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{{Good article}}
{{Office episode
{{Infobox television episode
| name = Traveling Salesmen
| series = [[The Office (American TV series)|The Office]]
| image = [[Image:Office US S03E13.jpg|225px]]<br/>Dwight salutes a farewell to his co-workers after a stint as one of the "Traveling Salesmen"|
| ep_num = 40
| season = 3
| episode = 13 <!-- THIS IS THE 13TH EPISODE OF THE SEASON. HOUR-LONG EPISODES ARE CONSIDERED TWO EPISODES. PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE EPISODE NUMBERS IN THIS ARTICLE. -->
| prod_code = 312
| date = [[January 11]], [[2007]]
| airdate = {{Start date|2007|01|11}}
| length = 21 minutes
| writer = [[Michael Schur]], [[Lee Eisenberg]], [[Gene Stupnitsky]]
| production = 312<ref name=Sneakpeak>{{cite web|last=Wilson|first=Rainn|title=Remember all of these? #FinalSeason|url=https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10100191630757268|publisher=[[Facebook]].com|access-date=December 13, 2012|date=December 13, 2012}}</ref>
| director = [[Greg Daniels]]
| season = 3
| director = [[Greg Daniels]]
| writer = {{Plainlist|
* [[Michael Schur]]
* [[Lee Eisenberg]]
* [[Gene Stupnitsky]]
}}
| music = "[[Kickstart My Heart]]" by [[Mötley Crüe]]
| photographer = [[Randall Einhorn]]
| editor = [[David Rogers (film editor)|David Rogers]]
| guests = *[[Creed Bratton]] as [[Creed Bratton (character)|Creed Bratton]]
*[[Ed Helms]] as [[Andy Bernard]]
*[[Rashida Jones]] as [[Karen Filippelli]]
| season_article = The Office (American season 3)
| episode_list = List of The Office (American TV series) episodes
| prev = [[Back from Vacation]]
| next = [[The Return (The Office)|The Return]]
}}
}}


'''"Traveling Salesmen"''' is the twelfth episode of the third season of the [[The Office (US TV series)|US version of ''The Office'']]. It aired [[January 11]], [[2007]], and is the seventh episode directed by series [[showrunner]] [[Greg Daniels]].
"'''Traveling Salesmen'''" is the thirteenth episode of the third season of the [[The Office (American TV series)|American version of ''The Office'']] and the show's 41st overall. The episode was written by [[Michael Schur]], [[Lee Eisenberg]], and [[Gene Stupnitsky]], and it was directed by series creator and executive producer [[Greg Daniels]]. It first aired on January 11, 2007 in the United States on [[NBC]].
==Synopsis==
{{spoiler}}
The episode opens with a sequence wherein [[Michael Scott (The Office)|Michael]] dresses the rear of his flat screen computer monitor with novelty teeth, a tiny [[Fez (clothing)|Fez]] and [[Post-It]] eyes and commands it to say rude things to [[Jim Halpert|Jim]] and [[Pam Beesly|Pam]] via a text-to-speech application on his computer.


The series depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the [[Scranton, Pennsylvania]] branch of the fictional [[Dunder Mifflin]] Paper Company. In this episode, the sales team goes out on sales calls, with [[Michael Scott (The Office)|Michael Scott]] ([[Steve Carell]]) and [[Andy Bernard]] ([[Ed Helms]]), [[Stanley Hudson]] ([[Leslie David Baker]]) and [[Ryan Howard (The Office)|Ryan Howard]] ([[B. J. Novak]]), [[Phyllis Vance|Phyllis Lapin]] ([[Phyllis Smith]]) and [[Karen Filippelli]] ([[Rashida Jones]]), and [[Dwight Schrute]] ([[Rainn Wilson]]) and [[Jim Halpert]] ([[John Krasinski]]) pairing up. Andy tries to show Dwight in a bad light to Michael, Karen learns of Jim's previous crush on [[Pam Beesly]] ([[Jenna Fischer]]), and [[Angela Martin]] ([[Angela Kinsey]]) forgets to hand in some important documents to New York, so her secret boyfriend Dwight does it for her.
Early in the episode, Kevin informs Angela that the corporate office has yet to receive important tax documents and warns Angela that if she forgot to send them in, "it is a big deal." Angela appears troubled. Later, Dwight is seen arriving at the office, where Angela has intently perched herself near reception. Angela asks if everything is okay, and Dwight informs her that she "is in the clear." Angela is visibly relieved.


