TRANSCRIPT
Office Ladies | Episode 230 – Is Toby The Scranton Strangler? With Paul Lieberstein
Jenna [00:00:04] I'm Jenna Fischer.
Angela [00:00:05] 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 [00:00:09] And now we're doing the Ultimate Office Lovers podcast just for you.
Angela [00:00:13] Each week, we will dive deeper into the world of the office with exclusive interviews, behind the scenes details, and lots of BFF stories.
Jenna [00:00:21] We're the office ladies 6.0.
Jenna [00:00:25] Hello.
Angela [00:00:26] Hi.
Jenna [00:00:27] Happy New Year.
Angela [00:00:28] It's 2025. Woo hoo! We did it. We all made it through the holidays.
Jenna [00:00:36] We have a fun episode today.
Angela [00:00:39] I was so excited in prepping this. I got really excited. Lady, I even stood up. I paced. I said things out loud.
Jenna [00:00:46] Really? Should we tell people what we're doing?
Angela [00:00:49] Yes. All right. The inspiration for today's episode comes straight from the Office fandom. You know, we have been digging online and we have found a lot of office fan theories. You name it. You guys all have an origin idea about something on the show. So based on one of the most popular fan theories that you shared with us, we're going to do a little detective work, a little mom detective work. Jenna What are we, Mom? Detective-ing?
Jenna [00:01:18] Detective ING?
Angela [00:01:21] There it is. Yeah.
Jenna [00:01:23] Today we are finally tackling the question. Is Toby the Scranton Strangler? Yes. And we asked you to write in and give us your theories and opinions. Thank you so much, by the way. They were amazing, detailed.
Angela [00:01:42] I mean, really good stuff.
Jenna [00:01:44] Our producer Aynsley divided your letters into two sections; Those of you who think Toby is the Scranton Strangler and those of you who think he isn't. So here's what we're going to do. We are going to have a good old fashioned debate using your letters to support our arguments.
Angela [00:02:00] Our version of a debate for you, Hard Core Debaters out there.
Jenna [00:02:04] We're going to mess it up.
Angela [00:02:05] We're not going to--it's not going to be like the debate, but it's going to be a debate.
Jenna [00:02:09] It's going to be a debate.
Angela [00:02:10] It's going to be a conversation.
Jenna [00:02:10] A mom detectives debate.
Angela [00:02:12] Thank you. And then after we debate, is Toby the Scranton Strangler. Paul Lieberstein is going to join us in the studio and tell us what he thinks.
Jenna [00:02:22] And by the way, I say Toby is not the Scranton Strangler.
Angela [00:02:26] And I say Toby is the Scranton Strangler.
Jenna [00:02:30] And we have not seen each other's arguments. We have not seen each other's evidence. This is going to be interesting.
Angela [00:02:38] But before we get into our debate, I thought it might be helpful to give a brief history of the Scranton Strangler.
Jenna [00:02:43] Angela. You are doing a summary. This is my favorite day.
Angela [00:02:50] Jenna's doing like a little shoulder shimmy. Yeah, she got excited about that. Yes. Jenna, you suggested I do this, and I thought, You know what? I'm going to take a stab at it. Ooh, I said stab. Not strangle. Okay. You know, I'm doing, I guess, my version of a summary. I'm calling it an overview.
Jenna [00:03:08] An overview? I like it.
Angela [00:03:10] Okay. Here is my Scranton Strangler overview. So the first time the Scranton Strangler is featured is in the sixth season. It was the episode, The delivery. Now, if you remember, everyone is at the hospital waiting for Pam to give birth, and Andy arrives with a gift. He has gotten the newspaper from the day C.C. was supposed to be born. Framed. This is a very thoughtful gift.
Jenna [00:03:34] It really is. I don't know if we've ever talked about how thoughtful that was of him.
Angela [00:03:39] But then he is annoyed because she wasn't born on the day of the newspaper that he framed. So Andy says, I decided to give baby Halpert a newspaper from the day she was born. This frame sent me back 55 bones. Yeah. And then Andy shows the camera, the frame newspaper, and goes on to say. But she decided to take her sweet time so now I have to switch it with today's paper. And he holds up the day's paper. Now, look, the original newspaper he framed had the headline as Spring has Sprung. But that day's newspaper, the headline is Scranton Strangler Strikes Again. Yeah. This is the first time the audience learns about the Scranton Strangler. It would become a running storyline for the remaining seasons of the show. Besides the delivery, it is mentioned and the following episodes Viewing Party, Happy Hour, Body Language, Costume Contests, Classic Christmas Part one, Michaels Last Dundies, Doomsday Jury Duty, The Boat, Dwight's Christmas and Moving On. And although several other characters reference the Scranton Strangler throughout the series. It is Toby who seems particularly obsessed with this news headline. And ironically, once the strangler is apprehended, it is Toby who ends up on the jury that finds the strangler guilty. After the trial, Toby remains obsessed with the case. And finally, he goes to the prison to confront the man he thinks he wrongly imprisoned.
Jenna [00:05:08] Well, Angela, that was an excellent overview.
Angela [00:05:11] Thank you.
Jenna [00:05:12] Guess what I have? I'm going to take on a little bit of, like, your thing. I have some digital clutter.
Angela [00:05:20] Is today Freaky Friday? Are we switching bodies?
Jenna [00:05:25] I don't know.
Angela [00:05:26] My gosh. I did a summary. You're doing digital clutter.
Jenna [00:05:30] All right. So we once shared that Mindy famously said that the Scranton Strangler was the most pitched storyline in the writers room. They loved this.
Angela [00:05:41] I mean, I bet it was fun.
Jenna [00:05:43] And like you said, we were first introduced to the Scranton Strangler in season six, the delivery. Well, I found three strangler storylines that were pitched but not produced for season seven.
Angela [00:05:56] My gosh.
Jenna [00:05:59] Okay, so I guess over the summer, between seasons six and seven, the writers had this big pitch session. They all had to come back from the break with multiple storyline ideas. And here are the three that involve the Scranton Strangler.
Angela [00:06:14] Okay.
Jenna [00:06:14] First of all, B.J. pitched a storyline that Dwight was going to try to lay a trap for the Scranton Strangler. This was the card. Dwight lays a trap for Scranton Strangler. Okay. But there were no other details. Kerry Kemper pitched a storyline similar. You're going to see a similarity between all three of these pitches. Kerry Kemper pitched a storyline that would be part of our Halloween episode.
Angela [00:06:41] Okay.
Jenna [00:06:42] Which is that the Scranton Strangler had called the Scranton Times and issued a warning that he was going to strangle on Halloween night.
Angela [00:06:52] Wow. This has got a lot of attitude.
Jenna [00:06:54] Yeah. This was going to make everyone really scared to go trick or treating.
Angela [00:06:58] Okay.
Jenna [00:06:58] So, Dwight, here's the common theme. Decides to take things into his own hands, and he's going to take Erin to a park and tell her to fall asleep on a park bench. And he's going to, like, lay in wait.
Angela [00:07:16] Erin, don't go.
Jenna [00:07:17] But the strangler never strikes.
Angela [00:07:19] Okay.
Jenna [00:07:19] It was a false alarm all around. No strangling on Halloween after all.
Angela [00:07:23] Okay.
