The Amazing Awkwardness of "Scott's Tots" - The Office 

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The fact that Stanley was holding that newspaper for 10 years because he knew the day would come was so funny to me

The holy trinity of cringe: The Dinner Party Scott's Tots Toby touching Pam's knee 🥴

i think my favorite line of the show is probably, "I've made a lot of false promises in life but this one by far is the most generous." Like Micheal...

Every time I watch this I have to tell myself "It's okay, all of these people are just actors, nobody really promised this"

I love Erin forgetting that Michael wouldn’t be able to pay for their tuition and getting into it

Something a friend pointed out to me recently is that their educational futures (at least right after high school) are more screwed than we realize because you can almost guarantee that none of these kids applied for financial aid. They just assumed a wealthy businessman was going to cover everything

"Wait, wait! They're lithium!"

The part where Michael starts crying and the students think it's because of his happiness but he's really just terrified is *so well written,* it's just 👌👌👌

I've never had an issue with Dinner Party or Scotts Tots despite how uncomfortable those episodes get. The one that really gets me and I skip it every time is this Phyllis wedding episode. Watching Michael act like nothing but a pure asshole for 22 minutes is rough.

i think the worst part is how the school glorified michael’s promise, by naming rooms after him and creating a musical to thank him. in that way, they almost treated him like a messiah of sorts. i would probably be able to tolerate it more if the students didn’t honour him so much

He should have declared bankruptcy at the school

Underrated cringe Office episode: Prince Family Paper

this episode damaged me.

To me, this felt like the best example of the showrunners taking the cringe element of the original series and making it fully American. Really uncomfortable, perfectly done. Great episode.

This is a horror episode, and that's why I love it

Most memorable part of this episode: Stanley's laugh

“I’ve made some empty promises in my life, but hands down that was the most generous.”

I gotta be honest, I can stomach the Scott’s tots part. I used to skip this Episode, but now I can actually watch it and laugh. I do skip over the b-plot though, with Jim being attacked by the office and Dwight sabotaging him. That’s a big thing that bothers me about Jim, HE DOESNT STAND UP FOR HIMSELF and it’s so frustrating. He can EASILY explain himself and the situation but no, he stands there all dumb struck and stumbles over his words. I guess it can be pretty rattling when the whole office is attacking you, but he just stands there and take sit like a bafoon. I dont know.

WHATCHA GONNA DO, WATCHA GONNA DO MAKE OUR DREAMS COME TRUE

This episode showed that students would be more motivated to graduate and put effort into their high school years knowing they would be able to go to college with out amassing a lifetime debt.

Pam saying “YUP” in this episode is the single funniest 3 letters of the 2000s.

Erin is definitely an underrated character, and a brighter spot for the bottom half of the show's life.

Just remembering this episode gives me anxiety

This episode just embraced the show’s British roots

i couldn’t stomach watching this episode...

Stanley’s laugh at the mere mention of “Scott’s Tots” makes it all worthwhile!

I've only watched this episode ONCE. I can NEVER watch it again 😭😭😂

Any human ever: says “Scott’s Tots” Me: *NERVOUS SWEATING*

It’s a great episode, but I will never watch it again

I wish the show had more episodes like this. This felt like something they would've done in the UK Office.

I actually really liked this episode.

In the office, we never get backstory or trully a lot of footage on characters before the show started (due to the nature of a documentary), and this episode sheds a lovely insight into a Michael we all knew about. This episode is pivotal in showing Michael to take responsability for his actions, which he never did before season 5.

Literally skipped it when I landed on it during my first binge. Saw the title, said "Nah", and kept going with my binge. Dinner Party was a cake walk, this is a hike through Death Valley.

"There's NO other episode that's AS skipped as this one." What about the one where Andy dumps his fiance for Erin at a surprkse party, only for him to drive back and emphasize how great Erin is at the expense of her awful emotional state because Erin felt bad at how inferior they made her feel?

This episode aside, its really funny to me that NBC's streaming service is priced by how much they let you watch of the office.

it's literally my favorite episode. i remember binge watching the entire "The Office" show and laughing my ass off during this episode. then months later finding out that it's the most hated episode and I was in complete shock. not once did I feel cringe worthiness and then reading online that everyone cringes at it made me laugh. such a great episode

I have a love/hate relationship with “Scott’s Tots”. While it’s funny you are almost literally holding your stomach in suspense.

The sinking gut feeling that slowly drips in throughout this episode is what makes it so wonderful and so horrifying.

