Lecture Circuit: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 22:24, 22 October 2020

Revision as of 03:08, 29 November 2020

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| episode =16/17

| airdate =February 5, 2009 (Part 1)<br>February 12, 2009 (Part 2)

| production =514/515<ref name=Sneakpeak>{{cite web|last=Wilson|first=Rainn|title=Remember all of these? #FinalSeason|url=https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10100191630757268|publisher=[[Facebook]].com|accessdateaccess-date=December 13, 2012|date=December 13, 2012}}</ref>

| length =42 minutes

| director =[[Ken Kwapis]]

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==Production==

"Lecture Circuit" was directed by [[Ken Kwapis]] and written by [[Mindy Kaling]], who also plays Kelly Kapoor in the show. The first episode included a cameo performance by Rashida Jones, a regular cast member during the [[The Office (U.S. season 3)|third season]], during which she played Jim Halpert's love interest Karen Filippelli. "Lecture Circuit" aired just two months before Jones began her regular role as [[Ann Perkins]] in the [[NBC]] comedy series ''[[Parks and Recreation]]'', which was created by ''Office'' producers [[Greg Daniels]] and [[Michael Schur]].<ref name="Sepinwall1">{{Cite news |last=Sepinwall |first=Alan |title=The Office, "Lecture Circuit, Part One": The closure |work=[[The Star-Ledger]] |date=February 6, 2009 |url=http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2009/02/the_office_lecture_circuit_par.html |accessdateaccess-date=February 24, 2010}}</ref> Dan Goor, a future writer for ''Parks and Recreation'', made a cameo as Karen's husband in the photographs featured in the part one episode.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tan |first=Jennie |title=Parks and Recreation set |date=April 4, 2009 |work=OfficeTally

|url=http://www.officetally.com/parks-and-recreation-set-visit/2 |accessdateaccess-date=February 24, 2010}}</ref> Rob Huebel, a comedian best known for the [[MTV]] sketch comedy series ''[[Human Giant]]'', guest starred as Holly's boyfriend, A.J.<ref name="AVClub2" /> Amy Ryan, who played Holly Flax in previous episodes, did not appear in either "Lecture Circuit" episode, although the decision by Michael and Pam to visit Holly at the end of the first episode led to speculation about whether she would appear in the second.<ref name="Sepinwall1" /><ref name="NyMag1" /><ref name="NyMag2" />

==Cultural references==

Michael handing out candy bars during his lectures is a reference to the [[The Office (U.S. season 3)|third season]] episode, "[[Business School (The Office)|Business School]]", in which Michael passed out chocolate bars during his speech to a business school classroom.<ref name="Sepinwall1" /> Michael expresses regret for insulting [[List of characters from The Office (US TV series)#Tony Gardner|Tony Gardner]], the heavyset man who briefly transferred from the Stamford branch of Dunder Mifflin to the Scranton branch, who Michael drives to quit by trying to lift onto a table for an orientation demonstration in the third season episode, "[[The Merger (The Office)|The Merger]]".<ref name="ScrantonTimes2" /> Among the Dunder Mifflin branches Michael visits is [[Nashua, New Hampshire]], where Holly works,<ref name="NyMag1">{{Cite news |last=Leitch |first=Will |author-link=Will Leitch |title=''The Office'': Sets Up Amy Ryan's Return! |work=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] |date=February 6, 2009 |url=http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2009/02/the_office_sets_up_amy_ryans_r.html |accessdateaccess-date=February 24, 2010}}</ref> and [[Utica, New York]], where Karen works. Michael said he can only prepare for his lectures by listening to "silence or [[Sam Kinison]]", an American stand-up comedian known for his extreme and vulgar sense of humor.<ref name="Sepinwall1" /> Michael said he learned the [[Pledge of Allegiance (United States)|Pledge of Allegiance]], the lyrical oath of loyalty to the [[Flag of the United States|United States flag]], by setting the lyrics to the rhythm of "[[Old McDonald Had a Farm]]", a children's song about the various animals on a farm.<ref name="EWeekly1">{{Cite news |last=Pastorek |first=Whitney |title="The Office" Recap: On the Road |work=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=February 6, 2009 |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20257378,00.html |accessdateaccess-date=February 24, 2010}}</ref> During one lecture, Michael and Pam both do impressions of the protagonist from ''[[Forrest Gump]]'', the 1994 film starring [[Tom Hanks]] as a mentally handicapped man.<ref name="Sepinwall2">{{Cite news |last=Sepinwall |first=Alan |title=The Office, "Lecture Circuit, Part Two": She'll be back |work=[[The Star-Ledger]] |date=February 12, 2009 |url=http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2009/02/the_office_lecture_circuit_par_1.html |accessdateaccess-date=February 24, 2010}}</ref> Michael also uses the title from the films ''[[Good Morning, Vietnam]]'' (at his Nashua lecture by saying "Good morning, Vietna...shua!")<ref name="ScrantonTimes2">{{Cite news |last=McAuliffe |first=Josh |title="Lecture Circuit, Part II" Recap |work=[[The Times-Tribune (Scranton)|The Times-Tribune]] |date=February 13, 2009}}</ref> ''[[The Princess Bride (film)|The Princess Bride]]'', ''[[Gone with the Wind (film)|Gone with the Wind]]'' and ''[[Jerry Maguire]]'' in his lectures.<ref name="EWeekly2">{{Cite news|last=Pastorek |first=Whitney |title="The Office" Recap: It's a celebration |work=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=February 13, 2009 |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20258960,00.html |accessdateaccess-date=February 24, 2010 |archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214163424/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C20258960%2C00.html |archivedatearchive-date=February 14, 2009 |url-status=dead |df= }}</ref> Holly's computer has a [[screensaver]] with images of [[Ed Grimley]], the nerdy character with a cowlick played by comedian [[Martin Short]] in the comedy shows ''[[Second City Television|SCTV]]'' and ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''.<ref name="AVClub2">{{Cite news |last= Rabin |first=Nathan |title=The Office: Season 5: Episode 15: "Lecture Circuit Part 2" |work=[[The A.V. Club]] |date=February 12, 2009 |url=http://tv.avclub.com/the-office-lecture-circuit-part-2-1798205799 |accessdateaccess-date=February 24, 2010}}</ref>

