Spooked

"Spooked" is the fifth episode of the eighth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 157th episode overall. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on October 27, 2011. It was written by Carrie Kemper, sister of cast member Ellie Kemper, and directed by Randall Einhorn. The episode guest starred David Mazouz. The series—presented as if it were a real documentary—depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. In the episode, Erin Hannon (Kemper) works to make a spooky, non-childish Halloween party with help from Gabe Lewis (Zach Woods). Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) becomes friends with Robert California's (James Spader) son (David Mazouz), and Pam (Jenna Fischer) and Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) debate the existence of ghosts. Meanwhile, Robert figures out everyone's deepest fears and tries to culminate a ghost story. "Spooked" received mixed reviews, although many critics complimented Ellie Kemper's performance. According to the Nielsen Media Research, "Spooked" drew 5.53 million viewers and received a 2.9 rating/7% share in the 18–49 demographic. The episode ranked as one of the lowest-rated episodes of the series to air on Thursday and ranked third in its timeslot. Synopsis Erin Hannon (Ellie Kemper) has been assigned to set up the Halloween party by Andy Bernard (Ed Helms), who wants to live up to the expectations set by Robert California (James Spader). Robert arrives with his son Bert (David Mazouz) and remarks that the party is more tailored to kids than adults. In response, Andy asks Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey) and Phyllis Vance (Phyllis Smith) to take over and re-tailor the party, much to Erin's chagrin as she still holds feelings for him. Andy also tells her that he wishes to speak with her at the end of the day. Worried that he intends to fire her, she asks Gabe Lewis (Zach Woods) to help her make the party more "scary" and "sexy", and he gives her a tape to show everyone. Gabe explains to the camera crew that the video is a Cinema of the Unsettling movie, an avant garde film genre defined by its disturbing images and absence of plot. Disgusted by the video (as well as visibly baffled by two of the images displaying Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nunez)'s grandma and Stanley Hudson (Leslie David Baker) simply getting in his car), the office staff demand an explanation from Erin.