Transcript - Ep 200 - Dwight's Christmas with Sam Kieffer

TRANSCRIPT

Office Ladies | Episode 200 – Dwight’s Christmas with Sam Kieffer

Jenna [00:00:03] I'm Jenna Fischer. 

Angela [00:00:04] And I'm Angela Kinsey. 

Jenna [00:00:06] We were on The Office together. 

Angela [00:00:08] And we're best friends. 

Jenna [00:00:08] And now we're doing the ultimate Office rewatch podcast just for you. 

Angela [00:00:12] Each week, we will break down an episode of The Office and give exclusive behind the scenes stories that only two people who were there can tell you. 

Jenna [00:00:19] We're the Office Ladies. Hello!

Angela [00:00:24] Hi there!

Jenna [00:00:26] Happy 200th episode of Office Ladies! 

Angela [00:00:30] Wow. 200th. I can't believe it. And you know what? It's Dwight's Christmas. 

Jenna [00:00:36] I know. What a special episode for our 200th episode!

Angela [00:00:40] But before we break that down, we have a very special guest with us today. It is our very own Sam Kieffer! 

Sam [00:00:48] Hi, everybody. Hi!

Jenna [00:00:50] Welcome, Sam! 

Angela [00:00:51] Sam is at the table in the re- in the recording studio. 

Sam [00:00:52] It's very fun to be on this side of the booth. 

Jenna [00:00:54] We are so excited to have you on the podcast today. We could not have celebrated this episode without you. But maybe we should share the bittersweet reason why you are a guest on the show and not engineering the show today. 

Angela [00:01:08] And some of you listening might know this. Sam, you shared on your Instagram. But after we recorded our last episode, The Target, Sirius XM did a big round of layoffs and Sam and some of the other Earwolf employees were let go. 

Sam [00:01:24] Yeah, I didn't make the cut. 

Angela [00:01:27] You make my cut. 

Jenna [00:01:28] Every time. 

Angela [00:01:29] Yes. 

Jenna [00:01:30] So we wanted to give a little background for people who may not know how it all works. When we started Office Ladies back in 2019. 

Angela [00:01:38] Yes. 

Sam [00:01:39] That can't be right. 

Angela [00:01:39] Yes, I found it. It's in my digital clutter. Continue, continue. 

Jenna [00:01:42] Okay, well, we signed a deal with Earwolf, and when we agreed to work together, part of the deal was that they would give us a recording space and a production team. So we went in for our first day of work, and they just introduced us to you, Sam. They were like, this is your sound engineer. 

Sam [00:01:59] Yup. 

Jenna [00:02:00] And then a couple of years ago, Earwolf and its partner Stitcher got bought by Sirius XM. So now it's kind of all under Sirius XM. And they started implementing some changes, like how they closed down the Earwolf recording studio, and then they did layoffs, and then the layoffs included you, Sam. And it all took us completely by surprise. I mean, we learned about it when you texted us. 

Sam [00:02:26] Yeah, I learned about it by surprise too.  

Angela [00:02:27] Yeah, you did. I mean, we were just heartbroken. And, you know, Sam, I went back into my digital clutter, like I do, and you have literally been with Jenna and I from day one. 

Sam [00:02:42] I know. 

Angela [00:02:42] Day one. I found a video from May 1st, 2019 where I was filming us getting set up in the studio for our first recording, and I met you while videoing. And I have it. I'm gonna show you guys. 

Jenna [00:02:56] Oh my gosh. 

Angela [00:02:58] Yeah. Ready? 

Sam [00:02:59] Yeah. 

Jenna [00:02:59] Angela, I love you for things like this. 

Angela [00:03:02] That I never clean out my phone videos and photos. Okay, here we go. Here we are. Okay. We are at Earwolf. This is Colin and Codi. Look. Office. Jenna, this is our very first time. There's Jenna Fischer.

Jenna [00:03:15] I'm very busy. I'm preparing for a podcast. Excuse me, excuse me. 

Angela [00:03:19] See, I always say Jenna's who you want to sit next to in chemistry class. Okay. And... 

Sam [00:03:23] Sam. 

Angela [00:03:24] Sam. 

Sam [00:03:25] Oh, wow. 

Angela [00:03:25] Sam's gonna make sure we sound normal, Jenna. So that's great. Hi. Hi. Good morning. Hi. How are you? Hi. Okay bye. 

Jenna [00:03:32] Put a filter on that. 

Sam [00:03:34] Oh, wow. 

Jenna [00:03:36] Oh my gosh! 

Sam [00:03:36] Yeah. That was the first time. 

Jenna [00:03:38] You swung over and you, like, had to say it's Sam. 

Angela [00:03:41] And I said, oh, hi, Sam. Okay. I mean, May 1st, 2019. 

Sam [00:03:47] Wow. That's incredible. 

Jenna [00:03:48] I mean, you're just such a big part of our Office Ladies family. We could not celebrate this milestone without you. 

Sam [00:03:54] Oh. Thank you. 

Jenna [00:03:54] And I have to say, I'm really upset and gutted that we're going to finish this thing that we started together and you're not gonna be with us. 

Sam [00:04:01] I know. Me too. Oh. Me too. 

Angela [00:04:04] Yeah. 

Jenna [00:04:05] It doesn't even seem like...  

Angela [00:04:08] It's just... It's just (BLEEP). 

Sam [00:04:13] Yeah. Yeah. I've been trying to look at it from the positive point of view and see what doors it opens in that whole thing. But currently, I am still in the anger stage of the grief process. So, yes. It's brutal.

Jenna [00:04:25] I feel that. Yeah. Well, you know, we started our Office Ladies network, but it's still under the umbrella of Sirius XM. But I really do hope, Sam, that there's going to be a way that we're going to work together again. 

Sam [00:04:40] I have the feeling we're not done. 

Angela [00:04:41] We're not done. I really believe that. And I did, Sam, I did have to make you a scrapbook. 

Sam [00:04:47] Okay. 

Angela [00:04:47] It's from Jenna, and I. 

Jenna [00:04:50] From Angela. 

Sam [00:04:51] It's a physical scrapbook?

Angela [00:04:51] It is, well first of all... 

Jenna [00:04:52] Sam. Sam. It's from Angela. Okay?

Sam [00:04:54] Yeah. Okay. 

Jenna [00:04:55] It's amazing. 

Angela [00:04:56] You can tell by the level of craftsmanship that is that I probably did it. But. But it is from Jenna and I, and you know what? I could not believe how many photos I had of us. 

Sam [00:05:10] Really? 

Angela [00:05:10] Yeah. It's been four years, and you can look at it later. Okay. You also get a Office Ladies tote bag. But that's for you. 

Sam [00:05:19] Oh wow. 

Angela [00:05:20] Anyway, we had a lot of wonderful memories, and I just know that this isn't goodbye. 

Sam [00:05:24] Oh, wow. You're going to make me cry. Thank you guys. Thank you so much for this. I forgot how much I wore sweatpants to work. 

Angela [00:05:32] You did, you did. 

Sam [00:05:34] Had a real comfortable period there. 

Angela [00:05:35] And you know what? I also love your dog Ramen made it. 

Sam [00:05:38] Oh, yes! 

Angela [00:05:38] Ramen's in the book, too. 

Sam [00:05:40] Oh, God. Yeah. 

Angela [00:05:42] And I have a whole chapter called The Pandemic in there, and it's just all zoom photos. 

Sam [00:05:47] Oh, thank you. 

Jenna [00:05:48] Well, Sam, we thought a really fun thing to do for our 200th episode, and as just to honor your time on the show is to interview you. 

Angela [00:05:57] I'm so nervous and so excited.

Jenna [00:05:59] So, our top of show today, we're going to kick things off with our favorite question. We shared that you were assigned to us. 

Sam [00:06:06] Yes. 

Jenna [00:06:07] Right? But how did you get your job on Office Ladies from your side? How did that happen? 

Sam [00:06:12] So, I think it was Paul Scheer had mentioned that you guys were coming to be on our network before anything was announced. He had mentioned it just offhand, and I piped up and I was like, hey, I love The Office. Just wanted to, like, put my- stake my claim in it immediately. And he was like, all right, cool. And just like went on with his day. But Colin overheard that. And then when it was time to record the pilot, put me in. 

Angela [00:06:36] Oh, gosh. 

Jenna [00:06:36] How lucky. 

Angela [00:06:37] I love it. I love so glad you spoke up. What are some of your favorite memories from your time on Office Ladies or a behind the scenes moment that you would like to share? 

Sam [00:06:47] All right. Now I'm literally taking a page out of your book, consulting my phone full of notes that I took for this. I had such a hard time picking behind the scenes things that were... Each episode recording was such a fun, magical thing. And it's rare. It's. I think it's an Office quote- isn't it, Andy who's like, It's how come you never can know that you're in the special times while you're in them? 

Angela [00:07:09] Right right right. 

Sam [00:07:10] This was one of those rare moments where every episode we recorded, I was aware that it was special and was magical and was present during it and was recording it in my brain as like, this is a really special thing we're doing. So hold on. I have, if you guys put your headphones on, if you can play the clip that says Jenna and Angela post first episode. This is...

Jenna [00:07:31] What?! You're coming in with audio clips? 

Angela [00:07:34] Oh my god, I love it!

Sam [00:07:36] So this is you guys, like, two minutes after recording the very first episode of the Office Ladies. 

Angela [00:07:40] That video that I just filmed, it right after that. 

Sam [00:07:43] Okay. Yeah, exactly. 

Angela [00:07:44] I'm glad to have that behind us. 

Jenna [00:07:46] I know. I hope it's okay. 

Angela [00:07:49] They said they can. There's so much there. 

Jenna [00:07:52] I know. 

Angela [00:07:54] They'll carve it up. And then if we need to come in and do some bumpers or whatever. 

Jenna [00:07:58] Yeah, we'll get there. We'll get there. I'm glad to have it out of our system. 

Angela [00:08:03] I was in my head about it too. It was looming there. 

Jenna [00:08:06] It's so hard because there's so much to cover and... Oh my goodness. I'm very cold in here. 

Angela [00:08:16] It just got super- it just like went up a notch.  

Jenna [00:08:24] Oh my gosh, Sam, Is there is there ever been a more US audio clip? 

Sam [00:08:27] Yeah. So the episode, you end and it immediately ends with you guys going negative, being like like I couldn't get that out. Like I couldn't get that out fast enough. I hope that was all right. 

Jenna [00:08:36] Also, Angela's starving because she does eat before we record. Ever. 

Sam [00:08:40] In almost all the clips I brought, you're eating. 

Angela [00:08:42] I'm so sorry. The minute we stop, I eat. In front of me right now, I have cheese, cashews and cranberries. Oh, gosh, that is hilarious. 

Jenna [00:08:52] And I am just being so my negative self like, well I don't know. There's probably nothing there but it's out. I mean I got it out of me. 

Sam [00:09:02] Yeah. But what I, what I really liked is you can tell how far you guys have come as podcasters, like just your insecurities in that is fascinating to me, considering now you do them and you're like, that was good. Like, you have a solid like you know if something is good or you'll do it and you go, that was bad. 

Angela [00:09:16] That was bad I gotta do that again. 

Sam [00:09:16] During those first ones, you would do it and go, is this good? Because there's no one to tell you whether or not it's good. There's no audience to bounce it off of.

Angela [00:09:23] Yeah. You were our audience. 

Sam [00:09:24] Yeah, exactly. 

Angela [00:09:25] Oh, man. You know, as I was looking for that video of when we first met, I found emails from you that were just titled "giggling." It's just audio of us losing it. 

Sam [00:09:37] Speaking of which, if you'll play the clip entitled Jenna Angela Fluffernutters. 

Angela [00:09:42] Oh, no! 

Jenna [00:09:43] Oh no! 

Angela [00:09:52] All right. We have to pause while my friend gets it together. 

Jenna [00:09:57] Okay go ahead. You had a fluffernutter in Cleveland? Where were you? 

Angela [00:10:00] Connecticut! 

Jenna [00:10:01] Connecticut. 

Angela [00:10:02] My first fluffernutter was in Connecticut. 

Jenna [00:10:10] I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Am I the only one? Sam, please. 

Angela [00:10:12] Sam. Please. 

Sam [00:10:15] Yeah. Those. Those behind the scene moments killed me when like, when you would get on like a laughing tear. The stuff we had to cut from the episode just we didn't have time for it. That stuff always killed me. 

Jenna [00:10:24] Oh, my gosh. 

Angela [00:10:25] I love that. 

Jenna [00:10:27] Well, Sam, do you have a favorite episode that we broke down? Or a favorite, I guess, what would that be? A non behind the scenes, but like an episode moment? 

