Posted on Feb 5, 2022

50 Subtle Details From "The Office" That Prove It's One Of The Smartest Shows Of All Time

Michael tries to sell his broken "plasma screen TV" at a garage sale seasons later.

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1. Dunder Mifflin has won the Rain Forest Harvester's Association's "One Million Cut Trees Award."

In The Office, Dunder Mifflin has been given The One Million Cut Trees Award by the Rain Forest Harvester’s Association. from TVDetails

2. You can see Michael's face when he infiltrates Jim and David Wallace's meeting inside the cart.

Never noticed Michael peeking through the cart. S6E2 from DunderMifflin

Stanelys resolution written on a note card put on a board

Michael says, "Today, I got up, I stepped onto the grill and it clamped down on my foot, that's it," and then we see the grill in the episode "Dinner Party"

5. When Roy becomes furious and violent inside the bar, Kevin is fully prepared to protect Pam.

I just noticed that, slightly off-screen, you can see sweet Kevin ready to defend Pam when Roy loses his shit. from DunderMifflin

6. The Schrute Farms flag has only 15 stars, which is consistent with the makeup of the US when Schrute Farms was established.

In the Office, Shrute Farms displays a flag with 15 stars. The 15 stars flag represented the original 13 colonies plus Vermont and Kentucky, used from May 1, 1795 to April 12, 1818. Schrute farms was established in 1812. from TVDetails

8. The big board in the office is filled with "colorful hooey."

S4:E1 “Fun Run” - I for one, did not notice until now that there’s a lot of colorful hooey on this board! from DunderMifflin

9. Michael writes a note telling Oscar to meet him before lunch, but he puts the note in Oscar's sandwich, which he obviously wouldn't get to until lunch.

Just noticed that in “Two Weeks” Michael hides a note in Oscar’s sandwich that says, “meet me in the parking lot BEFORE lunch.” from DunderMifflin

The painting on the wall is in the garage sale later

11. Michael swallows his toothpaste.

Just noticed this after my seventh watch - Michael not spitting, but swallowing his toothpaste 😅 from DunderMifflin

Dwight says, "Do you want to form an alliance with me," Jim says, "Absolutely I do," seasons later Dwight Pam says, "I learned from Jim, if Dwight ever asks you if you accept something secret, you reply, 'Absolutely I do'"

Arrow pointing to green water in watercooler behind Stanley Hudson

16. After Michael drives his car into a lake, he opens the door to let the camera operator out.

On Season 4 Episode 2 of the office, Michael opens the door to let the cameraman out of the sinking car from TVDetails

Dwight says, "The Schrutes have their own traditions, we usually marry standing in our own graves, makes the funerals very romantic, but the weddings are a bleak affair," and then we see that's how Angela and Dwight get married

19. Andy dresses like Dwight — the then-acting manager — in order to become the number-two person in the office.

In the office US when Dwight is acting manager Andy can be seen wearing short sleeve shirts like Dwight to further his plan to become his number 2. from TVDetails

Kelly holds the poster and Toby says "Well, it's for Angela," Angela says "I'll take the poster," then in a later episode Toby says, "There's just a little dispute over a poster in their workspace"

21. When Creed translates a bottle for Andy, he reads, "Do not consume with alcohol," which Andy does, and then gets sick.

In The Office when creed “translates” the Chinese for Andy, he actually reads out “do not consume with alcohol”, which is exactly what Andy does that makes him sick from TVDetails

Jan says, "You get a copy, I get a copy, and a third copy goes to HR," Michael says, "Awesome, I'm gonna frame mine, I could frame yours, too" and later we see Michael's framed contract

Dwight and Kevin play with firecrackers, and then later Jim says, "This is a firecracker-free wedding," and Kevin says "What the hell," and Dwight says, "Come on, you've got to be kidding me."

Arrow pointing to cement above Michael's ear

The teapot highlighted in different scenes, seasons apart

26. "Here Comes Treble" is Andy's gamer tag.

