The Office: a guide to navigate the media

Table of Contents

1. Le due edizioni

Su lezzo puoi vedere due versioni di The Office:

  • l'originale, trasferita da un misto dei miei bluray e da Amazon
  • la versione superfan di Peacock, un altro servizio di streaming

The Office ha avuto più successo negli ultimi anni grazie allo streaming on demand piuttosto che quando era trasmessa in TV.

Per questo motive quando Peacock è diventato l'esclusiva piattaforma di streaming di The Office negli Stati Uniti hanno capite che avrebbero dovuto offrire qualcosa di più per convincere alcuni fan a seguire la serie anziché semplicemente acquistarla nelle molteplici edizioni in DVD e Bluray che ormai sono economicissime. Queste versioni estese degli episodi, chiamate Superfan Edits o Superfan Edition offrono sequenze mai viste e in alcuni casi addirittura mai trasmesse.

A prima vista, sembra un'aggiunta non particolarmente entusiasmante, ma in realtà è un po' più interessante rispetto alla prima serie di Episodi Superfan della terza stagione. Questo perché alcuni degli episodi estesi (chiamati a volte montaggi del produttore) dalla terza stagione in poi sono stati disponibili su DVD. La versione superfan aggiunge moltissimo spessore agli episodi e rispondono ad alcune domande che i fan si sono posti per anni. Nella prossima sezione ho copiato un articolo che parla di come la versione superfan della terza stagione, nonchè la prima stagione ad essere sottoposta a questo edit, arricchisca la visione della serie.

1.1. The Office superfan episodes completely Change season 3 [SPOILER]

When Peacock first announced that it would be adding The Office to its library with new Superfan episodes, I was as excited as anyone else. Who doesn’t want an extra deranged rant from Dwight or a “That’s what she said” joke from Michael? What I never expected was for them to change my perception of Dunder Mifflin, forever. The Office’s extended cut episodes don’t merely add depth to Season 3. They rewrite them.

At the moment Peacock’s extended episodes are only available for Season 3 of the series. But that one season makes a great argument for why the streaming service should keep adding these new installments. I’ve only made it through six episodes of painstakingly tracking everything new in The Office’s Superfan cuts, but already I’m viewing characters I love in a different light.

These apply to big, overarching plot points. Did you ever think it was weird that Pam (Jenna Fischer) got back together with Roy (David Denman) after going on basically one date with another guy? In the typical cut of The Office, Pam’s choice to return to Roy seems a bit sad. It’s as if she’s resigned herself to a lackluster fate she knows she hates. Yet it doesn’t play out that way in the extended cut. We get to see more of Pam’s date with the cartoonist and her tiny fling with that cute guy she danced with during “Diwali.” But more importantly we get to see more of Roy and Pam. We see the breaks Roy keeps taking in the hopes he can see the woman who broke his heart, and we see more of their quiet flirting. It’s easy to write off Roy as an unemotional jerk. But in these small moments it’s clear that he and Pam really had something.

Similarly, Jim’s (John Krasinski) relationship with Karen (Rashida Jones) feels like more than a rebound. When Jim first transfers to Stamford, he’s pretty insufferable. He’s constantly volunteering for more responsibility from Josh (Charles Esten) and copying his boss, down to Josh’s bike riding hobby. We see a bit of that in the traditional cut, but in this longer version Karen consistently berates Jim for his overeager attitude and love of calling himself Assistant Regional Manager. Yes, that is the same gimmick Jim used to pull on Dwight. In this way she acts more as the anti-Pam, not a quiet nice girl but an upfront go-getter who is unafraid to call Jim out on his nonsense. And Jim responds to that reality check.

On the flip side, as these episodes spend more time with Karen we get to see just how cutting and borderline cruel she can be. During “Gay Witch Hunt” Karen walks by a co-worker who is breastfeeding at her desk. In disgust Karen says, “Put that away. No one wants to see your udder.” That more insulting version of Karen’s typical snark speaks volumes. It foreshadows how she will come to handle her eventual breakup with Jim.

