The Paper Ep 3: Buddy and the Dude - Office Ladies Recap
Podcast: Office Ladies
Published: 2026-01-14
Duration: 1 hr 4 min
Guests: Mary Hollis Inboden
Summary
Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey discuss 'The Paper' episode 'Buddy and the Dude', focusing on a mattress store scam investigation. They also share personal anecdotes and play a fun game with Creed Bratton.
What Happened
In 'The Paper' episode 'Buddy and the Dude', Ned attempts to teach the newsroom staff how to differentiate fact from fiction, while Mare goes undercover to expose a fraudulent mattress store scam. Esmeralda tries to sabotage their efforts, adding tension to the storyline. The episode was directed by Yana Gorskaya and drew inspiration from a real-life experience of Greg Daniels, who discovered that mattress stores often use exclusive names for similar products to prevent price comparisons.
Guest star Mary Hollis Inboden joined the cast as Cindy. Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey shared behind-the-scenes stories about Inboden's previous audition for a series regular role and her appreciation for the welcoming crew during the episode's filming at a real mattress store.
Creed Bratton, known for his comedic flair, joined Jenna and Angela for a game of '2 Truths & A Lie'. During the game, Bratton humorously revealed that he never owned a 1958 Gibson Carina Explorer, keeping the hosts entertained.
Listener Steve from Pittsburgh sparked a discussion on thermostat settings. Jenna prefers a cozy 70 degrees, whereas Angela likes a cooler 64 degrees at night, highlighting their different approaches to comfort.
Angela shared her journey of purging her closet and focusing on single-tasking, emphasizing the benefits of maintaining focus and setting boundaries. She recounted how she stops mid-sentence if someone checks a device during a conversation to reinforce the importance of attention.
The hosts also touched on everyday topics such as gas station sushi, which they humorously debated, and provided insights into the challenges of working from home, particularly the pitfalls of multitasking versus single-tasking.
Key Insights
- Mattress stores often use exclusive product names to prevent price comparisons, a tactic inspired by Greg Daniels' real-life experience and explored in the episode.
- Mary Hollis Inboden guest-starred as Cindy, having previously auditioned for a series regular role, and filmed her scenes at an actual mattress store.
- During a game of '2 Truths & A Lie', Creed Bratton humorously disclosed he never owned a 1958 Gibson Carina Explorer, adding a comedic element to the episode.
- Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey have differing thermostat preferences, with Jenna favoring 70 degrees for coziness and Angela opting for a cooler 64 degrees at night.