Kevin is Special

Episode
Goodbye Toby (Season 4, Episode 13) & Weight Loss (Season 5, Episode 1)

Pranker
Dwight Schrute

Target
Holly Flax (and Kevin Malone by proxy)

Description
Good ole’ Toby Flenderson is on his way out of Dunder Mifflin. Michael is ecstatic but is also apprehensive of his replacement Holly; thinking she will be much of the same. Michael and Dwight look on and agree that some good old-fashioned hazing is in the books for the new HR rep. Though Michael is too blindsided by love at first see of his ears to remember to haze, Dwight wastes no time. In the midst of introducing Holly to the accounting department, he mentions that Kevin is there on a special work program, because he is “special.”

Reaction
Holly introduces herself to Kevin and asks what he does. He replies that he does the numbers and then offers her an M&M. Holly declines, but that doesn’t stop Kevin from explaining why he keeps them on his part of the desk. Later, Kevin can’t decide what he wants from the vending machine between pretzels and chips. Holly helpfully and gently helps him decide that he can get anything on the top row. Kevin believes he is going to bang Holly, because she is cute, helpful and really seems into him. During the party, after Phyllis asks Kevin to go to the store, Holly notes that Kevin drives his own car, also mentioning she has one too. Before leaving, Holly says how proud she is of him. He smiles suggestively at the camera. At the end of the night, when Michael misses the hints of Holly asking him to go eat, Kevin goes in his stead (to eat pie). At least she buckles him in the car. By the time the big weight loss competition get’s going, Kevin almost does the math faster than everyone else in stating that when Pam got off the scale it dropped 226 lbs. He was off by a little, but Holly was there to congratulate (after all, math is hard). Unfortunately, this all comes to a head when Angela starts berating Kevin for a clerical error he made. When Holly comes to Kevin’s defense, the truth about his mental condition comes out and, needless to say, Holly is a little embarrassed and walks away to seclusion.


Originality
7 -Despite the nature of this one, Dwight must have analyzed and rationalized the scenario. He figured out that Kevin’s mannerisms are somewhat “special” and also knew that a gentle soul like Holly would handle it so delicately that it would continue to play out. What a great job by Dwight…that is, if it just wasn’t so damn wrong. Not to mention, Dwight never has to fess up to anything.

Length Taken
10 - Poor Kevin. What is worse, him having everyone thinking he is special-needs, or the fact that he mistakes this as attraction and a sure-fire sign of banging.

"Special" Awards
I‘d be Crying if I Wasn‘t Laughing Award - Easily the most depressing prank ever pulled
Going the Distance Award - This might be the longest developing/lasting prank since Jim put quarters in Dwight’s phone. How long could have this gone on?
You’re Not Helping Award - Come on, Phyllis. He knows he has to take off his shoes, don’t reinforce things.

Utica Must Burn

Episode
Branch Wars (Season 4, Episode 6)

Pranker
Michael Scott, Dwight Schrute (and kind of Jim Halpert)

Target
Karen Filippelli

Description
Michael isn’t about to sit idly by and watch his favorite minority salesman be taken away from him by Karen. After deceivingly luring Jim with Dwight and him to Utica, they get to work; complete with warehouse uniforms and mustaches.

Dwight and Michael try to steal their industrial copier, but predictably drop it down the stairs (hurting Michael’s hip in the process). While this is happening, Jim tries his best to duck out of the way of Karen’s view, but to no avail. Michael’s final message to ask Jim not to tell Karen was all that it took.

Reaction
Needless to say, Karen is upset. Dwight isn’t about to take things sitting down and does what every logical person would do in that situation…he threatens to burn down the branch if Karen continues to poach salesmen. Michael actually becomes the voice of reason when he goes to the explanation of wanting to fight for his employees. Everything seems as it should until Michael threatens Karen with burning down the branch if Stanley is harmed. It all seemed to be going so well until Karen lays into Jim for bringing up Pam in conversation. And just when all seemed lost, Stanley decides to stay in Scranton. All is right with the world.

Originality
6 – This would only be about a two if not for the interesting ways Dwight and Michael think up in order to subdue the guards and take down Utica. Molotov cocktails? Gas covered rubber? Chalk in the eye? How does Dwight come up with this stuff.

Length Taken
10 – Wwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy too far.

Special Awards
The Michael Scott-Memorial Whoops Award – This might be the first ever prank that leads to a scolding. Not to mention the award to follow afterword.
The Awwwwwwk-ward Award – Congratulations, Karen. This is the first time I’ve ever wanted to turn away from Jim doing anything. I was hoping he’d die just so it’d all end.

