When Dwight embarrasses Michael by punching him in the stomach at work, Jim organizes a lunchtime rematch at Dwight's Dojo. Meanwhile, Pam becomes annoyed at Jim when he gets too physical with her, Ryan updates the emergency contact information on a secret mission, and Michael tantalizes Ryan when the boss gets a hold of Ryan's cell phone number.
WAR
89.6
Wins Above Replacement
“The Fight” ranks #52 of 183 The Office episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 90.1 — Elite. The episode packs 72 scored jokes at 3.8 per minute, averaging 7.3 on craft and 7.2 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
Jim · Dwight: Jim: 'Assistant to the Sensei, that's pretty cool.' Dwight: 'Assistant Sensei.'
Jim Dwight Callback Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: Michael's talking-head about family toughness: 'My maternal grandfather...killed 20 men, then spent the rest of the war in an Allied prison camp. My father battled blood pressure and obesity all his life. Different kind of fight.'
Michael Setup/Punchline Deadpan/Understatement Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Michael · Jim: Michael: 'I've beat up black belts.' Jim: 'And how did you know they were black belts?' Michael: 'They told me after.'
Michael Jim Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Misdirection ★ Rewatch Michael: Michael's final talking-head: 'Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me, and I think I proved that today at the dojo.'
Michael Character Comedy Absurdist Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Jim · Dwight: 'Warmer. Hot. Red hot. Hot. Very hot.' — culminating in Dwight finding his desk in an absurd location
Jim Dwight Escalation Visual Gag ★ Rewatch Callback Standout Moments
Jim · Dwight: Jim: 'Assistant to the Sensei, that's pretty cool.' Dwight: 'Assistant Sensei.'
Jim Dwight Callback Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Michael · Jim: Michael: 'I've beat up black belts.' Jim: 'And how did you know they were black belts?' Michael: 'They told me after.'
Michael Jim Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Misdirection ★ Rewatch Michael: Michael's talking-head about family toughness: 'My maternal grandfather...killed 20 men, then spent the rest of the war in an Allied prison camp. My father battled blood pressure and obesity all his life. Different kind of fight.'
Michael Setup/Punchline Deadpan/Understatement Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 72 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Jim · Dwight: Jim has moved Dwight's entire desk — with everything on it — to an unexpected location, prompting Dwight's panicked 'Where is my desk?'
Jim: Jim: 'I think you should retrace your steps.'
Jim Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Jim · Dwight: Jim playing 'Hot and Cold' as Dwight wanders around the office looking for his desk — 'Colder.' / 'Warmer.' / 'Cold. Cold. Cold. Back up.'
Jim Dwight Physical/Slapstick Character Comedy Running Gag ★ Rewatch Jim · Dwight: Jim guides Dwight through 'warmer/warmer/warmer/cold/cold/back up' in the hot-cold game while Dwight follows instructions
Jim Dwight Escalation Physical/Slapstick ★ Rewatch Callback Jim · Dwight: 'Warmer. Hot. Red hot. Hot. Very hot.' — culminating in Dwight finding his desk in an absurd location
Jim Dwight Escalation Visual Gag ★ Rewatch Callback Jim · Dwight: Jim calls Dwight about paper pricing — information he has clearly asked for many times before as a prank mechanism
Jim Dwight Running Gag Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Dwight · Jim: Dwight answers the phone 'Dwight Schrute. Hi, Dwight.' — answering his own greeting
Dwight Jim Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Unknown: 'Wash your hands, Kevin.'
Unknown Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Michael · Kevin: Michael tells Kevin to wash his hands — completely out of nowhere, mid-scene
Ryan · Dwight: Ryan asks if Dwight's call was from his mom; Dwight clarifies it was his sensei. Ryan: 'Oh, I thought it was your mom.'
Dwight: Dwight's karate talking-head confessional — demonstrating kicks while counting ('Two! / Dwight, snap your kick back. / Three!') with his sensei coaching him over the phone
Dwight Character Comedy Visual Gag ★ Rewatch Dwight: Dwight: 'Not that a lot of people here in America know what a sempai is. But it's equally as respected as a sensei.'
Dwight Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Michael: Michael's talking head: 'I call it the perfect storm.' — referring to expense reports, time cards, and purchase orders all falling on the same Friday
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Michael: Michael singing to himself: 'I don't wanna work / I just wanna bang on this mug all day'
Michael · Ryan: Michael describing the emergency contact update as a 'top-secret mission'; Ryan responds flatly: 'Why is that secret?' Michael: 'Hello. Oh, God. Busywork. Oh, get away, cretin.'
Michael: Michael: 'Chillax, Pam. Stop Pam-MS-ing. That's pretty good.'
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Michael: Michael's tornado scenario: 'What if there's a tornado, Pam? People's legs are crushed under rubble? Please, would you be so kind as to call my wife? No, I can't, because we don't have any emergency contact information, because Pam said it wasn't a priority.'