Krasinski believed "Traveling Salesmen" was the first episode to give a real glimpse into Dwight and Angela's relationship, and much of the plot centered on the two. It aired to an estimated 10.2 million viewers according to [[Nielsen Media Research]]. It was positively received by television critics. Along with "[[The Return (The Office)|The Return]]", NBC later re-broadcast "Traveling Salesmen" as a combined hour-long episode as part of their [[sweeps week]]. As a result, both episodes underwent editing which included the addition of four minutes of previously unseen footage.
===Sales calls===
Dwight, fresh from the road, arrives late to the Michael's "dream team" sales meeting, prompting taunts from [[Andy Bernard]] regarding his tardiness. Michael informs them that at Andy's suggestion, they'll be pairing up for sales-call duty. Given first choice, Andy selects Michael, flattering him. Phyllis, whom Michael refers to as "our resident [[senior citizen|senior]]" picks Karen. Told he cannot select "pass", [[Stanley Hudson|Stanley]] selects Ryan. [[Dwight Schrute|Dwight]] is angered when he is left to partner with Jim. Dwight seeks coworkers willing to trade, but as Jim is the sole volunteer, the four pairs head out to the parking lot.


==Synopsis==
Michael tosses a bag of laundry to Dwight who in turn throws it into his Trans Am. Michael dubs the sales calls ''[[The Amazing Race]]'', prompting some confusion as he explains that there will be no winner, and that a prize will not be awarded for the largest sale. To supplement his statement, he assigns each pair a nickname based on previous contenders from ''Race''. Michael dubs Stanley and Ryan "the retired [[Marine corps|Marines]]", Phyllis and Karen "mother and daughter", Jim and Dwight "the [[gay]] couple", and his own team "the [[firefighter]] heroes". Before heading out, Michael snatches Phyllis's car keys from her hand and tosses them underneath her vehicle. Upon the team's departure, [[Angela Martin|Angela]] invites Pam for coffee.
<!-- Per Wikipedia "television episode" guidelines [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:EPISODE#Plot_summaries], the summary should not exceed ten words per minute of screen time. This is a 20-minute episode, so the limit is 200 words. -->


[[Dwight Schrute]] arrives several hours late to work one morning, due to driving to New York City to help out [[Angela Martin]].
Facilitated by a series of unique stationary in-car shots, the sales calls unfold.


[[Michael Scott (The Office)|Michael Scott]] announces that the sales department will be pairing up for sales calls. [[Andy Bernard]] chooses Michael, [[Phyllis Vance|Phyllis Lapin]] chooses [[Karen Filippelli]], and [[Stanley Hudson]] grudgingly chooses [[Ryan Howard (The Office)|Ryan Howard]], leaving Dwight with [[Jim Halpert]], who used to do sales calls together. Andy learns that Dwight does Michael's laundry as punishment for [[The Coup (The Office)|meeting with Jan to take over the branch]]. During their sales call, Andy sabotages the meeting, setting up an opportunity to later apologize to Michael, stating that he had really "Schruted" the situation, a further attempt to deride Dwight.
====Andy and Michael====
Andy, riding shotgun in Michael's convertible, continually badmouths Dwight, using suggestive language in an attempt to sway Michael's opinion of the man. He becomes frustrated, however, as Michael casually deflects his suggestions. Andy questions Michael as to why Dwight does his laundry. Michael explains that Dwight's laundry duty is punishment for [[The Coup (The Office episode)|attempting to take Michael's job in a secret meeting with Jan]].


While the salespeople are out, Angela tells [[Pam Beesly]] a thinly disguised story of how "Kurt" saves "Noelle" ("Kurt" and "Noelle" being Dwight's and Angela's middle names, respectively) by delivering the quarterly tax forms to [[New York City|New York]].
At the sales call, Michael's attempt to sell the small-town personal feel of Dunder-Mifflin is thwarted as Andy interrupts with tales of his privileged upbringing and boasting of the company's listing on the [[New York Stock Exchange]]. Afterward Andy apologizes for losing the sale, informing Michael that he really "screwed that up... I really Schruted it".


At first, Jim's and Dwight's sales call appears to be a fiasco, but it is soon clear that the joint force of Jim's straight-and-honest sales approach, along with Dwight's aggressive, erratic tactics, is a very successful partnership. Ryan asks Stanley if he could lead on this call so Stanley can critique him, which Stanley obliges. However, Ryan freezes up and fails when he realizes that Stanley's clients are all black. Stanley laughs at an annoyed Ryan during the entire trip back to the office. Phyllis and Karen first stop at a beauty parlor, emerging with gaudy makeovers. Their sales call is a success because, as Phyllis knew, the client likes women with that kind of look, as evidenced by the photo of his wife. Returning to the office, Phyllis tells Karen that she's pleased that Jim got over his crush on Pam. Karen confronts Jim with this information, and he reassures her that his crush has passed.
====Stanley and Ryan====
En route, Ryan asks Stanley if he can take the lead on the sales call, and the older man happily accepts. The pair meet with four black men in the lobby of their business; one of the men knows Stanley. Ryan, flustered, is unable to mutter anything but "Hi. Hi. Hi. Hi." Later Stanley mocks Ryan for his ineptitude, comparing his behavior to that of his six-month-old niece.


