Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hello everyone and welcome to your second drink of Business Trip. This is the episode where Michael goes on a business trip with Oscar and Andy to Winnipeg. He meets concierge Marie, one of my favorite characters. Andy drunk dials Angela, one of my favorite scenes. And Pam finds out she's failed art school and has to stay another 12 weeks if she wants to really graduate.
And we got to interview Rich Sommer for this episode, all about his arc as Pam's art school friend, in quotes, friend. And listen, we also recently did an interview with Wendy McClendon-Covey about her time as Concierge Marie. It's episode 259 if you want to check it out.
She's delightful.
Yes.
Well, I mentioned in our breakdown of this episode that there were some awesome deleted scenes, specifically between Oscar and Andy. I talked all about Oscar being the fun stopper on the airplane, and I played a little clip. Well, you guys, all of the Oscar and Andy stuff from the plane has been added back to the superfan version, including more that isn't even on the DVDs.
I watched it. It's really great. And it really sets up the scene in the bar later because it's actually on the plane that Andy decides he's going to be Oscar's wingman. Yeah. In fact, there's this whole scene on the plane where he tries to set him up with the guy sitting in the window seat of their row. Yes. Yes.
And speaking of this storyline, when we asked people their favorite moment from this episode, we got this letter from Carrie J. in Omaha who said, one of my favorite scenes from the whole series is Oscar in the bar with Andy trying to be his wingman. I love how Oscar plays the part like absolute perfect acting by Oscar. And everyone, the scene is also the scene with the drunk dial to Angela.
I really think we need to hear it.
If you don't mind me asking. Anything. You can ask me anything.
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Chapter 2: What insights did Rich Sommer share about his character Alex?
Okay. I'm your wingman.
It's just that I've sat next to Angela for a very long, very long time. I do. How can anyone stand that woman? What? What do you see in her?
What do you see in Angela? What do I see in Angela? I want to know. I see through a hard exterior to a little jelly in the middle. She is teaching me to be a better person. She's working really hard on that. And she has the softest skin I've ever seen, and I can't wait to have sex with her.
You haven't had sex? No. Are you guys waiting to get married? Honestly, I don't know what we're waiting for. Andy, something is wrong with that woman. What is wrong with her? I'd like to know. You should call her and ask her. I'd like to know what's wrong with her. I should call her and ask her. What is wrong with her? Do it. It's a collar. Oh my God, don't call.
Don't call Andy. Andy, don't call. Oh my God. Too late. Too late is the sideline. Now it's ringing.
Hello? Hello?
What is wrong with you? Why would you do Andy?
What?
That's Oscar, and he wants to know why you won't do me, and I think it's a valid question.
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Chapter 3: How does the business trip to Winnipeg unfold in the episode?
I know who it is.
I also love it when, you know, Oscar blurts out, Andy wants to know why you won't do him. And you're like, what? And you think maybe Andy is going to like cover then, right? Like he's going to be like, no, no, no, no. He meant he, nothing. He just repeats it. So good.
Yeah. Yeah.
Well, listen, there were so many great things added back to the superfan version of this episode, including this very funny scene where Michael, before they go to Winnipeg, he's at the airport and he's changing money at one of those kiosks. You have to hear it.
What is the heart of the Canadian economy? Money. And I am getting some. Thank you very much. Hold on. Michael, how much money did you change?
Two grand, baby. Oh, no. We're only there for one night. Oh, look at the commission rate.
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Chapter 4: What deleted scenes enhance the storyline of Oscar and Andy?
And there's a handling fee. Okay. All right, all right. Chill out. Quick fix. Excuse me. Change it back.
Yes, yes, yes, yes. Get as much as you can. Strippers do not take credit cards.
Change it back. Change it back. Why are you still changing money? Michael, you don't need cash. You get a better rate on the credit card. You only need cash for the cab ride. Do you understand? I'll see you at the gate.
Change it back. Change it back.
This is a smaller pile. That? Okay. Now I have $1,800.
It's amazing. He's lost money before they've even like done anything.
He just stood there and just paid $200 to change his money back and forth.
I know. So good. And the person that plays the attendant is so put out with him. It's really funny. Yes, they're very funny. There was also a little bit of an old tech alert in there too, because now everyone pays in a cab with like their credit card.
Oh, this is true. There's no, like, cash transaction cabs anymore.
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Chapter 5: What humorous moments arise from Michael's interactions with the concierge?
You're very flirty. And you're right. Those scenes aired. And all of a sudden, Tiki Bar is on the cutting room floor, right?
There is a whole Alex storyline with Pam. Actually, the whole Pam art storyline is in deleted scenes. I watch the deleted scenes for the podcast. And every week I'm like, Jenna, oh, my gosh, there's this scene and this scene and one in the hallway and at a bar and here. And she's like, I know.
How did it feel to watch those scenes get cut week to week? Did anyone warn you?
Chapter 6: How does Pam's art school experience affect her character?
