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{{Infobox Television episode
{{Infobox television episode
| series = [[The Office (American TV series)|The Office]]
| title = WUPHF.com
| image =<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:WUPHF.com screenshot.jpg|250px]] -->
| caption = Michael, trying to defend Ryan from his internet company investors.
| series = The Office
| season = 7
| season = 7
| episode = 9
| episode = 9
| airdate = November 18, 2010
| airdate = {{Start date|2010|11|18}}
| production = 709
| production = 709
| writer = [[Aaron Shure]]
| director = [[Danny Leiner]]
| director = [[Danny Leiner]]
| guests = *[[Kathy Bates]] as [[Jo Bennett]] (voice only)
| writer = [[Aaron Shure]]
| photographer = Matt Sohn
*[[Jack Coleman (actor)|Jack Coleman]] as Sen. Robert Lipton
| editor = Rick Weis
* [[Mark Proksch]] as Nate
| guests = *[[Kathy Bates]] as [[List of The Office (American TV series) characters#Jo Bennett|Jo Bennett]] (voice)
*Delaney Ruth Farrell as Sasha Flenderson
*[[Jack Coleman (actor)|Jack Coleman]] as [[List of The Office (American TV series) characters#Robert Lipton|Robert Lipton]]
| season_article = The Office (U.S. season 7)
| episode_list = List of The Office (U.S. TV series) episodes
| season_article = The Office (American season 7)
| episode_list = List of The Office (American TV series) episodes
| prev = [[Viewing Party]]
| prev = [[Viewing Party]]
| next = [[China (The Office)|China]]
| next = [[China (The Office)|China]]
}}
}}
"'''WUPHF.com'''" is the ninth episode of the [[The Office (U.S. season 7)|seventh season]] of the American [[comedy]] [[television program|television series]] ''[[The Office (U.S. TV series)|The Office]]'' and the show's 135th episode overall. Written by [[Aaron Shure]] and directed by [[Danny Leiner]], the episode aired on [[NBC]] in the United States on November 18, 2010. It resolves two long-running plot threads: [[Ryan Howard (The Office)|Ryan]]'s WUPHF.com project and [[Dwight Schrute|Dwight]] and [[Angela Martin|Angela]]'s contract to have a baby. This episode received positive reviews and was nominated for the [[Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Episodic Comedy]].
"'''WUPHF.com'''" is the ninth episode of the [[The Office (U.S. season 7)|seventh season]] of the American [[comedy]] [[television program|television series]] ''[[The Office (American TV series)|The Office]]'', and the 135th episode overall. Written by [[Aaron Shure]] and directed by [[Danny Leiner]], the episode originally aired on [[NBC]] in the United States on November 18, 2010.

The series depicts the everyday lives of office employees at the [[Scranton, Pennsylvania]] branch of the fictitious [[Dunder Mifflin]] Paper Company. In the episode, Ryan Howard ([[B. J. Novak]]) and Michael Scott ([[Steve Carell]]) struggle to convince coworkers who have invested in Ryan's startup company that he can make it profitable. Meanwhile, Dwight Schrute ([[Rainn Wilson]]) hosts a hay festival in the parking lot of the building, distracting him from fulfilling a contract to Angela Martin ([[Angela Kinsey]]) to have sex. The episode received positive reviews and was nominated for the [[Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Episodic Comedy]].


