Second Drink: Fun Run Part 1 with Kate Flannery

Key Takeaways

"Fun Run" featured significant deleted scenes and cast improvisations.
Guest Kate Flannery performed most of her character Meredith Palmer's stunts.
Pam Beesly's character evolution was subtly reflected in her appearance changes.
Angela Kinsey meticulously prepared for Angela Martin's emotional scenes.
Writers considered darker, rejected plotlines for Meredith's car accident.
The episode's themes prompted detailed discussions on rabies transmission and treatment.

Deleted talking heads included Stanley Hudson's dry reaction and Creed Bratton's confusion about Meredith.
A deleted Michael Scott talking head showed him deflecting blame for hitting Meredith with his car.
Jenna Fischer's research detailed rabies transmission, including a listener story about fishermen contracting it from a beaver via non-bite saliva contact.

Kate Flannery and Jenna Fischer brought personal items like taxes or to-do lists to appear busy.
Actors created a system for processing prop paperwork from Phil Shea to simulate office work.
Oscar Nunez highlighted peculiar medical information on redacted forms and presented it authoritatively.
Production kept crew from sitting at actors' desks to maintain a realistic office environment.

Flannery performed the stunt where Meredith is hit by a car, rolling onto the windshield and off onto a mat.
Director Greg Daniels helped her prepare with jumping jacks; she recalled a deleted outtake with an extra spin.
She performed a stunt being blown off a men's room stall by Dwight with a fire extinguisher.
Flannery also performed stunts in the 'Moroccan Christmas' parking lot and handled a bat, using a bald cap for one scene.

A July 31, 2007 email detailed the August 3rd schedule, including a mandatory harassment seminar, costume fittings, and a table read.
The opening scene features Michael eating Wegmans brand cereal and soy milk, attributed to prop master Phil Shea.
Jan's condo decor changed with a new vanity, mirror, and clothes rack, contrasting with Michael's claim of sleeping on a bench.

Michael Scott hitting Meredith was a surprise, with writers considering options including Michael intentionally killing her.
Pam crashing the computer searching for a celebrity sex tape was potentially inspired by the March 2007 Kim Kardashian tape leak.
Pam's hair and wardrobe changes were deliberate to reflect her evolution, avoiding a drastic "makeover" trope.
Her new butterfly necklace symbolized transformation; the flea market she visited is a real place.

Angela declined to contribute to flowers for Meredith due to her sick cat, Sprinkles, leading to "Pam sass."
Angela Kinsey revealed she was severely hungover while filming the scene discussing Sprinkles' illness, following a night of margaritas.
Michael announces Meredith was hit by his car, causing shock; Jenna Fischer's new bangs were also observed.

Angela Kinsey meticulously prepared for a scene reciting Sprinkles' medications, memorizing lengthy dialogue backwards.
The notepad with Sprinkles' medication details was a prop written by a props department employee, not Angela.
Writer's assistants researched accurate cat medications to ensure realism for the prop details.
The notepad will be posted on the podcast's social media.

Office staff (except Dwight) visited Meredith in the hospital; a deleted scene showed Creed pocketing medication.
Angela Kinsey improvised the line "that's cleanliness" when Michael misquoted the Bible.
Guest Kate Flannery was frequently cast as nurses and doctors; Kinsey was often cast as teachers or nurses.
Viewers can spot actresses breaking character at approximately 11 minutes and 22 seconds into the episode during Michael's interaction with Meredith.

Angela Kinsey prepared for Sprinkles' death scene by drawing on personal experiences to convey shock and grief.
She isolated herself between takes and used reddish-pink eyeliner to create a look of prolonged crying.
The hosts concluded Michael Scott's sadness over Sprinkles' death was genuine, highlighting his empathy for employees.

Meredith's exposure to rabies from multiple animals and Michael's belief he saved her were discussed.
The medical facts of rabies treatment and transmission were cited from the Mayo Clinic.
Michael felt relief, believing a 'curse' was broken after saving Meredith.
Kevin focused on whether Jim and Pam were dating, referencing the fan-created couple name 'Jam' (PB&J).