The Office built its legacy on cringe comedy, but one cold open went so far that NBC erased it from existence. The Season 6 episode "Koi Pond" originally kicked off with a Halloween haunted house in the Dunder Mifflin warehouse—and a jaw-dropping gag involving Michael Scott (Steve Carell) pretending to hang himself. It aired exactly once before being yanked from all future broadcasts, syndication, and streaming. Now, with the upcoming release of The Office: The Complete Series – Superfan Extended Episodes on Digital and Blu-ray, fans are wondering if this notorious scene will finally resurface.
The Haunted House That Went Too Far
In the deleted cold open, Dunder Mifflin employees set up a haunted house for coworkers' kids. Creed (Creed Bratton) dresses as a vampire eager to sell the children's blood, and Jim (John Krasinski) writes "BOOK" on his face—a failed attempt at a Facebook joke that Darryl (Craig Robinson) dubs "Bookface." But Michael, ever the attention-seeker, takes things to a disturbing level. Wearing a wrapped present box on his crotch (a nod to The Lonely Island's "Dick in a Box" sketch), he drops from the ceiling with a noose around his neck, writhing as if dying while kids scream in horror. After going limp, he pops up and says, "Kids, just remember, suicide is never the answer."
The scene is pure Michael Scott: clueless, well-meaning, and utterly tone-deaf. He genuinely believes he's delivering a valuable lesson while simultaneously terrifying children. But the joke landed with a thud, sparking outrage from viewers who found it offensive to trivialize suicide.
Why NBC Pulled the Scene
NBC received complaints from upset viewers, but the decision to remove the cold open wasn't just about public backlash. According to an anonymous Office producer speaking to The AV Club, the scene was pulled because of Caryn Zucker, then-wife of NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker. Caryn, who worked in suicide prevention, was personally offended by the gag. She asked her husband to intervene, leading to a call from Jeff Zucker to NBC reps and Office producers. The episode was re-cut, and the original HD masters were collected and placed into deep storage.
This wasn't the first time The Office used suicide as comedy. In Season 3's "Safety Training," Michael fakes a suicide attempt on the office roof to teach a lesson about depression—a scene that remains in circulation. But the haunted house cold open crossed a line, especially given its Halloween context and the presence of actual children.
What We Lost (and Gained)
While the cold open's removal was understandable, it also erased some genuinely funny moments—like Creed's vampire bit and the birth of "Bookface." The scene is a perfect example of how The Office balanced cringe with heart, even when it misfired. Michael's lack of self-awareness is the engine of the show's humor, but here it collided with a subject that even the most forgiving fans couldn't laugh off.
The upcoming Superfan Extended Episodes release promises over 25 hours of previously unaired footage, but it's unclear if this controversial cold open will be included. Given the sensitivity around suicide, NBC may keep it buried. For now, the scene exists only in fan memories and grainy clips online—a relic of a time when The Office pushed boundaries, sometimes too far.
For more on sitcoms that aged surprisingly well, check out our list of Forgotten 2000s Sitcoms That Only Got Better With Time. And if you're a fan of beloved characters, don't miss The All-Time Most Universally Beloved Sitcom Characters, Ranked.
