the ruse), a humiliated and embarrassed Andy tells Erin to leave the room and "hold all other calls".
Pam (Jenna Fischer
) trains a young, attractive temporary worker Kathy (Lindsey Broad) so that she can take her place when she goes on maternity leave. Pam asks her husband Jim
(John Krasinski
) if he finds the new temp cute. Jim, not wanting to upset his very pregnant wife, tells her that he does not find her replacement attractive at all. However, Pam is convinced that Jim is lying to her (even after re-assurance from the rest of the staff), and she enlists the help of the harshly honest Dwight to prove that Jim finds the new temp attractive. After a battery of tests (including an embarrassing show of Dwight reaching for Jim's crotch to search for an erection), Dwight and Pam convince Jim to go get his blood pressure checked, as a means of a lie-detector test. As Dwight's homemade lie-detector test fails, Pam realizes that Jim has unusually high blood pressure, which his father also suffers from, and forgets about the issue in order to focus on her husband's health.
Meanwhile, CEO Robert California
(James Spader
) surprises Andy, Kevin
(Brian Baumgartner
), and Darryl when he asks to join their band after he finds them having a jam session in the warehouse. Soon thereafter, California's friends, skilled musicians themselves, arrive and take over the original band. Andy, Kevin and Darryl, with the help of warehouse worker Val, realize that they were ousted, and after a failed attempt to try getting their original band roles back, they instead satisfyingly jam outside by themselves.
, her first writing credit for the series after joining the writing staff in the eighth season. It was directed by Matt Sohn, one of the series' cinematographers and camera operators, his third directing credit for the series. The episode features a guest appearance from Lindsey Broad and her character was described as "Pam’s competent and likable pal, Kathy". She is currently slated to appear in a recurring role in the eighth season. The episode also relates to Pam's pregnancy. Jenna Fischer was actually pregnant and her pregnancy was written into the series with Pam and Jim having their second baby.
". Despite this, however, the episode ranked second in its timeslot, beating Bones
which received a 2.7 rating/7% share in the 18–49 demographic and Person of Interest
which received a 2.0 rating/2% share, although both the latter two shows had more viewers. "Pam's Replacement" was defeated by Grey's Anatomy
which received a 4.0 rating/10% share. Added with DVR viewers, who viewed the episode within seven days of the original broadcast, the episode received a 4.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic, adding a 1.4 rating to the original viewership.
writer Alan Sepinwall complimented the episode for staying true to the characters compared to the rest of the season, which he had criticized in an earlier review. He ultimately called the episode a "significant step up" despite the fact that the episode was just "decent". The A.V. Club
reviewer Myles McNutt criticized Andy–Kevin–Darryl subplot for its lack of continuity. He criticized the main Pam–Dwight plot for not staying true to the character and suggested the writers need to write the show as less as "a bland copy of itself". He ultimately called it one of the laziest half-hours of the show and gave it a C−. Cindy White of IGN
said that the episode needed a stronger A-plot writing that the plots "felt like a meal made up of two tasty side dishes". She ultimately gave it a 7.0/10. Hanna Lawrence of Hollywood.com praised the episode for being believable and for showing things that happen in real life. She also praised the Jim–Pam plot for showcasing the couple as not completely "perfect". Despite the praise for the main plot, she called the band subplot "weak" so she didn't review that part of the episode.
The Office (U.S. season 8)
The eighth season of the American television comedy The Office premiered on September 22, 2011 on NBC. The Office is an American adaptation of the British TV series of the same name, and is presented in a mockumentary format, portraying the daily lives of office employees in the Scranton,...
of the American comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
The Office, and the show's 159th episode overall. The episode aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
in the United States on November 10, 2011. It was written by Allison Silverman
Allison Silverman
Allison Silverman is an American comedy writer from Gainesville, Florida. She was the head writer and executive producer for The Colbert Report until 2009.-Life and awards:...
and was directed by Matt Sohn.
In the episode, Pam (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,...
) trains a temporary worker to take her place while she is on maternity leave, and enlists Dwight's support when she tries to show that Jim (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...
) finds her replacement attractive. Meanwhile, Robert (James Spader
James Spader
James Todd Spader is an American actor best known for his eccentric roles in movies such as Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Crash, Stargate, and Secretary...
) surprises Andy (Ed Helms
Ed Helms
Edward Paul "Ed" Helms is an American actor and comedian known for his work as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, as Andy Bernard on the US version of the sitcom/mockumentary The Office and for his role as Dr. Stu Price in The Hangover films.- Early life :Helms was born and raised...
), Kevin (Brian Baumgartner
Brian Baumgartner
Brian Baumgartner is an Emmy Award-winning American film and television actor, best known for playing Kevin Malone on The Office.-Personal life:...
), and Darryl (Craig Robinson) when he asks to join their band.
The episode received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics with Myles McNutt calling it one of the "laziest" episodes of the series. According to Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
, the episode received 5.96 million viewers and received a 3.0 rating/7% share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49 marking a slight drop in the ratings from the previous episode, "Doomsday
Doomsday (The Office)
"Doomsday" is the sixth episode of the eighth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 158th episode overall...
".
Plot
In the cold open, AndyAndy 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...
) tries to impress a potential client by pretending to turn down an "important phone call" (really a made-up ruse with the help of Erin
Erin Hannon
Kelly Erin Hannon is a fictional character from the U.S. television series The Office. She is the office receptionist for the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin, a position previously held by Pam Halpert before she left the company. Erin is played by Ellie Kemper...
(Ellie Kemper
Ellie Kemper
Elizabeth Claire "Ellie" Kemper is an American actress, comedian and writer best known for her role as Erin Hannon in NBC's The Office.-Personal life:...
