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Fun Run

"Fun Run" is the first and second episodes of the fourth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the 54th and 55th episodes of the series overall. The episodes were written and directed by and originally aired on on September 27, 2007. In the episodes, accidentally hits Meredith Palmer with his car in the parking lot, leading him to organize a 5K for rabies awareness after learning of her recent bat bite. Subplots include the revelation of and Pam Beesly's new relationship and Dwight Schrute's mishandling of Angela Martin's ailing cat. The two-part attracted 9.67 million viewers.

Episode Overview

Synopsis

"Fun Run" is the two-part season four premiere of the American television series The Office, consisting of episodes 4x01 and 4x02. The episode opens with Michael Scott accidentally striking coworker Meredith Palmer with his car in the Dunder Mifflin Scranton branch parking lot, resulting in a fractured pelvis for Meredith. In a panic, Michael performs CPR on her despite her being conscious and yelling at him to stop, before driving her to the hospital himself. At the hospital, Michael leads the office staff in a group visit to Meredith's room during lunch, where he awkwardly attempts to hug her, accidentally dislodging her IV and applying pressure to her injured pelvis. Feeling immense guilt, Michael begins to believe the office is cursed, citing recent misfortunes such as the death of Angela Martin's cat Sprinkles—euthanized by Dwight Schrute by placing it in a freezer due to its illness—and a computer virus affecting Pam Beesly's workstation. Dwight reveals that Meredith received a rabies shot because of her habit of being bitten by animals while drunk, leading Michael to reframe the accident as him heroically saving her from rabies and thus breaking the curse. Meanwhile, Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly, who have been secretly dating since the previous season's events, attempt to downplay their relationship to coworkers like Kevin Malone, who dubs them "PB&J," but the documentary crew captures them kissing in Jim's car, confirming their romance. To atone for the accident, Michael organizes a charity 5K "" event titled "Michael Scott's Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Run for Rabies Awareness," involving the entire branch to raise funds for rabies , though the actual cause shifts from Meredith's medical bills to after the revelation. The staff participates reluctantly; Dwight sabotages competitors by giving Imodium AD to Toby Flenderson to prevent bathroom breaks during the race, but Toby still wins, while twists his ankle early on, complains incessantly about the heat, and Michael himself collapses from after inadequate preparation and excessive use for announcing. A large "Save Meredith" banner is displayed, and the event raises approximately $700, primarily from a donation by Michael's girlfriend . Subplots interweave throughout, with confronting Dwight over ' death, punching him in grief and anger, highlighting strains in their ; she later mourns privately while Dwight disposes of the cat's body unconventionally. Jim and share tender moments, such as walking the race route together and purchasing a from an , solidifying their relationship now that it's public. The episode concludes at where a recovered visits Meredith again, gaining her in a interview setup, while returns to normalcy amid humorous reflections on the chaotic events.

Background and Context

"" serves as the two-part of the fourth season of the American television series , marking episodes 54 and 55 overall and airing on on September 27, 2007, as a supersized hour-long installment. Written and directed by showrunner , the episode was produced prior to the onset of the 2007–2008 , which significantly disrupted the season's schedule. The strike, beginning on November 5, 2007, halted after the first 10 episodes had been filmed, ultimately shortening the season from an originally planned 30 episodes to 19. This delay created a four-month production gap following the season 3 finale in May 2007, positioning "Fun Run" as a critical bridge to re-engage viewers with the series' style amid the labor dispute's broader impact on television . The episode builds directly on unresolved narrative threads from season 3, including the evolving romance between salesman and receptionist , which began with Jim's emotional confession in the season 2 finale "" and culminated in their first date during the season 3 finale "The Job." It also addresses the lingering aftermath of the corporate merger introduced midway through season 3, which integrated employees from the Stamford branch into the Scranton office, reshaping workplace dynamics and relationships. These elements set the stage for ongoing character arcs, such as the integration of new staff and the continued exploration of interpersonal tensions in the environment. Greg Daniels crafted "Fun Run" with the intent to launch the season on a high note of absurdity, centering on a dramatic workplace accident to underscore the show's satirical take on office mishaps and the often comically inept responses they provoke. Initially, Daniels pitched the incident as fatal, but this was deemed too dark, leading to a revised approach that highlighted themes of guilt and ill-conceived initiatives within the framework. By incorporating tropes like organizational fundraisers, the episode amplified the series' humor around corporate banalities and personal overreactions, aiming to recapture audience momentum after the extended break.

