When a competing sales associate steals a Dunder Mifflin client, Michael, Jim and Dwight decide to set up a sting to find out his sales secrets. Andy decides to start a band after finding out a friend from college has a successful music career.
WAR
105.9
Wins Above Replacement
“The Sting” ranks #110 of 183 The Office episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 86.9 — Elite. The episode packs 99 scored jokes at 3.6 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: Funny thing about it, we don't even need him. We already have Packer on the road. Ccchhh! Crap. I forgot about Packer.
Michael Character Comedy Misdirection ★ Rewatch Kevin · Andy: Well, I really, really, really liked it. / Well, that really bums me out. / You're welcome.
Kevin Andy Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Dwight: But I wanna tell you something. She is one of the plain, hearty women of Scranton that make this city great.
Dwight Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Oscar · Andy: How much? / 60 bucks a session. / That's crazy money. I'll take 40.
Oscar Andy Character Comedy Misdirection ★ Rewatch Michael: A horse is a bike that pedals itself.
Michael Absurdist Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Standout Moments
Kevin · Andy: Well, I really, really, really liked it. / Well, that really bums me out. / You're welcome.
Kevin Andy Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Dwight: But I wanna tell you something. She is one of the plain, hearty women of Scranton that make this city great.
Dwight Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Michael: Funny thing about it, we don't even need him. We already have Packer on the road. Ccchhh! Crap. I forgot about Packer.
Michael Character Comedy Misdirection ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 99 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Michael: A horse is a bike that pedals itself.
Michael Absurdist Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Michael: His ass was on that seat? [about Lance Armstrong's bike model]
Michael Character Comedy Observational Michael: I'm on Sheryl Crow's side in that whole thing, so I feel really weird right now.
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Michael · Andy · Jim: Michael struggles to ride a bike while everyone chants his name, then crashes into something.
Michael: You never forget. Whoo!
Michael Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Michael · Jim · Dwight: How do I look? Amazing. How do I look? Normal. Ugly.
Dwight: Well, I do the best with what I've got.
Dwight Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Callback Michael: He's not the Steve Nash. He's big, though. He's kind of like... Scranton Steve Nash.
Michael Character Comedy Observational Jim: Will you stop trying to put it in terms you think they'll understand? It's condescending.
Jim Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Andy: Says here Dan Becker fell off the side of Kilimanjaro in a climbing accident. It appears Dan's sherpa survived to tell the tale.
Andy Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement Andy · Jim: Oh, my god! What? Is Dan okay? No, he died. It's Broccoli Rob.
Andy Jim Misdirection Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Andy: "some Vermont-based alums can hear 'Broccoli' Rob Blatt, '96, in the state milk lobby's new milk awareness song, calci-yum, featuring Phish's Trey Anastasio."
Andy Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jim · Andy: Oh, that's great news for your friend. / Yeah. Yeah. It's great. / You know, I forget about milk. This is a terrific reminder.
Jim Andy Deadpan/Understatement Irony/Sarcasm Callback Andy: I was the artsy musical one. And here comes trouble. I had four solos. Broccoli Rob had three.
Andy Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Callback Michael: Go tell her we're here. You're good with receptionists.
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Michael · Jim: Michael tells Jim to announce them to the receptionist: 'You're good with receptionists.' Jim's camera look.
Dwight · Jim: Danny Cordray is the worst. / Well, by worst, you mean the best. / The best salesman ever.
Dwight · Jim: Also, he slept with Pam. / No, he didn't.
Dwight Jim Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Pam · Jim: Nothing happened. We went on a couple of dates. He never called me again. / What? He never called you? I thought you said it just fizzled. / That's fizzling. I mean, someone has to start the fizzle.
Pam Jim Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Pam: No, I liked him. For a couple of days. Four years ago. You know I have a kid with you, right?
Pam Character Comedy Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Dwight: So anyway, she says, 'that is the biggest penis I have ever seen.' And I said, 'I know. That's why I brought you to the penis museum, where tickets are $1,000.'
Dwight Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Dwight: Well, hello, Danny. [Dwight seamlessly transitions from the penis museum joke to greeting Danny]
Dwight Character Comedy Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Callback Danny · Dwight · Jim: Oh, I'm just here for the coffee. / Oh, like hell you are. / He's not just here for the coffee, Jim. Wake up.
Michael · Jim: Michael's phone call to Jim during the meeting — 'Hey, it's Jim. Listen, this is important. Are you busy?' 'Oh hey, no, I'm not busy, what's up?' 'You ARE busy! We're in a meeting!'
Michael: Well, I know a lot of you thought that my sales days were behind me. And, to be honest, so did I. And the only reason I got out of the sales game was to be reluctantly called back in.
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Jim: You don't look reluctant, Michael. You look really eager.
Jim Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Andy: ♪ knockity-knock, don't knock back ♪ Just kidding, you can knock. It's your office. Do you have a minute?
