Eagle-eyed fans familiar with “The Office” know that Pretzel Day was practically sacred in its fictional universe. Every year, this nonsensical, completely delightful celebration marked one of Dunder Mifflin’s many chaotic and hilariously absurd days.
In October of 2022, Peacock capitalized on the enduring love for “The Office” legacy by offering just what everyone (really, nobody asks for this but it was nice to relive.) demanded : a deleted scene that unfolded during yet another legendary Pretzel Day celebration. It’s a simple scene featuring Michael (Steve Carell) as his cringe-inducing best, desperately clinging to whatever semblance of cool remains – even involving yoga pants. He tries teaching the office workers how to be “flexible,” leading to a truly awkward and utterly “unprofessional” Michael Scott–ish interpretation of yoga poses. The scene quickly devolves into pure hilarious chaos, mirroring the chaotic and often off-color way Pretzel Day traditions unfolded when we followed Dwight, who was quite frankly obsessed with pretzel day
While it might seem like a novelty gift on the surface, delving deeper reveals some fascinating insights about fandom, nostalgia and how streaming services retain engagement. “The Office” continues to thrive because the relatable quirks (the cringe, the banality) have become timeless. It’s our inner “Dunder Mifflinian” coworker that we secretly enjoy watching get tangled up in utterly unnecessary office drama
A deleted scene on a non-existent Pretzel Day serves up just what this audience craves: a dose of the “Golden Era’’ Office humor, a trip down memory lane, that fuels these passionate communities and reinforces that “The Office,” whether on its original platforms or through streaming giants like Peacock, remains an icon with a dedicated and highly-engaged fanbase who actively want to revisit their office shenanigans and connect over them. There’s definitely gold mined there by companies like Peacock – tapping into that love story of past programming is a safe move.
That this seemingly insignificant deleted scene landed as perfectly “On Fire ” with that fan base tells us one key factor: good shows, especially iconic sitcoms or cult heroes like “The Office,” become timeless precisely because they connect on those fundamental human moments – the camaraderie, the work frustrations – that still resonate years later. And with a few strategically placed pretzel-adjacent gags ,we keep loving them!
Now, if we could just get a dedicated “Office” spin-off chronicling Michael’s ill-fated (but somehow oddly delightful) attempts at other quirky employee participation days…. wouldn’t they call this an epic cross promotion to bring back viewers on a platform dedicated to this old-classic sitcom series that had an undeniable cultural impact? Think about, the sheer comedic gold!