Jenna [00:07:24] Okay.
Angela [00:07:25] He's playing games.
Jenna [00:07:29] Maybe some insight into the strangler.
Angela [00:07:31] Here I am, just adding to the card.
Jenna [00:07:34] That's how our session works, right? Yeah. Then Robert Padnick pitched this story. It was a card that said extra security because of Scranton Strangler. And in this pitch, as the building manager, Dwight was going to really buckle down to protect everyone from the Strangler, he was going to put up barbed wire and metal detectors. He was going to get a Doberman. The problem is that this scary dog that was supposed to protect everyone ends up being just like a complete love bug. And then everybody just falls in love with this dog. And then I don't know where that was going to go if we were just going to have a dog. But these were the three pictures that I was able to dig out of my producer's digital clutter.
Angela [00:08:21] You know, here's the one flaw with that Robert Padnick card which is that if Dwight put up metal detectors, he'd never be able to come into the office with all of this stuff.
Jenna [00:08:30] This is so true. I'm sure he had an alternate entrance for himself.
Angela [00:08:35] That's really fun. We're going to have to ask Paul about all of that when he joins the show.
Jenna [00:08:40] I have so many questions for Paul.
Angela [00:08:41] I know.
Jenna [00:08:42] All right. Well, are we ready for our opening statements? Angela, would you like to go first?
Angela [00:08:50] Yes, I just want to put this out there. I have never debated anything, and I try to follow the little outline you sent me, Jenna. So I'm not sure this qualifies as an opening statement, but here it is. Are you ready? Hello.
Jenna [00:09:06] It's a good start.
Angela [00:09:07] Welcome Cassi, Sam, Jenna, and all of you listening out there in the world. Welcome to the first ever office ladies debate. I, Angela Kinsey. I'm taking the position that Toby Flenderson is indeed the Scranton Strangler. Today I will prove the true nature of Toby Flenderson and the crimes he most certainly committed. Now, you might say shy, mild natured Toby? The sometimes helpful h.r. Rep who sat quietly in the corner of the annex. Could he really be capable of this type of violent crime? But, ladies and gentlemen, I really don't have to say much. Toby will tell you in his own words that he, in fact, has a very sinister nature. Furthermore, I will provide hard evidence that reveals that Toby is the Scranton Strangler.
Jenna [00:10:01] Wow.
Sam [00:10:04] l'll allow it, but watch yourself, counselor.
Angela [00:10:07] May I approach the bench?
Sam [00:10:08] Yes.
Angela [00:10:09] Okay.
Jenna [00:10:11] All right. That was great. I will start by saying I've also never done this. I was not in debate in school.
Angela [00:10:17] Me either.
Jenna [00:10:18] I think I did one debate in one history class once in high school.
Angela [00:10:22] My closest thing to debate is watching, what was that Tom Cruise movie? You can't handle the truth.
Sam [00:10:29] A few good men?
Angela [00:10:30] A few good men.
Jenna [00:10:31] I rewatched that this past year.
Angela [00:10:34] Well, that's the closest I really got to debate. Really good.
Jenna [00:10:37] Yeah. All right, here's my opening statement.
Angela [00:10:39] Okay.
Jenna [00:10:41] Sam, Cassi, esteemed listeners. Angela.
Angela [00:10:46] Thank you.
Jenna [00:10:47] It is my position that Toby is not the Scranton Strangler. I will present evidence or rather point out the lack of evidence that shows Toby is not a criminal. And while I personally believe that George Howard Scub is the real Scranton Strangler, I will also offer alternate suspects, all of whom are more likely than Toby Flendersen to have committed these crimes. I believe that Toby believes he convicted the wrong man. I believe he might start a podcast to try to find the real killer. But this is not out of guilt for being the true Scranton Strangler, but rather because Toby's life lacks excitement. And the Scranton Strangler trial was perhaps the happiest we've ever seen Toby. His face lights up when given the chance to talk about it. I believe he's grasping at this one moment of excitement. I would like to conclude my opening statement with these words from Celia S in Plymouth, Minnesota. George Howard Scub is the Scranton Strangler and Toby is just a weird man who's obsessed with murder mysteries, probably because his own life is actually so boring. I'm not a Toby hater or a Toby defender. I'm neutral. Toby is just Toby, not the Scranton Strangler. Just Toby. And that's all he needs to be. Toby. Is. Toby. Thank you.
Angela [00:12:33] Wow. I mean, I know we're on opposite sides, but I thought that was really well done.
Jenna [00:12:37] I mean, I thought yours was great, too. Well, listen, why don't we take a break and when we come back, we will each give our constructive speeches.
Angela [00:12:47] All right.
Jenna [00:13:00] All right, we're back. So when I sent us the little debate structure, it said opening statements. And then we each give a constructive speech and then we have rebuttal time. Yeah, I don't totally know how that works, but I'm getting out a pen and paper.
Angela [00:13:18] You're going to write notes to rebut?
Jenna [00:13:19] For my rebuttal.
Angela [00:13:19] Okay.
Jenna [00:13:21] Because I think my rebuttal is in real time, right? Did you write a rebuttal?
Angela [00:13:27] I thought. I thought they came at the end.
Jenna [00:13:29] At the end?
Cassi [00:13:30] I did speech and debate in high school.
Angela [00:13:33] My God. Please get in here.
Cassi [00:13:35] So you have to listen to each other's arguments. And you can be writing while they're making the arguments. But you want to have a rebuttal against whatever they say.
Angela [00:13:46] At the end?
Cassi [00:13:47] Yes, it'll be argument. Argument, rebuttal, rebuttal. In conclusion.
Jenna [00:13:51] Yeah. All right. So now while Angela is talking, I'm just writing, but am I allowed to do things like *reaction noises* Am I allowed to do stuff like that or.
Cassi [00:14:01] No. But, but for the sake of the podcast, I think you can.
Angela [00:14:05] Okay, I did not write it an in conclusion and so I'll have to wing that one.
Jenna [00:14:11] I'm winging it because I want to hear what Paul has to say.
Angela [00:14:14] Our conclusions come after Paul. All right. Okay. Okay. Here we go.
Jenna [00:14:20] Angela, you're up.