Production

Development and Writing

The episode "Fun Run" was written by Greg Daniels, who also served as the show's executive producer and showrunner at the time, with the script crediting him solely as the writer. Initial ideas for the episode emerged during the production of season 3, focusing on a central accident involving Michael Scott to drive the plot. The script underwent significant evolution in its early drafts, where the storyline considered having Meredith Palmer die from being hit by Michael's car, potentially with Michael exacerbating the situation in a darkly comedic manner, such as backing over her or using a ; however, Daniels rejected this as too morbid and revised it to have Meredith survive the incident but contract , allowing for sustained absurd humor around the aftermath. This change preserved the episode's satirical edge on corporate guilt and redemption while avoiding overly grim tones. Contributions from other writers included , who penned Michael's superstitious line "I'm a little 'stitious," and , who suggested details like the nipple chafing gag during the run. Thematic decisions centered on highlighting Michael's incompetence in and his misguided attempts at , with the car accident serving as the catalyst for a cascade of ridiculous events, including the organization of a that spirals into chaos. To advance character arcs, emphasized the budding Jim-Pam romance by including subtle visual cues like Pam's changed and , culminating in their on-camera admission of dating, which broke the in a pivotal way. The Dwight-Angela subplot was woven in to provide ensemble balance, exploring their secret relationship through killing of Angela's Sprinkles by Dwight, adding layers of tension and dark comedy. Post-draft revisions addressed practical issues, such as Jenna Fischer's real-life back injury sustained in a car accident prior to filming, which prevented her from running in the charity race; this led to the addition of scenes like attending an instead. The episode was intentionally crafted as a double-length installment, clocking in at approximately 42 minutes, to relaunch the fourth season with an extended format requested by entertainment president Kevin Reilly, who sought multiple hour-long premieres to capitalize on the show's growing popularity after the previous season's finale. This structure allowed for deeper exploration of multiple plotlines while ensuring each half could function semi-independently for reruns.

Filming and Casting

The principal filming for "Fun Run" took place at the show's primary production site, Chandler Valley Center Studios at 13928 Saticoy Street in , which served as the stand-in for the Scranton branch and its surrounding "Scranton ." Exterior scenes depicting the 5K were captured on streets in Sherman Oaks, California, selected for their tree-lined appearance that evoked an East Coast suburban route, including areas near Longridge Avenue to simulate the race path. The opening car accident was shot in a controlled adjacent to the entrance, while interiors were constructed on a soundstage, incorporating practical elements like a real men's room stall for stunt work. Casting for the episode featured recurring performer as Meredith Palmer, whose hospital recovery scenes highlighted her character's irreverent personality, with Flannery drawing from an initial audition process that emphasized raw, unpolished delivery without makeup to capture Meredith's disheveled essence. Supporting roles included writer as the doctor treating Meredith, a last-minute addition after his humorous performance at the table read impressed showrunner . The core ensemble— as , as , as , and others—remained central, though Fischer's recent back from a pre-production (fracturing four vertebrae in May 2007) necessitated adjustments to her physical involvement, limiting her to walking rather than running in race sequences. Under the direction of , who also wrote the episode, production emphasized the series' aesthetic through naturalistic performances, instructing actors to remain in character during breaks and interact with authentic props like real paperwork to enhance realism. Daniels encouraged physical warm-ups, such as jumping jacks, to prepare the cast for energetic scenes, and multiple takes were standard for talking-head interviews to capture spontaneous reactions. The approach balanced the episode's supersized format—combining two half-hour scripts into an hour-long —with tight logistical coordination, including precise actor positioning during the run to accommodate work. Several moments arose from on-set improvisations, including Carell's unscripted decision to climb into Meredith's during a visit scene, which surprised co-stars and required reshooting to incorporate the . Carell also ad-libbed absurd ideas, like a "unicorn-giraffe," during a conference room discussion, prompting laughter that extended filming. Flannery and Carell spontaneously developed the lollipop exchange in the hospital, adding a layer of awkward tenderness, while as improvised a correction to Michael's misquoted verse, shifting it to emphasize "" for comedic effect. These improvisations aligned with the show's collaborative environment, where actors built on scripted beats to heighten the mockumentary's improvisational feel. The production faced logistical hurdles typical of the series' compressed schedule, with the conference room "curse" brainstorming scene consuming an entire day and leaving the mentally exhausted by afternoon. Flannery sustained minor bruises from repeating the car accident —performed practically by rolling across a stationary vehicle's windshield onto a protective mat, later augmented with a insert for impact—necessitating careful matching of takes to avoid visible inconsistencies. further complicated action sequences, forcing rewrites to have her and John Krasinski's characters walk the race route instead of running, while ensuring camera operators maintained consistent pacing amid the group dynamics. Overall, filming occurred in summer 2007 prior to the Writers Guild strike, allowing for focused execution despite these physical and timing constraints.

Broadcast and Release

Airing Details

"Fun Run" premiered as a one-hour special comprising two parts on on September 27, 2007, marking the launch of season 4 in the network's Thursday night comedy block at 9:00 PM ET/PT. The episode was heavily promoted as the series' return following a four-month off-air period, though production for the season was soon halted by the 2007–2008 that began on November 5, 2007. Internationally, the episode aired on in the starting in March 2008, and on CTV in in 2007, with subtitled or dubbed versions distributed in various other markets through local broadcasters. The home media release included "" in : Season 4 DVD set, issued on September 2, 2008, featuring an extended cut with deleted scenes. Since 2021, the episode has been available for streaming on Peacock, NBCUniversal's platform. As of 2025, no significant changes to rebroadcast formats or availability have been reported.

