Michael is thrilled when he learns that David Wallace is sending him to Canada for a business trip, and wants to bring both Andy and Oscar with him. Jim misses Pam and he can't wait until she returns from art school.
WAR
83.1
Wins Above Replacement
“Business Trip” ranks #108 of 183 The Office episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 86.9 — Elite. The episode packs 78 scored jokes at 3.8 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
Michael · Oscar · Michael · Oscar · Andy: She is so pissed. / Mmm. / She's taking us back to first base. / What's first base with Angela? / I get to kiss her forehead.
Michael: In Japan, you must always commit suicide to avoid embarrassment.
Michael Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Ryan: We're back together again, baby. We're back. They tried to keep us apart, but they couldn't. It was like destiny. I — I realized that, for whatever reason, I just couldn't do better than Kelly.
Ryan Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Angela · Andy · Angela · Andy: What is wrong with you? / Why won't you do Andy? / What? / That's Oscar, and he wants to know why you won't do me, and I think it's a valid question.
Dwight · Angela: Who is that, monkey? / Is somebody there?
Standout Moments
Michael: In Japan, you must always commit suicide to avoid embarrassment.
Michael Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael · Oscar · Michael · Oscar · Andy: She is so pissed. / Mmm. / She's taking us back to first base. / What's first base with Angela? / I get to kiss her forehead.
Ryan: We're back together again, baby. We're back. They tried to keep us apart, but they couldn't. It was like destiny. I — I realized that, for whatever reason, I just couldn't do better than Kelly.
Ryan Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm All Jokes — 78 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Michael: In Italy, you must always wash your hands after going to the bathroom. This is considered to be polite.
Michael Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Employee · Michael: Why are you telling us this? / I am jetting off on an international business trip.
Michael · Employee · Michael · Employee: To can-A-Da. / Where is it? / Canada. / Okay.
Michael: I have always been intrigued by all things international — the women, the pancakes, the man of mystery.
Michael · Meredith: Meredith, I would like you to pretend that you are from Abu Dhabi. / Hello. / I am ashamed at your naked face. / I must cover it with my jacket. / You are now sexy in your culture.
Jim · Colleagues: T-Minus... 6.5 days. / One more week! (repeated countdown from various colleagues)
Jim: And everyone here has just been so excited for me. And involved. And intrusive. And weird.
Jim Deadpan/Understatement Irony/Sarcasm Michael · David Wallace: I'm going to buy a sweater. / Michael, the — That's for your food. / Well, I'll just — I'll use different money for that.
David Wallace: It's pretty tough to find somebody who wants to go up to Winnipeg mid-November.
Michael: Business class air, like a five-star hotel in the sky, nothin' but the best. Actually, better than a five-star hotel 'cause you get a big, cushy seat and you sit in a row of people.
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Michael: And to eat, whatever the mind can imagine. I think I am going to have a filet with mushroom sauce.
Michael Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Michael: They have one of those? [re: concierge]
Michael Character Comedy Reaction Beat Employee · Michael: Wait, why do you need three suitcases? / Two are empty for souvenirs.
Andy · Michael: You want to wear that puppy right up on the breastbone like a bra. / No, I don't want to wear a bra. / Let me help you. / Stop it. Stop it!
Andy: I'm just bidding a bon voyage à la mon petit fiancé. Translation: Good-bye, my petite fiancée.
Andy Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Michael: That could be you if you hadn't forgotten French.
Michael Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Michael · Andy: Meaning I will try to get other dudes laid. / Yeah, baby! That's what I'm talkin' about.
Michael · Dwight: It's not just a van. / Look, I know my way around a van. That is just a van.
Michael: Welcome to Cribs — Business Class Edition. Check this out. Mimosa — ah, sweet! — handed it to me. As I sat down. This was my hot towel. It is still wet.
Michael Character Comedy Meta/Self-Referential ★ Rewatch Michael: Michael G. Scott, rollin' like a pimp!