Angela [00:14:21] Okay, here I go. I feel like I'm in front of, like, a high school classroom. I think I'm all of those feelings of, like, oh no. Okay, I am ready to present my case that Toby is the Scranton Strangler. First of all, let's ask the question, does Toby fit the profile of a serial killer? The evidence says he does. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 85% of serial killers are male and 82% are white. Check, check. Toby. According to the FBI, serial murders often seem normal. Have families or a steady job. A human resources rep at a paper company. Again? Check. Toby. Studies have found that a significant percentage of serial killers come from broken homes as a result of their trauma. They may suppress their emotional response and may have difficulty empathizing with others. They often suffer from a variety of personality disorders, psychopathy and antisocial personality. Let's see if Toby checks that box off. In the episode of the deposition, we learn that Toby's parents divorced when he was a child. Both of them wanted custody, and both asked him to testify against the other in court. He was unsure what to do because he loved both of his parents and didn't want them to get divorced in the first place. That was certainly traumatic for Toby. And we learned Toby himself goes through a bitter divorce. Check, Toby. Next up, studies also find that serial killers find comfort in their fantasies and dreams that take them into a realm that only they can control. Let's see. Does Toby fit that profile? His wife left him. He feels alone. He loved Pam, but she didn't love him back. He has a boss that hates him and bullies him. He can't control his real life. So he creates a fantasy life through a character he made up. Chad Flenderson. That is where he can be in control. In fact, one of Toby's mystery novels is titled A Murder for Framing. Toby is sharing his knowledge of how to frame someone for murder. It's literally the title of his book. In the episode Christmas Wishes. Toby, through his cover of Being this mystery writer, reveals how you could put someone else's fingerprints on a crime scene. It happens when Dwight gets killed by the Porcupine, and he says to Jim, This has your fingerprints all over it. Jim turns to Andy and says, Andy, you've got to be kidding me. And then Toby pipes up and says, Fingerprints can be planted, you know, with, like, a severed hand or. What is happening here? Toby is describing how to frame someone in front of everyone. Toby goes on to further say, Chad, as a character is a very complex individual, and he deals with a lot of personal issues. So Toby checks all the boxes here, folks. And ladies and gentlemen, Sam, Kasey, and Jenna. Now that we have established that Toby fits the profile of a violent criminal, let's look at some hard evidence that further proves Toby is the Scranton Strangler. Are you ready?
Jenna [00:17:52] You're not doing poorly.
Angela [00:17:54] You've written three notes. I can't see what they say. I'm not going to look at her papers. Okay. Here we go on to my next part. It all started with rejection. Becca N from Berwyn, Illinois writes in to say, Toby is absolutely the Scranton Strangler. Let me lay out the evidence. Becca, you do a fantastic job, by the way. Sidebar. Becca says Toby turned his back on his initial passions, the seminary, to get into a relationship with a woman. And it's implied that she ended up leaving him. And now he's stuck in a dead end job where he doesn't get to use his brain. He's very undervalued, not just by Michael, but everyone else. He's constantly bullied and generally mocked and ridiculed. And, of course, he was deeply upset by the thought of the police going into his desk because he's hiding something. The killing starts being mentioned after Pam got married. He had an obsession with Pam and is disappointed at losing her to Jim. And that is manifested into a murderous rage. Pam is having another man's baby and someone dies the same day. Then there is the part where the baby is christened. Toby goes to the church and he can't go in. Later he asks God, Why are you always so mean to me? Someone else agrees. Sam K. from Los Angeles In our office Ladies episode Break down the Christening. Sam said, You know, who wouldn't want to enter a church because they have a problem with God? And then Sam answers himself, A strangler.
Jenna [00:19:35] Okay. I feel like that's a little pandering to the jury. Using our jury's own words.
Angela [00:19:44] What is this? Is this allowed? Is this like. Are you. Is this approach the bench moment?
Cassi [00:19:48] No, this is absolutely not allowed. And if if Sam is the judge, he needs to leave. Yes.
Jenna [00:19:55] Okay. Sam clearly needs to recuse. And Cassi is now our only a judge.
Angela [00:20:00] Okay you're part of the argument. Sorry. All right. Now, let's point out some of Toby's strange behavior that is prone to being irrational, aggressive, suspicious and sinister. That is further evidence that he is the Scranton Strangler. Number one, irrational behavior. Like out of nowhere, saying he is going to Costa Rica. Fan theory from Angela Kay. Also on this podcast. Also in the christening episode, quoted as saying, If you were the Scranton Strangler, you would need to have a place to go and hide. He clearly has set up a second residence or even a different identity in Costa Rica. Liv from Vancouver writes in with this excellent point; What are your thoughts on the fact that Toby always keeps his passport with him, mentioned when he's having a conversation with Mrs. California? My theory is that he needs it in case he ever has to flee the country.
Jenna [00:21:00] Who said that?
Angela [00:21:01] Liv, from Vancouver.
Jenna [00:21:04] Okay. I have some words for Liv, later.
Angela [00:21:07] Okay. Well, Liv, get ready. Next up are things that Toby hides. He's actually quite athletic. Proof of this is a night out. We also had a fan theory that we shared on this very own podcast from Carolyn G. She said, since Toby jumps the fence with such apparent ease, it shows that he's someone who might be able to escape the police. Is this evidence that Toby is the Scranton Strangler? Jenna. Jenna F. from Los Angeles said she asked Paul about this, and Paul's response was, sounds smart.
Angela [00:21:41] Okay, all right. Judge. Judge. Are we allowed to use Paul here? What is that?
Sam [00:21:48] You were playing fast and loose with this.
Angela [00:21:52] Why can't I quote?
Sam [00:21:53] You're like a cop who's two days from retirement.
Sam [00:21:56] Why can't I quote the person who plays the character who also was a writer?
Jenna [00:22:02] All right. All right.
Sam [00:22:02] Next up.
Angela [00:22:03] You're on thin ice. You have been recused.
Sam [00:22:07] This whole thing's about to go out the window.
Angela [00:22:09] Gosh. It's going to be blown out the window. Next up, Toby's aggressive behavior. Like this moment when Clark interrupts Toby and Jim talking. Let's hear it.
CLIP [00:22:22] Toby, I want to ask you a question, but I'm sure it's a little personal. Let's get personal. I want to talk to you about your divorce. Sorry. I know you know what I meant. What I meant to say was. It's okay. I can handle it. So you guys obviously went through some tough times. I'm just wondering if you ever did any couples counseling? Sure. Lots of times, Yeah. You're not in couples counseling, are you? God, no. We're just starting couples counseling, which doesn't sound any better. And you guys really called it 2013. Hey, hey, hey. No, no. Get out of here. Clark, get out of here. I mistake that. Yes, it is your mistake. It's lingering. So annoying.
Angela [00:23:22] I'm going to kill him. That's what Toby said when Clark interrupts him. I'm going to kill him. For more suspicious behavior, we have a viewing party. Everyone is gathered around Toby's desk watching the police pursue The Scranton Strangler fans have pointed out a few important things. Number one, where is Toby? Everyone else at Dunder Mifflin is there. We have a fan theory from Angela K. In Los Angeles. Might the documentary film crew have suspected it was Toby all along? And is this why they purposely included this footage in the documentary film? They wanted to highlight the fact that Toby was not at work the day the Strangler was fleeing. And there's also something else. A letter from Taylor C in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The staff is seated at Toby's desk when his phone rings on the day that the police are pursuing the falsely accused strangler. In addition to attempting to contact him, the caller must have known Toby's extension directly because Erin was not at reception forwarding the calls. Given he has few acquaintances and hardly ever gets direct calls, this is extremely suspicious and suggests that Toby might be framing George Howard Scub. Doug Y from Spokane, Washington, noticed that the car the strangler used during the chase was previously seen in the background shots of the parking lot of the office. Did Toby provide George with the car? Further part of how to frame a murderer. And then there's Toby's obsession with being on the jury for the case. Jenna, you mentioned this. He seemed delighted. He seemed so happy. Well, many people wrote in and noted that Toby is happy to be on the jury because he knows he got away with it. Someone else is going to pay for his crime and he is going to help make sure of it. He is going to convict an innocent person to cover his tracks as the Scranton Strangler, as he planned all along by framing George. And several people wrote in and noted, including Jennifer G. from Tampa, Florida, saying that they believed that when Toby went to see George in prison, he was going to say to him, I know you're innocent because I did it. He is sinister. He is evil. He has a dark nature. He was proud of this crime. He was taunting him and George strangled him as a response. But lastly, to really show Toby's true, sinister nature. Let's just hear it from Toby himself.
