TRANSCRIPT
Office Ladies | Episode 265 – Office Meet Cutes
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 lover's podcast, just for you.
Angela [00:00:13] Each week, we will dive deep 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.
audio cue [00:00:22] [musical sting]
Jenna [00:00:26] Hello.
Angela [00:00:27] Hi there.
Jenna [00:00:28] You look so cute.
Angela [00:00:29] I think you look cute.
Jenna [00:00:31] Well, it's on brand for today's episode,
Angela [00:00:33] Because today it's "Meet Cutes" and Office romances.
Jenna [00:00:37] But first, we have some fun shares for our top of show. Angela, do you want to go first? Because your share required some heavy lifting.
Angela [00:00:46] It did require some heavy lifting. Shout out to Josh and Sam. Josh brought these in the house. We got this huge box delivery. And you guys, it is our Webby Awards.
Jenna [00:00:57] Yeah, for our whole team.
Angela [00:00:58] Our whole team: Aynsley, Sam, Cassi, me and you and I'm really proud of it. It is the "2025 People's Voice Award Winner for Podcast, Shows, and Comedy." Office Ladies won, woohoo!
Jenna [00:01:12] So I think we should share that we have Cassi to thank for this award in a big way. Because the way this works with the Webby Awards, is you get to like submit.
Angela [00:01:24] An episode.
Jenna [00:01:25] Yes, for consideration of being nominated. The episode that we submitted was our "Star Wars Holiday Special Breakdown," which was Cassi's idea.
Angela [00:01:39] Cassi, I would have never watched that (and I'm a Star Wars fan) had you not suggested it.
Cassi [00:01:44] You're welcome.
Angela [00:01:44] Thank you. It really is the gift that keeps on giving. I might have to watch it every Christmas now.
Jenna [00:01:49] I hear you, I agree. And then Aynsley, I think we owe you a debt for outlining the Star Wars episode.
Aynsley [00:02:00] I'd say it was my pleasure, but you know... It was. It was a pleasure. It was very fun working on the episode with all of you.
Jenna [00:02:07] But while you're here, I do have a question for you. Of all the crazy things we've asked you to outline for us over these many years, what has been the craziest for you? Was it the Star Wars? Or was it something else?
Aynsley [00:02:19] I would say the first seven minutes of just Wookiee speak has to take the cake.
Jenna [00:02:27] [laughing] Okay.
Angela [00:02:28] I loved about your outline for it, is that when I could see your personality come through. Like, you would put in parentheses, "Uh, they're still dancing. Yeah."
Aynsley [00:02:38] "For some reason, this is happening."
Angela [00:02:40] Yes, exactly.
Jenna [00:02:43] So that's the episode that got us the nomination and then of course all of you all voted and that's how we got our award, and thank you so much.
Angela [00:02:53] Thank you so much. And thank you to everyone who messaged us, "I voted, I voted!" Every time I saw that it made my heart happy.
Jenna [00:03:00] Well, thank you for bringing those in today, Ange. I can't wait to put mine on my shelf in my office. I love this award.
Angela [00:03:06] Me too, and thank you Sam for, I don't know how - It was like a game of Jenga, how you've stacked all the boxes and carried them up.
Sam [00:03:15] Yep, this is what I've been training for.
Angela [00:03:17] There it is, there it is. Human Jenga.
Jenna [00:03:20] I have some Office real estate news.
Angela [00:03:24] Oh yes, share.
Jenna [00:03:26] Michael Scott's condo is up for sale, everyone. In fact, there's a good chance that by the time you hear this podcast, it will have sold because the listing does say buyer pending. Well, let me tell you about it. It is 7303 Bonnie Place in Reseda, California, and it's currently priced at $710,000. It features three bedrooms, three bathrooms, with 1,458 square feet of living space, plus a back patio, two-car garage, and a gated entryway into the development. I think this is a very good feature that they should really underline and put in bold in the listing because now everyone knows where this is.
Angela [00:04:10] Right and this way maybe people aren't just parked right in front of your house getting a picture with Michael's condo.
Jenna [00:04:15] Yeah, I remember when we shot there, we had to go through this gated entry. I used to live by the Brady Bunch house.
Angela [00:04:24] Oh, did people come by all the time?
Jenna [00:04:27] Literally those Star Van tours would come by, and people would unload from the bus and take pictures in front of it. I know that this happens at Jim and Pam's house.
Angela [00:04:37] Oh, and someone lives there.
Jenna [00:04:39] Yeah, people go take a picture in front it. But for this condo, the listing does say this: "This home is a great starter home, or a downsize home as it can be easily managed and maintained. This property's claim to fame, it was the site for the whole episode "Dinner Party" of the show, The Office. Season four, episode 13.
Angela [00:05:02] I mean who could ever forget that one? Well, you know, I follow Zillow Gone Wild. I love this Instagram account and they post real estate properties that have a little bit of a "huh?" Like, sometimes you look at them and you're like, "What's happening here?" It's a really fun follow and they posted photos of the condo and the caption just simply said, "This home seems like a nice place to have a dinner party." I was just scrolling through, like quickly, and I looked at it and I commented, "Wow I thought that looked familiar," and they were like, "Oh my gosh," and they reposted that. Because I didn't know right away, you know, I didn't read the caption right away.
Jenna [00:05:41] They post photos of what it looks like today and it was crazy to look at them. There's no tiny flat screen TV above the fireplace, though. Just a really nice piece of art in a frame.
Angela [00:05:53] Is there a neon beer sign?
Jenna [00:05:54] No. There's, like, a sort of... I don't know what you would call it. Like, an iron work piece of art there. Very classy.
Angela [00:06:03] Sure.
Jenna [00:06:03] There are several candles.
Angela [00:06:05] Oh Jan. Jan would be so happy.
Jenna [00:06:07] Yeah, there's one in the center of the coffee table, and then there's a bunch in the dining room. I mean, this is all I could think of when I was looking at these pictures, I can't imagine what it would be like to actually tour the place. I was also looking at the bedrooms. I'm like, "Oh, no bench at the end of the bed."
Angela [00:06:22] No, no, mm-mm.
Jenna [00:06:24] So on the actual Zillow site, not "Zillows Gone Wild," they also put this in the listing. They said that this property has several "Famous Neighbors" inside the complex, including Johnny Depp and M. Night Shyamalan. Because these are - Remember that Michael thinks these guys might live there?
Angela [00:06:45] I mean, they don't, but that's so funny.
Jenna [00:06:48] I know.
Angela [00:06:48] A clever little take on it for the website.
Jenna [00:06:50] They were having a lot of fun with it.
Angela [00:06:52] Okay, one last thing before we go to break. We have some exciting Office Ladies Network news. So for a while now, we have wanted to add another show to our network.
Jenna [00:07:02] That's right. We started the Office Ladies Network with "The Lazy Genius," but just a few months later, I got my breast cancer diagnosis and I went into treatment. So we kind of had to put a pause on growing our network for a beat. But now that the bulk of my treatment is over and I've got my stamina back, we were able to get back to our dream of growing our network.
Angela [00:07:25] And we have loved having The Lazy Genius on our network. We love Kendra. We love the community that listens to her podcast, and we were trying to find the next good fit for our Office Ladies listeners.
Jenna [00:07:37] Yeah, we were really looking for a great podcast that was also gonna inspire that great community. Well, we are thrilled to share that the next podcast we are adding to our network is a fantastic rewatch podcast called "How We Made Your Mother."
Angela [00:07:54] It is hosted by Josh Radner, who played Ted Mosby on the Emmy nominated CBS sitcom, "How I Met Your Mother," and the series co-creator, Craig Thomas.
Jenna [00:08:03] If you're a fan of How I Met Your Mother, or if you're just a fan of hearing the inner workings of how a TV show is made, then this is the podcast for you. Craig and Josh, I think maybe because one is an actor and one was a co-creator, you're getting both sides of the story in each episode.
Angela [00:08:23] Yeah, you get very two distinct perspectives, which I loved. They also have a fun rapport and fantastic interviews. I'm really loving their podcasts and I can't wait for you all to listen.
Jenna [00:08:34] So far they have broken down every episode in season one and, like you said Angela, they've had some great interviews. I absolutely love their interview with Cobie Smulders and now they are starting season two.
Angela [00:08:46] Yeah, and we're gonna do a collab with them coming up. Sort of how we did the one with the "Pod Meets World" folks. We're gonna have them on to discuss an episode of The Office, and then we're going to go on their podcast to discuss an episode of How I Met Your Mother.