Michael · Ryan: Michael: 'That's the problem with being a boss, is that when you are tough they resent you and when you are cool they walk all over you. Catch-22.' Ryan: 'Catch-22. Yes.'
Michael · Ryan: Michael calls Ryan's cell phone doing a Michael Jackson impression: 'This is Michael Jackson calling from Wonderland.' Ryan corrects him: 'You mean Neverland?' Michael: 'This is Tito.'
Michael Ryan Absurdist Character Comedy Misdirection ★ Rewatch Ryan · Michael: Ryan is palm-reading Michael: 'You're making this up as you go along, aren't you?' Michael: 'I am just following the website.'
Michael · Kevin · Ryan: Kevin's emergency contact is 'Stacey' — and Michael calls the number doing a Mike Tyson impression: 'Hello? This is Mike Tyson.'
Jim · Dwight: Jim asks Dwight: 'As sempai, do you ever think that there's gonna be a day where humans and robots can peacefully coexist?' Dwight begins to answer earnestly: 'Impossible. The way they're programmed...'
Jim Dwight Character Comedy Absurdist Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Dwight · Jim: Dwight: 'You're mocking me.' Jim: 'No, I'm not.' Dwight: 'Well, let me offer you a little piece of advice...'
Dwight Jim Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Jim · Dwight: Jim steals Dwight's purple belt. Dwight: 'Okay, give that back to me.' Jim: 'Say please.' Dwight: 'No.' Jim: 'Please? Please!' Dwight: 'Good. And it absolutely is a toy.'
Michael: Michael's talking-head about his tattoo: 'So that everyone can see that I am capable of physically dominating them.' He then shows the tattoo design: 'Michael' in cursive, 'Scott' all caps — 'Left brain, right brain, or duality of man.'
Michael Character Comedy Visual Gag Absurdist ★ Rewatch Michael: Michael shows his tattoo: 'The Michael is all cursive, Scott all caps. Left brain, right brain, or duality of man.'
Michael Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Michael: Michael's list of people he could beat up — specifically: 'Roy. Warehouse guy, doesn't count.'
Michael: Michael: 'I used to run with a very tough crowd, street fighter types. Real, real bad people. I'm just lucky I got out.' The gang is revealed to be called 'The Damn Rascals.'
Michael Character Comedy Misdirection Absurdist ★ Rewatch Michael · Jim: Michael: 'When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way, right?' Jim: 'You're a Jet?'
Michael · Jim: Jim asks if Michael has signed expense reports. Michael: 'Yes, in theory I have. I just need to cross some t's and dot some i's.'
Michael · Dwight: Michael puts Dwight in a sleeper hold from behind: 'Sleeper hold! Bedtime for Bonzo.'
Dwight: Dwight's talking-head after being put in a sleeper hold: 'Did I want to harm Michael? The one man I've been hired to protect? No, I did not.'
Dwight Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Jim · Pam: Jim bribes Pam to get Michael to ask Dwight to stay late: 'I'll buy you a bag of chips.' Pam: 'French onion?' Jim: 'Obviously.'
Jim Pam Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Pam · Michael: Pam asks Michael if Dwight can walk her to her car because she might have to stay late
Pam Michael Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael · Pam: Michael: 'Pam, I hate to break this to you, but Dwight can't stop you from being mugged. He's just not tough enough.' Pam: 'He's a purple belt, that's really high.' Michael: 'Oh, God, I could beat up Dwight. That's ridiculous. I can murder him.'
Michael · Dwight · Kelly: Michael approaches Dwight in the kitchen, then says: 'Good. Wow, that's actually pretty cool, Dwight. Excellent. Now, watch. Let me take you from behind.' Kelly: 'What?' Michael: 'Watch out, Kelly, he might sucker punch you.'
Dwight · Michael: Dwight: 'I didn't sucker punch you, Michael. In case you'd remember, I was defending my honor.' Michael: 'Oh, is that it? Like a samurai.'
Michael: Michael: 'The offer, Dwight, was for one punch, which I absorbed. I had no idea that there would be a second punch. So, catch-22.'
Michael Character Comedy Absurdist Callback Callback Michael: Michael: 'Look, if we were in a bar right now, there would be two punches. Me punching you and you hitting the floor.'
Michael Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Michael · Toby: Toby tries to interrupt the fight planning: 'Any word on those time cards?' Michael: 'I have an idea. Why don't you leave right now? Why don't you walk away from the room, okay?' Toby leaves quietly.
Michael Toby Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Reaction Beat Jim: Jim's talking-head: 'Well, we're all getting excited to see this fight. The Albany branch is working right through lunch to prevent downsizing, but Michael, he decided to extend our lunch by an hour so that we could all go down to the dojo and watch him fight Dwight.'