Ratings and Viewership

The two-part season four premiere episode "" achieved strong initial Nielsen ratings, drawing a combined 9.67 million viewers and a 5.1/12 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic. These figures represented the highest viewership for the series since the season three finale "The Job," which had 7.9 million viewers, and the season three episode "," which had 7.2 million viewers. Compared to "The Job," "Fun Run" marked approximately a 22% increase in total viewership. Demographically, the episode performed particularly well with young adults, earning a 5.1 rating in the 18-49 group, which underscored its appeal to that key advertising cohort. While the one-hour format did not yield separate half-hour breakdowns in standard reporting, the overall demo strength highlighted the show's growing resonance with during its broadcast run. In the long term, "Fun Run" benefited from the series' massive streaming resurgence following its 2019 peak on and subsequent shift to Peacock in 2021; by 2025, the episode ranked within the top 10% of all "The Office" streams, contributing to over 1.7 billion total viewing hours for the series across platforms. This sustained popularity helped drive Peacock's share of TV usage to 1.6% in mid-2025, tying its non-event record. The episode's performance contributed to an overall uptick in season four ratings, averaging higher than season three and playing a key role in NBC's decision to renew the series for a fifth , despite the shortening the season to 19 episodes.

Reception and Legacy

Critical Response

The two-part episode "" received generally positive reviews from critics, who appreciated its return to form following the 2007 Writers Guild , though some noted challenges with its extended runtime. Aggregated critic scores for Season 4, which includes "Fun Run" as the , stand at 83% on based on 12 reviews, reflecting strong approval for the season's humor and character development. awarded the episode 8.1 out of 10, praising its "hysterical" and consistent surprises that deepen character involvement beyond mere laughs. Critics lauded Michael Scott's bumbling organization of the charity as a highlight of the episode's misguided yet endearing comedy, with giving it a B+ for the "hilariously misguided" event and strong ensemble balance, including the Dwight-Angela subplot as an "evil funhouse mirror" to Jim and Pam's romance. The resolution of Jim and Pam's relationship, including their kiss, was celebrated for providing emotional payoff after prolonged tension, contributing to the episode's uncomfortable yet big laughs. IGN noted that "" effectively sets the tone for a bolder season with its blend of physical and awkward humor. Some reviewers pointed to pacing issues in the second part due to multiple subplots, such as the office curse and Ryan's corporate ascent, which occasionally diluted the focus amid the two-episode format. The AV Club critiqued the over-reliance on the Jim-Pam dynamic as the show's weakest element, with John Krasinski's performance limited to familiar modes of wryness and sincerity. Variety later reflected on the episode's physical comedy, like Michael's car accident and run antics, as emblematic of the series' style but occasionally straining believability in ranking it among key installments. "Fun Run" contributed to The Office's nomination for the 2008 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Series, recognizing the season's overall excellence in writing and performance. Steve Carell's portrayal of , including his guilt-driven charity efforts, was highlighted in his nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Series that year. The AV Club's review encapsulated the episode's strengths by stating it fired "on pretty much all cylinders" with big laughs and character work, while called it a "hilarious return" that keeps viewers engaged.

Cultural Impact

The "Fun Run" episode has left a significant mark on fan communities, inspiring real-world events that emulate its chaotic race. The Office 5K Run/Walk, held annually in , draws thousands of fans who dress as characters from the show and follow a route highlighting filming locations, directly modeled after the episode's "Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Awareness Pro-Am Race for the Cure." Proceeds from the event support local non-profits like Valley in Motion, which enhances in the Lackawanna Valley, demonstrating how the episode's satirical take on workplace has motivated participatory fan activities. Within online culture, scenes from ""—particularly Michael Scott's accidental collision with Meredith Palmer—have fueled enduring memes and GIFs, amplifying the show's role as a cornerstone of humor. These visuals, often capturing Meredith's stunned reaction or Michael's ensuing panic, circulate widely as shorthand for workplace mishaps and awkward leadership, contributing to The Office's broader status as a meme-generating powerhouse. The episode also influenced the series' narrative evolution, marking a pivotal shift toward more serialized in season 4 by resolving season 3 cliffhangers, such as Jim and Pam's budding romance, while introducing ongoing arcs like Ryan's corporate ascent. This tonal adjustment emphasized character development over standalone antics, setting a precedent for deeper interpersonal dynamics in later episodes. Furthermore, "Fun Run" publicly confirmed and Pam's after months of tension, cementing them as an archetypal "will-they-won't-they" couple whose slow-burn dynamic has shaped rom-com tropes in subsequent television, prioritizing authentic emotional progression over contrived obstacles. In the streaming era, "" remains a key draw for The Office's enduring popularity on Peacock, where the full series has generated $540 million in revenue since 2020 through subscriptions and ad-supported views, underscoring the episode's role in sustaining the show's financial and cultural vitality.

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