The promos for the Dunder Mifflin documentary have been released online, and the Scranton employees are horrified when moments where they thought the cameras were turned off are included. Andy becomes obsessed with web comments about him in the promos. At Athlead, Jim and Darryl meet with Ryan Howard (the baseball player, not their former co-worker). Dwight's girlfriend Esther Bruegger shows up at the office with her father, a Brussels sprout farmer, who wants to negotiate a tractor lease with Dwight.
Tropes:
- Adam Westing: Ryan Howard appears As Himself, but as a bit of a Cloudcuckoolander who forces Darryl and Jim to read a cheesy screenplay he wrote and wants to film.
- Aside Glance: The entire office looks directly at the camera as a group after the revelation that they've had their private moments filmed and used in the documentary. Also counts as a subdued Mass "Oh, Crap!" moment.
- Bland-Name Product: Instead of YouTube, the employees watch the promo videos on a website called "Gottobox".
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: The wall is all but shattered in this episode, as the documentary that has been filming for the entire show finally becomes integral to the plot. The employees are seen watching the footage of themselves in previous episodes and coming to realize just how publicly documented their lives will have been.
- Enforced when they, upon realizing this, turn to look at the camera crew all at once, and then sneak off to try to have a conversation away from the cameramen.
- The Bus Came Back: Not a full example, but Michael Scott and the other Ryan Howard appear in the promos.
- Continuity Snarl: Contrary to what this episode suggests, Angela and Dwight did know that the documentary crew filmed their affair. They were with Phyllis when she walked in on Angela and Dwight, and in “Weight Loss” they looked at the camera the first time we saw them in the warehouse, and Angela gave the crew a literal answer when they asked how she sleeps at night.
- Covert Pervert: Phyllis creeps out the office by becoming aroused while listening to the audiobook of Fifty Shades of Grey in the cold open. But the payoff is that Andy, of all people, is also a big fan of the book.
- Crossover: Ryan Howard includes Darth Vader in his screenplay, and plans on purchasing the rights to the character.
- Did Not Think This Through: Oscar and Angela knew there were cameras rolling during their time with the state senator Lipton. Apparently it didn’t occur to them that that footage might air and expose the secret of him being gay.
- Fan Disservice: Meredith flashes the camera during the discussion over the documentary using their private moments, but it's pixellated.
- Genre-Busting: Ryan Howard's screenplay The Big Piece has him As Himself, but as a baseball-playing Superhero.
- Gratuitous Foreign Language: Oscar finds out that the documentary is also airing in Denmark, and the office watches a promo for it, learning that Kevin has been nicknamed "Dumpster Man" in Danish (because of his Big Eater tendencies) and Angela is "3:00 P.M. Girl" (because of her warehouse trysts with Dwight).
- Kavorka Man: Dwight is now dating the stunning Esther, and Clark flirts with her equally attractive sisters. This becomes a Discussed Trope when Clark starts to suspect that Bruegger is just using the daughters as a Honey Trap to give him a better position in the lease negotiations (though Esther ends up reaffirming her interest in Dwight).Clark: These chicks are way too hot to be into us. Esther’s just pretending to like you so that you’ll buy her daddy a new tractor.
Dwight: No.
Clark: Yes. Her sister’s trying to seduce me into buying an auger with her! - Product Placement: Ryan Howard includes one for Subway in his screenplay.Jim: "Together we will win this baseball game against the evil Space Yankees. Eat Fresh!"
Ryan Howard: That’ll pay for the exploding helicopter. - Sexiness Score: Dwight says that Angela is a "9" in terms of looks, but Clark corrects that she is a "Scranton 9".
- Shout-Out: Ryan Howard's screenplay sounds like some kind of baseball version of Space Jam.
- Troll: Andy gets bent out of shape over an insult directed to him in the comments about the promo video. The episode ends with The Reveal that Nellie wrote the comment.
- Wham Episode: This is the first episode where the documentary that's being filmed becomes an integral part of the plotline, as the show looms closer and closer to it finally premiering.
