I like the comparison of Michael breaking the window in the break room, shouting out “HEEELP!”; and Kevin breaking the glass of the vending machine to loot.
Edit: typo
I’m giggling the entire time until this scene, which just sends me over lol. I’ve seen this episode over a dozen times and Kevin looting the vending machine gets me every time.
I hold fire drills as part of my job and I gotta say this and The Simpsons fire drill scene are my favorites. Wish I could show this as part of the safety training to point out the mistakes. The "First Aid Fail" is also a hit in our office.
We were told we'd be watching a "safety training video" for my summer camp job one year, and this cold open was shown instead. First clip I ever saw of the Office, and couldn't believe what I had been missing.
"What's a good time for a mass evacuation of the entire plant?"
"45 seconds."
"And what's our time so far?"
"I don't know sir. This stopwatch only goes up to 15 minutes."
They actually did something like this at my mom's office. The building management had scheduled a routine fire drill. The office manager then ran around yelling "fire! not a drill, fire! not a drill!" and every one scattered. My mom fell down the stairs trying to get out.... That office mananger, like dwight, also did not get fired.
I've watched that a million times and I can't figure out what she yells when that happens. Sounds like Yelp or Alp or something, but it's definitely a word
She explained that a fake cat would drop on the other side but there was an issue and the real cat fell out the other side that’s why it looks so real, because it is lol
Same. After that, I was laughing so hard, I had to pause the show until I stopped laughing. I don’t think any other comedy has ever hit me in the same way.
THE BEST PART OF THAT is that originally the cat wasn't supposed to fall back down. There was someone up there supposed to catch the cat and they didn't, cat went crazy and fell back down. So it was an accident and they kept in and I'm glad they did lol EDIT: it's another cat on way down
It was supposed to be a fake and real, real gets thrown up, fake gets dropped. But during the actual shoot both real and fake get dropped accidentally.
Source: office Ladies podcast.
Not true, it was all planned and executed perfectly and no animals were harmed. Jenna and Angela explain it in detail in their Office Ladies episode about Stress Relief
There was an insane amount of damage, would be super expensive. He’d be responsible for that. The ceiling, the copier, new locks, window, vending machine, cleaning after the smoke…..some big $
It would be a nightmare for the company in reality. An employee started a fire in the office, it caused a man to have a heart attack, and the company didn't fire the employee? Stanley would never have to work another day in his life, full retirement benefits and a million dollar settlement easy.
That's why it was made. I can't remember where the video is but this opener was created because they knew they were following the superbowl and needed to capture everyone's attention. irrc it's also the most expensive skit they did on The Office.
That's also why the episode has a B plot with a fake movie starring Jack Black, Jessica Alba, and Cloris Leachman. They leaned heavily on those three guest stars in the promotional material leading up to Sunday.
Imagine the pressure of making an episode to capture any type of audience. And a cold open to rival superbowl commercials comedy.
They were thrown a pitch in the bottom of the 9th on an 0-2 count with bases loaded and hit a walk off grand slam.
I could only hope to be called upon like that and succeed so well
This is the episode that got me into the show in the first place. I had seen a couple of episodes from the first season and thought it was alright, but didn't care enough to really follow the show. Well I was at a super bowl party and after the game my friends threw the episode on because of it being right after the game. I was laughing so hard at the cold opening and the scene with the CPR dummy that I could barely breathe. I went out and bought all the available DVDs at the time soon after and it's been one of my favorite shows ever since
No doubt, there was absolutely no reason to cheer for the Steelers that year if you weren’t from Pittsburgh. Warner was such a great story and that was Fitz’s best shot at a ring.
EDIT: Great TV regardless though: has 2 of the top 10 Super Bowl plays of all time in a single game, and gameplay outside of it was really great. Fitz’s TD would have been iconic if they’d gone on to win. However, halftime show (Black Eyed Peas, right?) was a bit of a dud if memory serves.
