# The Office 5/20 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 21, 2010, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-20/540246 "2010-05-21T13:33:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-20/540246/21 "2010-05-21T16:47:00Z")
I missed the opening scene (I was at work, so this was a VERY rare occasion where I actually watched a TV show live). Is it worth hunting down? I’m really disappointed that there are so many dopers who still think there’s an actual documentary being filmed. The only character who has EVER directly mentioned the camera crew was Jan, and we all know how nuts and delusional SHE is. Infact, it wouldn’t surprise me if in the final episode they actually acknowledge that she was seeing things. The documentary style is a STYLE of storytelling, nothing more. ---
**Author:** ![ScatteredFrog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@ScatteredFrog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScatteredFrog)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-20/540246/22 "2010-05-21T16:53:54Z")
Regarding the IT guy…I thought the name Nick was a cop-out…there was a prior NBC IT character named Nick. Remember him? ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-20/540246/23 "2010-05-21T16:59:20Z")
I’ve been enjoying this season more than most people, I think, but this episode did nothing for me. The whole plot was totally implausible (why does this entire scandal center only around the Scranton office? how could Dwight possibly have anywhere near enough money to consider buying the entire office building?), and everything just seemed choppily edited and rushed. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-20/540246/24 "2010-05-21T17:10:54Z")
> [@corkboard](#): > > The bit with the IT guy at the end seemed… like they were fulfilling a contractual obligation for the actor. Like they promised to give him a scene that featured him for 90 seconds, or something. Stupid and forced. See, I thought they were setting him up to take the fall for the leak. That’s what happens in any place I’ve ever worked. Somebody screwed up? Yeah, it was that guy who just quit… ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-20/540246/25 "2010-05-21T17:12:19Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > I don’t want to become the guy who points out all the things that don’t make sense every week, but really? Last week Dwight says “I don’t have $30,000 lying around” (regarding the Angela contract thing) and this week he’s thinking of buying an office building? I don’t have $30,000 lying around either, but I bought a house. An office building is a rental property so even if the mortgage was $10,000 a month, he might bring in $20,000 a month on rentals. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-20/540246/26 "2010-05-21T17:17:03Z")
> [@fusoya](#): > > I missed the opening scene (I was at work, so this was a VERY rare occasion where I actually watched a TV show live). Is it worth hunting down? > > I’m really disappointed that there are so many dopers who still think there’s an actual documentary being filmed. The only character who has EVER directly mentioned the camera crew was Jan, and we all know how nuts and delusional SHE is. Infact, it wouldn’t surprise me if in the final episode they actually acknowledge that she was seeing things. The documentary style is a STYLE of storytelling, nothing more. Uh, the interviews they show every week are part of the documentary. Also Jo was looking straight at the camera as she walked around this episode. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-20/540246/27 "2010-05-21T17:24:15Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I don’t have $30,000 lying around either, but I bought a house. An office building is a rental property so even if the mortgage was $10,000 a month, he might bring in $20,000 a month on rentals. The margins are probably not quite that high. But even if it’s fully occupied, good luck getting a bank to finance it 100%. You need at least some cash up front to buy commercial rental property. You know what would be infinitely better? Dwight buying the security guard’s 1/8 share in the condo he rents out. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-20/540246/28 "2010-05-21T17:44:23Z")
> [@fusoya](#): > > I’m really disappointed that there are so many dopers who still think there’s an actual documentary being filmed. The only character who has EVER directly mentioned the camera crew was Jan, and we all know how nuts and delusional SHE is. Infact, it wouldn’t surprise me if in the final episode they actually acknowledge that she was seeing things. The documentary style is a STYLE of storytelling, nothing more. I’m not one to complain about the Office being a documentary that’s never released, but they’ve referred to the camera plenty of times. Like when Jim and Pam were hiding their relationship and the camera guys showed them the video of them kissing. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-20/540246/29 "2010-05-21T17:52:43Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > Uh, the interviews they show every week are part of the documentary. Also Jo was looking straight at the camera as she walked around this episode. Many things have happened on the show that make it impossible to take the documentary conceit literally. I wish I could remember what I’m talking about but… I can’t. There is certainly a documentary conceit, but it’s pretty explicitly to be taken by the audience as a way of telling the story, and not as literally indicating that there are entities in the Officeverse releasing a documentary at some point in the future. In other words, the show uses documentary tropes to tell the story, but the releasing of an actual documentary isn’t (any longer) part of the story being told. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-20/540246/30 "2010-05-21T17:53:04Z")
I can imagine Dwight having a pretty big pile of money hidden in his attic. Think about it, he makes really good money. Isn’t married. No kids (yet). He lives on his family farm which has probably been owned outright for decades, so just upkeep and property taxes there (though the beets might bring in enough to cover some of that), and he drives an old beater of a Trans-Am. He has relatively few expenses in relation to his income so it is entirely possible that he has a couple hundred grand squirreled away somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-20/540246/31 "2010-05-21T18:30:42Z")
