Favorite Otps/Pairings: Michael Scott & Holly Flax (The Office) "And I think we are one of those couples with a long story when people ask how we found each other. I will see her every now and then, and maybe one year, she'll be with somebody, and the next year, I'll be with somebody, and it's gonna take a long time. And then it's perfect. I'm in no rush."

Angela I remember so clearly that moment because we were all so happy when she said yes. We were. Like we were, as fans of our own show, we were so happy that Holly and Michael found each other. And the water was so cold. And we were all really reacting to that. We all got soaking wet. So there was this huge sort of well of emotion, of happiness, and oh my God, it's so cold. And then when Steve, as Michael said, I'm leaving, it was like the air sucked out of the room. It was just so many things happening at once and it was so powerful as just Steve's friend and coworker. 

Jenna We got another fan question from Brianna L in Katie, Texas, who wanted to know how many times did we have to get soaking wet for this proposal scene? Randy said we shot the scene on Wednesday, February 2nd. He said we were prepared to do a massive cleanup and go again the next day. And then again on Friday if we needed to. So we had three chances to get it, but there was no way to turn it over in a single day. But Randy said we got it on the first take.

Angela  Yeah, that was my memory too.

Jenna I remember, though, that they did turn off the sprinklers for a second and we all put on robes and we were kind of shivering and they were watching the footage to make sure we had it. And then they turned the sprinklers on again and they got a couple of extra reaction shots. And then we were done.

Angela Yeah. I watched this episode with my daughter and she was like, Mom, you're so happy for Michael and Holly, because I run in with everyone else, cheering. And I said, Yeah, I think honestly, Isabel, even Angela Martin was happy that Michael found his person.

Jenna Mm hmm. Maybe happy that he's leaving.

Angela Maybe. Maybe one of the people.

Angela In the shooting draft it was so great the moment when Holly and Michael talk about this and they're communicating so much through these Boston accents of like, you ahh. No, you ahh.

Jenna Mm hmm.

Angela But it said, Holly says, You ahh, with emotion. All the subtext.

Jenna I love that.

 And as he's looking at her empty seat, he then looks out the conference room window. And there she is. She's watching it. He runs out to her. He apologizes. She apologizes. They kiss. They go back in to watch it together. They're such a good couple. They really are. She gets him and she's making him a better person. Yes. -Angela

 The takeaway for me, besides how fun it is to talk about this, is how similar talking about this with you two is to the spirit of threat level midnight, which is it really is about how much fun it was to do something when you were younger that you took so seriously. And we are very lucky. And, you know, we are just a little part of the hundreds of people who made the office what it was. But we are very lucky that our thing. There's something that everyone validates. As for we're proud of, but I think that over time you realize, Oh, that was my that was my heart and soul in life, no matter what anyone thought of it. And that is what Michael realizes. That is what I realize over time. I'm sure it's what you're realizing with your show. So the sort of there I love them. Tonight was a trip down memory lane for the office writers and cast and crew, and it was a trip down memory lane for Michael Scott in a painful way for him because he had to confront his delusions of grandeur that he hadn't given up. So, yeah, just talking about it with you, I feel like I feel like Michael and Holly, you know, I feel like where we're doing that kind of thing. -BJ Novak

Greg Daniels  And just at that moment of the I love you love you was probably the highlight because, you know, Michael went out on a limb. And he always messes up when he goes out on a limb and says that he loves someone. He's always too early. Too soon. 

Jenna Yeah. 

Greg Daniels  And you're just like, oh, he's blowing it. He's blowing it. And then he didn't blow it cuz she felt the same way. And that was such a good moment. 

Angela  I loved it and I loved the reaction shots while the scene was happening, because Jim has this look like it's very amazing that John did it, because it's read drunk, but also like, Oh, my God. But then Pam has this look that reads drunk, Jenna, but it's like, oh, no, no, mayday, mayday, back up! 

+Bonus

Angela  And then of this really magical moment where Michael and Holly realize they love each other and they tell each other in front of the whole bullpen and then shake on it. There's a very sweet Michael talking head afterwards. 

Jenna Oh. It's so good. 

Angela  I know. He says, Yeah, whatever. No big deal. Just the hottest girl in the world loves me. 

Jenna Mm hmm. 

Jenna Yeah, we pan around the room and Michael is sitting in Holly's lap. She has her arms underneath his underarms, and she's sort of doing that thing where she is his arms, but she's also rubbing his chest. 

Angela Yeah, it's like Michael body, Holly arms. 

Jenna Yes. 

Angela Did you notice where Angela Martin is sitting? 

Jenna Where? 

Angela Right next to them. 

Jenna That must have been so difficult. 

Angela They did that on purpose. On either side is Kevin, who's really into it, and Angela, who's completely grossed out by it. 