Angela said she sold Andy's engagement ring on [[eBay]], an online auction website.<ref name="EWeekly2" /> Creed gives Andy romantic advice and says, "This is how I got [[Squeaky Fromme]]", a reference to the [[Charles Manson|Manson family]] member who tried to assassinate [[President of the United States|U.S. President]] [[Gerald Ford]]. A picture of President [[George W. Bush]] appears on a [[Fake denominations of United States currency#.243|fake three-dollar bill]] Creed gives Jim to pay for the party.<ref name="Sepinwall1" /> Creed suggests Kelly watch ''[[The Bonnie Hunt Show]]'', a syndicated talk show hosted by actress [[Bonnie Hunt]].<ref name="AVClub2" /> Andy puts [[Splenda]], an artificial sweetener, into Stanley's coffee because he has [[Diabetes mellitus type 2|adult onset diabetes]], a disorder characterized by high blood glucose.<ref name="AVClub1">{{Cite news |last=Rabin |first=Nathan |title=The Office: Season 5: Episode 14: "Lecture Circuit" |work=[[The A.V. Club]] |date=February 5, 2009 |url=http://tv.avclub.com/the-office-lecture-circuit-1798205735 |accessdateaccess-date=February 24, 2010}}</ref> Andy sings Julia [[1234 (Feist song)|a song]] by [[Feist (singer)|Feist]], the [[Canada|Canadian]] singer and songwriter, after he spots a Feist CD in her car.<ref name="EWeekly1" /> Michael takes a document file from Holly's computer that was created with [[Microsoft Word]], the [[Microsoft]] word processing program.<ref name="NyMag2">{{Cite news |last=Leitch |first=Will |author-link=Will Leitch |title=''The Office'': The Cat Lady, Redefined |work=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] |date=February 13, 2009 |url=http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2009/02/the_office_the_cat_lady_redefi.html |accessdateaccess-date=February 24, 2010}}</ref> Pam said she hates the notion of even [[Al-Qaeda]] hating her, a reference to the [[Islamism|Islamist]] terrorist organization that organized the [[September 11 attacks]] against [[New York City]].<ref name="EWeekly1" /> Kelly confesses she went to juvenile detention in [[Berks County]], [[Pennsylvania]],<ref name="ScrantonTimes1">{{Cite news |last=McAuliffe |first=Josh |title="Lecture Circuit" Recap |work=[[The Times-Tribune (Scranton)|The Times-Tribune]] |date=February 6, 2009}}</ref> at age 14 for doing something "like ''[[Thelma & Louise]]'', but with a boat", a reference to the 1991 [[road movie]] starring [[Geena Davis]] and [[Susan Sarandon]] on the run from their troubled, caged lives.<ref name="EWeekly">{{Cite news |last=Labrecque |first=Jeff |title="The Office" Recap: Love Hurts |work=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=March 6, 2009 |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20263502,00.html |accessdateaccess-date=February 24, 2010}}</ref> Jim said during a birthday trip to a museum at age seven, his father bought him a plastic toy [[triceratops]], a three-horned [[dinosaur]] from the Late [[Cretaceous|Cretaceous Period]], which Dwight insists is not a good dinosaur.<ref name="EWeekly2" /> Pam remembers the name of one audience member by comparing her to [[k.d. lang]], the Canadian singer known for her extremely short hair.<ref name="ScrantonTimes2" />

