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'"The Convention"' is the sixth filmed and second aired episode of the third season of ''The Office'' (U.S. version). Written by Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg and directed by Ken Whittingham, it first aired September 28, 2006.

Contents

Synopsis

Deleted scenes

Behind the scenes

Notes

References

External links

Synopsis

Michael asks Pam to research information so that he may adopt a Chinese baby, but Pam convinces him to hold off on the idea. Kelly is excited for a double date she has arranged with herself, Ryan, Pam, and Kelly's neighbor, Alan, a cartoonist for the local newspaper. Pam says she will wear the same clothes she wore to work that day, but Michael tells her to unbutton her top button to "let those things breathe."
Michael and Dwight attend a convention in Philadelphia. Also in attendance are Stamford regional manager Josh and Jim. Meanwhile, Angela secretly arrives at the convention under the name "Jane Doe". While browsing the convention floor, Michael and Dwight meet Jerome Bettis. Michael tells Dwight to dig up any kind of dirt on Josh. Michael surprises the entire Dunder Mifflin contingency with the news that he broke Staples's exclusive hold on Hammermill products and secured a deal with the company, impressing Jan. Meanwhile, Jim has Dwight's room key and walks in on a nude Angela (whom he mistakes for a prostitute) and he immediately leaves the room, shocked.
On the double date, Kelly looks to be the only one having a good time, while Pam chats awkwardly with the cartoonist, who eventually sneaks a peek down Pam's shirt. Jim arrives at Michael's "party" and asks for a drink. Jim tells Michael that he did not leave because he is a bad boss, but rather, because he laid himself on the line to Pam and she rejected him, twice. Pam's date ends with Alan picking his teeth and telling her to bring her sketches next time. She informs the camera that she has not found a love connection.

Deleted scenes

★ Creed sees Michael signing for his per-diem.

★ Extension of Ryan going over Michael's convention checklist.

★ Michael fondly recalls a convention he attended with Todd Packer.

★ Michael points out that he almost worked at a bottle factory they ride past on the bus.

★ Josh declines to comment on Michael and Jan's history.

★ Michael describes a high school classmate whom Josh reminds him of.

★ Dwight clumsily interrogates Josh about his criminal record.

★ Jan invites Josh to her room for a drink. He declines.

Behind the scenes

★ Angela's hair is curlier in this episode because actress Angela Kinsey had so much product in her hair from attending the Emmys that make-up couldn't get the curl out on the first day of shooting. They subsequently had to match that look for Angela for every day of the episode's shoot.^[1]

★ This episode originally had a scene with Angela and Dwight in the office kitchen. Producer Greg Daniels stated: "They had a couple lines, there was a pause, and then Angela said, 'I'm late', turned around, and left." This would imply that she may be pregnant. The scene was cut because Daniels ultimately concluded, "It was a big move, but we had it in a show that had a lot of other big moves. ... You don't introduce a C plot line of an illicit office romance and then all of a sudden have one of the characters get knocked up!"^[2]

★ Creator Greg Daniels had hoped to get Mackenzie Crook to reprise his role of Gareth Keenan (from the original British version of ''The Office'') at the convention but was unsuccessful due to scheduling conflicts.^[3]

Notes

:''For a list of songs featured in this episode, see List of songs featured on The Office.''

★ Jerome Bettis is actually nicknamed ''The Bus'' because he has a knack for running over people like a bus.

★ Despite what Michael says, it is not Jerome Bettis who is afraid of flying. John Madden is known to travel the country in his bus (which he has dubbed the ''Maddencruiser''). B.A. Baracus was also afraid of flying.

★ Coincidentally, when this episode first aired, Bettis was (and still is) an employee for NBC Sports and their Sunday Night Football coverage.

References

1. Kinsey, Angela. September 28, 2006. blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=32799810&blogID=173740650&Mytoken=42C4C3B7-29DB-4CEA-A8ED6275C66011544484039 Behind the scenes of Gay WitchHunt and other stuff..., ''MySpace.com''
2. Snierson, Dan. Blurb. ''Entertainment Weekly'' October 6, 2006.
3. Daniels, Greg. ''The Office: Live Blog, November 2006''

External links

★ The Convention at NBC.com

★ Memorable Quotes From "The Convention" at QuotesFromTheOffice.com