BJ Novak cringes at The Office ‘Scott’s Tots’ episode: ‘We did not have a foot in the real world’

Though fans may disagree on what the best-ever episode of The Office is, I think everyone is in agreement on what the most cringe-worthy is. The season 6 episode “Scott’s Tots” sees Michael Scott (Steve Carell) at one of his lowest points in the series, as he must return to a school where he once promised the kids he would pay for their college tuitions. 10 years later, Michael has to face the consequences of his broken promise as of course, he’s nowhere near wealthy enough to afford that.

The painful episode was written by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky and directed by BJ Novak (Ryan Howard), and now Novak is looking back on the time while a guest on the Office Ladies podcast hosted by Jenna Fischer and Anna Kinsey. The Office fans are likely all familiar with the podcast, as the two ladies have been dissecting every episode of the workplace comedy since launching their show back in 2019.

BJ Novak remembers The Office “Scott’s Tots” episode

As reported by Mashable, Novak jumped on the podcast and jokingly asked, “Just so we get clear, did you bring me on to answer for Scott’s Tots? To apologize?”

The reason why the episode is so awkward and tough to watch is because of the way Michael handles the situation. He brings Erin (Ellie Kemper) with him to the school, and instead of telling the kids right away that he let them down, he allows them to perform a whole song for him and go on and on about how much he’s changing their lives. It’s terrible! In the end, Michael finally confesses and after realizing he can’t even afford to buy their textbooks at college, he gives them batteries. So cringe.

Fischer asked Novak if he knew when making the episode that it would become the most cringe-worthy of the series, to which he said he didn’t. He explained:

"“I had no idea. It seemed great. You know, I was assigned the script, loved it, and it was only much later…. I think it’s a sign of how deep into the show I was, or we all were, that we did not have a foot in the real world. Not that that was an unrealistic episode…that’s exactly what Michael would do. That’s exactly what Michael would feel. I also think that we can talk about it creatively. It makes a lot of sense to me. I don’t know if people are responding to — it seems like no one’s responding to it saying, ‘It’s a bad episode’ or ‘Michael wouldn’t do that.’ It’s more just like, ‘It’s so hard to watch.’ So it is consistent, I think, with the show.”"

Novak went on to talk about how the dark moments on The Office were “important,” comparing the U.S. version to the original U.K. show, which also had darker scenes. When talking about Michael’s motivations and intentions, specifically in “Scott’s Tots,” Novak shared:

"“That is sort of this incredible distillation of why we love Michael so much and why he’s made everyone’s life so impossibly difficult, which is sort of the heart and the comedy of the series. But it’s not usually that intense, you know?”"

While most people find it hard to watch “Scott’s Tots,” even skipping the episode during another Office rewatch, others really do enjoy it. Collider wrote an ode to the episode in 2018, calling it “one of the show’s best and most essential episodes—if you can make it through the entire thing,”

“Scott’s Tots” was certainly great writing, and fans of The Office should watch it at least once.