==Synopsis==
==Synopsis==
[[Ryan Howard (The Office)|Ryan Howard]] ([[B. J. Novak]]) has gotten [[Michael Scott (The Office)|Michael Scott]] ([[Steve Carell]]), [[Darryl Philbin]] ([[Craig Robinson (actor)|Craig Robinson]]), [[Stanley Hudson]] ([[Leslie David Baker]]), [[Andy Bernard]] ([[Ed Helms]]), and [[Pam Beesly|Pam Halpert]] ([[Jenna Fischer]]) to put in funding for WUPHF.com (introduced in "[[Whistleblower (The Office)|The Whistleblower]]" as a cross-portal messaging system). While Ryan touts a planned "investors ski weekend", Michael learns that there is already an offer to buy out WUPHF.com and Ryan only has nine days of funding left before his venture collapses. Ryan's subsequent sales pitch falls apart when he reveals that the potential buyer is [[Washington University]] Public Health Fund, since the investors deduce that they only want to purchase the company for the domain name, because it is the acronym for the fund. Though the others demand that WUPHF.com be sold, Michael stands by Ryan, and since Michael owns over 50% of WUPHF.com, his decision stands. Pam tells Michael that Ryan has never viewed Michael as either his mentor or a best friend, and is now using Michael's unrequited affection for him to make him support WUPHF.com beyond reason, but everyone will lose their money if they do not sell, not just Michael. Michael takes this in, and is silently hurt when Ryan talks his way out of having dinner with him and blithely supports Michael's theoretical plan to get a second mortgage for more WUPHF.com funds. Despite this, he still does not agree to a sale, and instead lists his erstwhile protege's flaws right in front of a surprised and visibly wounded Ryan, then points out all his talents and that he believes in him. Taken aback by Michael's faith in him, Ryan at last makes a sincere effort to make WUPHF.com a success without additional investor funds. Ultimately forced to accept defeat, he sends Michael a message that he is going to sell WUPHF.com. Michael expresses relief.
[[Ryan Howard (The Office)|Ryan Howard]] ([[B. J. Novak]]) has convinced [[Michael Scott (The Office)|Michael Scott]] ([[Steve Carell]]), [[Darryl Philbin]] ([[Craig Robinson (actor)|Craig Robinson]]), [[Stanley Hudson]] ([[Leslie David Baker]]), [[Andy Bernard]] ([[Ed Helms]]), and [[Pam Beesly|Pam Halpert]] ([[Jenna Fischer]]) to invest in his startup business, a cross-portal messaging system housed at WUPHF.com.{{efn|As introduced in the episode "[[Whistleblower (The Office)|The Whistleblower]]".}} While Ryan touts a planned "investors ski weekend", Michael learns that there is already an offer to buy out WUPHF.com, but also that Ryan only has nine days of funding left before his venture collapses. Ryan's subsequent sales pitch falls apart when he reveals that the potential buyer is the [[Washington University in St. Louis|Washington University]] Public Health Fund, who are only interested in the domain name because it contains their initials, WUPHF. While the others demand that Ryan sell the company, Michael defends him, and because Michael is the majority shareholder in the company, his decision stands.


Pam privately tells Michael that Ryan has never viewed Michael as a best friend, and is merely taking advantage of Michael's affection and loyalty for him. Pam reminds Michael that other people have money at stake, and they will all lose money if he and Ryan do not sell the company. Michael is later upset by Ryan when he refuses to have dinner with him, and again when Ryan supports Michael's theoretical plan to get a second mortgage to fund WUPHF.com. While Michael refuses to sell the company, he pressures Ryan to save everyone's money and find a suitable course of action. Ryan, unable to make WUPHF.com profitable, decides to sell the company, to Michael's relief.
[[Dwight Schrute]] ([[Rainn Wilson]]) creates a hay festival in the parking lot for the Thanksgiving holiday, in order to exorcise the memories from his childhood days when his family had competing hay festivals and he never was elected king for them. His efforts distract him from fulfilling a request for sex from [[Angela Martin]] ([[Angela Kinsey]]) per their contract. A frustrated Angela meets a charming, friendly man ([[Jack Coleman (actor)|Jack Coleman]]) who is attending the festival with his young son. Angela is pleased to meet someone who laughs at her jokes rather than at her, and approves when he asks if he can call her sometime. She is still more pleased when the man reveals he is a widower. Dwight appoints himself the "Hay Festival King" in the meantime, but arrives at his and Angela's warehouse rendezvous point to see their procreation contract has been stamped VOID, and looks stricken. [[Kevin Malone]] ([[Brian Baumgartner]]), meanwhile, gets lost in the hay maze and panics.


