Michael was in the holiday spirit and couldn't wait to share in it with his girlfriend, Carol. He had bought two tickets to paradise, hoping to whisk her away on a romantic vacation to Jamaica. Carol came by the office early to have a talk with Michael and it didn't go well.
WAR
116.1
Wins Above Replacement
“A Benihana Christmas” ranks #65 of 183 The Office episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 89.5 — Elite. The episode packs 87 scored jokes at 2.7 per minute, averaging 7.3 on craft and 7.3 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
Angela: I don't back down. My sister and I used to be best friends, and we haven't talked in 16 years over some disagreement I don't even remember.
Angela Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Dwight: Last year, my boss, Michael Scott, took a day off 'cause he said he had pneumonia, but really, he was leaving early to go to magic camp.
Dwight Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Dwight · Jim: Dwight: 'Permission to join the validity committee.' Jim: 'Permission denied.' Dwight: 'Damn it!'
Dwight Jim Character Comedy Callback ★ Rewatch Callback unknown_employee · Meredith: I hear Angela's party will have double fudge brownies. / But it will also have Angela. / So, double fudge... Angela.
Phyllis · Angela: I thought you said green was whorish. / No, orange is whorish.
Standout Moments
Dwight: Last year, my boss, Michael Scott, took a day off 'cause he said he had pneumonia, but really, he was leaving early to go to magic camp.
Dwight Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Dwight · Jim: Dwight: 'Permission to join the validity committee.' Jim: 'Permission denied.' Dwight: 'Damn it!'
Dwight Jim Character Comedy Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Angela: I don't back down. My sister and I used to be best friends, and we haven't talked in 16 years over some disagreement I don't even remember.
Angela Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 87 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Dwight: Dwight arrives at the office carrying a dead goose
Dwight Visual Gag Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Dwight: Don't worry. She's dead. / Oh, wait... He's dead.
Dwight Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Dwight · Michael: I accidentally ran over it. / It's a Christmas miracle.
Jim: And circle gets the square.
Jim Deadpan/Understatement Reaction Beat Dwight: Dwight's talking head explaining the economics of goose grease — 'saving you a trip to the store for a can of expensive goose grease'
Dwight Character Comedy Absurdist Toby: After a 30-second silence of Toby considering the goose situation, he relents: 'Clean it in your car.'
Toby Deadpan/Understatement Awkward Silence Pam · Dwight: I would like it off my desk. / Oh, Pam. Take a chill pill.
Michael: I would like a nice slice of Christmas Pam. Side of candy Pams. And perhaps some Pam chops.
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Michael · Pam: Michael tries to donate his clearly used, paint-chipping, worn-tire old bike to the toy drive
Michael · Pam: That is so sweet, you didn't have to do that. / I didn't. It's from corporate.
Michael: Michael's talking head about his Jamaica surprise for Carol — 'You know what that means. Right?' followed by a beat
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Pam · Creed: Oh, I think you're supposed to put a toy in the box, Creed. / And a happy holiday to you.
Pam Creed Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Michael: There she is! A Christmas Carol.
Michael Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Michael: You're about five hours early to the party.
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Michael: Oh, you're such a blonde.
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Michael: This is just the front of her. Show 'em the other side. Turn around.
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Dwight · Michael: If I may say, she's even prettier than you described her. / Oh, ouch! / Michael, I don't think there's anything wrong with the way you described her. / Thank you.
Michael · Carol: The Photoshop Christmas card ski trip reveal
Michael · Carol: Michael presents the Photoshopped Christmas card: himself inserted into Carol's ski trip photo with her ex-husband and kids
Jim: It's a bold move to Photoshop yourself into a picture with your girlfriend and her kids on a ski trip with their real father. But then again, Michael's a bold guy. Is bold the right word?
Jim Deadpan/Understatement Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Michael: You know what you need? You need to think this through in Jamaica's largest freshwater pool.
Michael: You had better find the skimpiest bikini there is.
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Michael · Carol: You walk out that door, and it is over. / I know.
Pam · Jim: Pam reveals she's been sending Dwight letters from the CIA
Pam Jim Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Jim · Pam: Jim declines to continue the prank because of his promotion — 'I really don't think I should be doing this stuff anymore.'
Jim Pam Character Comedy Awkward Silence ★ Rewatch Jim: Jim's talking head about his promotion giving him a chance to start over
Jim Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Michael · Stanley: Christmas is canceled. / You can't cancel a holiday. / Keep it up, Stanley, and you will lose New Year's.
Michael · Jim: Jim, take New Year's away from Stanley! / What does that mean?
unknown_employee: Will they still air Rudolph?
unknown_employee: Are we going to cancel Hanukkah as well?
Michael: All of your guests would have probably canceled at the last minute anyway. Leaving your life a stupid, rotten mess.
Michael Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Michael: It hurts my heart. It hurts my stomach. Hurts my arms.
Michael: Michael asks if the reason Carol left was because of things they wanted him to do in bed that were 'foreign and scary'
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Michael · Pam: Michael to Pam: 'Pam, would you like to go to Sandals, Jamaica with me?' Pam: 'No, thank you.' Michael: 'It's all... okay.'
Phyllis · Angela: I thought you said green was whorish. / No, orange is whorish.
Karen · Jim: The Stamford people's reaction to the Party Planning Committee dynamics — 'It would never work here.'
Karen · Jim: Does anyone ever stand up to Angela? / I think one of her cats did once. She came in with scratches all over her face.
Karen Jim Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Michael: This is an old adage, but they say that when you find true love, you know within the first 24 hours. With Carol, I knew within the first 24 minutes of the second day I met her.
