"That is not the real Ben Franklin. I am 99% sure."

Episode
Ben Franklin (Season 3, Episode 14)

Pranker
Jim Halpert

Target
Dwight Schrute

Description
After Jim had his fun with the women of Dunder-Mifflin, he can’t help but get Dwight with a similar gag. Apparently, Jim has told Dwight that the Ben Franklin impersonator is the real Ben Franklin. Dwight goes to check it out.

Reaction
Dwight tempts the actor with chocolate, but he wonders how he got it (only native to the Amazon, it is yet to be imported to the US). Dwight quizzes the impersonator with questions about the King of Austria (Joseph II), the King of Prussia (Fredrich von Wilhelm III) and the King of England (the tyrant King George, of course), which he answers correctly. Despite the correct answers, Dwight is 99% sure that is not the real Ben Franklin. Dwight poses a final question of his nearsightedness/farsightedness. Franklin proudly proclaims that he’s both, that’s why he invented the bifocals. Still not able to tell, Dwight screams to the heavens.

Originality
7 – Jim sees Dwight like a little child. How would a child know that someone who looks like, talks like and knows everything about a person isn’t really them? Telling anyone else that the Franklin impersonator is real, if not immediately knowing he was already dead, could just look up the information. But Dwight is not about to look up what he can find out for himself.

Length Taken
3 – To the best of our knowledge, all Jim did was tell Dwight he was real. It’s possible he went to greater lengths and explained in detail, but we just don’t know.

Special Award
Just Too Easy Award – Jim makes a comment to Dwight that Ben Franklin was real…and they’re off. This might be the easiest prank that Jim has had to pull.