After Robert decides to sell his mansion following his divorce, Kevin suggests that he have an office pool party. Erin tries to make Andy jealous by flirting with Dwight. Meanwhile, Robert gives everyone a tour of his massive home.
WAR
95.2
Wins Above Replacement
“Pool Party” ranks #85 of 183 The Office episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 88.2 — Elite. The episode packs 85 scored jokes at 4.6 per minute, averaging 7.3 on craft and 7.0 on impact, with Robert California landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Robert California: Robert's talking head about his bed: 'I had two bears sewn together to make this king size.' Pause. 'Total waste of two bears.'
Robert California: Robert's talking head about the dining room: 'I pictured myself here every night, eating a leg of mutton, the juices dripping down my bare chest, wiping my fingers on the walls.'
Dwight · Stanley: Dwight and Stanley's coda: 'What's the haul?' 'Thirty-two meatballs.' 'Good day.' 'That idiot's been feeding us for a week. We'll never have to buy meatballs again.'
Robert California: Robert's talking head about his screening room: 'When I put in the screening room I bought three movies: Caligula, Last Tango in Paris, and Emmanuelle 2.' Cut. 'The last two movies I actually watched in here were Marley & Me and On Golden Pond.'
Robert California · Toby: Robert, drunk, announces: 'Toby, I am Bacchus, god of wine.' Toby: 'And I am Bacchus' friend.'
Standout Moments
Dwight · Stanley: Dwight and Stanley's coda: 'What's the haul?' 'Thirty-two meatballs.' 'Good day.' 'That idiot's been feeding us for a week. We'll never have to buy meatballs again.'
Robert California: Robert's talking head about the dining room: 'I pictured myself here every night, eating a leg of mutton, the juices dripping down my bare chest, wiping my fingers on the walls.'
Robert California: Robert's talking head about his bed: 'I had two bears sewn together to make this king size.' Pause. 'Total waste of two bears.'
All Jokes — 85 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Jim · Dwight: Dwight opens his desk drawer to find it full of meatballs, reacting in bewilderment: 'Oh... Oh. What is this? A meatball? Really?'
Jim Dwight Physical/Slapstick Running Gag ★ Rewatch Callback Jim: Jim's talking head: 'It's always more fun to mess with Dwight with an audience. That was usually Pam. So now that she's out, I had to find someone else.'
Jim Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Jim: Jim's talking head: 'Turns out that Stanley is quite the comedy fan.' Beat. 'But not everything makes him laugh. He has very specific tastes.'
Jim Deadpan/Understatement Misdirection ★ Rewatch Jim: Jim's talking head: 'Through a painstaking process of trial and error, I found out what he likes. And it's really weird.'
Jim Misdirection Deadpan/Understatement Stanley · Jim: Stanley laughing uproariously at Dwight discovering meatballs, then cutting to him stonefaced: 'Jim, come on. So juvenile.'
Stanley Jim Character Comedy Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Callback Dwight · Jim: Dwight shouts 'You've been meatballed!' and 'Are you ready for some meatballs?' — then immediately complains: 'This is not very clever, Jim.'
Dwight Jim Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Stanley · Jim: Stanley's deadpan: 'Really, Jim? Really?' — shown reacting to seeing his stapler encased in something (implied from 'Look for your stapler').
Andy: Andy on the phone with Jessica: 'I'm not going to be one of those exes who can't move on... I'm taking an Italian class. So far I have learned tortellini, spaghettini, linguine.'
Andy Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Andy: Andy clarifies: 'Well, it's not so much a class as a restaurant. But I do Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 7:00 to 9:00.'
Andy Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Callback Andy: Andy blurts 'Jessica, I love you' then immediately: 'That's a message from my mom.'
Andy Character Comedy Misdirection Andy: Andy: 'I haven't proposed to anyone in years.'
Andy Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Andy: Andy's talking head: 'Mom took the main diamond out. She thought that had more of a 'my little brother' kind of vibe to it.'
Andy Character Comedy Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Jim: Jim looks at Robert California's enormous house: 'Got a little bit of The Shining vibe, though. Who needs a house that size?'
Jim Observational Deadpan/Understatement Robert California: Robert California: 'Big, stupid, pure chump bait.' Then immediately: 'I'm selling the house, actually.'
