The Coup (The Office)

"The Coup" is the third episode of the third season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's thirty-first episode overall. It first aired on October 5, 2006, on NBC in the United States.

The series depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. In this episode, Jan Levinson (Melora Hardin) becomes unimpressed with how Michael Scott (Steve Carell) is controlling his branch, so Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) tries to take his job and an office power play ensues. Meanwhile, Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) conducts a lunchtime fashion show, and the Stamford branch plays Call of Duty as a team-building exercise, something Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) does not do well in.

The episode was written by co-executive producer Paul Lieberstein and directed by executive producer Greg Daniels. Several cast members noted that the episode contained Shakespearean elements, such as Angela Martin's similarities with the Macbeth character Lady Macbeth. According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was viewed by 4.1% of all 18- to 49-year-olds, and 11% of all 18- to 49-year-olds watching television at the time of the broadcast. Critical reception was largely mixed, with several reviewers criticizing Jim's Stamford storyline.