Outsourced Episode 1.01 Pilot

On a bright Kansas City morning, we meet Todd Dempsy, fresh off management training. He rolls into the office ready to climb the corporate ladder as the new call center manager for Mid-America Novelties. But instead of finding a sea of happy faces ready to get to work, he finds a sea of abandoned desks and disconnected phones.

Todd's boss Jerry explains that the call center has been "right-sized," i.e., domestic jobs have been eliminated, and will be filled by lower-cost employees in India. He tells Todd what a great opportunity he's walking into – if he moves to India and succeeds, he'll be made vice president. If he doesn't, there's no longer a place for him at the firm. Faced with a mountain of student loans, Todd's got no choice but to start packing for his new life abroad.

Careening around the streets of Mumbai in a motorized rickshaw, Todd gets to know his assistant manager, Rajiv. Rajiv explains that his dream is to become manager of the call center after Todd leaves – whether Todd leaves in victory or disgrace. Rajiv is desperate to move out of his parents' apartment so he can marry his fiancée. They arrive at the call center, where Todd is greeted with equal parts curiosity and suspicion. Todd greets his new charges one by one, managing to insult just about everyone, in different ways.

Todd's awkward immersion continues. He unintentionally denigrates his newfound country's culture, religions, food, common names and more. His team seems appalled. At lunch, Todd feels shunned as he carries his tray across the company cafeteria. Finally he finds a kindred spirit in Charlie Davies, a fellow call center manager for All American Hunter. An ex-pat, Charlie immediately begins dispensing advice about the importance of having American foods shipped in, the scourge of homesickness, and which call center workers are the most productive. He explains that there's an "A" team of workers who've been to the U.S. and really know their customers – and then there's the "B" team, underachievers like Todd's group, who know little about America.

While he's briefing Todd on the lay of the land, Charlie points out another ex-pat, Tonya, an attractive call center manager working for Koala Airlines. Charlie explains he's quite attracted to Tonya, but alas, she won't have anything to do with him - or anyone else. Surprisingly, Tonya makes her way over to their table and introduces herself. After some innocent chitchat, she invites a bemused Todd to stop by her office sometime.

Back at the call center, Todd pulls one of his charges, Manmeet, aside for a private discussion in the break room. Among other things, Todd wants to know why another team member, Gupta, seems to constantly attach himself to people for meaningless small talk. Manmeet explains that Gupta is incurably chatty - and to be avoided in general. As Gupta spies them in the break room, Todd and Manmeet duck into a pantry to hide. Baffled, Gupta wanders off. In the intimate setting of the pantry, Manmeet asks Todd if he knows any redheaded girls; he's looking for a wife. When Todd explains that his ex-girlfriend was redheaded, Manmeet asks Todd why they didn't marry. Todd explains that in America, couples date until they decide if they're right for each other, then proceed with marriage. For Manmeet, a would-be player, it's a miraculous revelation.

Back at his desk, Todd adjusts an amulet of his ambition: a framed picture of Mid America Novelties' CEO's office. It's the office he dreams about having someday as his own. As he contemplates his career path, the relative calm of the call center is shattered by Madhuri's scream: it appears Manmeet has fallen dead on the floor, a pool of blood beside his head. But it's merely Manmeet putting a best-selling novelty to good use: the fake pool of blood.

Todd explains to the team that the key to their success is selling an "add-on" to a customer, i.e. upselling them related goods. For example, a customer who's ordering a Green Bay Packers' foam finger should be sold a Packers' Cheesehead hat. Todd models the hat amidst much laughter. A little embarrassed, Todd tells the team they shouldn't make too much fun of this quaint Americanism because they've got some pretty strange headgear of their own. Wearing a pagri (turban), one of the team members storms out in protest. Todd compounds his cultural faux pas by extending the insult to women who wear headscarves.

Asha explains to Todd that like many of her team members, she simply doesn't understand the cultural relevance of many of the items featured in the catalog. She asks about mistletoe and its baffling offshoot in the catalog, a mistletoe belt buckle. After Todd explains, the staff wonders why Americans need such things. "They don't," he explains. "But in America no one can stop you from making them." He punctuates his point by holding up the Jingle Juggs, a wall placard of a woman's bust, which jingles when activated.

Manmeet fields a phone call from a customer who, upon hearing his accent, demands to know whether he's in India or America. Manmeet scrambles, explaining to the customer that he's calling Detroit, "city of motors and black people." The caller disconnects.

Todd's doubts about his team grow; he calls Rajiv over to discuss matters. Rajiv explains that he has intentionally hired one incompetent worker so she can be fired – and serve as a fearful lesson to the others that they're dispensable. Todd rejects the idea, but asks Rajiv whether he really did hire the best people he could find or whether he hired mediocre workers to make Todd look bad. Rajiv explains to Todd that he's completely loyal and anticipates the success (and promotion) ahead of him: if Todd succeeds, he'll be promoted and return to the U.S., and if Todd fails, he'll be fired. Either way, Rajiv figures he'll become the manager.

The next day, watching his team ponder over Mid America Novelty best-sellers like farting garden gnomes, toy humping dogs, singing deer antlers and more, Todd concludes that his team just doesn't know enough about American culture. Using movies and music, he begins the long process of teaching them about the American idiom. As part of the process, he invites team members to perform some American classics: Manmeet invokes David Mamet's Blake from Glengarry Glenn Ross, Asha tries Run-D.M.C.'s It's Tricky, and a flailing Gupta imitates the Pussycat Dolls' Don't Cha.

Todd moves onto motivation, explaining that they'll all be out of job (himself included) if they don't start moving the add-ons. "We may not be the cream of the crop, but we're more like the Bad News Bears." The reference is met with blank stares. Todd explains the underdog concept – and his belief that the team can overcome any obstacle. The pep talk seems to have worked: the call center hums with the sounds of customers being upsold. Even Midhuri, the shyest worker, gets into the act, convincing a customer that his order for fake dog poop would be perfectly complemented by Mid America's fake vomit. The call center bursts into applause.

Later in the cafeteria, Todd runs into Tonya, who offers him a few words of encouragement. She moves on, and Todd pauses a moment to survey the scene of his new life: his friendly colleague Charlie; the alluring Tonya; his eager team gathered at a table, beckoning him to join them. He allows himself a smile: this new world seems filled with promise.