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"A Benihana Christmas" is the second Christmas episode of the NBC sitcom The Office, based on the 2001-02 BBC series, produced and aired in the show's third season.

Synopsis

Carol confronts Michael about the Christmas card he sent her, in which he superimposed his head on the body of her ex-husband in a family photo. She breaks off the relationship, leaving him heartbroken and stuck with a pair of tickets to Jamaica. For the past several months, Pam has led Dwight to believe that he is being recruited by the CIA, and her gift to Jim is that he can choose Dwight's first assignment. He declines it, claiming that as the new office "Number Two" he shouldn't be engaging in such activities.

Andy takes Michael to Benihana (an "Asian Hooters" according to Michael), to help him forget his recent troubles and he drags Dwight and Jim along. Dwight fails when attempting to impress the chef with his knowledge of Japanese knives. Andy successfully isolates Dwight from the rest of the party and convinces Michael to ask their waitress out. Meanwhile, Jim plays pranks on Dwight and realizes that his excuse for declining Pam's gift doesn't hold water.

Angela kicks Karen off the Party Planning Committee. In response, Pam reaches out to Karen, and they plan a rival party. The rival Christmas parties begin, and the office staff members are forced to choose sides. Pam and Karen's party is a hit, while Angela's is a dreary affair. Michael and Andy each return with a waitress as their "new girlfriend", though neither is the one from the restaurant. Angela accepts Pam's offer to merge the parties. Michael is unable to tell the two waitresses apart. To remedy this, he surreptitiously marks his date's arm with a Sharpie. When he offers to take her to Jamaica, she declines, and the two waitresses leave the party because it "blows".

Jim consoles Michael by explaining that he just had a "rebound" relationship. He mentions that they're fun for a while, but then you keep on thinking about the girl who crushed your heart, implying he still thinks about Pam (the girl who "crushed his heart"). Michael makes a phone call from his office and asks an unknown person to go to Jamaica with him. The offer is accepted. Pam is crushed when she sees Jim and Karen exchange gifts; they give each other copies of the "horrible, horrible" movie Bridget Jones's Diary. Jim is crushed when he sees Roy give a gift to Pam. At the end of the day, he tells her that a helicopter will be arriving to take Dwight to a welcoming party at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. Dwight waits on the roof and receives a text message saying, "You have been compromised. Abort mission. Destroy phone." He throws his phone off the roof and walks away.

Songs

Uncredited
Title(s) Performed by
Steve Carell
"Goodbye My Lover" James Blunt and Steve Carell
Excerpts from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker Boston Pops Orchestra
"You Oughta Know" Brian Baumgartner and Craig Robinson
"Your Body is a Wonderland" Steve Carell and Ed Helms
"We Belong" Mindy Kaling
"Spinnin' N Reelin'" Creed Bratton
"Lady" Rainn Wilson
"Little Drummer Boy" Angela Kinsey

Availability

The episode was included on The Office: Season 3 DVD set in 2007. It was also featured on The Office: Secret Santa Pack DVD in 2010 and The Office: Complete Christmas Collection DVD and Blu-ray in 2023.

Cast

Actor/actress Character
Steve Carell Michael Scott
Rainn Wilson Dwight Schrute
John Krasinski Jim Halpert
Jenna Fischer Pam Beesly
B.J. Novak Ryan Howard
David Denman Roy Anderson
Leslie David Baker Stanley Hudson
Brian Baumgartner Kevin Malone
Kate Flannery Meredith Palmer
Mindy Kaling Kelly Kapoor
Angela Kinsey Angela Martin
Paul Lieberstein Toby Flenderson
Oscar Nunez Oscar Martinez
Phyllis Smith Phyllis Lapin
Creed Bratton Self
Ed Helms Andy Bernard
Rashida Jones Karen Filippelli
Nancy Walls Carol Stills
Brittany Ishibashi Cindy
Craig Robinson Darryl Philbin
Katrien Ahn Amy
Ursula Burton Hannah Smotridge-Barr
Tom W. Chick Gil
Stephen Saux Justin Spitzer
Annie Sertich Justin's Date
Kulap Vilaysack Nikki
Chatree 'Chad' Yodvisotsak The Chef

See also

External links

Universal Studios
Movies Silent Night, Lonely Night1941Merry Christmas, Mr. LawrenceThe Munsters' Scary Little ChristmasHow the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)Love ActuallyThe HolidayThe Best Man HolidayKrampusAlmost ChristmasThe Grinch (2018)Last ChristmasBlack Christmas (2019)
Direct-to-video films The Life and Adventures of Santa ClausBarbie in a Christmas CarolCurious George: A Very Monkey ChristmasBarbie: A Perfect ChristmasBeethoven's Christmas AdventureAll I Want for Christmas is YouMy Adventures with Santa
Live-action television episodes "The Day They Captured Santa Claus" • "'Twas the Fight Before Christmas…" • "Christmas Presence" • "Home for the Holidays" • "Yule Laff" • "Christmas Brains" • "Seoul Mates" • "A Christmas Secret" • "Christmas Party" • "Mr. Monk and the Secret Santa" • "A Benihana Christmas" • "Mr. Monk Meets His Dad" • "Moroccan Christmas" • "Mr. Monk and the Man Who Shot Santa Claus" • "Ludachristmas" • "Christmas Special" • "Secret Santa (30 Rock) • "Christmas Attack Zone" • "Secret Santa" (The Office) • "Classy Christmas" • "Christmas Wishes" • "Josh and Mindy's Christmas Party" • "Mr. Monk and the Miracle"
Animated specials and episodes "Dickens of a Christmas" • A Wish For Wings That Work • "For Whom the Jingle Bell Tolls" • "A Christmas Peril" • "Ms. Banshee's Holiday Hits" • "Fright Before Christmas" • "A Very Woody Christmas" • "It's a Chilly Christmas After All" • "Yule Get Yours" • "The Twelve Lies of Christmas" • How Murray Saved Christmas • "ChristMess Eve" • 5 More Sleeps ‘til Christmas
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