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Michael: Come on! Get back to the slums!
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Andy · Michael: Harry and the Hendersons. / Shh! Keep it down.
Michael: Could you have picked something stinkier to bring on a plane? Oh my god, Oscar. Really — do you have a bag of baby poop in there, too, to share with everybody?
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Flight Attendant: Oh, I'm sorry, there are no meals on flights less than two hours.
Michael: I will don it... and — Oh! Look at that. I can't see because I am in a — Gah!
Michael Physical/Slapstick Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jim: Just checkin' out where I'm gonna be pretty soon. When Pam gets back. Gonna be close quarters. Gonna be a lot of tension. For you. I'm with Darryl.
Jim Deadpan/Understatement Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Jim: This looks like where I'll probably do my push-ups every day.
Jim Deadpan/Understatement Visual Gag ★ Rewatch Darryl: Is that supposed to impress me? [reaction beat — likely Darryl's camera look or flat stare at Jim's push-up space]
Darryl Reaction Beat Deadpan/Understatement Karen (or female colleague): No. Not gonna happen. He has hurt me too much and too often and I am in a healthy relationship now. So I'm not gonna flaunt it, I'm not gonna hurt him, but that door is closed.
Michael: I, um... I — Ah! This is great. Thank you.
Michael Character Comedy Reaction Beat Michael: A concierge is the Winnipeg equivalent of a Geisha. This is a woman who has been trained in the fine art of fanciness and pleasure. And when you meet one, it is intoxicating.
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Pam · Jim · Pam: Failing. / Wow. I thought you were good at Flash. / I was, and then they switched to Acrobat just as I was learning Quark. I — I hate computers.
Michael · Concierge Marie · Michael · Oscar: You look, how you say, radiant tonight. / Thank you. / And it is, how you say, a beautiful night — / Michael, why?
Michael: She's foreign. I am—
Michael Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Callback Michael: Everybody's going to end up dying someday, and I think it's better to die with some people that you like — like Oscar, and Andy, and Concierge Marie — than to know that there's somebody out there that you love that you're not with.
Michael Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Michael · Oscar · Michael: Those two dudes are as good as naked. / How do you even know they're gay? / Come on! It's Dandy Cale and Foppy McGee over there.
Michael: Beer me dos long island iced teas, s'il vous plait.
Michael Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Oscar: Bad decision in a glass.
Oscar Deadpan/Understatement Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Michael: I don't care if you're gay, straight, engaged — whatever. A guy needs intercourse. You will thank me when they spank thee.
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Michael · Men at bar · Michael: You guys like apples? / What? / Do you like apples? / Uh, sorry, what— / Well, how do you like these apples?
Michael · Man at bar · Michael: On a scale of one to ten, how hot is that dude? / Is he your boyfriend or something? / No, but he could be yours if you play your cards right.
Michael: Dude, you struck out. They're totally stuck-up. Here, drink up.
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Michael · Concierge Marie · Michael: How about this one — it's Christmas Eve, and everything is closed, and you need to get some dry cleaning done. 12:00 midnight. Where do you go? What do you do? What do you do? Come on. / Astro Cleaners on St. James Place is the only place that is open on that day. / Unbelievable. Unbelievable!
Michael: Anything. You can ask me anything. I'm your wingman.
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Andy · Oscar: It's just that I've sat next to Angela for a very long, very long time. / How could anyone stand that woman?
Andy: I see through a hard exterior to a little jelly in the middle. She is teaching me to be a better person. And she's working really hard on that. And she has the softest skin I've ever seen and I can't wait to have sex with her.
Andy Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Oscar · Andy · Oscar · Andy: You haven't had sex? / No. / Y— Are you guys waiting to get married, or? / Honestly, I don't know what we're waiting for.
Oscar · Michael: Andy, something is wrong with that woman. What is wrong with her? I'd like to know. You should call her and ask her.