Meanwhile, [[Dwight Schrute]] ([[Rainn Wilson]]) hosts a hay festival in the parking lot for the Thanksgiving holiday, distracting him from a contractual obligation to have sex with [[Angela Martin]] ([[Angela Kinsey]]) at her request. A frustrated Angela meets a charming, friendly man ([[Jack Coleman (actor)|Jack Coleman]]) who is attending the festival with his young son ([[Griffin Gluck]]). Angela discovers that he is a widower, and approves when he asks if he can call her sometime. Dwight appoints himself the "Hay Festival King" in the meantime, revealing that the entire purpose of the festival was to exorcise memories from his childhood, where his family would host similar hay festivals and he never was elected king for them. He arrives at his and Angela's warehouse rendezvous point to see their procreation contract has been stamped VOID, and looks stricken.
[[Jim Halpert]] ([[John Krasinski]]) is in the midst of a record sales streak; he claims that his sales skills have been sharpened at home by convincing baby Cece to eat [[baby food]]. However, Kevin and Angela inform Jim that Sabre instituted a commissions cap for the year and Jim maxed out his returns. Jim talks to [[Gabe Lewis]] ([[Zach Woods]]) about it, but Gabe insists that he cannot change the policy. Unmotivated to work, Jim chats with his coworkers and makes fart noises, irritating both Gabe and Pam. He finally fills his time by editing the intro to [[Jo Bennett]]'s ([[Kathy Bates]]) audio autobiography so that it addresses Gabe. He then calls Gabe on his desk phone and sets up the receiver next to a playback of the edited autobiography, prompting Gabe to listen to the entire audiobook.

[[Jim Halpert]] ([[John Krasinski]]) is in the midst of a record sales streak, but Angela informs Jim that Sabre instituted a commissions cap for the year and Jim maxed out his returns. Jim talks to [[Gabe Lewis]] ([[Zach Woods]]) about it, but Gabe insists that he cannot change the policy. Unmotivated to work, Jim struggles to entertain himself and is eventually reprimanded by Gabe for disrupting the work of others. Jim ends up using CEO Jo Bennet's audiobook to trick Gabe into believing Bennet is reading her audiobook to him over the phone, forcing Gabe to stay late.


==Production==
==Production==
[[File:Jack Coleman Get Smart premiere arrival (crop).jpg|alt=|Coleman smiling|thumb|[[Jack Coleman (actor)|Jack Coleman]] (seen here in 2008) guest starred in this episode.]]
[[File:Jack Coleman Get Smart premiere arrival (crop).jpg|alt=Coleman smiling|thumb|[[Jack Coleman (actor)|Jack Coleman]] (seen here in 2008) guest starred in this episode.]]
"WUPHF.com" was written by co-executive producer [[Aaron Shure]], his fifth writing credit on the series, and directed by [[Danny Leiner]], his first ''Office'' directing credit. In a deleted scene, Michael seeks advice from Toby while the HR representative is having a webchat with his daughter; when Michael overhears Sasha talking about Toby's ex-wife's new boyfriend, Michael forgets he wanted help dealing with Ryan, and laughs at Toby's misery at the news.{{Citation needed|date=March 2017}}
"WUPHF.com" was written by co-executive producer [[Aaron Shure]], his fifth writing credit on the series, and directed by [[Danny Leiner]], his first ''Office'' directing credit. In a deleted scene, Michael seeks advice from Toby while the HR representative is having a webchat with his daughter; when Michael overhears Sasha talking about Toby's ex-wife's new boyfriend, Michael forgets he wanted help dealing with Ryan, and laughs at Toby's misery at the news.{{Citation needed|date=March 2017}}


==Reception==
==Reception==
In its original American broadcast on November 18, 2010, "WUPHF.com" was viewed by an estimated 7.28 million viewers and received a 3.8 rating/10% share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49 even though Dwight's hay place is not hay, it's straw, improving from the prior week's episode.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/11/19/thursday-final-ratings-my-dad-says-30-rock-outsourced-adjusted-down-the-office-adjusted-up/72859|title=Thursday Final Ratings: ''$#*! My Dad Says'', ''30 Rock'', ''Outsourced'' Adjusted Down; ''The Office'' Adjusted Up|work=TV by the Numbers|last=Seidman|first=Robert|date=November 19, 2010|accessdate=November 19, 2010}}</ref>
In its original American broadcast on November 18, 2010, "WUPHF.com" was viewed by an estimated 7.28 million viewers and received a 3.8 rating/10% share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49, improving from the prior week's episode.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/11/19/thursday-final-ratings-my-dad-says-30-rock-outsourced-adjusted-down-the-office-adjusted-up/72859|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101121033345/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/11/19/thursday-final-ratings-my-dad-says-30-rock-outsourced-adjusted-down-the-office-adjusted-up/72859|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 21, 2010|title=Thursday Final Ratings: ''$#*! My Dad Says'', ''30 Rock'', ''Outsourced'' Adjusted Down; ''The Office'' Adjusted Up|work=TV by the Numbers|last=Seidman|first=Robert|date=November 19, 2010|access-date=November 19, 2010}}</ref>


