Every true fan of The Office knows that the show’s deleted scenes are pure comedic gold.
The scripts were so packed with smart writing and hilarious jokes that when it came time to edit the episodes some scenes had to get the boot for various reasons, such as run time. In the latest episode of the Office Ladies podcast, Office stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey chatted all about the first part of the Season 5 premiere, “Weight Loss,” including several deleted scenes from the episode.
“Weight Loss,” which was written by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, and directed by Paul Feig, finds the Dunder Mifflin crew taking part in a company weight loss competition. The episode also shows Pam in New York City, where she embarks on her exciting design program, and the whole Dwight/Angela/Andy drama rages on.
If you wish this delightful two-part episode was even longer, please enjoy these deleted scene recaps.
1. Meredith’s bright red face
Several observant Office fans wrote into the podcast to ask Fischer and Kinsey about Meredith’s super red face during the weigh-in scene. Her facial coloring would have made sense, had a scene about her getting a very bad sunburn not been deleted.
“I want you guys to know I took a photo of Kate [Flannery]’s face as Meredith looking like that. And I texted it to Kate last night and I said, ‘Kate, you know what, you should win team player award for the run of The Office.’ Because her character was always getting into some kind of mishap, which resulted in Kate being in the hair and makeup trailer forever. Right?” Kinsey said. “And here was the storyline, and it’s shared in the deleted scenes: Meredith gets severely sunburned.”
They proceeded to play the deleted scene, and the dialogue is as follows:
Meredith: These guys took me on a fishing boat. I don’t think I caught anything.
Michael: Hello? Hello. Hey, your face is almost back to normal.
Meredith: One more kid calls me Hellboy. I swear to God.
Dwight: Oh, you wish. Hellboy’s a hero.
“Yeah, she went out on a boat, got super, super sunburned, and this was something they had to watch in continuity of which stage of the sunburn was her face at,” Kinsey continued. “Then the whole storyline got deleted. But they couldn’t take out Kate’s face, you know what I mean? So they just had to leave it in. And Kate said the day after the show aired, Steve came up to her on set and was like, ‘You know what, Kate? I still thought it was funny. You know, I kind of love that Meredith has this mystery about her. That she has this whole other life we don’t even need to explain.’ And Kate said it made her feel so good that Steve was so thoughtful to come over and say that.”
2. The wrath of pregnant Jan
Jan is pregnant. But as we discussed in a previous podcast, Michael isn’t the father, Jan’s sperm donor was actually professional tennis player Andy Roddick.
Michael has agreed to help pregnant Jan out, and in doing so, may have led his employees to believe that Jan is carrying his baby. NBD!
Anyway, Jan puts this rumor to rest in a deleted scene that featured a Jim talking head.
“Jim has this talking head where he says, ‘Michael led us to believe he was the father of Jan’s baby by telling us he was the father of Jan’s baby,'” Kinsey explains. “Well, this talking head would have continued and they had to trim it.”
In the original talking head, Jim held up an email and said, “But then Jan sent this email to everyone.” Kinsey explained that Jim read the email out loud, and here’s what it said.
Hi, everyone. Jan here writing to share some wonderful news and to squash a rumor. First, the great news: I am expecting! The beautiful baby girl inside me will be ready to meet the world this fall, just a few months before the launch of the new Serenity by Jan line. Shameless plug. I know. Don’t hate me. LOL. Anyway, I also wanted to clarify that the father is not anyone that you or I have ever met. Remember, no matter how excited someone is about my baby, it does not make them the father. Best, Jan. PS: Hope to ship you something soon.
3. The cat wedding cake
DwAngela fans probably didn’t care that Angela was cheating on Andy with Dwight during their engagement, but you might sympathize with the guy a little more after reading about this deleted scene.
“There’s a very sweet deleted scene that shows Angela trying to bond with Andy over the wedding. It’s in the break room and I titled it ‘Overly Animated Angela,'” Kinsey said. Here’s the original dialogue:
Andy: We could get a cake shaped like your cat.
Angela: They can do that?
Andy: Yeah. For you, my love. I will find the finest cakesmith in all the land. Doo-doo-doo-doo! Bring me sir bakes a lot of Frostingham Forest.
Angela: What about one shaped like, I don’t know, a litter box?
Andy: Hey-oh!
Angela: Right? I mean is it gross or wonderful? I don’t know!
4. Tensions! At the dry erase board
The Scranton office spent most of “Weight Loss” dieting and depriving themselves of food in hopes of winning a few extra vacation days, so naturally tensions ran high.
In one deleted scene, however, Fischer and Kinsey explain that things got downright insulting between the ladies in the office.
“Well, now it is week five of the weight loss competition. The Scranton branch is not doing very well. Holly tells us that corporate has now upped the prize to five vacation days, but things are breaking down between people,” Fischer explained. “I mean, Kevin’s in the kitchen. He’s making himself a peanut butter bagel. Creed and Kelly are glaring at him.”
“Oh, there is a deleted scene where Meredith and Kelly and Holly are working on the dry erase board. And Kelly goes, ‘I’m doing a blood type diet. And Meredith goes, ‘Who gives a *BLEEP*. And Kelly goes, ‘What did you say, whore?’ And Holly goes, ‘OK, hey, hey, hey!'” Kinsey said. “I mean, things are getting really intense.”
Be sure to listen to the full podcast episode for more deleted scene recaps and behind-the-scenes stories from filming “Weight Loss.”
You can stream episodes of The Office on Peacock and follow along with the podcast every week on Earwolf, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.