Jenna [00:08:58] So please check it out. Season two starts Monday, October 20th, but if you wanna get caught up, you can start listening now. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts. We've also added a new team member to Office Ladies, everyone. Colin Anderson is with us now as our new head of network development.
Angela [00:09:18] Yes, you might remember Colin from our Friday Chit Chat. We discussed his kidney stone. And you know, we met Colin years ago at Earwolf and we're so excited to be working with him again.
Jenna [00:09:28] And hopefully because of Colin, you won't have to wait as long for our next new Office Ladies Network show.
Angela [00:09:35] Alright, well, let's take a break because I'm ready for some romance and meet cutes.
audio cue [00:09:39] [musical sting]
Jenna [00:09:49] Well, listen, let's jump into the topic at hand; meet cutes and office romances.
Angela [00:09:55] There are so many romances on The Office. I mean there's lots of couple-dom, lady. We sort of thought we had to dedicate a whole episode to them.
Jenna [00:10:04] Yeah, we asked Aynsley to do a little deep dive on Office romances, but then I did a little research myself as well. Angela, do you know which Office character had the most romances on the show? Sam, Cassi, I open it up to you as well.
Angela [00:10:19] I mean, I'm gonna guess Angela Martin.
Sam [00:10:20] I'm gonna guess Angela Martin, too.
Angela [00:10:20] Okay.
Sam [00:10:27] Actually wait I'm changing my answer.
Jenna [00:10:27] Sam's changing.
Sam [00:10:27] To Michael.
Angela [00:10:27] Oh, OK.
Jenna [00:10:30] Cassi, where do you want to be in this?
Cassi [00:10:34] Yeah, I think I'm leaning towards Michael as well.
Jenna [00:10:35] The answer is Michael. He had both the most major romances and what I would categorize as flings or short-term romances. Can you name his major romances?
Angela [00:10:51] His major romances would be: Pam's mom,
Jenna [00:10:55] [laughing] That's the first one that comes to mind.
Angela [00:10:59] No, I mean, Holly's...
Jenna [00:11:00] Not the love of his life?
Angela [00:11:01] No, no, no. I'm leading with all the randos.
Jenna [00:11:05] Okay, leading with randos.
Angela [00:11:08] Also, obviously Jan.
Jenna [00:11:09] Yup.
Sam [00:11:10] What's her name, uh, the hotel concierge?
Angela [00:11:12] Marie?
Jenna [00:11:14] Yes.
Cassi [00:11:15] The real estate agent played by his real wife, Carol.
Sam [00:11:19] Who is the bar owner?
Angela [00:11:21] Yes!
Jenna [00:11:21] Donna.
Angela [00:11:22] "Date Mike."
Sam [00:11:23] Date Mike, yeah.
Angela [00:11:24] I mean, obviously Holly. Who else?
Jenna [00:11:27] Yeah. You've named the big ones, but then there are all the people he tried to date unsuccessfully. That's a whole list in and of itself.
Angela [00:11:37] I mean, would that include Pam?
Jenna [00:11:40] That came up in my research because he does throw a couple of half passes at Pam, doesn't he? Like, at Diwali?
Angela [00:11:51] Yes, 100%.
Jenna [00:11:52] Yeah, and he makes comments to her like, "In another life, if things were different, maybe you and I..." And she's like, "In no life, is there a you and me."
Angela [00:12:04] Alright, who else?
Jenna [00:12:06] Okay, go ahead.
Cassi [00:12:06] Pam's landlord.
Jenna [00:12:08] Yes, Pam's Landlord.
Cassi [00:12:10] So cringy.
Jenna [00:12:12] Yes, the Benihana waitresses. That was a crash and burn. The girl from Blood Drive.
Cassi [00:12:21] Aww, that's sweet.
Angela [00:12:22] Oh, I loved that scene.
Jenna [00:12:24] I know. And then also chair model.
Angela [00:12:28] Chair model broke his heart.
Jenna [00:12:30] That was a whole episode!
Angela [00:12:33] I love chair model, that makes me want to go back and re-watch that.
Jenna [00:12:37] I know, so Michael has the most romances. And then it's a big tie for who's next. Everybody in this list had, like, three major romances.
Angela [00:12:52] Okay. I have a little list for you, lady.
Jenna [00:12:55] What is it?
Angela [00:12:56] So, there are so many "Favorite The Office Romances" lists online, like, actual lists of romances that fans really connect to, but there are 10 romantic scenes that everyone keeps coming back to. According to the internet, these are scenes that fans watch over and over. Are you ready?
Jenna [00:13:17] Yes.
Angela [00:13:18] Number one: Jim's video to Pam.
Jenna [00:13:22] The compilation of their love.
Angela [00:13:24] That was in "A.A.R.M." Then (I thought this was great) this was number two: when Bob pays $1,000 to hug Phyllis.
Jenna [00:13:33] Hmm.
Angela [00:13:34] That was so sweet.
Jenna [00:13:35] In "Crime Aid"
Angela [00:13:36] He got into a whole bidding war with Dwight. Number three: when Dwight proposes to Angela.
Jenna [00:13:44] Okay, am I crazy? So that's also an AARM. Jim's video to Pam and then Dwight's proposal to Angela, what does it say about me that the way to my heart is the Dwight proposal more than the video, the sentimental video? I love the the giant romantic gesture with all the clunky... I don't know.
Angela [00:14:09] It was very emotional, too.
Jenna [00:14:09] Yes, so raw.
Angela [00:14:11] So raw.
Jenna [00:14:12] Well, you'll hear later, I pulled a clip of my favorite meet cute in a romantic comedy, and it has some elements of Dwight/Angela, I think.
Angela [00:14:22] Well, I have two clips to play as well at the end of this list, and one of them is Dwight's proposal.
Jenna [00:14:28] I love it. I can't wait to hear it.
Angela [00:14:30] So we had same brain there. And also the video is really touching. But as I have learned, this is an audio podcast. So I did not pick the video as a clip. Number four: Andy's 12 days of Christmas for Erin.
Jenna [00:14:46] Oh, with the drum line at the end.
Angela [00:14:47] With the drum line, yeah. Number five: Jim's wedding toast to Pam.
Jenna [00:14:52] My gosh, is it bad I don't remember it? What does he say?
Angela [00:14:56] Oh, it's so great, lady. It is so great. In fact, that is one of my clips.
Jenna [00:15:01] Oh, so, okay, thank you. This is working out pretty good.
Angela [00:15:06] I'm playing two of the ones you're most curious about. Okay, number six: when Jim dresses as Popeye and he dresses CeCe as sweet pea for Pam.
Jenna [00:15:15] I love that.
Angela [00:15:16] That's pretty sweet. Number seven: when Michael proposes to Holly, I mean, so great. Number eight: Dwight and Angela's actual wedding. And in this article, it says many scenes from this one are fan favorites, but in particular, Dwight and Angela's first dance, when he picks her up.
Jenna [00:15:36] Which was an improv, right?
Angela [00:15:37] Yes, that was an improv.
Jenna [00:15:38] I mean, sort of, her legs aren't working because they're very tired from being in the trunk.
Angela [00:15:45] Yes, basically our first dance was going to be kind of clunky because Angela can't really use her feet and so Dwight was gonna have to kind of maneuver her. But him picking me up and doing the tango and swinging me around, that was Rainn. He improvised that and I just went with it. I sort of stuck my legs out so they would fly around.
Jenna [00:16:05] Yes.
Angela [00:16:06] Number nine: when Michael quits his job for Holly. They think that's a very romantic moment. And number 10: when Jim proposes to Pam in the rainstorm at the gas station.
Jenna [00:16:18] Yeah, that's a nice one.
Angela [00:16:20] Yeah, but I thought since it is our podcast, I would pick a Jim and Pam moment and a Dwight and Angela moment. So let's hear that toast that Jim makes to Pam at their rehearsal dinner.
audio clip - Jim [00:16:32] All right, hey everyone, thanks for coming.
audio clip - Pete [00:16:34] Deuce!
audio clip - Jim [00:16:35] Ah, thanks Pete, that was really nice. I just wanna say how happy we are that all of you are here tonight and I want to especially thank those of you who have traveled from far away to be here with us tonight. Especially the Florida cousins, who obviously can't take a hint. Four years ago, I was just a guy who had a crush on a girl who had boyfriend and I had to do the hardest thing that I've ever had to, which was just to wait. Don't get me wrong, I flirted with her. Pam, I can now admit, in front of friends and family, that I do know how to make a photocopy. Didn't need your help that many times. And do you remember how long it took you to teach me how to drive stick?
audio clip - Pam [00:17:17] Like a year.
audio clip - Jim [00:17:19] I've been driving stick since high school, so yes. Yes. For a really long time, that's all I had. I just had little moments with a girl who saw me as a friend. And a lot of people told me I was crazy to wait this long for a date with a girl who I worked with. But I think even then, I knew that I was waiting for my wife. I would like to propose a toast. So if you'd all raise your glasses (not Pam for obvious reasons, but everyone else). If you would raise your glasses.
