This season’s holiday episode, Moroccan Christmas, generated strong reaction from fans, and is now addressed by a thoughtful and often hilarious Q&A from its writer, Justin Spitzer. (Wait until you read what could have taken the place of Princess Unicorn!)
A big thank you to Justin for taking the time to answer questions during what must be a super busy week!
Q: I noticed that there was a sequence of shots of the characters enjoying the party, when there haven’t been a lot of these kind of “slice-of-office-life,” dialogue-less sequences in a while. It was really nice to see– did you decide to do this as a specific throwback to earlier episodes, or just for the sake of humor? Also, there was relatively little Pam in this episode. Was there a reason for that? | Michelle in NY
Justin: Those short party shots are really useful to have in editing. Since we’re not a show that does montages, they’re one of the closest things we have to give the sense of time passing. It gives you a general feel of the party without tying you down to a specific sequence of events.
So I’d say it’s not so much that we did it as a throwback to past episodes as that this episode and past episodes did it for the same reason. As well as for the sake of humor — nothing wrong with throwing some extra jokes into the mix when we can.
As to Pam. There was originally an entire Jim/Pam plot for the episode, but there was just too much other stuff going on, so we pulled it and tried to pepper them in as much as possible through the rest of the episode.
It’s just as well — who really wants to watch Jim and Pam elope right there in the office during a Christmas episode!
Q: It was interesting that this Christmas episode had almost nothing to do with Christmas itself. Was that intentional? | Toby started the Fire
Q. How did you all come to decide to make this Christmas episode a bit dark, instead of festive? I imagine it took a bit of creative courage to do that, since in a way it kind of goes against what the audience expects. Can you speak a little about the reasons for the rather dark-ish content choice for this episode? | Sarah
Justin: The amount of creative courage it took to write this episode was not only impressive, it was frankly downright magnificent!
But yes, we did make very deliberate decisions in terms of tone and content. This was a somewhat darker episode for us, or at least an episode dealing with potentially more serious subject matter. We thought the contrast with the jolly expectations of Christmas would make it all the more unsettling. (And whether you find unsettling to be funny or just plain… unsettling… is up to you.)
I always figured this was an episode people would either love or hate, and that’s an exciting show to produce.
Q: Since last year’s Christmas episode got cut because of the strike, did you recycle any of those ideas for this year’s episode? If so, what parts? | Elena
Justin: Unfortunately, because of the different character arcs in place this year, we weren’t able to use any of the ideas from last year’s unproduced Christmas episode (outside of a cold open that also involved Jim wrapping Dwight’s desk, but done in a different way). I can’t give any of the stuff from that script away, although some of the plots are really good — I hope we’ll get a chance to use elements from it in future episodes.
But I do think it’s safe to say that originally, Phyllis caught Dwight and Angela having sex in the office during that episode. When the strike hit, we reconfigured the season so that it happened in Goodbye, Toby.
Q: This episode seemed kind of different from the regular episodes. The normal stupidity of Michael’s character seemed to be missing. His character in this particular episode was portrayed as a slightly violent and at times “normal”. Also the awkwardness of other characters at the end of this epi made me sad when they see an ignorant Andy. Is this shift in all the characters’ behavior deliberate? | Dee
Justin: I think it wasn’t that Michael’s character changed as much as it was that his motivation was very simple, identifiable, and as you say, “normal” — to help an employee who he perceived to have a problem. The way he did it was over-the-top, badly timed, and generally idiotic, but it’s not unheard of for coworkers to have an intervention for someone.
As for the other characters’ awkwardness around Andy, I don’t know who would jump up and tell him what they’d just learned. I know I wouldn’t.
Thanks Tanster for posting!!! I for one LOVED this episode… so thanks to Justin and everyone for keeping us laughing thru the next weeks of “dreaded reruns”. Love DVR!!!
Oh my goodness – Hank Grenade! That’s hilarious! And could Ed Helms possibly be more talented??
Thank you so much, Justin and tanster, for the wonderful Q&A – as always!
Tanster, your web site is an addiction! I love it! Anyway, thank you so much to you and Justin for this Q & A! I love getting all the inside information. Oh my gosh, if Jim and Pam would have eloped, I think I could have died a happy girl! Thanks again!
Thank you so much Justin for answering my question! I can now sleep better at night. lol And thank Tanster for setting these up! You make all of us Tallyheads very, very happy!
I wonder if Jenna knew Pam loved the porn so much. I guess she does now.
What a great Q&A! I was laughing while reading this. Greatness, Justin…
Tanster: So glad that Santa didn’t disappoint you! This made me a happy girl, as well. Thank you!
Is it just me or are these Q&A’s freakin awesome!? Great job Tanster, you are the woman! All I want for Christmas is one of those sweet Princess Unicorn tees on the Princess Unicorn website. Can you imagine the amazing looks you would get in public? Hours of fun.
Great set of questions!
Merry Christmas everybody!!
Thanks Justin and Tanster! Great questions and informative and hilarious answers! Merry Moroccan Christmas everyone!
This was an extra interesting Q & A. Thanks!!
Great Q&A! Thanks Tanster, Justin, and all the writers who generously give their time to answer these for us. It’s nice to feel like the creators of the show love us as much as we love our show.
I really enjoyed the episode, but truly I would definitely rather have watched Jim and Pam elope than Meredith get dragged to rehab. I mean, the intervention was funny, but my heart belongs to Jam. I wonder if they’ll elope in a future episode. I have always thought that is how they will end up getting married.
Jim and Pam elope? I’m glad it didn’t happen especially because we all know she would want her parents there.
I just love these Q & A’s. Thank you Tanster for setting them up and to Justin for answering the questions!
