At the company picnic, Michael and Holly are reunited for the first time since their split. The rest of the staff competes in games, such as the volleyball tournament.
WAR
77.1
Wins Above Replacement
“Company Picnic” ranks #94 of 183 The Office episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 87.6 — Elite. The episode packs 76 scored jokes at 4.2 per minute, averaging 7.1 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
Michael: 'And the reason is... Because, in terms of the soup, we like to...' — Michael trails off, unable to explain 'soup snakes'
Michael Character Comedy Awkward Silence ★ Rewatch Callback Dwight: 'I'm kidding. He's just a regular doctor who shoots your horse in the head when its leg is broken.'
Dwight Deadpan/Understatement Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback David Wallace · Michael: 'A little boy said to me, 'Is my daddy gonna have a job by Christmas?' / 'He's just thinking about his own gifts.'
Dwight: Dwight's confessional about Rolph: 'We met in a shoe store. I heard him asking for a shoe that could increase his speed and not leave any tracks.'
Dwight Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Michael · AJ: AJ asks for iced tea; Michael says 'You can go to hell.' Then immediately: 'I'm kidding!'
Michael AJ Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Standout Moments
Dwight: 'I'm kidding. He's just a regular doctor who shoots your horse in the head when its leg is broken.'
Dwight Deadpan/Understatement Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: 'And the reason is... Because, in terms of the soup, we like to...' — Michael trails off, unable to explain 'soup snakes'
Michael Character Comedy Awkward Silence ★ Rewatch Callback David Wallace · Michael: 'A little boy said to me, 'Is my daddy gonna have a job by Christmas?' / 'He's just thinking about his own gifts.'
All Jokes — 76 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Erin: Erin catches herself saying 'when he gets up' and self-corrects to 'gets back'
Erin Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Erin: Erin's escalating explanation: 'Michael had chicken pot pie for lunch... an entire chicken pot pie... an entire family-sized chicken pot pie... and then he fell asleep.'
Erin Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Erin · Michael: Erin checks the clock while saying 'which actually should be in about...' then a long pause and the camera cuts to Michael waking up at [01:16] like clockwork
Jim · Dwight · Erin · office staff: The entire scheme of changing Michael's computer clock and watch so he wakes up thinking it's 5pm
Dwight: 'I have an appointment with the horse doctor. How that horse became a doctor, I don't know.'
Dwight Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Michael: Michael wakes up exactly when the manipulated clock hits 5pm — 'Like clockwork' — confirming the plan worked perfectly
Michael Irony/Sarcasm Visual Gag Callback Michael · office staff: 'What's so funny?' / 'You had to be there!' / 'Geography joke.'
Michael: 'Let's all go home. Come on. See you all tamale.'
Michael Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Jim: 'Should I have left the car running?'
Jim Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Jim · Pam: Pam recalls the drunk guy who grabbed her 'for balance' at last year's picnic; Jim confirms: 'You don't grab these for balance.'
Jim Pam Setup/Punchline Irony/Sarcasm Dwight · Rolph: Dwight and his friend debating SPF levels; Dwight reveals his homemade SPF/insect repellant combination and asks 'You think the EPA would ever allow that much DEET?'
Dwight: Dwight's confessional about Rolph: 'We met in a shoe store. I heard him asking for a shoe that could increase his speed and not leave any tracks.'
Dwight Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Michael · Holly · AJ: Michael spots Holly with her boyfriend AJ and says 'We're just friends.' Then, upon seeing AJ: 'Wait a second. Who let you in here is what I wanna know.'
Michael · Holly: 'I see they're letting just anybody in here.' (Michael to Holly, implying AJ specifically)
Michael · Holly · AJ: When Holly introduces AJ as her boyfriend, Michael says: 'A little bit. I meet a lot of people.'
Michael · Holly · AJ: Michael offering lemonade: 'Or one of you? Or both of you. Either or. The combinations are endless.'
Michael · AJ: AJ asks for iced tea; Michael says 'You can go to hell.' Then immediately: 'I'm kidding!'
Michael AJ Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Michael: Michael's confessional: 'I lied to Kevin. Holly and I can never be just friends.' Then reveals his list, starting with 'You and I are soup snakes.'