==Reception==

In its original American broadcast on February 5, 2009, the first part of "Lecture Circuit" was seen by 8.4 million viewers, according to [[Nielsen ratings|Nielsen Media Research]].<ref name="LC1Rate">{{Cite news |last=Gorman |first=Bill |title=Thursday Ratings: With CBS Away, ''Grey's'' and ''Practice'' Come Out To Play |work=TV by the Numbers |date=February 6, 2009 |url=http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/02/06/thursday-ratings-with-cbs-away-greys-anatomy-and-private-practice-come-out-to-play/12299 |accessdateaccess-date=February 23, 2010}}</ref> The original broadcast for the second part on February 12 was seen by 8.89 million viewers. The second episode received a 4.3 rating/11 share among viewers aged between 18 and 34, and a 3.8 rating/9 share among viewers aged between 18 and 49, numbers which were close to the season's average rating.<ref name="LC2Rate">{{Cite news |last=Gorman |first=Bill |title=Thursday Ratings: ''Survivor'' Returns Well, ''Grey's'' Boosts ''Practice'' To Demo Beatdown |work=TV by the Numbers |date=February 13, 2009 |url=http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/02/13/thursday-ratings-survivor-returns-well-greys-and-practice-deliver-demo-beatdown/12787 |accessdateaccess-date=February 23, 2010}}</ref> The first episode received a 5.0 rating/14 share among viewers aged between 18 and 34, and a 4.3 rating/11 share among viewers aged between 18 and 49. Both ratings were three-tenths of a drop from the previous episode, "[[Stress Relief (The Office)|Stress Relief]]", which was heavily viewed because it immediately followed the broadcast of [[Super Bowl XLIII]] on NBC. The drop in ratings led some media outlets to speculate that the post-Super Bowl ratings boost was only temporary and would not help ''The Office'' in the long run.<ref name="LC1Rate" />

{{Quote box |quoted=true |bgcolor=#FFFFF0 |salign=center |width=215px |align=right | quote = Both parts of ''Lecture Circuit'' were nearly perfect, and if we were to take them together ... they'd easily constitute the finest hour-long episode in this show's history. [Writer Mindy Kaling] nailed the characterizations, the interactions, the tossed-off one-liners, the weird-yet-realistic scenarios. I wonder how much it helps that she's out on the acting floor every day, getting attuned to her costars' rhythms? | source = '''Henning Fog<br> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'''''<ref name="EWeekly2" />}}

Both episodes of "Lecture Circuit" received generally positive reviews. Whitney Pastorek of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' described them as "nearly perfect", calling them the two best episodes of the season so far: "[Writer Mindy Kaling] nailed the characterizations, the interactions, the tossed-off one-liners, the weird-yet-realistic scenarios...I wonder how much it helps that she's out on the acting floor every day, getting attuned to her costars' rhythms?"<ref name="EWeekly2" /> Josh McAuliffe of ''[[The Times-Tribune (Scranton)|The Times-Tribune]]'' of [[Scranton, Pennsylvania|Scranton]], [[Pennsylvania]], said the first "Lecture Circuit" episode was his favorite episode of the fifth season so far, which he said provided several laugh-out-loud moments and a poignancy with Michael's decision to find Holly.<ref name="ScrantonTimes1" /> McAuliffe described the second episode as a "satisfying wrap-up" and said Michael's outburst during the lecture was "one of the most painful Michael meltdown moments in the show's history".<ref name="ScrantonTimes2" /> Alan Sepinwall of ''[[The Star-Ledger]]'' said the first episode perfectly balanced drama and comedy. He particularly complimented the chemistry between both Carell and Fischer and between Krasinski and Wilson, and said he was particularly pleased to receive closure over the Karen character.<ref name="Sepinwall1" /> But Sepinwall said the second episode felt padded with "material I would have been fine seeing as deleted scenes". Although he described Carell's reaction to the news that Holly still has feelings for him as a "wonderful performance", Sepinwall also said the subplot involving Angela's cat was particularly unfunny and that subplot with Jim and Dwight, "so brilliant last week, ran out of steam quickly here."<ref name="Sepinwall2" />