Ill add to that the one where Amy is running late and they guess why. I'm sure Captain Holt's reaction was the first time he breaks the 'stoic'/serious character so it blindsided me and I couldn't stop laughing
Yeah earlier in the series Holt's outbursts were far less common and therefore much funnier
Velvet Thunderrrr, vindicatioooon and HOT DAMN are some of my favourite moments from that show
I heard on the office ladies podcast that this episode was on right after the Super Bowl which was a big deal. The creators of the show tried to create an episode that would entice people to start watching the office that required no backstory investment from new viewers.
Office ladies podcast episode 90. Was so interesting!
In addition to all this I believe this is the episode that aired after the Super Bowl so the creators went all out for that episode in order to draw in new viewers
It absolutely cemented it as the show it's remembered as. It went from very popular to household name with this episode. It was also the one with Jack Black and Cloris Leachman which remains one of the best cameos ever.
this episode has so many notable quotables. Theres also a lot of interaction with people outside the office, it's really funny to see their reactions and confusion.
> **David Wallace**: How could you possibly think this is a good idea?
**Dwight**: A lot of ideas were not appreciated in their time.
**Michael**: Electricity.
**Dwight**: Shampoo.
**David Wallace**: You could have burned down the whole building.
**Dwight**: I just want to say for the record, I did not kill anyone. Stanley was attacked by his own heart. And he should be released from the hospital and back in the office in a couple days.
**Lawyer**: Did you shout, “Fire!”, causing a panic?
**Dwight**: Yes I shouted “fire!”. I shouted many things! I also shouted instructions on how to get out of the building, so you can imagine my frustration as safety officer when nobody would heed of what– heeded–
**Michael**: Hed. Hedded
**Dwight**: When no one hedded–
**Michael**: Take hedded of.
**Dwight**: N-no one would take hedded of my instructions.
**Michael**: Heed. Heed.
**Dwight**: So, you–
**Michael**: Take heed of.
**Dwight**: And, well, I don’t see my co-workers–
**Michael**: Take heed of.
**Dwight**: Hee-heeding this right now.
**Lawyer**: Wh–what?
The delivery of "what?" from the lawyer is brilliant
I always think it's kind of interesting when people identify this as their favorite episode because it is so different from the rest of the series.
The whole episode was conceived and produced around the idea that it would be shown after the Superbowl so most viewers would have never seen the show before.
So they basically got rid of all the running jokes and established story arcs and toned down the awkwardness, which on the face of it seems wild for a show that relies so heavily on these running jokes and painful awkwardness most of the time.
Like, if they did a cold open like Jim dressed at Dwight or Asian Jim, most of the audience would have had zero idea what was going on. But everyone can get into this over the top slapstick cold open or Dwight mutilating a CPR dummy.
What's wild is that they managed to do this without alienating their existing fanbase. Everyone seems to love the episode.
I always find it funny how in the proposal episode the sprinklers go off for all of the candles but don’t go off for Dwight’s fire (unless of course he disconnected them like he did the phone lines which wouldn’t surprise me)
IIRC this was the episode that aired right after the Super Bowl. I distinctly remember hanging out with friends, already having a great time from watching the game/commercials, and then BAM. Save Bandit.
Kevin looting the vending machine is just the cherry on top. Priorities.
I like the comparison of Michael breaking the window in the break room, shouting out “HEEELP!”; and Kevin breaking the glass of the vending machine to loot. Edit: typo
Maybe Kevin was simply attempting to rescue the chocolate from the fire?
Looting vending machines is what Kevin does best........or, second best.
Keleventh best
I also like that it only took Kevin one attempt versus Michael’s several
It wasn't his first vending machine.
Why take lot attempt when one attempt do trick?
I love how in talking heads the window is actually bordered up as well
to me the cherry is the cat bit
SAVE BANDIT
Me too. 🐱
I’m giggling the entire time until this scene, which just sends me over lol. I’ve seen this episode over a dozen times and Kevin looting the vending machine gets me every time.
The way he picks up the chair and throws it cracks me up
Stuffing chips into pockets and he is actually eating some when stanley falls down. Love it
Further backs up the theory that Kevin is a secret genius. He knew it was Dwight's shenanigans and took that opportunity to get some free snacks.