Upon returning after the sales call, Andy steals Dwight's keys, breaks into his car, and finds the toll booth ticket to New York City. Andy gives the evidence to Michael, who then accuses Dwight of disloyalty, and Angela prevents him from clearing his name because it would expose their relationship. Dwight resigns and hugs Jim on his way out. Andy gloats over his success, but the documentary camera catches Angela in the background glaring at him.
====Jim and Dwight====
Before they depart, Jim reveals to the camera that he and Dwight used to frequently go on sales calls in the past, and produces an old picture of the young sales duo. Dwight sits in the rear driver's-side seat of Jim's Saab. At the sales call, the pair enact a tag-team sales routine, wherein Dwight borrows a phone and works his way through the call center of what he says is a competing paper company and is put on hold for several minutes while Jim dials Dunder-Mifflin customer service and Kelly answers immediately and amicably. A sale is quickly made.


==Production==
====Phyllis and Karen====
{{multiple image
Rather than immediately head out on their call, [[Phyllis Lapin|Phyllis]] drives Karen to a nearby beauty salon and purchases an outlandish beauty treatment she describes as "makeovers" for the pair. At their sales call, a large sale is quickly procured. Karen is impressed with Phyllis' savvy as it is revealed through a photograph on the client's desk that his wife subscribes to a similar beauty sensibility. Later, Phyllis mentions her happiness for [[Karen Filippelli|Karen]] and Jim's relationship as she had worried he would never overcome his crush on Pam, inadvertently revealing its existence to Karen.
| align = right
| image1 = Rainn Wilson 2011 Shankbone.JPG
| width1 = 175
| alt1 =
| caption1 =
| image2 = Angela kinsey.jpg
| width2 = 135
| alt2 =
| caption2 =
| footer = "Traveling Salesmen" partly centered around Dwight ''(left)'' and Angela's ''(right)'' ongoing relationship.
}}


"Traveling Salesman" was written by [[Michael Schur]], [[Lee Eisenberg]], and [[Gene Stupnitsky]],<ref>{{cite episode |title=Traveling Salesmen|series=The Office |series-link=The Office (American TV series) |credits=[[Greg Daniels]] (director), [[Michael Schur]] (writer), [[Lee Eisenberg]] (writer), [[Gene Stupnitsky]] (writer) |network=[[NBC]] |airdate=January 11, 2007 |season=3 |number=13}}</ref> while co-creator and executive producer [[Greg Daniels]] directed.<ref>{{Cite news|work=[[The Windsor Star]] |title=Filmmaker offers diverse opinions about Mozart |first=Alex |last=Strachan |date=January 11, 2007 |id = {{ProQuest|254686065}}}} {{subscription required}}</ref> Daniels shot "Traveling Salesmen"<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/celebrity-blogs/January-11-2007-19748.aspx |work=[[TV Guide]] |title=January 11, 2007: "Traveling Salesmen" |first=Kate |last=Flannery |author-link=Kate Flannery |date=January 11, 2007 |access-date=January 26, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090531024142/http://www.tvguide.com/celebrity-blogs/January-11-2007-19748.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2009 }}</ref> and "[[The Return (The Office)|The Return]]" in mid-November 2006 before the cast and crew began an eight-week break.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/celebrity-blogs/January-18-2007-19749.aspx |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120913034407/http://www.tvguide.com/celebrity-blogs/January-18-2007-19749.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 13, 2012 |first=Kate |last=Flannery |author-link=Kate Flannery |work=[[TV Guide]] |date=January 17, 2007 |title=January 18, 2007: Oscar's Return |access-date=January 26, 2012 }}</ref>
===Angela and Pam===
At a coffee shop, Pam notices Angela's happy glow and inquires. Angela tells Pam a thinly-veiled story of her friend "Noelle", who missed a deadline to send in important documents to corporate in New York and the "gallant gentleman", "Kurt" who drove the documents all the way to New York and handed them in for her. Pam glances knowingly at the camera.


