The Office (US) S3 E5 - 'Initiation' Mini-Review


Pretzel Day.

Ryan bonds with Dwight as the latter teaches him about being a salesman. It's a fun romp through Dwight's crazed mind and it's cute to see Ryan actually learning from the initiation. Meanwhile, Pretzel Day was a Stanley-fuelled delight, with Michael completing a huge sale during a sugar rush and Pam doing her best to help Michael keep his job when Jan threatens him. Jim and Pam are also reunited briefly over the phone in and awkward but telling call. It seems they can't really move on from each other, so maybe the big hook up is just around the corner.

BEST MOMENTS

  • The Dwight Army of Champions
  • "I am going to plant my seed in you" - Dwight to Ryan
  • Stanley - "Well I like pretzel day"
  • Love how Stanley supports Michael for the first time, and it's over Phyllis cutting in to the queue to say hi to her fiance!
  • "Welcome... TO SCHRUTE FARM!"
  • Cute how Pam is trying to help Michael be productive so he doesn't get fired
  • Angela defending Dwight, awww
  • "Loneliness. Maybe women"
  • "Great advice, hurts my feelings every time"
  • Ryan actually learning from Dwight
  • Ryan and Dwight egging that company!
  • "That temp agency could've sent you anywhere!" "Yeh I think about that all of the time"
  • Jim and Pam's awkward phone call
  • "It felt far"
  • "365 until the next pretzel day"
DID YOU KNOW?!*
  • Although the idea for writer Michael Schur to be Dwight's cousin Mose had been a joke among the writers since the first season, B. J. Novak pitched the idea when writing "Initiation". Schur had to grow out his beard for three months and wear wool clothes on a hot day as part of his character. Mose was based on an actual participant in the UPN reality show Amish in the City
  • Pam tells Jim that she types 90 words per minutes. Having worked as a receptionist at several jobs, Jenna Fischer types 85 words per minute
  • When Ryan catches up to Dwight outside the Schrute Farm's barn, Dwight gives him a salute with an extended flourish. That salute is a reverse version of the "Rimmer Salute" from Red Dwarf
  • In what's mostly likely a coincidence, Andy sings part of "Lovefool" by The Cardigans and then says "Wonder what ever happened to those guys?" The Cardigans released a new album a few weeks before this episode aired
  • The figure that Mose whittles for Ryan is a replica of the Venus of Willendorf, a prehistoric figurine that dates back approximately 25,000 years
  • While waiting in line for a pretzel, Kelly is describing the parody video "Lazy Sunday" performed by Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell part of an SNL Digital Short. Michael and Dwight would go on to parody this video later in Season 3, Episode 8 "The Merger" as an orientation video for the transferred Stamford employees
RATING: 8.5/10









*Trivia from IMDB

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