Jenna [00:17:54] [laughing] "Oh, for obvious reasons."
Angela [00:17:55] And then, of course, this lovely toast goes off the rails because Nana's like, "Why, why?" And then Jim starts just completely flubbing and then Michael, of all people, decides he's gonna save it and it's just a train wreck. But that toast is so lovely.
Jenna [00:18:15] It's really sweet. Really, really sweet.
Angela [00:18:19] And now let's hear Dwight's proposal to Angela. It starts with him running her off the road.
audio clip - Dwight [00:18:28] Pull over!
audio clip - Angela [00:18:30] Why?
audio clip - Dwight [00:18:31] Move to the side of the road!
audio clip - Angela [00:18:33] Why?
audio clip - Dwight [00:18:34] Pull over!!
audio clip - Angela [00:18:41] Dwight, what the f**k is your problem?
audio clip - Dwight [00:18:44] Fudge, woman! Listen to me!
audio clip - Angela [00:18:44] Who drives like that?!
audio clip - Dwight [00:18:45] I love you, and I don't care that Phillip's not my son. I will raise a hundred children, with a hundred of your lovers, if it means I can be with you.
audio clip - Angela [00:18:56] Can you put that down?
audio clip - Dwight [00:18:58] This expresses how loudly I love you!
audio clip - Angela [00:19:01] It's too loud.
audio clip - Dwight [00:19:09] This is a ring. Taken from the buttocks of my grandmother, put there by the gangster patriarch of the Coor's dynasty. Melted in a foundry run by Mennonites.
audio clip - Angela [00:19:22] [excitedly] Okay. Yes, I will! I love you!
audio clip - Dwight [00:19:28] I love YOU!
audio clip - Angela [00:19:31] And I lied to you.
audio clip - Dwight [00:19:32] What?
audio clip - Angela [00:19:34] Philip's your son.
audio clip - Dwight [00:19:36] What? Why would you say that -
audio clip - Angela [00:19:37] I just needed you to want to marry me because you wanted to marry ME.
audio clip - Dwight [00:19:45] Get out! I'm a dad!
audio clip - Angela [00:19:46] You're a dad.
audio clip - Dwight [00:19:48] [joyously] Ha ha ha ha!
Angela [00:19:51] I mean, what great writing.
Jenna [00:19:54] Such good writing. That's probably why I like that proposal so much because I just, I love the poetic writing of that. I mean, I love this sentimentality of what Jim says. It's so from the heart, it's so beautiful, but man, that is a good scene.
Angela [00:20:10] Both of those are so good. We were just so lucky, man, to get to say those words and act out those scenes. They hold up. I get why they made the list.
Jenna [00:20:22] Well, you know, The Office was also quite famous for dysfunctional relationships.
Angela [00:20:27] Mm-hmm, there were a few.
Jenna [00:20:30] There were many. Who do you think had the most dysfunctional relationship on the office? Like, who springs to mind?
Angela [00:20:39] Once again, I don't know, but Angela and the senator and then Andy and Oscar... She had some crazy dysfunctional stuff, but then so did Michael. I don't know. Are they a tie?
Jenna [00:20:52] I don't know, this is just a discussion. I mean, there's Michael and Jan.
Angela [00:20:57] Oh, so dysfunctional.
Jenna [00:20:59] Kelly and Ryan?
Angela [00:21:00] Very dysfunctional.
Jenna [00:21:02] I did put Angela and Andy on my personal list.
Angela [00:21:05] Yes, I would put Angela and Andy, and Angela in the Senator.
Jenna [00:21:09] Yeah. What about Stanley, Cynthia, and Terry?
Angela [00:21:14] Oh, man. Yeah, Stanley.
Jenna [00:21:17] I also put down Jan and Clark.
Angela [00:21:21] Yes.
Jenna [00:21:21] I'm not sure what really happened there.
Angela [00:21:23] Yes. Yeah, I mean, you know, and Michael and Pam's mom.
Jenna [00:21:27] I don't - See, that's the thing. I think it was not great because it was Pam's Mom, but they seemed to have a sweet relationship. Although when it was over, Michael could barely ever remember that it happened. So...
Angela [00:21:39] Also he just turned on her so fast. He really stone cold dumped her.
Jenna [00:21:46] I know. I have a real-life Office romance I can share from history.
Angela [00:21:52] From history?
Jenna [00:21:53] From history.
Angela [00:21:54] I love a story from history!
Jenna [00:21:57] Yes. So you know Marie Curie, famous scientist?
Angela [00:22:02] Yes.
Jenna [00:22:02] First woman to win a Nobel Prize.
Angela [00:22:04] Yes.
Jenna [00:22:05] Also the first person, and only woman, to win two Nobel Prizes in her lifetime. But she had a real life office romance with her husband, Pierre.
Angela [00:22:15] Mm-hmm.
Jenna [00:22:16] Who was also a scientist, they met doing science. Like, in the laboratory.
Angela [00:22:22] [giggling] I love when you use the term "doing" something. Like, we "do" Game of Thrones. They're Doing Science.
Jenna [00:22:31] We're doing our podcast.
Angela [00:22:33] Yes.
Jenna [00:22:33] We're doing it. Yeah, so she won her first Nobel Prize with her husband and also (I don't know if I'm gonna pronounce his name correctly) Henri Becquerel. They discovered radium. I mean this is kind of cool. But did you know this? This is romantic. She was not originally included in the award. Pierre, her husband, had to write a letter to make sure she got credit for her portion of the research and that she was named on the Nobel Prize. He stood up for her.
Angela [00:23:03] Way to go, Pierre.
Jenna [00:23:04] I know. They worked side by side, all the time, and very often she was left out of recognitions. There were a couple of times when Pierre refused to accept a recognition, because they wouldn't include his wife's name on it. He was like, "No, I won't come get your award."
Angela [00:23:20] That's a good man right there.
Jenna [00:23:23] I know. Unfortunately, Pierre slipped and fell under the wheels of a horse carriage, and he died at the age of 46.
Angela [00:23:31] Oh, no.
Jenna [00:23:32] I know. She was widowed very early. After his death, she won her second Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Then she died very young, at the age of 66. They believe as a result of all of the radiation poisoning from all her research.
Sam [00:23:48] Did you know that her tomb, like, where you can view her body is - I think, how do I word this... Her tomb is wrapped in one inch lead because her remains are still so radioactive that people that view her body could be affected by it.
Jenna [00:24:01] Yes, I read that. And also, her papers are considered too dangerous to handle. So you have to wear protective clothing. Yes. But here are some quotes that they said about each other.
Angela [00:24:15] OK.
Jenna [00:24:16] Marie said, "My husband and I were so closely united by our affection and our common work that we passed nearly all of our time together. He was a generous, gentle soul whose love and support made all my work possible." And then in a letter that Pierre wrote to Marie, he said, "It would be a fine thing if we could spend our lives near each other, hypnotized by our dreams."
Angela [00:24:39] Oh my gosh, that's so lovely.
Jenna [00:24:42] I know. You know, maybe it's just because Lee and I are both artists and we so often work together. I love when a couple shares a passion like that and then they make it so that the other person can live out their dreams. It's so beautiful.
Angela [00:25:00] It is. I'm gonna share that with Josh, although he's probably listening right now because he listens to our episode every week.
Jenna [00:25:06] Hi, Josh.
Angela [00:25:07] Hi, Josh. Babe, that's like me and you in the kitchen.
Jenna [00:25:10] It is!
