Michael gleefully anticipates attending the company's Web-site launch party in New York. Meanwhile, Angela arranges a bash in Scranton, while Dwight gets wrapped up in a real paper chase: He tries to sell more paper than the Web site.
WAR
135.7
Wins Above Replacement
“Launch Party” ranks #58 of 183 The Office episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 90.0 — Elite. The episode packs 98 scored jokes at 2.5 per minute, averaging 7.5 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
Dwight · Pam: Dwight asks Pam for dating advice: 'How do you tell someone it's over? You send them a notarized letter, right? Well, what if the recipient is your notary?'
Angela: Angela's talking head about the pressure she's under: 'Plan a party, Angela. Oh, and the entire world will see it. Oh! And here's $65 for your budget. And here are 4 idiots who'll do nothing but weigh you down. Oh, and your cat's still dead.'
Angela Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jim · Michael · Dwight: Jim: 'We are accomplices.' Dwight: 'Stop talking all at once.' Jim: 'You need to let him go.' Michael: 'Let go of little jerk boy? Before he has learned his lesson?' Jim: 'Yes.' Michael: 'I'm not kidnapping him. I'm keeping him until I get what I want. As a hostage.' Jim: 'You over-think it.' Michael: 'You under-think it.'
Dwight · Jim: Website/Jim's IM to Dwight: 'Here's a suggestion, computer. I assume you read binary. So why don't you 011-11-011-011?' — Website responds: 'Um, while you were typing that, I searched every database in existence and learned every fact about everything... And mastered the violin. Oh, and sold more paper.'
Dwight Jim Setup/Punchline Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Michael · Oscar · Pam · Kevin: Michael has ordered Pizza by Alfredo instead of Alfredo's Pizza Cafe. When told they're the same thing: extended debate about quality, ending in: 'It's like eating a hot circle of garbage.'
Standout Moments
Angela: Angela's talking head about the pressure she's under: 'Plan a party, Angela. Oh, and the entire world will see it. Oh! And here's $65 for your budget. And here are 4 idiots who'll do nothing but weigh you down. Oh, and your cat's still dead.'
Angela Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Dwight · Pam: Dwight asks Pam for dating advice: 'How do you tell someone it's over? You send them a notarized letter, right? Well, what if the recipient is your notary?'
Jim · Michael · Dwight: Jim: 'We are accomplices.' Dwight: 'Stop talking all at once.' Jim: 'You need to let him go.' Michael: 'Let go of little jerk boy? Before he has learned his lesson?' Jim: 'Yes.' Michael: 'I'm not kidnapping him. I'm keeping him until I get what I want. As a hostage.' Jim: 'You over-think it.' Michael: 'You under-think it.'
All Jokes — 98 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Michael: Michael's suggestion to replace boring quarterly report numbers with storm clouds and fireworks graphics
Michael · Pam · Jim · Office Staff: The entire office is mesmerized watching the bouncing DVD screensaver cube, desperately hoping it hits the corner
Pam · Jim: Pam claims she saw the screensaver hit the corner; Jim's skeptical talking head cuts to Pam's furious rebuttal
Pam Jim Callback Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: Michael's talking head: 'Some days, I am just on fire. What can I say?'
Michael Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Michael · Meredith: Meredith asks Michael to sign her cast; he singles her out for visiting her in the hospital as though she did him a favor by being hit by his car
Michael: Michael announces the press release: 'Attention, earthlings. I have some news.' and then uses the launch party announcement to segue into asking for interesting anecdotes he can use at the New York party
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Michael: 'The website is the brainchild of my brainchild, Ryan. It is my brain grandchild.'
Michael Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Michael: 'And I do not mean policemen.' (re: 'New York City's finest')
Michael Setup/Punchline Deadpan/Understatement Dwight · Jim: Dwight declares he will challenge the website to a sales competition; Jim's response: 'Waste of time... I don't care, but yes. I don't care, and you won't. I won't be watching, and I won't.'
Dwight Jim Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Jim: Jim's talking head explaining Dwight and Angela's conflict: 'Dwight mercy killed Angela's cat. It's very complicated. It's caused a lot of unpleasantness between Dwight and Angela. Who were both already prone to unpleasantness.'
Jim Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Stanley · Michael: Stanley is clearly dancing at his desk; Michael calls him out; Stanley flatly denies it: 'No, I'm not.'