Sam [00:10:36] I think it was episode 3 or 4 that we rerecorded. 

Jenna [00:10:40] Oh, we. Yes. Health Care we rerecorded three different times. 

Sam [00:10:45] Yes. 

Jenna [00:10:46] And we used pieces of each one. 

Angela [00:10:49] It was the Frankenstein episode. 

Sam [00:10:50] Yes, yes hold on. If you'll play Jenna Angela confess Health Care. 

Angela [00:10:55] Oh, no. 

Sam [00:10:57] This this killed me. I found this. 

Jenna [00:11:00] Should we confess what happened with the Health Care episode, Angela? Should we confess it? 

Angela [00:11:06] No. 

Jenna [00:11:07] All right, we'll just move on, then. 

Angela [00:11:09] No. If by if what you mean is that we listened to and didn't like it, so we're redoing it, no.

Jenna [00:11:15] All right. 

Angela [00:11:16] No. We're perfect. I like how quickly I came to that. 

Sam [00:11:23] Yeah, exactly. 

Angela [00:11:24] I didn't have to think about it. I was like, Nope. 

Sam [00:11:25] Nope. 

Angela [00:11:27] Okay, Sam, just like the cast and crew on The Office, you know, I found those questions on the back of the call sheet. I love them so much. Well, we want to ask you the Office cast and crew call sheet questions. 

Sam [00:11:39] Great. Lay it on me. 

Angela [00:11:40] Number one, what was your first entertainment job? 

Sam [00:11:43] First entertainment job was doing sound for the Riot Comedy Festival in 2007. It was a short lived comedy festival that ran downtown for 2 or 3 years that my friend Abby put on, and one of the shows on there was Comedy Bang! Bang! Which afterwards was how I met them and how I got my job at Earwolf. 

Angela [00:12:02] Wow. Okay. Number two, do you speak any other languages? 

Sam [00:12:07] I don't speak any other languages. And I know this because Duolingo is very hostile to me about it. Hold on a minute. I'll show you guys. 

Angela [00:12:15] Do you keep getting prompts like... 

Sam [00:12:17] Okay, tell me this isn't the most hostile email you've ever gotten. This is because I skipped a week. I skipped a week. This is because I skipped a week in Duolingo.  

Angela [00:12:25] Okay, what does it say? 

Sam [00:12:26] Read it out loud. 

Angela [00:12:27] How do you say quitter in Spanish? 

Sam [00:12:30] Yeah, that's the header of the email. How hostile is that? 

Angela [00:12:33] I like that you wrote back, Sorry, that was harsh. 

Sam [00:12:35] No. That's them. That's the body of the email. Yeah, that's Duolingo texting me. Yeah. 

Angela [00:12:40] Oh my gosh. 

Sam [00:12:41] No, I don't speak another language. And Duolingo won't let me forget that. 

Angela [00:12:45] Wow. Number three. What's a place you've been to that you loved? 

Sam [00:12:51] I just went to Brussels in November, and I went to Bruges, and it was perfect. 

Jenna [00:12:54] I remember you talking about those. 

Sam [00:12:55]  It was little cobblestone streets. It was perfect. I love it. 

Angela [00:12:59] I love that. And what do you like to do on the weekends? 

Sam [00:13:04] On the weekends, you can usually find me at music festivals, volunteering with End Overdose. It's a group that gives out Narcan for reversing opioid overdoses and just getting to get the information out. 

Angela [00:13:17] I always see you post about that, and you just have such a heart for others. And I just love that about you so much. Okay, last question from the call sheet. Favorite midnight snack? 

Sam [00:13:28] Midnight snack would be Indian food. 

Angela [00:13:30] Oh yeah? 

Jenna [00:13:32] At midnight? 

Angela [00:13:32] What specifically?  

Sam [00:13:34] Lamb tikka masala. 

Jenna [00:13:34] How do you sleep well? 

Angela [00:13:35] Lamb? 

Sam [00:13:36] I don't. I sleep my sleep schedule is horrific and I'm aware these two are related. 

Jenna [00:13:40] Indian food digesting in your stomach at midnight. 

Sam [00:13:43]  I'll get up and order have Indian food delivered. It will get there at one in the morning. 

Angela [00:13:48] Oh my gosh. 

Sam [00:13:50] Yeah, it's brutal. 

Jenna [00:13:50] Does it put you back to sleep? 

Sam [00:13:52] Eventually. 

Jenna [00:13:54] Okay. 

Sam [00:13:55] But no it's it's definitely an upper. 

Jenna [00:13:57] I was not expecting that. 

Angela [00:13:58] I wasn't either. I was I was going to say cereal but lamb tikki marsala? 

Sam [00:14:03] Yeah. 

Angela [00:14:04] All right. 

Jenna [00:14:06] I want to share one of my favorite behind the scenes with you Sam is early on when we would edit episodes, Angela and I would come in together with our notes, with our little sack lunches, and we would all cram into your editing bay. 

Sam [00:14:24] That's right. 

Jenna [00:14:25] And those few hours on those days are just some of my favorite memories from doing this podcast. 

Sam [00:14:32] Honestly, mine too. 

Angela [00:14:33] Yeah. 

Jenna [00:14:34] We would laugh. 

Angela [00:14:35] We would laugh so hard and we would be you know there was no extra tables. One time there wasn't even enough chairs. One of us was on the floor. And it kind of reminded me of those early days in like, college where you all hung out and like, someone's dorm room. We would eat our lunches in our laps, whatever they were, we had to balance them in our laps, plus our notes. And and we were in a room that was, I don't know, was it 4 by 6? 

Jenna [00:15:01] It was the size of a very small walk in closet. 

Sam [00:15:04] Yeah. Yeah. And it was freezing. Earwolf was freezing. 

Jenna [00:15:08] We have many photos of me and Angela in, like, full winter gear. 

Angela [00:15:11] Yeah. 

Sam [00:15:11] Yeah, yeah. And like, like hoodies and beanies and stuff. 

Jenna [00:15:14] Yeah. 

Sam [00:15:15] And mittens. 

Jenna [00:15:16] But, you know, that was before the pandemic, before everybody discovered Zoom. Now we edit on Zoom. But, man, I miss those times. 

Sam [00:15:23] And that was you guys changed up. Like how a lot of us edited up until then podcasts, we just pretty much recorded. And there was, I don't know, 2 or 3 edits and we turn them around. It was a pretty quick process. But this show, like, really changed the way a lot of us edit at Earwolf. 

Jenna [00:15:38] Wow. It was cool because we would edit in real time with you. We tried emailing you notes and thoughts and with a it was just like a mess. 

Sam [00:15:46] It just worked better for you to go put this here and point at it. 

Angela [00:15:48] Yeah, yeah. 

Jenna [00:15:50] Sam, thank you so much for being on our 200th episode. And thank you for everything you've done for Office Ladies. And for everybody who has not listened to Sam's podcast, Enemy in Paris, you need to check it out. It is my new favorite like... 

Angela [00:16:07] It's hilarious. 

Sam [00:16:10] Hate watch podcast. 

Angela [00:16:10] Yes. 

Jenna [00:16:11] And you know, I was telling you before we started recording that I have not been rewatching the episodes because you guys do such a good job of describing them. 

Sam [00:16:19] Oh well, that's the goal is we don't want anyone to have to watch the show, ideally. 

Jenna [00:16:22] You don't want to have to watch it again. 

Angela [00:16:25] That's hilarious. But it is. If you love to hate watch Emily in Paris like we do, and we would always talk about it, this is the podcast for you. 

Sam [00:16:34] She's not a good person. Yeah. 

Jenna [00:16:35] But I love your opening song. I love how you guys describe the scenes. I love your deep dives. 

Sam [00:16:43] Which are heavily lifted from this show. 

Jenna [00:16:45] Oh my gosh. I mean, you guys are very entertaining. I love your co-host. It's great. Everybody go listen to it. 

Angela [00:16:51] Go listen to it. We're going to put a swipe up in our Instagram stories. Sam also brought us. 

Sam [00:16:57] Yes, I brought you guys- so, we have official merch. There's an episode where this woman, this American actress comes to Paris and only refers to Emily as bucket hat. And says, Bon soir, bucket hat. So we have Bon Soir bucket hats for both of you. 

Angela [00:17:10] It's perfect. 

Jenna [00:17:11] I love it so much. 

Angela [00:17:12] I can't wait to wear it. I'm going to wear it on my walks. I'm going to wear it on my hike. I'm going to take a picture of us in it, Jenna. 

Sam [00:17:18] Great. And I just wanted to say my time here triggered something very special inside me. You two took a very simple concept of a recap show and made something extremely special, something extremely rare, something that bonds people. That's the thing that all podcast companies desperately want, that they foam at the mouth over, that they can't recreate. And it comes down to the people making it, the time it was made. It takes a very special type of magic to create a show like this. And you two did it. I hope you're very proud of yourselves. And if you ever doubt that, take a peek into the fan page on Facebook. The community that has rallied behind this podcast is truly incredible and rare and magical. And to that fandom, I just want to say, you are seen and you are heard and you are loved. Even when you think nobody sees you, you are seen and you are loved. 

Jenna [00:18:05] Sam... I'm just I don't know how to do the podcast without you. 

Sam [00:18:12] It'll be okay. 

Angela [00:18:14] Sam, thank you so much for sharing that. But but more than that, just thank you for believing in Jenna and I when we had so much self-doubt and we were in a whole new space. And some people wrote us off right away, and you never did. 

Sam [00:18:30] Oh, no, you guys were- had something special right out of the gate. I hope you guys are very proud of yourselves.

Angela [00:18:33] Yeah. And, we just we love you so much. 

Sam [00:18:37] Great. If we can go out in that clip of Jenna and Angela dancing. 

Angela [00:18:42] Oh, my gosh. 

Sam [00:18:42] I think you've posted this before. There was an episode we recorded that just didn't click from the start. So you stopped and danced to Taylor Swift for 30 seconds. 

Angela [00:18:52] I remember this. Jenna was in her head and I was like, we got to get in our body. 

Jenna [00:18:56] Yes, it was the third one we recorded, but it was the pilot. And because it was the pilot, I suddenly like, couldn't speak. 

Angela [00:19:03] You shut down. 

Jenna [00:19:03] I did. 

Angela [00:19:05] I made Sam put on Taylor Swift. 

Sam [00:19:07] And there's a great Angela cussing in it, which is always funny to me. 

Angela [00:19:10] Oh, no. No. Let loose! Hey! Hey!  

Jenna [00:19:21] It's just so much pressure to (UNCLEAR). 

Angela [00:19:23] It is! 

Jenna [00:19:24] There is so much pressure! 

Angela [00:19:25] I'm (BLEEP) terrified too. I get it! I'm terrified.  

Jenna [00:19:31] Oh my gosh. Wow. Oh. 

Angela [00:19:36] All right. 

Jenna [00:19:37] Sam. Sam. Sam. 

Sam [00:19:38] I know.

Angela [00:19:38] Sam, Sam, Sam. 

Sam [00:19:39] Oh, I'll see you. This isn't the end. 

Angela [00:19:40] Yeah. This isn't the end. 

Sam [00:19:41] And by the way, I have my cell phone on me. We can make outgoing calls at the studio. Always call me like you've done, if you have any Lord of the rings questions. Or do you remember once you called me- I remember once- actually, I do have a favorite memory. I have a favorite show memory. I was in New York and my phone rang and you were on the air, and you wanted to know if some place was the porn capital of the world. And I was like, why would I know this? And they're like, why don't you? Like it was just-  

Jenna [00:20:06] But you did, though! 

Sam [00:20:06] Yeah, I did! I did!

Angela [00:20:07] You did know. It was somewhere in California. 

Sam [00:20:10] It's in, like, Studio City. 

Angela [00:20:11] Chatsworth! 

Sam [00:20:12] Yeah! So that's my favorite. 

Angela [00:20:16] We called you on vacation. 

Sam [00:20:17] Yeah. That's right. That's right. 

Angela [00:20:19] All right, Sam, you'll be our dial a friend. 

Sam [00:20:21] All right. I love you guys. 

Angela [00:20:22] Love you so much. 

Jenna [00:20:23] Love you, too. Guys, we're going to take a break. We're going to give Sam some hugs and have a good finish to our ugly cry. And then we'll be back to break down Dwight's Christmas. 

Angela [00:20:33] All right. 

Jenna [00:20:44] Hello, we are back. And wow, it was really so good to have that moment with Sam. 

Angela [00:20:52] I just loved it. I loved having him on the show so much. And thank you also to the office ladies family, a lot of you have reached out to us. 

