The Office Season 8 Episode 2 “The Incentive”

The Opener:

Kevin say less word do trick.  Kevin opens the show with a bit speaking like either a caveman or a newly immigrated person just learning the English language.  Jim thinks something is wrong with Kevin and offers to take him to the hospital.  But Oscar is on to his game of trying to make a statement of some kind.

Andy intervenes with an explanation of the expectation of word usage at the office.  He offers the analogy of Kevin’s current speech is the equivalent to only wearing underpants instead of being fully dressed.  Kevin has the final word though. “When me President they see…they see.”

The First Segment:

Segment one begins with Dwight giving a product demonstration of Sabre’s newest product that the sales department is not excited about selling, the Pyramid.  It’s a rival electronic tablet device that his shaped like a huge triangle and only has 50L of memory.  No one knows what the L stands for and how much that actually is.

Andy interrupts with wanting help for a tie color to wear when Robert California visits the office.  He utilizes the nickname system when addressing the employees.  He calls Oscar, CSPAN, which is short for Cocker Spaniel.  Spaniel because Oscar is Spanish, and Cocker because of …

When Robert makes his entrance, Andy greets him with a subconscious, “Hi Dad!” During a private meeting California asked Andy if he had the skill set to inspire. Andy ponders while Robert moves to the main space of the office and offers them an inspirational speech about why people will buy from a small shop opposed to the “Super Store.”  Then he demands that Andy doubles the office’s sales growth.

Part Two:

Rookie manager, Andy has no idea how to accomplish his new assignment so he polls the office for ideas.  Jim offers him to find them new leads, new territories, or an “in” with a big client. These traditional sales building techniques flew right over Andy’s head.

Elsewhere, Angela makes a naturally cold attempt to bond with Pam.  She attempts to find common ground in a parenting magazine and offers to walk twice a day with her.

Andy thinks he has figured out the plan to accomplish the sales challenge that Robert issued him.  He offers an incentive reward points system for the staff’s accelerated achievements. But the prizes are inferior quality and useless items at best. The rules are outlined in an email in their spam folder.

So the lead salesperson, Jim offers an alternative.  Now Andy is pigeon-holed into offering a big incentive.  For 5000 points Andy will allow the office staff to choose a tattoo that he will adorn on “the stern of the SS Bernard.”  Jim validates the rule stating that the points can be pooled collectively with everyone in the office.

The Third Act

The final act of the episode begins with the office workers in a frenzy to increase the sales (earn points).  Erin is managing the thermometer chart, which is shaped into a lower section of a torso and legs that measures the points earned.  Even Creed is jockeying paperwork around for the fellow sales personnel.

Seeing all of this progress, Andy is nervous and reaches out to one of his old Cornell business professors for advice on how to de-incentivize the goal seekers.  The achieved the 5000 points in the first day.

The gang travels to the tattoo shop where Andy is being coaxed into getting the chosen baby emerging from his butt theme.  Stepping outside for a breath of air, Jim gives him a pep talk that he can inspire and has done so with subordinates.

Andy bursts into the tattoo shop and exalts, “Let’s ink my stink!”

Robert California sums up the episode with a great quote. “There’s something about an underdog that inspires the unexceptional.”

The Closer:

The scene shows Angela and Pam taking a power walk around the building.  Angela wants advice on how to handle reporting another expectant mother using caffeine in the office.  Pam picks up that the insinuation is directed at her.  Angela submits that she has already contacted social services.  Fade out.