Whistleblower (The Office)
Encyclopedia
"Whistleblower" is the 26th episode and season finale of the sixth season
of the U.S. comedy series The Office and the show's 126th episode overall. It originally aired on May 20, 2010 on NBC
.
In the episode, the press learns that Sabre printers catch on fire and Jo
(Kathy Bates
), suspecting that someone within the Scranton branch leaked the information, sets out to discover who the whistleblower is.
It was written by Warren Lieberstein
and Halsted Sullivan
and directed by Paul Lieberstein
. The episode received mixed reviews from critics and was watched in 6.60 million households.
(Kathy Bates
) shows up to the office in hopes of finding out who the whistleblower is. Everyone suspects Andy
(Ed Helms
), who adamantly denies he leaked the information, even though he was the first in the office to learn of it. Jo has Nick (Nelson Franklin), the IT guy, check everyone's computer to find evidence for a potential leak and is constantly harassed while trying to do so. Jo and Gabe
(Zach Woods
) interview everyone as well to find the potential leak, starting with Michael
(Steve Carell
). Although Michael suggests some very harsh treatment of the offender, which proves his innocence to Jo, he insists that no one in the office would have leaked the information.
During the interviews, Dwight
(Rainn Wilson
) comes in and offers Jo a long list of people she should fire to convince her it wasn't him. Jo believes him and recommends to him that he should invest the money he made this year in real estate. After a lot of consideration, Dwight decides to attempt to buy the Scranton Business Park, and suggests in a conversation with Hank (Hugh Dane) the security guard that he will implement sweeping changes to the place.
Meanwhile Michael tries to get Andy to confess he told the press. When Andy suggests that Darryl
(Craig Robinson) is more nervous about the situation than anyone because he knows all about it too, Michael confronts him and gets him to confess. Darryl accidentally told a female reporter at a bar after work about the videotaped printer catching on fire. Pam
(Jenna Fischer
) confesses to Jim
(John Krasinski
) that she told another mother at the day-care center whose husband is a reporter. When she tells Michael, he asks her and Darryl to meet him in the parking lot. Kelly
(Mindy Kaling
) joins them as she had revealed the news on her various social networking sites out of boredom. The three suggest to Michael that he should try to talk to Jo about the situation so that they can confess but keep their jobs.
Michael tries to convince Jo to let the offenders off lightly which causes her to suspect that he knows the identity of the leak. Michael refuses to say anything, so Jo takes him to the hangar with her private jet to talk with him about his problems. Michael admits many of the stresses he's had throughout the year, namely missing Holly
. Jo counters that she doesn't want to be remembered as someone who made a mistake, even though she will have to do a recall on the printers. Michael offers to "fall on his sword" and announce the public apology for her.
Back at the office, Gabe finishes interviewing everyone and deduces that Andy is the one who talked with the press. Everyone tries to suggest that it could be someone else, perhaps even Gabe. Former CFO David Wallace
(Andy Buckley) reveals himself as a potential leak as he heard about it from a former client and then told other former clients and potential clients out of spite. At that moment, Nick announces that he is quitting to go teach inner city children in Detroit how to use computers. When Dwight and others mock him, Nick explodes and reveals personal computer information about many of the employees, and then reveals Andy was the leak due to the Quicktime video he shot with Darryl, as well as a letter/email he sent to a local newspaper. Nick walks off and with a middle finger raised to everyone.
At the end of the day, Andy finds himself harassed by the other employees. However, Erin
(Ellie Kemper
) commends Andy's bravery, and he leaves smiling.
Michael is shown giving a public apology to a news crew, after which Jo tells him she will owe him a favor. When Michael half-jokingly asks to bring Holly back to Scranton, Jo sincerely tells him she'll look into it, leaving him at a loss for words as the episode ends.
"Whistleblower" was written by Warren Lieberstein
and Halsted Sullivan
and directed by Paul Lieberstein
. It was Warren's and Halsted's second writing credit of the season after "Koi Pond
" and Paul's fourth directing credit after "Money
", "Two Weeks
", "Gossip
". "Whistleblower" originally aired May 20, 2010 as the twenty-sixth episode and season finale of season 6
. The episode guest stars Kathy Bates
as Jo Bennet, Zach Woods as Gabe Lewis, and Andy Buckley as David Wallace
. It is Andy Buckley's second guest appearance after getting fired from Dunder Mifflin since "Sabre
". It was Kathy Bates
' fourth appearance on the show, after first appearing in "Sabre". Zach Woods made his ninth appearance on the show.
