"Beach Games"
The Office episode
Jim prepares to face Stanley in "Beach Games".
Episode no.	Season 3 Episode 23
Written by	Jennifer Celotta & Greg Daniels
Directed by	Harold Ramis
Production no.	03023
Original airdate	May 10, 2007
Season 3 episodes
"Gay Witch Hunt" "The Convention" "The Coup" "Grief Counseling" "Initiation" "Diwali" "Branch Closing" "The Merger" "The Convict" "A Benihana Christmas" "Back from Vacation" "Traveling Salesmen" "The Return" "Ben Franklin" "Phyllis' Wedding" "Business School" "Cocktails" "The Negotiation" "Safety Training" "Product Recall" "Women's Appreciation" "Beach Games" "The Job"
List of The Office (U.S. TV series) episodes

"Beach Games"^[1] is the twenty-third episode of the third season of the US version of The Office, and is the 50th episode aired of the show. It was written by Jennifer Celotta and Greg Daniels and directed by film director Harold Ramis,^[2] who previously directed the episodes "A Benihana Christmas" and "Safety Training". It is the fourth 40-minute "Supersized" episode of the third season.^[1]

The episode first aired in the U.S. on May 10, 2007, attracting 7.17 million viewers.^[3] It ranked fourth in its timeslot (behind May sweeps episodes of Survivor: Fiji, Ugly Betty, and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?),^[4] and 48th in Nielsen's prime-time television rankings for the week.^[3]

[edit] Synopsis

When Michael is invited to interview for a position at Dunder-Mifflin corporate headquarters in New York City, he decides to hold a Survivor-like competition at Lake Scranton to determine his successor.

Michael selects the "tribe" captains (Jim, Dwight, Andy and Stanley), and instructs Pam to take detailed notes on the events of the day. Initially unaware of the purpose of the exercise, the employees do not all take it seriously. Once the job in New York is revealed, Andy and Dwight step up their efforts, Stanley tries to be enthusiastic but gives up, and Jim decides to interview for the same position that Michael is pursuing. Karen also applies for the position.

To support her secret lover Dwight, Angela sabotages Andy, leaving him adrift in the lake in an inflatable sumo wrestling costume.

Michael's final event is a walk across hot coals. Initially, no one volunteers, and Michael cannot even bring himself to do it. Dwight throws himself on the coals, refusing to leave until he is given the job, and he writhes in agony until he is dragged off.

As a last-ditch effort to salvage the day, Michael assembles a "Tribal Council" stand-up comedy competition. Jim declines to participate, and reveals that he has applied for the position in New York. Separated from the group, a barefoot Pam runs across the hot coals and, empowered by the experience, interrupts the Tribal Council to berate her colleagues for treating her poorly, citing as one example that almost no one attended her art show. She tells Jim that she called off her wedding because of him, that it is "fine" that he is with someone else now, but that she misses the fun that they had as best friends. As she runs to cool her feet in the water, the cameraman turns to Jim who is now in a blank stare, shaken by the confession.

[edit] Deleted scenes

The Third Season DVD contains a number of deleted scenes. Notable cut scenes include:

• Jim receives a call informing him of the job opening.
• After Michael tells Phyllis to "dip it in the water so it slides down your gullet more easily", everyone says in unison, "That's what she said."
• Ryan offers to take Andy's place, but Michael will not have it.
• Andy fails to flag down a passing car.

[edit] Notes

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (November 2007)

• References to previous episodes:
  • This is the second episode in which Dwight uses WebMD. He previously checked Oscar's flu symptoms in "The Secret".
  • Michael wears clothing from the Sandals Jamaica resort, referencing his previous trip from "A Benihana Christmas" and "Back from Vacation".
  • Michael compares the coal pit to burning his foot in "The Injury".
  • Angela is disgusted by Kevin's feet (first exhibited in "Diwali").
  • Pam's poorly-attended art show took place in "Business School".
  • Pam's "good day" comment is a throw back to several episodes, including "Michael's Birthday" and "Diversity Day".
  • The bus the office takes to the beach says "Lackawanna Senior Center Tours."
  • This is the second time Dwight tells someone to "mush". The first was to the warehouse workers in "Grief Counseling".
  • Meredith inadvertently flashes the camera, continuing a running gag. Her nipples can be seen to be covered by white tape through the censoring pixelization.
  • When the office staff is singing The Flintstones theme song, at the place in the song when they say "you'll have a gay, old time", Oscar raises his hand.
• Michael's seemingly unprompted warning to "Watch out for snakes!" is likely a reference to the movie Eegah, featured in an episode of the cult show Mystery Science Theater 3000. The quote was used frequently as a callback joke throughout the show's run.
• As part of Michael's test for the prospective manager's "Bob Hope factor" Dwight recites a paradoxically Bowdlerized version of The Aristocrats joke.
• "The Gambler" sing along on the bus echoes the film Almost Famous, in which one character starts singing along to the song (in the film, "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John) and other characters join in, Rainn Wilson co-starred in this movie. "Tiny Dancer" itself was used in "The Dundies". The Flinstones theme sing along is a reference to a scene in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.
• Michael, Pam, Toby (who Michael decides should be left back at the office) and Creed did not take part in the games, while the rest of the employees split into the following teams:

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Beach Games at NBC.com