EP. 163 — Search Committee, Part 2 with Rainn Wilson 

Jenna [00:00:03] I’m Jenna Fischer. 

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

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

Angela [00:00:07] And we’re best friends. 

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

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

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

Angela [00:00:24] Hi, you guys! 

Jenna [00:00:25] Welcome, everyone, for our breakdown of Search Committee part two. We’ve got a special guest in here with us today. 

Angela [00:00:32] We sure do. A tall drink of water called Rainn Wilson! 

Rainn Wilson [00:00:35] Who do you. Who do you have? Who’s the special guest? 

Jenna [00:00:38] It’s you, Rainn! 

Rainn Wilson [00:00:39] I am the- oh, I’m a special- I’m a special guest star. 

Angela [00:00:43] Yay! You’re a special guest star! 

Jenna [00:00:43] You are!

Rainn Wilson [00:00:43] You guys, I, you know, I love the podcast. I’ve been on it before. But I tell you, sitting around this table with you with actual microphones and, like, looking into your eyes is really powerful. Like, I’ve just missed you guys and just kind of seeing your bodies. That’s what she said. But no, being in the same room with you guys, it’s really cool. 

Jenna [00:01:05] I agree. It’s so nice that we’re able to do this now. 

Rainn Wilson [00:01:08] It was ten years we were in the same room together. 

Angela [00:01:13] Yeah. Every day. Monday through Friday. 

Rainn Wilson [00:01:15] Every day. 

Jenna [00:01:16] And it’s been ten years since the finale. Since we shot the finale. 

Angela [00:01:20] Oh, yes. 

Rainn Wilson [00:01:21] Holy (BLEEP). That’s amazing. 

Jenna [00:01:22] 2013. 

Rainn Wilson [00:01:23] That’s. 

Angela [00:01:24] Wow. 

Rainn Wilson [00:01:24] Wow. 

Angela [00:01:25] Was it really? Oh my gosh. 

Rainn Wilson [00:01:28] That’s nuts. That’s nuts. It’s so great seeing you guys. I can’t wait to to catch up. Thanks for having me. 

Jenna [00:01:33] Well, Rainn, we are in the final episode of season seven. 

Rainn Wilson [00:01:37] Yeah. 

Jenna [00:01:37] Search Committee Part Two. We’ve been discussing all the buzz around who would replace Michael Scott as manager. 

Rainn Wilson [00:01:45] Right. 

Jenna [00:01:45] This was happening. 

Angela [00:01:46] There was lots of chatter on set and whatnot. 

Rainn Wilson [00:01:49] And a lot of chatter online when the episodes aired. This was the land of a thousand guest stars. Ray Romano and Jim Carrey and Will Arnett, as so many great folks popping up. 

Angela [00:02:02] Mm hmm. 

Jenna [00:02:03] What can you share with us about your thoughts during this transition of Steve leaving, of us kind of having no decision made going into the summer? What do you remember? 

Rainn Wilson [00:02:14] Yeah, that was it was, it was a weird time. You know, the show was trying to find its footing post Steve. And I just remember it being a really interesting time. And I remember thinking, like, because they talked to me like, Well, maybe Dwight should be manager and how would that work? And, you know, I remember having long conversations with Paul about that because Paul was kind of steering the ship at that point. And honestly, like, I didn’t even know if Dwight should be the manager. Like, it wasn’t like I was- me, Rainn Wilson was like, Well, I should be the manager and Dwight should be the manager. I mean, I was intrigued by how that would work. But at the same time, Dwight has always worked so well in opposition to something and in, you know, in collusion with something comedically, you know, have- coming in from the outside, you know, and and I think ultimately it really- I don’t know if it would have succeeded to have Dwight the manager at that point because it it stuck the landing so- spoiler alert- stuck the landing so well when he became manager at the very end of the show. 

Angela [00:03:14] Yeah. 

Jenna [00:03:15] Yeah. 

Rainn Wilson [00:03:15] And there were a lot of talks. I mean, we’re talking about, you know, Catherine Tate and then James Spader, and there were lots of other names that were being floated. I heard a rumor about James Gandolfini. 

Both [00:03:26] Yes! 

Jenna [00:03:27] Yes. I’ve got all the James Gandolfini dish when we get to the list. 

Angela [00:03:31] Yeah. 

Rainn Wilson [00:03:32] Okay. 

Angela [00:03:32] Jenna stumbled across some delicious nuggets. 

Rainn Wilson [00:03:35] Oh, wow. Yeah. 

Jenna [00:03:36] Yeah, that was an almost happened. 

Rainn Wilson [00:03:38] Wow. That’s incredible. That would that would have been, by the way, James Gandolfini. Favorite movie?

Jenna [00:03:44] The Rocker! 

Rainn Wilson [00:03:45] Yeah. 

Jenna [00:03:45] Yes! 

Angela [00:03:46] Yes! I said to Jenna, I was like, Do you think Rainn knows that? 

Jenna [00:03:49] Yep. 

Rainn Wilson [00:03:50] So it was in The New York Times and I was like, Okay, well, he just spouted some name of some dumb comedy that he liked. Then I met him in person. 

Jenna [00:03:58] What?! 

Rainn Wilson [00:03:58] I went saw him in a play. 

Jenna [00:04:00] Oh, God of Carnage? 

Rainn Wilson [00:04:01] God of Carnage. 

Jenna [00:04:02] Oh, I saw him in that too. Incredible. 

Rainn Wilson [00:04:04] It was a great ensemble. 

Jenna [00:04:05] Marcia Gay Harden? 

Rainn Wilson [00:04:06] Marcia Gay Harden was amazing.  

Jenna [00:04:06] Oh, my gosh. 

Rainn Wilson [00:04:07] And I knew Marcia Gay because we had gone acting school together. And I said hi to her. And then James Gandolfini came around the corner. I’m not. I’m not making this up. He came around the corner and he saw me. He turned beet red, no pun intended, and just stopped in its tracks. And he’s like, Oh, no way! Oh, my God! Oh! Oh, my God! Oh, God! I’m. I don’t know what to say right now. I’m so-

Angela [00:04:30] You are kidding. 

Rainn Wilson [00:04:32] No. And he came up and he was like, bowing. He’s like The Rocker. The Rocker. I have seen it like, 12- oh, my God. The Rock- you were so- oh my god, that movie. Oh! And he just it was incredible. And I was like, Mr. Gandolfini, like, I was just such a huge Sopranos fan. I loved his- all of his stuff. So that was pretty cool because, you know, seven people saw that movie when it came out. And I guess James Gandolfini was one of them. 

Jenna [00:04:58] What a moment. 

Angela [00:05:00] That is something you’ll hold forever. 

Rainn Wilson [00:05:01] Yeah, it really was. That was that was a very special minute and a half of my life. 

Jenna [00:05:06] Now, Rainn, you’re saying you’re not sure that Dwight should have been manager, but we did get a taste of Dwight as manager in Dwight K. Schrute (Acting) manager. And it was a delicious dish. 

Rainn Wilson [00:05:16] That was delicious. 

Angela [00:05:17] I loved that episode. 

Rainn Wilson [00:05:18] That was super fun. And it was such a crazy time. We’re just- that combination of like we’re trying to find our comedy legs and at the same time figure out what other great larger than life comedic presences to bring in to the show and into the ensemble. And it’s it’s a really tricky, delicate chemistry. 

Jenna [00:05:38] So far, I have been enjoying it quite a bit. Like when we saw James Spader come in. 

Angela [00:05:45] I hang on his every word. I just can’t get enough of him. 

Jenna [00:05:48] I remember hanging on his every word when he was literally there. As a person. 

Angela [00:05:54] Yeah. I remember his rehearsal. We had gotten sort of lazy in our blocking. You know, we were like, Oh, I go up to reception, I stand here, I’m at the copier, I get it. I look over there. And then our first day rehearsing with him, he had like a visual map in his brain. You could see he’d walk over, he’d say, I- then I pick up my glasses. Then I set my notebook down. Then I take two steps. Then I- and he was going through this process.  

Rainn Wilson [00:06:15] Yeah, pick up my glasses on this line. And that’s when I’m going to put them on and I’m going to look that way. 

Angela [00:06:19] Yeah. And then when we decided to do it again, he went back to a starting spot. But like, in reverse, like (MAKES REWIND SOUND) He like went through each step backwards. 

Rainn Wilson [00:06:29] Yeah. 

Angela [00:06:29] It was amazing. 