Robert California: Robert: 'I bought it to be my Playboy Mansion. A temple to wine, revelry, sex, intrigue. This was hot on the heels of Eyes Wide Shut, mind you.'
Robert California: Robert: 'Then I met my wife, she moved in, made it her own. Now she's left me and forced me to sell the place. The ultimate insult: they're calling my speakeasy lounge a rumpus room.'
Robert California · Jim: Robert demands of Jim: 'Does my turmoil amuse you?' / Jim: 'I'm sorry, I thought you were making a joke.' / Robert: 'What could you possibly have found funny in what I said? What was the joke you thought you heard?'
Jim: Jim tries to explain: 'I guess I thought you were approaching it with more of a sarcasm than misery. Kind of laughing at your own pain. Sad clown thing.'
Jim Cringe/Discomfort Deadpan/Understatement Robert California: Robert: 'Oh, yes. How hilarious it is to laugh at clowns, the painted jesters of a dying circus industry.'
Kevin: Kevin barges in: 'Um, I'm getting reports of a serious outbreak of the grumpies in here.'
Kevin Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Robert California: Robert's talking head: 'A beautiful monster cost me my 40s and my dream home. I think I'm entitled to the occasional bad day.'
Kevin: Kevin pitches the pool party: 'Yeah. All of us in the pool saying hurrah.' Pause. 'Maybe the last one that says hurrah is it.'
Kevin Character Comedy Absurdist Robert California · Kevin · Oscar: Robert agrees to the party, then: 'Let's just call it a get-together. And let's say no food.' Kevin immediately: 'Hey, Oscar, was that you who just created a party out of thin air, or was it me?' Oscar: 'That was you, Kevin.' Kevin: 'It was me.'
Meredith · Erin: Meredith: 'It's no problem. You live right near me.' Erin: 'How do you know where I live?' Meredith: 'Andy followed you home after the Christmas party.'
Meredith · Erin: Erin: 'Why?' Meredith: 'He wanted to make sure California didn't put it in you.'
Erin: Erin's talking head: 'Wow. Andy's such a weird stalker. Following me home like that when he has a girlfriend... a restraining order.'
Erin Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Robert California · Erin: Robert and Erin debate pool temperature: 'It is warm. It's almost too warm. I'm feeling 82, 82.5.' 'Oh. So close. Eighty-one.' Robert: 'Well, we'll say it's 82 and it'll be our secret.'
Jim: Jim shows up at the party briefly: 'Hey, late guy. Hey. Wow. Just stopping by. Got another party to go to.' Someone: 'Oh.' Jim: 'A wife and two kids at home party. DJ Pam Halpert is spinning some serious Radio Disney tonight.'
Jim Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Jim: Jim's talking head: 'You're looking at the master of leaving parties early. The key is you have to make a strong impression so you want to have a picture taken, you want to say some peculiar non sequitur that people remember, you want to note something unique, a talking point for later.'
Jim Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Jim: Jim's talking head kicker: 'I don't mean to brag but New Year's Eve, I was home by 9:00.'
Jim Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Kevin: Kevin, standing by the pool in a swimsuit, holds a hot dog in front of his crotch area: 'What are you doing? Hmm? Flicking a bug off my weiner. Gross.'
Kevin Physical/Slapstick Wordplay/Pun Robert California: Robert California alone by the pool, talking head: 'Funny how you can be surrounded by people and still feel so lonely.'
Andy · Erin: Andy hits on Erin about her car: 'It's great, you know, reliable, great mileage.' Andy: 'How about this weekend we take that sucker to a duck pond or something? Maybe get caught in the rain.' Erin: 'Well, I can't, I'm going skiing with Jessica.'
Andy Erin Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Andy · Erin: Andy: 'Couple of dopes on the slopes.' Erin: 'Oh. Like a goodbye trip?' Andy: 'No. What?'
Andy Erin Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Erin: Erin's talking head: 'I guess Andy isn't totally over his current girlfriend. But if he was jealous once before, then maybe I can make him jealous again. Just not with Robert. He told me he was a ridel wouldn't survive and I believe him.'
Erin Character Comedy Absurdist Dwight: Dwight arrives at the pool party: 'Uh-oh. Look at this. Red plastic cup, red plastic cup. How about that? You know, you are just as dumb at night.'
Dwight Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Dwight: Dwight is challenged to dive in the pool and says 'This would be no problem,' but someone cuts him off — visual beat of Dwight presumably doing something dramatic.