Angela [00:25:12] Oh, Jenna, I love that. Well, you know, we also asked you all to send in your office romance stories and you really showed up for us. You sent in so many great moments. Let's start with Renee Kay in Jupiter, Florida, who wrote in and said, "My now husband and I used to work at the same company and we met at an after work happy hour. After we were introduced, he walked away to mingle with other people, but I kept noticing him watching me. It was like how Ryan noticed Jim staring at him when he was at reception. Then, at work meetings, we used to catch each other's eye across the room. My husband would pretend to be shocked to find me looking at him, and then he would hide behind his papers. Now we've been together for seven years. Sometimes you find true love in a mundane workplace. Don't worry kids, you'll find the Dwight to your Angela." Aww. Isn't that cute?
Jenna [00:26:10] That is so sweet!
Angela [00:26:10] I know!
Jenna [00:26:12] Okay, I grabbed one, Ange. This is from Rachel M. In Los Angeles.
Angela [00:26:16] Okay.
Jenna [00:26:17] Rachel said, "In 2008, I started my first job in an office and my boyfriend of four years (that wouldn't take our relationship to the next step) also worked there, but in the warehouse."
Angela [00:26:31] What?
Jenna [00:26:32] So Rachel worked in the office and her boyfriend of 4 years worked in a warehouse. Listen to this. "A few months in, I met a guy at the office and immediately fell for him but couldn't say anything since I was dating someone. We were friends and went to lunch and talked every day, but I didn't have the guts to jump ship since it was so uncertain when I had something comfortable, and I had no idea if the new guy liked me." Rachel said, "The Office seasons one through three were super influential to me because I resonated so much with Pam." I mean, yes, Rachel, I can see why. You're living parallel lives.
Angela [00:27:10] Truly.
Jenna [00:27:11] Rachel said, "When Pam leaves Roy for Jim (another guy at the office) and it turns out amazing, it gave me the courage to jump and choose the uncertain instead of staying comfortable and unhappy. I chose the other guy and now we've been together 17 years, are married and have a son. Thanks for giving me the courage to get what I want and never settle. The final monolog of Pam at the series finale makes me cry every time I see it since I felt like it was exactly for someone like me, who conquered my fears and got what I wanted since life just isn't that long."
Angela [00:27:46] That is so wonderful. And again, look at that monologue that Pam had, that writing. I am just amazed, as we're reviewing all of these scenes, just how our writers continue to touch people's lives by their amazing work.
Jenna [00:28:04] That's good art, right? Like, that's good theater, that's good TV, good movies. You hear something spoken or reflected back to you, and it transforms you. And that's such good writing.
Angela [00:28:19] Absolutely. Alright, we have another letter to share with you. This was an office-inspired romance as well. It's from Ana C. from Brazil, but now living in Belgium. She just wanted us to know that.
Jenna [00:28:30] I always love when people give us those caveats.
Angela [00:28:34] I love it. I wanna know. Anna said, "The Office didn't just make me laugh, it led me to the love of my life. In 2021, I threw myself a "The Office" themed birthday party. I even made a stapler in jello like Jim's prank on Dwight. And one day I posted a photo on Reddit and that's how I met my husband. He's from Belgium and we connected through the post. Now we're married for two years and now I live in Belgium in a little rural town and I'm learning Dutch. Your podcast keeps me company eight hours a day while I work. It's my daily joy. After we got married, we even flew back to Brazil just to bring my dog, Frida, to Belgium. Now she lives here with us with our Bengal cat, Nova. We live in the countryside in a house surrounded by our little farm where we grow potatoes, onions, carrots, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, apples, pears, grapes, eggplants, peppers, and of course beets."
Jenna [00:29:31] Anna!
Angela [00:29:32] This is the most charming life and they met because she threw herself an Office themed party and posted about it.
Jenna [00:29:41] I wanna put a big circle around that, because she took the initiative to celebrate herself and this very elaborate theme party. I absolutely just love that about her, and then it led to love.
Angela [00:29:58] She put her true self out there, and she found someone who loved it and responded and now they have this life. I just think that's wonderful. Their animals and they're growing all their food and... Ugh ,I loved it.
Jenna [00:30:11] Well, listen, why don't we go to break? When we come back, we're going to read more of your letters and we are going to discuss some meet-cutes, which is an essential part of a romance.
Angela [00:30:21] It really is.
Jenna [00:30:22] One of my favorite parts to break down, as we know.
Angela [00:30:25] Yes. And you even shared about it on our podcast, the origin of it. We'll revisit that. And guess what?
Jenna [00:30:31] What?
Angela [00:30:31] We have our very own Kelly Kapoor's meet cute. We'll be back.
audio cue [00:30:45] [musical sting]
Angela [00:30:45] Alright, we are back. Let's get into some meet cutes. Jenna, you researched the origin of the meet cute in the episode for "Training Day."
Jenna [00:30:54] Yeah.
Angela [00:30:54] You did a really good job. It goes all the way back to, like, 1938 to the Ye Olde movie, "Bluebeard's Eighth Wife." Anyway, there's a great meet cute there. It's over some pajamas. Jenna talks about it.
Jenna [00:31:07] I loved it.
Angela [00:31:09] Well, you know, the term "meet cute" is actually spoken on The Office.
Jenna [00:31:14] Yes, by Kelly in "Training Day," which is what led me on my deep dive.
Angela [00:31:21] I know we've talked about it before, but I just love this scene. To me, this is Mindy just having fun. Truly. This is not even work, she's just having fun. So the scene is it's Deangelo Vickers first day. Kelly has put on a super cute, very stylish, work business suit. It's got a blue jacket with a blue skirt. She's got these black rimmed glasses. She doesn't wear glasses, it's just a prop. It's a total prop. Her plan is to catch Deangelo's eye by dropping all these files and folders on the ground and he's gonna help her scoop them up. His reaction is really funny. Let's hear it.
audio clip - Kelly [00:32:01] I'll get that, you guys. Don't...
audio clip - Deangelo [00:32:04] I'll help you, here.
audio clip - Kelly [00:32:09] [papers shuffling] Hi.
audio clip - Deangelo [00:32:10] Hello.
audio clip - Kelly [00:32:12] Have we met before?
audio clip - Deangelo [00:32:14] No, not officially. I saw you coming out of the bathroom earlier.
audio clip - Kelly [00:32:18] Well, I guess I'm going to go back to my cave. It was really great meeting you.
audio clip - Kelly [talking head] [00:32:24] And that, is what they call a meet cute.
Jenna [00:32:29] So funny.
Angela [00:32:29] It's so funny to me too, how Deangelo is so clueless. Like, is this what happens, you guys? Like, do we think up these moments and then the other person is just oblivious? Do meet-cutes really happen in real time for each other, or is it one person realizing and then other person realizes it another time? Did they actually happen at the same time?
Jenna [00:32:50] I think it depends. I do. Yeah, I think there's some couples where one person gets hit with Cupid's arrow first, and then other times it happens at the same time.
Angela [00:33:03] Because Deangelo's answer is so honest. He's like, "Well, I saw you come out of the bathroom."
Jenna [00:33:09] But also, if it doesn't become a romance, is it a meet-cute?
Angela [00:33:13] That's true. No, it's not a meet cute if the romance doesn't follow.
Jenna [00:33:19] I also don't think it's a meet-cute if you manufacture it.
Angela [00:33:22] Oh, yeah. I agree.
Jenna [00:33:23] I'm not sure it counts, but I'll let other people debate that.
Angela [00:33:27] Yeah.
Jenna [00:33:27] We never see the Jim/Pam or the Dwight/Angela meet-cute. We actually got a letter about it. Jose V. from Nutley, New Jersey said, "In previous episodes, Jenna has explained how she created lore for Pam, explaining how she got together with Roy and why it was so difficult (from Pam's perspective) to leave him. My question is for Angela: Did she ever come up with lore explaining how Dwight courted her? We all know they're together by the time Jim has his barbecue, but how did Dwight first approach Angela and what was that like?"
Angela [00:34:06] Oh, that's such a fun question. Well, you know, I sort of always thought that somehow them both wanting to be the safety officer was what brought them together. That was the backstory I gave myself. You have that moment where she goes to grab the first aid kit and Dwight wants to take over and she's like, "I'm the safety officer, not you." Remember that whole scene?
Jenna [00:34:29] Yes, of course.
Angela [00:34:31] And that's the first time they really speak to one another, in the whole series.
Jenna [00:34:36] Oh my gosh, did they get in a private argument that just then led to a big make out session? Was it just a passionate - We never saw it on camera, but they got after each other about who was the safety officer and then it just ended up with just a roll in the hay. That's where my mind is going.