[[John Krasinski]] enjoyed the episode because he believed it was the first real glimpse of Angela and Dwight's relationship, with [[Rainn Wilson]] noting that the audience gets "to see how Dwight becomes her hero".<ref name=commentary>{{cite video |people=[[John Krasinski|Krasinski, John]], [[Rainn Wilson]], [[Rashida Jones]], [[Ed Helms]], [[Leslie David Baker]], Dave Rogers (film editor) |date=2007 |title=Audio commentary for "Traveling Salesman/The Return" | medium=DVD |publisher=[[Universal Studios Home Entertainment]] }} ''The Office: Season Three'' Disc 3</ref> As with other ''Office'' episodes, a number of scenes in "Traveling Salesmen" were improvised and unscripted, including Angela with the jelly beans and Stanley laughing at Ryan in the car.<ref name=commentary/>
===Dwight's decision===
Upon their return, Karen invites Jim to coffee where he assures her that his crush on Pam has passed and that he is glad that Karen moved to Scranton. Meanwhile, Andy steals Dwight's car keys and searches his car, yielding a tollbooth receipt from a trip that morning to New York. Proffering the stolen ticket as evidence, Andy's suggestions finally begin to take hold as Michael is coaxed into believing that Dwight has gone behind his back to the corporate office, betraying him again. After confirming with Jan that Dwight was present at corporate that morning, Michael approaches him with Andy in tow, demanding an explanation. Dwight refuses to acknowledge or explain his presence at the corporate office, but assures Michael that has not betrayed him. Michael insists on an explanation by the end of the day, implying that Dwight may be fired if he does not comply with his request.


To create the old picture of Jim and Dwight, an actual high school photograph of Krasinski was [[photoshop]]ped along with a 1991 image of Wilson while Wilson was on tour with an acting company. While standing in the parking lot, the cast had to pretend to shiver in {{convert|85|F}} weather. Krasinski actually slapped Wilson at Wilson's request, which Krasinski considered "one of the craziest acting experiences I've ever had".<ref name=commentary/> Before deciding on singing to a melody from ''[[Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory]]'', [[Ed Helms]] and Daniels shot 50 different versions.<ref name=commentary/> Another ''Willy Wonka'' reference includes Andy's mention of a chocolate factory and not wishing "to fall into any chocolate river".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/show/the_office/traveling_salesmen.php |publisher=[[Television Without Pity]] |title=Traveling Salesmen |access-date=January 26, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090723231738/http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/show/the_office/traveling_salesmen.php |archive-date=July 23, 2009 }}</ref>
Dwight and Angela consult. It is made clear that Dwight will have to choose between betraying Angela by making their relationship public or betraying Michael by withholding information about his whereabouts that morning. Shortly after, Dwight stands up at his desk, requests the attention of the office and announces his resignation:


"Traveling Salesmen" was later rebroadcast with "The Return" as a combined hour-long episode on March 15, 2007, with four minutes of previously unseen footage added.<ref name=buddytvtreat/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.givememyremote.com/remote/2007/03/03/the-office-paley-festival/ |publisher=Give Me My Report |date=March 3, 2007 |first=Kath |last=Skerry |title=The Office Paley Festival |access-date=January 26, 2012 }}</ref> Greg Daniels explained that it was both an attempt to attract a larger audience and "it's about giving something extra to our wonderful fans…their loyalty must be rewarded somehow, and we don't have the budget for 10 million muffin baskets".<ref name=buddytvtreat>{{cite web|url=http://www.buddytv.com/articles/the-office/a-new-treat-from-the-office-4891.aspx |publisher=[[Buddy TV]] |date=March 12, 2007 |first=Kris |last=De Leon |title=A New Treat from The Office |access-date=January 25, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/s155/the-office/news/a43842/nbc-plans-office-newpeats.html |publisher=[[Digital Spy]] |date=March 12, 2007 |first=James |last=Welsh |title=NBC plans 'Office' "newpeats" |access-date=January 26, 2012 }}</ref> As part of the editing process, Pam is seen winning an art contest, four scenes of Andy searching through Dwight's things were condensed, and an Angela–Pam storyline as well as an extended scene of Andy going to anger management were added.<ref name=deletedscenes/><ref>{{Cite news |last=Zoromski |first=Brian |title=The Office ''Newpeats'': Worth Watching? |publisher=[[IGN]] |date=March 16, 2007 |url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/773/773267p1.html |access-date=January 26, 2012}}</ref> The third season DVD contains a number of deleted scenes, such as Michael using his computer, "Harvey", to hit on Pam (this scene was the cold open for "Traveling Salesman" on its original broadcast; the combined hour-long version of "Traveling Salesman" and "The Return" has no cold open). Notable cut scenes included Andy dramatically illustrating to Karen that they are the only two Stamford employees remaining, Jim and Dwight surreptitiously planning their sales tactic, Pam offering to get coffee for her co-workers, and Dwight emotionally giving away selected items to others in the office.<ref name=deletedscenes>{{cite video |date=2007 |title=Traveling Salesman/The Return: Deleted Scenes | medium=DVD |publisher=[[Universal Studios Home Entertainment]] }} ''The Office: Season Three'' Disc 3</ref>
:{{cquote|Although I love this company more than almost anything in the world, I have decided to step down from my post and spend more time with my family. I do not fear the unknown. I will meet my new challenges head-on, and I will succeed, and I will laugh in the faces of those who doubt me. It's been a pleasure working with some of you, and I will not forget those of you soon. But remember, while today it is me, we all shall fall. In other words, I'm quitting.}}