As far as how it felt, look, I am very, I consider myself fortunate that I have a fairly, I don't know, a comfortable ability to see where things fit in story-wise. And I could feel... From the moment we were, the second anybody said, this feels weird, this is too much, too much consternation for Jim and Pam, I agreed. I mean, again, I was a fan from the beginning.
Now, I would have loved to have gotten to be around more, but I also wasn't going to be greedy. I was, I remained delighted that I had the parts that I had. I do think it's a funny part of Office lore because it seems clear, to me at least, that this was a sort of aborted storyline that they kind of cut bait when they could.
And that was, I don't know, I just think it's, how I feel about it is that it's a very funny, interesting way to have been a part of the Office legacy.
Well, I was bummed that you never came to the actual set because we never got to hang out on set. And you and Jenna would have stories and we were missing Jenna. You know, Jenna was who I had lunch with every day. And I was like, gosh, why can't Alex just, you know, show up with Pam at work one day? Of course, that would have completely like blown up the storyline.
But we were sad you were never in the actual bullpen.
Should we talk about this insane scene that we filmed for Customer Survey with Stephen Merchant? First of all, did you crap your pants when you found out Stephen Merchant was directing? Because I did. I did poop myself. Yep.
Yep. Yes. Yeah, it was upsetting. I mean, it was 10% exciting, 90% upsetting.
I had no idea, Rich, how many different ways you guys did this scene. You know, we got the scripts and all the alts from James Carey, and I could not believe it. Jenna told me. How many different versions were there, Jenna? I think there were something like 10. Good night.
Now, I wasn't privy to all of those versions because as a guest actor... I was really only given the script on the day. This is how I remember it. And I've listened to you guys talk about it with Steven. And my memory is slightly different, but I don't know where it goes off. I've certainly mulled over this aspect of the story a thousand times. So it's probably gotten altered as I've gone. But...
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Chapter 7: What is the significance of the Long Island iced tea scene?
Uh, the, the, here was my problem. My problem was that I had an inside, I had a mole on the inside and I don't know if I've ever even told you guys about this and I, I won't name a person on the podcast.
You had a mole on the side of the office?
I won't. I won't name this person on the podcast, but this was a person who was not an actor who worked in the production. And this person sent me the script. He said, oh, you've got some great stuff in this upcoming episode.
It's a guy.
Oh, my God. I loved it. Yeah, okay, fine. Yes, it's a guy. So this person sent me the script, and I was in that version, Alex professed his love to Pam. And I thought, oh, wow. And as a... It left it open. Is this a send-off for my character, or is this something that we may see him later on? I showed up. On the day I was handed the sides...
And those sides were, as you guys know, wildly different. They had taken out any profession of love at all, made it purely about her sort of artistic sensibilities, and changed how that was gonna go. So when we were filming, Um, I will admit this is a fault of mine as an actor. I couldn't get it out of my head because again, everything we had been playing so far was that Alex had a crush on Pam.
And like you guys said with Steven, um, what Alex ends up saying is enough. It didn't need to be this on-the-nose sort of profession of love. It's implied, it's intrinsic. As Jim says, you know, this guy's into you. I mean, it's clearly there, but in the moment, I couldn't find the right level of demonstrative that Steven wanted. And the level that Steven wanted was zero.
I was continually pumping out was more in the neighborhood of like 75% demonstrative. I couldn't reel it in. And in fact, Jenna, to your question of pooping my pants when I found out it was Stephen Merchant, that was just a little jitter compared to how I felt when Stephen... Oh, no. He came up to me after a take and said these words, the words that have haunted me as an actor forever.
He came up to me and said, I don't know why you're not getting this.
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Chapter 8: How does the episode address Pam's return from art school?
And the cameras, as you guys know, were moving all the time. There was no safe space. So he just hid under the desk.
Six foot three John Krasinski was curled up under the desk.
Yes. And I'm just mortified. I'm like, well, this is it. I'm never acting again, obviously, because Stephen Merchant's never going to cast me in anything. Jenna and John think I'm absolutely out of my mind. It was a stressful day. It's all great now, but it was a stressful day.
Oh, my gosh. Rich, I think you're being too hard on yourself and taking on too much of the responsibility. Because I was also told that Alex might be a possible love interest for Pam. Not that Pam would have feelings for Alex, but that she might have to manage his feelings for her. And by the way, I want to say... I only respected Rich in that moment.
And so much so that we went on to do a movie together. We did The Giant Mechanical Man. You played my brother-in-law and you were so funny.
That's right.
Giant Mechanical Man is a great movie, by the way. Great. And you guys are fantastic in it.
I love that movie. And believe me, in the month or so following that, my final day at the office and we had exchanged information because we, you know, it was clear we were gonna be friends.
My recollection is when you and Lee reached out to ask if I would come and do a table read for this movie that you guys were working on, it was both so exciting, but also such a relief that you had not written me off after that day. Because it was just such a stressful, you know, you've had those days on a set where you feel like this is my last day on a set. I'm never acting again.
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