The Convict (The Office episode)
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| The Office episode |
| "The Convict" | |
 "Prison Mike" scares the office straight in "The Convict". |
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| Episode No. | 37 |
| Prod. Code | 309 |
| Airdate | November 30, 2006 |
| Writer(s) | Ricky Gervais & |
| Director | Jeffrey Blitz |
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The Office Season 3 |
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| List of all The Office episodes... | |
"The Convict" is the ninth episode of the third season of The Office (U.S. version). It aired on November 30, 2006. It was written by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, who created the original version of The Office.
[edit] Synopsis
Hannah Smoteridge-Barr brings her infant son to work where his all-pink ensemble evokes gender confusion. The baby is met with ambivalence from Stanley and Creed attempts to play a paperclip-based game against Karen's admonishment. Michael can't help himself, and crawls under a nearby desk to act as the voice of the child riffing on lines from the Look Who's Talking film series.
Angela, Kevin, Michael and Pam teleconference Jan to determine the source of a rebate check the office received. Jan informs the group the check stems from a federal reformed convict employment program, a "smart move" by Josh Porter, former manager of Dunder-Mifflin Stamford. She e-mails human resources and quickly determines the employee hired through the program is one Martin Nash.
Michael proposes the quartet forget the news they've received to avoid creating a rift among employees. All agree, although Michael misreads a sarcastic Angela who says she supports protecting a criminal, especially as a "90 lb. female who sits in a poorly-lit, rarely-visited corner of the office".
Meanwhile, Andy dials Big Tuna's extension and whispers "I'm horny". Jim is flabbergasted but soon realizes Andy wants a rundown on his attractive female coworkers and asks for a debriefing on Kelly, Angela and Pam. Jim encourages Andy to pursue Pam and, as a prank, coaches him on her favorite things; In actuality, his tips are things that Pam dislikes or has no opinion on: Disc golf, pig latin, and the Six Flags television commercial "with the old guy".
Dwight assures Michael he is of a collected, cool mindset to hear a piece of news, but when told of Martin's criminal past attempts to take off in a dead sprint. In an interview he says he simply doesn't like criminals. Michael himself announces Martin's "problems with Johnny Law" to everyone, and says that for every trusted white man, he can name a black man he trusts more. He then asks employees to call out names of white men. He tops Pam's father with "Danny Glover", but is unfamiliar with Jim's suggestion of "Jonas Salk"; Jim quickly substitutes Justin Timberlake, which garners "Colin Powell". Karen suggests "Jesus", to which the boss replies "Apollo Creed" to which Stanley simply rolls his eyes in casual disbelief.
In the breakroom over lunch, Martin tells the others he was incarcerated for insider trading, and although it was routine and could be dull, he enjoyed certain perks of prison, including outside time and art classes. Ryan is told about prison business classes taught by Harvard Business School guys. Pam comments that prison sounds better than their current work situation and Kevin wonders why the branch doesn't receive daily outdoors time.
Soon, Michael announces an hour outdoors time will take place in the parking lot. Nearly everyone heads outside to bitter cold temperatures. Michael offers a weightlifting session with a 2.5 lb. dumbbell he produces from the trunk of his Sebring, but a freezing Stanley leads a charge back into the warmth of the office.
Michael soon calls an impromptu meeting in which he dons a do-rag and attempts to "scare you straight" as an ex-con character named "Prison Mike". He speaks with a New York accent, calls Angela a bee-yoch, threatens to shove her up against a wall (and incites Dwight to politely come to her defense with the rest of the staff), says life "in the clink" is no picnic, alludes to violence and rape and singles out Ryan because, in prison, he would be "da belle of da ball", who responds "Michael, please." in discomfort.
Jim asks Prison Mike where he learned such information and he claims it's a mix of the Internet and prison. Jim asks his crime and Angela is peeved when Dwight asks Prison Mike the worst thing about prison, which he responds by claiming there were Dementors. Andy plays along, and says prison sounds awful. Prison Mike concludes his speech, saying "You got a good life." Martin comments that Michael's performance did not remind him of his time in prison. A frustrated Michael locks everyone in the conference room, who become concerned and begin moving around for an exit. Hannah, still at her desk with the pink-clothed child, ignores Kevin's pleas for assistance.
Pam phones Toby who tells Michael the staff is fully aware a workplace is better than prison and are simply teasing him. A relieved Michael releases his prisoners, including Stanley who never stopped work on his crossword puzzle through the entire incarceration.
Martin cleans out his desk and quits Dunder-Mifflin. In his office, Michael remarks to the camera that he thinks Martin is a quitter.
Andy strums "The Rainbow Connection" on his banjo, while singing pig latin in his "sexy, high, falsetto voice" in an attempt to woo Pam based on Jim's advice. She smiles politely and glances at Jim, who gives the camera his trademark smirk.
[edit] Trivia
- Michael attempts to tune a television in the breakroom playing a fuzzy WBRE-TV broadcast featuring weather forecaster/chief meteorologist Josh Hodell.
- "Prison Mike" is modeled after the 1978 documentary Scared Straight!.
- The most recent president whose son "Prison Mike" could have kidnapped is George H.W. Bush; Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush have only daughters.
- Ed Helms showcases his real ability to play the banjo.
- When Andy walks up to Pam to ask her out he says "Pam-alama-ding-dong", something Michael has done before. However Michael has said this before Andy came to Scranton. Andy's use of this nickname could, of course, be due to the bad advice Jim gave Andy about how to date Pam.
- At the end of the epidsode, Andy serenedes Pam with the Muppet song "The Rainbow Connection." The UK version featured another Muppet song, "Mahna Mahna," which opened the first episode of the second series.
- Despite the obvious connection between Jim and Pam in this episode, the two never actually have a conversation.
[edit] External links
- The Convict at NBC.com
- Memorable Quotes From "The Convict" at QuotesFromTheOffice.com