Jenna [00:21:01] And to Sam. 

Angela [00:21:02] And to Sam, and it's meant a lot to all of us. And I know Sam holds all of your messages very dear. 

Jenna [00:21:08] Yes. Well, now we are going to break down Dwight's Christmas. 

Angela [00:21:12] Yeah. 

Jenna [00:21:12] This is season nine, episode nine, written by Robert Padnick and directed by Charles McDougall. 

Angela [00:21:20] Action!

Jenna [00:21:21] Remember, Charles McDougall directed our very first Christmas episode, Yankee Swap, and Greg wanted him to come back to direct the last. 

Angela [00:21:30] Yep, this is the last Christmas for the Dunder Mifflin crew. 

Jenna [00:21:35] Yes. Here's your summary. It is the eve of Jim's first day at his new job, and everyone in the office realizes they forgot to plan the office Christmas party. They ultimately take Dwight up on his suggestion of a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch Christmas. Meanwhile, in Andy's absence, Pete and Erin bond while watching Die Hard, and Darryl fears that Jim has forgotten his promise to include him in the new business. 

Angela [00:22:02] Yeah, he is really taking that hard. 

Jenna [00:22:05] So, you know, we jump right into this episode. There is no cold open, there are no opening credits. This is the only episode in the entire series without opening credits. 

Angela [00:22:16] It was a big episode and I read the shooting draft. A lot more happens and I think they had to really trim it down. 

Jenna [00:22:23] Well, we open with Jim and Pam at their desks and Jim is having second thoughts about the shirt he packed. He's doing that thing where he's nervous about his new job, and that anxiety is being sort of processed through his packing list. 

Angela [00:22:37] Yes. And Dwight comments that Jim's shirt makes him look like a mop. And Pam agree's. 

Jenna [00:22:42] Pam's like, it kinda does. This is when Erin realizes, oh my gosh, today is the Christmas party. 

Angela [00:22:52] Angela's like, wait, that can't be right. Kevin is so angry immediately with Angela. Like, how could you do this? And guess who comes to Angela's defense? Oscar. 

Jenna [00:23:02] Well, yes, because he's basically still trying to gain her forgiveness for his affair with her husband. 

Angela [00:23:09] I'm going to bring it up later, but there is a moment that was in the shooting draft where he slowly gets her favor. 

Jenna [00:23:15] Really? 

Angela [00:23:16] Yes. I'll share it in a bit. 

Jenna [00:23:18] Well, I will say in this scene I really loved the shot of the turkey decoration. 

Angela [00:23:24] Yes. 

Jenna [00:23:25] As everyone's realizing that it's the Christmas party. Also, there is a scarecrow behind Erin at reception. 

Angela [00:23:32] Yep. 

Jenna [00:23:33] So not only did they forget to plan the Christmas party, they have not taken down any of the Thanksgiving decorations. 

Angela [00:23:38] Exactly. Well, we have some Phyllis snark, some good old Phyllis snark. She says, you know what? I knew the party was today, but nobody asked me to plan it, so I didn't. Funny how that works. 

Jenna [00:23:50] You know what? That felt very lazy genius to me. I think this is an example of why Kendra said that Phyllis is a lazy genius. Because a lazy genius doesn't plan things they weren't asked to plan, and it's not their job to like, you know, pick up the pieces of your slack. 

Angela [00:24:07] Phyllis knew this day was coming. She was waiting for it. Well, Meredith thinks they deserve a Christmas party for all the balls they've been busting. I thought Kate Flannery was so funny. They've been busting their balls. Nellie says, you know what? Let's get mini cupcakes. This set Kevin off. 

Jenna [00:24:26] Oh, this is a famous line that gets quoted all the time. 

Angela [00:24:30] Yeah. Kevin's like, wait, cupcakes are already mini versions of cakes, and now you want to even make the cupcakes smaller? 

Jenna [00:24:38] Yes. He's very, very angry about it. It makes me laugh every time. I do love a mini cupcake, though. 

Angela [00:24:44] I do too. 

Jenna [00:24:45] I like it even smaller. 

Angela [00:24:47] What are those super tiny ones we got one time? Melissa Bakes or something?

Jenna [00:24:51] Baked by Melissa. 

Angela [00:24:52] Yes! 

Jenna [00:24:52] They're even. They're even mini-er than a mini cupcake. They're literally bite size. 

Angela [00:24:57] But they're so good. Someone sent it to us as a thank you. And you and I were so delighted. 

Jenna [00:25:02] Yeah. Baked by Melissa. Everybody look it up. 

Angela [00:25:05] Not baked. What did I say? Melissa Bakes. 

Jenna [00:25:08] Not Melissa Bakes. 

Angela [00:25:09] Baked by Melissa. 

Jenna [00:25:10] That's right. It makes a really good gift. I've given it now. Better than flowers. And they have gluten free ones. Just saying!  

Angela [00:25:17] Just putting it out there. Dwight has an idea now about the Pennsylvania Dutch Christmas. Jim immediately is like, no, that's it, I'm in. Stanley wants tropical Christmas, Meredith wants topless Christmas, Creed wants tapas Swiss-miss. And then he says, Spanish tapas and Swiss Miss hot cocoa. What's so hard to understand? I want you to know there was an extended storyline here. 

Jenna [00:25:41] About tapas Swiss Miss? 

Angela [00:25:44] No. 

Jenna [00:25:45] About topless Christmas? About what? 

Angela [00:25:49] You're going to just list them all off. 

Jenna [00:25:50] I know. 

Angela [00:25:51] Okay. The storyline here was extended. Angela actually holds a conference room meeting. We know she has an emergency one later in the episode, but she decides right here to audition everyone who has a real idea for a Christmas party. And it's in the deleted scenes. It's going to start with Dwight giving a presentation, then Kevin. Kevin, you have to imagine she makes this announcement and they only have a few minutes to get their ideas together. But Kevin comes in with an easel and a huge, elaborate poster where in one picture is just Kevin in his boxer shorts and a t shirt. And then there's an overlay he drops over and it's a Santa suit. And then the next person is Meredith, and she just walks in and she lifts up her shirt and she has Santa hats over her boobs. 

Jenna [00:26:41] Oh my gosh. 

Angela [00:26:42] I know. And we also learn a little bit of how Angela would run a meeting. There's some snark, there's some insults, and there's rules. It's in deleted scenes. Let's hear it. 

Dwight [00:26:55] And that is why this Christmas should be a Pennsylvania Dutch Christmas. Danke.  

Angela Martin [00:27:03] Thank you Dwight. We will take your idea into consideration. 

Dwight [00:27:06] Please do. Thank you very much. Dwight for Christmas party. 

Angela Martin [00:27:11] I'm sorry, but that look like a cat's butt to me. Next! 

Dwight [00:27:18] Good luck, chump. 

Kevin [00:27:19] Thanks. Hope I get it. Kevin. Santa. Santa. Kevin. It'll make Christmas a ho ho home run! 

Angela Martin [00:27:40] Once again, displays of support are not needed. Boos are okay. Next! Oh! Ow. 

Meredith [00:27:50] Thank you. 

Pam [00:27:53] Lots of good ideas here. 

Angela Martin [00:27:54] What was that? 

Angela [00:27:57] Did you hear the moment when I sounded very southern in all of that? 

Jenna [00:28:00] No. When?

Angela [00:28:01] I  heard it so loud. When Angela Martin goes, that looked like a cat's butt to me. 

Jenna [00:28:07] Oh, yeah. Well, Angela does call an emergency party planning committee, and Pam tells Jim, basically, I'm going to get you the Dwight's Pennsylvania Dutch Christmas. Sort of like it's going to be her going away present to Jim. 

Angela [00:28:25] Right. Well, you know, everyone in the bullpen has listened to Dwight really push his idea. And Pete says, I hope German terrorists don't take over the Christmas party, or he'll have to go all John McClane on them. And Erin corrects some and says, I think you mean John McCain. And he's like, no, wait, have you not seen Die Hard? Erin has not seen Die Hard. Pete and Kevin cannot believe this. 

Jenna [00:28:47] Cannot believe it. And this is when we find out that Pete, I guess, in his youth on a dare from his brother? 

Angela [00:28:54] Yeah. 

Jenna [00:28:55] Has memorized the entire movie of Die Hard, and he starts reciting it for Erin. 

Angela [00:29:01] Do you have a movie that you know like that?

Jenna [00:29:03] When Harry Met Sally. 

Angela [00:29:05] Really? Oh, that's a good one. 

Jenna [00:29:08] Because when I used to drive from my college to my house and back, it was about a three hour drive, and I used like an old cassette recorder and I recorded the movie When Harry Met Sally. And I would listen to it in the car. 

Angela [00:29:21] Because you didn't have a radio. 

Jenna [00:29:22] Yes. And so I would listen to two things on that drive. I would listen to the Les Mis soundtrack, and I would listen to When Harry Met Sally, the movie. 

Angela [00:29:30] You would hit play on your tape recorder. 

Jenna [00:29:32] Yes, in the passenger seat. And it would keep me entertained. 

Angela [00:29:38] So cute. 

Jenna [00:29:38] Do you have one? 

Angela [00:29:40] I mean, you know, I know a few movies like that because I used to just be such a nerd and I'd watch movies over and over again, but one that I know almost every line to is Top Gun. 

Jenna [00:29:49] Really? You've seen it that many times? 

Angela [00:29:51] I guess so. 

[00:29:53] Wow. 

[00:29:53] It wasn't like, intentional. But I watched it with the kids and they were so annoyed with me because I kept saying the lines. Just a walk in the park, Mav. They're like, mom! 

Jenna [00:30:05] Well, we got a fan question from Grace Ann S in Lafayette, Louisiana. 

Angela [00:30:10] My birth city, Lafayette. 

Jenna [00:30:11] I knew you woild like this. Grace Ann said, I have a question about Pete's storyline, knowing all the lines from Die Hard, did this come from any of the writers experiences or any stories they heard? 

Angela [00:30:23] I was curious about that too. And you know, we reached out to the writer of this episode, Robert Padnick. He was fantastic, and he shared with us that this story likely came from his personal love of Die Hard. He said he remembers once pitching a plot line where Dwight, as the office Santa, crawls through the air ducts to deliver a present, remember in Die Hard where he's gone through the air ducts? And he said, you know what? No one really loved the idea, so it didn't happen. But maybe the Pete storyline was his attempt to jam Die Hard in there somewhere. And he also wanted me to share with everyone, It's a really good movie! Exclamation point. 

Jenna [00:30:58] Well, I love it. 

Angela [00:30:59] Same. 

Jenna [00:31:00] You know, there's a big debate, is Die Hard a Christmas movie? 

Angela [00:31:04] Yeah, I've heard about this. 

Jenna [00:31:06] Well, I did a little deep dive on this question. 

Angela [00:31:09] On the big debate? 

Jenna [00:31:09]  Yes. 

Angela [00:31:10] Okay. 

Jenna [00:31:11] What do we think here in the studio? Do you think it's a Christmas movie? Do you vote yes or no? 

Angela [00:31:18] I have to say no. Whenever I think of this movie, I don't think of it as Christmas, you know? Even though that is the backdrop for it. 

Jenna [00:31:26] Okay. Cassi. Jordan? Eduardo? 

Jordan [00:31:31] This is Jordan. I do not think it's a Christmas movie. 

Jenna [00:31:35] Okay? 

Eduardo [00:31:36] It is absolutely a Christmas movie. 

Angela [00:31:38] Oh, my God. Eduardo! Okay. 

Jenna [00:31:38] Eduardo coming in hot. Okay, Cassi? 

Cassi [00:31:42] Just because it's around Christmas doesn't make it a Christmas movie. No. 

Angela [00:31:45] Thank you. Cassi. Thank you. Cassi I feel seen. 

Jenna [00:31:49] Eduardo, Jordan, let me just say, at Christmas, I get inspired to watch Die Hard. So I'm going to put it as, yes, a Christmas movie. All right. It's 3 to 2. In December 2023, Yahoo news YouGov did a poll and 50% of the people polled said no. 26 said yes. 

Angela [00:32:13] Okay. 

Jenna [00:32:14] 23 said they aren't sure. 

Angela [00:32:16] Okay. 

Jenna [00:32:17] And only 14% of people said that they watch it over the holidays. Well, Yahoo UK had an article and they have some criteria for whether or not something is a Christmas movie. And they said you can figure out if something is a Christmas movie by asking these two questions. 

Angela [00:32:37] I'm so curious. 

Jenna [00:32:38] Number one, does watching the film at any other time of year feel weird? If the answer is no, then it is not a Christmas movie. 

