Q: In the last few seasons, we have seen Angela go from a prim, proper, conservative, monogamous-relationship-hider to a provocative, flirty woman who pursues men and commits adultery. I was wondering, was this a conscience shift decided upon early-on, or did Angela simply slowly develop this way? | beer_me
Aaron: I wasn’t around for most of it, but I think it developed fairly slowly. It’s fun to think she’s got many things going on inside her head.
Q: I thought Toby’s talking head about Michael being like an in-flight movie was wonderful- which made my friend ask me: So, Toby doesn’t entirely dislike Michael does he? What Toby said was kinda, almost sweet. | Samantha
Aaron: Yes. I agree. BJ wrote that talking head. You couldn’t pick a worse arch nemesis than Toby. He’s so un-evil.
Q: How come Michael didn’t get an exit interview with Toby? | DJ Jazzy Flax
Aaron: Charles kicked him out. That would have been a great scene though.
Q: How long have you guys had the idea of Michael starting his own paper company? It seems like you guys needed to have this planned out to work with the scheduling for the rest of the season. Also, who came up with the idea? It’s sooo Michael! “This is a dream I’ve had since lunch.” | Karissa
Aaron: Charlie Grandy came up with the idea, and yes, we had been thinking about it from before lunch. It’s been a great boon for this season.
Q: With his new dream to open a paper company, is it safe to say that Michael Scott’s dream of “Shoe La-La” has ended? | TR
Aaron: I don’t think Michael ever gives up his dreams, though he does get distracted a lot.
Q: Michael went to make a goodbye speech and Charles shut him down quick and forced Michael to walk out without saying goodbye. Was this the first thing to make Pam question how things were changing in the office and if she wanted to be a part of it? Also, was it written for her to react that way to Charles interrupting Michael, or was that just something that Jenna did, the camera caught it, and it worked? | SwatTJ
Aaron: That was all Jenna.
Q: I thought the last 5 seconds were genius – when Pam and Michael are walking down the sidewalk and the thrill of quitting evaporates and realization gradually sets in. Was that in the script, or something that the camera caught as both actors kept walking? | Tiffany
Aaron: That was all Paul Lieberstein’s magic. After he read my draft, he told me his idea for that scene and I felt a great sense of calm, like that moment was going to anchor the whole episode.
Q: There were many shots in this episode that were rather unusual. For instance, the camera was on the floor when Pam was reading the setup manual, and it was peeking through the blinds when Jim and Michael were talking. Who came up with the ideas for the new camera angles? | kreidy
Aaron: Like I said, Paul Lieberstein magic.
Q: Were you responsible for the “Monster. Singular.” part? That was hilarious! | Koos
Aaron: It’s one of those ideas that seems to have been born in the room, though I’m pretty sure Jen came up with it. It took some work in the sound mix to get that monster sound just right. I called Paul Lieberstein from the mixing studio to see if we were doing the noise correctly.
We had an odd discussion about whether or not various roars sounded too creature or a pig or a whale like. The editing team is the best in the business. They are also very patient.
Great answers, Aaron! Thank you for your awesome dedication to all things Office, Tanster :)
I love love love “Two Weeks” and can’t wait to see how this season ends!
P.S. Anyone want to try out the “Splotch” concoction? I’m game!
Thanks for answering! That was great. But one thing, many people actually want to *see* Jim and Pam together, not just *imagine* what their after-hours life is like. It is sad that we are losing that, because it used to be the heart of the show.
I wanted to say how much I appreciate the time and effort the writers take in answering questions on this site. It adds so much. Feeling “connected” is one of the unique aspects of this special show. Thanks for letting us in.
These are always so enjoyable and interesting to read. Loved “for instance, I can’t figure out how to delete your question.”
So, Aaron is an Indiana Jones fan? “He chose poorly.”
Excellent!
Always love reading these. and i’m totally down for a Splotch Party.
Great Q&A – thanks Tanster and Aaron! I can’t believe the amazing questions everyone comes up with! I don’t believe his answer about Jim taking over as RM…I think there is more to that. Can’t wait to see what happens with Dwight and Charles!
