Pam and Jim work on their first sales pitch together to Donna, the manager of a local restaurant. But Michael keeps misreading the signals she's putting out. Meanwhile, Dwight encourages Kelly to try out for the minority training program.
WAR
42.9
Wins Above Replacement
“The Cover Up” ranks #103 of 183 The Office episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 77.1 — Great. The episode packs 58 scored jokes at 2.6 per minute, averaging 6.9 on craft and 6.6 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: It's never too early for ice cream, jim. But we didn't have any ice cream, So this is mayonnaise and black olives.
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Absurdist ★ Rewatch Dwight · Donna: Hey, you know an exercise for two people That uses the whole body? / Yeah, I think I know what you're talking about. / Tractor pulling.
Michael: I'm the mistress?
Michael Setup/Punchline Misdirection ★ Rewatch Dwight: All cases are solved with logic. The only logical way to find out If donna is a cheater is to seduce her, Bring her to orgasm, then call michael And tell him the sad news.
Dwight Character Comedy Absurdist Stanley: My doctor told me to cut out hot dogs. We all got problems.
Stanley Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 58 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Jim: You're talking about me in morse code.
Jim Cringe/Discomfort Absurdist Jim: Well, you know what? Joke's on you. 'cause I know morse code. Ha!
Jim Cringe/Discomfort Escalation Pam: In our very limited free time And with our very limited budget, We went and got a nanny and then we went out And took a class on a very outmoded And very unnecessary form of communication just so We could talk about you in front of you.
Pam Deadpan/Understatement Escalation ★ Rewatch Jim: It all started when dwight was tapping his foot Against the leg of his desk. When I asked him to stop, he said, 'I will when you lose the baby weight.'
Jim Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Jim: Very well. I must have imagined it. I apologize.
Jim Reaction Beat Cringe/Discomfort Dwight · Michael · Jim: Detonator. / Detonator where? / Michael! / Jim. Are you clicking a detonator? / - It's a pen. - Michael, come on.
Jim Deadpan/Understatement Callback Callback Michael: Ooh! Things with donna are so-- Oh-ho-ho! They're going great. I, uh... We're just clicking on every level. Emotionally and sexually and...Orally
Michael: And I am not used to relationships
Michael Reaction Beat Awkward Silence Michael: She has a pilates butt.
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Michael: But we need to find something to do this weekend Beside have sex. Did I say that? Yes, I did.
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Meta/Self-Referential Stanley · Michael: Let me go back to my desk right now. / Okay, you get out of here, big dog.
Michael: stanley doesn't help with anything.
Michael Character Comedy Observational Todd Packer: Room enough for three.
Michael: Because when your super hot girlfriend says, 'I wanna go to mount pocono,' You go to mount pocono and you do her.
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Michael: And we screwed. Whoops. Tmi.
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Meta/Self-Referential Michael: You know what, kelly? This is the real world. Not the real world: Scranton.
Michael Wordplay/Pun Meta/Self-Referential Kelly · Ryan: When ryan had two girlfriends, He used to take me to some diner in hazelton Just so the other girl wouldn't see. / Some diner? It was the starlight diner. It's, it's in a life magazine spread About americana.
Michael · Oscar: Nine dates. I said it on the second date. / That seems...Quick. Even for lesbians.
Michael: yeah, she does all that.
Michael Reaction Beat Cringe/Discomfort Michael · Pam: Run what? / Amok. It means, don't let your imagination run out of control. / Why didn't you just say that, pam?
Michael: Well, that's easy for you to say. You have a bad imagination. It's stupid. I live in a fantasy world.
Jim · Michael: But you didn't believe any of this was true Five minutes ago. / That's what makes it so wrong.
Michael: Oh, god, that tickles. What did--
Michael Physical/Slapstick Cringe/Discomfort Dwight · Michael: $100 a day, plus expenses. / I'll give you $50. Money's no object.
Dwight: You might not like what I find. / And you might not like how I find it.
Dwight Character Comedy Escalation Stanley: My doctor told me to cut out hot dogs. We all got problems.
Stanley Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Gabe: I would even settle for apricot preserves.
Gabe Character Comedy Absurdist Darryl: Two years ago, Andy blamed the warehouse for a late shipment That he forgot to process. We got yelled at pretty bad. Almost lost my job, And I was mad as hell at the time. But I said, 'darryl, just wait. he's a fool, there's gonna be an opportunity. Just be patient.'
Darryl Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Dwight: All cases are solved with logic. The only logical way to find out If donna is a cheater is to seduce her, Bring her to orgasm, then call michael And tell him the sad news.
Dwight Character Comedy Absurdist Michael: It's never too early for ice cream, jim. But we didn't have any ice cream, So this is mayonnaise and black olives.
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Absurdist ★ Rewatch Michael: It's comfort food, all right? God.
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Michael: Otherwise this thing is gonna spiral out of amok.
Michael Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Michael · Jim: Helene? / My mother. / Oh. My mother, helene. / Oh, yeah. Yes, yes. Yes. All of, all of the greatest loves of my life.
Dwight · Donna: Hey, you know an exercise for two people That uses the whole body? / Yeah, I think I know what you're talking about. / Tractor pulling.
Dwight: One thing you need to know about me, I don't quit until something tears or pops.
Dwight Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Dwight: Tomorrow's fertilizer, am I right?
Dwight Character Comedy Absurdist Dwight: We both know why I'm here: To see...You...Naked... While...I'm...Naked.
Dwight Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Michael · Dwight: Who eats eight protein bars? / People who don't trust egg whites.
Michael: I am not paying for that membership.
Michael Reaction Beat Character Comedy Jim · Michael: Maybe you'd be more comfortable in your own office. / No, I like the attention.
Michael: You work at an adult arcade.
Michael Character Comedy Observational Donna: Well, you are boner-ific.
Donna Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Jim: How about, andy is a problem and we must eliminate him?
Jim Escalation Dark/Subversive Andy: Whoa. I hadn't even thought of that.
Andy Character Comedy Reaction Beat Pam: Claire's? Zales? Ricky's? Earrings earrings earrings? Fancy girl? Platinum cat? Where?
Pam Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Pam: Okay, heart-shaped jewelry Is not something that a woman buys for herself. A man definitely bought it for her recently, And it wasn't michael.
Pam Observational Setup/Punchline Creed: Darnell's a chump. I would have done it for anything. I've done a lot more for a lot less.
Creed Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Jim: It's cece. She's never gonna do anything wrong.
Jim Character Comedy Observational Pam: Yes, I desperately want to speak with you About my sex life with jim.
Pam Irony/Sarcasm Cringe/Discomfort Michael: I swear too much.
Michael Character Comedy Observational Michael: Just a notch above toby.
Michael Character Comedy Running Gag Callback Gabe: That's good for five bucks at dunkin' donuts. Any dunkin' donuts.
Gabe Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Michael: Spice girls are opening for weird al. Front row.
Michael · Donna: You're cheating on me. / How do you know? / Pam told me.
Darryl: I don't wanna prank anymore. Things get real. It's not funny. I'm just gonna be good, stay in my room, Go to church, Try to do one nice thing per day. I do not wanna prank anymore.
Darryl Character Comedy Escalation Michael: I'm the mistress?
Michael Setup/Punchline Misdirection ★ Rewatch Top Episodes — The Office