Ryan: Ryan's talking head about the website launch devolving into business buzzword salad: 'Apple's apple is flying at 30,000 feet... don't get lost in the weeds or into a beauty contest... convergence, viral marketing, we're going guerilla... keeping an eye on the stree, Wall Street... I don't want to reinvent the wheel here. In other words, it is what it is.'
Ryan Character Comedy Absurdist Dwight: Dwight's scoreboard setup: he announces he'll record sales there and say 'kudos' or 'job well done' — then offers 'zip-a-dee-doo-dah' as a third option
Dwight Character Comedy Absurdist Dwight: Dwight's scoreboard for the sales competition with the website, and his declared reward phrases: 'kudos,' 'job well done,' or 'zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah'
Dwight Character Comedy Absurdist Angela · Dwight: Angela's talking head: 'I can't tell if he's mocking me.' Cut to Dwight's: 'I was. Mocking.' Then: 'Thank you.'
Dwight · Pam: Dwight instructs Pam to go to his car, find pelts in the trunk, find a case under the smallest pelt, retrieve a bear horn
Kevin · Angela: Kevin reads the party banner and asks: 'Isn't 7:00 PM a little late for a LUNCH party?' — the banner says 'Lunch Party' instead of 'Launch Party'
Phyllis · Angela: Phyllis uses 'active listening' technique: asks Angela how she feels about the 'Lunch' banner; Angela: 'Angry at you for doing something stupid. Angry at me for believing you could do something not stupid.'
Phyllis · Angela: Phyllis responds to Angela's tirade with 'I'm so sorry to hear that. That must be awful.' — and Angela briefly accepts the sympathy before realizing it's aimed at her own insults
Kevin · Angela: Kevin's banner solution: 'Maybe you could just change the U into an A?' — which would make it 'Lanch Party'
Dwight · Jim: Dwight's pre-competition ritual: Power gel, 'Carb up.' / Jim: 'Really? Power gel?' / Dwight: 'Hey, you wanna win, you gotta fuel like a winner.'
Dwight: Dwight announces the competition starts 'as soon as I make this shot' — implying a basketball shot or similar ritual — then presumably misses or takes an absurdly long time
Dwight Physical/Slapstick Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jim · Pam: Jim proposes the prank on Dwight to Pam: 'What would you say if I told you we could pull a prank on Dwight and at the same time not be working?'
Jim Pam Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Jim · Dwight: Jim pretends to be the Dunder Mifflin website in an IM chat with Dwight, claiming to have 'just become self-aware' and being programmed to destroy him
Jim Dwight Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Dwight · Jim: Dwight (via IM) to the 'website': 'How do I know this isn't Jim?' — the website/Jim responds: 'What is a Jim?'
Dwight Jim Setup/Punchline Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Dwight: Dwight's talking head: 'I have been salesman of the month for 13 out of the last 12 months.'
Dwight Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Dwight: 'You heard me right. I did so well last February that corporate gave me two plaques in lieu of a pay raise.'
Dwight Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Callback Michael: Michael's suit is too tight — European cut — he's clearly uncomfortable and it 'just looks bad'
Michael: Michael asks how many pounds he could lose by 7:00 PM
Michael Character Comedy Absurdist Callback Michael · Jan: Michael on the phone with Jan: she refuses to go to the party because she was terminated. Michael: 'All your friends will be there.' Jan: 'My friends? Michael, I was terminated.' Then Michael begs not to go alone: 'If I go by myself, everybody'll think I'm a big loser.'
Michael · Jan: Michael, after being told not to invite Carol (his ex), says: 'I'm sorry. It's just the first girl that popped into my head. I'll find somebody I haven't slept with.'
Kevin · Dwight: Kevin announces the website's sales to Dwight in real time: 305... 380... 402... 412. Each announcement immediately follows the last, making Dwight increasingly uncomfortable.
Michael · Jim · Pam: Michael's talking head: he has two tickets to the New York party and asks Jim and Pam 'What are you doing this evening?' — then cut to them clearly communicating nonverbally about who goes
Jim · Pam: 'Not it. I won. / Not it. Nope. / Definitely not. If anything, it was a tie. / Tie goes to the girlfriend.'
Jim Pam Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Callback Dwight: Dwight's reaction when Jim reveals (off-screen) that Kelly ordered paper from the website — the competition is sabotaged from within: 'You did what? Oh! No! That's exactly what you're not supposed to do, damn it!'