==Reception==
He bequeaths his box of desk items to Michael, but pulls away two [[bobblehead doll]]s, including the likeness of himself. On his way out, Dwight approaches and embraces Jim who is walking with Karen through the parking lot, confusing the two; both were talking over coffee when Dwight's resignation occurred. Andy gloats to the camera about his clever plan to get rid of Dwight while Angela vengefully glares at Andy from the background.
"Traveling Salesmen" was first broadcast on January 11, 2007 in the United States on NBC. According to [[Nielsen Media Research]], an estimated 10.2 million viewers tuned in,<ref>{{Cite news|work=[[The New York Times]] |title=Grey leads for ABC |first=Benjamin |last=Toff |date=January 13, 2007 |id = {{ProQuest|433493374}}}} {{subscription required}}</ref> making it only a handful of other episodes of ''The Office'' to reach over 10 million viewers, the others being the show's [[Pilot (The Office)|pilot episode]], "[[The Injury]]", "[[The Return (The Office)|The Return]]," "[[Ben Franklin (The Office)|Ben Franklin]]" and "[[Stress Relief (The Office)|Stress Relief]]," of which the latter reached over 20 million viewers.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Jan. 17, 2007 Press Release ("Traveling Salesmen")|url= http://www.nbcumv.com/entertainment/release_detail.nbc/entertainment-20070117000000-nbcratingsresults.html|publisher=NBC|date=27 February 2007|access-date=January 23, 2012 }}{{dead link|date=May 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} [http://www.officetally.com/the-office-nielsen-ratings/2 Alt URL]</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Gorman |first=Bill |title=Updated: ''The Office'' Draws 22.905 Million Viewers Following the Super Bowl |publisher=[[TV by the Numbers]] |date=February 2, 2009 |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2009/02/02/the-office-draws-220-million-viewers-following-the-super-bowl/12010/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501074747/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2009/02/02/the-office-draws-220-million-viewers-following-the-super-bowl/12010 |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 1, 2011 |access-date=January 26, 2012}}</ref>


[[Buddy TV]] senior writer Oscar Dahl remarked, "It didn't make me laugh out loud and, yet, I still loved it." He shed a negative light on Andy's behavior towards Dwight, calling it "annoying and not that funny". Dahl hoped Dwight would be reappearing soon, and concluded "Overall, a crucial story episode with a nice cliffhanger. Even if wasn't as funny as last week or even most episodes this season, ''The Office'' still entertains."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.buddytv.com/articles/the-office/the-office-traveling-salesman-2996.aspx |publisher=[[Buddy TV]] |title=The Office: Traveling Salesmen |first=Oscar |last=Dahl |date=January 12, 2007 |access-date=January 25, 2012 }}</ref> [[AOL TV]]'s Michael Sciannamea lauded the episode, writing "I cannot remember ever guffawing over every single line in a single sitcom episode as I did watching this one. If the performances in this particular one don't garner the actors in this show a plethora of Emmys, there ought to be an investigation." Sciannamea continued that he believed it was Steve Carell's best series performance thus far because he "displayed the full range of his personality—jokester, arrogant jerk, charming salesman, sensitive soul, and added a new one—anger."<ref name=aoltvreview>{{Cite web |url=http://www.aoltv.com/2007/01/11/the-office-traveling-salesmen/ |publisher=[[AOL TV]] |title=The Office: Traveling Salesmen |first=Michael |last=Sciannamea |date=January 11, 2007 |access-date=January 25, 2012 |archive-date=October 26, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141026041422/http://www.aoltv.com/2007/01/11/the-office-traveling-salesmen/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Quotes==
*'''Harvey the Computer''': Hi Jim. I am Harvey, a computer. Jim sucks.
*'''Harvey the Computer''': Pam, you look very hot today.
*'''Harvey the Computer''': Me so horny. Me love you long tim. [misspelling the word ''time''.]
*'''Harvey the Computer''': You ruined a funny joke, you. Get out of my offive.
*'''Harvey the Computer''': Boobs.
*'''Dwight''': I never let anyone walk behind me. Seven out of ten attacks are from the rear.
*'''Ryan''': [Shaking the hands of four prospective clients] Hi. Hi. Hi. Hi.
*'''Andy''': "Also, I shot a deer once."
*'''Stanley''': [Laughing at Ryan] You sounded like my niece, and she's six months old!
*'''Andy''': We trade on the New York Stock Exchange. Ever heard of it?... it's in New York.
*'''Michael''': You know what they say: Fool me once, strike one, but fool me twice...strike three
*'''Andy''': [to the tune of the [[Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory|Oompa Loompa]] song] "Oompa, loompa, doompity, dawesome. Dwight is now gone, which is totally awesome. Why was he gone? He was such a nice guy. No he was not, he was a total douche. Doompity doom. "


