"Todd Packer" is the eighteenth episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 144th episode overall. It originally aired on NBC on February 24, 2011. The episode was written by Amelie Gillette and directed by Randall Einhorn.
The series depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. In this episode, traveling salesman Todd Packer (David Koechner) comes to Dunder Mifflin looking for a desk job in the office. However, the office is unsure if they want him to work there due to his previous behavior. Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) and Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) eventually team up and develop a scheme that rids the office of Packer. Meanwhile, after dealing with computer problems, Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) confronts Pam Halpert (Jenna Fischer) about getting a new computer.
The episode was the first entry in the series to be written by Gillette, who had written for the online entertainment newspaper and website The A.V. Club. The episode received mixed reviews from critics; while many did not enjoy the character of Todd Packer, others praised the temporary alliance between Jim and Dwight. "Todd Packer" was viewed by 6.121 million viewers and received a 3.2 rating among adults between the age of 18 and 49, making it the season's lowest-rated episode. Despite this, the episode was the highest-rated NBC series of the week that it aired.
Plot
Traveling salesman Todd Packer (David Koechner) comes to Dunder Mifflin looking for a desk job in the office. However, most of the office does not want him to work there due to his previous inappropriate behavior; Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) in particular is horrified at the idea. Holly Flax (Amy Ryan) gives him a job as a salesman, forcing Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) to leave his desk and move to the annex. Packer repeatedly offends everybody with his jokes, especially Kevin Malone (Brian Baumgartner), although Kevin pretends to play along. Only Michael Scott (Steve Carell), Packer's longtime friend, is not offended by Todd. Jim and Dwight decide to prank Packer, but Dwight hates Jim's best idea: to make it so that his desk drawer only opens two inches. Jim instead pranks Dwight, by giving him an extremely long list of nonsensical pranks, and pulling the drawer prank on Dwight. Holly, who was at first excited to have Packer in the office per Michael's recommendations, discovers how insensitive Packer is and asks Michael to get him under control. Michael and Packer have coffee in the lobby, where Packer says he wants to be a better person. Michael gets Packer to apologize, but everyone can tell that the apologies are insincere. Having finally reached an understanding, Dwight and Jim scheme to get rid of Packer. They call him, pretending to be corporate offering him a job in Tallahassee, Florida, which Packer readily accepts. Michael overhears the call and goes to tell Packer that Dwight and Jim have tricked him. Before he has a chance, however, Packer insults Holly, and Michael decides to keep Dwight and Jim's scheme a secret and allow Packer to take the "job" in Florida. As Michael and Holly witness Packer drive away from the view in his office, Michael admits that Packer is "an ass" before they embrace.
When office administrator Pam Halpert (Jenna Fischer) gets a new computer for the receptionist's desk to replace the older model, Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) wants a new computer, too. Pam points out that if she were to get a new computer for one sales rep, she would have to get one for every sales rep, as compared to reception, a one-person department. Unwilling to let it go, Andy convinces Erin Hannon (Ellie Kemper) to trade computers with him. Pam is angry when she finds out and forces him to switch the computers back. In addition to continuing to push for a new computer, Andy confronts Pam about "humiliating" him in front of the office. In order to make it up to him, she tells him that the only way he can get a new computer is if his breaks. To accomplish this, he accepts all cookies, intentionally opens pop-up ads, and places food in the disc drive. Giving up, Pam then buys Andy a new computer, but they scratch it up to make it not look brand new. When they pretend to argue about it in front of the office, Pam claims that she found it in the warehouse. Darryl Philbin (Craig Robinson) confronts Pam later regarding finding the computer in the warehouse. As he knows everything that is in the warehouse and where it is stored, he leverages Pam to give him more sick days. Pam gleefully tells the interviewers that she is now "full-on corrupt".