Rainn Wilson [00:06:31] I thought his interview as Robert California in this episode was just brilliant. That was, you know, you can debate, was Robert California right for the show? You know, you can debate that. I think he brought a lot of great stuff to the show. And he is a stellar talent that I have loved for 30 years. But that interview was amazing. His job interview in this episode was absolutely incredible. 

Angela [00:06:57] It was. 

Rainn Wilson [00:06:58] You’re never selling something. You’re selling sex. Right, Toby? And Toby’s like, Yeah… 

Angela [00:07:03] Yeah. 

Rainn Wilson [00:07:04] It’s so good. 

Angela [00:07:06] Well, we loved how you, as Dwight, interviewed yourself. 

Rainn Wilson [00:07:09] Yeah. 

Angela [00:07:10] I actually think we should play it, Jenna. 

Dwight [00:07:12] Okay. If you’re not going to interview me, then I’ll do it. 

Jim [00:07:15] Yes. 

Dwight [00:07:17] What will be your first priority? I will have seven first priorities; safety, profits, fostering a community of self-reliance and entrepreneurship, listening, respect for human life, bolstering our public image and getting everyone home on time. Dwight, let me be frank. In an accident that no one can blame you for, an antique gun was discharged while you were acting manager. How are we ever to trust you again? That’s a great question. I am going to institute a strict no firearms policy for this office that extends to myself as well. Wow. All of my concerns are disappearing. 

Jim [00:08:01] Thank you, Dwight. 

Dwight [00:08:02] Thank you. You’ll be hearing from us shortly, Mr. Schrute. And I think you’re going to like the call you’re going to receive. Oh, come on. I’m just happy that I got this meeting. 

Angela [00:08:15] It’s so well-written. 

Jenna [00:08:17] When you got the script, did you just get so excited about getting to do that? 

Rainn Wilson [00:08:22] Oh, a couple of things. So this script, I had two comedy, situational comedy gems, the Jacques Souvenier interview with the burn victim and this self interview. And I remember just being gleefully ecstatic at this possibility. I think the Jacques Souvenier- there is a, you know, if Dave Rodgers is doing super sized episodes and longer episodes, I think there is a much longer, much funnier Jacques Souvenier- 

Jenna [00:08:49] Oh. 

Rainn Wilson [00:08:50] Extended scene, because I remember that going on for a long time. And I was laughing and finding so much stuff. And they because they have to chop everything down and it ended up being, you know, 47 seconds. But there’s a couple of minutes of really good stuff in there. And then taking a step back, I think one of the things I greatly appreciate about the show, looking back on it now, is there’s a classic comedy element to The Office that’s often overlooked. Like physical comedy and kind of comedy setups that kind of come from almost like commedia dell’arte or vaudeville of like, how do we create a situation in which this little kind of nugget, like the Jacques Souvenier burn victim interview can happen within the context of these characters that we know and love? I mean, it’s it’s as old as sitcoms themselves, this idea. But the writers would consistently give me stuff like that. That was- when I look back on the show, some of the stuff comedically that I savor the most was the amazing stuff that gave Dwight like Dwight fighting himself. 

Jenna [00:09:52] Yes, yes. 

Rainn Wilson [00:09:52] You know, it’s just it’s a brilliant- these are brilliant little setups. I don’t know how else to. They’re little stories within stories. They’re are it’s a lazzi, you know, from commedia dell’arte. It’s a lazzi. And there’s two amazing ones in this. And yeah, it was just just a pleasure to be a part of. 

Angela [00:10:10] No, and it’s it’s been so fun to rewatch. I think one of the things that keeps happening for me is I just appreciate you guys so much more. Like all the little nuances, all the choices people made, you just get to see it and sort of savor it. 

Rainn Wilson [00:10:24] Mm hmm. Mm hmm. 

Jenna [00:10:25] Yeah. I think getting distance from it and then rewatching it, you don’t have any of the memories of what really happened when you were shooting it, so you’re not attached to seeing a certain thing or a funny thing that you remember. So-. 

Rainn Wilson [00:10:37] Yeah. You’re looking at a moment in amber in a very different way. You know, the Creed called opening of manager and then tossing the keys to no one. Like it just. It’s a beautiful little comedic tip of the hat to like everything that Creed does best as a character and as a as an actor and performer. And then they’re writing to the actors strengths and know exactly how to get the best laughs from Creed Bratton. 

Angela [00:11:04] Yeah, we talked to Creed about his made up language and he said a little piece of back story he had given himself that he never told anyone is that he really thought maybe it would be revealed someday that Creed was an alien. So he thought his made up language should sound like an alien language. 

Rainn Wilson [00:11:18] That is perfect. That is perfect.

Angela [00:11:20] That was intentional, how he did it. 

Rainn Wilson [00:11:23] I pitched- I rarely pitched episode ideas. I pitched a Creed episode that was 100% Creed. And they didn’t go for it. It would have been a way too experimental for our show. 

Angela [00:11:33] What was the premise? 

Rainn Wilson [00:11:34] The premise was they’re just doing regular thing. And there’s Pam and Jim and it’s a copy machine and something, you know, Michael comes in and blah, blah, blah, just and we think it’s just a normal episode. And then it kind of catches Creed. And then Creed looks at the camera and he just gestures, c’mere. And he grabs his stuff and goes out the door and keeps gesturing to the camera and gets the camera and puts it in his car. And he’s like, Come with me. You need to see something. And then we do a 22 minute Odyssey into the life of Creed. 

Angela [00:12:06] I would have loved that. 

Rainn Wilson [00:12:07] So it just goes like deep, like he’s living in a warehouse and there’s, like, dogfights down there and like, he’s got a whole other business that he’s doing. Like he takes us to his home and they’re like, Daddy! And he’s got all these children and like, you know, it just like this like all of the stuff that you are wondering about Creed and just like layers and layers of backstory and, and the whole episode, I was like, there’s no B story. It’s just just following Creed around, you know, he goes into some ratty neighborhoods and maybe he’s dealing drugs or whatever, like it gets just really weird. 

Angela [00:12:43] And then he’s Santa at the mall. It’s like, what? How do we end here?

Rainn Wilson [00:12:45] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And. They were like, No. 

Angela [00:12:48] No. 

Jenna [00:12:49] That could have been our whole season ten. Just every episode just follow someone out the door into their life. 

Rainn Wilson [00:12:57] Yeah, into their life. Yeah. Yeah. 

Jenna [00:12:58] Fascinating. 

Rainn Wilson [00:12:59] Yeah. 

Jenna [00:12:59] Well, Rainn, thank you for discussing The Office with us, but you are also here to discuss something else. Your amazing book. 

Rainn Wilson [00:13:06] Scrubs? 

Angela [00:13:07] Yes. 

Jenna [00:13:07] If you’d like. 

Angela [00:13:09] Donald Faison and Zach Braff are waiting right outside. Guys, come in! 

Rainn Wilson [00:13:12] Perfect.  

Jenna [00:13:14] Your book that just came out this week, Soul Boom; Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution. 

Rainn Wilson [00:13:20] Yeah. 

Jenna [00:13:20] Angela and I got advanced copies because we knew someone. 

Rainn Wilson [00:13:24] Lucky you. 

Angela [00:13:24] Yeah. We got. We got the hookup. 

Jenna [00:13:26] Yes. Lucky us, because it’s fantastic. 

Angela [00:13:29] It’s so great. I mean, I texted you last night. I was so moved by this book, and I can’t wait to talk to you about it. 

Rainn Wilson [00:13:35] Great. 

Jenna [00:13:36] In the book, you lay out a plan for something that you are calling a spiritual revolution. And in the second chapter of the book, you go into great detail as to why we need this, why the world needs this. So can you tell us why did you want to write this book? 

Rainn Wilson [00:13:53] Well, thanks. This is a topic and a theme, a series of ideas that I have been thinking about for a very, very long time. Studying and reading about and perusing and pondering. Basically, I think that I’m a big student of spirituality and thinker about it, and I, you know, actively, you know, practice it in in my life on on a daily basis. I think that what humanity needs most right now is a spiritual revolution. I think that the way that things are broken in the world, they’re broken for very specific reasons, that we have lost touch with our essential humanity. And when I say humanity, I’m talking about that soul part of ourselves that that the ancient, wise spiritual aspects of who we are, the divine that is within us, that emulates what is holy and divine in the universe, that our our compassion and our courage and our honesty and and and our love as the great spiritual leaders of the world from, you know, from Jesus and Muhammad and the Buddha to Martin Luther King and the Dalai Lama, like all of these great spiritual teachers lead with that same sense. And this is- the book is entirely there- it doesn’t give any answers per se, but simply to spark a discussion, a greater conversation about how can we bring a spiritual perspective far deeper into what we do, both on an individual level but also on a societal level? And I think that’s the piece that’s often missing. And I’ll I’ll just wrap up by saying that I talk about the two fold moral path, a two fold spiritual path that we all walk. So we all walk on a path where- and I compare it to two great seventies television shows because I try and bring a little humor into it, which is-. 

