A dark Halloween cold open from The Office, which was cut from reruns, streams, and DVDs after a public outcry, has resurfaced online and is drawing millions of views.
The scene, from the 2009 episode “Koi Pond,” shows Michael Scott (Steve Carell) running a haunted house in the Dunder Mifflin warehouse for Halloween. The gag ends with Michael faking a hanging in front of a group of toddlers while dressed as the SNL “Dick in a Box” character. As he jerks and spasms, he tells the children: “Just remember suicide is never the answer, alright?”
Why the Scene Was Pulled
According to AV Club, an anonymous producer said the scene caused public outcry, but that wasn't the only reason it was removed from future broadcasts. Caryn Zucker, then married to NBCUniversal president and CEO Jeff Zucker, worked in suicide prevention and urged her husband to have the scene cut.
The episode was re-cut and re-delivered, with the original HD-SR delivery masters collected back from NBC and placed in deep storage. Multiple outlets report the clip remained on the official Office YouTube account until 2019.
Fans React to the Viral Clip
The clip was recently shared by an Office fan account and has been viewed more than six million times. Many fans praised it, with @wrighthouseprod writing: “This is one of the top five funniest moments on the show, so of course it’s banned.” @TylerFromOnline added: “This is quite literally the first time an Office clip has made me laugh.”
Others recalled seeing it when it originally aired. @MidWestMet said: “I remember watching this when it aired, and laughed so hard. Didn’t realise it was cut out later.” Some viewers acknowledged why it was pulled, with @BazBombadil joking: “I was like ‘this isn’t that bad, why would this be ba—oh….’” @yellowsclub wrote: “I was very confused by why it was banned, and then I wasn’t. lol.”
The Office is available to stream on Netflix, Disney Plus, and NOW.