Angela [00:34:57] That is so funny. That is your Dwight and Angela meet cute. It all starts with a fight. I sort of saw them as having to take some class together. I always thought - This is really nerdy, okay, but this is what I thought. I could sort of see Michael being like, "Hey, we need a safety officer. Toby says we need a safety officer, I need someone to volunteer," and Dwight, and Angela are the only two people that sign up.
Jenna [00:35:20] Okay.
Angela [00:35:20] And then they have to go through this whole training little workshop together and neither of them want to relinquish the role. So maybe there is this sort of competitiveness, but yeah, that's where I saw their first spark starting. Somewhere in this safety officer journey.
Jenna [00:35:42] I love it so much. I love thinking about them in safety officer training, just the two of them. Then at the end of the training, the teacher is like, "I pick Angela."
Angela [00:35:57] [laughing] Dwight's furious. But yeah, I don't know. I think that's kind of where it all began for them. And how perfect is it that it's a safety officer, like in school? Well, you know, in addition to those meet cute moments, there are so many on The Office that we actually get to see.
Jenna [00:36:15] Yeah, I love Erin and Pete.
Angela [00:36:18] Oh, yeah.
Jenna [00:36:19] I really like them. I mean, I know they don't end up together, but I like their arc. And you know, sometimes a romance isn't supposed to be forever, but you grow from it and it feeds your life. So it's still positive. That's how I feel about Erin and Peter's romance. I feel like it started, really, in that "Roy's Wedding" episode, because back at the office, that's the episode where Clark is being the creeper and he's trying to hit on Erin and get her that job in the news.
Angela [00:36:48] Faky job, like, it's never gonna happen. For her to audition to be a news anchor, or something.
Jenna [00:36:53] Yes, and Pete clocks it and then he becomes very protective. He even makes it so that he's at the apartment and then they get the hamburger afterwards. It's so sweet.
Angela [00:37:05] It's so sweet because he's just wanting to take care of her and she's hungry and Andy like, "Take her to get a burger" and then there's that spy shot of them. And they're clearly having the best time.
Jenna [00:37:19] I know. And after Erin's trail of horrible romances, it just made me so happy.
Angela [00:37:27] I really want them to make it.
Jenna [00:37:29] Well, we've been told they do not.
Angela [00:37:32] I know, but...
Jenna [00:37:33] I'm sorry.
Angela [00:37:34] I know. Well, I don't think we can do a Meet Cute episode and not play Michael and Holly's Meet Cute. It's so good.
Jenna [00:37:43] So good.
Angela [00:37:43] It's in "Goodbye Toby." It's just the best. Okay, so I pulled two clips. The first one is the very first time they meet. The second one is pretty much right after that, because Michael is smitten pretty quickly. Jim is like, "Dude, play it cool, play it, cool."
Jenna [00:38:00] I love Michael in that scene with him so much. He's like, "I love her."
Angela [00:38:05] "I love her." Anyway, he goes back in the annex looking for her and they have this conversation while she's trying to fix her desk chair.
audio clip - Michael [00:38:14] [there's a knock on the door] Yeah?
audio clip - Toby [00:38:17] Hey, Michael.
audio clip - Michael [00:38:18] Oh, hey, do you still work here?
audio clip - Toby [00:38:19] I'd like to introduce you to my replacement.
audio clip - Michael [00:38:21] Nah.
audio clip - Toby [00:38:22] Come on now.
audio clip - Michael [00:38:22] I think I will pass.
audio clip - Toby [00:38:23] Michael Scott, this is Holly.
audio clip - Holly [00:38:25] Hi.
audio clip - Michael [00:38:26] Hi. Yeah, right. Okay. Well, they hired a female Toby. Good for the world. Thank you, God, for creating two of you. Here's how things work here. My job is to make the office fun. Your job is make the office lame. And we have an eternal struggle, you and I. And only one of us can be the winner. Spoiler alert, I'm going to win.
audio clip - Holly [00:38:49] Man, someone doesn't like HR.
audio clip - Michael [00:38:50] Yeah.
audio clip - Holly [00:38:53] What did you do to him?
audio clip - Toby [00:38:56] Nothing.
audio clip - Michael [00:38:56] No. He tortured me. With his awfulness.
audio clip - Holly [00:39:00] Yeah, I know what you mean. I nearly fell asleep when he gave me a tour of the files. Well, look, I'll let you get back to work, but I really look forward to working with you, Mr. Scott.
audio clip - Michael [00:39:13] You can... [stumbling] Michael.
Angela [00:39:16] He can't even get his name out. He's so flabbergasted because the fact that she's agreeing with him that Toby is boring, he's like, "You are my soulmate."
Jenna [00:39:26] Yes.
Angela [00:39:27] And now is when Jim's like, "Play it cool." And he goes back to the annex. Let's hear that part:
audio clip - Michael [00:39:33] That's how we buy them, actually.
audio clip - Holly [00:39:36] I'm trying to adjust the lumbar support on Toby's chair, and that made this up-down lever thing not work, and then I took the whole chair apart, and that is the story of me on the floor. It's pretty good, right? I'm gonna sell the movie rights.
audio clip - Michael [00:39:51] And the sequel, "Woman Stands at Desk and Works." So I have no idea how you sit like that.
audio clip - Holly [00:40:02] Yoga.
audio clip - Michael [00:40:06] ] Sit on floor and put together a chair, we will. [laughing uncomfortably] Yo, duh. Um...
audio clip - Holly [00:40:22] [also doing a Yoda voice] Pass curvy metal piece, you will.
audio clip - Michael [00:40:32] So, are you in town this weekend? Cause I'm not, I not gonna be in town. I'm going out of town.
audio clip - Holly [00:40:41] Oh, so you can't make my orgy? Kidding!
audio clip - Michael [00:40:48] [laughing sheepishly] Oh, kidding. [in a dramatic John Lovitz voice] ACTING!
audio clip - Holly [00:40:52] [in a similar dramatic John Lovitz voice] ACTING! [laughing softly] Lovitz.
Jenna [00:41:00] Oh my God, I don't know why it actually gives me chills, listening to them.
Angela [00:41:05] They could not be more perfect for each other. The look on Michael's face when she returns his Yoda impression.
Jenna [00:41:12] Yeah.
Angela [00:41:14] He literally does a gasp. He's like, [hyperventilating].
Jenna [00:41:18] And then that she makes an orgy joke. Oh, he's crawling out of his skin. He can't believe this is happening.
Angela [00:41:25] They're so perfect for each other.
Jenna [00:41:28] Alright. Well, I asked everyone in the Office Ladies group to pull a clip from their favorite meet cute in a movie. Because guys, I love meet cutes and I wanted to hear them. So where should we start?
Angela [00:41:44] This was so fun, actually, because it gave us - I don't know about you guys, but to me, I got to revisit so many favorite moments of mine in movies.
Jenna [00:41:55] I mean, it just puts you in a good mood.
Angela [00:41:56] It does.
Jenna [00:41:57] Sam, do you want to go first?
Sam [00:41:58] Sure, mine is from my all-time favorite movie, "The Princess Bride."
Angela [00:42:03] I love that movie.
audio clip from The Princess Bride - grandpa [00:42:05] Her favorite pastimes were riding a horse and tormenting the farm boy that worked there. His name was Wesley, but she never called him that. Isn't that a wonderful beginning?
audio clip from The Princess Bride - grandson [00:42:18] It's really good.
audio clip from The Princess Bride - grandpa [00:42:20] Nothing gave Buttercup as much pleasure as ordering Wesley around.
audio clip from The Princess Bride - Buttercup [00:42:25] Farm boy, polish my horse's saddle, I want to see my face shining in it by morning.
audio clip from The Princess Bride - Wesley [00:42:36] As you wish.
audio clip from The Princess Bride - grandpa [00:42:37] "As you wish" was all he ever said.
Sam [00:42:41] I just think it's just so sweet. It just gets me to tears every time.
Jenna [00:42:45] And then eventually we find out that "as you wish" means I love you.
Sam [00:42:50] Mm-hmm.
Angela [00:42:51] [quoting Wesley falling down a large hill] "Aaaasssss yooooou wiiiiiiish."
Sam [00:42:55] The part where she goes rolling down after him kills me too, yeah.
Jenna [00:42:59] Yeah.
Angela [00:43:00] Alright, Cassi.
Cassi [00:43:02] Mine is from "The Holiday." It's when Kate Winslet and Jack Black meet. I just love the premise of that movie, of switching houses and then they both fall in love. It's such a cool movie and that relationship, in particular, is just so cool and fun.