Less crucial romances also gain more dimension. In “Diwali” Ryan (BJ Novak) initially pressures his co-workers to go to the celebration because it would make Kelly (Mindy Kaling) happy. He later bails when it becomes clear her parents are expecting him to ask for permission to marry Kelly. Is Ryan still scum? Absolutely. But in this version he comes across more as a clueless guy in love who can’t bring himself to take the next step. Also, did you know that Angela (Angela Kinsey) was jealous of Kelly between Seasons 2 and 3? During the Season 2 Christmas party, Kelly kissed Dwight (Rainn Wilson) because they were both standing under mistletoe. Of course that’s something the vicious Angela would never forget. Yet that entire plot line and Dwight’s admittedly sweet reconciliation with Angela was cut.

This re-evaluation isn’t limited to the show’s romantic relationships. Though Jan’s (Melora Hardin) monitoring of Michael’s (Steve Carell) work performance is mentioned throughout all cuts of the season, only the Superfan edition truly emphasizes how close Michael was to getting fired. In several episodes Jan forces Michael to walk her through his workday on an hour-by-hour basis. During this evaluation period we get a glimpse of what makes Michael Scott an actually good boss. After slacking off on pretzel day, Michael suddenly bursts into the main room in a sugar-fueled mania. Over the course of about two minutes he spouts off several non-insane ideas about how to make the office more efficient, including a desk reorganization and increased accountability from his employees. He then returns to his desk to presumably make the major sale mentioned at the end of the episode. It isn’t until Season 5 and the Michael Scott Paper Company that it’s revealed that Michael may be good at his job. Yet those seeds were planted two seasons prior then cut out of the script.

And then there’s the bird funeral. Pam’s obsession over organizing a funeral for a dead bird in “Grief Counseling” has always given me pause. I chalked her interest up to sheer boredom, though that never seemed quite right. Now I understand what I was missing. While reflecting on the death of Ed Truck Pam tells the camera, “Michael once told me that Home Alone is the saddest movie ever. When I asked him why he said, ‘Because the whole family forgets the kid at home. There is nothing funny about that!'”

2. List of episodes with alternate cuts

Airing runtime includes commercials.