Angela [00:32:48] I mean, the answer is no for me. I could watch Die Hard any time. 

Jenna [00:32:52] Right. But for example, you probably wouldn't watch... 

Angela [00:32:56] Christmas Vacation. 

Jenna [00:32:56] Yes. 

Angela [00:32:57] Right. 

Jenna [00:32:58] But what about the movie Home Alone? Is that a Christmas movie? 

Angela [00:33:03] I mean, I think so. 

Jenna [00:33:04] But it's also just a comedy. Couldn't you watch that in the summer? And it's about a kid who's home alone? You think... 

Angela [00:33:12] I don't know. It's winter. There's snow everywhere. 

Jenna [00:33:14] Planes, Trains and Automobiles?

Angela [00:33:17] I could watch that any time. 

Jenna [00:33:18] Okay. All right, here's the second question. If you take Christmas out of the movie, does it still make sense? If the answer is yes, it's not a Christmas movie. 

Angela [00:33:30] That's a good one. That's a good question. 

Jenna [00:33:32] I think you could take Christmas out of Die Hard and still Die Hard. 

Angela [00:33:36] Yes. 

Jenna [00:33:37] So there's a lot of evidence here now that Die Hard is not a Christmas movie. I will tell you that Die Hard director John McTiernan spoke at the American Film Institute in 2020, and here's what he had to say. He said, We hadn't intended it to be a Christmas movie, but the joy that came from it is what turned it into a Christmas movie. So John McTiernan says, yes, it's a Christmas movie. 

Angela [00:34:06] I don't know if you said yes. I think he just likes that people have attached this sort of debate to it and the fun of it. 

Jenna [00:34:13] Well, I think the ultimate authority on whether or not this is a Christmas movie is Bruce Willis, right? 

Angela [00:34:19] Yes. 

Jenna [00:34:20] All right. Well, Bruce Willis, he had his roast on Comedy Central. He was roasted in 2018. 

Angela [00:34:27] What did he say? 

Jenna [00:34:28] He addressed it at his roast. Here's an audio clip. 

Bruce Willis [00:34:33] People ask me why I did this roast. Was it because one of the last guys who did it became president? Hell no. Why would I want to be president when I can just keep being Bruce (BLEEP) Willis? I did this roast for one reason and for one reason only: to settle something once and for all. Now, please listen very carefully. Die Hard is not a Christmas movie! It's a (BLEEP) Bruce Willis movie. 

Jenna [00:35:19] How about that? There you have it. 

Angela [00:35:22] All right. Well, in the kitchen, Jim is going to share with Stanley, Toby and Creed about his new job in Philly. Darryl enters. He's really happy for Jim, but he's like, hey, are you ready to go? Do you have everything? Are you missing something? 

Jenna [00:35:36] Yeah. Then Darryl has the talking head where he says, Jim promised to take me to Philly. That was two months ago. And, he hasn't heard anything since. He said that, right? And we go back to the kitchen, and Jim is like, Hmm, I don't think so. 

Angela [00:35:50] I'm not forgetting anything. This is going to send Darryl on a journey. 

Jenna [00:35:54] A true spiral. 

Angela [00:35:56] A true spiral. 

Jenna [00:35:56] If there ever was one. 

Angela [00:35:58] Toby, of course, relates everything back to his time as a juror on the Scranton Strangler trial. This was like a huge moment for Toby. 

Jenna [00:36:06] Yeah, it's like his one claim to fame. 

Angela [00:36:09] It is, it is. He points out that the man alleged to be the Scranton Strangler is someone who won't be working on anything new or exciting. He's in prison for something he may not have done. Oh, no. Nellie's like, what? What are you talking about? 

Jenna [00:36:23] The Scranton who? 

Angela [00:36:24] Oh, no. 

Jenna [00:36:25] Oh, boy. 

Angela [00:36:25] Yeah. Toby lights up. He's so excited. He has someone new to share this whole story with. 

Jenna [00:36:30] How much did you love John and Craig's exit from the kitchen? 

Angela [00:36:35] So great. I love Stanley's exit, too. He's like, all right. See ya. Good luck with that. 

Jenna [00:36:40] Yes, see you in a few hours. 

Angela [00:36:42] Yep. 

Jenna [00:36:43] I want to point out the background of this scene. This is a very good example of how, during our entire nine years on the show, we were always doing background work for other actors' scenes. Did you notice Erin and Pete are in the background and Pete is actively reciting Die Hard to Erin? All throughout this entire scene, they're just in the background. You can't hear them, you can barely see them, but you can see him moving. Great background acting commitment. I mean, probably three hours they spent in the background while we did this kitchen scene. 

Angela [00:37:20] Right. Back at Angela's party planning committee meeting, Pam is really trying to make a case for Dwight's Christmas. 

Jenna [00:37:30] Yeah. And guess what? She gets everyone on board. Everyone but Angela. Angela does not want her name on this. 

Angela [00:37:37] I love this so much. She was like please do not attach my name to this. And she Pam's like, where? Where is your name going to appear? And Oscar's like, just take her name off of it! 

Jenna [00:37:46] I love Oscar in that moment. So the PPC emerged from the conference room to announce we are doing Dwight's Christmas. But there is a rule. The one rule is there are no rules. 

Angela [00:38:01] Dwight's like, you have never been cooler. I mean, Pam has made his day. Jim applauds. He's so happy. Best Christmas ever. So we reached out to Rainn Wilson about this episode and he sent in some audio clips. In the first one he shares with us about working with Charles McDougall, and also how this idea had been around for a long time. 

Rainn Wilson [00:38:23] Hello Office Ladies. It is your old friend, Rainn Wilson. And what an honor and pleasure it was to go back and watch Dwight Christmas. I don't think I have seen it since it first came out ten years ago. 11 years ago? Something like that. It was so much fun to watch. It brought so many memories back. Had such a great time shooting it. The director of that episode was the famous Charles McDougall, who would always do 47 takes with camera angles. For those of you keeping track, like watch how many different places the cameras are in and that there is no possible way in heaven that this is a mockumentary with two cameras wandering around an office capturing things. But we had long let go of that conceit by season nine. I know that Justin Spitzer had been wanting to do this Belshnikel thing for a long time. They had been trying to figure out a an episode for it. I think he had come up with the idea and the research and, was very excited about it. 

Jenna [00:39:22] Yeah. You know what? I remember that I think this episode of Dwight hosting the Christmas was supposed to happen during the year of the strike. 

Angela [00:39:33] I do sort of vaguely remember, like it was a card on the wall. Right? And they were working towards it. 

Jenna [00:39:38] Yeah. But then we did not end up having a Christmas episode that year. And so I think it had been on the shelf ever since then. 

Angela [00:39:46] Well, I guess Dwight just keeps a horn laying around because he's going to blow this horn. Pennsylvania Dutch Christmas has officially begun. He immediately already has a spread of food and wine. 

Jenna [00:39:57] I don't know how he threw this together. 

Angela [00:40:00] He was ready to go. Meredith is going to take a sip of the gluhwein, and she- people are like, really not really loving the gluhwein. 

Jenna [00:40:09] It's very thick. She says, is this lava? 

Angela [00:40:13] I want you to know, I looked up gluhwein recipes. 

Jenna [00:40:17] You didn't make it, did you? 

Angela [00:40:19] Josh made it. 

Jenna [00:40:21] Is it here? 

Angela [00:40:22] Yes! 

Jenna [00:40:23] Dear God. 

Angela [00:40:24] But wait! Listen. 

Jenna [00:40:26] Oh my God, I'm scared. 

Angela [00:40:28] No, do not be scared. 

Jenna [00:40:31] Have you tried it yet? 

Angela [00:40:31] No. I wanted to try it the same time you tried it. 

Jenna [00:40:34] Oh my God. 

Angela [00:40:35] Here, I want you to know I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. 

Jenna [00:40:39] Okay. 

Angela [00:40:40] gluhwein is a hot, spiced "gluhwein" found in many winter markets in Germany and Austria. And you know what? You come in from the cold and snow and this warm spiced mulled drink is supposed to make you glow with warmth inside. This recipe is from Elsie. Elsie says, My father would make this for New Year's Eve. Listen to the ingredients before you get scared, okay? 

Jenna [00:41:05] Okay, okay. I'm just saying, the visual in the episode is not appealing. But now I'm hearing that it's meant to be it's like a mulled wine. It's like, served warm. 

Angela [00:41:16] I felt like I had to find out. Is gluhwein a real thing? Is it gross? Is it not? And it sounds lovely. And it is a real thing. The ingredients are water, sugar, cinnamon stick, oranges, cloves and a bottle of red wine. And you cook it up. 

Jenna [00:41:31] That sounds delicious. 

Angela [00:41:32] I know. You cook it up and serve it hot. And I was going to make it last night, but I was making Sam's scrapbook. And Josh was like, babe, I'll make it for you. So he made it, and I have it here and we're going to try some gluhwein. 

Jenna [00:41:46] All right. 

Angela [00:41:48] So you get a little orange garnish. And you. These oranges were from my tree. 

Jenna [00:41:55] Wow. This I mean now I'm excited. It's not as thick as what we had on set. Or is it? We don't know yet. 

Angela [00:42:03] I don't know. I doubt it. 

Jenna [00:42:05] And it's also not being served with the spoon that guided your head through the birth canal. 

Angela [00:42:10] Exactly. It's supposed to be served warm because, you know. 

Jenna [00:42:14] Oh, it's steaming. 

Angela [00:42:15] These are cold. You know, you're and a lot of I guess tourists like to get it after they ski. 

Jenna [00:42:21] Oh, well, now you're speaking my language, Angela. 

Angela [00:42:24] I know. Okay, there you go. 

Jordan [00:42:27] Thank you so much. 

Angela [00:42:28] Yes. Enjoy your gluhwein. 

Jenna [00:42:31] It smells good. And I'm imagining that I'm chilly. I even have, I have, like, snow on my hair. 

Angela [00:42:37] Oh, my gosh. 

Jenna [00:42:41] Oh. It's fantastic. 

Angela [00:42:44] That is wonderful. 

Jenna [00:42:45] It's real good. 

Angela [00:42:46] It's real good. 

Jordan [00:42:47] Josh did great. 

Angela [00:42:48] I know. He's good. It literally means to light you from within. Like to warm you. 

Jenna [00:42:55] To warm you up. 

Angela [00:42:57] To glow you up. Lit from within. 

Jenna [00:42:59] Well, Angela, I'm really glad you did that. And thank you, Josh. 

Angela [00:43:02] I know. 

Jenna [00:43:03] It's delicious. 

Angela [00:43:03] It is really good, isn't it? 

Jenna [00:43:05] We also we got a fan mail flurry asking what parts of Dwight's Christmas are based in fact? 

Angela [00:43:12] Oh I bet. Because there's a lot of random stuff he's sharing. 

Jenna [00:43:15] Yes. And writer Robert Padnick said that there wasn't actually a lot of information about a Pennsylvania Dutch Christmas or Belschnikel , who we'll be meeting in a minute. That was kind of out on the internet at the time, but they were very careful to not make anything up. He said that our writers, Jonathan Greene and Gabe Miller, did a lot of work on this episode and included a number of real traditions. We also got a fan letter from Andreas H in Germany who said, Hi Office Ladies. This episode calls for a deep dive into German Christmas traditions. And since I am from Germany and I love Christmas, I took the liberty of assisting you in your research. 

Angela [00:44:00] Oh my gosh. Awesome! 

Jenna [00:44:01] Andreas said though beware this will take some time and some weird turns. 

Angela [00:44:08] Oh. 

Jenna [00:44:09] Andreas said, let's break down the props and decorations first. 

Angela [00:44:13] Andreas, I'm loving everything about this as I sip my gluhwein and listen. 

Jenna [00:44:18] I know, isn't this perfect? 

Angela [00:44:20] Yeah. 

Jenna [00:44:21] So the first thing that Andreas pointed out was the starry light thing above reception. Which, Angela, you know, we called the Death Star. 

Angela [00:44:31] We did call it the Death Star. This is not a reference to Star Wars. It's just the fact that it was really pointy and sharp, and several people walked into it and got injured. 

Jenna [00:44:40] They did. And then like, midway through the first day, there had been so many injuries. It was hung so low by reception that they put corks on the end of all the points, and they draped it in like caution tape. 

Angela [00:44:56] So many people walked into this thing. Someone cut their forehead, remember? 

Jenna [00:45:00] Yeah. I can't remember who that was, but more than one person. 

Angela [00:45:03] More than one person. And who knew we were going to have to have a safety meeting about this prop? 

Jenna [00:45:07] Yes. 

Angela [00:45:08] We probably should have. 

