Top 20 Awesome Details in The Office You Never Noticed
#20: Whiteboard Emmy Call Out
“Branch Closing” Steve Carell never won an Emmy for his role as Michael Scott on “The Office”. It sounds crazy saying it, but as many of you probably know, it’s 100 percent true and remains one of the most egregious Emmy snubs in TV history. You might even say he was robbed. That happens to be exactly how the entire cast and crew felt. We know this because they said so on the accounting team’s whiteboard on the show. In the season three episode “Branch Closing,” as Michael chats with Pam, you may spot a whiteboard in the background. Look closely at Tuesday June 5th and you’ll see it reads: "CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL FOR OUR FIRST OF MANY EMMYS. STEVE WAS ROBBED!"
#19: Fake Thumb
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“The Secret” “The Office” superfans would probably be able to answer the question: Why did Michael Scott once have his corporate credit card taken away? For those who don’t know, Michael revealed in season two that it happened because he once spent $80 at a magic shop. However, while the superfans might know that, we’re guessing not many noticed this tiny detail. As Michael revealed that information to the camera, you can see he’s also wearing a fake thumb on his right hand. We can only assume it was one of the items he purchased on said trip to the magic shop.
#18: Bait & Switch
“A Benihana Christmas” Remember when Michael and Andy picked up waitresses at Benihana and brought them back to the office Christmas party? And remember how they couldn’t tell them apart, leading Michael to actually draw a mark on one of their arms to help him recognize her? Most of you probably watched that and thought about how cringey it was. You might even have been flabbergasted at Michael’s inability to tell the two girls apart. Well, while you probably could differentiate between them, did you notice that they weren’t even the waitresses the guys met at the restaurant? Yep, go back and see for yourself. It’s a tiny meta joke seemingly about how the show’s characters are just like the audience.
#17: Precious Medals
“Trivia” In the season 8 episode “Trivia,” Dwight goes to Florida to pitch himself to Robert California in the hopes of getting hired for a manager’s position in the company’s printers division. In a bid to ward off a persistent Dwight, California attempts to give him a medal - one that he says was given to his grandfather for “acts of courage”. Dwight doesn’t fall for it, but you know who did? Gabe. Much earlier in the episode, when Dwight talks to Gabe at his desk, you may notice a similar-looking medal on the shelf behind him. Turns out Gabe not only accepted the worthless medal, he actually had it framed!
#16: Dressing Up
“Dunder Mifflin Infinity” There’s a scene in the “Dunder Mifflin Infinity” episode of season 4 where Michael sits in his office, eating a salad. If you look on the desk beside him, you’ll see a mason jar of salad dressing. Zoom in just a bit more and you’ll notice that the label on the jar is handmade, has a picture of Michael on it and the product name “Great Scott”. Looks like Michael makes his own salad dressing. This might seem like a totally random sight gag. Unless, of course, you’ve seen the deleted scene from the previous episode in which Michael talks briefly about his rather unprofitable salad dressing venture.
#15: They Heart FreeCell
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Multiple Episodes There’s quite a bit of downtime on film and TV sets. Actors often find themselves not having much to do between takes and setups. In order to fill that time on the set of “The Office,” one thing the cast would do was play FreeCell. They’re all sitting in front of computers anyway. It turns out many of them really got into it. So much so that they had competitions amongst each other. You could sometimes even catch a glimpse of the game on various computers during scenes. And if you’re wondering why they didn’t just surf the internet. Well, the show premiered in 2005 and they didn't get WiFi on the set until 2006.
#14: Beet It
“St. Patrick's Day” What are Dwight’s three favorite things? Well, based on what he’s said on the show - as well as Jim’s hysterical impression of him - they are Bears, Beets and “Battlestar Galactica”. While he never watched the sci-fi show on the job and thankfully never brought a bear into the office, beets did make an appearance at Dunder Mifflin. Go back and rewatch the season six episode “St. Patrick's Day” and you’ll see it. Right there beside Dwight’s desk, one solitary beet is being grown in a glass container with a bright light directly above it. Given the spotlight on it, you might be amazed that you’ve never noticed it before. But there it is.
#13: Dinner Party Aftermath
“Dream Team” One of the standout moments from the season four “Dinner Party” episode has to be Michael showing off his little plasma TV to Jim and Pam. A TV that later becomes the recipient of Jan’s anger when she throws a Dundie at the screen and breaks it. So what did Michael do with his precious television after that? Well, turns out he left it on the wall. We actually see this when Pam goes to his place in season five to strategize about the future of the Michael Scott Paper Company. There, on the wall behind Pam is the broken TV with a new, bigger TV sitting on the floor below it.
#12: The Devil Is in the Details
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“The Job” Most of our wildest fantasies don’t involve the Devil, let alone co-running a Bed & Breakfast with him. And even if it did, we’d probably dream about the venture paying out more than $80,000 per year. But then again, we aren’t all Dwight Schrute. Jim is the master of manipulating Dwight into making statements that don’t make him look good and he does it again here. Dwight, in anticipation of becoming regional manager, fantasizes about making Jim’s life hell. This then leads into the whole Bed & Breakfast with Lucifer monologue. But while you were laughing at the scene, you probably missed the awesome detail that an $80,000 salary breaks down to about $6,666.66 per month.
#11: Addressing the Past
Multiple Episodes Although it takes place in Scranton, Pennsylvania, “The Office” was filmed mostly in California. The setting may be fictional, but the town of Scranton is a real place, with many real-life locations popping up on the show. This, however, doesn’t include the street where the Dunder Mifflin building is situated. The building, as you’d see on a flier in the “Blood Drive” episode, is located on Slough Avenue. But the real-life Scranton doesn’t have a Slough Avenue. So why did they call it that? Well, they did so as a little nod to the UK version of “The Office” on which the series is based. The Wernham Hogg paper company on that show is located in the town of Slough.
