"Weight Loss"
The Office episode
Measuring the combined weight of the office workers for the competition.
Episode no.	Season 5 Episode 1
Written by	Lee Eisenberg & Gene Stupnitsky
Directed by	Paul Feig
Production no.	501 & 502
Original airdate	September 25, 2008
Guest stars
Amy Ryan Rich Sommer Dale Raoul
Episode chronology ← Previous Next → "Goodbye, Toby" "Business Ethics"
List of The Office (US TV series) episodes

"Weight Loss" is the fifth season premiere of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's sixty-sixth episode overall. Written by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, and directed by Paul Feig, the episode first aired as a single 60 minute show in the United States on September 25, 2008 on the National Broadcasting Company (NBC).^[1] "Weight Loss" was subsequently divided into two separate thirty minute episodes which first aired on November 27 and 28, 2008, both following broadcasts of The Incredibles.

In this episode, the whole Office participates in a company-wide weight loss contest. Pam goes to New York City for art school, causing her and Jim to have to adjust to being temporarily apart. Also, awkward tension is created between Michael and Holly after she accepts a date with another man, and Angela and Dwight continue their secret relationship, Angela's upcoming marriage to Andy notwithstanding. The episode was voted the second best episode of the season in a poll at the fan site OfficeTally.

[edit] Plot

This plot summary may be too long or overly detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (January 2009)

Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch joins a company-wide weight loss competition, with a prize of extra vacation days for the winning branch. Initially enthusiastic, the competition eventually weighs on the staff, especially Kelly Kapoor (Mindy Kaling) who stops eating and tries numerous diets, eventually passing out during one weigh-in. Corporate responds with a memo that staff need not resort to drastic weight loss measures.

Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) begins three-months studying graphic design in New York, leaving Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) alone and unhappy. She is briefly replaced by Ronni (Dale Raoul), then by Ryan Howard (B. J. Novak), who was recently fired by Dunder Mifflin for fraud. Plotting his return to the company, Ryan attempts to make amends with those he mistreated, including Jim who simply mocks him. Ryan also apologizes to his former girlfriend Kelly and asks her out, only to be rejected and confirms that she is dating Darryl Philbin (Craig Robinson). Intentionally, she makes out with Darryl in front of Ryan later.

Michael Scott (Steve Carell) continues bonding with Holly Flax (Amy Ryan) until she catches him talking to a pregnant Jan Levinson (Melora Hardin). Holly then asks Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nunez) to set her up with his yoga instructor, and buys Counting Crows tickets as a surprise. When he never calls her, Michael berates the yoga instructor to Holly's pleasure, then offers to buy the tickets from her only to tear them up.

Believing he is mentally retarded, Holly yells at Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey) for being rude when chastising Kevin (Brian Baumgartner) for improper accounting. He awkwardly reveals he is not retarded, and an embarrassed Holly apologizes and walks away.

Phyllis Vance (Phyllis Smith) takes over the Party Planning Committee after catching Angela cheating on Andy Bernard (Ed Helms), who is busy making plans for their wedding despite Angela's irritated vetoes of all his ideas. After a heartfelt speech about Andy wanting to be with her forever, Angela warms up to him somewhat until his insistence upon asking his old a cappella band to be best man drives her back to her affair with Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson).

On the spur of the moment Jim asks Pam to lunch at an interstate rest stop between Scranton and New York City, where he finally proposes and she happily accepts. The Scranton branch is disappointed to lose the weight loss competition, although Stanley Hudson (Leslie David Baker) is pleased to have lost seven pounds and decides to take an extra five days off anyway. As the episode ends, Toby Flenderson (Paul Lieberstein) is seen in Costa Rica, where he has broken his neck in a zip-line accident on only the third day of his new life, and where he is to be hospitalized for five weeks.

[edit] Reception

In the 18-49 demographic, Weight Loss earned a 4.9/11 ratings share. The episode was watched by 9.1 million viewers.

Jim's proposal to Pam ranked number 2 in phillyBurbs.com's top ten moments from the fifth season of The Office. Dwight and Angela carrying on their affair in the hidden corner of the warehouse during business hours ranked number 7 on that list. Writer Jen Weilgus described Dwight's line, "We done good in there, Half Pint," as the best quote of the season. Ryan's return as a temp in this episode, tied with his second return appearance in the episode "Dream Team", ranked number 5 in the list.^[2] "Weight Loss" was voted the second highest-rated episode out of 26 from the fifth season, according to an episode poll at the fansite OfficeTally; the episode was rated 8.92 out of 10.^[3]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• "Weight Loss" at NBC.com