The Duel (The Office) - Production - Writing

Writing

"The Duel" was written by Jennifer Celotta, a producer and show runner with The Office. The episode featured the conclusion of the love triangle between Dwight, Andy and Angela, a subplot that had been going on since the fourth season finale, "Goodbye, Toby". The cast and writing staff saw "The Duel" as a defining episode for Andy Bernard because it demonstrated a softer, more emotional side of the character. Dean Holland, who directed the episode, said this was particularly effective because in past episodes, he displayed such rage problems that he had to attend anger management courses, but in "The Duel" he responded to horrible news in a heartrending way. Rainn Wilson particularly praised Ed Helms' performance, saying, "He gives a lot of heart and soul, and Andy is such a doofus and a douche, and now you really get to see his heart break. There's some reality there. That's the great thing this show gives us, just when you think you know the characters and they're two-dimensional and they're goofy and crazy, in their own way, you get real human redemption."

The subplot with David Wallace seeking managerial advice from Michael due to the poor financial condition of Dunder Mifflin was the first acknowledgment of the economic crisis facing much of the globalized nation at the time of the episode due to the financial crisis of 2007–2010. This set the stage for a continuing motif of financial difficulties for Dunder Mifflin, which would eventually culminate in the sixth season episode "Secret Santa", in which it is revealed the company has been sold and its executives all fired.

A number of scenes and lines in "The Duel" were improvised by the actors. During one scene, Michael repeatedly tries to tell Andy about Angela's affair, but Jim constantly interrupts him while forcing him into his office. John Krasinski improvised most of his lines and noises, and Wilson said they were so funny, "I was just chortling over at my desk". The scene as it appears in the episode consists of about six different takes spliced together. Krasinski also conceived a moment in "The Duel" when Jim returns to his desk by awkwardly passing through Dwight and Andy while they are facing off against each other. Wilson called the addition to the scene "a really nice touch". During another scene, Dwight sings a nursery rhyme that goes, "Learn your rules, you better learn your rules, if you don't, you'll be eaten in your sleep!" Celotta and Wilson came up with several versions of the song, but the one that appeared in the final episode was conceived by Wilson.

A line in which Dwight tells Andy that Angela "certainly seems to enjoy making love making" was improvised by Wilson. Much of the dialogue between Andy and Dwight during the duel scene was also improvised. It was writer Paul Lieberstein, who served as show runner along with Celotta at the time, who suggested the idea of Andy sneaking up on Dwight with his Toyota Prius. The original script called for the entire office cast to come down to the parking lot from the Dunder Mifflin office to try to stop Dwight and Andy from fighting. However, the staging proved awkward during filming, so John Krasinski suggested that only Jim go down to the parking lot while the others stayed behind, and the change was eventually incorporated into the episode.