For me it felt like the office's version of dark comedy.

I hated when Michael had to tell the kids. It's just so painful and heartbreaking because I feel for those kids believing for years they would get to go to college and having it taken away. So many of them must have gone home and cried believing their dreams gone forever because of this man. It is honestly the worst thing Michael does...which is saying something. Dwight trying to get Jim fired is the opposite to the main storyline because it builds up tension, but relieves it by having the plan ultimately backfire. It goes beyond a simple "prank" since could cause Jim to lose his job, where Jim has a family to take care of, and it's very satisfying to see David reconcile with Jim with Dwight knowing the plan failed. I am always confused by the office's willingness to accept Dwight's plan as true. They believe Jim to have made himself employee of the month, gave it to Pam and even had a cake with his face on it. None of those things are really a "Jim" move, so it's strange when everyone just believes it. However, they have shown to be oblivious to things before. I would have enjoyed it if the plan was revealed to the office or even Jim, so they/he would know what was happening.

This episode is just so unwatchable in non insulting way. Just imagining yourself in their position is horrific fever dream I never wish on my worst enemy lol

Quentin Tarantino once described shooting suspenseful scenes as like pulling a rubber band, and the longer you pull it, the more you dread when it snaps, and you know it’s coming. I think this episode is a good example of that

Y’know what? THIS and DINNER PARTY were my introductions to this show.

The best part of Scott’s Tots was Stanley keeping the newspaper for years knowing Michael wouldn’t be able to pull through with his promise 😂

I got through halfway this episode and have never watched it again. I can't take the cringe Edit: I have rewatched the show 8-9 times

This episode was my kids’ introduction to the show. They got hit with all the awkwardness with no warning.

The Office is the sour candy of television. You watch it for pain. I love episodes like these

This episode is the embodiment of 'good intentions can lead to disaster'

I dare anyone to say 'Dinner Party' is more awkward than this masterpiece.

Great take on this episode! I am certainly one of those who skips this episode often when i just want to laugh but when i do watch it I can appreciate it where it takes you with Michael Scott and his poor tots!

This episode reminded me of a part in season 1 where michael completely screws up the health care plan. He gets confronted by everyone and he thinks he can save himself up until the very last minute, but it just falls apart on him. I like how he has that same in this episode after completely screwing up even worse and it just collapses on him again.

It's literally one of the most painful things I've ever seen on television.

I remember watching this episode with my college roommate and yeah, this was incredibly cringey but sooooooo funny.

People just gonna forget that Phyllis’s wedding exists... ok

The darkest part of this entire episode is when it implies that because these specific “underprivileged youths” had a legitimate reason to believe they could go to college, they (unlike theirs peers) had no problem staying in school and getting their diplomas. When Erin essentially tells Michael as much at the end as if it were a good thing, it breaks my heart every time.

The most genius part of this episode is that at the end of the day Michael actually feels good about what he did. You can see a genuine smile on his face when they're singing to him and telling him how great he is and even after he tells them he can't pay for their college he somehow got something positive out of the experience.

When I first watched the episode I heard from a friend it was the most awkward episode in the show but when I watched I just couldn’t stop laughing like yeah I did cringe but it was way to funny. I feel like the dinner party is way more awkward than this episode but that’s just me.

This has always been my favourite episode, it's very reminiscent of the original UK Office the way it puts its characters in very uncomfortable situations

I only watched the office on 2020. I remember having read there were 1 or 2 episodes that were unbearable to watch. And I was waiting for it to show up... and it sorta never did for me. But I'm a grown ass man and it'd be hard pressed to find anything to make me uncomfortable at this point.

I always thought Scott’s Tots was a little darker than most people usually think. Thanks for the video, man!

Being from the UK and having watched and loved the British version of the office (I am a big fan of the American version as well). This episode gave the same awkward feeling I got from watching the British version and I loved it! The American office has a lot of heart and balances the awkwardness in a great way, which is definitely exemplified by Micheal in this episode. It’s something I don’t think the British office could pull off (that’s what she said)

"I've made a lot of empty promises over the years, but that one was by far the most generous." - *Michael Scott*

There are so many weird things that happened on the later episodes on The office trying to drive the plot That seem like a fever dream.

My favourite part of this episode is when the kid bangs the desk and Michael jumps 🤣🤣🤣LMFAO

I still to this day never watched the part where michael confess to the kids, always skipped that part

This is the episode that I love and dread the most. It does it's job perfectly and is easily the most memorable episode of the show for me.

