Performance Review

Office episode
name = Performance Review


Dwight smirks in "Performance Review"
ep_num = 14
prod_code = 209
date = November 15, 2005
writer = Larry Wilmore
director = Paul Feig
season = 2

"Performance Review" is the eighth episode of the second season of "The Office" (U.S. version). It was written by Larry Wilmore and directed by Paul Feig. It first aired on November 15, 2005.

ynopsis

Michael meets with each of his employees to discuss their job performance. He plunders the employee suggestion box for ideas to impress his own boss, Jan, but the ruse backfires and he embarrasses himself. Michael relentlessly pesters Jan about their previous romantic connection but she bluntly rejects him, especially when she discovers that everyone in the Scranton branch is aware of the incident. As Jan storms out of the office, she admonishes Michael before complimenting him and reluctantly stating that she is not ready for a relationship. Meanwhile, the stunned staff listens in.

Encouraged by Jim and Pam, Dwight mistakes a Thursday for a Friday and arrives at the office very late the next day.

Deleted scenes

* Michael gives Oscar his performance review.
* Dwight gives Jim advice for his performance review.
* Michael is confused by a telephone message from Jan.
* Jim uses increasingly obscure baseball euphemisms to ask Michael about his relationship with Jan.
* Jim deflects a question about office romances.
* A sequence of suggestions takes Ryan all over the office.
* Jan reacts to Dwight's "boning Jan" remark.
* Jim accidentally leaves today's newspaper on his desk.
* Dwight learns that Ryan got a raise.
* Extension of Dwight psyching himself up in the stairwell.
* Michael calls Jan's ex-husband.
* Jan is furious to learn that Michael talked with her ex-husband.
* Michael describes the office with a confused metaphor involving organs of the body.

Notes

*In the cold open, the fitness orb was supposed to deflate slowly, but it popped when John Krasinski hit a seam. The producers liked the take so much they kept it.
*The office building in which the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin is located is also the home of W.B. Jones Heating and Air and Vance Refrigeration, which is owned by Phyllis Lapin's future husband Bob Vance.
*While rehearsing the scene in which Michael welcomes Jan to the office, Steve Carell accidentally touched Melora Hardin's breast. She thought it was so funny that she insisted they incorporate it into the scene.DVD commentary, "Performance Review", Season 2 DVD]
*When Michael is in the conference room reading the pages from the suggestion box, Angela tells him that he has coffee breath. Steve Carell improvised the line, "Oh yeah, is that hard for you?" and, in turn, Angela Kinsey improvised her response, "Well, when you have coffee breath it's hard."
*Dwight's visual aid for the performance review was posted to NBC.com.
*This is the only episode to feature a subtitle giving the date at the end.
*During the scenes where Michael is listening to Jan's message, Melora Hardin is actually live on the phone repeating the lines over and over. In the DVD outtakes Steve Carell repeatedly restarts the message causing Melora to trip up.

References

External links

* [http://www.nbc.com/The_Office/episodes/season2/209/ "Performance Review"] at NBC.com
* [http://www.northernattack.com/archives/performance-review/ Performance Review] at NorthernAttack.com