Because "Search Committee" was the fulcrum of the series. The show a writing team terrified of failing without Michael Scott. The first draft was manic. The second draft (the "initial update") was desperate. The final draft was confident.
That is the power of the update. It is television history written in red ink. You may never hold the physical blue pages of the "Search Committee" initial update. But by understanding what those pages contain—the cut jokes, the reshot scenes, the panicked edits—you appreciate The Office on a deeper level. the office search committee script pages initially updated
For example, one of the funniest lines in the episode—Gabe saying, "I’m going to kill myself... I’m going to turn my desk into a bed" —was not in the first draft. It appears for the first time in the margin notes, scribbled between lines of dialogue. Because "Search Committee" was the fulcrum of the series
So the next time you watch Dwight interviewing a psychic or Kevin eating chili off the floor, remember: some writer, on a Tuesday afternoon in April 2011, initially updated that joke. And television changed, just a little bit, for the better. Are you a writer looking for more breakdowns of TV scripts? Check out our archive of "30 Rock" punch-up sessions and "Parks & Rec" cut scenes. The second draft (the "initial update") was desperate