Cocktails (The Office)

18th episode of the 3rd season of The Office

"Cocktails"

The Office episode
Episode no.| Season 3
Episode 18
Directed by| J. J. Abrams
Written by| Paul Lieberstein
Featured music|

* "Play That Funky Music" by Wild Cherry
* "Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas

Cinematography by| Randall Einhorn
Editing by| David Rogers
Production code| 318
Original air date| February 22, 2007 (2007-02-22)
Guest appearances

* Creed Bratton as Creed Bratton
* Rashida Jones as Karen Filippelli
* Andy Buckley as David Wallace
* Michael Patrick McGill as Kenny Anderson

Episode chronology
| ← Previous
"Business School"  | Next →
"The Negotiation"

|

The Office (American season 3)
List of episodes

"Cocktails" is the eighteenth episode of the third season of the American version of The Office and the show's forty-sixth episode overall. It was written by actor Paul Lieberstein and directed by Lost series creator J. J. Abrams. NBC hired Abrams and Joss Whedon to each direct an episode during their February sweeps week. Michael Patrick McGill, Dan Cole, Owen Daniels, and Jean Villepique guest starred.

In the episode, Michael, Dwight, Jim and Karen attend a cocktail party at CFO David Wallace's house. While there, Michael and Jan make their relationship public, Karen makes Jim uncomfortable by pointing out all of her alleged ex-boyfriends in attendance, and Dwight inspects the home. Meanwhile, the rest of the office goes to a bar and Pam tries to be more honest with Roy.

The first American broadcast of "Cocktails" occurred on February 22, 2007, to an estimated 8.3 million viewers. The episode was positively received by television critics, with Kevin Fitzpatrick of UGO Networks calling it one of the best of the series.

## Plot

[edit]

Jan Levinson, Michael Scott, Dwight Schrute, Jim Halpert, and Karen Filippelli attend a cocktail party hosted by Dunder Mifflin CFO David Wallace. Jan and Michael bring along signed documents disclosing their relationship. With the branch managers away, the remainder of the office goes to happy hour at Poor Richard's Pub. Pam Beesly asks that Roy Anderson, as her boyfriend, attend as well. Roy shows up along with his brother, Kenny.

At the party, Karen plays a joke on Jim by identifying many people at the party as ex-boyfriends. Dwight takes it upon himself to give the house a thorough inspection, and spends the night critiquing the layout and materials. Towards the end of the evening, David invites Jim to play basketball in the backyard.

Michael takes relish in being able to freely proclaim his relationship with Jan to his bosses, making Jan uncomfortable. She eventually pulls him aside and tries to get him to have sex with her in the bathroom. Michael refuses and she becomes angry. As they drive home together, Jan hypothesizes that she only enjoyed being with Michael because their relationship was undisclosed and therefore unethical, and that disclosing it was a mistake. Michael is hurt and upset at this, and Jan takes back her comments to keep him from crying.

At Poor Richard's, Pam tells Roy she wants a fresh start in their relationship and tells him about her "Casino Night" kiss with Jim. Roy reacts angrily and throws his glass at the bar mirror. Furious, Pam breaks up with Roy on the spot and leaves. Roy and Kenny begin destroying the bar. Kenny uses the money he made from selling his jet skis to pay off the bar for damages, while Roy swears vengeance against Jim.

## Production

[edit]

J. J. Abrams directed "Cocktails".

"Cocktails" was written by Paul Lieberstein, who plays Human Resources representative Toby Flenderson on the series.[1] Lost series creator J. J. Abrams was hired on as episode director,[2] his first such credit for the series. Abrams disliked the American series when it first premiered, due to his love for the original British series. The director explained, "I resented it before I saw it, because I thought, 'well, how are you going to do what Ricky and Steve did. In fact, the first season I didn't get into it at all. In the second season, they really found their voice. And that's despite having to make 22 episodes, which is twice the length of what the BBC show did. And I thought that the show became brilliant. I was really impressed by how it worked."[3]

Abrams had been rumored as director since December 2006, and NBC confirmed this the following month. He and Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon were both hired to direct an episode during February sweeps week.[4][5] Abrams had known cast member Kate Flannery years before, when he used to write in a restaurant where Flannery worked as a waitress. The two were reunited on The Office set, where he stated that he was pleased with her success.[6]