Dwight · Jim: Website/Jim's IM to Dwight: 'Here's a suggestion, computer. I assume you read binary. So why don't you 011-11-011-011?' — Website responds: 'Um, while you were typing that, I searched every database in existence and learned every fact about everything... And mastered the violin. Oh, and sold more paper.'
Dwight Jim Setup/Punchline Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Angela · Phyllis: Phyllis delivers spoons to Angela instead of cutlery; Angela explains the difference between spoons, forks, and knives as if to a toddler: 'Spoons have round tops and are used to scoop things... forks which have prongs or tiny spears on top... knives which have blades. Do you understand me now?' Phyllis: 'Yes.' Angela: 'Goody.'
Dwight · Kelly · Jim: Kelly receives a paper delivery she ordered online; Dwight confronts her: 'Damn it, Kelly, it knows! It knows what you did!' Jim: 'Who's 'it'?'
Dwight · Jim: Dwight to Kelley: 'If this makes the difference, I'm gonna tell it that you were responsible.' Jim: 'Who's 'it'?'
Pam · Karen: Pam to Karen (implied): 'You still missing Ryan?' Karen: 'Not so much anymore.'
Pam Karen Irony/Sarcasm Deadpan/Understatement Dwight: Dwight's talking head about stealing Staples leads: 'When I left Staples, I took some of their leads with me, but I never intended to use them. What did you intend to do with them? Who knows? Maybe keep them as a souvenir. Maybe use them.'
Dwight Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Dwight: 'It's not important how I got your information. What is important is that you say yes.'
Dwight Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Michael: Michael sings to Pam as he leaves for New York: 'I'm leaving inside Jim's car / I don't know when I'll be back again / Yes, I do / Tomorrow I'll be back / I'll be back tomorrow'
Michael Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Michael: Michael sings a parody of 'Leaving on a Jet Plane' as he exits: 'I'm leaving inside Jim's car / I don't know when I'll be back again / Yes, I do / Tomorrow I'll be back / I'll be back tomorrow'
Michael Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Michael: Michael tells staff they can leave early — then as they prepare to leave, says: 'If you are not this tall, you may not ride the roller coaster.' — meaning Phyllis can't leave because of party planning
Michael Character Comedy Misdirection Jim: Jim's talking head: 'Oh. I didn't realize we could use the leads we stole from Staples.'
Jim Irony/Sarcasm Deadpan/Understatement Callback Michael · Jim: Michael in the car with Jim: 'I got [the book] for Ryan. I wanted to get him 'Oh, the Places You'll Go' but they were sold out.' Jim: 'It's the same sort of stuff in here.' Michael: 'It's not, but it's a good book.'
Michael · Jim: Michael discovers the New York party is actually online — the 'exclusive nightclub' called 'Chat Room' has a password of literally 'password'
Michael: Michael in the car: 'I am going to throw up. Okay, I'm going to throw up. I'm throwing up. You're making me throw up, Ryan.'
Jim · Michael: Jim: 'Doesn't it piss you off sometimes that little twerp got the promotion over us?' Michael: 'Oh, actually I withdrew from consideration.' Jim: 'Yeah, I withdrew too.'
Michael: Michael compares being excluded from the New York party to seniors being banned from a freshman party: 'This is like when the freshmen would throw a party and wouldn't let any of the seniors go.'
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Michael · Dwight · Phyllis: Back at the office, the scoreboard countdown: Phyllis counts down to reveal Dwight has beaten the website by 52 reams; Michael's voice on the webcam shouts: 'I just think you should know that one of my salesmen beat your stupid computer. So take that, asshole.'
Dwight · Angela: Dwight to Angela privately after winning: 'I did it for you.' Angela: 'I didn't ask you to do it for me.' Dwight: 'You didn't have to.'
Andy · Pam: Pam talking to Andy about setting him up: 'Hey, do you have any men that you can fix me up with? I would like to have a relationship with a man.' Pam: 'I'll get back to you. Let me know.'
Andy Pam Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Jim · Dwight: Website's final IM to Dwight: 'You beat me. You are the superior being.'
Michael: Michael returns from New York unexpectedly — he pretends he 'faked out' Oscar, then Stanley, listing everyone who thought he was gone and could leave early: 'Gotcha, gotcha, gotcha.'