Oscar · Michael · Oscar: Oh, my god. Don't call her. Don't call her, Andy. Andy, don't call her. / Too late. Too late, it's dialing. / Now it's ringing.
Angela · Andy · Angela · Andy: What is wrong with you? / Why won't you do Andy? / What? / That's Oscar, and he wants to know why you won't do me, and I think it's a valid question.
Angela · Andy: Are you drunk? / This is Andy Bernard.
Andy: I wanna take you to sex school.
Andy Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Dwight · Angela: Who is that, monkey? / Is somebody there?
Andy: I want to see you naked.
Andy Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Jim · Dwight · Jim · Dwight: How does everyone know already? / Know what? / Pam failed art school. / Oh, well. / Doesn't surprise me.
Dwight · Jim · Dwight · Jim · Dwight: Have you seen her painting, Jim? The building? There are shadows coming from two different directions. / Dwight, stop it. / What?! Are there two suns? / Oh, my god. / Last I checked, that's not an office building in the Andromeda Galaxy.
Dwight: Dwight continues after Jim leaves: 'It's totally unrealistic. No lines in the parking lot.'
Dwight Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Callback Oscar: You know, it's true what they say — Long Island iced teas are way stronger in Canada.
Oscar Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Callback Oscar · Michael · Andy · Oscar · Michael · Andy · Michael · Andy · Andy: I can't believe we called her up. / Totally. / What — Who? / I'm talking about Angela. / I can't believe we called her up last night. / We called Angela? / You — You call — You called her. / That was real?! / I thought I dreamed that.
Kelly · Ryan: This can't happen again. / This has to happen again.
Kelly · Ryan · Jim (inferred) · Darryl (inferred): Darryl can't happen again. / Look at me. / Do you want me to do more push-ups? / Yeah. / Okay.
Kelly · Ryan (inferred): Oh, my god. He's gonna kill us. / I'd like to see him try.
Kelly · Kelly · Ryan (inferred) · Unknown: Oh! He says it's cool. / He said, 'it's cool!' / That's all he wrote? / Can I see it?
Unknown · Kelly: Didn't you two date for like a long time? / Mm-Hmm. This is like a fairy tale!
Michael · Oscar · Michael · Michael: You up for a chest bump? / No. / Bro hug? / Back to basics. I like it.
Michael: I had to go all the way to Canada to get to know a guy who sits 20 feet away from me. And he's delightful!
Michael Character Comedy Observational Michael · David Wallace · Michael: No, actually, the trip sucked. / Excuse me? / The trip sucked, David. It blew chunks. It was terrible. It was a bad trip.
Michael: Well, starting with the airport shuttle, which was basically just a van. / Okay. / And business class, which was basically just coach. / And the hotel, which sucked big time.
Michael Character Comedy Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: Oh, and thanks for the tip on the concierge. That was great. That was great. That was — That was a really good choice.
Michael Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Michael: Why did you send her away? You knew I liked her and you just sent her away and that — that was a sucky thing to do, man. That was a really sucky thing to do.
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Michael: Why have I stayed at Dunder Mifflin for so long? Certainly not because of the paycheck. 'Cause I could be making more money as a doctor or a professional athlete.
Michael: A boss that will not fire you even though you just tell him off right to his face over the phone — that's respect.
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Pam: I'm coming back the wrong way.
Pam Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Pam: It's not because of you. I don't like graphic design. That's it. Stop smiling. I really didn't like it. It's just designing logos and stuff. And I missed Scranton. But it is not because I missed you. I just really wanted to come home. And I know you said to come home the right way, but you can't tell me what to do. Got it?
Pam Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Pam: It's not because of you. I don't like graphic design. That's it. Stop smiling. I really didn't like it. It's just designing logos and stuff. And I missed Scranton. But it is not because I missed you. I just really wanted to come home. And I know you said to come home the right way, but you can't tell me what to do. Got it?
Pam Character Comedy Running Gag Top Episodes — The Office
