1/31/2024 0 Comments Office christmas episodes![]() When Erin asks for cola in the episode, I’m reminded of a younger version of me - one who nervously palmed sweaty cups of soda as I tried to blend in at church. I’ve transitioned from sober, never-taken-a-shot-in-her-life Erin Hannon to the drunk Erin calling for another round at the bar and dancing around happy and shoeless. People who drank were sinners and sinning wasn’t allowed.įlash-forward to now and I’m the person who picks up a 12-pack and a couple bottles of wine to bring to the party. ![]() Even seeing commercials for beer on TV freaked me out. ![]() Not my parents or their friends, not my aunts and uncles and grandparents, and definitely not me or my siblings. I grew up in a family of Evangelical southern Baptists. But I think the line is so funny to me because it reminds me of my previous, closeted life. I even tweeted about it once, citing it as one of my favorite lines of television, though it’s not one many people remember.īut why do I like it so much? The episode comes from a later, less-beloved season of the show - a universe without Michael Scott and his oft-quoted “that’s what she said.” In a Vulture ranking of The Office Christmas episodes, “Christmas Wishes” came in dead last. I think about the line constantly, marveling at the simplicity of the gag. It all goes back to a simple request for cola. It’s a whirlwind of bad decisions made very quickly. When he pours a long row of shots, she makes the impulsive decision to drink one, and then another, and then another. It’s Robert California’s response (“I sense some small part of you wants something a little stronger”) that sets the trajectory for Erin’s out-of-control night of wild drunkenness. It’s suburban and weird and delightfully silly. The fact that Erin asks for cola from a bar (once again, so goddamn wholesome) then quickly follows it with her brand of choice, which happens to be from Costco. “Do you have any cola? Kirkland, if you have it.”Ĭola! Kirkland, if you have it! It’s a one-two punch of dynamite absurdity. When he asks what she’ll have, she answers: Sober Erin approaches the makeshift bar manned by CEO Robert California (played by a very droll James Spader) to order a drink. It happens toward the beginning of the episode. It’s a throwaway bit something most Office fans don’t recognize when quoted out of context. A particular line from the special has stuck with me for years. Even though it’s the first holiday episode without Steve Carell, I really like watching it. It’s funny stuff (made especially hilarious by Kemper, who tromps around the office sloppy drunk and shoeless in a way that feels very on brand for someone who’s been recently dumped). At the height of her inebriation, an angry Erin tells Andy her “Christmas wish” - which is that his new girlfriend were dead. Secretary Erin, who is a lovable, well-meaning, and wholesome goofball, gets wrecked and mean. Over the course of the night, Erin Hannon, the branch’s secretary and Andy’s recent ex (Ellie Kemper), grows increasingly intoxicated in order to deal with the fact that Andy invited his hot new girlfriend to the party. In “Christmas Wishes,” Dunder Mifflin branch manager Andy Bernard (played by Ed Helms in a Santa hat) attempts to make his employees’ “wishes” come true at the annual Christmas party. The eighth season of the show features a holiday special that people often skip in favor of episodes from earlier seasons. They’re comforting and silly, and they’re an activity I can enjoy on my own. I’ve seen these episodes of The Office a million times. The Christmas traditions I once shared with them are loaded with painful memories, so I consider this easy TV day my new holiday tradition. ![]() ![]() I’m a queer person who has been estranged from my very conservative family for years. It’s an event I generally pair with mimosas and a ratty terry-cloth robe that’s barely hanging on by a thread. Every year at Christmastime I spend a lazy afternoon binge-watching all seven holiday episodes of The Office. ![]()
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