Michael arranges a morale-boosting birthday party for Meredith and is determined to come up with the funniest message in her card. Dwight wants a pact with Jim to fight the downsizing, and Michael regrets showing off when Oscar asks for sponsorship for a charity walk being undertaken by his nephew, who has cerebral palsy.
WAR
64.4
Wins Above Replacement
“The Alliance” ranks #140 of 183 The Office episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 85.2 — Elite. The episode packs 61 scored jokes at 2.6 per minute, averaging 7.1 on craft and 7.0 on impact, with Michael landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Michael: Michael's speech: he's made 'a very sizable donation' — '25 dollars' — 'per mile, yes' — and wants to be remembered as the guy who donated hospital wings anonymously, 'But it was anonymous, how do you know? Because I met him.'
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Roy · Dwight: Roy asks 'Dwight, what the hell is he talking about?' — Dwight: 'I have absolutely no idea.'
Roy Dwight Irony/Sarcasm Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: Michael practices saying 'You're fired' repeatedly to the camera, clearly enjoying it
Michael Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Dwight: Dwight's talking head from inside the box: 'Can I trust Jim? I don't know. Do I have a choice? No. Frankly I don't. Will I trust Jim? Yes. Should I trust Jim? You tell me.'
Dwight Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Angela: Angela: 'I think green is kind of whorish' during a streamers color discussion
Angela Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Standout Moments
Michael: Michael practices saying 'You're fired' repeatedly to the camera, clearly enjoying it
Michael Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: Michael's speech: he's made 'a very sizable donation' — '25 dollars' — 'per mile, yes' — and wants to be remembered as the guy who donated hospital wings anonymously, 'But it was anonymous, how do you know? Because I met him.'
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Roy · Dwight: Roy asks 'Dwight, what the hell is he talking about?' — Dwight: 'I have absolutely no idea.'
Roy Dwight Irony/Sarcasm Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Callback All Jokes — 61 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Michael · Dwight: Michael correcting Dwight: 'Assistant TO the regional manager, Dwight'
Michael: Michael's talking head about Donald Trump: 'The main difference between me and Donald Trump is that I get no pleasure out of saying the words You're fired'
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Michael: Michael's proposed catch phrase: 'You're hired, and you can work here as long as you want' — 'But that's unrealistic so...'
Michael Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Callback Michael: Michael talking head: 'Studies have shown more information gets passed through water cooler gossip... which puts me at a disadvantage because...'
Michael Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Michael: The water cooler has been moved away from its spot, ostensibly for 'maintenance' — Michael standing alone where it used to be
Michael Visual Gag Irony/Sarcasm Callback Michael: Michael's talking head calling Meredith's birthday party 'Operation Moral Improvement, Starring Michael Scott'
Michael · Pam: Michael asks for a drum roll for the birthday person reveal — Pam says there are no upcoming birthdays
Michael · Pam: Michael decides to throw Meredith's birthday party a month early — 'It will be a surprise!'
Michael · Pam: Michael tells Pam to 'shake it up, shake it in' while she tries to plan the party — dead enthusiasm from everyone
Michael · Pam: Michael does a Star Trek bit with Pam: 'Spock, any signs of life down there?' / 'No captain, just a wet blanket named Pam'
Angela: Angela: 'I think green is kind of whorish' during a streamers color discussion
Angela Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Kevin: Kevin's talking head: 'Of course by saying that [she doesn't like to gamble] she was gambling that I wouldn't smack her'
Kevin Deadpan/Understatement Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Michael: Michael refers to the party planning committee as 'my party planning biatches'
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Michael · Party Committee: Michael insisting on an ice cream cake despite Meredith being allergic to dairy: 'She's not the only one that's gonna be eating right? I think everybody likes ice cream cake'
Michael: Michael calls the party planning committee his 'party planning biatches' and brags about their 'off the hook' eighties party
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Dwight · Jim: Dwight approaches Jim and solemnly proposes they form 'an alliance'
Jim: Jim's talking head: 'Everything Dwight does annoys me... I spend hours thinking of ways to get back at him, but only ways that would get me arrested. Then here he comes and says No, Jim, here's a way'
Jim Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Dwight · Jim: Dwight flexes unprompted and says 'Did you get your tickets? / To what? / The gun show.'
Dwight · Jim · Pam: Dwight insists the alliance must be 'totally a secret' — immediately followed by Jim telling Pam about it
Pam: Pam's talking head: 'An alliance? What does that even mean? I think it has something to do with Survivor, but I'm not sure. I know it involves spying on people and we may build a fort, Pam.'
Pam Deadpan/Understatement Absurdist Jim · Dwight: Dwight panics when he sees Jim talking to Pam — Jim convinces him Pam is an alliance asset because she 'knows the most information'
Michael: Michael's birthday card reveal: 'Happy Bird-day' on the envelope
Jim · Michael: Jim's card message: 'Meredith, I heard you're turning forty-six but come on, you're an accountant — just fudge the numbers'
Michael: Michael's talking head about his own birthday card message: 'I've already set the bar really high... can you imagine if I wrote something like Meredith, happy birthday, you're great, love Michael'
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Dwight · Jim: Dwight and Jim covertly observe Kevin and Toby talking in the kitchen, treating it as enemy intelligence gathering
Jim · Dwight: Jim and Dwight become genuinely distracted discussing how good the deli sandwiches look mid-spy operation
Dwight: Dwight's reaction to discovering Kevin and Toby may be forming an alliance: 'Damn it! God! God!'