#3- I definitely agree with you. While I don’t need to see *every* conversation Jim and Pam have, we have had to read between the lines a lot this season. I miss hearing their normal joking around or even pulling pranks together. And now Pam will be out of the office so there probably won’t be a lot of interaction.
Also, I wish Jim could do something–like become the RM. Pam has gotten to “grow” a lot this season. I hope/want Jim to grow too!
Jim was getting that promotion before Josh quit.
Jan just told him it would be in Scranton instead, she told him of the job in the meeting where Josh says he’s going to Staples or whatever.
Thanks to Aaron and OT for this informative interview. I always enjoy reading about the writers’ choices and look forward to this new story line. (More Jim & Pam interaction is always welcome.)
11, D.Lee-man-
You’re right, I forgot that bit. Still, it could be argued that Jan was grooming Jim for a possible Regional Manager position in the future and wanted him to learn directly under Josh (TWSS). Maybe getting him to move back to Scranton and assume the role under Michael required a monetary incentive. Who knows.
Nice screenname. Cubs fan?
Jim got the promotion when he went to Stamford. Talking head and name plate, before the merger.
haha “splotch.” and steve carell is such an awesome guy… he’s obviously a huge star, but still so humble and dedicated. lots of other actors need to follow his example.
Thanks so much for the great Q&A. This was a terrific episode and it’s so much fun to find out even more about the process of making it!
I went to a bar this weekend and tried to order a scotch and splenda. the bartender stopped, leaned in closer and asked, “I’m sorry…did you say splenda?” to which I responded “absolutely I did.” He then said that most bars don’t carry splenda, but i could bring in an outside packet if I wanted to.
I love when my question gets answered. And he made fun of it too! I love this website.
#17 That is so awesome.
Hi All,
Thanks Aaron and tanster for giving us the interview.
I haven’t seen the Graduate, but could anyone please explain what seen in the movie was reminiscent of an incident in this episode?
Thanks
Is there still a writer’s question and answer session floating around that we were supposed to get but haven’t yet?
[from tanster: yes, there is. we are still waiting for Paul’s ‘Stress Relief’ Q&A.]
congrats on a great episode, aaron! i think it’s great to have such an unexpected plot twist. i was just getting over the fact that michael actually quit when i learned that he wanted to start a new company…btw kelly and angela work so well with each other, they’re total opposites which makes it funnier lol.
I really enjoyed that! I also got my question answered, woo!
Sweet, my question got answered, & cherry on top when he added that an exit interview would’ve made for a funny scene, yay! Thank you Aaron Shure & props to you tanster for setting up these Q&A’s! They’re always fun to read, & I don’t know of other shows where cast & crew interact w/the fans like this.
Oh, & I really like Aaron’s response “I can’t figure out how to delete your question.” LOL!
[from tanster: this is an amazingly awesome show, no question about it.]
I can’t put my finger on it (that’s what she said) but after reading this Q&A my faith is restored in my favorite show. And not just because one of my questions was answered (thank you Aaron!!) but because of the awesome answers to some of the more clever questions. Plus – SPOILERS about Dwight? BRING IT!
La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo, you are my new favorite person.
Seriously, that’s too much awesome for my mind…and my mind is pretty damn awesome.
AAAAHHHHH! My question got answered. That is so amazingly wonderful. Thanks to Aaron Shure for answering and to tanster! #17… you are my new role-model.
In response to the question about Charles coming toward Michael as if he was going to attack…It is illegal for another person in your office to come at you in any way suggesting that they might attack (plus he threatened him, which is probably against company policy) and perfectly legal for someone to press charges against them, which it would be funny to see Michael do!
That is so super cool that my question got answered! I really love this writer/fan interaction. Thanks Tanster and Aaron!!!
That “I can’t figure out how to delete your question” remark was kinda snarky, but great responses overall. Welcome to the team of writers and we are sure to benefit. Terrific episode. Pam’s leaving caught me totally off guard.