I just noticed Andy's gamer tag is Here Comes Treble from DunderMifflin

27. And Karen's name is "KarentheJimSlayer."

I didn’t notice this but anyone see Karen’s name from DunderMifflin

28. Michael wears the same tie in multiple Christmas episodes.

Never noticed this before from DunderMifflin

29. The Michael Scott Paper Company printer is the old Dunder Mifflin printer.

I lost count of how many times I've watched the greatest show ever, but I'm still noticing things I didn't see before. The Michael Scott Paper Company is using the copier that got dumped when Pam set up the new one. from DunderMifflin

30. Jan and Michael have enough wine glasses for everyone to have two at the dinner party, even though Dwight was told that one of the reasons he couldn't come was a deficit of wine glasses.

In The Office’s “Dinner Party” episode, one of the excuses Jan used to keep Dwight away was that there weren’t enough wine glasses. Later, it’s shown that Jan has so many wine glasses that she serves water in them, too. from TVDetails

Michael says, "This is my lawyer, James P Albini," then in Season 3 he says, "Find out whose car that is, if it's Stanley's, call the offices of James P Albini, see if he handles hate crimes"

32. Kevin brings a ski mask on the booze cruise because Michael told him to.

In the "Booze Cruise" episode of The Office, Michael instructs everyone to bring a swimsuit, a toothbrush, rubber-soled shoes and a ski-mask. Kevin Malone can be seen multiple times as the only employee who actually wore a ski mask. from TVDetails

33. Turns out Dwight gets a chair just like the one he adores at David Wallace's house.

The Office Season 3 - Dwight admires a chair at David Wallace's house and wants to get one for himself. In Season 9, he has the chair. from TVDetails

34. When Michael falls down the stairs while running after Pam, he has a bloody nose.

S5 E1: I never noticed Michael had a bloody nose after he falls down two flights of stairs because he's running after Pam when she's leaving for art school from DunderMifflin

Four images of various employees playing solitaire at their computers

Michael says, "I want the house, Jan, I want the picket fence, I want the ketchup fights, and the tickling, and the giggling" and then there's a moment in "Threat Level Midnight" where Michael Scarn has a ketchup fight

38. Dwight's bobblehead is of a real baseball player named Michael Scott Lieberthal.

Detail at its finest from DunderMifflin

39. Three episodes before "Lazy Scranton," Kelly talks to Michael about "Lazy Sunday."

The Office: Michael's 'Lazy Scranton' video is based on SNL's 'Lazy Sunday', which Kelly was describing to Micheal just three episodes earlier while waiting for pretzels. from TVDetails

40. Dwight grows a beet at his desk at one point.

In season 6, Dwight starts growing a beet. Haven't noticed that before. from DunderMifflin

At the bottom of a picture of a large house in "Threat Level Midnight," it says "Carol Stills - Realtor" with a picture of Carol's face

42. Charles uses a mug from his old company, Saticoy Steel.

Just noticed Charles is using a Saticoy Steel mug from his former company. Nice little detail. from DunderMifflin

43. The bottle Michael throws out of his car window is still dented later.

In an episode of the Office, Michael can be seen holding a dented bottle that he had previously thrown out his car window, cracking Stanley’s windshield. from TVDetails

50 Subtle Details From "The Office" That Prove It's One Of The Smartest Shows Of All Time

1. Dunder Mifflin has won the Rain Forest Harvester's Association's "One Million Cut Trees Award."

2. You can see Michael's face when he infiltrates Jim and David Wallace's meeting inside the cart.

3. Stanley's New Year's resolution is: "Be a better husband and boyfriend."

4. The George Foreman grill that Michael burns his foot on in Season 2 — because he likes to wake up to the smell of bacon — appears in the Season 4 episode "Dinner Party."

5. When Roy becomes furious and violent inside the bar, Kevin is fully prepared to protect Pam.

Here he is:

6. The Schrute Farms flag has only 15 stars, which is consistent with the makeup of the US when Schrute Farms was established.

