The Controversial Halloween Scene That Was Cut From 'The Office'

The Office is coming up on its 15th anniversary in 2020, and despite the fact that it hasn't been on the air since 2013, it's still the most-watched show on Netflix. People just can't get enough of the awkward comedy, loveable characters, and, of course, the uncomfortable jokes. But as we approach Halloween this week, it has surfaced that even the Dunder Mifflin crew can cross a line into too uncomfortable.

PopCulture.com reports that NBC has made a huge change to the beginning of Season 6 Episode 8, titled “Koi Pond.” When you watch the episode now, it begins with Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) nervous for a meeting with an important client. Michael Scott (Steve Carell) tags along, but when they return Michael is soaking wet, having fell into the lobby’s Koi pond.

However, the episode didn’t always begin this way. What many fans don’t know is that NBC scrubbed the original cold-open that served as the show’s Halloween celebration that season. In the sequence, the Scranton branch crafts a haunted house for local kids in their warehouse. Darryl Philbin (Craig Robinson) pushes the kids around on a cart, taking them through the badly made scenes prepared by the other employees.

Of course, the only one who takes the challenge seriously is Michael, who refers to Darryl as "gangster pumpkin." The lackluster response from the kids causes Michael to want to “raise the stakes,” which results in him hanging himself from a noose and wriggling for a moment before teaching the kids a confusing message about seeking mental health care if you feel suicidal.

Needless to say, audiences did not take kindly to the sequence. While the scene has been hunted down and cut from DVDs, re-runs, and Netflix, it still can be found online. If you want to see it for yourself, it's available on YouTube here.