Jenna [00:45:09] We took pictures of it. And it's one of the things that I wish we had the room to write about in our book. 

Angela [00:45:15] I know we debated this. Remember when we were writing our book we're like, we want a page dedicated to the Death Star. 

Jenna [00:45:21] Because this is one of the things that has gone down in like the cast lore was navigating this very dangerous prop in the middle of our main walkway of the show. Well, this item is called the Hernhathursturn. It can also be called the (UNCLEAR). Oh boy. It can be. I'm just going to move on. 

Angela [00:45:48] I'm not laughing at the name. I'm laughing at Jenna's attempt to say it. 

Jenna [00:45:53] I'm going to just. Let's try it. 

Angela [00:45:55] Okay. 

Jenna [00:45:57] You could call it the Moravian Star. 

Angela [00:46:00] Okay. 

Jenna [00:46:00] This star is very popular and a very common Christmas decoration, especially in the regions of the former GDR. But in general, all over Germany. It is usually not black, however, but red, white or yellow. 

Angela [00:46:16] Which you would be able to see better and not walk into. 

Jenna [00:46:20] Yes. Definitely yellow. Andreas did also mention gluhwein and said it is something that you cannot escape in Germany around Christmas time. You'll find it at every Christmas fair, every university, every workplace Christmas party. 

Angela [00:46:35] I can see why. It's delicious and warm and cozy. 

Jenna [00:46:38] Well, Andreas said, there's even a nonalcoholic children's version called Kinder Punch. 

Angela [00:46:44] Oh come on. 

Jenna [00:46:44] And it's basically a fruit infusion with apple orange juice and then the spices of cinnamon and cloves warmed up. 

Angela [00:46:52] I really wish Dwight had had some kinder punch. 

Jenna [00:46:55] I know. It's. I love it. Andreas also said, I don't recognize any of the food, but Dwight mentions hasenpfeffer. This is a rabbit ragu. He said it traditionally consists of all of the leftovers of the rabbit, like the heart, liver, limbs and neck. 

Angela [00:47:16] Oof. 

Jenna [00:47:16] And then it is braised in rabbit's blood. So if you're in Germany and you order the hasenpfeffer... is this the hasenpfeffer from Laverne and Shirley?

Angela [00:47:29] We're gonna do it. 

Both [00:47:32] Hasenpfeffer incorporated.  

Jenna [00:47:35] Is it? 

Angela [00:47:35] Can't be. 

Jenna [00:47:36] I mean, that's what I thought of the minute I heard hasenpfeffer. But it is also a dish made up of rabbit leftovers. 

Angela [00:47:44] I don't think that's what they're singing about at the beginning of their TV show. 

Jenna [00:47:48] Is that also a name? Could you be named hasenpfeffer? 

Angela [00:47:51] Yes. I'm going to say yes. 

Jenna [00:47:53] Yes. So then your name means rabbit leftovers stew. 

Angela [00:47:59] Okay. Well there you go. There you go. 

Jenna [00:48:01] I mean, my last name means Fischer. It's very literal. 

Angela [00:48:05] Like someone going fishing? 

Jenna [00:48:07] I mean, I think so. Although it is the German spelling, it's FISCHER. 

Angela [00:48:12] I don't know what my last name means. 

Jenna [00:48:14] Kinsey.

Angela [00:48:16] Someone could probably tell us. 

Jenna [00:48:17] You know what? We didn't look it up. 

Angela [00:48:19] We didn't look it up. 

Jenna [00:48:19] And it's going to remain a mystery today. 

Angela [00:48:21] For today. 

Jenna [00:48:23] Pam and Jim have a talking head. Is this what they thought it would be? Guys, it's even better. 

Angela [00:48:30] It's even better. Dwight is holding a candle. He's reading a poem. Jim is super happy. 

Jenna [00:48:34] Andreas is from Germany said the poem that Dwight is reciting is a poem called Advent by a famous romantic German poet, Ranier Maria Rilke. Real poem.

Angela [00:48:47] Well. Dwight's poem is interrupted by the sound of something on the roof. Dwight excuses himself to run to his car. He says, I gotta take a dump. What? That- he's like a 13 year old boy. This is his excuse to get out? I've got to take a dump? Kevin says, I wish my car had a bathroom, which I thought was so funny. 

Jenna [00:49:06] While you were speaking, I took another sip of my glo wine and it is just so good. 

Angela [00:49:11] I know I'm going to put Elsie's recipe in our stories because it's delicious. 

Jenna [00:49:15] Well everybody, you should make it because it's good. 

Angela [00:49:19] You could make the Kinder Punch version. 

Jenna [00:49:23] Well, now we're going to go back to the annex and Pete is still reciting Die Hard, and Erin is following along using a script that she found on the internet, and she thinks Pete gets something wrong. And he says, no, no, no, no, no, your script is wrong. 

Angela [00:49:35] That's right. That's how well he knows it. Well, this scene was much longer and it's in deleted scenes. I have to play it because Jake Lacey is crushing it. Jake, some day when you're on our podcast this is just one of the things we want to talk to you about. Oh my gosh, is he great in the scene. You got to hear it. 

Pete [00:49:53] The fire has been called off, my friend. No one is coming to help you. You might as well come out and join the others. I promise I won't hurt you. John McClane is not there. Where did he go? (ENGINE SOUND) What's that sound? Tony better go check it out. Comes running down the quarter. Into what? Nothing there. Nothing there. One final corner to go around. John McClane is not there again? How is that possible? The sound he heard before. Nothing but a bandsaw running in the wind. All of a sudden, Drop it, dickhead! It's the police! You're not going to hurt me. Oh, yeah? Why not? 

Erin [00:50:36] Okay, wait. I have to pee. I'll be right back. 

Pete [00:50:37] Yeah, sure. Hey, do you mind if maybe I just keep going? 

Erin [00:50:41] You mean, like, by yourself? 

Pete [00:50:42] Yeah. Just kind of in the flow. 

Erin [00:50:46] Yeah, sure. 

Pete [00:50:49] Okay. Because you are a policeman. There are rules for policemen. That's what my captain keeps telling me. Oh, (FIGHTING SOUNDS) My pistol, my pistol! (FIGHTING SOUNDS)

Jenna [00:51:13] Jake! 

Angela [00:51:13] I know!

Jenna [00:51:14] Oh my gosh! 

Angela [00:51:16] He knows the whole movie. It is amazing. I can't imagine how much time he spent and it's so physical too. He has a fight with two people, but it's just himself playing both people. 

Jenna [00:51:26] I can't even imagine what that looks like because it sounded incredible. 

Angela [00:51:30] I know it's so good. It's in deleted scenes. While we're talking Die Hard for a minute here, there's one part about that movie that is so stressful to me every time I watch it. It's so incredibly stressful. 

Jenna [00:51:42] I have a couple of stressful moments as well. I wonder if it's the same. 

Angela [00:51:45] For me it's that he is barefoot. 

Jenna [00:51:48] Yes, yes. 

Angela [00:51:48] The whole movie. It makes me so unsettled. 

Jenna [00:51:51] I was going to say that. And then he gets the glass in his foot. 

Angela [00:51:55] Yes. 

Jenna [00:51:56] And then, you know, he has to walk on it. And you know what that does to me. 

Angela [00:51:59] It's a wound on a wound. 

Jenna [00:52:01] He's a yes. 

Angela [00:52:02] Yes. 

Jenna [00:52:03] Shoot the glass. 

Both [00:52:06] What what what? 

Jenna [00:52:08] Shoot ze glass. 

Angela [00:52:11] Yes. 

Jenna [00:52:12] And he has to run through the glass. 

Angela [00:52:14] Run through the glass barefoot. 

Jenna [00:52:15] He has to fish it out. 

Angela [00:52:17] Yeah.  

Jenna [00:52:18] Big hunk of glass. 

Angela [00:52:19] I can't, I can't. 

Jenna [00:52:21] Oh my goodness. Yep. 

Angela [00:52:23] Well Erin is now going to get an email from Andy. He's reached land, he's sold the boat, got super drunk, then watched Life of Pi, got really introspective, and now he's going to hang out there for a couple of weeks and try to figure this whole life thing out. Maybe see The Hobbit. There were some candy bag alts for this. 

Jenna [00:52:41] For this email? Oh please do tell. 

Angela [00:52:45] Okay. There were several. I'm going to just share two with you because I think our writers really love doing candy bag alts for things like this. Because sometimes there's pages. Here's one. What up Shorty? Just sold the boat. Got super depressed. Going to hang down here for a while and search the old soul. Maybe try some surfin. Back soon. Love you loads. Sad and scared, Andy. 

Jenna [00:53:07] Hmhm. 

Angela [00:53:08] Search the old soul. I love that. 

Jenna [00:53:11] I love how you said it like Andy. 

Angela [00:53:14] Here's the next one. Girlfriend, it's boyfriend. How are you? I'm fine. Actually sort of train wreckin right now. Got some stuff to figure. Back in a month. I miss you. I love you so much, I realized I forgot to leave food for my bird. So if you could check in and feed him or bury him, that'd be swell. 

Jenna [00:53:32] Oh, no. 

Angela [00:53:33] Andy has a bird? 

Jenna [00:53:36] Who hasn't been fed in several weeks? 

Angela [00:53:38] Yeah. 

Jenna [00:53:39] Yeah. Erin comes back from reading this email, and she is, she is hurt. And she's bummed out, and she says, why don't we watch this movie? Why are we talking about it? 

Angela [00:53:50] And piece like, oh. And the way he said, oh, it's as if she said, why don't we make out? I don't know, like it landed so meaningful to him. Like, oh, we're going to, we're going to hang. We're going to actually hang out and like sit next to each other and watch a movie. 

Jenna [00:54:05] Well, lucky for him, he has a copy or two in his car. That's how much this guy loves Die Hard. 

Angela [00:54:11] Dwight had a horn in his car. Pete has Die Hard in his car. 

Jenna [00:54:15] I'd like to point out that during this whole scene of Pete and Erin, if you look through the doorway window, you can see Toby and Nellie in there talking about the Scranton Strangler. 

Angela [00:54:27] Yes. 

Jenna [00:54:27] Once again, we're just doing the background work for our fellow actors. 

Angela [00:54:31] That's right. 

Jenna [00:54:32] Very big part of being on The Office. 

Angela [00:54:35] Well, Kevin now is really enjoying the Hog Mama, but he spits it out when Phyllis tells him it's hog maw. I like to call bullshit on Kevin spitting out anything. He eats brown. Remember? Like the title hog maw is going to throw him. 

Jenna [00:54:53] Well, also at this point he's tasted it. 

Angela [00:54:55] And liked it. 

Jenna [00:54:57] Right. I accept that bull (BLEEP) card. Well played. 

Angela [00:55:01] Thank you. 

Jenna [00:55:02] We had a fan question from Eve H in Portland, Oregon who said, My grandmother has cooked hog maw for many holidays. She doesn't anymore because she says it's too much work. But Eve says I can say it is delicious. 

Angela [00:55:16] What is it? 

Jenna [00:55:18] It is a pig's stomach. That is stuffed. Eve says, I know the idea of a pig stomach sounds gross, but it's actually just very similar to, like, a sausage casing. 

Angela [00:55:31] Okay. 

Jenna [00:55:31] Which are made of intestines. So we eat that. Like if you've had a bratwurst, welcome to your intestine casing. But they just use a very clean portion of a pig's stomach, which is prepared in advance by a butcher. You can purchase these from butchers in many places in Pennsylvania, although it is sometimes just upon request. It's not like if you go to... 

Angela [00:55:53] Right, they don't have them ready to go. 

Jenna [00:55:55] Right. Eve said that hog maw is made mostly of sausage and potatoes. Some people also include vegetables. Different family recipes features slightly different variations on the ingredients, but in the end it's kind of like a very flavorful steamy potato-y meatloaf. 

Angela [00:56:16] I mean, that sounds good. 

Jenna [00:56:18] Eve said the best way to cook it is a crock pot, because then it keeps the casing like the stomach more edible, because if you cook it, I guess, and it gets too dry, then the outside, it's hard to eat the outside and then you just eat the inside. But it's really good when you can eat the outside. But her grandma will not cook it anymore because the grandma says, quote, why take the time to stuff all the ingredients inside a raw pig's stomach when you can just cook sausage and potatoes in a pot and basically get the same dish? 

Angela [00:56:49] She's not wrong. 

Jenna [00:56:50] She's not. 

Angela [00:56:51] I mean, it had a purpose at one point, probably. How you transported or how it's contained or something. I'm sure it had a purpose. 

