"Moroccan Christmas" is the third Christmas episode of the NBC sitcom The Office, based on the 2001-02 BBC series, produced and aired as the tenth episode of the show's fifth season.
Synopsis[]
Phyllis throws a Moroccan-themed Christmas party, her first one as head of the Party Planning Committee. Alcohol is served at it, of which Meredith takes full advantage—she gets so intoxicated that she accidentally sets her hair on fire while dancing around. Dwight puts it out with a fire extinguisher and the party comes to a halt. Michael then stages an intervention by gathering everyone in a circle to discuss how Meredith's alcoholism affects them. When she continues to deny it, the rest of the office find it best to go back to the party. Michael then talks with her in his office before leaving the building. She is told by him that they are going to a bar, but he actually takes her to a rehabilitation center. When she sees this, she tries to escape, but he grabs her and drags her into the center. However, he learns that the staff will not check anyone in against their will, so they leave and head back to the office.
Dwight has been performing research to determine what will be the most popular toy of the current Christmas season: a doll named "Princess Unicorn", which is (as the name implies) a princess with a unicorn horn on her head. He has bought every doll he could find in the local toy stores and explains he is going to sell them to desperate parents for an enormous profit. Jim is skeptical that people would pay a high price for one, but he watches numerous customers come in throughout the day to purchase one from Dwight, all paying his asking price of $200. Toby wants to buy one for his daughter, Sasha, so he can be the hero this Christmas, which would irritate his ex-wife. When he goes to Dwight to purchase one, he finds that Darryl has already purchased the last one. Toby begs Darryl to the verge of tears, and he offers to sell it to him for twice the price. Toby says that he does not have the money with him, but Darryl allows him to pay him back later, and he becomes visibly happy. He is, however, slightly shocked when the doll he gets from Darryl is a black version of it, but he decides not to complain.
Throughout the day, Phyllis continues to order Angela to do various tasks for the party, such as preparing a plate of bread and hummus during Michael's intervention or putting away her Nativity scene and removing the Christmas tree (as neither of those are in the theme of Moroccan Christmas). When Phyllis tells Angela to bring the Christmas tree back after Michael and Meredith leave, she refuses, telling Phyllis that she will no longer fulfill her demands. Phyllis threatens to inform everyone of Angela's affair with Dwight, but she still refuses, as Phyllis would no longer be head of the Party Planning Committee if she did. As Phyllis despondently heads toward the door, she suddenly turns around and announces to the office that Angela is having an affair with Dwight, much to everyone's shock. She is visibly upset while he is visibly amused. Pam claims that she knew it all along, which Jim initially doubts, but then decides to believe her in the spirit of Christmas. Andy, however, was absent for Phyllis' announcement, having been in the annex teaching himself to play a sitar. At the end of the episode, he returns to the party to play "Deck the Halls" for Angela on it, before she asks him to take her home. The rest of the office decide not to reveal Phyllis' secret to him.
Songs[]
- Uncredited
- "Deck the Halls" - Ed Helms
- "Ay Papi" - Amy Correa and Pablo Rodriguez Escobar
Availability[]
The episode was made available on The Office: Season 5 DVD set in 2009. It was also featured on The Office: Secret Santa Pack DVD in 2010 and The Office: Complete Christmas Collection DVD and Blu-ray in 2023.
Cast[]
| Actor/actress | Character |
|---|---|
| Steve Carell | Michael Scott |
| Rainn Wilson | Dwight Schrute |
| John Krasinski | Jim Halpert |
| Jenna Fischer | Pam Beesly |
| Ed Helms | Andy Bernard |
| Leslie David Baker | Stanley Hudson |
| Brian Baumgartner | Kevin Malone |
| Creed Bratton | Self |
| Kate Flannery | Meredith Palmer |
| Mindy Kaling | Kelly Kapoor |
| Angela Kinsey | Angela Martin |
| Paul Lieberstein | Toby Flenderson |
| Oscar Nunez | Oscar Martinez |
| Craig Robinson | Darryl Philbin |
| Phyllis Smith | Phyllis Vance |
| Kelly Cantley | Admitting Nurse |
| Matthew Craig | Dad |
See also[]
- "Christmas Party"
- "A Benihana Christmas"
- "Secret Santa"
- "Classy Christmas"
- "Christmas Wishes"
- "Dwight Christmas"