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The IT Crowd (UK)/Calamity Jen
| Calamity Jen | |
 | |
| Season 1, Episode 2 | |
| Airdate | January 29, 2006 |
| Written by | Graham Linehan |
| Directed by | Graham Linehan |
| ← 1x01 Yesterday's Jam |
1x03 → 50/50 |
| The IT Crowd (UK) — Season One | |
Calamity Jen is the second episode of the first season of The IT Crowd.
Starring: Chris O'Dowd (Roy), Richard Ayoade (Moss), Katherine Parkinson (Jen)
Guest Starring: Chris Morris (Denholm), Rachel Bavidge (Stressed woman), Togo Igawa (Japanese boss), Toby Longsworth (Dr. Julian Holmes), Pamela Lyne (Old lady), Katie Males (Shoe shop assistant), Takatsuna Mukai (Translator), Sarah Paul (Nurse), Richard Pettyfer (Fireman), Danny Wallace (Cultural advisor), Wendy Wason (Woman in lift)
Contents |
Plot Overview
While walking to work, Jen spots a pair of red shoes in a window and becomes obsessed with buying them. Even when she gets to work and is dragged into a general meeting with Denholm, all she can think about is the shoes. Meanwhile, Denholm declares war on stress, and anyone still experiencing stress at the end of the day will be fired. Jen runs out the door while he talks.
While Jen buys the red shoes (two sizes too small), Roy and Moss disrupt the stress seminar. Roy makes a woman cry while both of them manage to piss off the speaker.
Back in the IT office, Moss makes his own stress-detecting machine while Jen shows off her new shoes (the guys don't notice). Jen takes off her shoes only to discover her feet are now deformed. Roy leaves to get a muffin, but before he leaves he reminds Moss to make sure the soldering iron used to build the stress machine is turned off. Moss walks over to it, and now confused, ends up turning it back on which starts a fire.
Jen sees the nurse, who won't let her put the red shoes back on. Roy runs into the stress speaker again, who beats him up. Denholm is talking to some Japanese businessmen, having just completed a merger. The highest-ranking Japanese businessman is wearing Doc Martens that Denholm gave him, and he starts stomping in the shoes because of their weight. Jen happens to walk by and he steps on her feet by accident, causing her to scream obscenities at him. The Japanese leave, greatly displeased, and Jen is in big trouble.
Roy comes back with the stress machine, and discovers the fire. Jen also comes back, freaking out—before she even sees that the office is burning. Denholm is on his way down, so Jen makes Roy help her get her shoes back on, and he accidentally gets stabbed by the heel. Denholm bursts in, but Moss and Roy have mocked up the fire so it appears to be the screen saver on an empty monitor. Determined to fire Jen, Denholm decides to make her take the stress test on the machine Roy brought down—but no matter how much he freaks her out, the meter never goes up. So she keeps her job. When Moss checks to see why the machine didn't work, he finds "Made in Britain" printed on the bottom.
Both Roy and Jen finally pass out from their injuries, and the fire brigade bursts into the room.
Notes
Arc Advancement
Happenings
- Roy and Moss attend a stress seminar and really piss off the speaker, who beats up Roy in front of the elevators.
- Moss accidentally starts a fire in the IT department, which they manage to conceal from Denholm. The fire brigade shows up... eventually.
- A merger between Reynholm Industries and a Japanese firm is canceled when Jen curses out the Japanese CEO. Jen is almost fired, but is saved by a broken stress-detecting machine.
Characters
- Denholm is always declaring war on things. Today it's stress.
- Jen messes up her feet by buying shoes two sizes too small. The shoes are size 6; she is most likely a size 8.
- Moss previously set a fire in the IT department with the soldering iron. Someone almost died.
Trivia
The Show
Behind the Scenes
Allusions and References
- Space Invaders: Roy is wearing a t-shirt with a Space Invader on it.
- Doc Martens: Denholm gives a pair of these to the Japanese CEO on the advice of his cultural advisor.
Memorable Moments
- The profanity button.
Quotes
- (A fire has broken out in the office, so Moss sits down to type a message requesting help)
Moss: "Subject: Fire. Dear Sir stroke Madam, I am writing to inform you of a FIRE which has broken out at the premises of- no, that's too formal. (hitting backspace) Dear Sir stroke Madam, FIRE. Exclamation mark. FIRE. Exclamation mark. Help me. Exclamation mark. 123 Carreden Road. Looking forward to hearing from you. All the best, Maurice Moss."
