 The episode was the first original episode of The Office to be broadcast since the episode " The Deposition " on November 15 , 2007 , due to the effects of the 2007 – 2008 Writers Guild of America strike . As such , the atmosphere on the set was one of a more laid @-@ back nature , and the cast broke into laughter due to the jokes many times . " Dinner Party " received largely positive reviews from critics , with many hailing it as one of the series ' best entries . The episode received 4 @.@ 8 Nielsen rating and was watched by 9 @.@ 2 million viewers . 