This episode hit me harder then an ending of a Black Mirror episode.

Love this episode for all of the same reasons, but I always thought it a bit odd that during those 10 years did not one pupil, teacher or parent think "Oh come on, we've not heard from him since his promise, do we REALLY believe he's still going to come back and pay for our tuition?"

Always loved the episode to how good and helpful Michael Scott wants to be for other people. It was a terrible thing to do, but his expectation to be rich and plan for ways to help people in the future shows the genuine good he wishes(wished) to do for others, simply to do good.

I have never successfully watched this entire episode in a single try.

I have literally never been able to finish this episode.

This used to be an episode I skipped on rewatches but this video has totally changed my perspective on it. I’m so glad you shared your thoughts

Even though you know it’s fake it did such a great job of making it feel real and I always feel like all these kids genuinely didn’t make it to college.

This is actually my favorite episode in the ENTIRE SHOW🤣

This episode is so cringe at awkward that I almost couldn’t make it through this video

This is one of my favorite episodes and always look forward to it on re watches

Actually, in a way, this is one of my favorite episodes. Because like you said, it's one the only times Michael suffers consequences. I don't like Michael, not because he's stupid or selfish but because he's never really punished for it. I feel like often times he's even rewarded for it. And show frames him as the hero and he's everyone's favorite character which is just mind-boggling to me. I love Steve Carrell and I often love selfish or clueless characters, but to me Michael Scott is just painful. I feel for Stanley lol.

Honestly it was very imprudent of those kids to assume Michael would pay for their college in the first place. I mean there was no signed document holding him to it (to our knowledge) and frankly if you can't afford college or you don't have at least half of it payed in scholarships you're probably better off finding an alternative.

I literally can’t watch when he goes to the school

I love this episode but it’s such an emotional marathon that I just usually skip it when binging

This is one of my favorite episodes. I love the Jim's face cake punchline. And I actually think Erin's mention that this class graduated higher than their predecessors is significant. Ineptly, Michael inspired them; and then hardened them (which happens to all adults). Also it's not such a tragedy to have to apply for loans and grants. As one of the kids puts it, whenever he was tempted to join bad kids, he always thought of Mr. Scott and his promise. A lot of people survive on false hope, probably most of us. The only episode of the Office that I skip is Andy's Play, in fact I haven't watched more than five minutes of that one.

The beauty of it is that its one episode. Some episodes are a little cringe, or have cringe moments, but then the next episode comes and its like a reboot. And its out of your mind. Michael cannot get out of his own way. He is his own worse enemy. That's the theme of this show. I do believe Michael truly thought that he would be a millionaire and would be able to pay all of the tuitions. He had the best of intentions. And for that it doesnt sting as much as it could have

This was the first episode of the office I ever watched.... and yea it pulled me right in.

I've been watching so many office videos recently! So buzzing to watch this!

I genuinely skip this episode when I rewatch the office, it’s too cringe even for me

I love the part where michael tell erin that Kevin came for a warehouse job but Michael saw something in him and gave him the Accountant's Job, it's was a very nice way to end the episode

This episode was literally hard to watch. Even knowing it is scripted doesnt help the cringeness

Carrell’s dialogue in front of the students is a masterclass in hilarious writing. One of my favorite episodes.

“No other episode is skipped as much on rewatches” idk, I tend to skip that clip show episode a lot.

For me the hardest episode to watch, isn’t Scott’s Tots, but the one where Jim wears the tuxedo and Charles Minor comes to the office!! I cannot with that episode! So painful!

HEY MR.SCOTT

I just recently found your channel and damn if you don't make tremendously well thought out and insightful video essays about film and TV. You have a very distinct voice (tone wise not like sonically) and have clearly put alot of thought into your opinions and arguments. All to say great work man 👍 keep it up

the reason we laugh at comedy like 90% of the time is because its socially "wrong". If what Michael did happened in real life, obviously it would be terrible. But its not real life, its a silly tv show. just laugh and stop taking shit so seriously

This was one of my favorite episodes. I was in tears from laughing too much.

Only watched this episode once and I remember everything about it lol

I honestly barely remember this episode, but then again I haven’t binged The Office since 2013.

I like that the episode instantly puts you in Stanley’s position to where is bad as what Michael did was it’s still hilarious that it’s happening to him. Stanley is unashamedly ecstatic that it’s finally the day.

This episode triggers my anxiety😭😭

This is one the most watched episodes for me ngl