, receiving the same rating as last week's episode, "The Chump
" and dropping 3% from last years finale, "Company Picnic
" according to Nielsen Media Research
. The episode, "Whistleblower" ranked 13th in the weekly 18-49 demographic ratings and ranked becoming the highest rated show on NBC
that week.
Cindy White of IGN
gave the episode a 7.8 saying it was "Good" and "This was probably the weakest finale in the show's history, coming in just below "Hot Girl," which ended the first six-episode run by at least introducing a new potential love interest for Jim." Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club
gave this episode a B+, stating "tonight’s episode capped off a solid season on a promising note, tantalizing us with the prospect of Holly’s return." Joel Keller of AOL
's TV Squad gave the episode a negative review for not having enough plot twists saying "'Whistleblower' was no 'Casino Night.' It wasn't even close. In fact, it sent the season out on a lame note, indicative of how up and down this season has been."
Darren Franich of Entertainment Weekly
gave the episode a positive review and wrote "This was an interesting way for The Office to end its sixth, and least cohesive, season: an admission that not a whole lot happened, followed by a callback to a plotline from last season. Still, there was some real heft to this closing episode — enough to give me some hope. Will Leitch of New York
said "The Offices season six was usually funny and always big-hearted, but there was never much at stake." James Poniewozik of Time
criticized the show for the lack of stakes during the season, but stated "The season finale, "Whistleblower," in some ways was characteristic of this season, in that some of its best moments came from characters at the periphery of the story. But it was also at best a sign of what this season could have been, and ended on at least a glimmer of hope for the next one."
TV Fanatic gave the episode a 3.5/5.0 saying "Instead, what shaped up like an seismic confrontation between Michael and Jo turned into a heart-to-heart of sorts. Enjoyable in its own right, yes. Epic finale material? Eh." M. Giant of Television Without Pity gave the episode a B+. Rick Porter of Zap2it
said "While the entire conversation between Michael and Jo on her private jet was wonderful, a lot of the investigation into the leak of Sabre's printer problems was not."
The Office (U.S. TV series) season 6
The American television comedy The Office was renewed by NBC for a sixth season on January 15, 2009. The season premiered on September 17, 2009 and concluded on May 20, 2010. The episodes aired on Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. EDT as part of Comedy Night Done Right...
of the U.S. comedy series The Office and the show's 126th episode overall. It originally aired on May 20, 2010 on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
.
In the episode, the press learns that Sabre printers catch on fire and Jo
Jo Bennett
Joleen MaryAnn "Jo" Bennett is a fictional character from the US comedy television series The Office, who first appeared in Season 6. She is the CEO of Sabre, who purchased Dunder Mifflin, and is played by Kathy Bates.-Biography:...
(Kathy Bates
Kathy Bates
Kathleen Doyle "Kathy" Bates is an American actress and director.After several small roles in film and television, Bates rose to prominence with her performance in Misery , for which she won both the Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe...
), suspecting that someone within the Scranton branch leaked the information, sets out to discover who the whistleblower is.
It was written by Warren Lieberstein
Warren Lieberstein
Warren Lieberstein is an American television writer and producer who has worked on shows such as Carpoolers and The Office. He is the younger brother of Paul Lieberstein and brother-in-law of Greg Daniels. He often works with his writing partner Halsted Sullivan. He and Angela Kinsey have filed...
and Halsted Sullivan
Halsted Sullivan
Halsted Sullivan is an American television writer and producer who has worked on shows such as Carpoolers and The Office. He often works with his writing partner Warren Lieberstein.- Career :...
and directed by 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 episode received mixed reviews from critics and was watched in 6.60 million households.
Synopsis
The press finds out that Sabre's printers catch on fire, and CEO Jo BennettJo Bennett
Joleen MaryAnn "Jo" Bennett is a fictional character from the US comedy television series The Office, who first appeared in Season 6. She is the CEO of Sabre, who purchased Dunder Mifflin, and is played by Kathy Bates.-Biography:...
(Kathy Bates
Kathy Bates
Kathleen Doyle "Kathy" Bates is an American actress and director.After several small roles in film and television, Bates rose to prominence with her performance in Misery , for which she won both the Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe...
) shows up to the office in hopes of finding out who the whistleblower is. Everyone suspects 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...
