"Casual Friday" is the twenty-sixth episode of the fifth season of the television series The Office and the 98th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on April 30, 2009. In this episode, Michael, Pam and Ryan return to Dunder Mifflin as salespeople, and other members of the sales staff become upset when they do not get their old clients back that the Michael Scott Paper Company stole from them. Meanwhile, Jim tries to remain neutral about the situation and plays board games with Creed, and Casual Friday is reinstated in the office, with mixed results.
The episode was written by Anthony Q. Farrell and directed by Brent Forrester. The episode received generally positive reviews, with several commentators expressing relief that the series appeared to remain fresh following the six-episode "Michael Scott Paper Company" story arc, which had ended in the previous episode, "Broke". According to Nielsen ratings, "Casual Friday" was watched by 7.3 million viewers during its original broadcast, marking the lowest original episode rating of the fifth season until the May 14 season finale, "Company Picnic".
Synopsis
In the cold open, Kevin Malone (Brian Baumgartner) arrives early and brings in a huge pot of chili for the staff to enjoy. As he narrates (in voice-over) the pride he takes in his chili and how much hard work went into it, he accidentally spills the pot’s contents all over the floor and begins using nearby binders to shovel it back into the pot while getting it all over himself.
Michael Scott (Steve Carell) has returned to his old job as regional manager of the Dunder Mifflin Scranton branch and announces that Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) and Ryan Howard (B. J. Novak) have joined the sales team, retaining their old clients from the Michael Scott Paper Company. Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson), Andy Bernard (Ed Helms), Phyllis Vance (Phyllis Smith) and Stanley Hudson (Leslie David Baker) are upset because most of those clients were ones Michael previously stole from them. They are also upset that Michael treats Pam and Ryan with more respect because they were the only people to follow him to his new company, with Michael believing his company operates within the branch despite the buyout. Dwight calls a secret meeting in the warehouse with the salespeople, minus Pam and Ryan, to think of a way to get their clients back.
Jim Halpert (John Krasinski), trying to remain impartial, informs Michael of the potential mutiny and heads to the break room to play board games with Creed Bratton (Creed Bratton) until the conflict is resolved. In response, Michael, Pam and Ryan eat the rest of the sale's staff lunch after they explain their disappearance by stating they went out to lunch together. Things take a turn for the worse when Dwight interrupts a sale call Ryan is having with one of his former clients (who is making his first complaint in 10 years as a result of a mistake by Ryan), causing him to lose the client for which Pam blames Dwight. Having finally had enough, Dwight calls the two of them out for their inexperience as salespeople and Michael steps in and demands that Dwight make up with Ryan. Dwight refuses and he, Andy, Phyllis and Stanley threaten to quit and start their own paper company unless they get their clients back. When Michael calls their bluff and starts rudely throwing "seed money" at them and demands an apology from them for having not followed him when he quit, Phyllis breaks down and says that they were the real victims of Michael's company, not corporate, and that they were hurt since Michael had treated them like family. Michael is taken aback by her words.
It is Casual Friday and most people dress too loosely at the office. Angela (Angela Kinsey) complains to Toby Flenderson (Paul Lieberstein) about Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nunez) wearing sandals to work and having to look at his feet. Meredith Palmer (Kate Flannery) disgusts the rest of the employees by wearing a very short dress without any panties or a bra, thus exposing herself to the rest of the office as she tries to adjust it to meet Toby's requests. Toby calls a meeting with everyone regarding Casual Friday. When Dwight tries to take charge of the meeting, Toby is finally stern with him and cancels Casual Friday, much to everyone's disappointment.