Drug Testing (The Office)

"Drug Testing"
The Office episode
Deputy Dwight sets up "Drug Testing"
Episode no.	Season 2 Episode 20
Directed by	Greg Daniels
Written by	Jennifer Celotta
Production code	222
Original air date	April 27, 2006
Episode chronology
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List of The Office (U.S. TV series) episodes

"Drug Testing" is the twentieth episode of the second season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the twenty-sixth episode overall. It was written by Jennifer Celotta and directed by Greg Daniels, who is also an executive producer, and the series' show runner.^[1] It first aired in the United States on April 27, 2006 on NBC.^[1]

In the episode, Dwight finds pieces of a joint in the parking lot, and begins an investigation to find the owner. Michael, worried that he may not pass a drug test, pressures Dwight for a cup of clean urine to pass the drug test. Failing to find the culprit and guilty over providing the urine to Michael, Dwight resigns as a volunteer sheriff. But later, Michael assigns Dwight the title of "Honorary Security Adviser".

Synopsis

Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) finds half of a joint in the parking lot of the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, and takes advantage of his volunteer sheriff deputy status to investigate its source. Meanwhile, when Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) and Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) say the same thing simultaneously, Pam calls "jinx", meaning that Jim cannot talk until he buys her a Coke. Unfortunately, the vending machine is sold out. When Dwight sets up urine testing, Michael Scott (Steve Carell) worries that a "clove cigarette" he smoked at an Alicia Keys concert will show up.

Michael conducts an anti-drug meeting for the entire office in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid the drug test. Jim continues to hold up his end of the jinx, even as Pam teases him. When she says "you can tell me anything", an awkward silence follows. Michael pressures Dwight for a cup of his "clean" urine, which he uses to pass the drug test. Dwight turns in his volunteer sheriff badge, feeling guilty for helping Michael. Pam buys Jim his Coke, which he buys off of her so she can find out what's been happening with Dwight the whole day. Michael feels guilty, so he makes Dwight an "Honorary Security Advisor" for Dunder Mifflin Scranton.

The episode ends with talking head interview with Jim, discussing Dwight's actions for Michael. There is a quick cut-away to a visual of Jim talking to Pam in the breakroom. He states, "I just don't get it. What does he get out of that relationship?" - likely a writer's reference to his own relationship with Pam, and why he went through with the jinx all day.

Production

"Drug Testing" was written by Jennifer Celotta and directed by show runner and executive producer Greg Daniels.^[1] Jim's impression of Stanley in this episode was inspired by John Krasinski's actual talent of doing impressions on the set.^[2]

Michael has a bandage around his finger in this episode because Steve Carell hurt his finger during the week and was unable to remove his wedding ring due to the swelling. Instead of cutting off his ring, the crew simply wrapped a bandage around it.^[3]

When Michael tells Pam to "write this down", Jenna Fischer's response to the camera was improvised. "I thought it was funny that I didn't have a pad of paper but Michael was telling me to take notes," she explained in her MySpace blog, "so I just looked to the camera and showed my lack of pen and paper."^[4]

This was the final episode of the season to be filmed (though not the last to air). According to Jenna Fischer, everybody on the set was excited like students on the last day of school. The giddiness particularly shows in Fischer's performance: Pam skips after Jim into the break room, she bounces on her toes at the end of the "fake crying" talking head, and she taps the soda can three times to get Jim to release the jinx.^[5]

Reception

"Drug Testing" was generally well received by critics. On a list of the top 25 moments (up to October 2007) from The Office Published by Rolling Stone, Dwight interrogating the workers in the Office after finding the joint in the parking lot ranked 15th.^[6] A Seattle Times report stated "...With last week's "Drug Testing" (in which Rainn Wilson's supercilious Dwight paraded around the office wearing a Smokey Bear hat and carrying a coffee cup filled with undrinkable liquid) and tonight's "Conflict Resolution," "The Office" has finally made The Leap."^[7] In a poll done by OfficeTally.com, an Office fansite, "Drug Testing" was ranked as the fourth best episode of the second season by voters.^[8]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "The Office: Drug Testing". Variety. http://www.variety.com/profiles/Episode/main/167376/55761/Drug%20Testing.html?dataSet=1. Retrieved 2008-07-10. ^{[dead link]}
2. ^ Fischer, Jenna (April 27, 2006). The Office Undergoes "Drug Testing". TV Guide.
3. ^ Fischer, Jenna (May 11, 2006). "Supersize Office Finale, Supersize Blog!". TV Guide.
4. ^ Fischer, Jenna. (August 14, 2006.) "Need to Kill Time? Check out this Blog.", MySpace.com
5. ^ Fischer, Jenna (Actor). 2006. "Drug Testing" [Commentary track], The Office Season Two (US/NBC Version) [DVD], Los Angeles, CA: Universal.
6. ^ Thomas, Lindsey (October 17, 2007). "The 25 Greatest Moments from "The Office"". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 03, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080503082934/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/16955952/the_25_greatest_moments_from_the_office/print. Retrieved 2008-07-10. 
7. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (May 4, 2006). "Support staff and overtime helped save "The Office"". The Seattle Times. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2002970382_theoffice04.html. Retrieved 2008-07-10. 
8. ^ Tan, Jeannie (April 8, 2008) OfficeTally Survivor Poll: Season 2 OfficeTally.com, retrieved July 10, 2008

External links

• "Drug Testing" at NorthernAttack.com