Angela [00:43:18] And John Krasinski's in that movie.
Jenna [00:43:19] Wait, he is?
Sam [00:43:21] Oh yeah, he's Cameron Diaz's assistant.
Angela [00:43:22] He's an assistant editor. He's only at the beginning, but yeah, that's kind of a little Office crossover. I love that movie too. Do you have your clip?
Cassi [00:43:33] Yeah.
audio clip from The Holiday - Iris [00:43:38] Hi! I'm so sorry, I'm new at the gate thing.
audio clip from The Holiday - Miles [00:43:40] It's okay, it was pretty funny. I'm Miles, I work with Ethan.
audio clip from The Holiday - Iris [00:43:46] Ethan?
audio clip from The Holiday - Miles [00:43:48] Amanda's ex.
audio clip from The Holiday - Iris [00:43:49] Oh, right!
audio clip from The Holiday - Miles [00:43:51] Do you know when she'll be back? I'm supposed to pick up a couple things.
audio clip from The Holiday - Iris [00:43:54] Amanda's in England, actually, on holiday. I'm staying here for a few weeks while she's away. Ooh. [makes sound of discomfort]
audio clip from The Holiday - Miles [00:43:59] Uh oh, you okay?
audio clip from The Holiday - Iris [00:44:03] Yes. Something just blew into my eye.
audio clip from The Holiday - Miles [00:44:05] Oh I hate that. Let me see. Yep, you got something in your eyelash. You want me to get it?
audio clip from The Holiday - Iris [00:44:12] Um, okay.
audio clip from The Holiday - Miles [00:44:13] Yeah, Santa Anas.
audio clip from The Holiday - Iris [00:44:15] Pardon?
audio clip from The Holiday - Miles [00:44:16] The wind. It's what makes it so warm this time of year. Legend has it, when the Santa Anas blow, all bets are off. Anything can happen. That's it. You okay?
audio clip from The Holiday - Iris [00:44:25] Better.
Cassi [00:44:29] It's pretty stupid. I have never heard of this Santa Ana winds legend, but...
Angela [00:44:34] I know, but it's also, such a perfect L.A. meet cute. Like, that Santa Ana's are part of what brings them together. He blows in her eye, right? Or something like that?
Cassi [00:44:45] He pulls an eyelash out of her eye very gently.
Angela [00:44:49] That's so cute. I love it. Alright, Jenna, should I go next?
Jenna [00:44:54] Yeah, what's yours, Angela?
Angela [00:44:56] Well, you know, there's so many moments. I love a meet cute. I love a romcom. It was really hard for me to choose, but one that always cracks me up, and I think the chemistry in the scene is so great is from "Crazy, Stupid Love." It's when Ryan Gosling's character (who's this real slick guy) is gonna hit on Emma Stone and she's just like, "Who are you? What is happening?" And they have this very funny exchange and her best friend is at the table the whole time. So I sort of love that component, too. Let's hear it.
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Liz [00:45:31] There's so much potential and you've resorted to fantasizing about Conan "Ginger Junk" O'Brien.
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Hannah [00:45:36] He's funny!
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Liz [00:45:37] He looks like a carrot, honey.
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Jacob [00:45:39] Who looks like a carrot? [pause] Hi. Who looks like a carrot?
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Liz [00:45:47] Oh, Conan O'Brien, my friend Hannah here thinks he's sexy.
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Jacob [00:45:51] That's weird because I think that your friend Hannah is really sexy.
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Hannah [00:45:54] Oh my God, you did not just say that. How old are you?
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Jacob [00:45:59] What are you, a lawyer?
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Hannah [00:46:00] A little bit.
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Jacob [00:46:01] Come on.
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Hannah [00:46:02] I know.
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Jacob [00:46:03] You are? Is she?
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Liz [00:46:04] Gonna be.
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Hannah [00:46:04] Don't you think you're a little old to be using cheesy pick-up lines?
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Jacob [00:46:08] Objection. Leading the witness. Wow, Hannah, you're really wearing that dress like you're doing it a favor.
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Hannah [00:46:14] Oh god.
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Jacob [00:46:14] That's a line. Me sitting over there for the past two hours not being able to take my eyes off of you is a fact. I mean, there's lots of beautiful women in this bar, your friend included. Hi.
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Liz [00:46:23] I love you.
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Jacob [00:46:25] But I can't take my eyes off of you. That's a fact, it's not a line. I find you very attractive. Do you find me attractive?
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Liz [00:46:33] [emphatically] She does.
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Hannah [00:46:33] I don't.
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Jacob [00:46:35] You do. She does.
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Liz [00:46:35] Yes, she does.
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Hannah [00:46:36] I don't.
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Jacob [00:46:37] You do.
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Hannah [00:46:39] [insistent] I don't!
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Jacob [00:46:39] Hannah, can I buy you a drink?
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Hannah [00:46:41] No.
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Jacob [00:46:41] You say no a lot, don't you?
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Hannah [00:46:43] No.
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Jacob [00:46:43] Oh, boy. Permission to approach the bench?
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Hannah [00:46:46] Seriously?
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Jacob [00:46:47] Just come on, let me deliver my closing argument.
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Hannah [00:46:51] Sure, proceed.
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Jacob [00:46:53] Hannah. We live in a physical world, right? And you're going to age, right? I guarantee you this, you're never going to regret going home with a guy from the bar that one time, that was a total tomcat in the sack. But I can't guarantee that you won't not regret it.
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Hannah [00:47:09] That was a double negative.
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Jacob [00:47:10] You're a double negative. Okay, Hannah. Can I buy you a drink?
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Hannah [00:47:17] Okay. You know what? It's time to go home.
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Jacob [00:47:19] Really? I don't know, it's forward of you but okay, I'll do it.
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Hannah [00:47:22] Yeah. I TeeVo'd "Saw 3."
audio clip from Crazy, Stupid Love - Jacob [00:47:25] Should I get my car or yours? Should I pull the car around? Have you been drinking? I'll drive.
Jenna [00:47:31] Oh my gosh.
Angela [00:47:33] Isn't that so good?
Jenna [00:47:35] Okay, let me ask you this question. Sam, Cassi, Angela, to all of us: would that work on you? Are you heading home with Ryan Gosling?
Angela [00:47:44] Hell yeah. I'm going home with Ryan Gosling. He walks up to my table like that? I mean, his speech... Listen, are you ever gonna regret this one night? I would be like, "No, I'm not. I'm gonna regret it."
Sam [00:47:57] I think I would go home with them, and I think it would take me a couple days to realize what happened. I would have to replay it in my brain to realize how I got home with him.
Cassi [00:48:06] No, he wouldn't get two lines. Like, I would have shut him down right away to be like, "Get out of here!"
Jenna [00:48:12] Cassi, I'm with you. I'm a "no." I'm like, "sorry dude."
Cassi [00:48:20] It only works with Emma Stone's character cause she's at a weak point and I think what's fun about that movie is that they do end up falling in love. But yeah, I think she would have been a Jenna and me and shut him down immediately.
Angela [00:48:32] But she did. She left. She does not leave the bar with him.
Jenna [00:48:36] No. It's later. And she's like, "Actually, now I want to do something impulsive."
Angela [00:48:44] You know, it's so funny. I have a friend of mine (who's a famous person) and she's sort of like, what do you call it? We're just a scooch famous, just a scooch, right?
Jenna [00:48:56] Wait, this friend is a scooch famous?
Angela [00:48:58] A scooch famous.
Jenna [00:48:59] Okay.
Angela [00:49:00] She was working on a project and there was someone that was a lead person who's super famous and super hot. He kind of hit on her and she was like, "Hell yeah, let's go." Her story of their night together is, like, I hung on every word. She had a group of us riveted and we're all sworn to secrecy, but she was like, "I will never regret it for the rest of my life." She was like, "It was so fantastic. It exceeded all of my expectations. He was good at all the things," and it was really funny after she told this story, one of our friends- You know, when you've known someone so long, can just say the really honest thing?
Jenna [00:49:47] Yeah.
Angela [00:49:47] She was like, "It's all downhill from here on here for you. Never, nothing will ever be as good as that again." Anyway, and now when I see this person in movies, I can't help but think about it.
Jenna [00:50:07] Yeah, you're like, "He does all the things really well."
Angela [00:50:11] And then the other thing is she actually slept there and she wasn't planning on that. So she didn't have pajamas or anything to sleep in, and he just had this box. He had just gotten a delivery. He's doing a branded campaign with some t-shirt company.