), who adamantly denies he leaked the information, even though he was the first in the office to learn of it. Jo has Nick (Nelson Franklin), the IT guy, check everyone's computer to find evidence for a potential leak and is constantly harassed while trying to do so. Jo and Gabe
Gabe Lewis
Gabriel Stuart "Gabe" Lewis is a fictional character on NBC's The Office. He first appears in the sixth season, where he is the Coordinating Director of Emerging Regions for the Sabre Corporate headquarters in Florida...
(Zach Woods
Zach Woods
Zach Woods is an American actor and comedian. From 2010-11, he portrayed Gabe Lewis on the NBC sitcom The Office. He was promoted to a series regular beginning in Season 7....
) interview everyone as well to find the potential leak, starting with 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...
(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...
). Although Michael suggests some very harsh treatment of the offender, which proves his innocence to Jo, he insists that no one in the office would have leaked the information.
During the interviews, 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...
) comes in and offers Jo a long list of people she should fire to convince her it wasn't him. Jo believes him and recommends to him that he should invest the money he made this year in real estate. After a lot of consideration, Dwight decides to attempt to buy the Scranton Business Park, and suggests in a conversation with Hank (Hugh Dane) the security guard that he will implement sweeping changes to the place.
Meanwhile Michael tries to get Andy to confess he told the press. When Andy suggests that 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) is more nervous about the situation than anyone because he knows all about it too, Michael confronts him and gets him to confess. Darryl accidentally told a female reporter at a bar after work about the videotaped printer catching on fire. 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,...
) confesses to 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...
) that she told another mother at the day-care center whose husband is a reporter. When she tells Michael, he asks her and Darryl to meet him in the parking lot. 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...
) joins them as she had revealed the news on her various social networking sites out of boredom. The three suggest to Michael that he should try to talk to Jo about the situation so that they can confess but keep their jobs.
Michael tries to convince Jo to let the offenders off lightly which causes her to suspect that he knows the identity of the leak. Michael refuses to say anything, so Jo takes him to the hangar with her private jet to talk with him about his problems. Michael admits many of the stresses he's had throughout the year, namely missing Holly
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...
. Jo counters that she doesn't want to be remembered as someone who made a mistake, even though she will have to do a recall on the printers. Michael offers to "fall on his sword" and announce the public apology for her.
Back at the office, Gabe finishes interviewing everyone and deduces that Andy is the one who talked with the press. Everyone tries to suggest that it could be someone else, perhaps even Gabe. Former CFO 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...
(Andy Buckley) reveals himself as a potential leak as he heard about it from a former client and then told other former clients and potential clients out of spite. At that moment, Nick announces that he is quitting to go teach inner city children in Detroit how to use computers. When Dwight and others mock him, Nick explodes and reveals personal computer information about many of the employees, and then reveals Andy was the leak due to the Quicktime video he shot with Darryl, as well as a letter/email he sent to a local newspaper. Nick walks off and with a middle finger raised to everyone.
At the end of the day, Andy finds himself harassed by the other employees. However, 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:...
) commends Andy's bravery, and he leaves smiling.
Michael is shown giving a public apology to a news crew, after which Jo tells him she will owe him a favor. When Michael half-jokingly asks to bring Holly back to Scranton, Jo sincerely tells him she'll look into it, leaving him at a loss for words as the episode ends.
Production
Warren Lieberstein
Warren Lieberstein is an American television writer and producer who has worked on shows such as Carpoolers and The Office. He is the younger brother of Paul Lieberstein and brother-in-law of Greg Daniels. He often works with his writing partner Halsted Sullivan. He and Angela Kinsey have filed...
and Halsted Sullivan
Halsted Sullivan
Halsted Sullivan is an American television writer and producer who has worked on shows such as Carpoolers and The Office. He often works with his writing partner Warren Lieberstein.- Career :...
and directed by 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...
. It was Warren's and Halsted's second writing credit of the season after "Koi Pond
Koi Pond (The Office)
"Koi Pond" is the 8th episode of the sixth season of the U.S. comedy series The Office and the show's 108th episode overall. It was written by Warren Lieberstein and Halsted Sullivan and directed by Reggie Hudlin. It originally aired on NBC on October 29, 2009.In this episode, Michael and Jim head...
" and Paul's fourth directing credit after "Money
Money (The Office)
"Money" is the seventh episode of the fourth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's sixtieth episode overall. It first aired on October 18, 2007, on NBC, and was the last of four consecutive hour long episodes that opened the fourth season...
