"Branch Closing" is the seventh episode of the third season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 35th overall. It was written by co-executive producer Michael Schur and directed by Tucker Gates. An edited version of the episode first aired on November 9, 2006 on NBC; later that night, a longer "producer's cut" edition was released, with deleted scenes edited into the full episode and broadcast on the website NBC.com. This uncut episode is the version included on the Season 3 DVD set.
The series depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton and Stamford branches of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. In this episode, the Scranton branch has varied reactions to news that their branch will close. Michael Scott (Steve Carell) and Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) head to the CFO's house to convince him not to. When head of the Stamford branch Josh Porter (Charles Esten) announces he is quitting, the employees find that the company's plans have changed.
According to Nielsen Media Research, an estimated 8.05 million viewers watched "Branch Closing" on its first broadcast. Critical reception to the episode was very positive, with one reviewer opining that it "expertly combines character-driven and situational humor, while realistically presenting a major change that advances the stories of all the characters. The result is a fantastically funny, enjoyable and realistic half-hour."
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