> [@HelloNinja](#): > > I can imagine Dwight having a pretty big pile of money hidden in his attic. Think about it, he makes really good money. Isn’t married. No kids (yet). He lives on his family farm which has probably been owned outright for decades, so just upkeep and property taxes there (though the beets might bring in enough to cover some of that), and he drives an old beater of a Trans-Am. He has relatively few expenses in relation to his income so it is entirely possible that he has a couple hundred grand squirreled away somewhere. He might also have hidden caches of Nazi gold. Plus, don’t forget about his [Bed and Breakfast](http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g52842-d730099-Reviews-Schrute_Farms-Honesdale_Pocono_Mountains_Region_Pennsylvania.html). ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-20/540246/32 "2010-05-21T18:30:55Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > The margins are probably not quite that high. But even if it’s fully occupied, good luck getting a bank to finance it 100%. You need at least some cash up front to buy commercial rental property. I know, I made up the numbers, I was just pointing out that the building wouldn’t have to be bought for cash. Also, while the bank might not finance 100%, I’d think they’d finance quite a bit if Dwight could show that it’s fully occupied and all the renters have a time left on their lease. OTOH, that would drive the price up as well I would think. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-20/540246/33 "2010-05-21T18:40:57Z")
> [@fusoya](#): > > I missed the opening scene (I was at work, so this was a VERY rare occasion where I actually watched a TV show live). Is it worth hunting down? > > I’m really disappointed that there are so many dopers who still think there’s an actual documentary being filmed. The only character who has EVER directly mentioned the camera crew was Jan, and we all know how nuts and delusional SHE is. Infact, it wouldn’t surprise me if in the final episode they actually acknowledge that she was seeing things. The documentary style is a STYLE of storytelling, nothing more. Then why would David want to plug ‘Suck It’? You may be right, and I just hope the endings clever wether it’s real documentary or not. I think it’s more likely that I’ll like the ending if they do address it, like the UK version. But we’ll see. I heard the actor/writer who plays Kelly say she had a cool ending in mind. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-20/540246/34 "2010-05-21T18:42:36Z")
dp, stupid AOL ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-20/540246/35 "2010-05-21T18:43:27Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > I don’t want to become the guy who points out all the things that don’t make sense every week, but really? Last week Dwight says “I don’t have $30,000 lying around” (regarding the Angela contract thing) and this week he’s thinking of buying an office building? After he said, that, he strongly implied that he had buried it instead. Dwight seems like he would have emergency stashes of cash, clothes, and guns all over the state. ---
**Author:** ![LionelHutz405](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lionelhutz405/32/536_2.png) [@LionelHutz405](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LionelHutz405)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-20/540246/36 "2010-05-21T18:46:02Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > I don’t want to become the guy who points out all the things that don’t make sense every week, but really? Last week Dwight says “I don’t have $30,000 lying around” (regarding the Angela contract thing) and this week he’s thinking of buying an office building? When normal people say they don’t have $30,000 lying around, they mean they don’t have $30,000. Dwight isn’t normal though. He was referring to the lying around part. He mentioned he had the money, it just wasn’t ‘lying around’. He said something about it being buried really deep or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-20/540246/37 "2010-05-21T18:59:45Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > I don’t want to become the guy who points out all the things that don’t make sense every week, but really? Last week Dwight says “I don’t have $30,000 lying around” (regarding the Angela contract thing) and this week he’s thinking of buying an office building? Are you talking about the part that was IMMEDIATELY followed by the line about how it’s not lying around, he’d have to dig for it, and there’s someone else buried there that he doesn’t want to dig past? Really, folks. There’s lots to criticize in every show. Is it necessary to criticize it based on things that were answered ONE LINE LATER? -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-20/540246/38 "2010-05-21T19:05:58Z")
Best scene for me was when Andy was in his “confessional” and first Kevin and then Meredith yelled things at him about being the snitch. That, and “spermed lovers.” ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-20/540246/39 "2010-05-21T19:23:53Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > Best scene for me was when Andy was in his “confessional” and first Kevin and then Meredith yelled things at him about being the snitch. > > That, and “spermed lovers.” My own favorite line was Toby, “Write your own goddamn novel”. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-20/540246/40 "2010-05-21T19:27:54Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > My own favorite line was Toby, “Write your own goddamn novel”. > > -Joe YES! Jesus, Toby, the first time someone shows the slightest interest in anything about you, and that’s how you respond? Toby is like a dog who’s been beat, and has no idea how to accept friendship. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-20/540246.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-5-20/540246.md?page=3)