Jenna [00:50:28] Okay.
Angela [00:50:28] So he was like, "Oh, wait," and he went and he opened this box and he was, like, "Here." She was just so impressive how much merch he had. So I was like, "Not only was this hookup amazing, but she got this really comfortable t-shirt."
Cassi [00:50:46] She got swag.
Angela [00:50:46] She was like, "It was so soft." Anyway, it was so funny, I did not mean to share all that, but there you go.
Jenna [00:50:57] All right, well, I will share my favorite meet cute scene. It's from the movie "Moonstruck," which is my favorite romantic comedy. It goes between that and "When Harry Met Sally," but the meet cute and Moonstruck is just, ugh.
Angela [00:51:13] It's so good.
Jenna [00:51:14] So you know, Cher's character is engaged to be married. She gets engaged to a very safe, stable man. She's been married before and her first husband got hit by a bus. So she thinks she has bad luck in love. So she's gonna now marry this really safe choice. But he has bad blood with his brother and he's gonna fly out of town. And he says, "While I'm gone, will you please go down and convince my brother to come to our wedding? Cause that would make me so happy."
Angela [00:51:50] Yes.
Jenna [00:51:51] So she goes down to meet Nicholas Cage, the guy's brother. He's a baker and he's just, I mean, he's sweaty and in a tank top. He is shoveling bread into a hot oven and he's super grumpy. She's like, "Hey, I'm gonna get married to your brother Johnny." And he is like, "I have no life. My brother Johnny took my life." And she's like, "Can we go somewhere to talk?" And then he holds up his gloved hand and he reveals that one of his hands is actually a wooden prosthetic hand. And then he says this:
audio clip from Moonstruck - Ronnie [00:52:36] Do you know about me? Nothing is anybody's fault, but things happen. This wood is fake. Five years ago, I was engaged to be married and Johnny came in here, and he ordered bread from me and I said, "Oh, okay, some bread." And I put my hand in the slicer, and it got caught because I wasn't paying attention. The slicer chewed off my hand. It's funny, because when my fiance found out about it, but she found out that I had been maimed, She left me for another man.
audio clip from Moonstruck - Loretta [00:53:22] That's the bad blood between you and Johnny?
audio clip from Moonstruck - Ronnie [00:53:27] Yes, that's it.
audio clip from Moonstruck - Loretta [00:53:27] That's not Johnny's fault.
audio clip from Moonstruck - Ronnie [00:53:31] [shouting] I don't care! I ain't no freakin' monument to justice! I lost my hand! I lost my bride! Johnny has his hand! Johnny has his bride! You want me to take my heartbreak, put it away and forget?!
Jenna [00:53:45] Yeah, is that what she wants? Johnny has his hand, Johnny has his bride!
Angela [00:53:50] Yeah.
Jenna [00:53:51] Okay, so she's gonna be like, "Okay, settle down. I'm gonna take you up to your apartment. I'm going to cook you a raw steak. It's not how you like it. It's how you're gonna eat it."
Angela [00:54:02] Right, cause "you're the wolf."
Jenna [00:54:04] Yeah, he's the wolf!
Angela [00:54:05] He's the wolf and he needs the raw steak.
Jenna [00:54:08] He needs the steak. She's like, "I think you're a wolf. I think you chewed off your own hand because you were in a trap with the wrong woman and that's how you got yourself out of that relationship," and his mind is blown.
Angela [00:54:23] Yes.
Jenna [00:54:23] He's doesn't know what to do with her they end up just having a passionate love affair but then she is like, "I have to marry your brother Johnny I'm not going to marry you, okay? I had bad luck. I can't marry for love again. I did that the first time." And so I have to play this clip. This is when she has agreed to go to the opera with him, to see him one last time. Then on the walk home, he leads her to his apartment again. This is the speech he gives her about love:
audio clip from Moonstruck - Ronnie [00:54:58] I love you, not like they told you love is. And I didn't know this either, but love don't make things nice, it ruins everything. It breaks your heart, it makes things a mess. We aren't here to make things perfect, the snowflakes are perfect. Stars are perfect. Not us. Not US. We are here to ruin ourselves and to break our hearts and love the wrong people and die. I mean, the story books are bullshit. I want you to come upstairs with me and get in my bed.
Jenna [00:55:51] OK, so now I have to bring it to the group again. Are you going upstairs with him and getting in his bed, after that speech on the snowy New York sidewalk?
Sam [00:56:03] Yeah.
Angela [00:56:04] Yes!
Jenna [00:56:07] Yes. Yes. A thousand times, yes. Cassi?
Cassi [00:56:10] I don't like to be yelled at.
Jenna [00:56:12] [shocked] Oh no, Cassi!
Angela [00:56:17] Even if it's passionate love yelling, you're like, "Tone the volume down, buddy."
Cassi [00:56:23] Turn it down.
Angela [00:56:23] Bring it down.
Jenna [00:56:24] But if someone fetches an eyelash off your eye from the Santa Ana winds, Cassi is a puddle of goo. This is what we've learned.
Angela [00:56:35] I have to say though, from that movie, I love the line when her mom - Who's played by, is it Olympia Dukakis who's so amazing?
Jenna [00:56:46] Yes. So good.
Angela [00:56:46] So good. She says to her daughter, Cher, "Do you love him Loretta?" And Loretto goes, "Ma, I love him awful," and then her mom goes, "Oh God, that's too bad."
Jenna [00:56:58] I know!
Angela [00:57:00] It's such a great line. Oh, that was really fun. I loved that prompt, Jenna.
Jenna [00:57:06] Well, thanks, guys. I love a romance. I really do.
Angela [00:57:10] I think we learned a lot about each other today.
Jenna [00:57:13] And a lot a about a very handsome, unnamed celebrity.
Angela [00:57:17] Oh, yeah. Well, I'm sworn to secrecy for my life, but she got the t-shirt.
Jenna [00:57:24] Well, we got a letter that could honestly be the plot of a movie. It's so sweet. It's from Kaylee K. in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and here it is. Kaylee says, "I thought I'd share my meet cute, or what I like to call it, "my first kiss and my last kiss story." My husband and I actually met in kindergarten. He was my best friend. I like to think it's because he loved tractors and I loved them as well. We even shared the same bus route and I got the courage to kiss him. He was so mad at me because he was absolutely embarrassed since everyone saw it on our school bus.
[00:57:59] The next year, he switched to a different school, but we still saw each other throughout the years because we were in Four H, went to camp together, and eventually worked at the same restaurant. At that time, my husband told me he liked me, but I didn't feel the same about him. We still spent time with each other through the next few years because of mutual friendships. Eventually, after a couple of failed relationships and really reconnecting, he asked me out and the rest is history. We were engaged 10 months later and married a year later. We've been married for five and a half years, are starting to buy the family farm and starting to build a house in just a month. I'm putting a plug in for my husband, also. I'm so incredibly lucky to have him and he is truly the best man. It's funny how things work out and I really believe everything has a timeline. He was my first kiss and he'll be my last."
Angela [00:58:51] Awwww.
Jenna [00:58:52] How sweet is that?
Angela [00:58:54] Super sweet.
Jenna [00:58:56] So, so sweet. I think it really shows how timing is everything, too.
Angela [00:59:00] It's so true. I mean, we've talked about this many times, the right person can come along but if the timing isn't lining up, it doesn't happen then.
Jenna [00:59:10] I know. But look at how the universe kept putting these two in each other's world. From kindergarten, all the way to adulthood. The universe was like, "We know who you're gonna be with. We're just waiting for you to figure it out."
Angela [00:59:25] You know, we did get quite a few people who wrote in asking you and I to share our meet cutes with our husbands. I thought it would be fun if we did.
Jenna [00:59:35] Okay, who should go first?
Angela [00:59:38] You go first.
Jenna [00:59:39] Okay, well, it's interesting because we're talking about how timing is everything. I actually met Lee, gosh, maybe 10 or 11 years before we fell in love.
Angela [00:59:54] So wild.
Jenna [00:59:55] I knew him a very, very long time. We had a mutual friend in common. Lee would sometimes come to birthday parties or weddings. When you gather all the sort of mutual friends of a friend group, Lee would sometimes be there. I always thought he was a nice guy, but he was just not on my radar and I was not on his. Then fast forward 10 years from the time we met and I was looking to produce a movie. A romantic comedy, as we know I love them. I was taking meetings with different writers and Lee was a writer and was sort of this like... What would you call it? Like, a peripheral friend.