For his work on this episode, [[Aaron Shure]] was nominated for a [[Writers Guild of America Award]] for [[Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Episodic Comedy|Episodic Comedy]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/12/08/2011-writers-guild-awards-nominees-include-boardwalk-empire-breaking-bad-dexter-friday-night-lights-and-mad-men/74834 |title=2011 Writers Guild Awards Nominees Include 'Boardwalk Empire,' 'Breaking Bad,' 'Dexter,' 'Friday Night Lights' and 'Mad Men' |author=Seidman, Robert |date=December 8, 2010 |work=''TVbythenumbers.zap2it.com |accessdate=December 8, 2010 }}</ref>
For his work on this episode, [[Aaron Shure]] was nominated for a [[Writers Guild of America Award]] for [[Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Episodic Comedy|Episodic Comedy]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/12/08/2011-writers-guild-awards-nominees-include-boardwalk-empire-breaking-bad-dexter-friday-night-lights-and-mad-men/74834 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101210112354/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/12/08/2011-writers-guild-awards-nominees-include-boardwalk-empire-breaking-bad-dexter-friday-night-lights-and-mad-men/74834 |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 10, 2010 |title=2011 Writers Guild Awards Nominees Include 'Boardwalk Empire,' 'Breaking Bad,' 'Dexter,' 'Friday Night Lights' and 'Mad Men' |author=Seidman, Robert |date=December 8, 2010 |work=TVbythenumbers.zap2it.com |access-date=December 8, 2010 }}</ref>

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}


==References==
==References==
Line 44: Line 48:
{{wikiquote|The Office (US)#WUPHF.com|"WUPHF.com"}}
{{wikiquote|The Office (US)#WUPHF.com|"WUPHF.com"}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20111105110550/http://www.nbc.com/the-office/episode-guide/season-7/42801/wuphfcom/episode-709/57457/ "WUPHF.com"] at [[NBC|NBC.com]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20111105110550/http://www.nbc.com/the-office/episode-guide/season-7/42801/wuphfcom/episode-709/57457/ "WUPHF.com"] at [[NBC|NBC.com]]
* {{imdb episode|1752583}}
* {{IMDb episode|1752583}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL1z1ZHD0K4 "Welcome to WUPHF Beta!"] by lcarsdeveloper on [[Youtube]]
* {{Tv.com episode|1362516}}



{{The Office US Episodes}}
{{The Office US Episodes}}


[[Category:2010 American television episodes]]
[[Category:2010 American television episodes]]
[[Category:The Office (U.S. season 7) episodes]]
[[Category:The Office (American TV series) season 7 episodes]]
[[Category:Social media in fiction]]
[[Category:Television episodes about social media]]

Revision as of 15:45, 5 April 2024

"WUPHF.com"
The Office episode
Episode no.Season 7
Episode 9
Directed byDanny Leiner
Written byAaron Shure
Cinematography byMatt Sohn
Editing byRick Weis
Production code709
Original air dateNovember 18, 2010 (2010-11-18)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Viewing Party"
Next →
"China"
The Office (American season 7)
List of episodes

"WUPHF.com" is the ninth episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the 135th episode overall. Written by Aaron Shure and directed by Danny Leiner, the episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on November 18, 2010.

The series depicts the everyday lives of office employees at the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictitious Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. In the episode, Ryan Howard (B. J. Novak) and Michael Scott (Steve Carell) struggle to convince coworkers who have invested in Ryan's startup company that he can make it profitable. Meanwhile, Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) hosts a hay festival in the parking lot of the building, distracting him from fulfilling a contract to Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey) to have sex. The episode received positive reviews and was nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Episodic Comedy.