I laughed when I read “It was Greg’s idea to have her hair catch fire, we agreed, then went home early” LOL! I wonder if that will become a scene in a future episode-everyone agrees with one of Michael’s ideas because they want to leave early.
I. LOVE. These. Q & A’s.
Justin, thanks for another insightful, warm, funny perspective on the best show on TV. I really appreciate reading things like this. It’s a whole new perspective, so much better than some Behind The Scenes DVD feature (which The Office DVD’s thankfully have NEVER had). Answering questions straight from the fans is the perfect example of why this show has a better relationship with its fans than any other show before or after. Thanks again, Justin!
I think the thing about Pam loving porn was tongue-in-cheek. The thing in “Fun Run” was just a pop-up ad gone awry, and the reaction shot in “Moroccan Christmas” was probably just to show her confusion when Michael said something along the lines of “I think we can all agree that the image is disgusting…” by which I think he meant the image of Meredith looking at porn. Which implies some… odd assumptions on Michael’s part.
Yeah, I know, it’s sad. We’re actually debating interpretations of the Q&A now.
Thank you Justin and Tanster! I loved this episode and I’m still laughing about it (Angela in a hair net! The unicorn doll! Meredith running around the parking lot repeating “wait a minute – wait a minute!”). It’s wonderful to read about the behind the scenes work. Great job writers, actors and crew on a hilarious Christmas episode that was dark, so funny and memorable!
I disliked much of this episode, but it was good to hear some of the thoughts that went into making it.
Hilarious! And cool, my question got answered! Hank Grenade… that would have been crazy.
Happy holidays everyone!
Jim and PAm elope…WOW!!!! That would be AMAZING…I just hope we get to see the wedding…whereever it is!! AND…I REALLY don’t want Pam/Jim to have a long engagement like she did w/ Roy…so hopefully we’ll be hearing wedding bells SOON!!! :)
Thanks so much Justin!! I love hearing about the production design of the show. Great episode!
Sweetness! Glad to know that the sitar was all Ed!
Thanks for the awesome answers, Justin! Glad to see that you’re doing well on THE OFFICE and wish you a wonderful Christmas!
i had to look up what “elope” meant.
awwwww it would have been so awesome!!!
but then where would Michael be to ruin the wedding.
also good for Pam for liking Porn, i can only imagine what her and Jim do in their new house. :D :D :D hehe
Yay! My question was answered!!! Thanks for answering, Justin!
And thanks to Tanster for picking my question! I agree – these Q&As are the essence of my super fan status.
I love how seriously people are taking the porn and elopement jokes, haha. He was kidding!
Very cool – lots of details….thanks Justin & Tanster!
It doesn’t matter how much I love an episode–it ALWAYS goes up a notch or two after reading the writer Q&As.
Big sloppy wet kisses to Justin for the answers.
And air-fives to tanster for bringing this site into existence.
Awesome, as always. I would like to propose a toast in honor of Tanster…to Amsterdam!
Hey, thanks for taking the time to do this Q&A! =)
#25 Caity- Thank you! I was just about to say the same thing. He was KIDDING about the porn and the elopement thing you guys! I can’t believe how many people took it and ran. Haha!
Thank you, Justin and tanster! These are just an awesome treat every time. :o)
The Office writers and Tanster are very good to us! Much thanks, and Happy Holidays to all.
Wow, Pam and I have something in common!
Thanks for answering my question, Justin.
Great fun! I enjoy the thought process behind the magic we see each week.
I have to chuckle at how some of you folks take all the answers to heart. It shows how excited you are about the show, it’s cute. I know he was kidding about JAM eloping but I hope, when they do marry, it’s a real wedding. We need a pay-off.
I agree with 28|SSE – Cheers to Tanster, in the immortal words of Toby Flenderson, “To Amsterdam!”.
I appreciated Justin’s willingness to answer the “dark tone” questions. I’m glad he realized people would either love or hate this episode. Sadly, I didn’t love it. But, I enjoyed Justin’s answers and thank him for his time!
A really funny, simple prank that would be hilarious for Jim to do to Dwight is changing the Microsoft Word auto-correct setting. For instance, if Jim set the auto-correct for “Dwight K Schrute” to something like “The Dark Knight.” Every email he sends would be signed by the dark night or something like that. It’s funny to do with common words too like “the.”
Wow, I thought it’d be impossible for Ed Helms to get any more awesome. I shall call him the Big Talent.
And thanks Tanster for another awesome Q&A; your hard work is very greatly appreciated! Thanks to Justin Spitzer & the rest of TO for your awesomeness as well!
I think knowing that it was a rubber pen makes that scene even funnier. And that’s funny “ha-ha”. Thanks so much Justin for answering mine and everyone else’s questions!
And, Tanster, for selecting my question, I think I quite simply love you. :D
@ 36:
Jim already did that. In Conflict Resolution it is revealed that Jim set up a macro on Dwight’s computer so that whenever he typed ‘Dwight’ the word ‘diapers’ came up instead.
What do you guys think of the “Pam loves porn” comment?
Was he kidding, or….
I actually burst out laughing at Justin’s answer to the Pam and porn question. Thank you, Justin and tanster- these are always SO entertaining!
Fascinating as always! Thanks Justin (and tanster) Happy Holidays :)
it must make the writers so happy to know people pay such CLOSE attention to the episodes. the office has the best/most obsessed fans! represent, dunderheads!
In regard to the last answer… did you mean flame retardANT?
Do you know the song which was played while the credits rolled on the Moroccan Christmas – Dec 12, 2008? It was a slow quiet song, maybe a female singing some.
Thank you!