''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' writer Abby West commented of Dwight's ouster, "There's no way Rainn Wilson is off the show, but it was a bold move to let him appear to be bested by the (slightly) more Machiavellian Andy. I can't wait to see how they play out this storyline."<ref name=ewreview/> West referred to "Phyllis' expert psychological move" with the makeovers as her favorite subplot of the night, and appreciated the spotlight on the sales pairings; she expanded on this latter point, "The trip out of the office was also a great reminder of what these Dunder Mifflin-ers actually do and how good most of them are. Isn't it interesting that as much as they normally clash, Dwight and Jim make a very effective sales team, while the seeming bond that Michael and Andy share did nothing to keep Andy from punting their pitch? When Dwight started using the client's phone, Jim didn't skip a beat. They'd either used the ploy (of dialing the competition's customer service number and showing how long the wait time was) before, or Jim is comfortable going with Dwight's flow, at least in that kind of setting. They essentially played good cop/bad cop... or good cop/weird cop."<ref name=ewreview>{{Cite magazine |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20008318,00.html |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |title=Elimination Scheme |first=Abby |last=West |date=January 14, 2007 |access-date=January 26, 2012 |archive-date=June 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607171425/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20008318,00.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Other television critics also praised the various sales call pairings.<ref name=aoltvreview/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/755/755053p1.html |publisher=[[IGN]] |title=The Office: ''Traveling Salesmen'' Review |first=Brian |last=Zoromski |date=January 12, 2007 |access-date=January 28, 2012 }}</ref>
==Trivia==
*While Michael is typing "Long time. Me lobe yoy long time", the screen shows that Michael had also typed "Pam is the receptionist", which is never heard from the computer during the scene before.
*Dwight mentally prepares for the sales call by banging his head to [[Mötley Crüe]]'s "[[Kickstart My Heart]]".
*From Angela's thinly-veiled tale of the gallantry of "Kurt" to her "friend", it can be inferred that Angela's middle name might be Noelle.


==References==
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
*{{cite press release|url=http://www.nbcumv.com/release_detail.nbc/entertainment-20061221000000-nbcprimetimeschedu.html

|publisher=NBC
==External links==
|date=2006-12-21
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20121113212143/http://www.nbc.com/the-office/episode-guide/season-3/59065/traveling-salesmen/episode-313/59261/ "Traveling Salesmen"] at NBC.com
|title=NBC Primetime Schedule For Sunday, Jan 7 2006 - Saturday, Jan 13 2007}}
*{{IMDb episode|0934246}}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0199948/filmoseries|title=Greg Daniels - TV Episode Filmography By Series|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=2006-12-21}}

{{The Office US Episodes}}


[[Category:The Office (US) episodes]]
[[Category:The Office (American TV series) season 3 episodes]]
[[Category:2007 American television episodes]]
[[Category:Television episodes directed by Greg Daniels]]
[[Category:Television episodes written by Michael Schur]]

Latest revision as of 06:46, 1 September 2024

"Traveling Salesmen"
The Office episode
Episode no.Season 3
Episode 13
Directed byGreg Daniels
Written by
Featured music"Kickstart My Heart" by Mötley Crüe
Cinematography byRandall Einhorn
Editing byDavid Rogers
Production code312[1]
Original air dateJanuary 11, 2007 (2007-01-11)
Running time21 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Back from Vacation" 		Next →
"The Return"
The Office (American season 3)
List of episodes

"Traveling Salesmen" is the thirteenth episode of the third season of the American version of The Office and the show's 41st overall. The episode was written by Michael Schur, Lee Eisenberg, and Gene Stupnitsky, and it was directed by series creator and executive producer Greg Daniels. It first aired on January 11, 2007 in the United States on NBC.

The series depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. In this episode, the sales team goes out on sales calls, with Michael Scott (Steve Carell) and Andy Bernard (Ed Helms), Stanley Hudson (Leslie David Baker) and Ryan Howard (B. J. Novak), Phyllis Lapin (Phyllis Smith) and Karen Filippelli (Rashida Jones), and Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) and Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) pairing up. Andy tries to show Dwight in a bad light to Michael, Karen learns of Jim's previous crush on Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer), and Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey) forgets to hand in some important documents to New York, so her secret boyfriend Dwight does it for her.

Krasinski believed "Traveling Salesmen" was the first episode to give a real glimpse into Dwight and Angela's relationship, and much of the plot centered on the two. It aired to an estimated 10.2 million viewers according to Nielsen Media Research. It was positively received by television critics. Along with "The Return", NBC later re-broadcast "Traveling Salesmen" as a combined hour-long episode as part of their sweeps week. As a result, both episodes underwent editing which included the addition of four minutes of previously unseen footage.

Synopsis

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Dwight Schrute arrives several hours late to work one morning, due to driving to New York City to help out Angela Martin.