Angela [00:15:36] You do. You’re such a Trekkie too. 

Rainn Wilson [00:15:38] Yeah, and total nerd. 

Jenna [00:15:39] Yes. The first chapter was very lost on me because it was very science fiction leaning. And it made her heart happy.

Angela [00:15:43] Oh, I loved it. And then you write about Star Wars at the end, and I was like, Oh, Rainn, you’re checking all my boxes. 

Rainn Wilson [00:15:50] But I loved the show Kung Fu from the seventies, and I loved Star Trek. And Kung Fu I see as a metaphor for the personal spiritual path, because Quai Chang- if people- Google it, I’m not going to explain the whole show, but it’s basically a Chinese monk wandering through racist, mean old Western America. That’s what’s going on. So this Chinese Shaolin monk is trying to navigate a really difficult world filled with racist, greedy, selfish, aggressive people, and bring his spiritual wisdom to bear as he goes on his quest. And this is what we are all doing in the world. We’re trying to be better people. We’re trying to grow our spiritual qualities. We’re trying to live with more love. We’re trying to, you know, be of service to our families. And these are- this is the journey that we’re on, whether we’re a student or at work or at home with our kids or whatever it is that we’re doing. So that’s part one. And then part two is we also need to think about spirituality on a more global level, and we often lose track of that where humanity as a species, all 7 billion of us on this planet, need to think about the spiritual tools that we can use to further the maturity and spiritual wisdom and growth on this planet. And that’s what we really need and what we’ve lost sight of right now in these really divisive, angry times that are- because all of- essentially all of the systems that work that are at work in the world today, the economic systems, political systems, etc., are based on the worst of humanity. They’re based on aggressiveness, contest, conflict, one upsmanship, individualization, individualism. And we need to completely- the revolution is completely reimagin how we do pretty much everything to base it on love, compassion, community and mutual respect. Now that sounds very airy fairy hippie dippy pie in the sky, naive. And I imagine there’s been some eye rolls out there in the podcast listening world, but it really it’s a discussion we need to be having because the current systems and the way that they’re laid out just don’t work. 

Jenna [00:17:55] Well. I think the thing that I really grabbed on to with the book is this distinction between the personal spiritual journey and the collective, the responsibility to the collective, because I think there are a lot of people out there who take on that personal spiritual journey of personal prayer, of meditation, yoga practice, walking in nature, working on their own personal qualities of patience, tolerance, you know, all of these things to help us get through our life. But I really loved how much you discussed the moral responsibility as a human being to investing in the collective spiritual journey. 

Angela [00:18:40] Yeah. 

Rainn Wilson [00:18:41] Really well said. Wow, that was great. 

Jenna [00:18:43] Well, I read the book. 

Rainn Wilson [00:18:44] I know you did. That’s very clear. But you also summarized it perfectly. Yeah, that was really, really, really well said. 

Jenna [00:18:51] And one of the things you talk about in the book, you talk a lot about religion. Something I want everybody to know is that I’m very emotional right now because listening to you, Rainn, this is- I just- this is you. You know, when you were talking just now, this is the man that I know. This is the man I’ve come to when I’m having hard times. And and what excited me so much about your book is that I feel that this voice that I know you so well personally is going to be out in the world. And it is beautiful. One of the things. 

Rainn Wilson [00:19:25] For those of you can’t see it, Jenna and I are tearing up. We are. We truly are. 

Jenna [00:19:30] We are. We are. This um you’re just a beautiful person, Rainn. And and I just love you so much. 

Rainn Wilson [00:19:40] Right back atcha. 

Jenna [00:19:40] So one of the things that the book makes clear is how you have studied so many various religions. And I know this about you. You have traveled to numerous religious sites around the world. You have a dedication to faith and spirituality that is so clear. When you describe your pilgrimage to the holy Baha’i site is just absolutely beautiful. 

Angela [00:20:05] Yeah, I thought it was really moving. All of the study you’ve done, I found humbling. I’m emotional too, guys. I found it humbling just your heart for service and your heart for wanting to understand why people walk the path they walk. And your compassion. You know, we’ve joked for a long time about you being the tall curmudgeon on set, but but like Jenna said so eloquently, your heart and soul, your soul is in this book. I loved also, Rainn, your personal stories. I loved your story about your dad. My father also passed away. And the things you had to juggle on the day that he passed. 

Rainn Wilson [00:20:49] Yeah. 

Angela [00:20:50] And um- 

Rainn Wilson [00:20:50] Tell the story in the book, for the listeners, about when my dad died two and a half years ago now, during the pandemic, he died of heart disease during the pandemic, getting heart surgery, open heart surgery. But he lived in a little town, Wenatchee, Washington. And I’m a member of the Baha’i faith and in the Baha’i rituals and rites, just like in many other religions, you you prepare the body for burial. So you wash the body and wrap it in linen and, you know, say a prayer and, you know, prepare it and. 

Jenna [00:21:23] But when you say you, you mean you personally, family members of the deceased. 

Rainn Wilson [00:21:28] Yeah. Family members. It doesn’t have to be family members, but we really wanted to do it. I wanted to be part of that, to experience that. And it’s incredibly powerful to be, you know, frankly, washing the body of someone that, you know, that raised you and that you’ve known for 79 years. But there was no bowl at the funeral home. 

Angela [00:21:47] You needed a bowl for water. 

Rainn Wilson [00:21:49] Water to wash. And the guy was like, I’ve got a tea kettle you could use, or here’s a Styrofoam bowl to put the water into. 

Angela [00:21:56] From like takeout food or something. 

Rainn Wilson [00:21:58] So it was in- We were up against the wire because we were supposed to do this ritual and then get over to the burial and we had like 30 or 40 people coming. So I ran to the Target. It was in the middle of a heat wave, looking for a bowl to have water in, an appropriate bowl to wash my dead father’s body. So I used that as kind of a a touch point for a conversation about death. And I also use the book as an opportunity to to dig into some of life’s biggest, most profound questions in what I hope is a fun, insightful, kind of goofy, upside down way, like death, consciousness, God. You know, the biggest questions of humanity. And I wanted to kind of put it through a Rainn Wilson lens. So that story was the way to get in. 

Angela [00:22:42] It was fantastic. I shared part of that chapter with my daughter and in particular, Rainn, one thing I learned about you in this book that I didn’t know was how much you love quotes. You quote a lot of amazing people in this book. And I was going to tell you one of the quotes I love that I always think of when I meet people is it’s from the chapter of Luke in the New Testament. It’s part of a bigger verse, but the part that always sticks with me is the part that says, Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. And I think about that when I hear people talk. Like, what is their heart full of? What are they sharing about? What are they passionate about? And it’s just something that sticks with me throughout life. 

Rainn Wilson [00:23:26] That’s beautiful. I wish I would have used that in my book. I wonder if I can add it in the next edition. 

Jenna [00:23:32] You know, I do want to say this is a very easy read. I know we’re talking about big like heavy subjects, but you did write a book about big, heavy subjects and it’s very entertaining and it clips along. 

Rainn Wilson [00:23:44] It’s funny. 

Jenna [00:23:44] It is. It is.

Angela [00:23:44] It’s funny. It’s relatable. You hear your personality and your sense of humor. And at the same time you want to be a better person. 

Jenna [00:23:53] I particularly appreciated your section titled, Yo Atheists and Why I’m Not an Atheist. 

Rainn Wilson [00:24:00] Mm hmm. 

Jenna [00:24:00] And I really liked this because you are so interested in the arguments and beliefs of people who are very different from you. And you really show how to have a loving discourse with people who think differently. I loved your argument for why God exists, but I also loved your respect for science. 

Rainn Wilson [00:24:20] Mm hmm. 

Jenna [00:24:21] I just thought that is one of the things in the book where whatever your current faith is, if you’re none-er, like you said, a lot of young people are checking the box, none of the above. Or if you are in an established faith or religion, this book respects you on every level, even if you are an atheist. 

Rainn Wilson [00:24:39] Mm hmm. 

Jenna [00:24:39] It’s- the respect is there. 