CLIP [00:26:04] We should really have the officer's air quality tested and we have radon coming from below. We have asbestos in the ceilings. These are silent killers. You are the silent killer. Go back to the annex. You'll see.
Angela [00:26:17] You'll see. You'll see who the silent killer is. Michael. This is a person who was bitter, unhappy, jealous, rejected a loner who had the motive to kill, the ability to kill and the arrogance to brag about it in front of a camera crew. They knew he did it. Toby tells us he did it. Believe him. Toby Flenderson is the Scranton Strangler.
Jenna [00:26:45] Wow. Wow.
Angela [00:26:50] Okay. That's as far as I got, guys.
Jenna [00:26:54] I'm going to say, I. I'm a little surprised to hear that you were not in debate because I thought that was excellent.
Angela [00:26:59] Thank you.
Jenna [00:27:00] Yes. Cassi, are debates usually this friendly?
Cassi [00:27:03] No, But I love how friendly this one is.
Jenna [00:27:08] We will continue.
Angela [00:27:09] Okay.
Jenna [00:27:10] Well, I guess it's my turn.
Angela [00:27:12] Well, let me just tell you, the jury is feisty in there. The judge has a lot of comments.
Jenna [00:27:19] We lost a judge.
Angela [00:27:19] We lost a judge, but he's still very chatty. So, anyway, I wish you luck.
Jenna [00:27:24] Thank you. Thank you so much. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to present three very strong reasons why Toby is not the Scranton Strangler. Starting with a lack of direct evidence. There is simply no concrete evidence linking Toby to these murders. Now, I will admit there's not a lot of evidence or details of the Stranglers crimes, but we do know a few things. Number one, we know that there was a car chase that led to the arrest of George Howard Scab. And I would ask this question, why did George Howard Schoub run from police and barricade himself inside of an apartment complex if he was not guilty of this crime? Some people have suggested that Toby was driving the car, since he is not in the scene where everyone is watching the chase. Maybe Toby ran into the apartment complex and then escaped, leaving George Howard Scub to take the fall. But here's the thing. Where did Toby get this Mercury Cougar? This is not Toby's car, Angela. You yourself pointed out that in season one, Toby has a photo of a jeep at his desk in season two.
Angela [00:28:41] You doing what I did. You're quoting from our podcast, Judge.
Sam [00:28:46] Slight objection, but I'll allow it.
Jenna [00:28:48] Thank you. Thank you. In season two episode Take Your Daughter to Work Day. Toby drives a Silver Saab, and then in season eight, the garden party. He's driving a Subaru Impreza. None of the Dunder-Mifflin staff are ever seen driving this Mercury Cougar that is at the center of the Strangler case. This would mean that Toby, our underpaid h.r. rep somehow has two cars, a strangler car and another car. I doubt that is the case. In Dwight's Christmas, Toby is recounting his theories about the Scranton Strangler to Nelli. He mentions that they found fingerprints, presumably linked to George Howard's Scub. How did George Howard Scubs fingerprints get on coins found at one of the crime scenes if he's not the Scranton Strangler?
Angela [00:29:48] Okay.
Jenna [00:29:49] You might notice that none of Toby's fingerprints were found at any of the crime scenes. And if they were, we would know about it. Because he has traveled abroad, and it is customary to provide fingerprints in order to obtain a passport. So clearly, Toby's fingerprints have been cleared. And while Toby might doubt the validity of these fingerprints as being accurate, there have been many cases of police being able to lift fingerprints from money and get convictions, just like they did in this case, because criminals often think to wear gloves while committing a crime, but not when handling their own money. And finally, I would say that the fact that George Howard Scub tries to strangle Toby during his visit to the prison is pretty clear evidence that George Howard Scub is the strangler. But now I'd like to go to character consistency. Per the FBI. Psychopaths who commit serial murder do not value human life and are extremely callous in their interactions with their victims. One strategy to assess whether a person is a psychopath is to look at four dimensions: deviance, distress, dysfunction and danger. Collectively known as the Four D's. Toby's character is largely depicted as mild mannered and empathetic, making it difficult to believe that he is a serial killer. Ellen K from Robinson, Illinois, said, I don't think serial killers participate in Movember. I would also like to quote Jenna F from Los Angeles, who said, Why would Toby be so worried about us all dying of radon poisoning if he was the Scranton Strangler? Wouldn't he want us all to slowly suffocate? That sounds like the perfect crime. Finally, I'd like to point to some other suspects.
Angela [00:31:54] Sure.
Jenna [00:31:55] You don't believe it's George Howard's Scub? How about Creed Bratton? Madison S from Covington, Kentucky, said everyone thinks it's Toby who could be the Scranton Strangler. Why does no one suspect Creed? He came into the office during the murder mystery episode and freaked out when Michael blamed him for murder. And he also had blood on himself in the Halloween episode. Seems pretty viable that it could be Creed. Amber C from Oregon said it is definitely Creed. Not to mention Creed's impromptu talking head when the police were searching for weed. And he says, Just keep talking until the cops leave. Also, why was Creed in the middle of nowhere on the side of the road hitchhiking to work during Work Buss? Not to mention the wanted posters in the finale. And Jessica Jay from Sweden said Creed has stolen an identity and is up to so many funky businesses. Why wouldn't he be the strangler, too? And in viewing party, Jim has a line when they're watching the car trace that says huh, I guess the Scranton Strangler isn't who I thought he was. Pam says, Why? And Jim says, Because the person I thought it was just showed up to work. And then we see Creed walking in. But fine. You don't think it's Creed? How about Gabe? Alexis L from Staten Island, New York, said. I think it's far more likely Gabe is the strangler. It's well-established that he enjoys violence and horror. He travels between Scranton and Florida, which makes it easy to elude police. And he's super creepy. Phil C from Oklahoma said, Notice that the killings not only stop after the trial, but also after Gabe goes back to Florida. But not only do they stop when Gabe leaves. They didn't start until Gabe arrived in Scranton. I would definitely be investigating Gabe if I were the Scranton police. But I'm not done. How about David Wallace, who Izzy S from Surrey, England, said, I recently found out some people believed David Wallace might be the Scranton Strangler. Apparently he sent Holly away just as she was getting close to figuring it out.
Angela [00:34:24] Approach the bench.
Jenna [00:34:26] What?
Angela [00:34:27] When was Holly investigating the Scranton Strangler?
Jenna [00:34:30] I don't know. Never mind.
Sam [00:34:33] Objection Sustained.
Jenna [00:34:38] Sorry, Izzy. I liked your argument. All right. Tyson H. From Salt Lake City, Utah, said this. At the Writer's Block panel at the wrap party in Scranton, Greg Daniels. Greg Daniels said.
Angela [00:34:55] We can quote Greg Daniels, but we can't quote Paul Lieberstein. Your Honor?
Sam [00:35:00] Continue.
Angela [00:35:01] I think this is biased. I got fast and loose.
Sam [00:35:06] You're looking at contempt of court here. Calm down.