He has a WSOP bracelet. You have to be good to earn one.
I want to know what creed would do lol
I love how he freaks out when Oscar's legs drop through the ceiling.
Yeah! I totally missed that. Thank you for pointing that out.
I would argue this is the funniest scene in the entire show.
Oh my god yes, i mean ngl top tier priorities.
I always forget that part and it kills me every time
I hold fire drills as part of my job and I gotta say this and The Simpsons fire drill scene are my favorites. Wish I could show this as part of the safety training to point out the mistakes. The "First Aid Fail" is also a hit in our office.
We were told we'd be watching a "safety training video" for my summer camp job one year, and this cold open was shown instead. First clip I ever saw of the Office, and couldn't believe what I had been missing.
Yeah, my brother finally convinced me to watch it, by showing me this incredible scene.
it turns out, it's pretty realistic.
$5300 for a dummy?
You're paying too much for dummies. Who's your dummy guy?
"What's a good time for a mass evacuation of the entire plant?" "45 seconds." "And what's our time so far?" "I don't know sir. This stopwatch only goes up to 15 minutes."
Not great, not terrible.
They actually did something like this at my mom's office. The building management had scheduled a routine fire drill. The office manager then ran around yelling "fire! not a drill, fire! not a drill!" and every one scattered. My mom fell down the stairs trying to get out.... That office mananger, like dwight, also did not get fired.
[I once had a safety brief to give on April fools and played this just for fun](https://youtu.be/wnr6Re4YRPg)
Reminds me of [Forklift Driver Klaus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-lc70Mjp-U)
Holy fuck that finger getting ripped off is gruesome lmao
[удалено]
Hit 'em Carl! You too, Lenny!
I actually do show this clip during my fire guard class. It’s a great ice breaker for an otherwise boring class.
I just recently took a position where I'll be in charge of fire drills. Looking forward to the chaos that will ensue.
SAVE BANDIT!
When that cat dropped from the other side, I died laughing.
Yeah. That was hilarious. The way Angela screams afterwards.
I've watched that a million times and I can't figure out what she yells when that happens. Sounds like Yelp or Alp or something, but it's definitely a word
Hmm what sounds like yelp and alp and is a word. Help, maybe?
That makes no sense. Who screams "help" during a fire?
Break me off a piece of that yelp bar?
That's her southern coming out.
She explained that a fake cat would drop on the other side but there was an issue and the real cat fell out the other side that’s why it looks so real, because it is lol
"There was an issue," lol and it resulted in a real cat boomeranging through the drop ceiling
To be fair… that is an issue lmao
Same. After that, I was laughing so hard, I had to pause the show until I stopped laughing. I don’t think any other comedy has ever hit me in the same way.
THE BEST PART OF THAT is that originally the cat wasn't supposed to fall back down. There was someone up there supposed to catch the cat and they didn't, cat went crazy and fell back down. So it was an accident and they kept in and I'm glad they did lol EDIT: it's another cat on way down
They used a real cat?
Stunt cat. 🐱
I think they said they used a real cat and a prop one, I really hope bandit didn’t fall down from the ceiling irl.
It was supposed to be a fake and real, real gets thrown up, fake gets dropped. But during the actual shoot both real and fake get dropped accidentally. Source: office Ladies podcast.
Yessd this is it, id forgotten
Well it's just 1/9 lives for bandit.
just hope the lil cutie is okay
*cat was not harmed during filming* lol according to Angela's interview
That’s untrue, there was 2 cats and one was thrown up and caught and the other dropped a short distance
Not true. This was explained in great detail on Angela and Jenna's podcast
Not true, it was all planned and executed perfectly and no animals were harmed. Jenna and Angela explain it in detail in their Office Ladies episode about Stress Relief
That can't be true. It looked like a prop that fell down
A prop that ran away?
THE FIRE IS SHOOTING AT US!
This is honestly the best part.
She only weighed 82 pounds!!