Episode Title Description Media
S02 E22 "Casino Night" Aired on May 11, 2006 as a supersized episode. It airs in syndication as a half-hour episode. Short cut: Syndication; Supersized cut (28:20): DVD, Netflix, iTunes
S03 E07 "Branch Closing" Aired on November 9, 2006. Later that night, a Producer's Cut of the episode was released on NBC.com. Original cut: Syndication; Producer's Cut (30:14): DVD, Netflix, iTunes
S03 E08 "The Merger" Aired on November 16, 2006 as a supersized episode. It airs in syndication as a half-hour episode. A subplot involving a Staples paper shredder was removed from future releases. Short cut: Syndication; Supersized cut (29:50): DVD, Netflix; Original Supersized cut with Staples plot (30:43): iTunes
S03 E10, 11 "A Benihana Christmas" First aired on December 14, 2006, as a one-hour episode. It airs in syndication in two parts. Hour long cut (41:51): DVD, Netflix, iTunes; 2-Part cut: Syndication
S03 E12, 13 "Traveling Salesmen"; "The Return" "Traveling Salesmen" first aired on January 11, 2007. "The Return" first aired on January 18, 2007. Later that night, a Producer's Cut of "The Return" was released on NBC.com. On March 15, 2007, NBC aired "Traveling Salesmen" and "The Return" as a Newpeat which included additional footage. Original cut (21:26): Syndication, Netflix, iTunes; "The Return" Producer's Cut (28:25): Netflix, iTunes; "Traveling Salesmen" + "The Return" Newpeat: DVD
S03 E19 "The Negotiation" Aired on April 5, 2007, as a supersized episode. It airs in syndication as a half-hour episode. Short cut: Syndication; Supersized cut (29:28): DVD, Netflix, iTunes
S03 E22 "Women's Appreciation" Aired on May 3, 2007, as a supersized episode. On August 30, 2007, NBC aired the episode as a regular half-hour episode. This alternate cut both cut material and included new scenes. Short (new) cut: Syndication; Supersized cut (28:53): DVD, Netflix, iTunes
S03 E23 "Beach Games" Aired on May 10, 2007 as a supersized episode. It airs in syndication as a half-hour episode. Short cut: Syndication; Supersized cut (27:53): DVD, Netflix, iTunes
S03 E24, 25 "The Job" Aired on May 17, 2007, as a one-hour episode. It airs in syndication in two parts. Hour long cut (42:24): DVD, Netflix, iTunes; 2-Part cut: Syndication
S04 E01, 02 "Fun Run" Aired on September 27, 2007, as a one-hour episode. It airs in syndication in two parts. Hour long cut (41:58): DVD, Netflix, iTunes; 2-Part cut: Syndication
S04 E03, 04 "Dunder Mifflin Infinity" Aired on October 4, 2007, as a one-hour episode. It airs in syndication in two parts. Hour long cut (41:59): DVD, Netflix, iTunes; 2-Part cut: Syndication
S04 E05, 06 "Launch Party" Aired on October 11, 2007, as a one-hour episode. It airs in syndication in two parts. Hour long cut (41:59): DVD, Netflix, iTunes; 2-Part cut: Syndication
S04 E07, 08 "Money" Aired on October 18, 2007, as a one-hour episode. It airs in syndication in two parts. Hour long cut (41:58): DVD, Netflix, iTunes; 2-Part cut: Syndication
S04 E18, 19 "Goodbye, Toby" Aired on May 15, 2008, as a one-hour episode. It airs in syndication in two parts. Hour long cut (41:59): DVD, Netflix, iTunes; 2-Part cut: Syndication
S05 E01, 02 "Weight Loss" Aired on September 25, 2008, as a one-hour episode. It airs in syndication and on Netflix in two parts. Hour long cut (42:06): DVD, iTunes; 2-Part cut: Syndication, Netflix
S05 E09 "Frame Toby" Aired on November 20, 2008. On November 25, 2008, a Producer's Cut of the episode was released on NBC.com. Original cut (21:16): Syndication, Netflix, iTunes; Producer's Cut (25:49): DVD
S05 E14, 15 "Stress Relief" Aired on February 1, 2009, as a one-hour episode. It airs in syndication and on Netflix in two parts. Hour long cut (41:29): DVD, iTunes; 2-Part cut: Syndication, Netflix
S06 E04, 05 "Niagara" Aired on October 8, 2009, as a one-hour episode. It airs in syndication, on Netflix, and on iTunes in two parts. Hour long cut: DVD; 2-Part cut: Syndication, Netflix, iTunes
S06 E08 "Koi Pond" Aired on October 29, 2009. The Halloween cold open was removed from future releases. Short cut: Syndication, DVD, Netflix, iTunes
S06 E13 "Secret Santa" Aired on December 10, 2009. On December 15, 2009, a Producer's Cut was released on NBC.com. Producer's Cut (29:43): Season 6 DVD, "Secret Santa Pack" DVD
S06 E15 "Sabre" Aired on February 4, 2010. On September 7, 2010, Target stores included a Producer's Cut of the episode on an exclusive DVD as part of the Season 6 DVD set. Original cut (22:07): DVD, Syndication, Netflix, iTunes; Producer's Cut (30:30): Target Exclusive Disc
S06 E17, 18 "The Delivery" Aired on March 4, 2010, as a one-hour episode. It airs in syndication, on Netflix, and on iTunes in two parts. Hour long cut: DVD; 2-Part cut: Syndication, Netflix, iTunes
S06 E26 "Whistleblower" Aired on May 20, 2010. On September 7, 2010, Target stores included a Producer's Cut of the episode on an exclusive DVD as part of the Season 6 DVD set. Original cut (22:08): DVD, Syndication, Netflix, iTunes; Producer's Cut (28:17): Target Exclusive Disc
S07 E11, 12 "Classy Christmas" Aired on December 9, 2010, as a one-hour episode. It airs in syndication, on Netflix, and on iTunes in two parts. Hour long cut: DVD; 2-Part cut: Syndication, Netflix, iTunes
S07 E20 "Training Day" Aired on April 14, 2011. A Producer's Cut was released on the Season 7 DVD on September 6, 2011. Producer's Cut (34:10): DVD
S07 E22 "Goodbye, Michael" Aired on April 28, 2011, as a supersized episode. On May 26, 2011, NBC aired the episode as a 2-part extended Producer's Cut. Supersized cut (36:14): DVD, Netflix, iTunes; 2-part Producer's Cut: Syndication
S07 E25, 26 "Search Committee" Aired on May 19, 2011, as a one-hour episode. A Producer's Cut was released on the Season 7 DVD on September 6, 2011. Original cut: DVD; 2-Part cut: Syndication, Netflix, iTunes; Producer's Cut (55:25)
S08 E21 "Angry Andy" Aired on April 19, 2012. A Producer's Cut was released on the Season 8 DVD on September 4, 2012. Original cut: DVD, Syndication, Netflix, iTunes; Producer's Cut (33:20): DVD
S08 E22 "Fundraiser" Aired on April 26, 2012. A Producer's Cut was released on the Season 8 DVD on September 4, 2012. Original cut: DVD, Syndication, Netflix, iTunes; Producer's Cut (25:50): DVD
S09 E16 "Moving On" Aired on February 14, 2013, as a one-hour supersized episode. It airs in syndication and on iTunes in two parts. 2-Part cut: Syndication, iTunes; Supersized cut: DVD, Netflix
S09 E21 "Livin' the Dream" Aired on May 2, 2013, as a one-hour supersized episode. It airs in syndication and on iTunes in two parts. 2-Part cut: Syndication, iTunes; Supersized cut: DVD, Netflix
S09 E22, 23 "A.A.R.M." Aired on May 9, 2013, as a one-hour episode. It airs in syndication and on iTunes in two parts. 2-Part cut: Syndication, iTunes; Supersized cut: DVD, Netflix
S09 E24, 25 "Finale" Aired on May 16, 2013, as a 75-minute supersized episode. It airs in syndication and on iTunes in two parts. 2-Part cut: Syndication, iTunes; Supersized cut: DVD, Netflix