Michael Scott announces that the sales department will be pairing up for sales calls. Andy Bernard chooses Michael, Phyllis Lapin chooses Karen Filippelli, and Stanley Hudson grudgingly chooses Ryan Howard, leaving Dwight with Jim Halpert, who used to do sales calls together. Andy learns that Dwight does Michael's laundry as punishment for meeting with Jan to take over the branch. During their sales call, Andy sabotages the meeting, setting up an opportunity to later apologize to Michael, stating that he had really "Schruted" the situation, a further attempt to deride Dwight.

While the salespeople are out, Angela tells Pam Beesly a thinly disguised story of how "Kurt" saves "Noelle" ("Kurt" and "Noelle" being Dwight's and Angela's middle names, respectively) by delivering the quarterly tax forms to New York.

At first, Jim's and Dwight's sales call appears to be a fiasco, but it is soon clear that the joint force of Jim's straight-and-honest sales approach, along with Dwight's aggressive, erratic tactics, is a very successful partnership. Ryan asks Stanley if he could lead on this call so Stanley can critique him, which Stanley obliges. However, Ryan freezes up and fails when he realizes that Stanley's clients are all black. Stanley laughs at an annoyed Ryan during the entire trip back to the office. Phyllis and Karen first stop at a beauty parlor, emerging with gaudy makeovers. Their sales call is a success because, as Phyllis knew, the client likes women with that kind of look, as evidenced by the photo of his wife. Returning to the office, Phyllis tells Karen that she's pleased that Jim got over his crush on Pam. Karen confronts Jim with this information, and he reassures her that his crush has passed.

Upon returning after the sales call, Andy steals Dwight's keys, breaks into his car, and finds the toll booth ticket to New York City. Andy gives the evidence to Michael, who then accuses Dwight of disloyalty, and Angela prevents him from clearing his name because it would expose their relationship. Dwight resigns and hugs Jim on his way out. Andy gloats over his success, but the documentary camera catches Angela in the background glaring at him.

Production

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"Traveling Salesmen" partly centered around Dwight (left) and Angela's (right) ongoing relationship.

"Traveling Salesman" was written by Michael Schur, Lee Eisenberg, and Gene Stupnitsky,[2] while co-creator and executive producer Greg Daniels directed.[3] Daniels shot "Traveling Salesmen"[4] and "The Return" in mid-November 2006 before the cast and crew began an eight-week break.[5]

John Krasinski enjoyed the episode because he believed it was the first real glimpse of Angela and Dwight's relationship, with Rainn Wilson noting that the audience gets "to see how Dwight becomes her hero".[6] As with other Office episodes, a number of scenes in "Traveling Salesmen" were improvised and unscripted, including Angela with the jelly beans and Stanley laughing at Ryan in the car.[6]

To create the old picture of Jim and Dwight, an actual high school photograph of Krasinski was photoshopped along with a 1991 image of Wilson while Wilson was on tour with an acting company. While standing in the parking lot, the cast had to pretend to shiver in 85 °F (29 °C) weather. Krasinski actually slapped Wilson at Wilson's request, which Krasinski considered "one of the craziest acting experiences I've ever had".[6] Before deciding on singing to a melody from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Ed Helms and Daniels shot 50 different versions.[6] Another Willy Wonka reference includes Andy's mention of a chocolate factory and not wishing "to fall into any chocolate river".[7]

"Traveling Salesmen" was later rebroadcast with "The Return" as a combined hour-long episode on March 15, 2007, with four minutes of previously unseen footage added.[8][9] Greg Daniels explained that it was both an attempt to attract a larger audience and "it's about giving something extra to our wonderful fans…their loyalty must be rewarded somehow, and we don't have the budget for 10 million muffin baskets".[8][10] As part of the editing process, Pam is seen winning an art contest, four scenes of Andy searching through Dwight's things were condensed, and an Angela–Pam storyline as well as an extended scene of Andy going to anger management were added.[11][12] The third season DVD contains a number of deleted scenes, such as Michael using his computer, "Harvey", to hit on Pam (this scene was the cold open for "Traveling Salesman" on its original broadcast; the combined hour-long version of "Traveling Salesman" and "The Return" has no cold open). Notable cut scenes included Andy dramatically illustrating to Karen that they are the only two Stamford employees remaining, Jim and Dwight surreptitiously planning their sales tactic, Pam offering to get coffee for her co-workers, and Dwight emotionally giving away selected items to others in the office.[11]

Reception

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"Traveling Salesmen" was first broadcast on January 11, 2007 in the United States on NBC. According to Nielsen Media Research, an estimated 10.2 million viewers tuned in,[13] making it only a handful of other episodes of The Office to reach over 10 million viewers, the others being the show's pilot episode, "The Injury", "The Return," "Ben Franklin" and "Stress Relief," of which the latter reached over 20 million viewers.[14][15]

