The Office US

A documentary crew arrives at the Scranton, Pennsylvania offices of Dunder Mifflin to observe the employees and learn about modern management. Manager Michael Scott (played by Steve Carell) tries to paint a happy picture in the face of potential downsizing from corporate. The office also gets new employee Ryan Howard (B.J. Novak) as a temporary worker, while Jim Halpert’s (John Krasinski) pranks antagonize Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson), much to the enjoyment of receptionist Pam Beesley (Jenna Fischer).

Manager Michael Scott’s controversial imitation of a Chris Rock routine forces the staff to undergo a racial diversity seminar. A consultant (Larry Wilmore) arrives to teach the staff about tolerance and diversity, but Michael insists on imparting his own knowledge—aggravating both the consultant and the entire office staff—and creates his own diversity seminar. He eventually assigns each staff member an index card with a different race on it, causing tempers to slowly simmer until they finally snap. Meanwhile, Jim struggles to keep hold of a lucrative contract extension, but Dwight makes the sale for himself. Nevertheless, when Jim’s love interest, Pam Beesly, falls asleep on his shoulder at the end of the meeting, he concludes that it was "not a bad day."

In an effort to save money to prevent downsizing, Michael puts Dwight in charge of choosing the company’s new health care plan. Dwight’s chosen plan slashes benefits, much to the chagrin of the other employees. In an attempt to appease them, Michael promises the entire office a surprise, and then spends the rest of the day scrambling to come through with his promise. The employees wait for Michael’s surprise, which he awkwardly never delivers. Meanwhile, Jim and Pam amuse themselves with Dwight’s medical forms.

As downsizing rumors swirl, paranoia takes over the members of the office. Dwight forms a Survivor-esque alliance with Jim against the other employees—later adding Pam also. Meanwhile, Michael arranges a morale-boosting birthday party for Meredith Palmer (Kate Flannery)—although her birthday is more than a month away. Michael agonizes over writing the perfect greeting in her birthday card, and in the end, his joke (and subsequent rejected ones) falls flat, ruining the party.

Michael and the office staff take on the workers in the warehouse in a basketball game. Through racist and sexist ideals, Michael chooses many of the lesser skilled office workers over their more athletic peers. Michael claims a "flagrant personal intentional foul," stops the game, and declares his team as the winners. The warehouse finds the call unfair and Michael caves under pressure, and concedes the victory to the warehouse staff. Michael eventually tells the office that they don’t have to come in on Saturday either, but it does little to calm them: "Like coming in an extra day is going to prevent us from being downsized."

When an attractive purse saleswoman named Katy (Amy Adams) comes to the office, Michael and Dwight openly vie for her attention. Meanwhile, the corporate office allocates $1,000 for a prize for the top office salesman, but Michael spends the money on an espresso machine in order to try to impress Katy. However, in the end she actually ends up leaving with Jim, devastating both Michael and Dwight.