The Fight

Episode
The Fight (Season 2, Episode 6)

Pranker
Pam Beesly and Jim Halpert

Target
Michael Scott and Dwight Schrute

Description
Dwight is taking karate…with kids. He takes it seriously, but Jim can’t help but not do the same. When Jim asks Dwight who he could or couldn’t beat up, Michael enters the equation. Michael doubts Dwight’s abilities, and later puts Dwight into an unprovoked sleeper hold. After Michael offers for Dwight to punch Michael in the stomach, he almost passes out form the pain. After Dwight explains the story of his Nazi grandfather and his obese father, Jim and Pam have all the ammunition they need. Jim asks Pam (for a bag of chips) to ask Michael to fight Dwight at his dojo. After a little provocation, Michael takes the bait.

Reaction
“The Albany branch is working right through lunch to prevent downsizing. But Michael, he decided to extend our lunch by an hour so that we could all go down to the dojo and watch him fight Dwight.” Jim’s words ring true. Refereed by Dwight’s sansei, the salesman gets the first blow, but Michael counters with a recess-style beat down, winning the honor of which friend could beat up the other. This somehow leads to Dwight being promoted to Assistant Regional Manager, though it is just a title.

Originality
4 – These two definitely aren’t the first ones to get two people to start a fight. They might be the first two to get two people who have no business fighting in the first place together.

Length Taken
5 – Not as much as thought. Jim and Pam know that Michael, besides valuing friendship, values his own dignity. Office-wide embarrassment would be all it would take to lure the monster out of its cage. It just needed a little poke.

Special Award
Two Birds with One Stone Award – Never before has a prank been put to use for the purpose of pranking two subjects with the same gag.
Forget Work Award – Not the first time this has happened and certainly not the last. Jim’s words speak louder still as the office faces the threat of downsizing, Michael finds confrontation more important. I have a theory that Jim just wanted to get away from the office, if not for only a day.