Dwight Character Comedy Escalation Jim · Dwight: Jim: 'We need to assume everyone in the office is forming an alliance' / Dwight: 'Damn it, why us?' / Jim: 'Because we're strong, Dwight. Because we're strong.'
Michael: Michael trying to write Meredith's birthday card: 'Meredith had a little lamb, don't bring that lamb to work or it'll poop on the floor'
Michael · Oscar: Oscar comes in to ask for a charity donation; Michael dramatically commits to '$25' like it's a fortune
Michael: Michael's speech about Oscar's charity: 'Generosity and togetherness and community... all convalescences into... moral'
Michael Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Pam · Jim: Pam's fake-concerned confessional to Jim about overhearing sensitive corporate conversations — she's entirely making it up
Pam Jim Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jim: Jim's talking head reaction: 'Jackpot. That was beautiful. All her idea, too. Awesome. She's so great.'
Jim Reaction Beat Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael: Michael's birthday card brainstorm: 'Meredith bad-breath. Meredith has bad breath.'
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Dwight: Dwight's personnel file recitation about Meredith: 'Name: Meredith Palmer. Personal information: divorced twice, two kids. Employer: Dunder Mifflin Paper Incorporated. Awards: multiple Dundies.'
Dwight Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Dwight · Michael: Dwight suggests Michael use the fact that 'she had a hysterectomy' as birthday card material; Michael: 'Which one is that again?' / Dwight: 'That's when they remove the uterus.' / Michael: 'Oh God, Dwight, NO!'
Dwight: Dwight's talking head: 'That wasn't a waste of time.'
Dwight Deadpan/Understatement Irony/Sarcasm Dwight: Dwight's deer hunting monologue: 'One thing about deer: they have very good vision. One thing about me: I'm better at hiding than they are at vision.'
Dwight Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Michael · Dwight: Michael considers putting Dwight in a large cardboard box with a lid taped shut to spy from
Jim · Dwight: Jim's concern: 'If you tape the lid down you won't be able to breathe.' / Dwight: 'I can breathe just fine, ok?' / Jim punches air holes anyway
Jim Dwight Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Dwight: Dwight's talking head from inside the box: 'Can I trust Jim? I don't know. Do I have a choice? No. Frankly I don't. Will I trust Jim? Yes. Should I trust Jim? You tell me.'
Dwight Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Michael: Michael to Meredith about the dairy cake: 'You know what, if I were allergic to dairy, I think I'd kill myself. This is way, way too good.'
Michael Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Callback Jim: Jim's revelation to Pam: 'He's in a box, Pam. He's in a BOX. He's downstairs, in a box, on the floor near the shells.'
Jim Character Comedy Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Callback Pam · Dwight: Pam approaches the box in the warehouse and delivers disinformation to Dwight through the cardboard
Pam Dwight Physical/Slapstick Absurdist ★ Rewatch Callback Michael · Jim: Michael catches Jim watching; Jim explains the Oscar charity donation was '$25' / Michael: 'Money isn't everything, Jim. Not the key to happiness. You know what is? Joy.'
Jim: Jim: 'Three dollars a mile will end up like fifty bucks. God, can't even calculate what you're gonna have to give.'
Jim Deadpan/Understatement Setup/Punchline Callback Michael · Oscar: Michael goes back to Oscar to 'clarify' that his donation was 'a kind of flat, you know, twenty-five dollars one time donation'
Michael · Oscar: Michael asks Oscar how many miles his nephew walked last year — Oscar says eighteen — Michael: 'Son of a bitch!'
Michael Oscar Setup/Punchline Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Callback Stanley: Stanley's birthday card message: 'Meredith, good news! You're not actually a year older, because you work here, where time stands still.'
Stanley Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement Michael: Michael's birthday card: 'Meredith, let's hope that the only downsizing that happens to you is that someone downsizes your age'
Michael Setup/Punchline Cringe/Discomfort Callback Michael: Michael's unprompted additional bad card jokes: Liz Taylor called, wants her age and divorces back; 'Meredith is so old she went into an antique store and they kept her'
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Callback Michael: Michael attempts a crowd-participation 'she's so old' routine: 'How old is she? She's so old she went into an antique store and they kept her.'
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Michael · Angela: Michael criticizes the streamers: 'Ladies, not your best effort. You could have done better than that, don't you think?' / Angela: 'Phyllis wanted red, I didn't.'
Michael: 'Don't cash that until Friday, ok?' — Michael to Meredith, handing over the charity check
Michael Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Callback Jim · Pam: Jim reveals to Pam: he's convinced Dwight he needs to go to Stanford (Connecticut) to spy on the other branch, AND dye his hair to go undercover
Jim Pam Escalation Absurdist ★ Rewatch Callback Roy · Jim · Pam: Roy overhears Jim trying to explain the alliance prank to Pam and confronts them: 'What the hell is this? Are you trying to cop a feel or something Halpert?'
Jim · Pam: Jim and Pam trying to explain the alliance to Roy: 'Dwight asked me to be in an alliance... and we've just been messing with him... It's just office pranks. It's stupid, it's just office pranks.'
Jim Pam Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Callback Dwight: Dwight's final talking head: 'Do I feel bad about betraying Jim? Not at all. That's the game... get what you can out of someone, then crush them. I think Jim might have learned a very valuable lesson.'
Dwight Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Top Episodes — The Office