Michael Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Jim: Jim's confessional: 'Must be nice to get a rest from all your rest.' (about Charles)
Jim Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Jim · Pam: Pam offers to beat up Charles; Jim says: 'I shouldn't have to ask you to do that. You should just do it.'
Jim Pam Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Dwight · Jim: Dwight's lineup for the volleyball game and his invocation of 'the humiliation we suffered last year' at softball due to Jim's 'spider-in-the-mitt incident'
Dwight · Ryan · Erin: Ryan asks Dwight to put Erin on his row ('Bro-migo'); Dwight misreads it as Ryan wanting Erin to set him up for spikes, and offers Phyllis instead: 'She's the best setter on the team.'
Dwight · Ryan: Dwight misreads Ryan's request to be next to Erin as wanting her to set up his spike — 'Sly dog' — then puts him next to Phyllis instead
Michael · Holly · AJ: Holly reveals she and AJ are designing a house together; immediately cut to Michael: 'I'm designing a chair.'
Michael: Michael explains his chair design: 'It's part of your pants. You sit down, you're supported.'
Michael Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Holly · Michael: Holly remembers Michael's chair pants idea from before, indicating he's been developing this for some time.
Michael · Holly: Michael puts Holly down for a pair of chair pants, says 'All right, fatty. I will do it.'
Michael · Holly: 'You guys are really gonna do this?' / 'You bet your fat ass we are.'
Michael · Holly: Michael and Holly launch into their improv bit: 'Have ya hoyd the news? Extry, extry! Read all about it!'
Michael · Holly: Michael as a newsboy approaches a blind man (with sunglasses) and asks 'Are you blind?' then doubles down: 'Sir, with the glasses, are you literally blind? You might be in danger.'
Michael: Michael approaches someone wearing expensive sunglasses, asking if they're blind, then doubling down: 'with the glasses, are you literally blind? You might be in danger.'
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Kevin · Michael · Holly: Kevin barges into the newsboy bit, joining in: 'Are... you... blind? Can you see things with your eyeballs?'
Michael: Michael addresses the volleyball team: 'You're better than this.' Long pause. 'I am better than this.'
Michael Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Ryan: Ryan sitting on the ground during the game, saying 'We've been out here for a while. I don't need this.'
Ryan Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Charles · Dwight · Pam: Charles calls a rule violation on Pam's hand touching the net; Dwight objects; Charles insists on taking the point.
Pam: Pam's confessional revelation: 'Maybe I played a little in junior high. And in high school. Maybe a little in college. And went to volleyball camp most summers.'
Pam Escalation Misdirection ★ Rewatch Michael: Michael bringing 'snacky snacks' and distributing them during the volleyball timeout
Michael · Holly: Michael reveals he planned to 'wing' the entire Dunder Mifflin history sketch; Holly responds: 'Crystal cool.'
Andy · other players: Andy injures himself during volleyball: 'Ow, my ankle!' / 'What happened?' / 'I twisted it.' / 'You weren't even moving.'
Rolph · Dwight: Rolph refuses to sub in for Pam: 'I don't hear cheaters, tramps, or women who break my friend's heart.'
Michael · Holly: Michael and Holly brainstorming ideas for the sketch: 'Back to the Future' where they convince 'Dunder and Mifflin to go back in time to fix their parents.' Then 'Jaws': 'Dun-der, Dun-der, Dunder Dunder Dunder...'
Michael · Holly: 'We haven't found our great idea yet.' / 'We're circling it.'
Dwight: After the volleyball victory, Dwight trash-talks: 'They're gonna wipe their asses with your serves! Piss all over your faces!'
Dwight Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Michael · Holly: Michael and Holly's sketch title: 'Slumdunder Mifflinaire!'
Michael · Holly: The game-show format of Slumdunder Mifflinaire: asking trivia about Dunder Mifflin's founding as if it's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Michael · Holly: Holly plays both Robert Dunder and Robert Mifflin with a brief moment of announcing herself, then: 'I'm Robert Dunder.' 'I'm Robert Mifflin.' Then Michael as narrator: 'Robert Mifflin had a great life. But unfortunately, had undiagnosed depression, which 9 million Americans suffer from, and is very treatable.'