Jenna [00:35:08] Hey, Greg Daniels said if the Scranton Strangler was anyone else, it would be none other than Robert California and my friends. If anyone possesses the four D's of deviance, distress, dysfunction and danger, is it not Robert California? I have given you three very good other suspects and one that maybe we're going to throw out. But I still have one more. Jacqueline R. from Orange County, California, wrote in to say that she believes Mose is the Scranton Strangler. The evidence, though, circumstantial, forms a chilling mosaic of behavior, opportunity and motive.
Angela [00:35:55] It's very well written.
Jenna [00:35:57] Yeah. Jacqueline, Maybe you should have written my whole thing. Jacqueline goes on to say, First, Moses, peculiar and antisocial behavior places him outside of societal norms, where many criminal profiles of serial offenders begin. He is almost entirely isolated from society, living on a remote beat farm with limited human interaction, except for his cousin Dwight.
Angela [00:36:23] And a scarecrow.
Jenna [00:36:25] Thank you for making my point, Angela. Mose demonstrates signs of emotional instability, extreme awkwardness, and a lack of understanding of social boundaries. Traits commonly associated with individuals capable of heinous crimes.
Angela [00:36:40] I was meaning He loved a scarecrow, like he did her and stuff.
Jenna [00:36:44] I know what you meant. And I think Jacqueline knows what you meant. Angela. Is this your argument?
Sam [00:36:50] Is this an objection, or.
Jenna [00:36:51] I'm so sorry. Who quietly took notes while the other person was talking? And who is breaking in every four sentences?
Angela [00:37:01] I am sorry. There was there was a long period where I listened and then I decided to break in. You had a few things.
Jenna [00:37:09] Okay, I'm going on. Mose has odd, erratic behavior, which has been well-documented, such as his proclivity for running alongside moving vehicles, screaming without provocation, and displaying an unnatural interest in physical conflict as seen during his wrestling of farm animals and coworkers. Second, Moses physicality and access to tools of strangulation make him a credible suspect. The tools he uses daily on the farm; ropes, chains, other implements are eerily similar to the potential instruments used in strangulation.
Angela [00:37:46] Jacqueline, you are doing a fantastic job.
Jenna [00:37:49] Right. You see why I'm ending with Jacqueline here? Third and most damning, Mose had both the opportunity and proximity to carry out these crimes. Scranton is not far from Schrute Farms and the rural locations offers the perfect hideout for someone evading suspicion. While the documentary crew focused on Dwight's activities, Moses whereabouts were often unaccounted for, giving him ample opportunity to commit these heinous acts without raising suspicion. His ability to blend into the background as a peculiar but harmless farmhand works to his advantage, allowing him to operate unnoticed. In conclusion, I'd like to quote Allie W from Moorpark, California, who says ladies, no, Toby is not the Strangler. His only crime is being pathetic and uninteresting and throwing out his baba ganoush in the office trash. Thank you for your time.
Angela [00:38:52] That's very good. Very good.
Jenna [00:38:54] Thank you. Now, how do we rebuttal? Cassi, who goes first on the rebuttal?
Cassi [00:38:59] See, you just went, so you should rebuttal, Angela, and then vice versa.
Jenna [00:39:04] So I have to go first now?
Cassi [00:39:06] Yeah. So basically, like, if there is any points she made that you want to, like, take down or you have evidence, okay, that would be what you would focus on.
Jenna [00:39:15] Okay, then I will say this.
Angela [00:39:17] Okay.
Jenna [00:39:18] Here is my rebuttal, Angela, to your argument.
Angela [00:39:21] Okay.
Jenna [00:39:23] You paint an entertaining picture as to why Toby is the Scranton Strangler, but it's all based on circumstantial evidence. And I believe I proved in my argument that we could paint a number of people in the world of Dunder Mifflin with that same brush if we wanted. But none of your arguments really hold up in court. Divorce trauma happens to a lot of us. Are we all serial killers? Angela K, You love fantasy. Are you a serial killer? I also live in Vancouver. You mentioned the passport. I mentioned that Toby's fingerprints would be on record for said passport. We know that fingerprints were left behind, and they do not match Toby, But they do match George Howard Scub. And I know, Angela, you mentioned that you believe perhaps in addition to strangling everyone while living a life mostly documented by a documentary crew, Toby had time to murder people and frame another man. You're suggesting that maybe Toby provided George Howard scalp with his car? Really? George Howard Scub didn't want to mention that? He didn't want to say I got this car from someone else or anything like that when he was being interrogated by police. I think we all need to just admit the police caught the right person and that person is George Howard Scub. Thank you.
Angela [00:41:12] Well, fantastic rebuttal. Here's my rebuttal. I will start with this. You mentioned, according to the FBI, serial killers do not value human life. I would say to you, Toby has a personality where he can compartmentalize people and have no value at all to people who should have value. I will cite the moment when he is willing to ditch his daughter, who he barely sees, to go to Pam's art show. I will cite the moment where he decides to leave his daughter to go to Costa Rica. Toby can compartmentalize. You brought up the radon poisoning. Wouldn't that be the way Toby would finally get us all? I would like to point out that people that have these type of personalities, one of the main things they have in common is extreme obsessions with things. Radon, Pam, being on this jury, they lock into something and they get into a loop and it manifests itself in very dark ways. You mentioned the fingerprints, that Toby's fingerprints are on his passport, that they couldn't be at the scene of the crime, that George's fingerprints are there. But we learn from Toby himself that he has studied how you can use other people's fingerprints to implement them in a crime. He literally shared that he studied on how to do this and wrote about it in one of his books. You make compelling arguments along with Jacqueline about who else could have done these crimes, but none of them had the motive that Toby had. None of them had the rejection, the bitterness, the jealousy, the bullying. Toby's rage is simmering quietly in the annex, and it comes out in the form of the Scranton Strangler. Toby is the Scranton Strangler. Don't doubt it, because if you do, he will have fooled you, too.
Jenna [00:43:19] Wow.
Angela [00:43:21] That's my rebuttal.
Jenna [00:43:23] I think all that's left is for us to take a break and come back and talk with Paul Lieberstein all about it.
Angela [00:43:29] Yeah, this is really fun.
Jenna [00:43:31] I agree. All right. We are back. Paul Lieberstein, a.k.a. Toby, is here.
Angela [00:43:49] Hello. Welcome to the courtroom, Toby.
Jenna [00:43:53] You should know that we have entered into quite a hot debate here. We are very excited to get your perspective. Can we start with a little back story?
Paul [00:44:01] We can. Sure.
Jenna [00:44:02] All right. Yeah. First question for you, Paul, from Kelly W in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This is a formal debate.
Angela [00:44:10] This is a serious debate, Paul.
Paul [00:44:14] All right. Well, I apologize for my attitude.
Angela [00:44:17] Your Honor. Your Honor, can his attitude be noted?
Sam [00:44:20] It's on the books.
Jenna [00:44:22] Yes. I hope you aren't a hostile witness.
Paul [00:44:25] I may be treated like a hostile witness.
Jenna [00:44:27] All right. Okay.
Paul [00:44:28] All right. I'm used to it. That's the Toby line.
Angela [00:44:32] That's the Toby.