Angela [00:24:41] So, Rainn, in chapter eight, you say, Hey, kids, let’s build the perfect religion. The first sentence is, Seriously? Another chapter on religion? You’re killing me with this. But you had at this point, you had explored so many, and you’re like, What is the one that will bring us all together? 

Jenna [00:24:59] Yeah. And it was really great because you lay out all of the best parts of every religion, the things they have in common, and then you propose a new religion, which you call Soul Boom. TM.

Rainn Wilson [00:25:11] Trademark. 

Angela [00:25:12] Trademark. He actually typed that in the book. TM.

Jenna [00:25:14] No, it’s very clear in the book that you aren’t really starting a new religion. 

Angela [00:25:19] Exactly. Rainn You were more just wanting to start a conversation about spirituality and just everyone’s own journey. 

Jenna [00:25:27] Well, I do want to say I did really like the sound of this religion. You mentioned it’s very hard to get a new religion off the ground. You need a religious leader, you know, all this kind of stuff. 

Rainn Wilson [00:25:37] Yeah. Which is not going to be me. 

Jenna [00:25:38] I know. 

Rainn Wilson [00:25:39] Maybe Creed. 

Jenna [00:25:41] I have a pitch for you. 

Rainn Wilson [00:25:42] Okay. Go ahead. 

Jenna [00:25:44] Okay. When I was in college, I went to see a psychic. And to be fair, I was asking if I was going to marry this boy that I had a crush on. That was my motivation. 

Rainn Wilson [00:25:56] Mm hmm. 

Jenna [00:25:57] The answer was no. 

Rainn Wilson [00:25:58] Wow. 

Jenna [00:25:59] He did not love me. He was not going to marry me. 

Rainn Wilson [00:26:01] Okay. 

Angela [00:26:02] Was it a woman? 

Jenna [00:26:03] It was a woman. 

Angela [00:26:04] Okay. How did she know? 

Jenna [00:26:05] I mean. 

Angela [00:26:06] What was the? 

Jenna [00:26:07] I don’t know. But she was right. 

Angela [00:26:09] Oh, okay. 

Jenna [00:26:10] He didn’t love me. He loved three other girls at the same time as me. He was one of those. 

Angela [00:26:15] Okay. 

Jenna [00:26:15] Okay, So, whatever. She said, cut him loose. It’s not going to work out. Great. 

Rainn Wilson [00:26:21] He loved Betsy Schnonzheiser and- 

Jenna [00:26:22] He loved everybody else. 

Rainn Wilson [00:26:23] And Terissa Von Vil-.  

Angela [00:26:26] Had a lot of love in his heart. 

Jenna [00:26:27] He did. And in his pants. So then I said, Well, am I going to be successful in life? You know, I’m studying, I’m a theatre major. I want to be a successful actress. 

Angela [00:26:38] You’re hitting her with the big questions. 

Jenna [00:26:40] I did. I mean, you know, it’s the only psychic I ever saw. And she said, you’re going to be very famous one day, but not for the reasons you think. She said, you’re going to be famous in the area of religion. You are going to be a famous religious leader. 

Rainn Wilson [00:26:59] Whoa! Do you want to run Soul Boom? 

Jenna [00:27:04] That’s what I’m saying! 

Rainn Wilson [00:27:05] Is this your pitch? 

Jenna [00:27:06] Maybe. 

Rainn Wilson [00:27:07] Soul Boom- trademark- the religion. 

Jenna [00:27:10] It’s all coming together! 

Rainn Wilson [00:27:10] I love it. I’m 100% behind that. 

Jenna [00:27:12] Where do I start? 

Angela [00:27:14] And you know what? You need another project. You were just saying to me, I want to take something really big on. 

Jenna [00:27:20] Yeah. 

Rainn Wilson [00:27:21] Yeah. Yeah. Perfect. 

Jenna [00:27:22] What do I need to do? 

Rainn Wilson [00:27:23] What do we need to do? Well, we need to get you. We need to get you some kind of office or, you know, worship center.

Angela [00:27:29] We’re gonna start with an office? 

Rainn Wilson [00:27:30] Worship Center. Oh, an office. 

Angela [00:27:31] Yeah. 

Rainn Wilson [00:27:33] An outfit. You know, we need to get someone to design, you know. 

Jenna [00:27:37] You mentioned in the book that you don’t want, you know. 

Rainn Wilson [00:27:40] No clergy. 

Jenna [00:27:41] You don’t want any clergy outfits. 

Rainn Wilson [00:27:43] Oh, that’s right. 

Jenna [00:27:43] You said no funny hats. 

Rainn Wilson [00:27:44] No funny hats. Yeah. 

Angela [00:27:45] No. 

Rainn Wilson [00:27:46] Yeah. I don’t know. Well, well, we’ll. We’ll put our heads together. Let’s figure this out. 

Jenna [00:27:50] Okay. 

Rainn Wilson [00:27:50] I love it. 

Jenna [00:27:51] Well. 

Rainn Wilson [00:27:52] I’m all for it. 

Jenna [00:27:52] Maybe we’ll make this woman’s prediction come true. 

Rainn Wilson [00:27:53] I did say that one- I did say that one of the components of. of building a perfect religion is no clergy. But I’m willing to reverse that. 

Jenna [00:28:01] Really?!

Rainn Wilson [00:28:02] Yeah. 

Jenna [00:28:02] This was a very quick reversal. That felt like an important tenet of your religion, and you are backtracking quickly. 

Rainn Wilson [00:28:07] I feel like there’s, like, five people that could do it. Like you and Oprah and I don’t know I don’t even know who else. 

Angela [00:28:13] Creed? 

Rainn Wilson [00:28:14] Maybe Creed. Yeah. 

Jenna [00:28:15] Wow. 

Rainn Wilson [00:28:16] Creed could run security. I love it. 

Jenna [00:28:20] Guys, please read the book and let us know if you think I should start the Soul Boom religion. Well, Rainn, thank you for coming in today. We also want to mention one other thing. So, Soul Boom; Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution, on sale now. 

Rainn Wilson [00:28:36] Yep. 

Jenna [00:28:36] And then in May, you’ve got a show coming out on Peacock. 

Angela [00:28:40] May 20th. 

Rainn Wilson [00:28:42] That’s right. The geography of Bliss. Talk about dream jobs. I flew around the world looking for happiness. How can we find clues to happiness, fulfillment, meaning, joy from other cultures around the world? Got to go to Iceland, Thailand, Ghana, West Africa, Bulgaria. And we did an episode right here in Los Angeles as well. Super fun and interesting. And I call it like it’s Anthony Bourdain, but instead of food, it’s it’s joy. 

Angela [00:29:09] I can’t wait to watch it. 

Rainn Wilson [00:29:12] It’s a lot of fun. It’s it’s quirky, it’s funny, but it’s also gets a little profound here and there. 

Angela [00:29:18] That is you Rainn. 

Jenna [00:29:18] That sounds like you. 

Rainn Wilson [00:29:21] Oh, well, maybe. 

Angela [00:29:21] Well, you guys, check out Rainn’s new book, Soul Boom. And we just love you so much. Thanks for being here today. 

Rainn Wilson [00:29:26] I love you, Office Ladies. Thanks for having me on your show. 

Jenna [00:29:30] We’ll be back to break down the rest of the Search Committee. 

Both [00:29:33] Part Two. 

Jenna [00:29:44] Well, it’s time to break down the rest of this episode, Search Party Part Two. 

Angela [00:29:49] Search Committee. 

Jenna [00:29:50] Thank you. Search Committee. Good to know what episode we’re doing. 

Angela [00:29:55] We’re off to a good start with this breakdown.

Jenna [00:29:56] All right. Well, Jo is going to enter with a new set of dogs. Actually sort of one of each dog now. She hands off her bags and her dogs to Gabe, and she starts chatting with Jim about this morning’s episode of Howard Stern. You know, he’s great, but really, she feels like it’s Robin. Robin is the highlight, right? But it’s, it’s Howard’s show. 

Angela [00:30:20] Mm hmm. 

Jenna [00:30:20] Mm hmm. 

Angela [00:30:21] I love when Jo make small talk. You never know what it’s going to be about. And I’m fascinated by her in her life. For me, the spinoff would have been Jo. 

Jenna [00:30:31] Yeah, but, Jo’s personal life. I don’t need to see her at work. Only when she comes to Dunder-Mifflin. 

Angela [00:30:37] Okay. 

Jenna [00:30:38] You know, we’re a side note. What is she doing outside of work? 

Angela [00:30:41] Yeah. 