Andy Character Comedy Absurdist Andy: Not to go all Sherlock Holmes on you, but I can tell by the reflection in your glasses that you're entering points into weightwatchers.com.
Andy Observational Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Oscar: If you don't enter them immediately, you forget. What?
Oscar Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Oscar · Andy: How much? / 60 bucks a session. / That's crazy money. I'll take 40.
Oscar Andy Character Comedy Misdirection ★ Rewatch Michael · Dwight: I could swear that guy was a male model. / No, that's him. / That... Hello.
Danny · Michael: Three of you guys for one sale? / Yeah, well... We call it overkill. Why am I telling you my strategy?
Michael · Jim: On the count of three, it's showtime. Ready, one, two-- / No, I'm not doing that.
Michael: I've been in showtime mode since breakfast.
Michael: We are going to offer you our paper at cost. I know. I could get in a lot of trouble for this, so you'd better shake my hand right now.
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Dwight · Jim: Jim talked too much. / No, I didn't. / Yes, you did. / Stop it. Just stop it. We did what we should have done. We just got bested.
Michael: Why is there a door close button if it doesn't even close the door?
Michael Observational Character Comedy Michael: How do I feel about losing the sale? It's like if Michael Phelps came out of retirement, jumped in the pool, belly-flopped, and drowned.
Michael Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Michael · Stanley: Stanley, how do we combat him? / We sell better? / Okay. You know what? You clearly don't care, so why don't you just leave?
Stanley: I would like to stay. This pertains to me.
Stanley Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Callback Michael · Stanley: Why don't you go outside and take a shot of insulin and have a nap, okay? / Why do you always assume I have diabetes? / I don't know. Your frame, your build. Why don't you have a glass of apple juice and tell me you're not a diabetic.
Michael: I can tell by the sound you made when you stood up that you have--okay. Yes, Phyllis?
Michael Character Comedy Physical/Slapstick Callback Phyllis: I could try to seduce him.
Phyllis Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Jim · Dwight: Is that your office? / Yes, Jim. And with a little tweaky, it becomes a different office.
Dwight · Jim: This is a stinger. / A what? / Like the movie. / Oh, you mean The Sting. / Paul Newman, Robert Redford. They're bank robbers? / Nope. Different movie.
Dwight Jim Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Jim: Meredith was the perfect choice to play the head of the company. Her lunch break lined up with our appointment with Danny. And... that's it. That's really all we were looking for.
Jim Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Danny · Dwight: Meredith Van Helsing? / Van Helsing was a respected professor before he was a vampire killer.
Jim · Dwight: Okay. But what is he more famous for? / Shh!
Jim Dwight Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Callback Meredith: Hey! That's my mug. [Meredith, from inside the fake office, complains about the mug]
Meredith Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Jim · Dwight: You know this isn't real TV, right? / Yes.
Jim Dwight Meta/Self-Referential Character Comedy Andy · Oscar: The band plays a song from the point of view of a little girl about bringing troops home, but it's sung by Andy (adult man) in falsetto.
Oscar: That's pandering. And it makes me think you think I'm stupid.
Oscar Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Oscar: Not really. It's kinda weird that a grown man is singing from the point of view of a little girl.
Oscar Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Callback Kevin: I feel like I can see someone ice skating to it. You know, like in the olympics.
Kevin Character Comedy Absurdist Oscar · Andy: I don't think they usually skate to such... bad songs. / Rude. And not helpful.
Oscar Andy Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Callback Danny: I'm gonna take off my coat, if you don't mind. It's a bit warm in here. [Danny removes his coat in the fake office meeting]
Danny Visual Gag Reaction Beat Meredith: Hel...lo! / Oh, no, no, no. Don't...
Meredith Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Michael: People can't keep their true natures hidden for long, and this guy is smoldering like a tire fire.
Michael Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Michael · Jim · Dwight: Testify. / He's not that good-looking. I don't understand why everybody's-- / Yeah, he is that good-looking. / He's very, very handsome. Okay.
Meredith: That's a great set of shoulders you got there. What is that, genetics? Creatine? Sorry.
Meredith Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Danny: Well, actually, uh... No, Miss Van Helsing. That's not why I'm here. I'm here to meet you, see if we'd be a good fit.
Danny Character Comedy Misdirection ★ Rewatch Jim: Oh, my God! He's making her sell to him.
Jim Reaction Beat Character Comedy Danny · Meredith: We should think of this as a first date. / And I think it's going very well. How about you? / Real well. Uh... Feels more like a third date to me.
Jim · Dwight: We gotta get someone else in there right now. You're an exec at Pennsylvania Solartech. / That sounds fake. / What do you mean? / I told you. You're an exec at Stark Industries, a corporation you inherited from your father.
Meredith · Oscar: Meredith, I-- / Oh, Manuel. This is Manuel, my cleaning man. He doesn't speak any English. / Hola. ¿Que tal? / ¿Como estas? / Uh, Manuel, cleano el window.