Jenna [00:44:35] Well, here's your first question, Kelly. W from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania said, who originally had the idea for the Scranton Strangler? Was he always going to be a recurring character or storyline, or was this something that became a continuous joke through the series, just sort of organically? Give us the background.
Paul [00:44:54] So it's difficult to trace this. And I have tried.
Angela [00:45:01] It's a mystery.
Paul [00:45:03] So there's a decent chance it was my idea, but I can't say for sure. And I've been in contact with people. So it first appeared in Charlie's episode. It was like a background joke. The baby episode, but he didn't remember writing it.
Angela [00:45:18] The newspaper headlines.
Paul [00:45:19] Yeah, exactly. And we just wanted something, you know, because people always get that gift for a baby. So we just wanted, like, an inappropriate headline.
Angela [00:45:27] Right. It went from spring has sprung to Scranton Strangler strikes again.
Paul [00:45:33] So I asked Greg if it was his because I know that he got very involved in the rewrite of that episode and he thought it was mine. And then I asked a bunch of other people who seem to like it and who were around at the time, including a couple of writers assistants and Danny and B.J. and Halsted, and they seemed to think it was mine.
Jenna [00:45:58] Okay. This one joke was your idea.
Angela [00:46:02] And Warren said he thought it was yours as well.
Paul [00:46:04] Yeah. But I can't say for sure. And I would hate to be taking credit .
Angela [00:46:12] You're so kind, Paul. I mean, the majority of the writers think it was you. Okay, but you're still like. It might not be me.
Paul [00:46:20] So it kind of sounds like me. Also sounds like Mindy, too.
Jenna [00:46:24] But this was a intended to be originally a one off joke gag in the delivery.
Paul [00:46:33] Yeah, it hadn't been for more than that. Okay, but. But it kind of grew as things. As things do. Yeah.
Jenna [00:46:40] Yes. But I would like to note for the record again. For the record? When conceived, this was simply a newspaper joke. Thank you. Committed to record. Angela, would you like to ask question number two?
Angela [00:47:01] I would. And I don't think what you're committing to record proves anything, but okay. Paul?
Paul [00:47:07] Yes, Angela.
Angela [00:47:08] You are aware that people think Toby is the Scranton Strangler?
Paul [00:47:11] Yes.
Angela [00:47:12] So Aiden B from the UK says, Did Paul purposely write or play the role or plan for it to be as ambiguous as it is? Like is Toby the Scranton Strangler?
Jenna [00:47:23] Yeah, I'm curious about that, too. When did you all become aware that fans were keying into.
Angela [00:47:30] That it might be Toby?
Jenna [00:47:32] Was it while we were still on the air?
Paul [00:47:34] It was after we wrapped. So I watched that YouTube video about you putting together the very first one that said It might be Toby. And it kind of blew my mind.
Angela [00:47:44] There are many now.
Paul [00:47:45] Yeah, there are a lot. And I watched a bunch for this podcast and they were long.
Angela [00:47:54] Because there's a lot of evidence to prove that he is.
Paul [00:47:57] Or and for other characters to write they did it. Yeah. Yeah.
Jenna [00:48:02] Yes. For other characters. That could be the Scranton Strangler.
Angela [00:48:06] There's a lot of YouTube out there.
Jenna [00:48:10] Pointing that out again.
Paul [00:48:12] Yeah. No, it had not crossed my mind that it could be. That it would be me. We may have joked that it could be true. We might have joked around like that.
Angela [00:48:27] Gary definitely had a lot of different lives that he led.
Paul [00:48:32] Yes. Yeah. Which came out really strongly in season nine.
Jenna [00:48:37] Yes.
Paul [00:48:38] But that's the only that's the kind of thing you could do in the very end. Right. I guess. Yeah. And Creed, I don't know. He existed on a whole different plane. And he loves the idea. He loves the idea.
Angela [00:48:51] And that Toby is the one everyone would pin it on. Maybe if not for George. Well, our next question is this. Mindy said that the Scranton Strangler was one of the most pitched things in the writers room. She said that if you compiled all the notes, you would have an epic and terrifying mini series. Do you remember any of the pitches that you guys had?
Paul [00:49:14] No, I think it was a lot of just this person gets strangled. You know, you're looking for it. We're looking for a twist in the story. So like, we have this list up on the board, right? Of like, after we write things like, did we include inciting incident? No. You know, as like, the simple things in stories. And so one of them was the twist, you know, is it a straight line to the end or, you know, do we put a twist? So I think a twist or a second outbreak commonly could be somebody gets strangled when we're really stretching.
Jenna [00:49:58] All right. Next question, sir. We also received a letter from Maria H. in Atlanta, Georgia, who said, Have you heard the theory that the Scranton Strangler isn't a murderer? Paul Lieberstein famously posted a video on Instagram a few years ago saying that the writers of the office always intended to include that the Scranton Strangler would just strangle his victims till they passed out, but never actually killed any of them.
Paul [00:50:26] Now, I loved that. I thought that was super fun. I'm not sure everybody was on board for that, but I loved it just like strangles and left sitting there.
Angela [00:50:38] A violent crime, but very evil. Like I could kill you, but I'm not going to.
Paul [00:50:44] It's weirder and then it becomes less of a, like, crazy thing. I mean, it gets crazier, but in a way, it's just like it's not a serial killer, right?
Jenna [00:50:56] It's just a serial strangler.
Paul [00:50:57] It's just like, that was a really bad night when I got strangled and passed out. And then you live your life. You get to live the rest of your life.
Angela [00:51:08] And he knows.
Paul [00:51:11] Like, yeah, yeah, yeah. Sure, that's traumatic. I'm not saying there wouldn't be some therapy, but it's like it's, it's so much smaller.
Jenna [00:51:21] So this was just an idea in the writer's room. This never, this fact never shows up in the show, this idea.
Paul [00:51:28] Which means it's not officially in the lines.
Angela [00:51:29] Yeah. And then also, too, that would contradict George Howard Scub getting the death penalty and life in prison. Right. Right.
Paul [00:51:39] You're right.
Angela [00:51:40] You don't strangle someone. Just strangling to passing out doesn't get you death penalty.
Paul [00:51:47] Yeah, you're right.
Jenna [00:51:50] Wow. Angela. I feel like that is.
Paul [00:51:55] Unless.
Jenna [00:51:55] What?
Paul [00:51:56] He. Unless he accidentally went too far one night and then killed someone.
Jenna [00:52:01] Right.
Paul [00:52:03] Okay. You know, you don't know.
Jenna [00:52:05] Yeah. Well, this leads us to one of our last questions, Paul, in our evidence gathering here. If you could go back and add one additional storyline for the Scranton Strangler, knowing everything you know now about all of the fan interest, maybe it would wrap things up. Would you do it? And if so, what would that thing be?
Paul [00:52:27] No, I probably wouldn't wrap it up for the audience. But Scub getting out of prison, like say, we had gone another ten years. With Scub maybe getting out of prison and.
Angela [00:52:37] Would Scub become Toby's friend that he'd always hoped for?
Paul [00:52:40] Or Toby could be very, very scared, you know, of members of the jury could be very scared, or there could be another strangling while Scub was in prison.
Angela [00:52:54] Well, that would definitely fuel the fire.
Paul [00:52:56] Yeah.
Paul [00:52:57] And was it a copycat. Or did they get the wrong guy?