Jenna [00:30:41] That’s the show I want to see. 

Angela [00:30:43] In Florida. 

Jenna [00:30:43] Yeah, well, she’s going to notice Darryl’s resume is on the top of the pile, and she’s really happy to see, you know, someone she knows. 

Angela [00:30:51] Mm hmm. 

Jenna [00:30:52] Someone in house. But why is it four pages long? 

Angela [00:30:55] Yeah. And she reads part of his resumé, and she looks at him and says, You coordinated and implemented receipt, storage and delivery of over 2.5 billion units of inventory? 2.5 billion, Darryl? 2.5 billion units of what? And Darryl says, Paper material? Like pieces of paper. 

Jenna [00:31:15] Yeah. 

Angela [00:31:16] Lady, I was curious. 

Jenna [00:31:18] About paper? 

Angela [00:31:21] No. About resumes and how often do we lie on our resumes? 

Jenna [00:31:25] Have you ever lied on a resume? 

Angela [00:31:28] No, but I have definitely added a flourish and special skills, as we’ve talked about. You know, I mean, I wouldn’t normally put water skiing, but I have. I don’t think anyone thinks what I can do on a water ski is special. So this led me to an article on CNBC dot com from December of 2022. It said, Over 55% of people admit to lying on their resume at least once. And according to the survey done by Standout CV, they surveyed Americans 18 years and older and this is what they found out: the number of Google searches about how to fake a resume was up 48%. 

Jenna [00:32:13] What?! 

Angela [00:32:13] In 2022. Specifically related to faking a job reference was up 52%. 

Jenna [00:32:20] You can Google that? 

Angela [00:32:22] Y’all were Googling how to fake your résumé. So this led me to this: what were people lying about? Here are the eight most common resume lies according to Standout CV. 

Jenna [00:32:35] Okay. 

Angela [00:32:37] Previous work experience. 

Jenna [00:32:39] Just making stuff up? 

Angela [00:32:43] Mmhmm. 55% of people lie about that. 

Jenna [00:32:43] Wow. 

Angela [00:32:44] Skills. It seems like it’s important. 43% of people lie about that. College degree or equivalent, 41% lie. I mean, aren’t people going to like follow up on that? 

Jenna [00:33:01] I don’t know. 

Angela [00:33:02] I guess not. Personal details, location, name, etc., age. 39% lie about that. 

Jenna [00:33:09] Okay. 

Angela [00:33:10] High school details, 39% lie. Previous salary-. 

Jenna [00:33:15] Ooh. 

Angela [00:33:15] 33% lie about that. 

Jenna [00:33:18] I just want to say, if you’re going to lie about anything, pad that previous salary, guys. 

Angela [00:33:23] Exactly. 

Jenna [00:33:23] What are you messing with all the other stuff for? 

Angela [00:33:26] You heard it here. Lie about your previous salary. 

Jenna [00:33:28] Yes. 

Angela [00:33:29] Job specific software or equipment skills. 

Jenna [00:33:33] Hmm. 

Angela [00:33:33] 33% Lie about that. Last on what people lie about, employer references. 21%. 

Jenna [00:33:43] That seems like you’re going to get caught. 

Angela [00:33:45] I know! This led me to the question, what professions are lied about the most? When applying for these jobs? The industry with the most employees lying on their resumes is manufacturing. With 72% of employees straying from the truth. The survey also found the next industry that had the most people lying on their resumes was the health care industry. 

Jenna [00:34:11] Oh, my gosh. 

Angela [00:34:12] 64%. And then the third most lied about profession was the arts. 

Jenna [00:34:19] Oh. Okay.

Angela [00:34:20] At 63%. 

Jenna [00:34:21] Water skiing. Special skill. 

Angela [00:34:23] Yeah, exactly. Me, me, me. But there you have it. I found it fascinating. And Darryl would be part of this survey because he said he delivered over 2.5 billion units of inventory. Jo is not amused by the way, by Darryl’s padding of his resume. 

Jenna [00:34:40] She’s not. 

Angela [00:34:41] And this is the time when Dwight decides to tell her he would also like to interview. And she said, Fine, I’ll interview you right now. Have you ever shot a gun in the office? Dwight says, It’s complicated. And Jo says, Yeah, but see? It’s not. 

Jenna [00:34:55] I love her. 

Angela [00:34:56] Such a line. 

Jenna [00:34:57] Love her. 

Angela [00:34:58] This next scene I’m going to call group goss in the break room. We had hot goss last week. This is group goss. Everyone is talking about Angela’s engagement to the senator. Do they tell her he’s gay or not? 

Jenna [00:35:12] I googled whether or not you should tell your friend. 

Angela [00:35:16] Or coworker. 

Jenna [00:35:17] True. This is only their coworker. 

Angela [00:35:19] I was going to say, I doubt Angela considers half of this room her friends. Maybe no one in this room. 

Jenna [00:35:25] Every article says mind your own business. Do not tell your friend that you think their fiance is gay. It’s not your business. 

Angela [00:35:34] It’s not your business. Although years later, down the road, they might turn to you and say, You knew this all along?! 

Jenna [00:35:42] Well, one of the articles I read said if you have direct evidence, it can’t be like if it’s a hunch, because, you know. 

Angela [00:35:49] Right. 

Jenna [00:35:49] You need like I saw your fiance say out with. 

Angela [00:35:54] Blah blah blah doing blah blah blah. 

Jenna [00:35:54] Another person. That also just- it doesn’t even matter the sexual orientation. If you saw someone’s fiancé out with another person romantically, you’re going to want to tell them before they marry them. 

Angela [00:36:05] Oof! 

Jenna [00:36:07] But this group does not have that evidence. 

Angela [00:36:09] No. They have a few likes on Ryan’s Facebook photos. 

Jenna [00:36:13] At three a morning. 

Angela [00:36:15] And a hunch from Oscar. 

Jenna [00:36:16] Yeah. 

Angela [00:36:17] Well, Phyllis says, You know, this might be her last chance at a family. 

Jenna [00:36:20] Mm hmm. 

Angela [00:36:21] And they ultimately decide not to tell her. 

Jenna [00:36:24] At this point, Kelly is going to ask for a private meeting with Jo. She’s going to kick Gabe out of the conference room. And this is when she tells Jo that Gabe is gross and that his behavior with Erin was unprofessional and she thinks Jo should know. 

Angela [00:36:39] Throughout this scene, Jo is getting a text from Dwight. It’s his resumé one line at a time. Because of this old tech alert, she’s roaming you guys. She’s on a flip phone. This is costing her a ton of money! 

Jenna [00:36:51] Yeah. 

Angela [00:36:52] So she screams at him, Jackass! Stop it! Next up, Creed is going to tell Jordan to get their biggest client on the phone. And Pam says, Oh, my gosh, Just put him through to me. And Pam pretends to be the client. 

Jenna [00:37:06] Hello!? 

Angela [00:37:07] I mean, Jenna. 

Jenna [00:37:08] I’m so sorry. 

Angela [00:37:09] All I could think about with all your characters and different clients in this episode was, I think Pam would make a fantastic Mom Detective. 

Jenna [00:37:19] Oh, because of all my characters I could do! 

Angela [00:37:21] Yes! 

Jenna [00:37:22] Lady, following up on last week, my window list building. 

Angela [00:37:26] Yeah? 

Jenna [00:37:27] I circled the building on my way home. 

Angela [00:37:30] Did you really? 

Jenna [00:37:30] There’s one window in the back on the second floor. 

Angela [00:37:34] One? That’s it?

Jenna [00:37:34] A single window. 

Angela [00:37:37] What are they doing in there? 

Jenna [00:37:38] It doesn’t make any sense. And here’s the other thing. The building, if you take a picture of it outside, it looks like there’s glass. It looks like, oh, maybe that’s like maybe it is a window, right? It’s like fragmented. It’s artistic looking. But I know it’s not a window because I watched them build it from the ground up. And there is no window there. 

Angela [00:37:57] Fakey window?

Jenna [00:37:58] So they’re doing fakey window in an otherwise windowless building with absolutely no signage of any kind on the building and one tiny, tiny window around the back on the second floor. What is it?

Angela [00:38:11] I am perplexed. I just remembered a long time ago I got a gift of binoculars for birdwatching. 

Jenna [00:38:19] You’re not going to see anything. It’s a windowless building. 

Angela [00:38:21] Don’t you want to like who goes in and out? 

Jenna [00:38:24] Nobody goes in and out. That’s the thing! There’s like maybe one or two- they have a whole parking lot, too. And you know how hard it is to get a parking lot in Los Angeles. They’ve got a whole parking lot. And every once in a while you see a van. 