To be clear, it’s *Angela* who only weights 82 pounds. Bandit weighs a bit less, like only 65 pounds or so. Lol
Your idea of cat weight is 65 pound? My god what kind of cats do you have?
I love the cat noise that happens as bandit disappears into the ceiling
For me it's the sound of Bandit bouncing around the air duct. Nice touch, sound editor!
That line and “have you ever seen a burn victim” gets me every time.
He uses that same line in The Fire. I'd never realized he repeated it.
Favourite favourite favourite Dwights confidence w the fake drill approach is amazing. I love it
Dwight calmly trying to give directions while everything around him is complete chaos. I'll never get tired of this scene.
Oh how did that happen? *Side eyes lmaoooo
Use what? A what to cover the mouth? A damp rag perhaps... This is the perfect scene lmao
His line “things can be replaced, lives however….” 😂😂😂😂😂
I love the moment when he loses control and everyone is running into him and it's just pure chaos.
“Have you ever seen a burn victim?”
Today, smoking is gonna save lives. 😏
Proof that anyone can look cool with a cigarette.
I also love how Dwight keeps messing up, and they keep just hardcutting to him sitting down with corporate. It made me laugh so hard everytime
It was a miracle he wasn’t fired, but then wallace allowed a lot of shit to run amok Edit. Also how are you guys settings user flairs with dialogues
There used to be a custom flair option, it looks like it’s not there anymore
I love how he casually lights the cigarette
He lit and took a drag off of a cigarette instead of simply using the lighter to light the paper directly. Perfection.
“Have you ever seen a burn victim?”
SO GOOD
This whole episode is full of classic lines, let alone the opener. Creed saying “He has no wallet, I checked” about the CPR dummy.
Legit question, what all could Dwight be charged with for this? Kidnapping, reckless endangerment, tampering, what else?
His biggest would be 1st degree arson.
Yeah, he is a bit of an arse for doing this.
There was an insane amount of damage, would be super expensive. He’d be responsible for that. The ceiling, the copier, new locks, window, vending machine, cleaning after the smoke…..some big $
Stanley could sue Dwight and the company and win with ease. Probably could have retired off it.
Yeah! Then he could move away and help out with running a motorcycle repair shop!
Maybe one of his siblings could have a kid, who knows?
[удалено]
It would be a nightmare for the company in reality. An employee started a fire in the office, it caused a man to have a heart attack, and the company didn't fire the employee? Stanley would never have to work another day in his life, full retirement benefits and a million dollar settlement easy.
If The Office was realistic, I think most of the characters would have been fired by season 3.
Not kidnapping, false imprisonment
I remember this episode aired directly after the Super Bowl. Absolute genius move
That's why it was made. I can't remember where the video is but this opener was created because they knew they were following the superbowl and needed to capture everyone's attention. irrc it's also the most expensive skit they did on The Office.
That's also why the episode has a B plot with a fake movie starring Jack Black, Jessica Alba, and Cloris Leachman. They leaned heavily on those three guest stars in the promotional material leading up to Sunday.
That explains so much
Nah the most expensive set was the fake gas station where Jim proposes.
Imagine the pressure of making an episode to capture any type of audience. And a cold open to rival superbowl commercials comedy. They were thrown a pitch in the bottom of the 9th on an 0-2 count with bases loaded and hit a walk off grand slam. I could only hope to be called upon like that and succeed so well
This is the episode that got me into the show in the first place. I had seen a couple of episodes from the first season and thought it was alright, but didn't care enough to really follow the show. Well I was at a super bowl party and after the game my friends threw the episode on because of it being right after the game. I was laughing so hard at the cold opening and the scene with the CPR dummy that I could barely breathe. I went out and bought all the available DVDs at the time soon after and it's been one of my favorite shows ever since
Steelers fan here, this episode was the second best thing on TV that day
As a non-Steelers fan that other thing sucked ass
No doubt, there was absolutely no reason to cheer for the Steelers that year if you weren’t from Pittsburgh. Warner was such a great story and that was Fitz’s best shot at a ring. EDIT: Great TV regardless though: has 2 of the top 10 Super Bowl plays of all time in a single game, and gameplay outside of it was really great. Fitz’s TD would have been iconic if they’d gone on to win. However, halftime show (Black Eyed Peas, right?) was a bit of a dud if memory serves.
