"Weight Loss" is the collective title for the first and second episodes of the fifth season of the American comedy television series The Office, marking the 73rd and 74th episodes overall. Written by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, and directed by Paul Feig, the episode originally aired on NBC on September 25, 2008. The episode delves into the familiar territory of the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin, showcasing the everyday lives of its employees through a mockumentary lens.
Synopsis
The central plot revolves around a company-wide weight loss competition, instigated by corporate, with the winning branch promised three extra vacation days for each employee (later increased to five due to poor performance across all branches). This premise sets the stage for a series of comedic and character-driven storylines, exploring the employees' motivations, struggles, and often misguided attempts to shed pounds.
The Weight Loss Competition: A Catalyst for Chaos
The announcement of the weight loss competition sparks initial enthusiasm within the Scranton branch. However, the competitive spirit quickly escalates, leading to unhealthy and absurd behaviors.
- Kelly Kapoor's Extreme Measures: Driven by the desire to fit into a new bikini, Kelly resorts to extreme dieting measures, including consuming a maple syrup/cayenne pepper concoction and eventually collapsing. In a desperate attempt to accelerate her weight loss, she purchases what she believes to be a tapeworm from Creed Bratton.
- Dwight's Unorthodox Methods: Dwight takes it upon himself to enforce the "rules" of the competition, replacing vending machine snacks with fruit (which quickly rots and attracts fruit flies) and even strangles a peach into one of the slots. In a particularly misguided attempt to motivate Phyllis, he abandons her miles from the office in a bad part of town, without her purse or phone, forcing her to walk back. Dwight's actions lead to corporate intervention, issuing a memo against drastic weight loss measures.
- Michael's Misguided Motivation: Ever the attention-seeker, Michael attempts to lead a meeting about positive body image, but sabotages it by appearing as "Michael Klump," wearing a plus-size outfit over his sumo suit from the "Beach Games" episode. His efforts are seen as insensitive and further highlight his lack of social awareness.
Pam's Absence and Jim's Proposal
A significant subplot involves Pam's three-month stay in New York City to attend graphic design classes at Pratt Institute.
- Long-Distance Relationship: Pam's absence forces Jim to adjust to their temporary separation. Jim misses Pam, so he decides to set up a meeting halfway between New York and Scranton at a rest stop.
- The Rest Stop Proposal: In a moment of spontaneity and romance, Jim proposes to Pam at an interstate rest stop in the pouring rain. Pam happily accepts, marking a significant milestone in their relationship. The rest stop scene was meticulously recreated, based on an ExxonMobil station along the Merritt Parkway, at the Glendale Best Buy parking lot.
Romantic Entanglements and Office Dynamics
The episode also explores the complex web of relationships and dynamics within the office.
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- Angela, Andy, and Dwight: Angela continues her affair with Dwight, despite being engaged to Andy. The episode portrays Angela as using Dwight as an outlet when she feels overwhelmed by the prospect of marrying Andy. Phyllis discovers their affair and uses it to her advantage, taking over the Party Planning Committee from Angela.
- Michael and Holly: Michael's budding relationship with Holly is threatened when she goes on a date with Oscar's yoga instructor. Michael's jealousy and social ineptitude lead him to sabotage Holly's potential relationship, highlighting his inability to handle romantic situations maturely. Holly initially believes Kevin is mentally challenged, leading to an awkward and humorous confrontation with Angela.
- Ryan's Return: After being fired from his corporate position for fraud, Ryan returns to the Scranton branch as a temporary employee. He plots his revenge on those who wronged him, while simultaneously trying to win back Kelly's affection. Michael, in a misguided attempt to connect with Ryan, sports a matching goatee, which is then copied by Dwight.
Other Notable Moments
- Stanley's Motivation: Stanley is pleased with the fact that he personally lost seven pounds and decides to take an extra five days off anyway.
- David Wallace's Outburst: David Wallace confronts Ryan over the phone, expressing his outrage at Ryan's re-employment at Dunder Mifflin and ultimately firing him again in a profanity-laced tirade.
- Meredith's Sunburnt Face: Meredith appears to have some issue with her face. In a deleted scene, Meredith says that she went on a fishing boat with some guys and that she doesn't think she caught anything.
Production Notes
- The writers had wanted to do a weight loss episode for a long time but couldn't find a way to fit it into the structure of the show, in which each episode covers one work week.
- The hospital scene was also filmed at the University of Southern California.
- The scale on which the office employees are weighed was custom made by Rice Lake Weighing systems, and the weight on the computer screen could be programmed to any desired value.
- Writer Mindy Kaling approached Rich Sommer at the SAG awards and told him that she was writing a character with him in mind.
- The fruit flies in the vending machine were real, and it cost thousands of dollars to hire a fruit fly wrangler to manage them.
Reception
"Weight Loss" received critical acclaim, with praise focused on its balance of comedy and character-driven moments, particularly Jim's proposal to Pam.
- Travis Fickett of IGN gave the episode a 9.2 out of 10, calling it "amazing" and praising its "terrific mix of character and comedy that is perfectly balanced."
- Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club graded the episode an "A−", highlighting the development of Jim and Pam's romance.
- Aubry Arminio of Entertainment Weekly lauded the episode's tender moments, such as Jim's proposal and Michael's attempt to boost Kelly's self-esteem.
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