Synopsis

Ryan Howard (B. J. Novak) has convinced Michael Scott (Steve Carell), Darryl Philbin (Craig Robinson), Stanley Hudson (Leslie David Baker), Andy Bernard (Ed Helms), and Pam Halpert (Jenna Fischer) to invest in his startup business, a cross-portal messaging system housed at WUPHF.com.[a] While Ryan touts a planned "investors ski weekend", Michael learns that there is already an offer to buy out WUPHF.com, but also that Ryan only has nine days of funding left before his venture collapses. Ryan's subsequent sales pitch falls apart when he reveals that the potential buyer is the Washington University Public Health Fund, who are only interested in the domain name because it contains their initials, WUPHF. While the others demand that Ryan sell the company, Michael defends him, and because Michael is the majority shareholder in the company, his decision stands.

Pam privately tells Michael that Ryan has never viewed Michael as a best friend, and is merely taking advantage of Michael's affection and loyalty for him. Pam reminds Michael that other people have money at stake, and they will all lose money if he and Ryan do not sell the company. Michael is later upset by Ryan when he refuses to have dinner with him, and again when Ryan supports Michael's theoretical plan to get a second mortgage to fund WUPHF.com. While Michael refuses to sell the company, he pressures Ryan to save everyone's money and find a suitable course of action. Ryan, unable to make WUPHF.com profitable, decides to sell the company, to Michael's relief.

Meanwhile, Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) hosts a hay festival in the parking lot for the Thanksgiving holiday, distracting him from a contractual obligation to have sex with Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey) at her request. A frustrated Angela meets a charming, friendly man (Jack Coleman) who is attending the festival with his young son (Griffin Gluck). Angela discovers that he is a widower, and approves when he asks if he can call her sometime. Dwight appoints himself the "Hay Festival King" in the meantime, revealing that the entire purpose of the festival was to exorcise memories from his childhood, where his family would host similar hay festivals and he never was elected king for them. He arrives at his and Angela's warehouse rendezvous point to see their procreation contract has been stamped VOID, and looks stricken.

Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) is in the midst of a record sales streak, but Angela informs Jim that Sabre instituted a commissions cap for the year and Jim maxed out his returns. Jim talks to Gabe Lewis (Zach Woods) about it, but Gabe insists that he cannot change the policy. Unmotivated to work, Jim struggles to entertain himself and is eventually reprimanded by Gabe for disrupting the work of others. Jim ends up using CEO Jo Bennet's audiobook to trick Gabe into believing Bennet is reading her audiobook to him over the phone, forcing Gabe to stay late.

Production

Coleman smiling
Jack Coleman (seen here in 2008) guest starred in this episode.

"WUPHF.com" was written by co-executive producer Aaron Shure, his fifth writing credit on the series, and directed by Danny Leiner, his first Office directing credit. In a deleted scene, Michael seeks advice from Toby while the HR representative is having a webchat with his daughter; when Michael overhears Sasha talking about Toby's ex-wife's new boyfriend, Michael forgets he wanted help dealing with Ryan, and laughs at Toby's misery at the news.[citation needed]

Reception

In its original American broadcast on November 18, 2010, "WUPHF.com" was viewed by an estimated 7.28 million viewers and received a 3.8 rating/10% share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49, improving from the prior week's episode.[1]

For his work on this episode, Aaron Shure was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Episodic Comedy.[2]

Notes

  1. ^ As introduced in the episode "The Whistleblower".

References

  1. ^ Seidman, Robert (November 19, 2010). "Thursday Final Ratings: $#*! My Dad Says, 30 Rock, Outsourced Adjusted Down; The Office Adjusted Up". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 21, 2010. Retrieved November 19, 2010.
  2. ^ Seidman, Robert (December 8, 2010). "2011 Writers Guild Awards Nominees Include 'Boardwalk Empire,' 'Breaking Bad,' 'Dexter,' 'Friday Night Lights' and 'Mad Men'". TVbythenumbers.zap2it.com. Archived from the original on December 10, 2010. Retrieved December 8, 2010.