Angela [01:00:41] Right.
Jenna [01:00:42] Yeah, and so I had a pitch meeting with him and I loved his idea the best. It was just incredible. That pitch eventually became the movie, "The Giant Mechanical Man." And while I was producing that movie and we were putting it together and he was writing it and we we're going back and forth on notes, we were talking about what is romance? What is love? How do you fall in love?
Angela [01:01:08] Oh my gosh.
Jenna [01:01:09] You know, here's some dialogue of people falling in love. Jenna, why don't you read it? And I would read it and I would be like, "Wow, wow." And we fell in love, that is how we fell love. It's sort of like an Office romance in a way, as well.
Angela [01:01:25] Yeah, you know what's so wild to me? Is that I know this story but I sort of didn't really connect this until you just sayid it out loud was the fact that you guys were basically creating a romance and sharing with each other what you think love is, as a project. That is so crazy to me. I did not put that together. That's so wild, wow!
Jenna [01:01:56] But what's so funny is that after we fell in love, it was just so obvious that he was my person, that it kind of blew my mind that I had been around him for 10 years and I didn't know it. We would even say things to each other. I would be like, "Now wait, you must have been at such and such's wedding, right?" And he's like, "Yes, I was at that wedding." I'm like, "I have no memory of you at that meeting." He's like, "I have not memory of that wedding,"
Angela [01:02:24] Oh my god.
Jenna [01:02:24] Like, we didn't speak.
Angela [01:02:25] You have got to share that story with your kids someday. I think they would just get so tickled by it.
Jenna [01:02:31] Well, I will share it with them because it really is about how timing is everything. We just didn't see each other that way for many, many, many, many years. Until we were both ready.
Angela [01:02:45] I love that, because it's so true. I mean, for Josh and I... It's funny to me because I met Josh's oldest son before I met Josh. So our kids were at preschool together. And I was working on The Office, so my call time was like 5:30 in the morning. So I could never drop Isabel off. But I would go and have lunch with her. This was one of the great things, is that I was often able to leave the set and go have lunch with her, and I would always arrive to her little preschool at story time. They would sit in a circle under this big tree and have story time. It was the sweetest thing. I remember the first time I met Jack.
[01:03:32] I don't remember the time I first met Josh. I guess I had met him a few times, but he was never on my radar. But we're sitting there for story time and Isabel's sitting in my lap, crisscross applesauce. The teacher Amber (and this is part of our whole family lore now, the kids love this) was just like if you could manifest a hug into a human. She was just the most lovely person. She's reading her story and she stops and she looks at a little boy who is face down, licking the dirt on the ground.
Jenna [01:04:02] Okay.
Angela [01:04:03] And then she goes, "Hey, Jack? Dirt is not food, okay? So we're not gonna eat the dirt." And he kind of raises his face up and he's got dirt around his mouth. I was like, "Oh my gosh, like I'll never forget this kid. This kid is so funny. Then, like, a year later, I go to volunteer. They had a bunch of Legos and parents volunteered to build (you will not believe this) different pieces of the Star Wars ships and stuff.
Jenna [01:04:33] Okay. And you're like, "I'll sign up for that."
Angela [01:04:35] I was like, "Yeah, I'm horrible at Legos, but I'll go volunteer to build some Star Wars stuff." Josh was working on the Star Wars stuff, and he's really good. I guess he'd been volunteering a few times, but it was the only time I went. I was horrible at legos. He said that he remembers that I was so bad that they had to go back and redo some of my build. I remember being like, "Oh, that's a nice person." Then I started realizing and connecting the dots like, "Oh, That's Jack's dad, that's so nice."
[01:05:03] Again, not on my radar. I was traveling. I went to Europe and I got back and (this is months and months later) I'm at my grocery store, my neighborhood grocery store where I always go, and I turn the corner with my cart and I almost run into Josh. I'd never seen him at my groceries store before and he said, "Oh you know I just want you to know, I moved and I'm in this neighborhood now ."We were both single parenting, so we talked a little about that. I just mentioned to him, like, "Hey, you know, I'm having a birthday party if you'd like to come," and he was like, "sure."
[01:05:39] Now, Josh thought I was inviting him to an adult birthday party. I didn't think to mention that I let Isabel plan my birthday party that year because I didn't really care. It wasn't a big number. Isabel loved the little mermaid and she loved mermaids. So her and my friend Michael, who is sort of her LA uncle, you know? He was one of my dear friends. He helped Isabel plan this party for me, because she was like, four years old.
Jenna [01:06:11] Yes.
Angela [01:06:13] It was full mermaid theme. I also told Isabel she could invite all of her friends. Really, it could be her party. So she invited all of our friends. It was a swim party. I got a mermaid themed birthday cake. Josh arrives to my house and he's dressed really cute and cause it was a swim party in the late afternoon, so the sun wouldn't be too hot. So it started at, like, 4 p.m., you know?
Jenna [01:06:40] Mhm.
Angela [01:06:40] Cause I'm thinking I have these young kids and I don't want them to get sunburned. Anyway, Josh arrives around 4:30 ish and he walks in dressed really nice with a bottle of wine.
Jenna [01:06:53] [laughing] Of course, he's coming to your birthday.
Angela [01:06:54] Yes, and he walks out. And I had a few, it was all moms, moms and their kids mostly. I had invited my ex-husband and his fiance, and they're like, "What is Josh doing here with a bottle of wine? Who is this guy with a bottle of wine?" And he said that it was like a record scratch for him. He walked out and he was like, "Oh." He thought that, maybe at the grocery store, I was kind of maybe flirty, like, "Hey, do you want to come to my party?" But I was just like, "Do you want to come? You live in my neighborhood."
Jenna [01:07:30] You were just being Angela. "You live nearby. You should come to my house for a party." This is so you. Yes.
Angela [01:07:37] He said he felt so awkward, and he could not wait to get out of there. He only stayed for, like, 30 minutes. And then he was like, "Alright, well, I'm gonna go where should I leave the wine?" And I'm like, "Oh. You know, near the craft table." You know, it was such like a kid party. But that is the moment that I sort of saw him, you know?
Jenna [01:07:57] That's what I was gonna ask you, yeah. Like, when he showed up, thinking this might be something,
Angela [01:08:06] Dressed all nice, yeah
Jenna [01:08:06] You see him and be like, "Oh. OH. He's thinking... Well, oh. Okay, wait."
Angela [01:08:12] Yes, it was exactly that. So it was a long time, much later, that finally we went out to dinner and went and saw a movie. And that kind of like, "Oh, OK, this is a date."
Jenna [01:08:28] So sweet.
Angela [01:08:29] I know.
Jenna [01:08:30] Oh, so sweet. I love that kids, your friendly nature, Star Wars, and mermaids are all part of that story.
Angela [01:08:41] I know and I do really empathize when people share their meet-cutes. Like, some of them are like, "Oh this was so long." How do you put that in a sound bite, you know?
Jenna [01:08:51] Yeah.
Angela [01:08:51] That's just life and how it unfolds and it's not always just immediate, sometimes things that are really worth something play out over time.
Jenna [01:09:03] I just have a smile on my face. I love talking about love.
Angela [01:09:07] I do too.
Jenna [01:09:08] I love it so much.
Angela [01:09:09] I love it so much! I just want to thank everyone who wrote in. This was such a fun episode to do. Thank you, Jenna, for prompting us to watch great romcoms.
Jenna [01:09:19] Well, we hope you have a really good week. Please be sure to check out the "How We Made Your Mother" podcast now on Office Ladies Network and available wherever you get your podcasts. I mean, that's really a whole TV show about a meet cute romance.
Angela [01:09:33] It is, and so fun too!
Jenna [01:09:36] Alright, we'll see you next time!
audio cue [01:09:37] [outro music]
Jenna [01:09:41] Thank you for listening to Office Ladies.
Angela [01:09:43] Office Ladies is a presentation of Audacy and is produced by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey.
Jenna [01:09:48] Our executive producer is Cassi Jerkins, our audio engineer is Sam Kieffer, and our associate producer is Aynsley Bubbico.
Angela [01:09:56] Audacy's executive producer Leah Reis-Dennis.
Jenna [01:09:59] Office Ladies was mixed and mastered by Bill Schultz.
Angela [01:10:02] Our theme song is "Rubber Tree" by Creed Bratton.