Nathan Rabin of [[The A.V. Club]] said the episode "was full of laughs but had a bit of a bittersweet aftertaste" and had "one hell of a cliffhanger" ending. Rabin praised the Jim and Dwight teaming in the first episode, but said the plot line of Michael's lectures were predictable and "promised more than it delivered".<ref name="AVClub1" /> Rabin said the second episode "wrapped up everything up nicely [and] delivered larfs aplenty"; he particularly enjoyed the subplot involving Angela's cats, and the fact that it "left the door open for Holly's return".<ref name="AVClub2" /> [[Will Leitch]] of ''[[New York (magazine)|New York]]'' magazine praised the cliffhanger ending of the first episode and said he was pleased the Holly character was still in the show's equation. Leitch also praised Ed Helms, who "is nailing the right combination of ridiculous and sad-sack pathos", although he said he "[wasn't] nearly as inspired" by the Jim and Dwight subplot.<ref name="NyMag1" /> Leitch also enjoyed the second episode, particularly the "legitimately sweet moment" when Pam tells Michael that Holly still has feelings for him. Leitch was less praiseworthy of the Angela subplot involving her cats, and said the character "appears to have officially gone batshit insane."<ref name="NyMag2" /> Travis Fickett of [[IGN]] criticized the first episode and said, "I'm starting to wonder if the show is showing signs of winding down." Fickett said the idea of Michael giving awkward lecture tours felt old and familiar, so much so that "I was convinced it was a repeat". He also said the Jim and Dwight idea was funny, but "nothing the show hasn't tapped before".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fickett |first=Travis |title=The Office: "Lecture Circuit, Part 1" Review |work=[[IGN]] |date=February 6, 2009 |url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/951/951961p1.html |accessdateaccess-date=February 24, 2010}}</ref> Likewise, Fickett described the second episode as "average ''Office'' and feels overly familiar without really blazing any new ground." He also said it was disappointing Holly did not appear, and that Angela felt like a "caricature" in her subplot.<ref name="Fickett">{{Cite news |last=Fickett |first=Travis |title=The Office: "Lecture Circuit, Part Two" Review |work=[[IGN]] |date=February 13, 2009 |url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/954/954257p1.html |accessdateaccess-date=February 24, 2010}}</ref>

The first part of the episode was voted the fifth highest-rated episode out of 26 from the fifth season, according to an episode poll at the fansite ''OfficeTally''; the episode was rated 8.64 out of 10. The second part of the episode, however, was voted the third-worst of the season, with a rating of 7.14<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tan |first=Jennie |work=OfficeTally |title=The Office Fan Ratings, Season 5 |date=May 19, 2009 |url=http://www.officetally.com/the-office-highest-rated-episodes-season-5 |accessdateaccess-date=February 24, 2010}}</ref> However, the scene with Angela licking her cat was heavily criticized by reviewers,<ref name="NyMag2" /><ref name="Fickett" /><ref name="Hernandez0409">{{Cite news |last=Hernandez |first=Lee |title="Office" Talk with Oscar Nuñez |work=[[Latina (magazine)|Latina]] |url=http://www.latina.com/blogs/vivo-por-tivo/office-talk-oscar-nu%C3%B1ez?quicktabs_1=0 |accessdateaccess-date=February 23, 2010}}</ref> prompting some observers to describe it as the moment when ''The Office'' [[Jumping the shark|jumped the shark]], a phrase used to describe the moment of downturn for a previously successful television show.<ref name="Hernandez0409" /> When asked about this during an interview, actor Oscar Nuñez responded, "No show is 'Jump the Shark'-proof, but there have been other moments on ''The Office'' that I think were more 'Jump the Shark' than that." He did not specify what other moments he meant.<ref name="Hernandez0409" />

==References==