Michael Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Pam: Pam's talking head admitting she's been cold to Karen for no real reason
Pam Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Angela · Karen · Pam: The 'Committee to Plan Parties' flyer vs. Angela's Party Planning Committee — 'There's no such thing as the Committee to Plan Parties. There is now.'
Pam · Karen · Angela · Dwight: Karen and Pam's 'Committee to Plan Parties' rival flyer: $200 funding. Angela: 'What's ours again?' Dwight: '$201.'
Karen · Pam: There's a party that starts at 3:00. / Right. / And then there's a way more fun party that starts at 2:45.
Dwight · Jim: Dwight claims to be number three in the office; Jim claims to be number three; Dwight says Jim is number four
Jim: Jim forms the 'committee to determine the validity of the two committees' with himself as the sole member, then immediately rules in favor of the rival committee
Jim Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Michael: Come on, we're going to Asian Hooters.
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Ryan: Ryan inventing excuses not to go to Benihana: MSG allergy, peanut allergy, 'I just ate there last night.'
Ryan Character Comedy Escalation Jim · Dwight: Jim to Dwight: 'Wow, thanks for taking all the excuses, dude.' / 'Doctor appointment, car trouble, plantar warts, granddad fought in WWII. Use your head, man. I keep mine in here.'
Jim Dwight Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Andy: Andy's 'Bros before hoes' speech, escalating to 'then suddenly, she's not your ho no mo'.'
Andy Character Comedy Escalation Dwight · Jim: Dwight steals a chair from a couple on a date at Benihana
Michael · Andy: Michael conflates the barista who didn't recognize him (after buying her lattes for a year) with Carol
Andy: It is my job to be there for Michael. How can I be there for Michael if I'm here for Michael?
Andy Character Comedy Absurdist Andy: One part eggnog. Three parts sake! / Some places won't make it for you, though, because eggnog is seasonal.
Andy Character Comedy Absurdist Michael: You should put out salt for the rims. / That's a great idea.
Andy: Andy: 'You should put out salt for the rims.' Waitress: 'That's a great idea.'
Andy Character Comedy Absurdist Callback Toby: I miss the days when there was only one party I didn't want to go to.
Toby Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Kevin · Pam: Are you sure I can't use, like, the cartoons from the newspaper? / Oh, yeah, your mom would love that.
Kevin Pam Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Dwight · Jim: Dwight challenges the Benihana chef on knife choice — 'I still think nakiri's better.' / 'I think he'd know.'
Dwight Jim Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Michael · Andy: Nothing he's doing is cheering me up. / Wait for the onion. Trust me.
Andy · Michael: Andy points out Michael made the waitress laugh. 'Yes! She totally digs us.'
Michael · Andy: Onion volcano appears. Michael: 'Huh? Huh?' Andy: 'What did I tell you?' Michael: 'You're right. That's good.'
Angela: Angela announces the party starting time during a fake paycheck announcement
Angela Character Comedy Running Gag Angela: Please stand by for a very important announcement further regarding your paycheck!
Angela Character Comedy Escalation Callback Angela: 'Welcome, Hannah. You will not be disappointed.' Hannah: 'Why would I be disappointed?' Angela: 'I said you wouldn't be.'
Angela Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement unknown_employee · Meredith: I hear Angela's party will have double fudge brownies. / But it will also have Angela. / So, double fudge... Angela.
Pam · Karen: Are we taking this too far? / I don't think we're taking this far enough. / What? / I got goose bumps.
Michael: Oh! Damn, this chicken is good. / My compliments to the chef. / Which is you! / Right? / Awesome!
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Dwight · Michael: Dwight challenges Michael for steak — 'En garde!' / It's family style. / No, it's not.
Michael · Andy: The waitress Cindy appears to fall asleep mid-dream-house description — narcolepsy diagnosis
Dwight: Dwight, unprompted, tells Cindy exactly how to butcher a goose — including blood management
Dwight Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Callback Jim: Oh, no, this is different. The CIA thing, that was a prank on Dwight. This is more like a, um... / Okay, it's pretty much the same thing.
Jim Meta/Self-Referential Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback multiple_employees: Darryl! Darryl! Darryl! — office chanting for Darryl to play synthesizer
Darryl: Darryl saves the party with his synthesizer; crowd chants 'Darryl! Darryl! Darryl!'
Darryl Character Comedy Reaction Beat Kevin · Angela: These nuts are really hard to crack. / Try harder then.
Andy · Creed: Andy to Creed (who is preoccupied): 'Hey, look when you get done with your... meeting, you should come to the break room.' Creed: '...All right? See you later.'
Michael · Andy: Michael and Andy covertly discussing the waitresses: 'They have been checking us out all night.'
Michael · Andy: Michael invites the waitresses to the Christmas party: 'Because you have had such a rough day, you get Cindy. Oh, you are such a mensch, my friend.'
Michael: Okay, where is everybody? I would like them to meet my new girlfriend.
Michael Character Comedy Misdirection Jim: I'm sure they'll want to meet her too.
Jim Deadpan/Understatement Reaction Beat Michael: That's what she said? / Hello!
Michael: Where do you think you're going with that? / I thought I could have it. / You can't have it. / I don't walk into your house and steal your Hello Kitty backpack.
Dwight: Dwight wins the raffle — walkie-talkies — and his genuine, explosive excitement
Dwight Character Comedy Visual Gag ★ Rewatch Callback Angela: Angela reveals she had the karaoke power cord all along
Angela Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Callback Michael · Andy · Jim: Michael can't identify which waitress is his girlfriend — 'It's one of those two.' / 'You don't know?' / 'Dude, you should know.'
Michael: Yeah, well, it's been hard. They're wearing the exact same uniform. And I've been drinking. And you know how all... waitresses look alike.
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Top Episodes — The Office
