Traveling Salesmen

"Traveling Salesmen" is the twelfth episode of the third season of the US version of The Office. It aired January 11, 2007, and is the seventh episode directed by series showrunner Greg Daniels.

Synopsis

Template:Spoiler The episode opens with a sequence wherein Michael dresses the rear of his flat screen computer monitor with novelty teeth, a tiny Fez and Post-It eyes and commands it to say rude things to Jim and Pam via a text-to-speech application on his computer.

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.

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" picks Karen. Told he cannot select "pass", Stanley selects Ryan. 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.

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 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 invites Pam for coffee.

Facilitated by a series of unique stationary in-car shots, the sales calls unfold.

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 attempting to take Michael's job in a secret meeting with Jan.

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".

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.

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.

Phyllis and Karen

Rather than immediately head out on their call, 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 and Jim's relationship as she had worried he would never overcome his crush on Pam, inadvertently revealing its existence to Karen.

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.

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.

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:

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.

He bequeaths his box of desk items to Michael, but pulls away two bobblehead dolls, 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.

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 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. "

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

• "NBC Primetime Schedule For Sunday, Jan 7 2006 - Saturday, Jan 13 2007" (Press release). NBC. 2006-12-21.
• "Greg Daniels - TV Episode Filmography By Series". IMDb. Retrieved 2006-12-21.