Jenna Fischer found her character's break-up scene with Roy "really dark," as she is friends with David Denman outside of the show. She explained, "To see him turn like that, for me it was even more shocking because I know him as a big teddy bear. He played it so well and I think that cliffhanger of 'I'm gonna kill Jim Halpert' is one of the best last lines of our episodes ever."[7] "Cocktails" included recurring guest star Michael Patrick McGill as Kenny Anderson, who called working on The Office "a blast."[8] Other guest stars included Dan Cole as Dan Gore, Owen Daniels as the Wallaces' son, and Jean Villepique as Rachel Wallace.[9]

The season three DVD contains a number of deleted scenes. Notable cut scenes include Ryan failing to remember Stanley's daughter Melissa; Roy telling Pam to sign her Dunder Mifflin painting; extensions of the talking head interview with Jan about relationships, Dwight's upstairs house inspection, and his conversation with the CFO's son; and Michael talking over the day's events.[10]

## Reception

[edit]

"Cocktails" first aired in the United States on February 22, 2007.[11] An estimated 8.3 million viewers tuned in to the episode,[12] a drop of less than 10 percent from the previous week.[13] Among adults aged 18–49, The Office earned a 4.2/10 ratings share, an increase of seventeen percent from its lead-in.[12]

Television critics tended to view "Cocktails" positively. Kevin Fitzpatrick of UGO Networks praised the episode's writing and directing, explaining that "A lot of the credit goes to Paul Lieberstein for his ruthlessly funny writing, but ol' J.J. really knows how to run with the material and make awkward situations just that much more painful with his direction, one of the best episodes of the series."[1] Buddy TV writer Oscar Dahl noted that "besides a couple of crafty camera moves, his work was mostly invisible, which is exactly what you want from a director on The Office."[2] IGN's Brian Zoromski appreciated the spotlight on female characters Jan, Pam, and Karen, and thought there were "quite a few great little moments this episode," including "a great Creed moment as he revealed he runs a fake ID company out of his car".[14] Entertainment Weekly columnist Abby West enjoyed Karen conning Jim at the party, called Rashida Jones' performance "brilliantly played"; West also liked Pam's newfound confidence, but believed she was "dumb" for telling Roy of her kiss with Jim.[15]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Fitzpatrick, Kevin (June 10, 2011). "J. J. Abrams' Most Super TV Moments". UGO Networks. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011. Retrieved January 2, 2012.
2. ^ a b Dahl, Oscar (February 23, 2007). "The Office: Cocktails". Buddy TV. Retrieved January 2, 2012.
3. ^ "Total Film Exclusive: J. J. Abrams directing the US Office". Total Film. September 15, 2006. Retrieved January 2, 2012.
4. ^ Susman, Gary (January 10, 2007). "Fightin' Dwight Schrute". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 2, 2012.
5. ^ "Joss Whedon and J. J. Abrams Both Directing The Office". IGN. January 11, 2007. Retrieved January 2, 2012.
6. ^ Love, Brett (February 22, 2007). "Kate Flannery on the J. J. Abrams Office episode". AOL TV. Retrieved January 2, 2012.[permanent dead link]
7. ^ Faraci, Derek (March 27, 2007). "INTERVIEW: JENNA FISCHER (BLADES OF GLORY)". CHUD.com. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
8. ^ "Interview with Michael Patrick McGill". Eviltwinltd.com. July 10, 2009. Retrieved January 2, 2012.
9. ^ J. J. Abrams (director), Paul Lieberstein (writer) (February 22, 2007). "Cocktails". The Office. Season 3. Episode 18. NBC.
10. ^ Deleted Scenes: "Cocktails" (DVD). Universal Studios Home Entertainment. 2007. The Office: Season Three Disc 3
11. ^ "The Office Episode: "Cocktails"". TV Guide. Retrieved January 2, 2012.
12. ^ a b "Feb. 27, 2007 Press Release ("Cocktails")" (Press release). NBC. February 27, 2007. Retrieved January 23, 2012.[dead link] Alt URL
13. ^ Ho, Rodney (February 24, 2007). "'Idol' makes Thursday dent". The Atlanta Journal.
14. ^ Zoromski, Brian (February 23, 2007). "Joss Whedon and J. J. Abrams Both Directing The Office". IGN. Retrieved January 2, 2012.
15. ^ West, Abby (February 23, 2007). "TV Recap: Party Monster". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on February 25, 2007. Retrieved January 2, 2012.