Dwight as Jim

Episode
Product Recall (Season 3, Episode 20)

Pranker
Dwight Schrute

Target
Jim Halpert

Description
After Jim stole the opening as he dressed and acted like Dwight, Mr. Schrute couldn’t help but strike back. He comes in the office in a nice suit and his hair messily made without any glasses. After making small talk with Pam, he begins to look at the camera a lot and can’t help but mention how good Karen looks.

Reaction
“Look at that!” Jim is more stunned than anything else. Pam and Karen play along to begin with, probably just at the absurdity at it all. Dwight seems to do nothing but relax 99% of the muscles in his body, smirk, flatten his hair and look at the camera. He propositions Karen for sex, but gets shot down. Jim gives his approval while he looks at the camera and says, “I’m Jim Halpert, blah-da-blah-blah, comment, uh.”

Originality
3 – Jim did it just days before, so it can’t be too big.

Length Taken
8 – Jim spent a grand total of $11 on the Dwight outfit. I’m going to venture a guess and say Dwight spent at least $150 on his Jim uniform. He even had the knapsack. What was better, the wildly inappropriate remarks to Karen or the constant staring at the camera?

Special Award
Find your own Prank Award – That’s just lazy Dwight…just plain lazy.

Dwight Initiates Ryan

Episode
Initiation (Season 3, Episode 5)

Pranker
Dwight Schrute

Target
Ryan Howard

Description
Ryan is going on his first sales trip and he has the unfortunate luck of being placed with Dwight on said trip. Before taking him to the sales office, Dwight takes the former temp out to his beet farm and gives him a seed to plant. Ryan carefully places it in the ground and covers it, knowing that Dwight doesn’t play with these things. After some back-and-forth banter about “planting seeds” and “bull crap,” Dwight says he needs something in his car and begins to sprint over to it. Ryan unwittingly says ok as Dwight starts his car and peels out of the field.

Reaction
“Of course.” Ryan had every expectation of something out of the ordinary happening and it did. Ryan talks to himself about Dwight as he walks over to the accompanying barn in the field. Ryan knocks and Dwight springs forth, as Dwight comments of Ryan’s success in his second task.

Originality
3 – I’m not sure where leaving a rookie salesman in a manure-covered beet field ranks as most cruel things you could ever do, but the abandoning of a person anywhere is anything but original.

Length Taken
5 – Usually, in this sort of situation, the person being left would have some sort of place or instructions to turn to. In this situation, Ryan is left to fend for himself and hope everything works out for the best. I would like to think that Dwight wouldn’t let Ryan die, but at the same time he would let the temp sweat it out in the field overnight.

Special Award
Forget Subtlety Award – One of Dwight’s attributes is not secrecy and conniving. When he wants to haze the rookie, he doesn’t think up a dynamite excuse and then quietly leave. When Dwight pulls a prank, he does it like a Soviet in World War II…guns blazing, screaming and fighting all the way.

Michael and Dwight "Send Up" Accounting

Episode
The Carpet (Season 2, Episode 14)

Prankers
Michael Scott and Dwight Schrute

Target
Oscar Nunez, Kevin Malone and Angela Martin

Description
After someone leaves a “present” in Michael’s office, he assumes Jim’s position and sits next to Dwight. Remembering back to days in the office with Packer, Michael asks Dwight to “send up” accounting. Not knowing what is happening, Dwight blindly agrees. Michael and Dwight saunter over to the back of the office and begin screaming and throwing everything they see. They wreck just about everything, save for Dwight not daring to touch anything of Angela’s. They depart triumphant, screaming “sales rules!” proudly.

Reaction
Oscar and Kevin are left to clean up the chaos while Angela just has to rearrange her pencils and pens. Not too happy with Michael’s “send up,” Oscar explains (and laughs out) his feelings on what happened to his boss’ carpet.

Originality
3 – This might be the first time Michael has done it, but it definitely isn’t the first time he’s seen it done. If the cameras were around for Michael as a salesman, something tells me Packer would do this daily.

Length Taken
6 – A little too far. Michael goes crazy and throws any paper he sees as high as it will fly. Dwight, in contrast, scoots a pile of a desk and scatters pencils. That thing that most people have that tells us when things are a bad idea…Michael doesn’t have that.

Special Award
Bad Idea Award – Michael might not realize, but there are at least three people who wish they had left the “present” in his office.