Heres Why The Dinner Party Episode Of The Office Went From Loathed To Loved
Over the span of nine seasons, The Office gave viewers many laughs, a fear tears, and even some cringe-worthy moments, and while the “Dinner Party” episode consisted of all three, here’s how it went from loathed to loved by fans all around. The mockumentary adapted by Greg Daniels from the British version with the same title began in 2005 and aired 201 episodes before ending in 2013. The “Dinner Party” episode is considered one of the best for its awkwardness and hilarity.
The episode is unique for it is one of a few that takes place outside the actual office setting. Hosting an impromptu dinner party for some of his employees, Dunder Mifflin boss Michael Scott (Steve Carell) creates a more than uncomfortable environment in his Scranton condo. For 22 minutes, fans were forced to watch something so cringe-worthy that many hated it when it aired. Now, the episode is considered one of the best in the entire series.
“Universally Hated”
When the episode aired in 2008, it was met with disdain and, according to director Paul Feig, the now iconic episode was “universally hated”. Scripted by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, the episode was supposed to show life outside the office and give the audience a glimpse at how each character behaves when placed out of their “natural” setting. Many now wonder why this episode was so loathed when it first aired, but given that it did break the mold of the traditional layout of the show, an odd social construct was formed and fans weren’t ready to accept an overload of relationship drama all at once.
The scene is that of a pressure-cooker, reaching its point just before overheating. Relationship problems begin to rise between Michael and Jan, as well as Andy and Angela. Even Jim and Pam begin to have issues bubble at the surface, all while an uninvited and slighted Dwight crashes the party and causes his usual mayhem. While an interesting social experiment unfolded on screen during its initial airing, many saw the episode as just too uncomfortable to enjoy off the bat.
The Best Episode
Today, this episode is anything but loathed, for it is considered one of the best episodes in the entire series. To have an episode that takes place fully out of the office and shows characters in an unusual setting really gives fans a chance to see what their lives are like outside their usual comfort zones. If anything, this entire episode served as a catalyst in the grand scheme of the show, for it not only pushed along many side plots, but it provided unique insight into more character development for each of fans’ favorite characters.
Throughout the episode, many of the original awkward and uncomfortable moments have now become staples that contribute to its status as one of the best. The subtle jabs thrown by Jan towards both Michael and Pam give the hint right from the start that this night will be anything but normal. Jim’s “down-to-Earth” naivety is exactly what the episode needed, meaning he knows everything that is going on, but tries desperately to pretend to be nothing short of naïve. When it comes to iconic episode moments, the game of charades played amongst the group is top-tier comedy and while incredibly painful to watch, looking back, it is absolutely hysterical. So while fans hated the episode at first, once you get through it the first time, it becomes nothing more than enjoyable and hilarious.
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