Training

"Training"
Pretty girl on the hood of a cadillac, yeah
Episode no.	Episode 4
Original airdate	30 July 2001
Written by	Ricky Gervais Stephen Merchant
Directed by	Ricky Gervais Stephen Merchant
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Training is the fourth episode of the first series of The Office. The DVD extras for the series reveal this to be the favourite episode of almost the entire cast.

Plot

It's staff training day at Wernham Hogg, and an outside facilitator, Rowan, has come in to educate the Slough branch about customer care. David, naturally, is determined to undermine him at every opportunity by offering unhelpful suggestions and needless interruptions. Meanwhile, Dawn and her fiancé Lee are having trouble in their relationship.

During the day-long training session, frustration builds for all, including Rowan and Tim , who grows mildly annoyed and bemused. In a typical episode to prove wrong those who doubt his musical ability, Brent breaks into song, singing self-penned titles such as "Spaceman" and "Freelove Freeway" to the general muted response of those present. The song Freelove Freeway sung by David Brent proves to be a quite a hit among the employees especially Gareth who eventually sings along from encouraged by Tim and earlier in the song Gareth tries to encourage the employees by saying "everyone" to no avail. He also comforts Dawn with a composition about Princess Diana, titled "Paris Nights", contending that the lyrics have specific application to her present tiff with Lee.

Meanwhile, unbeknown to Tim, Dawn and Lee reconcile their differences and appear to return their relationship to normal. The episode's climax comes as Rowan loses patience with yet another pointless interruption from Brent, ending the training session. Tim, equally frustrated with the situation and the seeming pointlessness of his job at Wernham Hogg, very publicly quits while lambasting Gareth . Before he goes, he publicly asks Dawn to accompany him for a drink, now that she is single. Quietly, she informs him that she has made-up with Lee, and Tim attempts to play the entire request off as a friendly offer.

Quotes

• David: A postage stamp is legal tender. A bus driver would have to accept that as currency.
  Tim: Yeah. That'd happen!
  David: Well if he doesn't, report him.
  Tim: Yeah report him when I'm walking home.
  Gareth: Get a taxi if you've got enough stamps.
  Dawn: Or cash them in at a post office.
  David: Shouldn't have to! Shouldn't have to.

• Gareth: All farmers have wives.
  Tim: This one doesn't, he's gay.
  Gareth: Well, then, he shouldn't be allowed near animals should he?

• David: We’re both good in our own fields. I’m sure Texas couldn’t run and manage a successful paper merchants. I couldn’t do what-, well, I could do what they do, and I think they knew that, even back then. Probably what spurred them on.

• Gareth: The thing is about long term marriage is that inevitably, the sex suffers. You constantly have to find new and erotic ways of spicing things up in the bedroom.

• Dawn: He proposed on a Valentine’s Day, although he didn’t do it face to face, he did it in one of the little Valentine bits in the paper. I think he had to pay for it by the word, because it just said "Lee love Dawn, marriage?" which you know, I like, because it’s not often you get to something that’s both romantic and thrifty.

• Rowan: Gareth, quick excercise, ultimate fantasy.
  Gareth: What?
  David: Where doing the ultimate fantasy thing.
  Gareth: Two lesbians probably, sisters, I'm just watching.
  Rowan: OK. Tim?
  Tim: Never thought I'd say this but can I hear more from Gareth, please?

Cultural References

• Catchphrase - A popular British gameshow presented by Roy Walker. The games premise was that two contestants had to guess what catchphrase was being displayed to them on a screen.

Trivia

• During the "Who Cares Wins" video, you can see an eye chart in the opticians which reads "Have you heard of customer care".

Gallery

• 

  Two lesbians probably.

• 

  Dogs.

• 

  Rowan not pleased.

• 

  Brent classic.

• For more images go to: Gallery:TheOffice_Training

External links

• BBC episode guide: "Training"