Jenna [00:56:59] Yes. The stomach was an important element, but now we have things like crock pots. Okay. Eve does have a question for us. And the question is, would you try hog maw during your next visit to Pennsylvania? 

Angela [00:57:11] If you make it. 

Jenna [00:57:14] Yeah. Would your grandma make us some hog maw? 

Angela [00:57:15] Yeah, yeah. Can we come to your house? I would try your grandma's hog maw. 

Jenna [00:57:20] I would too. I mean, we have it on good authority that it's delicious. 

Angela [00:57:24] Yes. 

Jenna [00:57:25] I would, I would try it. 

Angela [00:57:26] I would try it. Yeah. Well, Eve, thank you so much for all of that hog. More detail. I think we should take a break, Jenna, because when we come back, we have another 200th episode surprise! 

Jenna [00:57:36] I'm excited about this one, too. 

Angela [00:57:38] Yeah. Me too. We are back. And guess what, everybody, we have something super special from our Office Ladies family, it's Doctor Thibodeaux.  

Jenna [00:58:00] Yes, he reached out. 

Angela [00:58:02] He's got some stats and data tracking for us, but he also sent in a little video for us. You got to hear it. 

Dr. Thibodeaux [00:58:10] Office Ladies, this is Doctor Thibodeaux. Congratulations on 200 episodes of your podcast. It's been a pleasure to be part of it since the 100th episode. I'm really excited to provide some more stats for you here today, and I look forward to at least 200 more episodes as you start this new network and new adventure. Congratulations! 

Angela [00:58:32] Didn't you love hearing his voice? 

Jenna [00:58:33] I really did. Doctor Thibodeaux went on to share, For your 200th episode, I'd like to share some new data I've tracked along the way. So here are some key things that I've put together as fast stats. 

Angela [00:58:49] Fast stats? 

Jenna [00:58:49] Yes, here is Doctor Thibodeau's fast stat number one. There have been over 474 fast facts so far. They have appeared in 158 episodes. While traditionally the episodes give three fast facts, Doctor Thibodeau noted that on nine occasions there was a bonus fast fact number four, most notably in episode 90, when we learned that the stress release episode was the first time that the main titles featured the entire cast. That was a bonus fast fact. 

Angela [00:59:25] I just I love everything he tracks. I love it so much. 

Jenna [00:59:29] Fast stat number two. There have been 110 deep dives. Now. Most episodes you only get one deep dive, but there have been four episodes where we have given Angela as many as four deep dives. However, there have also been episodes with no deep dives. In fact, there were seven episodes without a single deep dive. 

Angela [00:59:55] Oh, a deep dive drought. 

Jenna [00:59:57] Yes, Doctor Thibodeau said, You've taught everyone so much, such as how to clean a microwave, all about cow butter sculptures at a state fair, and even why pancakes are round. I have to say, I'd forgotten about the cow butter sculptures. 

Angela [01:00:14] I hadn't forgot about the cow butter, but I forgot about the pancakes. 

Jenna [01:00:17] Wow. You know, I thought I would never forget any of the deep dives, but I don't know. 

Angela [01:00:23] You know, my husband thinks we should have an episode with all the deep dives. 

Jenna [01:00:26] Like best of deep dives? It's not a bad idea. 

Angela [01:00:30] I know. 

Jenna [01:00:31] I want to do a book just on our deep dives. With all our extra time. 

Angela [01:00:36] Yeah, we'll squeeze it in after carpool pickup. All right, here's another one. Also, I love that he labeled them doctor's fast stat. 

Jenna [01:00:44] Yes. 

Angela [01:00:45] Doctor's fast stat number three. In episode 43, Ben Franklin, you introduced the world to the Mom Detectives. Starting with the case of the garage massage. You presented us with 47 cases across 38 different episodes. 

Jenna [01:01:01] That blows my mind. 

Angela [01:01:02] I know. 

Jenna [01:01:03] 47 cases? 

Angela [01:01:05] We clearly love being Mom Detectives, lady. 

Jenna [01:01:07] Oh my gosh. 

Angela [01:01:08] He goes on to say, Angela and Jenna, y'all could be the next Agatha Christie. On Facebook I once ran a March Madness challenge to crown the best Mom Detective story, and the undisputed winner was Knights of the Night Help the Mom Detectives from episode 145, Ultimatum. Thousands of votes were cast throughout the challenge, and your fans are clearly passionate for Mom Detectives to come to life. The real mystery is how nobody in Hollywood has grabbed this idea and put the two of you on the screen together for this TV series. 

Jenna [01:01:41] It really is. It's just waiting to happen. 

Angela [01:01:44] I know. 

Jenna [01:01:46] Again, if we just had more hours in our day, you know what I mean? 

Angela [01:01:50] You know what? We just need someone to write it and then give us a call and we'll show up and do it. 

Jenna [01:01:54] That's what we need. We need someone to write it, develop it, sell it, make it. 

Angela [01:01:59] And then we'll show up. 

Jenna [01:02:00] We'll show up. 

Angela [01:02:00] No problem. 

Jenna [01:02:02] Were there. 

Angela [01:02:02] Were there. Doctor's fast at number four, in parentheses he wrote, bonus stat! If you add up the time spent listening to your podcast just once- but hey, who can listen just once? A person has spent nine and a half days of their life listening to Office Ladies. Well, actually, it's nine days, ten hours, 48 minutes and 43 seconds, but who's counting? 

Jenna [01:02:31] Wow, we've made nine and a half days of content. 

Angela [01:02:34] Yeah. 

Jenna [01:02:36] Well, you know, the first time we talked about Doctor Thibodeau was during our 100th episode, and he had tracked our use of the words amazing and lady. 

Angela [01:02:47] Oh, no. 

Jenna [01:02:48] Well, he's back again. 

Angela [01:02:50] Oh, gosh. 

Jenna [01:02:53] He said, we have now used the word amazing a total of 1445 times. 

Angela [01:03:00] Amazing. There's another one for you. 

Jenna [01:03:02] That's right. He should track that's right. I think I say that's right all the time. 

Angela [01:03:07] Well, listen, you could track that one too. 

Jenna [01:03:09] Meanwhile. 

Angela [01:03:09] I know. 

Jenna [01:03:11] We have a lot for you, we have said the word lady 1276 times. That is a pace of 7.45 amazings and 6.3 ladies per episode. 

Angela [01:03:31] And lastly, he says, Just for Angela- because I did request this. He asked if we were curious about anything. He went and looked at the Instagram account for Office Ladies podcast. There have been 102 Insta stories and 305 Instagram feed posts. 

Jenna [01:03:48] And I need everyone out there to know that those 102 Insta stories and 305 feed posts were all done by Angela Kinsey, our Instagram goddess. 

Angela [01:03:57] Oh gosh. 

Jenna [01:03:58] You do all our Instagram Angela and you're so amazing at it. Every once in a while you've needed me to post something, and I have to dig out the password and figure out what I'm doing. But you always have it all ready for me anyway. But you're amazing. Round of applause to our Instagram. 

Angela [01:04:17] Thanks. 

Jenna [01:04:18] I love it. Your stories are always so creative. 

Angela [01:04:22] I really enjoy doing it. I don't know why I get such a kick out of it, but I do. Doctor Thibodeau also shared with us that our most popular post was from May 16th, 2023. It had 264,956 likes. 

Jenna [01:04:36] Wow! 

Angela [01:04:37] That post marked the 10th anniversary of the airing of The Office series finale. And our most popular reel was from April 26th, 2023. It had 2.4 million views. 

Jenna [01:04:48] Oh my gosh. 

Angela [01:04:49] Yeah, and over 200,000 likes. This was the post when Rainn Wilson joined us to record Search Committee Part Two, and we all talked about his book Soul Boom. 

Jenna [01:04:59] I love these stats. 

Angela [01:05:01] I know. Wouldn't Rainn love to hear that. We'll have to share that with him. 

Jenna [01:05:03] We need to tell him that. Well, Doctor Thibodeau, thank you so much. This was such a treat. We just are so tickled by your tracking of things. 

Angela [01:05:13] Yes. 

Jenna [01:05:14] You know, and then he signed off with the loveliest note, Angela. He said, Ladies, thank you for all you have given us through your rewatch podcast. Let's face it, you are each amazing and we all look forward to so much more from you. I will continue to track data and stats for your show, and I am at your service for any future stat needs. All my best, doctor Peter Thibodeaux. 

Angela [01:05:39] And he asked me if I would like any of his data or stats, like in a graph or any kind of visual. And I said yes, and he's sending me stuff for our stories. 

Jenna [01:05:51] Oh, I love that. All right, let's get back to this episode because Dwight is about to enter dressed as Belsnikel. Judgment is nigh. 

Angela [01:06:04] It's nigh. 

Jenna [01:06:05] I want you guys to know that this costume was designed and built from scratch by our amazing costume designer, Alicia Raycraft. And when we were doing our book, I was going back and forth with her, we were doing research about the costuming department and its history for the book. And I said to her, I remember how you would build these costumes on the forms. 

Angela [01:06:30] Yeah, we would go into her office and on a mannequin, she would be building a costume. 

Jenna [01:06:35] Kind of like how you see them doing it on Project Runway, where they got a bunch of fabrics and their... 

Angela [01:06:40] Pieces and. 

Jenna [01:06:41] Yes. 

Angela [01:06:41] Like clipping things. 

Jenna [01:06:43] And I asked if she had any examples or any photos of a costume like that that she had done. And the photos she sent me were from this episode of Belsnikel. She sent a photo of her first drawing, her first artistic rendering idea.  

Angela [01:07:01] Which was so impressive. 

Jenna [01:07:01] So impressive. She sent me pictures of the fabric that she was draping on the form, and then a picture of the hat, which was a whole thing, and then a picture of it on Rainn. We featured these in the book. 

Angela [01:07:14] Yes, The Office BFFs. I'm going to share that in stories because it's really impressive to see. 

Jenna [01:07:19] It really is. 

Angela [01:07:20] Dwight shares that every year his grandfather would dress up as Belsnikel. And you know what? He was okay at it. Dwight says, I am great. You know how they say some people were born to be bad? Well, I was born to be Belsnikel.  

Jenna [01:07:34] Well, we got a fan question from William M in Sioux City, Iowa slash Valencia, California slash all over Florida, slash the United States Air Force. William, you've been a lot of places. 

Angela [01:07:45] William, I see you. 

Jenna [01:07:47] William wants to know, did Dwight embellish Belsnikel at all, or was the character played exactly as scripted? Well, here is how it was described in the script. There's not much. It just says Dwight hobbles in, costumed, a dirty, hunched, fur clad, bell jingling bearded traveler carrying a bundle of menacing tree branches. He shakes them. 

Angela [01:08:12] We also reached out to Rainn and asked him what it was like playing Belsnikel and here's what he had to say. 

Rainn Wilson [01:08:18] I just remember they it was so much fun just kind of coming up with Dwight's version of the character of Belsnikel. The accent, which is absurd. It's it's a very strange accent, but his glee and delight at reenacting this kind of Christmas from his childhood, we get that nice peek into Dwight's childhood there, which was really fun. And then there's such nice, like, emotional underpinnings of like, oh, Dwight's mad at Jim for leaving, more because he's going to miss him, you know, at the new job. And you know, there's a love there and there's a connection between Dwight and Pam and there's some actual like subtext going on, which is not that common in primetime network television comedies. So that was nice to revisit. Yeah, we just had a lot of fun. 

Jenna [01:09:15] You know what I love about reigns answer is that it's just kind of reminding us that playing Belsnikel had these layers because he also still had to be Dwight, expressing all of his frustration, disappointment, love for Jim while also playing this character. So it was very layered. 

Angela [01:09:34] Very layered. And also he's probably vulnerable because he's sharing his family memories. Well Dwight as Belsnikel now goes around the room. He says he's traveled from distant lands to discover how all the boys and girls have been behaving this year. Phyllis is going to say, oh come on Dwight, you're making this up. And Dwight says, no. So Oscar looks it up on the internet. Oscar is always the one that looks up everything on the internet. 

Jenna [01:09:57] Yes, he's our like, what's the fact checker in real time. 

Angela [01:10:01] He's the fact checker. Oscar starts reading from his phone. He says this is a real thing. Belsnikel is a crotchety, fur clad gift giver related to the other companions of Saint Nicholas in the folklore of southwestern Germany. Everyone reacts to this. And then Oscar continues reading. We learned that Belsnikel has a partner named Schwarty Pete or Black Peter. He's often portrayed in colorful pantaloons and blackface, and Stanley's like, No. Uh uh, Dwight. No. And Dwight says, come on, we don't blindly stick to every outmoded aspect of our traditions. So then we see Dwight. He immediately turns around and texts someone, and we never see who he texts or what happens. But in the original airing, you would have seen Nate down in the parking lot, about to enter the building dressed as Black Peter and Nate would have quickly turned around and not entered the building and left. 