", "Two Weeks
Two Weeks (The Office)
"Two Weeks" is the twenty-first episode of the fifth season of the television series The Office, and the 93rd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on March 26, 2009. In this episode, Michael, who has given his two weeks notice to Dunder Mifflin, tries to...
", "Gossip
Gossip (The Office)
"Gossip" is the sixth season premiere of the American comedy television series The Office, and the 101st overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on September 17, 2009....
". "Whistleblower" originally aired May 20, 2010 as the twenty-sixth episode and season finale of season 6
The Office (U.S. TV series) season 6
The American television comedy The Office was renewed by NBC for a sixth season on January 15, 2009. The season premiered on September 17, 2009 and concluded on May 20, 2010. The episodes aired on Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. EDT as part of Comedy Night Done Right...
. The episode guest stars Kathy Bates
Kathy Bates
Kathleen Doyle "Kathy" Bates is an American actress and director.After several small roles in film and television, Bates rose to prominence with her performance in Misery , for which she won both the Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe...
as Jo Bennet, Zach Woods as Gabe Lewis, and Andy Buckley as 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...
. It is Andy Buckley's second guest appearance after getting fired from Dunder Mifflin since "Sabre
Sabre (The Office)
"Sabre" is the 15th episode of the sixth season of the U.S. comedy series The Office and the show's 115th episode overall. It was written by Jennifer Celotta and directed by John Krasinski, which marks his television directorial debut...
". It was Kathy Bates
Kathy Bates
Kathleen Doyle "Kathy" Bates is an American actress and director.After several small roles in film and television, Bates rose to prominence with her performance in Misery , for which she won both the Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe...
' fourth appearance on the show, after first appearing in "Sabre". Zach Woods made his ninth appearance on the show.
Reception
In its original American broadcast, "Whistleblower" was viewed by an estimated 6.60 million households with a 3.4 rating/10% share in the 18–49 demographic coming second in its timeslot after the season finale of Grey's AnatomyGrey'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...
, receiving the same rating as last week's episode, "The Chump
The Chump (The Office)
"The Chump" is the 25th episode of the sixth season of the U.S. comedy series The Office and the show's 125th episode overall. It aired on May 13, 2010 on NBC. In the episode, Michael is surprisingly cheerful after learning some bad news about Donna. The new parents, Pam and Jim, have trouble...
" and dropping 3% from last years finale, "Company Picnic
Company Picnic
"Company Picnic" is the fifth season finale of the American comedy television series The Office, and the 100th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 14, 2009...
" 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, "Whistleblower" ranked 13th in the weekly 18-49 demographic ratings and ranked becoming the highest rated show 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...
that week.
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...
gave the episode a 7.8 saying it was "Good" and "This was probably the weakest finale in the show's history, coming in just below "Hot Girl," which ended the first six-episode run by at least introducing a new potential love interest for Jim." 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...
gave this episode a B+, stating "tonight’s episode capped off a solid season on a promising note, tantalizing us with the prospect of Holly’s return." Joel Keller of AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
's TV Squad gave the episode a negative review for not having enough plot twists saying "'Whistleblower' was no 'Casino Night.' It wasn't even close. In fact, it sent the season out on a lame note, indicative of how up and down this season has been."
Darren Franich 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...
gave the episode a positive review and wrote "This was an interesting way for The Office to end its sixth, and least cohesive, season: an admission that not a whole lot happened, followed by a callback to a plotline from last season. Still, there was some real heft to this closing episode — enough to give me some hope. Will Leitch of New York
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
said "The Offices season six was usually funny and always big-hearted, but there was never much at stake." James Poniewozik of Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
criticized the show for the lack of stakes during the season, but stated "The season finale, "Whistleblower," in some ways was characteristic of this season, in that some of its best moments came from characters at the periphery of the story. But it was also at best a sign of what this season could have been, and ended on at least a glimmer of hope for the next one."
TV Fanatic gave the episode a 3.5/5.0 saying "Instead, what shaped up like an seismic confrontation between Michael and Jo turned into a heart-to-heart of sorts. Enjoyable in its own right, yes. Epic finale material? Eh." M. Giant of Television Without Pity gave the episode a B+. Rick Porter of Zap2it
Zap2it
Zap2it is an American website and affiliate network that provides news, photos and video, local TV listings and movie showtimes. The site is produced by Tribune Media Services , part of the publishing division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
said "While the entire conversation between Michael and Jo on her private jet was wonderful, a lot of the investigation into the leak of Sabre's printer problems was not."
External links
- "Whistleblower" at NBC.com