After Robert California challenges the Dunder Mifflin staffers to double their sales, Andy, taking matters into his own hands, creates an incentive program. Eventually, he promises to tattoo himself if the staff doubles their sales. Meanwhile, Pam strikes up an unlikely friendship with Angela, both of whom are pregnant.
WAR
57.5
Wins Above Replacement
“The Incentive” ranks #23 of 183 The Office episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 85.4 — Elite. The episode packs 54 scored jokes at 2.5 per minute, averaging 7.0 on craft and 7.1 on impact, with Andy landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Kevin: Kevin's philosophy: 'Why waste time say lot word when few word do trick?'
Kevin Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Kevin: Kevin's clarification: 'See world. Oceans, fish, jump. China.'
Kevin Character Comedy Misdirection ★ Rewatch Jim: The SeaWorld confusion: 'Kevin, are you saying "see the world" or "seaworld"?'
Jim Misdirection Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Andy: Andy calling his business school professor about 'classic ass-tattoo incentive situations'
Andy Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Andy: Andy's philosophy: 'My heart belongs to music. But my ass belongs to these people.'
Andy Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 54 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Kevin: Kevin suddenly speaking in caveman-like broken English: 'Me doing now! Go. Stop worry.'
Kevin Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Kevin: Kevin's physical description: 'Me feel good. Body strong. Sleep big last night.'
Kevin Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Oscar: Oscar's pretentious interpretation: 'It's an ironic comment on our expectations of him. A funhouse image of our model of Kevin.'
Oscar Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Kevin: Kevin's mechanic analogy: 'Me mechanic not speak English. But he know what me mean when me say, "car no go," and we best friends.'
Kevin Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Kevin: Kevin's philosophy: 'Why waste time say lot word when few word do trick?'
Kevin Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Jim: Jim's comparison: 'The speech equivalent to just wearing underpants.'
Jim Observational Setup/Punchline Kevin: Kevin's response: 'Sometimes, words you no need use but need-need for talk-talk.'
Kevin Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Jim: Time-saving irony: 'Does it save time, though? 'Cause we've been here for about an hour.'
Jim Irony/Sarcasm Observational Kevin: Kevin's time philosophy: 'Many small time make big time.'
Kevin Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Kevin: Kevin's life goal: 'See world.'
Kevin Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Jim: The SeaWorld confusion: 'Kevin, are you saying "see the world" or "seaworld"?'
Jim Misdirection Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Kevin: Kevin's clarification: 'See world. Oceans, fish, jump. China.'
Kevin Character Comedy Misdirection ★ Rewatch Kevin: Kevin's presidential ambition: 'When me president, they see. They see.'
Kevin Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Dwight: The Sabre Pyramid tablet introduction
Dwight: Marketing slogan: 'unleash the power of the pyramid'
Dwight · Jim: Memory measurement confusion: '50 L' and 'How many L to a K?'
Andy: Andy interrupting for tie advice during important meeting
Andy Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Andy: Andy's nickname system: 'C-span' for Oscar
Andy Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Andy: Explaining the nickname: 'Cocker spaniel. Spaniel 'cause of your Spanish bloodline, cocker 'cause...'
Andy Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Dwight: Dwight's strategy: 'I'm going to not care. And I'm gonna sit around quietly waiting for Andy's inevitable demise.'
Dwight Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Andy · Robert: Andy's Neil Patrick Harris reference confusion
Kevin · Andy: Kevin quoting Andy calling his ex-wife a [bleep] and saying he [bleep] hated her guts
Andy: Andy's song about shower sex with his ex-wife
Andy Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Andy · Robert: Andy's ice cream guessing game with Robert
Erin · Robert · Andy: The cold coffee incident - Erin serving old coffee as 'cold beverage'
Andy: Andy claiming he's 'been craving a freezing cup of old coffee' to cover for Erin
Andy Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Robert: Robert's business philosophy about personal service vs superstores
Robert Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Robert · Andy: The doubling sales demand and Andy's overconfidence
Jim · Pam: Jim and Pam's suggestion to talk about how children grow up fast during business meeting
Jim Pam Deadpan/Understatement Absurdist Jim: Jim suggesting 'Fart' as a business solution
Jim Deadpan/Understatement Absurdist ★ Rewatch Andy: Andy's leg falling asleep during his own meeting
Andy Physical/Slapstick Cringe/Discomfort Andy: Andy singing 'Rub a dub dub with the apricot scrub' while working
Andy Character Comedy Absurdist Darryl: Darryl's sexual innuendo about barely being able to walk
Darryl Cringe/Discomfort Setup/Punchline Dwight: Dwight's beet farm struggles: 'We made some inroads in salad, but heirloom tomatoes are pushing back'
Dwight Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Pam: Pam's parenting magazine obsession: 'This is Cece's favorite magazine. She loves the pictures of babies. She looks at it when she's on the potty'
Pam Character Comedy Observational Andy: Andy's incentive prize reveal under the blanket
Andy Visual Gag Setup/Punchline Oscar: Oscar asking 'Is that a vibrator?' about the prizes
Oscar Cringe/Discomfort Observational Andy: Andy's escalating tattoo promises: dress (500 points), naked run (1,000 points), ass tattoo (5,000 points)
Andy Escalation Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Andy: Doughnut on dingdong description for the 1,000 point reward
Andy Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Andy: 'The stern of the old SS Bernard' - Andy referring to his butt
Andy Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Stanley · Jim: Stanley's motivation transformation from naptime to active work
Jim: Jim's big sale netting 120 points while claiming not to care about points
Jim Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Andy: Andy calling his business school professor about 'classic ass-tattoo incentive situations'
Andy Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Staff: Tattoo design: 'I'm not as think as you drunk I am'
Staff Wordplay/Pun Setup/Punchline Staff: Alternative tattoo: 'Do not resuscitate'
Staff Dark/Subversive Setup/Punchline Phyllis: Phyllis's baby coming out of butt tattoo design suggestion
Andy: Andy's realization: 'But my ass is only so big. I mean, I can't do this every day.'
Andy Observational Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Andy: Andy's declaration: 'Let's ink my stink!'
Andy Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Andy: Andy's philosophy: 'My heart belongs to music. But my ass belongs to these people.'
Andy Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Andy · Tattoo Artist: Andy's reaction to cotton swab: 'That was just a cotton swab.' 'Invest in softer cotton, sir.'
Robert: Robert's analysis: 'Because he's all surface, uncomplicated. What you see is what you get.'
Robert Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Andy: Final tattoo reveal: 'It's a nard dog.'
Andy Visual Gag Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Robert: Robert's final observation: 'There's something about an underdog that really inspires the unexceptional.'
Robert Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Angela · Pam: Angela calling social services on Pam for drinking herbal tea while pregnant
⏩ The part you fast-forward
Our scorer flagged 07:00-08:30 as the stretch with the fewest or weakest comedic moments. Everything else lands harder.
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