Jenna [01:10:55] Yes. So this moment was cut from the episode in 2020. It was cut because it featured a character in blackface. Greg Daniels put out a statement and here is what he said: he said, The Office is about a group of people trying to work together with mutual respect despite the inappropriate actions of their boss and assistant manager. The show employed satire to expose unacceptable behavior and deliver a message of inclusion. Today, we cut a shot of an actor wearing blackface that was used to criticize a specific racist European practice. Blackface is unacceptable, and making the point so graphically is hurtful and wrong. I'm sorry for the pain that caused. Yeah. So that moment was cut. You know, Andreas from Germany weighed in on Belsnikel and Black Pete. Andreas said, I come from a very German family, but I had not heard of Belsnikel before. So Andreas did a little deep dive and said that, yes, Oscar is correct. It is a traditional character in Germany's southwestern regions. Belsnikel is a scary furry man, sometimes even depicted as a monster. So Dwight's costume is quite on point. And like Oscar said, he is Santa Claus' companion. And as the tradition goes, on Christmas Eve, Santa Claus and Belsnikel will enter your living room together. They will ask your kids if they were well-behaved over the last year. If they were nice, they get presents like apples and nuts from Santa Claus. If they were naughty, they would get a lump of coal and a whack from Belsnikel. 

Angela [01:12:42] Oh, wow. So the sticks were accurate, I guess. The whacking. 

Jenna [01:12:46] Yes. So I guess in our Western traditions, Santa Claus is kind of both. You either get presents or coal, but their tradition is there's like sort of good Santa and mean Santa. 

Angela [01:12:58] Yeah. 

Jenna [01:12:59] Now, Andreas went on to say there is one detail in Oscar's explanation that's not quite correct. Black Pete is not a German Christmas tradition. It's actually a tradition in the Netherlands. 

Angela [01:13:12] Oh. 

Jenna [01:13:13] So there you go. 

Angela [01:13:14] Well, Erin and Pete are now watching Die Hard in Andy's office. And in the background, Darryl is drinking the gluhwein right out of the bowl. He's getting a little sloppy. He's really mad at Jim. He's like, you got to stick to your word. 

Jenna [01:13:27] Yeah. 

Angela [01:13:27] The rest of the evening is going to really take a turn for Darryl. 

Jenna [01:13:30] In the conference room we're all kind of sitting in a circle, and it's time for Belsnikel to hand out gifts. 

Angela [01:13:38] So this whole exchange between Dwight and Phyllis about the set of bowls is my favorite moment in the whole entire episode. Because it just reminded me of my husband. If you borrow Tupperware from us, he's going to expect it back with the correct lid. He would also be like, these bowls are set. These weren't the gift. 

Jenna [01:13:56] Yes. No, I love it. He's handed out these really beautiful wooden bowls that everyone wants to keep. But you can't keep them. Belsnikel is actually going to put your gift in the bowl once he's determined that you're admirable. 

Angela [01:14:12] Only if you're admirable do you get a gift in the bowl. But the bowl is not your gift. He needs them all back. They're a set. And if you're impish you're going to get hit with those sticks. 

Jenna [01:14:22] Yes. I have an unpopular opinion to share. 

Angela [01:14:25] Oh let's hear it. 

Jenna [01:14:26] Maybe it's unpopular. Maybe it's popular. We'll see. Oh my God, I don't even know if I can say it. I don't want people to turn on me. 

Angela [01:14:33] Oh, is this like a Star Wars moment? 

Jenna [01:14:39] No, it's.... It's. You know, I think people are so hard on Pam in this season, but I, I don't I, I don't love Jim in this episode. 

Angela [01:14:51] Oh. 

Jenna [01:14:52] And I don't love this storyline for Jim and Pam in this episode. I remember struggling with it a little bit at the time. I don't like how Jim is heckling Dwight in this moment. I don't like that they've set up this whole dream of Dwight's to come true, just so that they can kind of, like... 

Angela [01:15:13] Poke fun at it. 

Jenna [01:15:14] Yeah.

Angela [01:15:15] It's kind of mean.  

Jenna [01:15:16] I think it's mean. And mean spirited. 

Angela [01:15:18] They're kind of being bratty. 

Jenna [01:15:20] Yeah, they're being jerks. But I'm sorry, I think in particular Jim. And it was hard for me as Pam, who has a soft spot for Dwight, to find a way to do this thing for her husband that was resulting in her friend... 

Angela [01:15:42] Getting made fun of. 

Jenna [01:15:43] Yeah, and I just I didn't like the snickering. I didn't like what I also sort of saw as kind of this, like, smug, too cool for school kind of vibe. 

Angela [01:15:57] That was that Jim had. 

Jenna [01:15:57] That was coming from Jim. Sorry.

Angela [01:16:00] All right. I can see all that. I can see it. 

Jenna [01:16:03] Yeah, it was hard. It was. I didn't like it. I didn't find Jim likable in this storyline. Also, just like why haven't you said anything to Darryl? Right? Like, Jim's very self-involved. Very self-involved. 

Angela [01:16:18] He's having that moment where he has this new thing that is really distracting him and occupying all of his space, and also maybe making him lose sight on the people that matter around him. He's just having his little selfish chapter here. 

Jenna [01:16:34] He is, and we all have them in our lives. So I am able to. 

Angela [01:16:40] Yeah, we've all had moments where we get so consumed by something and then we come out of the fog and we're like, oh, I was I was kind of a turd. I'm sorry. 

Jenna [01:16:50] Sorry. Yes. And that's okay because he'll. 

Angela [01:16:53] He'll grow out of it. 

Jenna [01:16:53] He'll get out of the fog. 

Angela [01:16:54] You got to come out of the fog. 

Jenna [01:16:55] Yes. 

Angela [01:16:56] Stop being a turd. 

Jenna [01:16:57] Yes. Well, Jim is going to realize now, oh, my gosh, I have to go. I have to go to Philly. And both Pam and Dwight are taken aback. They're like, oh my gosh, already? What? 

Angela [01:17:09] They're both bummed out in their own different ways. 

Jenna [01:17:11] Yeah. But before he leaves, Belsnikel needs to judge if he was impish or admirable. And guess what he was?

Angela [01:17:18] Jim was impish. 

Jenna [01:17:20] So impish. 

Angela [01:17:21] So impish. 

Jenna [01:17:22] We got a fan question from Ty B in Calgary, Alberta. When Dwight was whacking Jim with the stick, is he actually hitting him? It looks so real. 

Angela [01:17:33] Uh yeah. 

Jenna [01:17:35] Yeah. I remember it.

Angela [01:17:36] He really hit him. I remember the pieces of the stick breaking off as Rainn whacked him with that. 

Jenna [01:17:43] I did too. When I watched the scene, I was like, oh yeah, I remember how hard he was hitting him. 

Angela [01:17:48] I will tell you, there's a moment and you can see it's truly honest where John is like, okay, enough! 

Jenna [01:17:54] Yes, I saw it too. Well, we asked Rainn if he remembered the scene and here is what he said. 

Rainn Wilson [01:18:01] You know, the number one thing that I remember is, like, I was infamous for hurting people on the set. At one point, I had thrown a mini barbell up in the air, and it hit Craig Robinson in the head and gave him a bump the size of a golf ball. You know, thrown a snowball in John's face. I knocked sand in the Leslie's eyes. Like everyone had some way, shape or form had been referred to by Rainn playing Dwight in some way, shape or form. So I knew like, oh geez, I gotta kind of like literally whip people with a straw baton. Someone's going to get their eye gouged out. So probably I hit John too many times and too hard. And I think a couple of times I tried to hit him in the groinal area just on purpose, just because it was so much fun. I always like to just get a little, little reaction out of out of him. So I was very wary and careful around that. 

Jenna [01:19:07] Well, Rainn, I remember all those same things. 

Angela [01:19:09] I do too. I like how you said Rainn, that you were very careful around that area, but you still tried to hit it. 

Jenna [01:19:15] Yes. That's right. 

Angela [01:19:20] Well, lady, before we move on, my neighbor is such a big fan of the show and wanted to make a message for us. I hope that's okay. He's such a huge fan. And, we'll hear you have to hear it. 

Creed Bratton [01:19:38] Hey, Jenna. Hi, Angela. Happy 200th episode. What a fantastic milestone. Well, cool beans and congratulations, girls. 

Jenna [01:19:50] Oh my gosh. I did not know what to expect when you set that up. 

Angela [01:19:55] I know. Your face. You were like, what? Because I know I saw you doing that thing in your brain of, like, who? What? Who what neighbor? 

Jenna [01:20:03] I thought it was going to be like a kid or somebody who lives in your neighborhood. And it was the biggest kid of all, Creed. 

Angela [01:20:09] Creed, who lives at the end of my street. He's been so supportive of the podcast, and he wanted to wish us happy 200th. 

Jenna [01:20:17] I love that. 

Angela [01:20:18] Well, now, Pam is going to walk Jim to his cab. She's like, this is it. I can't believe it's actually happening. And Jim says, thanks for putting together such a great last Christmas party. I felt that on two levels. I was like, this is it. This is the last Christmas party. 

Jenna [01:20:36] Yeah, he also makes a joke and he's like, well, I guess this is goodbye. You know, I'll never see you again or something like that. I can't remember the exact joke. 

Angela [01:20:44] And Pam's like, come on, I'm trying to be serious here. 

Jenna [01:20:46] Yeah, and I felt like this was another moment that we were trying to play, to show how Jim's head is a little bit in the clouds. He's enamored with the new job, he's having that selfish time, and he's not seeing Pam. He's not registering last Christmas party. And like the look on her face, he's not registering like... 

Angela [01:21:07] The separation of their family so that this job can happen. 

Jenna [01:21:11] Yes. And also, I don't know if you noticed, but Pam says I love you as he's getting into the cab and he's like, oh yeah, I love you too. It's like everything is a real afterthought for Jim here. And it's meant to be kind of to show like, oh, wow, they are in different spaces right now. 

Angela [01:21:28] Yeah. Well, Pam is going to very sadly walk back into the office, and Dwight has been watching all of this from the window. 

Jenna [01:21:35] Well, as Pam's going up to the office, Dwight is on his way out. 

Angela [01:21:40] He's taken all of his decorations down. He's like, you know what? You bail on Christmas, Christmas bails on you. And guess what? Belsnikel isn't real. It's me. Dwight. 

Jenna [01:21:51] Yeah. 

Angela [01:21:52] He's hurt. 

Jenna [01:21:52] He is. 

Angela [01:21:54] But the Christmas party is going to continue because Phyllis finds some old decorations in the warehouse. Oscar ran to the store for food and drinks, and Phyllis says, guess what? I guess they needed me after all. And, lady, I have to share with you, I have a little call sheet tidbit here. 

Jenna [01:22:10] I think I know what this call sheet tidbit is. 

Angela [01:22:12] Yes, the Dunder Mifflin crew is decorating for Christmas, but in real life on our set it was Halloween. 

Jenna [01:22:19] Halloween was this week. This used to happen all the time when we would shoot our Christmas episode, it would be Halloween week in real life. This has happened more than once. 

Angela [01:22:28] Yeah, and boy did our cast and crew love Halloween. I mean, I shared in last week's episode there was a countdown on the call sheets to Halloween. Well, Steve Burgess sent me the call sheet for October 31st. We were filming. I printed it out. I'm going to share it. Someone was having a lot of fun with this call sheet, lady. First of all, normally on a call sheet, it tells you the crew call and what time everyone's called to set. On this one it says the bewitching hour and the spooky call. And then normally we have a message if there's going to be an on set photographer and it will say, NBC still photographer on set today. But on this call sheet announcement, it said the NBC still coroner will be on set today. There's also announcement that the Halloween costume contest will be at lunch. And then if you go to the back of the call sheet for all of the different crew categories, they were changed to different names. For example, instead of saying hair and makeup with everyone's call times, it says morticians. There's the head hunters, there's the groundskeepers, there's the bloody heart department, the grave robbers, the flame throwers, the office of the recently deceased. 

Jenna [01:23:42] Amazing. 

Angela [01:23:43] Amazing. And in the transportation department, they were labeled instead of transportation hearses. I mean, someone was just having a really good time with all of this, and I'm going to share it. It's really fun. 

Jenna [01:23:56] Well, I remember this Halloween because my son was a year old and we were going to dress him up as a Wimbledon tennis player. 