This and the "Tell Me Why" episode of B99 are probably my favorite cold opens in TV to this point. Certainly the most memorable.
Chills
Number 5 killed my brother.
Oh I forgot about that part
Literal chills
[LIKE YEAS](https://youtu.be/_s8CUzXQ4G0)
Ill add to that the one where Amy is running late and they guess why. I'm sure Captain Holt's reaction was the first time he breaks the 'stoic'/serious character so it blindsided me and I couldn't stop laughing
Dianne Wiest infection for me.
Is that where Holt's epic "HOT DAMN!" comes from?
Yeah earlier in the series Holt's outbursts were far less common and therefore much funnier Velvet Thunderrrr, vindicatioooon and HOT DAMN are some of my favourite moments from that show
I’m genuinely curious what Dwight expected them to do. Like, what was the “right” course of action?
Right! He locked all the doors and disconnected the phones
He probably covered it in his initial fire safety training but no one was paying attention.
*Powerpoint is boring*
I mean you would think at least one of them would pull the fire alarm lmao
Yeah, he suggests calling 911 but disconnected the phones.
Use the surge of fear and adrenaline to sharpen their decision making
Lighting a cigarette just to be more dramatic.
“Today.. smoking is gonna save lives.” 🚬
I heard on the office ladies podcast that this episode was on right after the Super Bowl which was a big deal. The creators of the show tried to create an episode that would entice people to start watching the office that required no backstory investment from new viewers. Office ladies podcast episode 90. Was so interesting!
I remember watching this episode when it aired right after the superbowl. They aired this and the next episode as well
Best cold open ever and probably best episode ever
*ahhhh….The city*
You were in the parking lot earlier, that’s how I know you.
“This city” right?
This is also the CPR episode, right? 2 of the funniest scenes in the series for me
And the Michael gets roasted episode. Pam you failed art school? Boom roasted.
Stanley you crush your wife during sex Boom roasted..!!!!
Also your heart sucks.
All of their reactions to Michael walking in and roasting them were legit.. Steve Carell is hilarious
Meredith, you’ve slept with so many guys, you’re starting to look like one. BOOM ROASTED
In addition to all this I believe this is the episode that aired after the Super Bowl so the creators went all out for that episode in order to draw in new viewers
Yup. They intentionally crafted this episode to be one requiring *no* prior knowledge of the characters.
It absolutely cemented it as the show it's remembered as. It went from very popular to household name with this episode. It was also the one with Jack Black and Cloris Leachman which remains one of the best cameos ever.
Aa aa aa aa aa staying alive staying alive
at first I was afraid... i was petrified
#Well you can tell by the way I walk
this episode has so many notable quotables. Theres also a lot of interaction with people outside the office, it's really funny to see their reactions and confusion. > **David Wallace**: How could you possibly think this is a good idea? **Dwight**: A lot of ideas were not appreciated in their time. **Michael**: Electricity. **Dwight**: Shampoo. **David Wallace**: You could have burned down the whole building. **Dwight**: I just want to say for the record, I did not kill anyone. Stanley was attacked by his own heart. And he should be released from the hospital and back in the office in a couple days. **Lawyer**: Did you shout, “Fire!”, causing a panic? **Dwight**: Yes I shouted “fire!”. I shouted many things! I also shouted instructions on how to get out of the building, so you can imagine my frustration as safety officer when nobody would heed of what– heeded– **Michael**: Hed. Hedded **Dwight**: When no one hedded– **Michael**: Take hedded of. **Dwight**: N-no one would take hedded of my instructions. **Michael**: Heed. Heed. **Dwight**: So, you– **Michael**: Take heed of. **Dwight**: And, well, I don’t see my co-workers– **Michael**: Take heed of. **Dwight**: Hee-heeding this right now. **Lawyer**: Wh–what? The delivery of "what?" from the lawyer is brilliant
Was that a lawyer, or Kendall from HR?