Michael · Holly: The sketch reveals Robert Mifflin had 'undiagnosed depression, which 9 million Americans suffer from, and is very treatable.' — mid-comedy sketch PSA
Michael · Holly: The suicide question: 'For $250, how did he kill himself? A) A rope. B) A knife. C) A gun. D) Brushing his teeth!'
unnamed Dunder Mifflin employee: A Dunder Mifflin employee confessional: 'I usually don't enjoy the theater. But this is delightful.'
Michael · Holly: The Buffalo closing question: '$500,000 — is it A) Scranton, B) Buffalo, C) Utica, or D) Toothbrush?'
Holly · Michael · David Wallace: Holly answers the Buffalo question correctly because 'David Wallace told me!' — revealing she got the information in confidence and accidentally disclosed a branch closing to the employees at a picnic
David Wallace: David Wallace is confronted publicly: 'David, is this true?' and he hedges: 'OK, we're at a picnic today.'
David Wallace · Buffalo employees: Buffalo employees protesting: 'We're the best branch in the company!' while David Wallace is forced to make an announcement at a picnic
David Wallace · Michael: David Wallace confronts Michael: 'How could you think that the right way to announce a branch closing was in a comedy sketch at the company picnic?'
David Wallace · Michael: David confronts Michael: 'How could you think that the right way to announce a branch closing was in a comedy sketch at the company picnic?'
Michael: After being told a small boy said 'Is my daddy gonna have a job by Christmas?', Michael responds: 'He's just thinking about his own gifts.'
Michael Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Dwight · Jim: Dwight's reasoning for still playing volleyball: 'Because if we don't play, then the other team wins.' / 'Dwight's right. Corporate deserves to get its ass kicked.'
Dwight: 'Corporate deserves to get its ass kicked.' — Dwight's justification for continuing the game
Dwight Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Charles: Charles trash-talks from the other side of the net: 'Now it's seven-six. Or is that too much accounting for you?'
Charles Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy unnamed character: 'Now it's seven-six. Or is that too much accounting for you?'
Rolph: Rolph trash-talks Pam: 'Here's an accounting question. What does one fiancee plus one lover equal? Answer: one whore.'
Rolph Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Jim · opposing player: Jim argues Pam needs to get her ankle examined — 'You're putting a volleyball game in front of your fiancee's health.'
Dwight: Dwight offers to scout a hospital: 'I spotted a small hospital a few kilometers south of here.'
Dwight Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Michael · Holly: Michael and Holly's post-mortem on the sketch: 'There weren't any laughs.' / 'No, it was a tough audience.' / 'We wrote it specifically for this audience.'
Michael · Holly: 'There weren't any laughs.' / 'No, it was a tough audience.' / 'But we wrote it specifically for this audience.'
Michael: 'We have a lot of... good material for next year's sketch.' (long pause)
Michael Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jim · Dwight: Jim on the phone from the hospital, telling Dwight to stall the volleyball game; Dwight is asked to 'think of something'
Pam · Jim · Doctor: Doctor doing Pam's X-ray asks: 'No metal plates? No chances you're pregnant?' Then: 'Could we hurry this up? I've got a game to get back to.' / Doctor: 'Good, because my next question was: do you have a game to get back to?'
Michael · Holly: Michael tells Holly: 'You guys should hit the road before... I close down another branch.'
Dwight · Jim: Dwight's escalating argument for not forfeiting the game by listing injured people: 'How many people need to get hurt before we learn a valuable lesson? One? Two? Three? Four?' (Jim cuts in repeatedly, Dwight ignores him): 'Five? Six? Seven? Can I finish, please? Eight?'
Dwight: Dwight's stalling tactic: 'How many people need to get hurt before we learn a valuable lesson? One? Two? Three? Four? No, hear me out. Five? Six? Seven? Can I finish, please? Eight?'
Dwight Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jim: Final scene: 'Send in the subs.' — Jim concedes the volleyball game, implying the news from the hospital is significant (Pam is pregnant)
Jim Reaction Beat Misdirection ★ Rewatch Dwight: 'Send in the subs.' — After a long wait, Dwight quietly gives up the stall
Dwight Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Top Episodes — The Office