Production The Duel (The Office)

duel seen defining episode character andy bernard, , actor ed helms praised performance.

duel written jennifer celotta, producer , show runner office. episode featured conclusion of love triangle between dwight, andy , angela, subplot had been going on since fourth season finale, goodbye, toby . cast , writing staff saw duel defining episode andy bernard because demonstrated softer, more emotional side of character. dean holland, directed episode, said particularly effective because in past episodes, displayed such rage problems had attend anger management courses, in duel responded horrible news in heartrending way. rainn wilson particularly praised ed helms performance, saying, gives lot of heart , soul, , andy such doofus , douche, , see heart break. there s reality there. s great thing show gives us, when think know characters , re two-dimensional , re goofy , crazy, in own way, real human redemption.

the subplot david wallace seeking managerial advice michael due poor financial condition of dunder mifflin first acknowledgment of economic crisis facing of globalized nation @ time of episode due financial crisis of 2007–2010. set stage continuing motif of financial difficulties dunder mifflin, culminate in sixth season episode secret santa , in revealed company has been sold , executives fired.

a number of scenes , lines in duel improvised actors. during 1 scene, michael repeatedly tries tell andy angela s affair, jim interrupts him while forcing him office. john krasinski improvised of lines , noises, , wilson said funny, chortling on @ desk . scene appears in episode consists of 6 different takes spliced together. krasinski conceived moment in duel when jim returns desk awkwardly passing through dwight , andy while facing off against each other. wilson called addition scene nice touch . during scene, dwight sings nursery rhyme goes, learn rules, better learn rules, if don t, ll eaten in sleep! celotta , wilson came several versions of song, 1 appeared in final episode conceived wilson.

a line in dwight tells andy angela seems enjoy making lovemaking improvised wilson. of dialogue between andy , dwight during duel scene improvised. writer paul lieberstein, served show runner along celotta @ time, suggested idea of andy sneaking on dwight toyota prius. original script called entire office cast come down parking lot dunder mifflin office try stop dwight , andy fighting. however, staging proved awkward during filming, john krasinski suggested jim go down parking lot while others stayed behind, , change incorporated episode.

filming

duel marked directorial debut of dean holland, longtime film editor office. original cut of episode 38 minutes long , holland, edited himself, had trim down 22 minutes. during cold open scene, dunder mifflin employees run past radar speed sign in street , compete best speed. inspired aaron shure, television producer , office screenwriter, worked on staff of television show held races in front of radar speed sign in same way. 96 degrees when scene filmed, made running particularly difficult actors. despite extremely hot temperatures, fake snow placed in exterior shots because writers trying simulate winter season weather of scranton, pennsylvania, office set, rather van nuys district in los angeles, california, show filmed.

the original script called michael tell andy angela s affair outside in parking lot before getting car , driving away. when filming began, holland considered filming scene inside car instead. steve carell suggested michael in car , leave andy outside, tell him while driving away, how scene shot. during scene when andy returns office , confronts co-workers; there long, awkward silence, , script called kevin pass gas , ruin tension. during filming, changed phyllis pass gas instead because decided funnier if woman. during editing process, holland decided joke did not work , cut it, brief moment of dwight reacting in disgusted way flatulence, while maintaining defensive fighting pose toward andy, can still seen in finished episode.

the duel scene shot on course of 6 hours in exterior parking lot setting. natural lighting sun changed drastically on time, large bounce cards had placed above hedges shadows remain consistent throughout shoot. ed helms drove car during scenes, , rainn wilson performed own stunts. crew considered using stunt double wilson, found acting funny during filming decided against it. @ end of duel , michael scott talks directly camera new york city background behind him. scenes not filmed in city, rather behind greenscreen scenery images later added.