When Deangelo plays favorites, his management style is exposed.
WAR
40.7
Wins Above Replacement
“The Inner Circle” ranks #130 of 183 The Office episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 75.2 — Great. The episode packs 72 scored jokes at 2.6 per minute, averaging 6.7 on craft and 6.4 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
Phyllis: I thought he knew about the baby I gave away.
Phyllis Dark/Subversive Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Deangelo: I'm not saying I'm Superman, but let me just put it this way, if I were shot in the head, I'm pretty sure everything would be fine. I almost welcome it.
Dwight: You in tight pants, Michael, are a salami to a black bear. You're like a giant walking salami.
Dwight Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael: That's what she said.
Michael Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Dwight: 2:45 behind the building, paintball.
Dwight Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 72 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Michael: Just up here getting used to the altitude.
Michael Character Comedy Observational Michael: Thank you. Like a butler.
Michael Character Comedy Observational Michael · Dwight: Wow, those do not taste like oysters. That's because they're not oysters. They're bull testicles! I cut them off fresh this morning!
Michael · Dwight: Sick freak. What is wrong with you? What is wrong with you? I'm the sick freak? Yeah. After what you did, you expect to be buttled?
Dwight · Michael: Where did you hear that? Obvious, XM radio?
Dwight: Great idea. ...in order to feed the bears. Especially if you think that life would be better without legs!
Dwight Setup/Punchline Dark/Subversive Dwight: You in tight pants, Michael, are a salami to a black bear. You're like a giant walking salami.
Dwight Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael · Dwight: How about a pepperoni? Any kind of meat you can possibly name.
Toby: Was thinking I might glue a stapler on top or put a hole here and stick pens in it.
Toby Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Michael: You know what, take my favorite truck, sure. You know what... It's your last couple of days. I'm gonna get out of your hair.
Michael Reaction Beat Cringe/Discomfort Michael: Dead man walking.
Michael Observational Deadpan/Understatement Gabe: I've seen some horrible things. I own over 200 horror movies.
Gabe Character Comedy Escalation Deangelo Character Comedy Callback Callback Deangelo: You guys are filming people when they go to the bathroom now?
Deangelo Meta/Self-Referential Cringe/Discomfort Unknown · Deangelo: What's wrong with cupcakes? Everything.
Angela: The dream team and Meredith.
Angela Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Michael Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Michael: Visual gag: Michael bought himself a 'World's Best Boss' mug
Michael Visual Gag Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: I still need something to drink out of, though.
Michael Observational Character Comedy Phyllis: I thought he knew about the baby I gave away.
Phyllis Dark/Subversive Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Phyllis: You have to hand wash without water, wring dry gently, and use a hair dryer on cool.
Stanley: Where's the rest of it? It's got no balls.
Stanley Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Andy · Michael: You know I'm the worst salesman here, right? But you're the best salesman on the inside.
Michael: You sold us all on Andy. A product that nobody wanted.
Michael Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Deangelo: I used to be obese. Once you've conquered obesity, everything else is easy. Life literally moves in slow motion.
Deangelo: I'm not saying I'm Superman, but let me just put it this way, if I were shot in the head, I'm pretty sure everything would be fine. I almost welcome it.
Michael: Don't be a caricature, Kevin. Never be a caricature.
Michael Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Michael: You will be thin. You won't drool over pizza like an animal anymore.
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Kevin · Michael: Michael, I'm pretty much okay with who I am now. Don't be. You should never settle for who you are.
Andy · Michael: Michael, I just lost Porter Hardware! I just... I lost them. Okay, you know what? Just do your best, buddy.
Oscar: It looks like it was made by a two-year-old monkey on a farm.
Oscar Observational Character Comedy Michael: He has the lowest opinion of me of anybody.
Michael Observational Cringe/Discomfort Michael · Angela: Was it just me, or did you think we were gonna have sex at some point? It was just you.
Angela Character Comedy Running Gag Callback Deangelo: Walk away, bitch.
Michael: Mountainton, I think.
Michael Character Comedy Observational Oscar · Kevin: It's not supposed to shred magazines, Kevin. I know. Did you break the shredder, Kevin? No.
Michael: I don't think my credits are gonna transfer.
Michael: I just figured out where I was supposed to go to vote.
Michael Observational Character Comedy Holly · Michael: Oh, you mean this? Yeah. Yes, my hero. I'll pay the rent.
Michael · Kelly: Kelly? What? If I just went away right now, would that be the best gift that I could give you? Yes, please.
Kelly: Please go away and stop using that weird, slow voice.
Kelly Observational Character Comedy Meredith · Angela: What do we want? Erotic. See? This is what happens. You can't let a street dog into the house.
Meredith · Angela: I know these Ethiopians that run a cake shop. Good God. They make these cakes that are wild.
Meredith: As a person who buys a lot of erotic cakes, it feels good to be represented on one.
Meredith Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Kelly: I am one of the few people who looks hot eating a cupcake.
Kelly Character Comedy Observational Angela: You know, we don't really care about your opinion. You're just a tie-breaker.
Angela Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Gabe: Someday, you are going to tell our grandchildren about how their grandfather won you back in a women's room.
Gabe Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Toby: Well, no, he hates jams.
Toby Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Darryl: Here's a chapter called 'Gum.' With one sentence. 'Everybody likes the guy who offers them a stick of gum.'
Darryl Observational Character Comedy Michael · Darryl: Darryl said I could use the baler because I'm leaving. No.
Michael: Catch you on the flippety-flip.
Michael Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Michael: Multiple repetitions of 'Catch you on the flippety-flip'
Michael Escalation Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Callback Deangelo · Andy: Is there an animal shelter on the way? Yeah. Awesome! Ani-ani-shelto.
Deangelo: I've only got enough cash to buy a sandwich or get drunk.
Deangelo · Andy: Staged dog rescue scene for client presentation
Erin: Maybe neither. I'm not attracted to Kevin.
Erin Misdirection Character Comedy Dwight: The dictionary defines 'superlative' as 'of the highest kind, quality, or order, surpassing all else or others. Supreme.' If I wanted the dictionary definition, I'd buy a dictionary.
Dwight Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Dwight: Lots more like that. Really repetitive.
Dwight Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Dwight: 2:45 behind the building, paintball.
Dwight Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Deangelo: I can say that he is no Michael Scott. I can't sit here and tell you that he's gonna be a success.
Deangelo: You ever play Russian roulette? Time to spin the chamber, Boris... By signing up for another year.
Michael: Whether you're scared of dying, or dying alone, or dying drunk in a ditch, don't be. It's going to be okay.
Michael: A little cover-up on your Adam's apple will make it appear smaller, which will make you look less like a transvestite.
Michael Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Andy: I could tell you that he has a steel plate in his head, or that he's crazy, but the truth is, I think he's just a terrible salesman.
Andy Escalation Setup/Punchline Michael: Hi, everybody! It's Ping! And I'm here to say goodbye to all you wonderful people. I 'rove' you all.
Michael Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Callback Michael: T-shirt idea. 'Goodbyes stink.'
Michael Character Comedy Observational Jim: Best boss I ever had.
Jim Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Michael: I actually don't understand deathbeds. I mean, who would buy that?
Michael Observational Character Comedy Michael: That's what she said.
Michael Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Kevin: Why did I just do that? This is not even that good. I don't even want it. I had cake for lunch.
Kevin Character Comedy Escalation Deangelo Physical/Slapstick Escalation ★ Rewatch ⏩ The part you fast-forward
Our scorer flagged 28:00-29:00 as the stretch with the fewest or weakest comedic moments. Everything else lands harder.
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