“Baby Shower” is the third episode of the fifth season of the television series The Office, and the show’s sixty-eighth episode overall. The episode aired in the United States on October 16, 2008 on NBC.
Plot
Dwight acts out the process of birth with a watermelon, as Michael wants to be prepared for Jan’s baby.
The Party Planning Committee is planning Jan’s baby shower, and collects money for a present, which many employees are reluctant to donate to. Angela makes a “guess whose baby picture” game for the shower, and she is angered when Andy unintentionally makes fun of her picture.
Jim and Pam feel awkward trying to communicate with each other throughout the day, with Pam telling the documentary crew that the two of them were having an off day.
Jan arrives with her baby girl, Astrid, already born, much to everyone’s surprise. The shower ends up taking place anyway, and Michael tries to pacify Jan by being cold to Holly, which makes her uncomfortable despite being foretold by Michael.
The present the office got for Jan ended up being a stroller, which was unnecessary as she already had a more expensive $1200 Orbit stroller. Dwight found this a ridiculous price to pay, stating that his bomb shelter cost that much, so he goes out to test the durability of the stroller as the shower continues. He straps the watermelon front the beginning of the show into the stroller and goes out to a dump-like area to throw the stroller into fences and off of small cliffs. He also ends up tying the stroller to the back of his car for his “bumper test.”
Michael holds Astrid, only to find no connection, so he seeks advice from another “baby-daddy,” Darryl. Darryl mocks him, as the baby is not even Michael’s. Jan acts coldly to Holly when they have a conversation, being direct when Holly attempts humour. Jan then retrieves her daughter from Angela and Andy, who were setting up a photo of the baby amongst vegetables. She leaves soon afterward, telling Michael in the car park not to date Holly. Michael hugs Holly when he goes back into the building and feels a connection he did not feel with Astrid. He then asks her out on a date, which she accepts, visibly moved.
Jim and Pam call each other at the exact same time and leave each other messages that are extremely similar, hinting that perhaps they are not as disjointed as this day has made them feel but highlighting the difficulty they are both having with being apart.
Reception
In the 18-49 demographic, Baby Shower earned a 4.1/10 ratings share. The episode was watched by 8.07 million viewers.
“Baby Shower” was voted the nineteenth highest-rated episode out of 26 from the fifth season, according to an episode poll at the fansite OfficeTally; the episode was rated 7.74 out of 10.