Angela [00:38:35] Oh, sketchy! 

Jenna [00:38:37] What is it? 

Angela [00:38:38] That’s sketchy. I don’t know. I had a Mom Detective update, but it’s nowhere near as interesting as this windowless building with a parking lot and a van. 

Jenna [00:38:46] What’s your Mom Detective update? 

Angela [00:38:47] Well, you know those bird scooter things that people ride around? 

Jenna [00:38:51] No? 

Angela [00:38:53] What? Jenna, the city scooters. 

Jenna [00:38:54] Oh, sorry. Yeah, I thought you literally meant it was like a scooter to look at birds. It’s called the Byrd scooter. B y r d. 

Angela [00:39:02] Okay. I would ride a scooter that was specially made to go look at birds. 

Jenna [00:39:05] I know, that’s why I thought that’s what you were talking about. 

Angela [00:39:06] No, they’re the scooters that people ride around. You have an app or something on your phone. I don’t know how it works.

Jenna [00:39:11] Yeah, you unlock them, and then when you’re done with it, you just leave it on the sidewalk. Super annoying. And then people can’t push their strollers down the street or use a wheelchair on the sidewalk. 

Angela [00:39:20] Guess what’s been happening in my neighborhood? 

Jenna [00:39:22] Are they leaving them on your sidewalk? 

Angela [00:39:24] They’re just leaving them in people’s lawns. 

Jenna [00:39:27] In people’s lawns? 

Angela [00:39:27] Yeah, like just tipped over in people’s lawns. And my neighborhood is not having it. It’s young people. It only happens on the weekend. I sound so old. Like, I think- this is my theory- because, like, I went to bed, I turn off the lights. It’s like 11:00 at night. And then I get up the next morning and there’s a Byrd flopped over in the yard. 

Jenna [00:39:47] A Byrd scooter. 

Angela [00:39:47] A Byrd scooter. Yeah. Sorry. Not an actual bird. And I was like, when did that Byrd, you know, get flopped over in the yard? 

Jenna [00:39:55] I feel like someone is coming home a little tipsy on a scooter. 

Angela [00:40:01] After the bar. Mhmm. 

Jenna [00:40:02] Well, we have two cases. 

Angela [00:40:03] We have two cases. 

Jenna [00:40:04] That’s all I have to say. 

Angela [00:40:05] Who’s flopping the Byrds in the yards? 

Jenna [00:40:07] And what’s in the windowless building? 

Angela [00:40:09] Mm hmm. Next episode of Mom Detectives. (BLEEP) going down! 

Jenna [00:40:15] You see why this is going to be a hit show? Because of these riveting plotlines. All right. Next up is the scene where Erin is going to bring in Mr. Jacques Souvenir, the Frenchman. We talked with Rainn about this scene. I guess all I have to say now here in the breakdown is that I love it. 

Angela [00:40:33] I’m pretty sure his name was Jacques Souvenier. 

Jenna [00:40:35] Oh, I’m so sorry. 

Angela [00:40:36] You said it the way Jo says it. 

Jenna [00:40:38] Yes. I’m so sorry. You’re right. He is French. 

Angela [00:40:42] After Dwight leaves the conference room, Jo’s like, All right. Who are the real contenders? What about Andy? And Gabe just goes off. And she’s like, You know what, Gabe? I think it’s time to get you back to Florida. You got too close to the people here. We need to get you home. Well, this is a big plot point because it means we’re going to say goodbye to Gabe for a little while. 

Jenna [00:41:01] Gabe is going to be back in season eight. And this is reminding me we need to reach out to Zach Woods and have him on this podcast. 

Angela [00:41:07] I know. 

Jenna [00:41:07] I have a lot I need to speak with him about. 

Angela [00:41:09] Zach, I just want to hang out with you. 

Jenna [00:41:12] That’s kind of what this podcast is for. 

Angela [00:41:14] Yeah. Well, Jim is going to walk Jo to her car and she asks him, how did her friend Nellie do in the interview? Jim said, Well, we didn’t know that Nellie was your friend. And Jo was like, That’s a kind of classy move, right? 

Jenna [00:41:28] Yeah. 

Angela [00:41:29] But Jim’s like, you know, we still don’t think she’s a good fit. 

Jenna [00:41:32] And then this is a surprise moment. Jo tells Jim, Go ahead and give Dwight an interview. I like a little crazy. 

Angela [00:41:41] I can’t believe she’s going to give him another interview after everything. 

Jenna [00:41:45] And then her trunk opens. Did you see how it opens onto Jim? 

Angela [00:41:48] Yeah. And he, like, bends out of the way. Up next is one of my favorite Oscar moments for the whole entire season seven. 

Jenna [00:41:57] What is it? 

Angela [00:41:58] It is just one of those tiny throwaway moments, but it made me laugh so hard. I rewound the scene and watched it again. Oscar is going to walk up to front reception to drop off a package. A gray sock puppet with a red bow greets him. Oscar says, Erin, what are you doing? Erin says, I’ve been turned into a puppet! And Oscar goes, Okay. And just walks away. Doesn’t entertain the puppet. Doesn’t stay around to find out why. He’s like, N’okay. I loved it so much. 

Jenna [00:42:31] We got a question from Kristen S in New Brunswick, Canada, who said, Kevin’s talking head about the puppets is what I believe to be the most underrated comedy bit in The Office. I laugh out loud every time. My son plays it for me just to hear me laugh. Brian Baumgartner’s earnest delivery is perfection. 

Angela [00:42:51] Well, Kristen, I totally agreed with you, and I felt like we should hear this talking head. 

Kevin [00:42:56] It’s just that I wish the puppets would talk more about the alphabet. Not for me, but if any kids are watching? A, B and so forth. You know. And M N L O, P… F. 

Angela [00:43:15] Yes. This is the moment we find out that Kevin thinks in EMINELLO is a letter in the alphabet, which brought me to this Jenna. His last name is Malone. He has an m, he has an L, an O and an N in his name. Can he spell his name? 

Jenna [00:43:36] It doesn’t seem like it. Perhaps not. 

Angela [00:43:41] Well, the hand puppet is going to explain that she needs a date with the best salesman in the office. Andy Bernard. 

Jenna [00:43:48] Yeah. Andy walks over and he says he’s flattered, but he doesn’t think that they should date. 

Angela [00:43:57] Ouch. Ugh. I mean, I would just have to- that would be it. I would leave. I’m done working here. Bye, everybody. That’s so embarrassing. I would not be able to come back from that. 

Jenna [00:44:08] He has a talking head that is really a series of talking heads, I guess. Right? He gives a lot of reasons for why he doesn’t think they should date, that, you know, Erin’s his best friend, but he just didn’t feel it. Or he’s got a really weird thing about how, like, sometimes you really want to like things, but you just can’t seem to, like Mad Men or football. And then he sort of says, like, maybe he got over Erin. There’s like so many reasons. 

Angela [00:44:36] He also said, Let’s not forget she chose Gabe over me. That one hurt. But then he ends with, Well, actually, she’s pretty great. 

Jenna [00:44:44] I’m confused. 

Angela [00:44:45] I think he is, too. Next up, we get to meet the new bridezilla in the office. 

Jenna [00:44:51] I really loved doing this scene. 

Angela [00:44:53] Angela has only been engaged a few hours. You guys, like a few hours. Like 3 hours. And she’s already making big plans and telling people they’re not going to be invited. She’s like, Stanley, I won’t be able to invite everyone to the wedding because we want to keep it to 350. Stanley is like, I’ll get over it. Angela’s like, I mean, we just have to see how many senators and members of Congress want to attend before we can open it up to regular people. And then she says, Pam, you know how you and Jim did your ironic wedding? Do you still have the plans for the dream wedding that you couldn’t afford? And Pam says, That was our dream wedding. And Angela says, Niagara Falls? Pregnant? That was your dream? Pork medallions. Oh, my gosh. She is going to be horrible to deal with. 

Jenna [00:45:48] Pam gives a little look to Oscar. 

Angela [00:45:50] Mm hmm. And he gives her a look back, like Pam? And then she goes- very weighted- she says, Angela, I hope you have a very beautiful wedding. 

Jenna [00:46:00] Mm hmm. 

Angela [00:46:01] That ain’t what she really means. Well, let’s take a break, because when we come back, Kelly has joined the search committee, and things are going to get a little dicey. 