Jenna [00:53:01] Interesting questions.
Angela [00:53:03] Yeah.
Paul [00:53:03] I would do something like that.
Angela [00:53:05] Yeah.
Jenna [00:53:06] It would have continued. Yes. If we had continued, the Scranton Strangler case was not over.
Paul [00:53:12] No, something like that isn't over. Yeah. We're still talking about the Menendez brothers.
Angela [00:53:19] True. True. Yeah. Yeah. No, that would be the lore of the town for as long as we documented that town and that community.
Paul [00:53:27] Yeah, it's a big deal in a town of Scranton's size.
Angela [00:53:30] Yeah.
Jenna [00:53:31] Angela, do you have any more questions for Paul before we get to the questions?
Paul [00:53:37] So serious.
Angela [00:53:38] No, I don't. I think, you know, we learned a lot about Toby today. We learned about his athleticism, how he could just hop a fence. No problem. I would also say that Toby has big hands. I noted.
Jenna [00:53:52] I'm so sorry. What is this? This is. This is not the time for you to present more evidence. You're just throwing out evidence right now.
Paul [00:54:00] In summary?
Angela [00:54:00] You said to me. Do you have anything else?
Jenna [00:54:03] I said, do you have any more questions for Paul? Not do you have a speech about why Toby is this Scranton Strangler?
Angela [00:54:11] Okay. I will just simply say this then, Paul.
Paul [00:54:15] Yes.
Angela [00:54:16] Is Toby the Scranton Strangler?
Paul [00:54:19] No.
Jenna [00:54:23] When I don't even have to win because I won.
Angela [00:54:26] This is one person's opinion.
Jenna [00:54:28] One person's opinon? It's Toby and by the way, one of the showrunners of the office.
Paul [00:54:35] So here's why he is not the Scranton Strangler.
Jenna [00:54:37] Give it to us.
Angela [00:54:38] All right. All right.
Paul [00:54:40] Because we wouldn't do that. We're about, like, relatable.
Angela [00:54:43] This fan theory doesn't exist in the realm of what would we normally do?
Paul [00:54:48] I'm saying this should be part of the theory.
Jenna [00:54:51] Part of the reason why he is not.
Angela [00:54:53] Okay is you have to break the fourth wall and say the writers wouldn't do that.
Paul [00:55:00] Well, okay, if you weren't breaking the fourth wall, then you would just you say it's too unlikely. This is like an Occam's razor kind of thing. Like, no, the most likely thing is generally the truth, where the guy convicted is guilty of the thing.
Angela [00:55:16] Okay.
Paul [00:55:17] You know, there was a trial. But yeah, if you're willing to break the fourth wall and I've been thinking about this a lot over the last.
Angela [00:55:22] Let's hear it.
Paul [00:55:24] 24 hours watching all those videos. It's just, you know, we always searched for like, the thing that people were experiencing, which sometimes this is like a proximity to a big story but not an actual part of it. So I feel like that would have been something that we we would have probably pitched, broken, we would have had a version of it and ultimately decided like, no, this is not right.
Paul [00:55:49] This is not.
Paul [00:55:51] Like, we shouldn't do this. This is it.
Angela [00:55:53] This would be jumping the shark moment for sure. If Dunder Mifflin had an employee that was a serial killer.
Paul [00:56:00] Yes.
Jenna [00:56:01] Okay. So I guess that's my next question. Toby is not the Scranton Strangler. Does that mean that Creed, Robert California, Gabe, David Wallace, nobody is this Scranton Strangler.
Paul [00:56:14] No one from our show.
Jenna [00:56:15] George Howard Scub is the Scranton Strangler. Or was he wrongfully convicted? That maybe we don't know. Is the strangler still out there? That's a whole other question.
Paul [00:56:26] Yeah. Yeah. I mean, people are wrongly convicted, right? Every once in a while. Once in a while. But generally. Generally not. I don't know.
Jenna [00:56:38] Okay, well, maybe the cliffhanger here is. Is George Howard Scub the Scranton Strangler or not?
Angela [00:56:46] We may never know.
Jenna [00:56:47] We may never know.
Angela [00:56:48] We officially mom-detected of it. Cassi's raising her hand.
Cassi [00:56:53] Angela, I want to give you props for, like, your debate, even though you lost. There was something you brought up that I kept thinking about. And you said that when George is driving the getaway car, that car had been parked in the Dunder Mifflin parking lot before. Yes, of course. That's a production thing. But in the world of Scranton, I think that would be grounds for him to have an appeal. Because. What is that about?
Angela [00:57:21] And then I also wondered, of all of the Scranton.
Paul [00:57:23] I mean, he could have been a he could have worked in the office park.
Jenna [00:57:26] But wouldn't we have known? Wouldn't we? I mean, we got so excited when the car chase went past our building, which is interesting because he clearly knows our street.
Angela [00:57:38] Well, that's what I was going to say of all of Scranton. You know, there is some statistic and I had it, but I don't have it with me now that a lot of times crimes are committed. Nearest where people live. And that's why a lot of times when people commit a crime near close to where they live or work, they do a much harder job at trying to hide it because it will. It's very close to their circle of where they live. So the fact that he drives down the street where his car is also parked and while he's driving down the street of all of Scranton, that is where Dunder Mifflin is. And then Toby's phone rings as he's driving in that area. I think that did cause some suspicion about how is this person connected to the world of Dunder Mifflin?
Paul [00:58:25] Yeah, the phone ring. I don't get I don't get how that points to Toby.
Jenna [00:58:30] I don't get how that points to Toby either.
Paul [00:58:32] Yeah. And then so maybe he stole the car from the office park since he lives in the area.
Jenna [00:58:37] So he definitely lives in the area, I think.
Jenna [00:58:40] So that car could be.
Paul [00:58:41] Well, we know he lives in Scranton, so he's got to live somewhere.
Jenna [00:58:44] Yes. And that car could belong to someone at Vance Refrigeration or any number of other people who work in the building. And so maybe he did steal the car, but I feel like we would have talked about that in the office and maybe we did in the documentary crew didn't get it, but I think we would be like, my gosh, did you hear that such and such. Leo's car from Vance Refrigeration was the one that the Scranton Strangler stole and drove down the street.
Paul [00:59:09] Yeah, you'd think that would get around.
Jenna [00:59:11] That would get around.
Angela [00:59:14] Or maybe it was Bob Vance.
Jenna [00:59:18] No. Don't re-open this case.
Angela [00:59:23] He looks a little shady, like you could have some other things happening on the side.
Paul [00:59:29] Shady, but. But that's different.
Angela [00:59:34] I know. I was just playing.
Paul [00:59:36] I really. I know you're playing well, you don't think this is a real court of law. Where's the jury? Look around.
Angela [00:59:54] I took an online course. I'm certified now. I am certified.
Paul [00:59:57] Do you see a jury in this room?
Angela [00:59:58] I do. Sam and Cassi.
Jenna [01:00:02] Yeah. Cassi, I am curious. Before Paul gave us the definitive answer and I won because I picked the right side. Who were you going to award the win to? Based on our debating?
Cassi [01:00:17] Yeah. You both had great arguments and everything. I do think Angela had the hardest job, but yeah, I would have given it to you, Jenna, I don't think Toby is Scranton Strangler.
