Plot
The office staffers hold a "Secret Santa" gift exchange at their Christmas party. Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) received Pam Beesly's (Jenna Fischer) name, and puts a great deal of effort into getting her the perfect gift (a teapot filled with some small items and a personal letter from him to her). Michael Scott (Steve Carell) buys a $400 video iPod as his gift to Ryan Howard (B.J. Novak), far exceeding the $20 limit. He is disappointed by the handmade item he receives from Phyllis Lapin (Phyllis Smith) and introduces a "Yankee Swap", in which someone can choose to steal someone else's gift or open a new one.
Jim is left feeling uncertain about the fate of his special present for Pam—which is eventually claimed by Dwight—while the staff competes for the iPod. Although Pam ends up with the iPod at the end of the swap, she elects to trade the iPod for Jim's gift that was meant for her to show her appreciation. While she goes through the various aspects of her gift, Jim sneaks the letter he wrote for her into his pocket.
After ruining his staff's mood, Michael disobeys company policy by buying an obscene amount of alcohol for the Christmas party to compensate. Everyone ends up having a good time, with the exception of Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey), who is furious that she received no appreciation for her efforts toward arranging the Christmas party, as well as the fact that Kelly makes advances on Dwight, whom Angela is secretly dating. The episode ends with a drunken Meredith Palmer (Kate Flannery) exposing herself to a shocked Michael, who takes a picture and then quickly flees.
Read more about this topic: Christmas Party (The Office)
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