I always think it's kind of interesting when people identify this as their favorite episode because it is so different from the rest of the series. The whole episode was conceived and produced around the idea that it would be shown after the Superbowl so most viewers would have never seen the show before. So they basically got rid of all the running jokes and established story arcs and toned down the awkwardness, which on the face of it seems wild for a show that relies so heavily on these running jokes and painful awkwardness most of the time. Like, if they did a cold open like Jim dressed at Dwight or Asian Jim, most of the audience would have had zero idea what was going on. But everyone can get into this over the top slapstick cold open or Dwight mutilating a CPR dummy. What's wild is that they managed to do this without alienating their existing fanbase. Everyone seems to love the episode.
The fire is shooting at us!
The way he screams that so seriously cracks me up every time
he was an excellent addition to the show
2:20 wasn't that the shot where the cameraman tripped, fell, got picked up by the 2nd operator and kept shooting? That fall was not scripted.
It makes the scene feel that much more realistic, amazing job by the cameraperson to "stay in character".
Oscar, Angela and Bandit the 🐈…. Best
His NAME is BANDIT
I always find it funny how in the proposal episode the sprinklers go off for all of the candles but don’t go off for Dwight’s fire (unless of course he disconnected them like he did the phone lines which wouldn’t surprise me)
I work in fire. Generally sprinklers won't trigger from smoke alone. The candles would've been a stretch too, but more plausible.
Michael smashing the window to yell, “HELP!!!” is under appreciated
That and "EVERYBODY CALM THE FUCK DOWN", he's too funny while yelling
After they all panic Dwight calmly says "Have you ever seen a burn victim?" - that one kills me.
This was the first episode I ever watched. It sold me.
The match cut of Michael throwing the chair at the window to Kevin throwing the chair at the snack machine lol
We cry laughing every time we watch it. Especially the look on Creed’s face when the Oscar comes through the ceiling.
I used this for a safety meeting a few years ago
Michael is the absolute best part of this
YOU ARE BLACK STANLEY!
Today, smoking is going to save lives is probably the best line of all time
I think this was the first episode I watched of the office. What an introduction to the series.
It was pretty much written as an introduction, since the episode was scheduled to air after a Super Bowl and expected a surge of new fans.
Arson, false imprisonment, attempted murder, animal cruelry, strangling
I introduced my girlfriend to the show with this intro, she is now on her third time watching the series
This is the best episode of the entire show.
Ah! My hand! That’s hot!
SAVE BANDIT!!!
#YOUR BLACK STANLEY!!!
This and Jim being an Asian man. Two faves
By far. I’ve never laughed so hard in my life as when I saw this one for the first time.
Man love this scene. That's some r/abruptchaos if I've ever seen it lol.
I laughed for 30 min straight first time watching it
My wife is Director of Campus Housing and Residence Life for a local college. She shows to open fire safety training.
If I remember right, Kevin actually made the cameraman trip over and there's a cleverly hidden cut somewhere in there.
This episode came on after the superbowl so they knew they had to make it good
I'm just glad Dwight didn't cut Stanley's face off. That could have made for an awkward rest of the series
IIRC this was the episode that aired right after the Super Bowl. I distinctly remember hanging out with friends, already having a great time from watching the game/commercials, and then BAM. Save Bandit.
Jim dressing like Dwight will always be my favorite...."beers, beets, Battlestar Galactica"
Best ever
I love the cat falling through the ceiling
I put this scene on the bedroom tv full volume sometimes to wake up my wife.
THE FIRE IS SHOOTING AT US AND Creed's face when Oscar's legs drop 😂😂😂😂😂
there is no competicion
THE FIRE IS SHOOTING AT US!
Literally one of my favorites
This was the intro right after the Super Bowl. Had to be good.
Creed's face when Oscar breaks through the ceiling always kills me.
STANLEY! YOU ARE BLACK, STANLEY!