Dwight · Michael: Dwight enters the fake office as 'Manuel, the cleaning man' and speaks Spanish. Michael: 'Manuel, cleano el window.'
Ryan · Jim: Okay. Stark Industries isn't real. I run Google. Larry and Sergey brought me-- / That sounds awesome. Just have him pitch to you.
Ryan Jim Character Comedy Absurdist Callback Danny: You know what? I may have parked my car in a compact space, and I hate when I see others do that, so--
Danny Character Comedy Misdirection Michael: Danny, I feel a real connection to you, and I gotta get real. [Michael bursts through the wall]
Michael Character Comedy Physical/Slapstick ★ Rewatch Michael · Jim · Dwight: Michael barges in: 'I'm goin' in!' / The entire sting collapses as Michael confronts Danny directly.
Danny: So you... Set up this fake company, then you hired this homeless woman to impersonate an executive to spy on me so that you could copy my sales technique.
Danny Deadpan/Understatement Observational Michael · Meredith: Michael's confession to Danny: 'This is Meredith Palmer.' / Meredith: 'Pleased to meet you.' / Michael: 'Don't—stay away from him, please just leave. Get out of here. Go. Forever.'
Michael · Jim · Dwight · Danny: Jim and Dwight are behind that wall in the surveillance room, and it was their plan as well. / No!! / No, no, no, no. / Oh, well, then, yeah. All right, hey! Good luck, guys!
Michael: Danny, I want you to look at me. Do you want your life to be better, or to be worse, or to stay the same?
Danny: Danny: 'Good luck, guys! Seems like you got a great operation here.' — said cheerfully as he prepares to leave.
Danny Irony/Sarcasm Deadpan/Understatement Danny: I swear to God, I'm gonna hit you. I didn't mean that. I'm sorry. I'm not — it's just I'm very upset! I'm very upset!
Danny Character Comedy Escalation Michael: This is not some sort of construction site or all of Italy where you can just go around treating people like meat. We are to respect him. I respect him because he reminds me of somebody. Can anybody guess who that is?
Michael Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Michael · Office Staff: Michael announces Danny to the office: 'Say hello to Danny!' — the office stares blankly / 'me.' — one person says 'me.'
Staff · Michael · Kevin · Andy: Josh Duhamel. / Yeah, I can see that! / No. No. No. Somebody in this office. / He's like a better-looking Andy. / Thanks, Kevin.
Michael · Jim: No. Me. Right? Sorta like... A little younger version of me. / It's hard to judge ourselves accurately, isn't it?
Michael · Jim/Dwight: Do you want your life to be better or worse or to stay the same? / Stay the same. / Okay. Well... Get ready, 'cause it's gonna get better.
Jim · Michael: He's gonna steal all of our clients. / No. Wrong. He would have stolen your clients, but he can't now. This guy used to steal sales from us. Now he's going to steal sales for us.
Jim · Michael: Where's he gonna sit? There's no more seats. / He doesn't need to sit. He's a traveling salesman.
Andy · Oscar: Songs about truth. / Yeah. / What's something you really care about? / Reverse snobbery. / More universal.
Andy Oscar Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Oscar: Sometimes I feel like life has passed me by.
Oscar Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Andy · Oscar: Andy and Oscar spontaneously compose 'Closet Full of Me' in real time — 'couldn't get outta bed today / wish the alarm clock would go away / which me am I gonna be today / I got a closet full of mes'
Danny · Jim: Oh, you know... Funny. Your wife and I went on a few dates. / Did ya? / Yeah, way, way, way back. / I'm just kidding. She told me about it.
Danny Jim Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Callback Danny · Jim: Oh. Yeah. She was not into me. / Oh. / Obviously.
Danny Jim Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Callback Dwight: Drop the act, Cordray. Okay? We all know that you probably thought that Pam was too 'meh' or thin without being toned.
Dwight Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Dwight · Jim: And so what if she doesn't wear makeup? / We like her better that way!
Dwight Jim Character Comedy Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Callback Dwight · Danny: And you steal clients, don't you? Don't you! / Okay... That's different. / Oh, that's different, is it? Okay, thief. You better check your things, people. In fact, where are my keys? Oh. They're in my pocket. False alarm. Okay.
Dwight · Danny · Jim: So you're gonna be workin' here. / Uh... I mean... Yeah. / Welcome aboard. / Thank you. / Hey, crazy, um... So... That's it? You're just — you're fine?
Dwight: It's after 5:00, Jim. I'm not gonna take this home.
Dwight Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Michael: This morning, Danny Cordray stole a sale from me. So what do I do? I go out and I steal Danny Cordray. The sale that mattered, I made. Boom.
Michael Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback NBC Announcer: Can't tear yourself away from 'The Office'? You don't have to. There's more, coming up next. [NBC promo voice]
Andy · Band: ♪ sun's in her eyes / tongue full of flies / would you like to share my pad / croak, croak, croak ♪ [The novelty frog song plays over credits]
Andy Band Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Top Episodes — The Office