Jenna [00:46:19] We’re back from break, and before we keep breaking down this episode, Angela, I have something for you. 

Angela [00:46:25] What? 

Jenna [00:46:26] You know, we haven’t had a chance to talk about our live show in Vancouver that we did. We haven’t talked about it on the pod. It was so amazing. I mean, a lot of what was so amazing about it was just all of the really good best friend time that we had. 

Angela [00:46:40] I know! I made a bunch of stories over at Office Ladies Pod. I saved it as a highlight, but what a fun time to just go explore Vancouver a little bit. 

Jenna [00:46:49] Well, during the show, there was a moment that took us both by surprise. 

Angela [00:46:53] I was not surprised by it. 

Jenna [00:46:54] You weren’t? You know what I’m talking about. 

Angela [00:46:57] Yes! I- remember I said I said, listen, if we do this show in Texas, this moment is going to kill. I’m not so sure about Vancouver. 

Jenna [00:47:05] Well, during the show, we have a moment where we discuss chunk it versus chuck it. 

Angela [00:47:11] Yeah. 

Jenna [00:47:12] And we asked the audience. 

Angela [00:47:13] Almost 4000 people in attendance. Amazing crowd, lovely people. 

Jenna [00:47:18] Do any of you say chunk it? 

Angela [00:47:21] Not a single person. No one in Vancouver says chunk it. And I was like, No? Okay. Okay. 

Jenna [00:47:30] Well, I told you earlier that I went to our general mailbag this week. Angela, and I found this letter. And in honor of that crickets moment at our Vancouver live show. 

Angela [00:47:41] It was so funny. 

Jenna [00:47:44] I wanted to give you this gift. 

Angela [00:47:45] Okay. 

Jenna [00:47:47] Via Madelyn from Utah, who says, I was just watching Modern Family. And on season three, episode nine, they say, Chunk it. 

Angela [00:48:00] No! 

Jenna [00:48:01] Yes! In fact, the title of the episode is Pumpkin Chunkin. 

Angela [00:48:07] What?!

Jenna [00:48:09] In the episode, Cameron is trying to prove to the rest of his family that he used a slingshot to fling a pumpkin across a football field. And in this episode, they all refer to this as chunking the pumpkin. 

Angela [00:48:24] Yes! 

Jenna [00:48:25] Madelyn said, I just thought Angela would be so grateful. And Angela, I recorded this audio clip for you. This is just one tiny moment from the episode where they repeatedly say chunk it. 

Mitchell [00:48:38] I’m just saying, maybe you take pumpkin chunkin out of the rotation. 

Cameron [00:48:42] I guess you’re right. Maybe I could just-. 

Mitchell [00:48:43] Yeah, stick to the ones that really happen because people love those. 

Cameron [00:48:46] Excuse me. What? 

Mitchell [00:48:48] I’m just saying, people laugh more at stories that are true. 

Cameron [00:48:50] Punkin chunkin is a true story. 

Mitchell [00:48:52] True ish? 

Cameron [00:48:53] No. True. 

Mitchell [00:48:55] Really? The length of a football field? Through the sunroof of a car that was opened in late November in Missouri? 

Cameron [00:49:03] It was unseasonably warm. 

Mitchell [00:49:05] That explains the fog rolling over the hill. And who’s Cody, who you’re close enough to chunk with, but mysteriously only appears in this story. 

Cameron [00:49:11] Cody was KIA in Desert Storm. He’s a hero. You know all this from someone who’s never chunked a pumpkin!

Mitchell [00:49:20] I’ve never lunked a tunkin either. Yeah, these aren’t real things!

Jenna [00:49:24] There you go, Angela. A whole episode of chunking it! 

Angela [00:49:28] Madelyn, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. You know, I know people say chunk it out there somewhere, but it was pretty amazing when 4000 people were like, Nope. I do want to say a big thank you to everyone at Just For Laughs Vancouver. You guys were awesome. Thank you to everyone who came out. And one thing, though, that happened with the Vancouver audience, which I thought was amazing, is I asked if anyone could speak Indonesian and there were several people that could speak Indonesian. I was so thrilled and I yelled out to them and we had a moment. 

Jenna [00:50:01] You know, we’re really excited to keep doing more of these live shows. We had to put them on pause for a hot second because I got that part in The Mean Girls Movie Musical. 

Angela [00:50:09] But we are okay to hit the pause button because we so excited for you to be in this movie! 

Jenna [00:50:13] And I can’t wait to share about it, but we’re not really supposed to share any details. 

Angela [00:50:18] All right. You’ve got to give us some nuggets, lady. 

Jenna [00:50:20] All right. I’ll see what I can share. 

Angela [00:50:22] Okay. 

Jenna [00:50:23] In a future episode. So like we said before we went to break, Kelly is now a member of the search committee because Gabe is heading back to Florida. The first person that they’re going to interview now is Dwight. Well, actually, Dwight is going to interview Dwight in front of them. 

Angela [00:50:40] And he did a really good job. I mean, he kind of convinced Toby and Kelly that he should have a shot. 

Jenna [00:50:45] We got a fan catch from British Columbia, Canada, who says, I’m ten years old and you’re my favorite podcast by far, and I have a continuity catch. 

Angela [00:50:55] Oh, my gosh. 

Jenna [00:50:56] When Kelly, Toby and Jim are conducting interviews for the manager position, Kelly’s nails are painted white. But when they’re in the bullpen discussing if Dwight should be made manager, her nails are now green. 

Angela [00:51:10] Ohh. 

Jenna [00:51:11] Lemon, this is such a good catch. So go to 10 minutes, 35 seconds. There is only one shot in the entire conference room where you actually see her nails. So that is how detail oriented this catch is. It’s at 10 minutes and 35 seconds when she crosses her arms. But then at 12 minutes and 3 seconds, she is standing behind Dwight in the bullpen and she has her hands on the file cabinet right by the Froggy101 sticker. And her nails are very green. 

Angela [00:51:40] What a great catch. Well, pretty quickly, Jim realizes that Kelly took the deal. She has the same quote. That quote about the- 

Jenna [00:51:48] Oh, the hand that comes out of the grave and grips around your neck is the one you want on the steering wheel? 

Angela [00:51:52] Bingo. 

Jenna [00:51:53] Right. 

Angela [00:51:53] So Jim’s like, Um you took the deal. But then Toby is also agreeing with her. Jim is like, what is happening now? Then Phyllis storms into the conference room and says that Dwight and Kelly told her that Dwight is the manager, and they pre fired her. 

Jenna [00:52:08] So this is going to lead to an epic bullpen scene that is very long and very complex and every character gets to have a line here or a line there. And I absolutely loved it. It felt very classic Office to me. Myles McNutt pointed it out in his review as well. So I feel like we’ve got a little same brain thing happening. 

Angela [00:52:28] Mm hmm. Well, basically, the whole entire bullpen is going to weigh in on who they think should be the manager. Jim has lost the room. 

Jenna [00:52:35] Very quickly loses the room. 

Angela [00:52:37] Kevin talks for a bit. He’s tickled because he has everyone’s attention, but he has nothing to say. They shoo him off. They’re like, You can only speak if you have something to contribute. And Ryan says, I want an outsider. 

Jenna [00:52:50] Like a homeless person. 

Angela [00:52:52] This is a really delicious Ryan/ Pam moment. 

Jenna [00:52:56] I loved these so much. 

Angela [00:52:59] Pam says, A homeless person? Really? No, I want you to say that you think the best person to be our new manager is a homeless person. And Ryan’s like, Let me guess who you want, Pam. Rachel Ray? The ladies of The View. 

Jenna [00:53:11] Mm hmm. Yeah. Then Ryan has a talking head where he says he got away with everything under the last boss, and it wasn’t good for him. He wants guidance and leadership. But, you know, when he’s in the mood to be led. 

Angela [00:53:24] Yeah. Don’t boss him around. 

Jenna [00:53:25] No. We had a fan question from Erin G in Columbus, Ohio. I found this very interesting. 

Angela [00:53:31] Mm hmm. 

Jenna [00:53:32] Erin said, Was there a rule or contractual agreement that you could not use the name Michael after Steve Carell left? 

Angela [00:53:39] What?! 

Jenna [00:53:40] I know! Erin said, Unless I’m mistaken, for the remainder of the episodes of season seven and up to almost the end of season nine, Michael’s name is not used or referenced. And in this talking head, Ryan says, I got away with everything under the last boss, which I thought was kind of odd. After that, I started paying attention and noticed that no one says the name Michael again until season nine. 