#10: Back to Creed’s (Grass) Roots
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“A Benihana Christmas” Saying Creed Bratton is an enigma is a bit of an understatement. This can be said about both the character and actor! In-show and real life, Bratton was a member of The Grass Roots, a popular band many baby boomers will know and love! Even after he left the band, he continued honoring his musical background! One of his albums contains a song called “Spinnin’ N’ Reelin’”. If you listen carefully in the episode, you’ll hear him sing his own catchy tune! This is a fun easter egg everybody knows we’re crazy about!
#9: Extra! Extra!
“The Alliance” If you’re quick, you may catch a quick glimpse of a newsletter from time to time. Its first appearance is in season 1’s “The Alliance”. As this is clearly meant to be a bit of stage dressing, of course we don’t expect it to be full of genuine text. However, what we do find is even better than standard filler. When you zoom in and read the article, it’s basically a hilarious letter to Designtown, the company that printed the prop. It has several fake words, a couple jokes, and is essentially just there to, as the newsletter says, “sort of look like a newsletter without really being much of a newsletter at all”.
#8: Cut Trees Award
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Multiple Episodes Some restaurants have a certificate for best food. Some supermarkets celebrate their number of sales. Dunder Mifflin is on a whole different level. If you look closely in the office, there's a little certificate from the Rain Forest Harvester's Association awarding them for the achievement of 1 million cut trees. It makes all environmentally-conscious viewers cringe a bit just looking at it. Hey, what else can you expect from the people person’s paper people? It’s a funny little detail that is easily missed unless you know what to look for! Look around for the other funny certificates in the office!
#7: Tea Party
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“Branch Wars” Gift time! Jim got Pam a teapot full of secrets, and we waited with bated breath as it was traded from employee to employee? Luckily it ended up in Pam’s hands by the end, and not Dwight, who wanted it for… other reasons. By the looks of it, she never let it out of her sight again. Two seasons later, you can see the teapot being used as a fancy addition to the Finer Things Club meeting! It’s so sweet that a thing like that was remembered! Now if we only knew what that letter said…
#6: Certificate of Authenticity
“Goodbye, Toby” Most people have a diploma hanging in their office. Then again, Michael Scott is far from most people. In the Regional Manager’s office, he has a certificate of authenticity mounted on his wall. Well, at least we know he’s got an…authentic Seyko timepiece. Even better? It doesn’t even seem to be genuine! Seiko is misspelled. Also, notice he gives the watch to Toby as a farewell gift. This further reinforces our view of Scott as a bit of a lovable fool. Hey, at least it looks official!
#5: Creed the Criminal
“Conflict Resolution” Stolen identities, weed, pirate code? This quality assurance employee has done so much we don’t know about, and that’s probably for the better. Look at Creed’s cubicle. If you squint,you’ll catch a glimpse of what looks like a mugshot! Honestly, we’re not really surprised that he’d be proud of the escapade that got him that picture. You can also catch a hint of Creed’s criminal history previously in the series. When he poses for a photo ID, he immediately turns to the side afterward, just like for a standard mugshot. Just following his odd statements from throughout the series makes for a fun rewatch of the show!
#4: Sign My Cast
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“Launch Party” This one isn’t on purpose, but that somehow makes it even better! When Meredith comes back from her leave after being hit by Michael’s car, she has a huge cast covering her pelvis. She pertly asks Jim to sign her cast; but actor John Krasinski accidentally signs his own name on Meredith's cast instead of his character's name! It’s easy to miss, as the J is the same in both, but if you know when to look, you won’t miss it! Wonder how this managed to slip past the editors? Maybe they were swept up in how perfect Jim is! Do you blame them?
#3: Resolution Board
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“Ultimatum” Looking at this board, you’ll find normal, character- consistent goals such as Jim wanting to bike to work and Erin wanting to learn a new word every day. However, if you look a bit closer, you’ll see a couple of funny additions. True to her personality, Kelly's resolution is to get “more attention by any means necessary”. Stanley's is to be a better husband AND boyfriend. Remember, this is a whole season after Stanley promises to break off his affair with Cynthia! In fact, they don’t officially break it off until the garden party in season 8! Poor Teri!
#2: “The 40-Year-Old Virgin”
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“A Benihana Christmas” Right around when “The Office” premiered, we were graced with the weird, wonderful comedy, “The 40-Year-Old-Virgin”. There doesn’t seem to be too much in common between Judd Apatow’s film and the show, aside from the lead actor of course. Yet there are far more similarities than you may think! Not only is there a similar, absurdist sense of humor, but there’s an iconic dinner scene with a familiar backdrop. That’s right! It’s the same restaurant that Michael, Andy, Dwight, and Jim visit for their Christmas party! Here’s a bonus for you; Jenna Fischer and Mindy Kaling both make cameos in the movie!
#1: The Chart of War
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“Did I Stutter?” Our top pick is a clever and complex prop. Though it only appears in one episode, it’s unforgettable! Dwight makes a chart of the chain of command in the workplace and it's chock full of information he’s collected over the years. Icons indicate defining traits (according to him) such as Oscar being gay and Andy’s education. Moons under the women’s names are a double joke, as not only do they indicate each woman’s time of the month, but those who went through menopause have a large X over their icon. Finally, you can see that Dwight has astutely put the name Creed Bratton in quotation marks. Good eye, Schrute, good eye.