Jim Deadpan/Understatement Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Office Employees: Office employees chanting 'Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!' as they head to the dojo
Michael · Dwight: Michael looks at Japanese writing on the dojo wall: 'I recognize that. That is Japanese for California Roll.' Dwight: 'No, it's not.' Michael: 'I think it is, a guy told me about that.' Dwight: 'Actually it's a symbol for eternal discipline.'
Jim · Dwight: Jim tricks Dwight into looking at his palm: 'Your love line... I'm just kidding. I can't see anything.' Dwight: 'Look closer.' Jim: 'Oh, okay. One point for me.'
Jim Dwight Character Comedy Physical/Slapstick Callback Dwight · Pam: Dwight picks up Pam and carries her around: 'Hey, put me down. Put me down!' / 'Oh my God! Hey, put me down!'
Michael: Michael explains the fight rules: '...after a clean strike to the chest, stomach or kidneys, I will separate you and award a point.' Then: 'Lot of rules, lot of rules. On the street, we didn't have any rules. Maybe one. No kicks to the groin, home for dinner.'
Dwight · Michael: Michael awards a point to Dwight — Dwight screams 'Eat it!' and does a victory gesture at Michael
Michael · Dwight: Dwight scores the first point: 'Dwight, one point.' / Michael: 'No way! Okay!' / 'Eat it!'
Michael · Dwight: Michael tries to pull down Dwight's pants as a fight move: 'I got his pants. That was my pants.' 'No points for pants.'
Dwight: Dwight screaming at Michael after seeing him with pulled-down pants: 'God, you look like such an idiot!'
Dwight Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Michael · Dwight · Sensei: The fight devolves into chaos: Dwight puts something over Michael's head, Michael screams 'I win! I win!' while being restrained, Dwight screams 'Eight points, nine points' while the sensei yells 'Break!'
Michael · Jim: Michael does a Raging Bull pose for the camera: 'You talking to me?' Jim: 'Raging Bull. Pacino.' Michael: 'Oh, I want that footage, I want it. I need it.'
Michael · Jim: Michael and Jim spot Ryan eating lunch by his car and Michael says: 'Let us play with him. This is going to be hilarious.'
Michael · Jim: Michael calls Ryan's phone: 'Hi, Ryan. This is Saddam Hussein.' Then: 'Hey, Ryan, this is your girlfriend and I'm mad.'
Michael Jim Character Comedy Absurdist Running Gag Callback Michael · Ryan: Michael's emergency contact is Todd Packer. He reveals: 'Todd F. Packer. Know what the F stands for?' Ryan: 'Fudge?' Michael: 'Yeah.'
Oscar: Oscar appears at Michael's door: 'Oh, hey, Karate Kid. The Hilary Swank version.'
Oscar Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Dwight · Pam: Dwight comes to Pam to change his emergency contact from Michael Scott to 'The Hospital' with the number 911.
Dwight Pam Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: Michael's talking-head: 'He is such a sore loser. You heard, obviously, that I mopped the floor with him this afternoon.'
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Michael: Michael's talking head: 'He is such a sore loser. You heard, obviously, that I mopped the floor with him this afternoon.'
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Callback Pam: Pam: 'You know what, do yourself a favor. Just leave me as his contact and I will call the hospital. Cut out the middleman.'
Pam Deadpan/Understatement Dark/Subversive Callback Michael · Dwight · Toby: Michael and Dwight in the office, late — Dwight: 'Michael, did you finish yet?' Michael: 'This close.' Dwight: 'Michael, can't your conversation wait till Monday?' Toby: 'We wanna go home.' Michael: 'Well, you don't even have anybody to go home to, Toby, so...'
Michael: Michael: 'If everyone would just chip in a little bit, it might help me out. What do you say? Let's gang-bang this thing and go home.'
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Michael: Michael: 'Let's gang-bang this thing and go home.'
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Dwight: Dwight helps Michael sign the paperwork, saying 'This is illegal. I don't care.'
Dwight Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Michael · Dwight: Michael promotes Dwight from 'Assistant to the Regional Manager' to 'Assistant Regional Manager.' Dwight immediately assumes he gets Michael's office. Michael: 'No, no. Title change only.'
Michael Dwight Character Comedy Callback Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Dwight · Michael: Dwight: 'Thank you, Sensei.' Michael: 'And, ditto.'
Michael: Michael's final talking-head: 'I told Dwight that there is honor in losing, which, as we all know, is completely ridiculous. But there is, however, honor in making a loser feel better, which is what I just did for Dwight.'
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Deadpan/Understatement Michael: Michael's final talking-head: 'Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me, and I think I proved that today at the dojo.'
Michael Character Comedy Absurdist Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Michael · Unknown: The episode ends with someone shouting 'Typewriter torture! Sensei!' while Michael is apparently being subject to typewriter torture
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