)). However, Erin describes the fake phone call in depth with the "death" of Andy's mother, prompting the potential client to urge Andy to take the call (helped along with concern from a knowing 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...
)). After pretending to talk to the "police" on the phone (actually Darryl
Darryl Philbin
Darryl Mathias Philbin is a fictional character from the US television series The Office. He is played by Craig Robinson.-Overview:Darryl Philbin is the foreman of the warehouse of the Scranton branch of fictitious paper distributor Dunder Mifflin....
(Craig Robinson), who is reluctantly part of the ruse), a humiliated and embarrassed Andy tells Erin to leave the room and "hold all other calls".
Pam (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,...
) trains a young, attractive temporary worker Kathy (Lindsey Broad) so that she can take her place when she goes on maternity leave. Pam asks her husband 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...
) if he finds the new temp cute. Jim, not wanting to upset his very pregnant wife, tells her that he does not find her replacement attractive at all. However, Pam is convinced that Jim is lying to her (even after re-assurance from the rest of the staff), and she enlists the help of the harshly honest Dwight to prove that Jim finds the new temp attractive. After a battery of tests (including an embarrassing show of Dwight reaching for Jim's crotch to search for an erection), Dwight and Pam convince Jim to go get his blood pressure checked, as a means of a lie-detector test. As Dwight's homemade lie-detector test fails, Pam realizes that Jim has unusually high blood pressure, which his father also suffers from, and forgets about the issue in order to focus on her husband's health.
Meanwhile, CEO Robert California
Robert California
Robert California is a fictional character on The Office, played by James Spader. He has no counterpart on the original British version of the series.- Season 7 :...
(James Spader
James Spader
James Todd Spader is an American actor best known for his eccentric roles in movies such as Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Crash, Stargate, and Secretary...
) surprises Andy, Kevin
Kevin Malone
Kevin Jaye Malone is a character in the United States television series The Office. He is played by Brian Baumgartner. Kevin's counterpart in the UK series is Keith Bishop.-Biography:...
(Brian Baumgartner
Brian Baumgartner
Brian Baumgartner is an Emmy Award-winning American film and television actor, best known for playing Kevin Malone on The Office.-Personal life:...
), and Darryl when he asks to join their band after he finds them having a jam session in the warehouse. Soon thereafter, California's friends, skilled musicians themselves, arrive and take over the original band. Andy, Kevin and Darryl, with the help of warehouse worker Val, realize that they were ousted, and after a failed attempt to try getting their original band roles back, they instead satisfyingly jam outside by themselves.
Production
The episode was written by consulting producer Allison SilvermanAllison Silverman
Allison Silverman is an American comedy writer from Gainesville, Florida. She was the head writer and executive producer for The Colbert Report until 2009.-Life and awards:...
, her first writing credit for the series after joining the writing staff in the eighth season. It was directed by Matt Sohn, one of the series' cinematographers and camera operators, his third directing credit for the series. The episode features a guest appearance from Lindsey Broad and her character was described as "Pam’s competent and likable pal, Kathy". She is currently slated to appear in a recurring role in the eighth season. The episode also relates to Pam's pregnancy. Jenna Fischer was actually pregnant and her pregnancy was written into the series with Pam and Jim having their second baby.
Ratings
In its original American broadcast, "Pam's Replacement" was viewed by an estimated 5.96 million viewers and received a 3.0 rating/7% share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49. This means that it was seen by 3.0% of all 18–49 years olds, and 7% of all 18–49 year olds watching television at the time of the broadcast. This marked a two-tenths decrease in the ratings from the previous episode, "DoomsdayDoomsday (The Office)
"Doomsday" is the sixth episode of the eighth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 158th episode overall...
". Despite this, however, the episode ranked second in its timeslot, beating Bones
Bones (TV series)
Bones is an American crime drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on September 13, 2005. The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent...
which received a 2.7 rating/7% share in the 18–49 demographic and Person of Interest
Person of Interest (TV series)
Person of Interest is an American crime drama television series broadcasting on CBS. It is based on a screenplay developed by J. J. Abrams and Jonathan Nolan. The series was officially picked up by CBS on May 13, 2011, and debuted on September 22, 2011. On October 25, 2011 the show was picked up...
which received a 2.0 rating/2% share, although both the latter two shows had more viewers. "Pam's Replacement" was defeated by Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
which received a 4.0 rating/10% share. Added with DVR viewers, who viewed the episode within seven days of the original broadcast, the episode received a 4.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic, adding a 1.4 rating to the original viewership.
Reviews
"Pam's Replacement" received generally mixed-to-negative reviews from critics. HitFixHitFix
HitFix, or the HitFix.com is an entertainment news website that launched in December 2008 specializing in breaking entertainment news, insider information and providing reviews and critiques of film, music and television...
writer Alan Sepinwall complimented the episode for staying true to the characters compared to the rest of the season, which he had criticized in an earlier review. He ultimately called the episode a "significant step up" despite the fact that the episode was just "decent". The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
reviewer Myles McNutt criticized Andy–Kevin–Darryl subplot for its lack of continuity. He criticized the main Pam–Dwight plot for not staying true to the character and suggested the writers need to write the show as less as "a bland copy of itself". He ultimately called it one of the laziest half-hours of the show and gave it a C−. Cindy White 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 that the episode needed a stronger A-plot writing that the plots "felt like a meal made up of two tasty side dishes". She ultimately gave it a 7.0/10. Hanna Lawrence of Hollywood.com praised the episode for being believable and for showing things that happen in real life. She also praised the Jim–Pam plot for showcasing the couple as not completely "perfect". Despite the praise for the main plot, she called the band subplot "weak" so she didn't review that part of the episode.
External links
- "Pam's Replacement" 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...