## External links

[edit]

* "Cocktails" at NBC.com
* "Cocktails" at IMDb

* v
* t
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The Office (American TV series) episodes

Season 1|

* "Pilot"
* "Diversity Day"
* "Health Care"
* "The Alliance"
* "Basketball"
* "Hot Girl"

Season 2|

* "The Dundies"
* "Sexual Harassment"
* "Office Olympics"
* "The Fire"
* "Halloween"
* "The Fight"
* "The Client"
* "Performance Review"
* "Email Surveillance"
* "Christmas Party"
* "Booze Cruise"
* "The Injury"
* "The Secret"
* "The Carpet"
* "Boys and Girls"
* "Valentine's Day"
* "Dwight's Speech"
* "Take Your Daughter to Work Day"
* "Michael's Birthday"
* "Drug Testing"
* "Conflict Resolution"
* "Casino Night"

Season 3|

* "Gay Witch Hunt"
* "The Convention"
* "The Coup"
* "Grief Counseling"
* "Initiation"
* "Diwali"
* "Branch Closing"
* "The Merger"
* "The Convict"
* "A Benihana Christmas"
* "Back from Vacation"
* "Traveling Salesmen"
* "The Return"
* "Ben Franklin"
* "Phyllis' Wedding"
* "Business School"
* "Cocktails"
* "The Negotiation"
* "Safety Training"
* "Product Recall"
* "Women's Appreciation"
* "Beach Games"
* "The Job"

Season 4|

* "Fun Run"
* "Dunder Mifflin Infinity"
* "Launch Party"
* "Money"
* "Local Ad"
* "Branch Wars"
* "Survivor Man"
* "The Deposition"
* "Dinner Party"
* "Chair Model"
* "Night Out"
* "Did I Stutter?"
* "Job Fair"
* "Goodbye, Toby"

Season 5|

* "Weight Loss"
* "Employee Transfer"
* "Moroccan Christmas"
* "The Duel"
* "Prince Family Paper"
* "Stress Relief"
* "Lecture Circuit"
* "Blood Drive"
* "Golden Ticket"
* "New Boss"
* "Two Weeks"
* "Dream Team"
* "Michael Scott Paper Company"
* "Heavy Competition"
* "Broke"
* "Casual Friday"
* "Cafe Disco"
* "Company Picnic"

Season 6|

* "Gossip"
* "The Meeting"
* "The Promotion"
* "Niagara"
* "Mafia"
* "The Lover"
* "Koi Pond"
* "Double Date"
* "Murder"
* "Shareholder Meeting"
* "Scott's Tots"
* "Secret Santa"
* "The Banker"
* "Sabre"
* "The Manager and the Salesman"
* "The Delivery"
* "St. Patrick's Day"
* "New Leads"
* "Happy Hour"
* "Secretary's Day"
* "Body Language"
* "The Cover-Up"
* "The Chump"
* "Whistleblower"

Season 7|

* "Nepotism"
* "Counseling"
* "Andy's Play"
* "Sex Ed"
* "The Sting"
* "Costume Contest"
* "Christening"
* "Viewing Party"
* "WUPHF.com"
* "China"
* "Classy Christmas"
* "Ultimatum"
* "The Seminar"
* "The Search"
* "PDA"
* "Threat Level Midnight"
* "Todd Packer"
* "Garage Sale"
* "Training Day"
* "Michael's Last Dundies"
* "Goodbye, Michael"
* "The Inner Circle"
* "Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting) Manager"
* "Search Committee"

Season 8|

* "The List"
* "The Incentive"
* "Lotto"
* "Garden Party"
* "Spooked"
* "Doomsday"
* "Pam's Replacement"
* "Gettysburg"
* "Mrs. California"
* "Christmas Wishes"
* "Trivia"
* "Pool Party"
* "Jury Duty"
* "Special Project"
* "Tallahassee"
* "After Hours"
* "Test the Store"
* "Last Day in Florida"
* "Get the Girl"
* "Welcome Party"
* "Angry Andy"
* "Fundraiser"
* "Turf War"
* "Free Family Portrait Studio"

Season 9|

* "New Guys"
* "Roy's Wedding"
* "Andy's Ancestry"
* "Work Bus"
* "Here Comes Treble"
* "The Boat"
* "The Whale"
* "The Target"
* "Dwight Christmas"
* "Lice"
* "Suit Warehouse"
* "Customer Loyalty"
* "Junior Salesman"
* "Vandalism"
* "Couples Discount"
* "Moving On"
* "The Farm"
* "Promos"
* "Stairmageddon"
* "Paper Airplane"
* "Livin' the Dream"
* "A.A.R.M."
* "Finale"

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