Di seguito una tabella che spiega dove poter reperire gli episodi. Dove non specificato, il rip già contiene la versione più esaustiva.

Episodio Path
S03E07 Specials/TV Recordings/
S03E19 Specials/TV Recordings/
S06E08 Specials/Season 06/Deleted Scenes/S06E08 Koi Pond Halloween Cold Open.mkv
S06E15 Il superfan edit contiene (probabilmente) le stesse scene ed altro
S06E17, 18 Il superfan edit contiene (probabilmente) le stesse scene ed altro
S06E26 Il superfan edit contiene (probabilmente) le stesse scene ed altro

3. Additional media

This is a list of additional media with indications of when I think it is the most appropriate time to watch it. I compiled this list a while after watching the series so the informations may not be 100% accurate. The specials folder includes also some deleted scenes, bloopers and exclusive interviews and recordings of the cast and the producers.

# Title When to watch
1 The Accountants At the end of S01
2 Fake PSA While watching S02
3 Faces of Scranton After S02E16
4 Steve on Steve Near or after the end of S02
5 Kevin Cooks Stuff in The Office During the first episodes of S03
6 Excerpt From The 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards.mkv During S03
7 Excerpts From The 2006 Nbc Primetime Preview Hosted By "The Office" Cast During S03
8 Toby Wraparounds.mkv During S03
9 Dwight Schrute Music Video Near the end of S03
10 Lazy Scranton video After S03E8
11 Michael's Ad After the relevant episode
12 Rabies - The More You Know After the relevant episode
13 Summer Vacation Promo At the end of S04
14 The Promos While watching S05
15 Kevin's Bank Loan While watching S05
16 The Outburst After the episode where Oscar is enraged
17 Welcome to Sabre After the Sabre acquisition
18 The Podcast After Gabe has been introduced for a couple episodes
19 Canada Games by The Office After they talk about the Olympics or at the end of S06
20 Blackmail While watching S06
21 Subtle Sexuality While watching S06
22 The Mentor While watching S06 or beginnings of S07
23 The 3rd Floor While watching the first episodes of SS07
24 Girl Next Door While watching the first episodes of SS07
25 The Office Promos - XLVI Football Championship While watching S08
26 Threat Level Midnight The Movie Whenever you want: either after they talk about this in the series or during S08 or S09 ;)
27 Autotune Andy After the relevant episode
28 The Matrix Cold Open Near the end of S09

4. Suggested reading

Author: bparodi

Created: 2023-06-23 Fri 11:51

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