Dwight Physical/Slapstick Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Jim · Dwight: Jim: 'Hey, Dwight Snoot, what you doing?' Dwight: 'Wait, relaxing. Scram.'
Jim Dwight Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Jim · Stanley: Jim: 'Hey Stanley, what happened to my pants?' Stanley: 'I moved them. Pants only need a chair if there's a person in them.'
Jim Stanley Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Robert California: Robert's tour of his parlor: 'You enter this room a lawyer, a doctor, a teacher, a judge, but beyond it you are simply a penis, a vagina, a hunger, an ache.'
Robert California: Robert: 'Susan used it as a Pilates studio.'
Robert California · Jim · Toby: Robert: 'My wine collection.' Jim: 'How many bottles? Three hundred?' Robert: 'About 1,200.' Jim: 'What the hell, grab a bottle.' Robert: 'Less inventory for the lawyers.'
Robert California · Toby · Gabe: Robert to Toby about the wine: 'Too kind doesn't begin to cover it. With ammunition like this, we are in for quite a night, you and me.' Toby: 'And Gabey makes three.'
Dwight · Erin: Erin tells Dwight she was flirting with him to make Andy jealous. Dwight: 'Why would you choose me? Because I'm mighty? Because I'm the manliest man in the office?' then immediately: 'I'll do it!'
Kelly · Andy: Kelly finds the ring in the pool: 'I just found this insane engagement ring! Is anyone missing this? The main stone's missing.' Kelly: 'It looks pretty great to me.'
Kelly Andy Misdirection Character Comedy Callback Robert California: Robert: 'Then I met the vegan.'
Robert California · Toby: Robert, drunk on wine with Toby, whispers: 'Toby, you are playing a dangerous game.'
Toby: Toby: 'I guess I'm through the gateway now though, right?'
Toby Callback Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Val: Val announces the pool: 'No top scum, no Band-Aids, this thing is choice.'
Val Observational Deadpan/Understatement Kevin: Kevin about getting in the pool: 'I've been working out, but the problem is I've been building muscle underneath and that top layer hasn't burned off yet. Awkward stage. Mmm.'
Kevin Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Erin: Erin feeds herself chips and asks someone to 'crush it into my face' and 'rub the grease around,' then: 'Andy's not even looking. Eating is a dead end. Damn it.'
Erin Physical/Slapstick Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Dwight · Andy: Erin proposes chicken fights. Dwight: 'I challenge you and Jess to a chicken fight. Winner take all.' Andy: 'No thanks.' Dwight: 'Dang it!'
Jim · Cathy: Jim and Cathy pair up for chicken fights in the pool. Jim awkwardly says 'Come on, Cath' — reaction shot implied as Erin and Dwight watch.
Dwight · Erin: Dwight, on Erin's shoulders during chicken fight: 'Dwight, our chemistry is really clicking. We work so well together.' Dwight: 'I know. I could just bang you right now.'
Toby · Gabe · Robert California: Toby, Gabe, and Robert raise their glasses: 'To both these bears. Bears. To both these bears.'
Robert California · Toby · Gabe: 'To both these bears.' 'To both these bears.' 'Bears.' 'To both these bears.' — Toby, Gabe, and Robert toasting with wine to the two bears who died for the bed
Robert California: Robert's talking head about his screening room: 'When I put in the screening room I bought three movies: Caligula, Last Tango in Paris, and Emmanuelle 2.' Cut. 'The last two movies I actually watched in here were Marley & Me and On Golden Pond.'
Gabe · Robert California: Robert: 'It's clearly meant for watching erotic cinema.' Gabe: 'Yeah, we could watch some right now if you want. I've got a Korean film on my iPod.'
Kelly · Oscar: Kelly and Oscar debate the ring's bad energy. Kelly: 'Ring of a failed marriage might have some sinister energy, right? Am I just being silly?' Oscar: 'I don't think you're being silly.' Kelly: 'Oh, God.'
Kelly · Oscar: Kelly: 'You know what? I can just sell it and put the money in the party fund.' Oscar: 'Oh.' Kelly: 'Then another woman will get it, we can't allow that. We have to destroy it.'