Buddy TV senior writer Oscar Dahl remarked, "It didn't make me laugh out loud and, yet, I still loved it." He shed a negative light on Andy's behavior towards Dwight, calling it "annoying and not that funny". Dahl hoped Dwight would be reappearing soon, and concluded "Overall, a crucial story episode with a nice cliffhanger. Even if wasn't as funny as last week or even most episodes this season, The Office still entertains."[16] AOL TV's Michael Sciannamea lauded the episode, writing "I cannot remember ever guffawing over every single line in a single sitcom episode as I did watching this one. If the performances in this particular one don't garner the actors in this show a plethora of Emmys, there ought to be an investigation." Sciannamea continued that he believed it was Steve Carell's best series performance thus far because he "displayed the full range of his personality—jokester, arrogant jerk, charming salesman, sensitive soul, and added a new one—anger."[17]

Entertainment Weekly writer Abby West commented of Dwight's ouster, "There's no way Rainn Wilson is off the show, but it was a bold move to let him appear to be bested by the (slightly) more Machiavellian Andy. I can't wait to see how they play out this storyline."[18] West referred to "Phyllis' expert psychological move" with the makeovers as her favorite subplot of the night, and appreciated the spotlight on the sales pairings; she expanded on this latter point, "The trip out of the office was also a great reminder of what these Dunder Mifflin-ers actually do and how good most of them are. Isn't it interesting that as much as they normally clash, Dwight and Jim make a very effective sales team, while the seeming bond that Michael and Andy share did nothing to keep Andy from punting their pitch? When Dwight started using the client's phone, Jim didn't skip a beat. They'd either used the ploy (of dialing the competition's customer service number and showing how long the wait time was) before, or Jim is comfortable going with Dwight's flow, at least in that kind of setting. They essentially played good cop/bad cop... or good cop/weird cop."[18] Other television critics also praised the various sales call pairings.[17][19]

References

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  1. ^ Wilson, Rainn (December 13, 2012). "Remember all of these? #FinalSeason". Facebook.com. Retrieved December 13, 2012.
  2. ^ Greg Daniels (director), Michael Schur (writer), Lee Eisenberg (writer), Gene Stupnitsky (writer) (January 11, 2007). "Traveling Salesmen". The Office. Season 3. Episode 13. NBC.
  3. ^ Strachan, Alex (January 11, 2007). "Filmmaker offers diverse opinions about Mozart". The Windsor Star. ProQuest 254686065. (subscription required)
  4. ^ Flannery, Kate (January 11, 2007). "January 11, 2007: "Traveling Salesmen"". TV Guide. Archived from the original on May 31, 2009. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
  5. ^ Flannery, Kate (January 17, 2007). "January 18, 2007: Oscar's Return". TV Guide. Archived from the original on September 13, 2012. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
  6. ^ a b c d Krasinski, John, Rainn Wilson, Rashida Jones, Ed Helms, Leslie David Baker, Dave Rogers (film editor) (2007). Audio commentary for "Traveling Salesman/The Return" (DVD). Universal Studios Home Entertainment. The Office: Season Three Disc 3
  7. ^ "Traveling Salesmen". Television Without Pity. Archived from the original on July 23, 2009. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
  8. ^ a b De Leon, Kris (March 12, 2007). "A New Treat from The Office". Buddy TV. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
  9. ^ Skerry, Kath (March 3, 2007). "The Office Paley Festival". Give Me My Report. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
  10. ^ Welsh, James (March 12, 2007). "NBC plans 'Office' "newpeats"". Digital Spy. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
  11. ^ a b Traveling Salesman/The Return: Deleted Scenes (DVD). Universal Studios Home Entertainment. 2007. The Office: Season Three Disc 3
  12. ^ Zoromski, Brian (March 16, 2007). "The Office Newpeats: Worth Watching?". IGN. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
  13. ^ Toff, Benjamin (January 13, 2007). "Grey leads for ABC". The New York Times. ProQuest 433493374. (subscription required)
  14. ^ "Jan. 17, 2007 Press Release ("Traveling Salesmen")" (Press release). NBC. 27 February 2007. Retrieved January 23, 2012.[dead link‍] Alt URL
  15. ^ Gorman, Bill (February 2, 2009). "Updated: The Office Draws 22.905 Million Viewers Following the Super Bowl". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 1, 2011. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
  16. ^ Dahl, Oscar (January 12, 2007). "The Office: Traveling Salesmen". Buddy TV. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
  17. ^ a b Sciannamea, Michael (January 11, 2007). "The Office: Traveling Salesmen". AOL TV. Archived from the original on October 26, 2014. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
  18. ^ a b West, Abby (January 14, 2007). "Elimination Scheme". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
  19. ^ Zoromski, Brian (January 12, 2007). "The Office: Traveling Salesmen Review". IGN. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
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