The Alliance (The Office)
| "The Alliance" | |
|---|---|
| The Office episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 4 |
| Directed by | Bryan Gordon |
| Written by | Michael Schur |
| Production code | 1004 |
| Original air date | April 12, 2005 |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
"The Alliance" is the fourth episode of the first season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's fourth episode overall. The episode aired on NBC in the United States on April 12, 2005. It was written by Michael Schur and directed by Bryan Gordon, marking their first credits for the show.
In this episode, paranoia takes over the members of the office as downsizing rumors swirl. Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) forms a Survivor-esque alliance with Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) against the other employees—later adding Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) also. Meanwhile, Michael Scott (Steve Carell) 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 falls flat, ruining the party.
The episode was inspired by popular reality television shows, most notably Survivor. Originally, the first cut of the episode ran 37 minutes long and the producers considered making the episode a two-parter, one focusing on the Alliance and another focusing on Meredith's birthday party, but later decided against the idea. In addition, several of the lines and scenes from the episode were improved or ad-libbed by the cast. "The Alliance" was viewed by an estimated 5.4 million viewers and received a 2.4/6% rating share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49. The episode received positive reviews from critics.
Although time has dragged on, the downsizing rumors at Dunder Mifflin have not ceased. Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) feels particularly threatened by the impending crisis, and, in an act of desperation, forms an alliance with his office nemesis Jim Halpert (John Krasinski). Jim sees the alliance as an opportunity with great potential and agrees as a lark. He immediately enlists Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer)'s help in the situation. The two continue to perform a series of office pranks at the expense of Dwight.
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