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Michael: Michael's sad talking head about Ryan: 'I'm not gonna cry over it. I did that in the car on the way home.'
Michael Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael · Angela: Michael's party wish list includes 'something made of ice,' 'someone famous,' 'go-go dancers,' 'Al Roker,' — demanding Angela make the satellite party surpass the New York party in under an hour with a $65 budget
Michael · Andy: Michael asks Andy about Angela as a potential romantic target, spelling out 'W-O-M-A-N' to clarify he means romantically; Andy says he hadn't noticed she's a woman
Michael · Andy: Michael suggests Andy date Kelly since 'she works here too'; Andy says that's different because 'she works in the annex.' Michael: 'You're also welcome to date Toby.'
Kevin · Michael · Oscar · Office Staff: Kevin reveals Michael ordered from 'Pizza by Alfredo' not 'Alfredo's Pizza Cafe'; office erupts; Michael: 'What is better, a medium amount of good pizza or all you can eat of pretty good pizza?' Oscar: 'A medium amount of good pizza.' Multiple voices confirm it's bad.
Michael · Oscar · Pam · Kevin: Michael has ordered Pizza by Alfredo instead of Alfredo's Pizza Cafe. When told they're the same thing: extended debate about quality, ending in: 'It's like eating a hot circle of garbage.'
Andy · Angela: Andy to Angela while she works: 'You looking for dinner and a movie? You're not gonna find it in that box. It just so happens I know where you can find it, but again... Not in the box.'
Angela: Angela's overwhelmed talking head: lists all her problems — new party in an hour, no number two, no one for orchids/chocolates/ice thing — and ends with: 'And my upper back itched all day, and I can't reach it. And Kevin had Greek food for lunch again.'
Angela Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Andy: Andy to Michael: 'They say you should never mix business with pleasure. Really? Well then explain to me how a putt-putt golf company operates.'
Andy Absurdist Character Comedy Michael · Pizza Delivery Kid: Michael argues with the pizza delivery kid over the half-off coupon that isn't applying to his eight-pizza order; the kid: 'Great story.'
Michael · Dwight · Pizza Delivery Kid: Michael detains the pizza delivery kid: 'You are not going anywhere. You're going to stay here until we figure this out.' Then escalates: 'This young man needs to learn that's not how you treat people.' Then asks Dwight to escort him to the conference room.
Michael: 'No, you don't even know what stupid is! It's about to get all stupid up in here!'
Jim · Stanley · Dwight: Jim, Stanley, and Dwight researching the legality of Michael's detention: Jim: 'We think it's a straight-forward kidnapping.' Stanley: 'Could you look up accomplices?' Jim/Dwight: 'We're looking up jail time.'
Dwight · Jim: Dwight: 'I've seen this kid — he sneaks onto my farm and steals my hemp.' Jim: 'Yeah, I know that guy. He's that farmer that grows really crappy weed.'
Dwight Jim Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Michael · Pizza Delivery Kid · Dwight: Michael tries to intimidate the detained pizza kid: 'You ready to give me my discount now?' Kid: 'No.' Michael: 'What have you done in here this whole time? What kind of business is this?' Kid: 'A paper company.' Dwight: 'The best paper company in the whole wide world!'
Michael · Pizza Delivery Kid · Dwight: Michael to pizza kid: 'You're a little snot-nose punk kid who thinks he's better than everybody else. Because he's some hotshot. And you don't know anything about sales.' Kid: 'You're such a loser.' Michael: 'What did you call him?' Dwight: 'A loser.' Michael: 'What did you say?!' Dwight: 'A loser.' Michael: 'Stop getting him to say it!'
Michael · Jim: Michael calls Alfredo's to negotiate: 'Could you tell the manager that I am keeping his delivery kid until I get my discount on the eight pizzas I ordered?' Then adds: 'Also I would like him to throw in two — three pizzas just for our... [Jim: Ransom.] ...trouble.'
Michael: Michael to the pizza kid: 'I don't like you, but because some town in Switzerland says so, you have rights.'
Michael Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Andy · Dwight: Andy notices Dwight staring at Angela and confronts him: 'Why are you looking at her like that? Hey!'