Angela [01:00:29] I will also say this. Jenna proudly said, Because I picked the right argument, we just said we both have to pick one. What do you want to do? Jenna was like, I'll say that he is. And I said, okay, fine. I'll say he is.
Jenna [01:00:42] Well, Ang, I want to say I might have been awarded the win by both Paul and Cassi, but I would have awarded you the win because I thought your debate was just fantastic today. I really, really did. I was like, no. I was sweating it when it was my turn. So I feel like we both won today. And you know who I really think won? The Office ladies community.
Paul [01:01:08] Yeah.
Jenna [01:01:09] Really really.
Angela [01:01:10] And Paul, you're in studio with us.
Paul [01:01:12] I know. So. Great.
Jenna [01:01:14] And before you go, can you tell us about your project with Audible, your show, MiddleSpace? Yeah, I want people to listen to it.
Paul [01:01:22] I want people to as well. Middle space, all one word, but the full title is Middle space; the rebels attack and then the other side attacks as well. And it is one of the funnest, silliest things I've ever done.
Angela [01:01:39] Were you tell us sort of the world of it?
Paul [01:01:41] Yes. So we're in space. Okay. Let's call it the future, I guess. And Will Forte stars as this captain. He's so funny, who starts off very early that they get a distress call and he decides not to go.
Angela [01:01:59] Not to take the distress call.
Paul [01:02:00] Not to go. And he doesn't feel like it. He doesn't want to.
Angela [01:02:05] Okay.
Paul [01:02:06] And that's his reason, he just doesn't want to and he's that kind of captain and he just kind of wants to float around in space. And he's very interested in getting out of the space business, captaining business. So he'd like to get into fast food and goes around interviewing a manager of a of a intergalactic burger king. But it is, you know, 4.5 hours of not a single mission. It's just life in space. And it's very like anti-sci fi.
Angela [01:02:44] Oh Jenna, you might like it.
Jenna [01:02:45] I I'm not a sci fi fan, but I love this comedy spin on sci fi. Like it's a satirical take on Sci fi adventure.
Angela [01:02:55] I have a question.
Paul [01:02:56] It's really fun, great cast. John Malkovich narrated.
Angela [01:03:00] My gosh.
Paul [01:03:01] And we had a lot of great people in there.
Angela [01:03:04] I have one question. Yeah. Throughout the whole time where he's looking at how to become a fast food worker. Are there more distress calls that come through that he just continues to ignore?
Paul [01:03:17] Yes. He ignores all work. They would like to mutiny, but then they're not quite capable of pulling that off because that takes a lot.
Angela [01:03:28] It's a lot of effort.
Paul [01:03:28] Yeah. I mean, you got to kill someone. You don't want to do that. In the end, you know.
Jenna [01:03:35] He might listen to Mel Robbins, who likes to remind us all the time that I don't want to is a perfectly acceptable reason to not do something.
Paul [01:03:44] To not do something. And Rainn's in it. And he plays the rebel leader.
Angela [01:03:51] Great.
Paul [01:03:52] And he has he calls up one of the people on the ship is in contact with the rebel leader Clark.
Angela [01:03:58] Clark is in it!
Paul [01:03:59] And Clark plays the someone on the bridge who's who's very upset that we're not.
Angela [01:04:05] Taking the distress calls.
Paul [01:04:06] Taking distress calls or really doing anything. You know, we just know what his life's about if he's not doing something. So he gets in contact with a rebel leader and he calls him up and his son answers and and they have a great conversation. And it. Played by Henry, my son. And we did it kind of like word by word. He was really young. And it's so cute. It's so funny.
Angela [01:04:34] I can't wait to hear that.
Jenna [01:04:36] I love that.
Paul [01:04:37] Yeah.
Angela [01:04:38] Well, we'll include all the information in our insta stories and our website with links so you guys can go and listen.
Jenna [01:04:44] That is so cool. And then, Paul, just one last thing. You know, you put a period at the end of the sentence of one fan theory. And I hate to open a window here on another.
Angela [01:04:59] I see what you did there.
Jenna [01:05:01] But the last time we saw you, we discussed your particular pet peeve, which is that the windows of the Dunder Mifflin building, the interior and exterior windows do not match. Would you like a moment to speak to that?
Paul [01:05:17] Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Angela [01:05:17] Because you're very passionate about this.
Paul [01:05:19] I am. This bugged me so much. And no one seemed to care at all.
Angela [01:05:26] This is your moment.
Jenna [01:05:27] This is your radon. What radon was to Toby, these windows are to you.
Paul [01:05:32] So we set the windows, obviously, in Culver City. Right when we were down there, we moved to the valley in season two. Right outside of that building. Had those big, wide glass things. And then the inside of our windows were these very small, kind of like three by six rectangular windows. There's no way they match. I mean, it's startling. And then the view from anybody's any one window we would change all the time depending on what we wanted to see.
Angela [01:06:07] That's true.
Paul [01:06:08] And and that pissed me off, too, It's just like, no, out that window has to be this one thing.
Angela [01:06:14] And they're like, Nope, doesn't matter.
Paul [01:06:16] It doesn't matter. And then I broke it, too, where we needed to kind of like see Michael hop a train. So I pick that window to be outside, you know?
Angela [01:06:27] Great.
Paul [01:06:29] Yeah.
Jenna [01:06:30] You're part of the problem.
Paul [01:06:31] Part of the problem.
Jenna [01:06:33] Well, do you feel any better now that you've gotten to speak to it?
Paul [01:06:37] I think at one point I was like, let's not don't point the camera up. Don't see the building. Just keep it low. If people are going to freak out, it's not going to be.
Jenna [01:06:47] The same windows. Clearly not the same windows.
Paul [01:06:51] And then no one cared.
Angela [01:06:54] I hope today there is someone listening out there. Paul, That was like I always wondered about the windows.
Paul [01:07:00] I just probably ruined the show for somebody.
Angela [01:07:03] No.
Jenna [01:07:04] Well, Paul, thank you so much for joining us today.
Paul [01:07:07] Thank you for having me on. It's so good to see you guys.
Angela [01:07:10] So good to see you, too. And we have settled the fan theory is Toby the Scranton Strangler? Toby is not. But we don't know who really is. Is it George? We don't know.
Jenna [01:07:21] We don't know.
Paul [01:07:22] We can assume.
Jenna [01:07:26] Thank you, everyone. Listening to all of office ladies this week, we will see you next week with our super fan breakdown of the fire.
Angela [01:07:34] Yes. And you guys. Be sure and check out Paul's audible show, Middle Space. And we'll see you next week.
Jenna [01:07:40] See you then.
Paul [01:07:41] Bye everyone.
Jenna [01:07:52] Thank you for listening to Office Ladies.
Angela [01:07:55] Office Ladies is a presentation of Audacy and it's produced by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey.
Jenna [01:08:00] Our executive producer is Cassi Jerkins. Our audio engineer is Sam Kiefer, and our associate producer is Aynsley Bubbico.
Angela [01:08:08] Audacy's executive producers are Jenna Weiss-Berman and Leah Reis-Dennis.
Jenna [01:08:12] Office Ladies is Mixed and Mastered by Chris Basil.
Angela [01:08:15] Our theme song is Rubber Tree by Creed Bratton.