Michael has big plans for his 15th anniversary party at Dunder Mifflin, but is in for a shock when the new, no-nonsense Vice President has some ideas of his own. Meanwhile, Jim's prank on Dwight has some unexpected results.
WAR
18.6
Wins Above Replacement
“New Boss” ranks #170 of 183 The Office episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 69.6 — Mixed. The episode packs 51 scored jokes at 2.2 per minute, averaging 6.6 on craft and 6.1 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: You have no idea how high I can fly.
Michael Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Michael: If we hire Cirque du Soleil as salaried employees, will that help us with the year-end tax stuff?
Michael Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Pam: He just skipped the Ace Ventura talking-butt thing. He never skips it. This is bad.
Pam Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Jim: You pet the animals, they pet you back.
Jim Absurdist Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Michael: Truth be told, I think I thrive under a lack of accountability.
All Jokes — 51 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Jim · Michael: 15-minute round of applause followed by 15-minute moment of silence
Dwight · Michael · Jim: Michael agreeing with Jim because he's wearing a tux
Michael: Like the opening of a car dealership. That's it. Or Mr. Peanut.
Michael Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Michael: He is a regular peanut. He just happens to have a cane, a monocle and a top hat. That's what makes him classy.
Michael Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Dwight · Michael: Dwight suggests the exact same ice sculpture idea twice, Michael rejects it then accepts it
Dwight Reaction Beat Character Comedy Michael: Déclassé. French! Classy.
Michael Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael: Miner? I hardly know her!
Michael Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Michael: It is Prince Charles Miner! At your service. Sir Charles Miner
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Michael · Charles: Charles awkwardly standing there as Michael orchestrates elaborate entrance
Dwight: Dwight stalling with Scranton coal mining history
Dwight Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Michael: I turned the bagels from O's into C's, for Charles. Took me all night.
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Jim: This is what you did last night?
Jim Reaction Beat Deadpan/Understatement Michael: The former was my lover, and the latter my best friend
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Callback Kelly: Oh, my God, he's like a black George Clooney.
Kelly Character Comedy Observational Jim · Charles: Jim's elaborate tux explanation falling flat with Charles
Charles: Not more crazy than wearing a tux at work.
Charles Deadpan/Understatement Reaction Beat Pam: Took him 40 minutes to get ready.
Pam Character Comedy Observational Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Michael · Oscar: Michael oversharing Oscar's entire romantic history
Michael · Angela: She has slept with a bunch of different guys in the office. The one over there, in the orange.
Michael · Kevin: Kevin has no sexual history. Hey!
Charles: Michael, I don't need to know everyone's sexual history.
Charles Deadpan/Understatement Reaction Beat Michael · Charles: Michael claiming he didn't want to worry people while Charles reveals bad news
Stanley: What about your party?
Stanley Observational Deadpan/Understatement Michael: I am thrilled that the new boss has taken such an active interest in all of the responsibilities that I'm supposed to have. Thrilled.
Michael Irony/Sarcasm Deadpan/Understatement Michael: Truth be told, I think I thrive under a lack of accountability.
Michael: If we hire Cirque du Soleil as salaried employees, will that help us with the year-end tax stuff?
Michael Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael: African-Americans have such a rich history of unusual names.
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Charles: No, I worked at a company called Saticoy Steel.
Charles Deadpan/Understatement Reaction Beat Michael: Jan would mostly come by when she was super horny
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Callback Michael: Call me ASAP as possible.
Michael Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Michael: Michael Scotch... I've got David Wallace's son in the trunk of my car
Charles: Charles picking up phone meant for Michael
Michael · Charles: Charles brings lunch on same day Michael brought breakfast
Michael: Nobody thanked me for breakfast except Charles.
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Michael: I think it's a little hypercritical.
Michael Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Kevin: Kevin asking for overtime after Charles just said no overtime
Kevin Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Michael · Charles: Michael and Charles repeating each other
Pam: He just skipped the Ace Ventura talking-butt thing. He never skips it. This is bad.
Pam Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Angela: Cupcakes and strippers all the way down.
Angela Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jim: You pet the animals, they pet you back.
Jim Absurdist Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Michael: Headline. You have been here one day. End of story. End of story! End of story!
Michael: You don't put paper into a furnace! If you put paper into a furnace, you know what would happen? You'd ruin it!
Michael Absurdist Escalation ★ Rewatch Dwight · Charles: Dwight explaining his fake assistant position
Michael: Michael listing weird life sacrifices to David Wallace
Michael Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael: And for my next trick, I will make my career disappear.
Kelly: Kelly talking about half black, half Indian kids to no one
Kelly Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Kelly: I think he left. What? Move!
Kelly Physical/Slapstick Character Comedy Angela: He does not need to go dumpster-diving for companionship
Michael: You have no idea how high I can fly.
Michael Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch ⏩ The part you fast-forward
Our scorer flagged 11:00-12:00 phone call sequence as the stretch with the fewest or weakest comedic moments. Everything else lands harder.
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