Val · Darryl: Val: 'Hey Darryl, want a beer? It might taste better than that pool water you've been drinking.' Darryl: 'No, I'm good. Thank you.' Val talking head: 'Does Darryl not swim?' Other voice: 'That's racist, I don't know.' Val: 'But I would say by looking at him, no, Darryl does not swim.'
Dwight · Erin: Dwight refuses to quit the chicken fight: 'Maybe we should take a little break.' Dwight: 'Dwight, we've got this. I promise I will not leave your shoulders no matter what.' Extended chaos in the pool ensues.
Dwight · Erin: Dwight, apparently having lost the chicken fight: 'Erin, did we win?' Beat. Erin: 'Sure. Sure, we did.' Dwight: 'You're lying. We didn't win.'
Kelly: Kelly throws Andy's ring into the pool, proclaiming: 'You've broken up your last couple, you evil ring. Do it. We're in the pool. Shove it, Angela.'
Kelly Absurdist Character Comedy Creed · Andy: Creed to Andy: 'Same old party, same old people, am I right? Reminds me of Phyllis' birthday.' Andy: 'Ooh, do not remind me of Phyllis' birthday.' Creed: 'I know. But boy, that Erin, she sure is a ripe little tiger, isn't she? Meow!'
Creed: Creed: 'And to think I always thought of her as a second Meredith.'
Creed Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Andy · Creed: Andy: 'Respectfully, I don't want us walking into a similar Angela kind of situation. So I just want to make sure that you are completely 100% done with Erin.' Creed: 'Last I checked I'm with Jessica and I like to get my mongo on.'
Andy Creed Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Creed · Andy: Creed tells Andy he can 'go crazy' on Erin: 'Just go nuts... With sex.' Andy: 'Have at it.' Creed: 'Or take it slow, whatever you guys work out.'
Andy: Andy's reaction to Creed's advice: talking head or camera look — 'You're an idiot.' (directed at himself, implied).
Andy Reaction Beat Character Comedy Unknown: Someone does a cannonball into the pool, yelling 'Cannonba—' before hitting water mid-word.
Unknown Physical/Slapstick Visual Gag ★ Rewatch Erin · Andy: Erin steps on Andy's ring: 'So I kind of stepped on this. I think it's yours.' Andy: 'Yeah.' Erin: 'Oh. Wow.' Andy: 'How did you know it was mine?' Erin: 'The Bernard family seal, duh.' Andy: 'Duh.'
Erin Andy Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Callback Andy · Erin: Erin: 'Sorry if your special night was ruined.' Andy: 'Oh, whoa, whoa, no it's not a special night.' Erin: 'Oh, you weren't going to do it?' Andy: 'Honestly, Erin, I don't know what I'm doing.'
Andy Erin Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Erin: Erin's talking head: 'Andy's confused. That's not what I was hoping for. But it's not so bad either.'
Erin Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Robert California: Robert's talking head about the pool: 'And of course, the pool. Ultimate lubricant for any wild evening. It was here that my parties would have crescendoed into true madness.'
Robert California · Unknown: Someone has blocked Robert's car: 'Is there any way you can move your van?' The van owner: 'Hey, I'm sorry. When I got here, I put my keys in a bowl.'
Toby · Gabe · Robert California: Toby to Robert: 'I want you to know I'm here to rock with you as late as you want.' Gabe immediately: 'And that goes double for me. I'll stay even later than you'd like.'
Robert California · Toby: Robert, drunk, announces: 'Toby, I am Bacchus, god of wine.' Toby: 'And I am Bacchus' friend.'
Robert California: Robert: 'Gentlemen, bear witness. While I've been mourning the nights that never were, one of them has been unfolding here before me. This is no get-together. This is a party.'
Robert California: Robert California's reflective speech: 'Gentlemen, bear witness — while I've been mourning the nights that never were, one of them has been unfolding here before me. This is no get-together. This is a party.'
Jim: Jim, having made his exit impression, points at something: 'And there's my talking point.'
Jim Callback Meta/Self-Referential ★ Rewatch Callback Robert California: Robert yells at Toby and Gabe doing something in the pool: 'Yes, that's it! Push yourselves, boys! It's not a party if you don't do something that scares you!'
Robert California · Gabe · Toby: Final scene: Robert sees that Toby has fallen asleep (or passed out) in the pool area. Gabe: 'Hey, he's asleep. We can just leave.' Robert: 'So leave.'
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