Quick Take: The Office, "Trivia"
“Oh yeah!” - Kevin
Review: The Office, "Trivia"
(S0811) This episode, like so many others, starts with an off the wall introduction scene to get us in the mood... for laughing. Everyone in the office is seeing how long they can stay quiet. They withstand a raccoon eating a hamburger in the parking lot and a phone call, that Dwight hangs up on to maintain the silence. But, alas, Kevin ruins the game and breaks the sugar bowl when he indulges a little too much in a candy bar. It's actually very surprising that one of the least vocal and story driven characters, Kevin, still provides some of the greatest comedic scenes for the show.
“Let's get high, on our own supply!” - Andy
This brings us to the primary plot for this episode. As Andy continues to suck up to Robert California he has come very close to his increased growth quota for his branch. This sparked an idea that he should try and sell paper to his own employees. Of course no one bites at the idea of buying paper, but and silver lining appears for Andy in the form of a trivia contest. Only in The Office could this be a silver lining, to solve a growth quota for a paper company. In any case, Oscar tells Andy that he is attending a trivia contest called “Trviacalypse” and the prize of $1000 dollars is just enough to bridge Andy’s economic gap. So, onto the gay bar! Wait, what?
“Animals, machines, vast virtual armies. All of these things I have successfully managed.” -Dwight
Oh, and we have our small quirky side story as well! Dwight read about a job opening in the Corporate Sabre branch selling printers. So without hesitation he flies to Florida to pitch himself and “take what is his.” He is met by Gabe, who by the way, really annoys me. I suppose his characters is meant to do that, so mission accomplished. Gabe works at taking care of problems that no one else wants to deal with, like: bagel prices and job pitches from Dwight. Robert informs Dwight that he will not be able to meet with him and eventually pawns the task of listening to him off on Gabe. Dwight is insulted, but not defeated.
“Wait, everyone here is gay?” - Andy
It turns out that Oscar's trivia contest is being held at a gay bar, go figure. Oscar hopes that this will keep them from attending, but the thought of half a day off from work and booze keeps the crew steadfast in their mission. My favorite part of this episode was actually the names for the teams in the trivai contest. Dunder Mifflin A Team, Dunder Mifflin B Team, Queerenstein Bears, Ladies Gaga, and Aesop's Foibles are all in the running for ultimate victory.
“Listen, you're a perfectly fine toilet, I'm just and extraordinary piece of crap.” - Dwight
Dwight becomes incredibly enraged when Gabe mocks him after his “interview.” This prompts Dwight to put Gabe in an arm lock then lead him to where Robert lives. We get to watch Robert wrestle a man in his living room and he ends up denying Dwight the job. We also learn that Florida is “America's basement.”
“If you go fishing for a fluke, you might just catch one.” - Kevin
The irony of the trivia contest is that the team of the office misfits: Kevin, Erin, Kelly, and Meredith end up being the only hope for Andy’s plan. In the end they claim victory by defeating Oscar's team (Aesop's Foibles). We also get to see the misfit team try to win another trivia contest. I chuckled heartily when Kevin answered the question, “Who wrote The Grapes of Wrath?” with “The California Raisins.”