7. Michael says that he is separating the trash into "whites and colors" for recycling. In an earlier season, you can see that Dunder Mifflin Scranton has different recycling bins for whites and colors.

8. The big board in the office is filled with "colorful hooey."

9. Michael writes a note telling Oscar to meet him before lunch, but he puts the note in Oscar's sandwich, which he obviously wouldn't get to until lunch.

10. One item at the garage sale is the stuck-to-the-wall painting from when Jim buys Pam their house. So they finally got it off the wall.

11. Michael swallows his toothpaste.

12. During Pam and Jim's tour of Michael's condo in "Dinner Party," pop art of Jan is visible on the wall.

13. "Absolutely, I do" is consistently the right way to respond when Dwight asks you to do something in secret.

14. Michael has an Italian flag on his desk for St. Patrick's Day.

15. Also for St. Patrick's Day, the water in the office watercooler is green.

16. After Michael drives his car into a lake, he opens the door to let the camera operator out.

17. Dwight tells us a very ominous Schrute wedding tradition, and he and Angela do it when they get married seasons later.

18. Michael, Dwight, and Jim drive to the Utica branch, and Michael and Dwight try to steal the copier. Later, in Season 5, it's clear that the Utica copier is padlocked.

19. Andy dresses like Dwight — the then-acting manager — in order to become the number-two person in the office.

20. This one isn't suuuuuuuper subtle, but Angela's babies-as-adults poster that Oscar hates — and complains about to Toby — was, in fact, a Christmas gift from Toby.

21. When Creed translates a bottle for Andy, he reads, "Do not consume with alcohol," which Andy does, and then gets sick.

22. When Jan hands Michael their relationship-disclosing agreement for the company, he says he's going to frame it. He does.

23. Dwight and Kevin absolutely love fireworks in Season 2, and they're outraged by a potential lack of firecrackers in Season 6.

24. After Michael puts his face into the cement outside, there is some cement above one of his ears.

25. Pam uses the teapot Jim gave her for Christmas much later in the Finer Things Club.

26. "Here Comes Treble" is Andy's gamer tag.

27. And Karen's name is "KarentheJimSlayer."

28. Michael wears the same tie in multiple Christmas episodes.

29. The Michael Scott Paper Company printer is the old Dunder Mifflin printer.

30. Jan and Michael have enough wine glasses for everyone to have two at the dinner party, even though Dwight was told that one of the reasons he couldn't come was a deficit of wine glasses.

31. The lawyer Michael hires in Season 2 is the same lawyer Michael mentions when he and Dwight throw a watermelon off the roof and it hits a car in Season 3.

32. Kevin brings a ski mask on the booze cruise because Michael told him to.

33. Turns out Dwight gets a chair just like the one he adores at David Wallace's house.

34. When Michael falls down the stairs while running after Pam, he has a bloody nose.

35. The employees of Dunder Mifflin are often just playing Solitaire.

36. In Season 3, Michael tells Jan about the kind of love he wants, and it includes "ketchup fights." He puts a ketchup fight in his movie Threat Level Midnight.

37. Creed gives Jim a shirt for Christmas, but Creed actually wore that shirt to Jim's barbecue.

Here's Jim receiving the shirt:

38. Dwight's bobblehead is of a real baseball player named Michael Scott Lieberthal.

39. Three episodes before "Lazy Scranton," Kelly talks to Michael about "Lazy Sunday."

40. Dwight grows a beet at his desk at one point.

41. Michael's girlfriend Carol — who breaks up with him because he photoshops himself into pictures of her family — has a tiny cameo in Threat Level Midnight. She's the realtor of the real-life house Michael Scarn lives in.

42. Charles uses a mug from his old company, Saticoy Steel.

43. The bottle Michael throws out of his car window is still dented later.

44. The graphic designer Pam talks to at the job fair in Season 4 is the office IT person later in the show.