Karen was now the regional manager of the Utica branch and used her position of power to woo Stanley to her branch. For the right price, Stanley agreed to make the transfer. In Scranton the news was welcomed with applause, much to Michael's dismay.
WAR
57.5
Wins Above Replacement
“Branch Wars” ranks #37 of 183 The Office episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 83.8 — Elite. The episode packs 53 scored jokes at 2.4 per minute, averaging 7.2 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
Dwight: The eyes are the groin of the head.
Dwight Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Stanley · Michael: How on earth did Michael call my bluff? Is he some sort of secret genius? Sometimes I say crazy things.
Oscar: Besides having sex with men, I would say the Finer Things Club is the gayest thing about me.
Oscar Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Michael: Wanted... middle-aged black man with sass. Big butt. Bigger heart.
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael: Just climb on top of her and think about Stanley.
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Absurdist ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 53 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Karen: Turns out it's a pretty easy gig when your boss isn't an idiot and your boyfriend's not in love with somebody else.
Karen Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael: This is a dummy, a la Ferris Bueller's day off. We have tied a string to the wrist which goes to the door. When somebody opens the door, the hand goes down, hits the remote, turns on the tape recorder, which is me snoring.
Michael Absurdist Visual Gag ★ Rewatch Jim · Michael: I will know. - But you will not tell anyone. I won't need to, 'cause we'll be together playin' hooky! Well, sometimes. Most of the time, I will be with Ryan.
Stanley · Michael: I don't understand why sleeping is better than you not being... Just go out and come back in.
Michael: You completely misinterpreted my tone. This is a horrible thing. Clearly, Karen is trying to get back at us because Jim dumped her.
Michael Misdirection Character Comedy Michael: You cannot take the hilarious black guy from the office. Stanley is part of what makes this branch so extraordinary. The bluesy wisdom, the sassy remarks, the crossword puzzles, the smile, those big, watery red eyes.
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael: I don't know how George Bush did it when Colin Powell left.
Michael Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael · Stanley: How can I get you to stay? - Money. Yeah. We all want money. But there is none in the budget, so... Tell me why you're really leaving. - Money.
Michael: Mo money, mo problems, Stanley. You of all people should know that.
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael · Stanley: Let me ask you this. If I were... - Money.
Oscar: Besides having sex with men, I would say the Finer Things Club is the gayest thing about me.
Oscar Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Michael · Karen: Filipellers, how they hangin'? - Michael. - To the left? To the right?
Michael · Karen: You may have Toby. - Toby's not a salesperson. - You can train him. He's very, very smart. And funny, and charming.
Michael: I can't do it. Toby is the worst. That... That was a bluff.
Michael Misdirection Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael: Do you like magic? Because I am a genie in a bottle, and I'm going to grant you three wishes: to move to Scranton, to have a great job, and to be my best friend.
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Ben · Michael: Aren't you the guy that hit the woman with your car? - Get out. - Yeah. I also saved her life. But I guess that's not as grabby.
Ben Michael Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Ben: Everyone says Scranton branch is worse than Camden. Didn't everyone from Stamford quit, like immediately?
Ben Observational Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: No, I fired them, and you're next.
Michael: Scranton is the cool, fun branch. We're like animal house.
Michael Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Pam · Michael: It's Vivaldi. For Finer Things. - That's the problem. That's the problem. We need rock and roll, Pam. Rock and roll!
Michael: Oh, my... god. That's why people are leaving. I... I have no words.
Michael · Dwight · Jim: Surprise! - Yes! - Look at his face! - Look at his face! - What are we doing?
Michael: We are going on a panty raid to Utica is what we're doing.
Michael Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael: We are going to make Karen wish that she had never been dumped by you.
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Jim · Michael: Well, that kinda sucks, because it had all the photos of my brother's new baby on it. So... Oh, no. That is too bad.
Michael · Dwight: Here's what we brought. We brought uniforms from the warehouse. I brought silly string. Dwight brought gasoline and rubber to make stink bombs. - Or real bombs. - No, no. Not real bombs.
Jim: You kidding me? We've been driving with this in the trunk the whole time?
Jim Reaction Beat Escalation Jim: So... the deal was, Dwight doesn't blow anything up, and I wear a costume. And a moustache.
Jim Deadpan/Understatement Absurdist ★ Rewatch Michael · Jim: So why did you and Karen break up? - Was it the sex? - What? - I can't imagine the sex being bad. Her body...
Jim · Dwight · Michael: Dwight, are you peeing? - I'm peeing in this empty can. - Oh, my god! - That is disgusting, Dwight.
Dwight: I think I cut my penis on the lid.
Dwight Escalation Cringe/Discomfort Andy: Just came to discuss my favorite E.M. Forster novel. Pam, these finger sandwiches look finger-lickin' delicious, Pam.
Andy Wordplay/Pun Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Andy: The Finer Things Club is the most exclusive club in this office. Naturally, it's where I need to be. Party Planning Committee is my backup, and Kevin's band is my safety.
Andy Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Dwight · Michael: If we've to defend ourselves, I'll stab the security guard in the eye with the jumbo chalk. - No! No, you won't do that. Nope. - Then I'll grind up it and blow it in his eyes.
Michael: Dwight, nothing with the eyes. Please?
Michael Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Andy · Phyllis: What are you microwaving?! - Popcorn. - Why don't you use the microwave in the kitchen, Phyllis? - Someone needs to clean it. It smells like popcorn.
Kevin: You've been like an uncle to me. Like a kind old... uncle Remus.
Kevin Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Dwight: The eyes are the groin of the head.
Dwight Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael: Just climb on top of her and think about Stanley.
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Absurdist ★ Rewatch Dwight Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Callback Jim Wordplay/Pun Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Karen: I cried for weeks over that guy. So, yeah... Seeing him climb out of a PT Cruiser in a ladies' warehouse uniform... felt pretty good.
Karen Character Comedy Visual Gag ★ Rewatch Michael: Then we will burn Utica to the ground.
Michael Escalation Absurdist ★ Rewatch Michael: And if you so much as harm a hair on Stanley's head... we will burn Utica to the ground.
Michael Escalation Running Gag Callback Jim: No, I didn't wanna see you. Not that I'm not happy to be seeing you. Right now. I'm just saying, ultimately, I was here for the copier. Equal. I'd say it was equal.
Jim Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Karen: Go 'cause of traffic. Definitely. Beat... Beat the traffic.
Karen Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Michael: Here is a box... for your things. But I doubt that that box will be able to contain... all the memories that you have of this place.
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Michael: Fly away, sweet little bird. Fly away and be free.
Michael Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Michael: Wanted... middle-aged black man with sass. Big butt. Bigger heart.
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Stanley · Michael: How on earth did Michael call my bluff? Is he some sort of secret genius? Sometimes I say crazy things.
Andy: Angela's ashes. Top of the mornin' to it. Frankie's prose is finer than a pot of gold, say I.
Andy Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Oscar · Andy: Did you even read it? - Course I read it. - How does it end? Who was the main character? - Angela. - Nope. - Ashes.
⏩ The part you fast-forward
Our scorer flagged 10:45-11:30 as the stretch with the fewest or weakest comedic moments. Everything else lands harder.
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