Kevin · Office Staff: The office discovers Michael's hostage situation and orders good pizza from Alfredo's Pizza Cafe to eat while waiting for the bad pizza hostage crisis to resolve
Dwight · Angela: Dwight presents Angela with 'one thing made of ice' — a full ice sculpture, apparently stolen — Angela: 'How did you... Where did you...?' Dwight: 'I stole it.'
Dwight Angela Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Callback Michael · Jim: Michael takes the good pizza to the roof with Jim's help — Michael: 'If I take a pizza, do you think you could take some sodas and some napkins up to the roof?' Jim: 'I'm all over it.'
Jim · Pam: Jim and Pam on the roof: Jim recalls his first day — Pam's memory of the moment she knew she liked Jim: 'That mixed berry yogurt you're about to eat has expired.' Jim: 'That was the moment that you knew you liked me?' Pam: 'Yep.' Jim: 'Can we make it a different moment?' Pam: 'Nope.'
Jim Pam Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Michael · Ryan: Michael is introduced on the New York webcam by Ryan and immediately says: 'I just think you should know that one of my salesmen beat your stupid computer. So take that, asshole.' Ryan: 'Always a jokester.'
Pizza Delivery Kid: Pizza kid hijacks the webcam and says to the whole company: 'If anyone out there is listening, I'm being held here against my will. I'm a minor.'
Andy · Angela: Andy scratches Angela's upper back for her — she hasn't asked for this; she reacts with 'I didn't ask you to scratch it' — Andy explains his feelings; Angela: 'I'm not dating you.'
Andy Angela Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Callback Andy: Andy's talking head about pursuing Angela: 'So Angela is stubborn as a mule... She's giving off fairly strong vibes that she's not interested... But do I like her or not? Because if I like her, then I can't back down.'
Andy Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Michael: Michael: 'If you're going number one, you've got ten more seconds!' — apparently to the pizza kid in the conference room
Michael Character Comedy Absurdist Callback Dwight · Pizza Delivery Kid: Dwight tries to intimidate the pizza kid by pretending he's going to do something to him — 'The trick is to make him think you're gonna do something to him' — the kid: 'I can hear you, man.' Dwight: 'Shut up! Or I punch you in the throat!'
Michael · Dwight: Michael's guilt spiral: 'Oh my god. I kidnapped a kid.' Dwight: 'You had to. What other choice did you have?' Michael: 'I've gotta pay for the pizza.' Dwight: 'Well... Yeah.' Michael: 'Oh my god.'
Michael · Ryan: Ryan calls Michael: 'First off, thanks for the shout-out.' Michael pretends to have a bad connection: 'You're breaking up. I can't hear you.' Ryan: 'Why's there a kid on your web cam saying he's being held against his...'
Michael · Dwight: Michael instructs Dwight on the pizza release plan: 'I will open the door. And hopefully, he will walk out. And the rest is out of our hands.'
Michael: Michael pays the delivery kid $65 full price, then: 'You know what? Here's two more.' — adds $2 tip. Kid leaves. Michael: 'See ya. Drive safely.'
Michael Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Jim · Office Staff: Office toast: 'To avoiding a class 2 felony charge.'
Andy · Angela: Andy serenades Angela with ABBA's 'Take a Chance on Me' — performed sincerely, with full commitment — ending with: 'That's all I ask of you, Angela.'
Andy Angela Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: Michael's final talking head: 'What a horrible day.' Then a long pause. 'Well, I need to get the horrible taste of this pizza out of my mouth. I'd really like some sushi.'
Michael Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Michael · Jim: Michael decides he needs New York-style sushi and declares 'there's only one place to get New York-style sushi' — someone suggests Tokyo; Michael says 'New York.' They go to New York for sushi.
Michael · Jim: Michael and Jim end up at the New York nightclub after all — Michael is recognized: 'Hey, you're the Scranton guy. Guilty.' 'This is the guy that beat the computer.' 'It was funny to see Ryan all embarrassed by that.'
Ryan: Ryan's final drunk/humiliated talking head: 'I'm Ryan, and tonight didn't go the way I thought it would... I have egg all over my face. And I'm 12 years old. I spent so much time in Scranton, but I never sold any paper. I started a fire with my cheese peeler. And dated an Indian girl. I started a fire. Now I got a beard. And I have new shoes and I'm your boss. I'm hot. I'm so hot. That's why everybody-- I don't get-- I don't understand that. That's part of it.'
Ryan Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Top Episodes — The Office