Angela [01:24:03] Yeah, I remember. 

Jenna [01:24:04] We had gone to Wimbledon when I was pregnant and we had gotten a teeny baby size Wimbledon shirt. It was white and we were like, oh, this is such a good costume because he can wear the shirt. He can wear the little white shorts, right? And little hat, little shoes. And I was like, oh, I want to get him like a little tennis racket. Like a little toy tennis racket. Well, I couldn't find any that were like the right size for him. 

Angela [01:24:31] Sure. They're all so big. 

Jenna [01:24:33] Yeah. So I was just chatting with Phil Shea, the amazing Phil Shea, and I said, Phil, what would you do if you had to get like, a tiny tennis racket for like a one year old? Like, where would you get that? Where can you point me in the right direction? And he said, Jenna, I got it. I'll get you one, I'll get you one. I'm like, no, no, no, it just, I'll do it like you don't need anything more to do.  

Angela [01:24:55] Just tell me where to go.

Jenna [01:24:57] He was like, no, I'll get it. I'll get it for you. I got it, I got it. I was like, okay. This was like a few weeks before Halloween. For Halloween, Angela, Phil Shea presented me with a tiny tennis racket. Lady. It was not a toy. 

Angela [01:25:10] I remember. 

Jenna [01:25:12] It was a tiny, real tennis racket. 

Angela [01:25:16] He had someone make your son a real, teeny, tiny, real racket with strings and everything. 

Jenna [01:25:24] Yes. With a teeny tiny tennis bag. 

Angela [01:25:28] Oh my gosh, it was the cutest thing. 

Jenna [01:25:29] I was like, Phil, what is this? I was like, what have you done? And he was just smiling. 

Angela [01:25:37] He was so delighted. 

Jenna [01:25:38] I have all these pictures. I mean, this tennis racket made the outfit. It was the sweetest thing. And, you know, guys, we all gathered recently for a celebration of life for Phil. All of our crew came and celebrated him. The crews of other shows he had worked on. 

Angela [01:25:57] It was so wonderful to see how many lives Phil touched. It was so bittersweet, but also so special to see our crew and to spend time with them and to share our memories of Phil. 

Jenna [01:26:12] Yeah, and this was a story that I told because it's so very Phil. 

Angela [01:26:17] Yeah. 

Jenna [01:26:18] Yeah. So I remember this and I have pictures. 

Angela [01:26:21] I do too. I love the pictures from this Halloween. And also Steve Burgess shared some of his photos from the Halloween costume contest. 

Jenna [01:26:29] Our crew would often coordinate costumes. And so there was a group this year I remember who did Scooby Doo. 

Angela [01:26:35] They were so creative. I have a photo that I love of my daughter and your son on set together. He's in his tennis outfit, and you would never know this because she's just in a pink shirt and pink leggings, but she was a cupcake. Like a paper maché cupcake that you step into. But she got tired of wearing it, so she took it off. 

Jenna [01:26:57] She was just the underneath part. 

Angela [01:26:59] Yeah, but they were a cupcake and a tennis player. 

Jenna [01:27:02] This was a really special episode. 

Angela [01:27:04] Everyone brought their kids. It was really special. 

Jenna [01:27:07] It was our last Christmas episode and our last Halloween parade. All in one. 

Angela [01:27:11] Yep. Nellie, hears the party starting, but Toby is still sharing with her about his jury experience. There's a great montage in the bullpen of people starting to have a good time. At 16 minutes 33 seconds did anyone else catch Brian as Kevin lifting me off the credenza and almost dropping me?

Jenna [01:27:30] Yes! What was that? 

Angela [01:27:31] We just improvised that. I was supposed to be up there hanging decorations, and I legitimately couldn't get down and needed help. And Brian thought it would be funny to kind of clumsily get me down from there. 

Jenna [01:27:43] It looks like also, Kevin got his wish. He is Santa. 

Angela [01:27:46] That's right. Darryl is really hitting that punch bowl hard and getting more and more drunk. Dwight is going to return. He's in his own clothes. And Pam says, you know, for the record, I liked your party better. 

Jenna [01:27:59] Yeah, they're kind of commiserating, but they're going to go ahead and, you know, participate in the party when all of a sudden, surprise, surprise, who walks in the door? 

Angela [01:28:08] Jim.  

Jenna [01:28:10] Jim. Jim is back. What's going on? Turns out...

Angela [01:28:14] He missed his wife. And he also found out there's a bus at 5 a.m.. 

Jenna [01:28:19] Why is he taking the bus? 

Angela [01:28:21] I don't know. 

Jenna [01:28:22] They have two cars. Does he not need a car when he's there? 

Angela [01:28:26] Maybe he doesn't have a parking spot. Is it hard to park in Philly? 

[01:28:30] I mean, he could just get there faster in his own car, and then he would have a car. And guys, it's not that far away. I mean, frankly, he could drive there in the morning, get his work day done, and drive home. 

Angela [01:28:44] He could be a commuter. People do that all the time. 

Jenna [01:28:47] All the time. 

Angela [01:28:49] Well, Dwight is so happy. Pam is so happy. Dwight wants to compete for the big piece of the big rib with Jim. Jim wins and oh, gosh, this was disgusting. 

Jenna [01:29:00] What was it? 

Angela [01:29:01] I don't know, it was like the, the wishing bone was, like, covered in I don't know, it looked like some kind of brothy gravy. 

Jenna [01:29:10] And it looks gross. 

Angela [01:29:13] It's splatters all over everyone. 

Jenna [01:29:15] I wouldn't want that. 

Angela [01:29:17] I wouldn't want that either. 

Jenna [01:29:20] I mean, you know, I don't want a pie in the face. I don't want you to smush my wedding cake in my face. 

Angela [01:29:24] No, don't do that to me. 

Jenna [01:29:25] I don't want you to throw gravy on me. 

Angela [01:29:27] Please don't throw gravy on me. Darryl sees Jim and oh, my gosh, he is ticked off. He's going to charge towards Jim and let him have it. And Jim's like, hey, I talked to the guys about hiring you and they want to set up an interview. Darryl's like, what? Oh my gosh, great. He does this like spin move and completely crashes into the food table. 

Jenna [01:29:50] We had a fan question from Kelly K in Saint Louis, Missouri who said, I need to know every detail about Darryl falling on the table because it's one of my favorite moments of the whole series. The spin before he falls, the table breaking twice. Everyone's screaming. It just cracks me up every single time I watch. Well, Steve Burgess said we had a special breakaway table built. Our stunt coordinator, Brett Jones worked out the fall with Craig. Craig really did it himself. That was not a stunt person, I think you can tell. 

Angela [01:30:18] Yep. 

Jenna [01:30:19] And Steve said we were prepared to do two takes. We had two breakaway tables, but Craig nailed it on the first go, so we only had to do the one. Angela, we also had a fan catch in this scene from Anna W in Edmond, Oklahoma. 

Angela [01:30:33] Edmond, Oklahoma. I was just there. 

[01:30:36] You were? 

[01:30:37] Yeah. Josh's sister lives there. 

Jenna [01:30:39] Does she know Anna W? 

Angela [01:30:40] I don't know. 

Jenna [01:30:42] We'll have to find out. 

Angela [01:30:43] What's up, Anna? 

Jenna [01:30:44] Well, Anna says between 19 and 20 minutes, we catch a glimpse of Phyllis at the party wearing a fur coat. Was there a side story that explains why she's wearing a fur coat? 

Angela [01:30:56] Oh, Anna, I got you covered. All right, so there was a montage of the Christmas party where everyone was having a good time, right? I mentioned that. Well, it's longer and extended. It's in deleted scenes. And Bob Vance gives Phyllis her Christmas present. Again, why at the work party? This happens sometimes. 

Jenna [01:31:14] It does. 

Angela [01:31:15] We get big gifts at these parties. And it's a fur coat. And he wraps her in it, and then they snuggle. She's so happy. Also in this scene, Creed is walking around with a tray of hot chocolate and tapas. 

Jenna [01:31:31] Oh, I love that. 

Angela [01:31:32] This is how the scene was described in the shooting draft. The office is decorated in a slapdash fashion for a last second Christmas party. The table is laden with food and drink, a few strings of lights, Christmas music. People are having fun. Phyllis, Angela and Oscar look around at their handiwork and are proud. People start taking shots. Creed hands out hot chocolate and tapas. Bob Vance watches Phyllis open her gift, a luxurious mink coat. It takes her breath away. Oscar gives Angela a gift. 

Jenna [01:32:04] What? 

Angela [01:32:05] Remember how earlier in the episode, we talked about how he's trying to win her favor? 

Jenna [01:32:09] Yes. 

Angela [01:32:10] Angela opens a hand-knitted Snuggie for a cat, and it cuts to Oscar. He says, I made a Snuggie for Pebbles. I know she gets cold at night. In the background, Angela gives Oscar the slightest nod of appreciation. 

Jenna [01:32:26] Pebbles. Is this the first reference to a Pebbles? 

Angela [01:32:28] This is a new cat reveal. Pebbles. There you go. 

Jenna [01:32:34] Was that on our list of cats with Billie Eilish or no, because it didn't actually live in the episode? 

Angela [01:32:39] I don't think so, because this is in a deleted scene. 

Jenna [01:32:42] Okay. Billie Eilish, if you're listening, please note there was another cat named Pebbles. 

Angela [01:32:47] There was a Pebbles. Well, Toby is still blabbering on and on and Nellie tells him to stop. Stop talking. And Toby says, are you going to kiss me? And she says yes? And then they have a huge, passionate makeout. 

Jenna [01:33:03] Is this just her truly trying to get him to shut up? Or is there an attraction here? I don't remember and I don't know. 

Angela [01:33:11] I went to the shooting draft. It was at first her just trying to get him to shut up. She's like, yeah sure. But then after their smooch, she's like, wow. Like who? Who knew? 

Jenna [01:33:25] Oh wow. Well everybody, that was Dwight's Christmas. 

Angela [01:33:31] Yes. I would like to end with this. There were seven Christmas episodes on The Office and according to the internet per collider.com, if you want to know how the fans ranked them, I can share it with you. 

Jenna [01:33:44] All right, give it to me. 

Angela [01:33:45] Number one favorite: Classy Christmas. Second favorite, Christmas Party. Third, Benihana Christmas. Fourth, Secret Santa. Fifth, Dwight's Christmas. Sixth, Moroccan Christmas. And seventh was Christmas Wishes. 

Jenna [01:34:03] Wow. Seven Christmas episodes. Nine seasons. What a ride. 

Angela [01:34:08] I know. Thank you guys so much for listening and rewatching with us, for sending in your questions, your comments. Thank you to Sam for coming and sharing about his time on Office Ladies. 

Jenna [01:34:20] And thank you to Rainn Wilson for your audio clips and Steve Burgess for all your good behind the scenes info. And Robert Padnick, our writer. Thank you to you as well. 

Angela [01:34:29] Yes, and to my neighbor Creed Bratton for wishing us a happy 200th. 

Jenna [01:34:34] And Josh for making the gluhwein. Oh my goodness, a lot of people helped us with this episode today. 

Angela [01:34:39] Yes, and to Eduardo for stopping by to get our new full time engineer, Jordan Duffy, up and running. You guys who listen to the podcast have heard Jordan many times, and she also sang a version of Eclipse of the Fart for us. 

Jenna [01:34:52] Classic. 

Angela [01:34:53] A classic. And Jordan, what were you just saying to me about the gluhwein? I feel like Josh would really want to hear this. 

Jordan [01:34:59] I was saying that my sister used to live in Germany, and I've been there during times and have had the mulled wine, and out of all the wines that I've had in Germany, Josh's is by far one of the best I've had. 

Angela [01:35:13] Well, you just made his day. He listens to every episode. So there you go, babe. Thanks for making us glue vine. 

Jenna [01:35:19] Guys, we are going to take a two week break for our spring break, and then we will be back with Lice. 

Angela [01:35:26] Lice. Oh, it's such a great episode. You're so good in it. And lady, it's either the gluhwein and I'm glowing with warmth or I'm having a hot flash. 

Jenna [01:35:36] Hmm. Maybe both. 

Angela [01:35:37] Maybe both. 

Jenna [01:35:38] See you soon. 

Angela [01:35:39] Bye. 

Jenna [01:35:45] Thank you for listening to Office Ladies. 

Angela [01:35:47] Office Ladies is produced by Earwolf, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey. 

Jenna [01:35:51] Our senior producer is Cassi Jerkins. Our audio engineer is Jordan Duffy, and our associate producer is Aynsley Bubbico. 

Angela [01:35:58] Our theme song is Rubber Tree by Creed Bratton.