B.J. Novak Defended The Office's 'Cringiest' Episode Ever: 'It's A Lovable Version Of Michael Scott'

You can't appreciate "The Office" in all the ways the writers intended without subscribing to its exploitation of secondhand embarrassment. Sometimes, there are socially awkward moments like that Jim and Pam scene that didn't age well. But there's quite a difference between a scene that's difficult to watch and an episode that's practically unwatchable. Even the show's most devoted fans tend to agree that the season 6 entry "Scott's Tots" is the series' most squirm-inducing outing.

The premise alone explains why. A decade earlier, Michael Scott promised a class of third-graders he would cover their college tuition, and now that they've graduated, the best he can offer them is a handout of laptop batteries. Michael's struggle to tell the truth, as the kids heap praise on him makes the episode unwatchable.

If you ask the man who directed the slow-motion humiliation, that's precisely the reason why the show's thesis works. "To me it's ... It's not about what ended up being a lie or a broken promise. It's Michael's — he got carried away with his generosity. It's a very, very lovable version of Michael Scott, as well as a heartbreaking version of Michael Scott," B.J. Novak told hosts Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey on the Office Ladies podcast. He noted that almost nobody argues the episode is out of character or badly made. It's that it simply hurts to go through. "It's more just like, 'It's so hard to watch.' So it is consistent, I think, with the show."

In his remarks, B.J. Novak also mentioned that the British version closed on a bleak note in most episodes. The American writers were quietly doing the same, even if it wasn't the case in all the episodes. An entire subreddit exists for people who cannot make it through the episode, and it still gets the occasional cringe story from someone who's attempted a rewatch. So, at some point you have to wonder, what is it about "Scott's Tots?"

Psychologists who've weighed in point to a collision of emotions. "Cringe-worthy moments are the emotion of shame," Dr. Pamela Rutledge of the Medical Psychology Research Center told Bustle. "Shame is physically uncomfortable because it is not something we want others to see. The anticipation of being shamed creates anxiety." So the audience experiencing the buildup is feeling that anticipation, and they know it will be inevitably bad. While the context may differ, the feeling is universal, and fans might dredge up memories that were particularly embarrassing for them in real life.

Novak would argue that's the whole point. The reason "Scott's Tots" stings is the same reason it endures. Whatever the cast of "The Office" may be up to today, the show endures thanks to episodes like "Scott's Tots." The bizarre truth about this classic episode of "The Office" is that those kids may struggle to root for the man who crushed their dreams, but somehow, impossibly, we still do.