Angela We're going to start the whole reason this episode was titled PDA with Michael and Holly. They're kissing each other goodbye before they go back to their respective desks. They can't get enough of each other. They even do this little shimmy kiss hug all the way back to Michael's office. I want you to know that was improvised, the shimmy kiss. That was just Steve and Amy having some fun there.

Jenna That backward scoot was my personal favorite. And I think if you look at one minute, 52 seconds, you can kind of see Ed Helms starting to break.

Brent Forrester  I got so lucky when I was assigned to write this episode because it's the climax of the Michael/ Holly romantic subplot that's been running through the show for years. And the episode itself is structured like a classic rom com. Holly denies that they're made for each other, but each beat of the story seems to prove that they are made for each other. And then they meet in this classic romantic comedy trope, the meeting on the rooftop of the Empire State Building from An Affair to Remember and Sleepless in Seattle. But because it's The Office, it's not a glamorous art deco setting. It's this seedy rooftop in Scranton. All of that story material was just handed to me. Greg and the writing staff came up with it and I was assigned to write it. And I get to say, written by Brent Forrester! 

Jenna  It's funny, when I saw that rooftop kissing scene at the end of the episode, I had the thought, Why did they pick such an ugly roof? And it was clearly intentional. They were like, This is the Office version of the rom com Empire State Building. 

Jenna Well, I'm sorry if you do not warm up to them as a couple after you see this next scene, I don't know what's wrong with you. Even Randy and his email to us, he was writing out all his facts about this episode and he said, I have to pause here and tell you that I sobbed when I saw Michael and Holly reunited on this roof. It's so emotional. 

Jenna  The location for this romantic reunion was the rooftop and stairwell of the Mayfair Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. If you're visiting, it's on Seventh Street. 

Brent Forrester I remember the energy of the actors in the A story was very fun. It was Rainn Wilson, Ellie Kemper, Amy Ryan, and Steve Carell. And we're zipping around the city and shooting these fun little set pieces, you know, in a parking lot, in a restaurant. So the energy is very elevated until the scene on the rooftop. And, you know, normally when you're shooting on location, there's a fair amount of shouting among the crew. They're trying to convey info, you know, outdoors. But on this set, on that scene, the crew was whispering. And I remember I walked onto set like a doofus, yapping about something, and I immediately went silent. And I looked around, Why is everyone being so quiet? And I saw Amy and Steve in the distance. You know, the crew had given them a lot of space out of respect for what they were doing. And they were great actors enacting real love between these two characters. And the energy was sacred. 

Jenna  It's such a great scene. They have this moment. 

Angela  Yeah. 

Jenna Where she just finally melts and they kiss. Erin sees it. She's smiling. And you just know, finally, finally, these two are back together. 

Angela And also, just as a fan of the show, I was a total audience member when I rewatched this, and I was so emotional for Michael that he finally met his someone. Oh, so awesome. 

Jenna Well, when Holly finally takes off her mittens and she holds up her ring finger, Kevin misinterprets this and thinks that she's flipping him off, so then he flips her off. 

Angela This is strike two for Kevin with Holly. First the maple candy, now the finger? 

Jenna  I have two words. 

Angela Oh, no. 

Both Standards and practices. 

Jenna Mm hmm. Starting with the table draft, they noted that this was scripted and said, please blur Kevin's hands when he gives the middle finger gesture, quote, unquote (BLEEP) you, to Holly. Then they reviewed our shooting draft. Scene was still in there. So they said, as previously noted, and they repeated their note. But for some reason, and here's what I don't understand, we must have turned in our editors cut, and we hadn't blurred it yet. Maybe because you don't send it off for blurring. You know, you don't send it in until after you've fully locked the episode. But just to be sure that we didn't forget, they said again, blur Kevin's hands when he flips her the bird. 

Angela Did they write the bird? 

Jenna They wrote "the bird". They wrote the bird, quote unquote (BLEEP) you. I mean, like, really drove it home. Like, I want you to know. 

Angela I just want to know. I want a visual image of who is writing these emails. I so need to see who this person is. As previously stated, I need to see this person. Angela Martin would have been great in standards and practices. 

Jenna Oh, that's who works there. There's your spinoff. Angela Martin. Standards and practices. 

Angela No lip flap. 

Jenna Blur lip flap. 

There's still the hug monster, too. The monster happens. In the script it said that Holly immediately starts talking to him as Clint Eastwood. And Michael then switches them to the Three Stooges. And then they go to Homer and Bart Simpson. -Angela & Jenna

He gets her voicemail and he leaves her such a great message. Oh, my gosh. The fact that Holly did not get in her car and drive back to Michael the minute she heard this message. What do you need, Holly? What does your heart need? -Angela & Jenna

Ted Lasso (1x6) | The Office (7x13) 

The Greatest Love Stories on The Office [Inspo]