In what obviously was the biggest glitch in 2013, we never got to see Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer) pull this amazing Matrix prank on Dwight (Rainn Wilson) in the show The Office. The prank was filmed as part of the series finale but it was never released… until now! Finally, in 2021, we get to see Dwight choose between the blue pill or red pill and see “just how deep the rabbit hole goes.”
The Office has been a staple over at Netflix for years, but now it has begun streaming exclusively on NBC’s own streaming service, Peacock. To celebrate the move, they finally released this long lost scene. The highlight of the scene has to be when security guard Hank (Hugh Dane) seamlessly steps into the role of Dorpheus, brother of Lawrence Fishburne’s Morpheus character from The Matrix. The only thing that Jim couldn’t have anticipated was Dwight’s reaction! Included at the end of the footage is a loving tribute to Dane, who sadly passed away in 2018.
On an episode of Brian Baumgartner’s Oral History of The Office Podcast, show editor Dave Rogers explained this cold open scene was cut due to time. Fortunately, NBC has decided to take it out of the vault for us to enjoy!
Jim’s pranks on Dwight were a cornerstone of the show’s comic genius from day one. The pranks ranged from the ridiculous to the cruel. Office supplies in Jell-O, mysterious red wires that lead out to the tops of telephone poles, and jamming desks so you can see in them but not get your stuff were just a few of the classic ones. Over the course of the show’s nine-season run, as Dwight and Jim went from enemies to, well, frenemies, the pranks kept coming. Even as Dwight’s “Bestisch Mensch,” Jim delivered a series of “gutenpranks” leading up to Dwight’s wedding.
The Office began exclusively streaming on Peacock in the United States on New Year’s Day. While the service allows the first two seasons to be streamed for free, but you will have to pay for a subscription to view the rest of the series. On the bright side, the paywall includes access to extended “superfan” cuts of episodes with other previously unaired scenes added back in.
What did you think of this lost scene? Do you think the series finale of The Office would have been better with it included? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Source: EW
