Garden Party (The Office)

"Garden Party" features guest appearances from Josh Groban, Dee Wallace, and Stephen Collins.

The series—presented as if it were a real documentary—depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company.

According to Nielsen Media Research, "Garden Party" drew more than 6 million viewers and received a 3.2 rating/8% share in the 18–49 demographic, staying even with the previous episode, "Lotto".

He thoroughly reads a book called The Ultimate Guide to Throwing A Garden Party that he bought online, actually written by Jim under the pseudonym "James Trickington".

The book gives outlandish advice such as announcing each guest's name as they arrive in an extremely loud manner, imitating The Last Supper in a tableau vivant in the middle of a meal, dancing with his party staff, and a fire court dance as the closing ceremonies, all of which Dwight follows to the letter.

Angela, unwilling to reveal her feline-centric reasons for the name, simply grouses to the camera that Pam is always copying her.

Gabe Lewis also offers his, hinting at a rivalry between them in terms of sucking up to Robert, later evidenced in "Pool Party".

Dwight's cousin Mose has fun being a valet, lining up the guests' cars in a field to perform a motorcycle stunt.

[2] The episode features guest appearance from Stephen Collins, Dee Wallace and Josh Groban as Andy's father, mother and brother, respectively.

[5] In its original American broadcast on October 13, 2011, "Garden Party" was viewed by an estimated 6.050 million viewers and received a 3.2 rating/8% share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49.

[9] National Post writer Barry Hertz compared the episode to "Booze Cruise", "Beach Games" and "The Search".

[8][12] Barry Hertz said that "the sight gag of him running atop a field of cars like a watered-down Evel Knievel was enough to give this episode an easy A".