Angela [00:54:05] Okay. Well, I definitely don’t think that was intentional. In fact, I have found in deleted scenes when his name was said. Remember, Jim and Pam have a joint talking head that was in deleted scenes where we find out that Michael adopted a dog and named it- 

Jenna [00:54:18] Pam Beagsley. 

Angela [00:54:19] Pam Beagsley. And it’s a beagle. 

Jenna [00:54:21] Yeah. 

Angela [00:54:22] So I think that is so crazy. I’m going to start paying attention to that though. 

Jenna [00:54:25] Me too. New tracker. 

Angela [00:54:27] Well, Meredith has a request for the next branch manager. She wants this person to be smart, professional and decisive, well hung and in his forties. And Jim’s like, Hey, hey, hey. And then she’s like, Fine, hire the guy with a small penis. 

Jenna [00:54:42] Andy chimes in. He says, Would that work for you? Like a small to moderate penis? 

Angela [00:54:47] My gosh. 

Jenna [00:54:48] It was so funny. 

Angela [00:54:49] So funny. 

Jenna [00:54:51] Ed’s delivery on that is perfection. 

Angela [00:54:52] So perfect. This is when Gabe is going to leave. 

Jenna [00:54:57] Sorry. Sorry. It makes me laugh because- 

Angela [00:54:59] I know. 

Jenna [00:55:00] I’m imagining Kelly’s reaction when she hugs him, and it’s just so funny. 

Angela [00:55:04] She says, Ew. And he goes, You don’t have to make that noise. And she said, He was just so much bonier than I thought. There’s so many more bones. When Gabe left, as I was watching it, I thought, this group of people can’t wait to have a cake, a party for any reason. And they literally are like, Oh, what, you’re leaving? K, byeee. 

Jenna [00:55:23] I know. And you can’t even use the excuse that it all came down in one day. Although maybe you can use the excuse that it’s because Michael wasn’t there. Because even if someone’s leaving in 3 hours, Michael is going to find a way to have a to do about it. 

Angela [00:55:37] Right. 

Jenna [00:55:37] So things have changed, especially when they’re Gabe. Jim is going to suggest Darryl again. 

Angela [00:55:45] And this is when Angela decides to join the conversation. She says, Well, let me be clear. I only speak for myself and not myself and the senator. I think we have some wonderful candidates and there’s a great lively debate here. But let’s think about- and Toby goes, No, no, no, we did this with Kevin. If you have nothing to say, stop talking. So here’s the thing. When we started filming this scene, I talked to Paul and our director, Jeff Blitz, and we had this idea that it would be really fun if Angela is already seeing herself as the senator’s wife and she’s like on the campaign trail. So she’s practicing her campaign speeches, but she just decides to try it out right here. And once they gave me that note, it was so much fun. I couldn’t wait to deliver these lines. 

Jenna [00:56:34] I love as an actor, when you get a good note. 

Angela [00:56:36] Yeah. It changed the whole speech for me. 

Jenna [00:56:39] It opens up your whole performance. Lady, we got a fan mail flurry. It’s really been a while since we’ve had such a flurry of mail on a single subject. And it was this: Why doesn’t Jim step in as manager? Why was he not considered or interviewed for the position? 

Angela [00:56:57] He didn’t want to be. 

Jenna [00:56:58] He didn’t want to be interim manager. But of everyone in the office besides Darryl, Jim is our other most sober, most qualified candidate. It is sort of a why? Why doesn’t he want a promotion with more money and more financial stability for his family? Why doesn’t he want that? 

Angela [00:57:19] I agree with this fan mail flurry. I don’t know. 

Jenna [00:57:22] I think that the honest answer to this question is that they had no intention of making the character of Jim the manager, because the show isn’t served by having a qualified, sober minded manager. 

Angela [00:57:37] The whole show depends on having a branch manager that everyone doesn’t like or has to deal with. 

Jenna [00:57:42] Correct. 

Angela [00:57:43] Well, they’re going to have to go back to the conference room now to figure this out. Did any of you guys notice that Brian, as Kevin, follows them back in the conference room and they shut the door in his face? 

Jenna [00:57:53] Yes. 

Angela [00:57:54] Brian improvised that. 

Jenna [00:57:55] Oh, that’s funny. 

Angela [00:57:56] I totally remember him doing it in the moment and I was cracking up because I was like, where’s he going?

Jenna [00:58:02] Well, we’re going to have a series of talking heads. First of all, Phyllis is going to let us know that she got the call from the, I guess, DNA offices or adoption agency. 

Angela [00:58:13] You know, the DNA offices. They’re by the DMV. It’s like post office, DMV. 

Both [00:58:17] The DNA office. 

Jenna [00:58:20] Exactly. Well, they called. And she and Erin are not related. 

Angela [00:58:24] But she’s going to tell her another day. 

Jenna [00:58:26] Yeah. They’ve been enjoying, I guess, this idea that maybe Phyllis is her mom. 

Angela [00:58:31] And she also encouraged Erin to really go for Andy. And Erin did it with the sock puppet and was told no in front of everyone. So maybe not the best day to get additional bad news. 

Jenna [00:58:43] Good point. 

Angela [00:58:44] Mm hmm. 

Jenna [00:58:45] The episode ends with a bunch of talking heads from all the various candidates about, you know, whether or not they think they’re going to get this job as the manager. They end with Finger Lakes Guy. We finally meet the guy who was so worried about getting the first two weeks off work to go to the Finger Lakes. And it’s Jim Carrey! Brent Forrester was the person in charge of reaching out to Jim Carrey’s reps. Brent said that Jim Carrey was an enthusiastic yes. And incidentally, Jim Carrey received a nomination for favorite TV guest star at the 38th People’s Choice Awards for this cameo. 

Angela [00:59:21] For Finger Lakes Guy? 

Jenna [00:59:22] Finger Lakes Guy. 

Angela [00:59:24] So fun that we got all of these cool guest stars for this episode. It really made it fun to rewatch. Well, we have one final moment with Creed as branch manager. He’s talking to his ninth biggest client. It’s Pam. 

Jenna [00:59:37] Yes. 

Angela [00:59:38] And he thinks the ninth biggest client and his fourth biggest client would get along. And now they have to all talk to each other. 

Jenna [00:59:45] Yes. So one of my favorite moments in this little bit, I improvised. 

Angela [00:59:51] Mm hmm. 

Jenna [00:59:51] There’s the moment when, you know, he says, Hey, Jordan, patch through my fourth biggest client. 

Angela [00:59:58] Mm hmm. 

Jenna [00:59:58] And I move the phone across my keyboard. 

Angela [01:00:02] Mm hmm. 

Jenna [01:00:02] That was like that’s the patching through sound. That was a little bit I came up with. 

Angela [01:00:07] I loved it. 

Jenna [01:00:08] And then I got to perform both sides of the conversation, which was, I mean, it delighted me. 

Angela [01:00:13] Well, I don’t know if anyone else caught it, but remember how Creed said he would intentionally say people’s names wrong on purpose, even if they were written correctly in the script? 

Jenna [01:00:22] Yes. 

Angela [01:00:22] Well, in this scene, he called Jordan Jordanna. 

Jenna [01:00:26] Oh, nice. Well, we should say that this is going to end Creed’s stint as manager. And we’ll also be saying goodbye to Cody Horn, who played Jordan. She does not return in season eight. But a lot of new stuff does happen in season eight, and I cannot wait to break down The List. 

Angela [01:00:44] Oh, I can’t wait. Before we get to season eight, we had a fun idea, you guys. We think it is time to break down a Keanu Reeves movie. And we’re going to start with Speed! 

Jenna [01:00:55] Yes! A little palate cleanser between season seven and season eight. Next week, we’re breaking down Speed! 

Angela [01:01:02] So tune in next week to hear us talk about Keanu Reeves and everything about that big old bus. And thank you guys so much for listening today. 

Jenna [01:01:09] And a big thank you to Rainn Wilson, who came into the studio. Just what a special person. Thank you, Rainn. We love you. 

Angela [01:01:17] Love you. Bye you guys! 

Jenna [01:01:24] Thank you for listening to Office Ladies. Office Ladies is produced by Earwolf, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey. Our show is executive produced by Codi Fischer. Our producer is Cassi Jerkins. Our sound engineer is Sam Kieffer. And our associate producer is Aynsley Bubbico. 

Angela [01:01:40] Our theme song is Rubber Tree by Creed Bratton. For Ad Ad free versions of Office Ladies, go to StitcherPremium.Com. For a free one month trial of Stitcher Premium, use code “office”.