How Anthony Reacts to Learning the Company Retreat Is Fake

Spoilers ahead for “Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat”

Every episode of “Jury Duty” Season 2 begins with the same statement: “This series follows a small business on their annual company retreat. Company retreats develop team building skills through seminars and group activities.”

Except this isn’t a regular company retreat. The message continues: “But this is not a real company. It’s fake. Everyone involved is an actor. Except for one person…”

Over the course of eight episodes, “Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat” viewers are introduced and grow to love Anthony Norman, the new “hero” who is a temporary assistant at the fictional family-owned hot sauce company Rockin’ Grandma’s Hot Sauce.

In the premiere episode, Anthony says he’s 25, born and raised in Nashville and has been doing temporary employment work for the last two years. He is hired to assist the team as they go on a retreat to Elk Canyon Ranch amid CEO Doug’s plans to retire and hand the company over to his son.

Then, during the weeklong retreat, cameras film the employees as they participate in group activities and bond during free time.

The show notes that in 2025, “over 10,000 people applied to take part in what they were told was a documentary-style project following small businesses.”

“Out of all the applicants one was chosen,” the screen reads as Anthony’s self-tape appears.

What Happens in ‘Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat’?

As the show kicks, Anthony finds himself alongside a group of quirky, blunt and unique individuals. The show feels straight out of an episode of “The Office,” as unexpected and chaotic moments occur.

At one point, Anthony himself even says, “I real-life feel like I’m on a TV show, but this is not something that you can just make up.”

As CEO Doug announces that he has plans to sell the company to the also fake company Triukas, the team begins to worry about what that means for their future. Anthony, who is just new to the company, begins to really connect with everyone and form friendships.

“This is a family, no matter what you guys go through, they’re going to love you and care about you,” Anthony tells Head of HR Kevin Gomez at one point when he’s persuading him to return to the retreat after an embarrassing situation.

Amid the wackiness of it all, Anthony handles every challenge with grace and calmness. As Anthony gets invested in the company, so do viewers, wondering how he is going to react to the big reveal.

In Episode 7, Anthony overhears Triukas members talking about their plans to get rid of 90% of the workforce and sell off Rockin’ Grandma’s pepper farms to create residential areas. When Doug is about to sign the papers to sell his company, Anthony runs in and tells the boss not to do it.

“I’m looking out for the people that have looked out for me,” Anthony tells Doug.

“Are you really going to listen to the temp?” asks Elizabeth, the private equity director of Triukas, the company that wants to take over Rockin’ Grandma’s.

And Doug does — refusing to sign the paperwork.

With the deal off, Doug praises Anthony and then hits him with the big reveal: all of this was fake.

How Did Anthony Learn the Company Retreat Was Fake?

With all the “employees” gathered, Doug makes Anthony sit on stage next to him.

“I just want to say it was not easy doing what Anthony did. To run into that room and stop that deal, I mean, that took guts. You were like David going after Goliath man. This guy slew that giant!” Doug says.

“I’ll tell you something, you stopped that deal even though you had nothing to gain from it, but you stopped it because you felt that it was the right thing to do for these people. Without any regard for yourself, you came in, you did it.”

At this point, the “employees” started to get teary-eyed. They knew what was about to happen. Doug continued by telling Anthony how he “came in as a temp” and at the end of the retreat “you are part of a family.”

“The truth is that we have actually hoped that you would bust through that room and stop that deal since the very first minute you showed up at Rockin’ Grandma’s,” Doug continues. “I told you that this was my last company retreat. What I didn’t tell you was that this was also my first company retreat, because I’m not actually the CEO of Rockin’ Grandma’s, because Rockin’ Grandma’s is not a real company.”

How Did Anthony React?

The beginning of the final episode shows how Anthony was chosen for the show.

It states that “by preventing their boss from signing a misleading deal, Anthony saved his coworkers’ jobs. With the company saved, there’s one thing left to do…”

Tell Anthony the truth. So how did he react?

“Hold on, hold on, hold on,” Anthony says. “You’re lying… how… whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.”

He continues, “Y’all about to mess my brain up,” as the cast is crying and laughing at the same time. As Doug tells him that they are all actors and this is a TV show, Anthony gets up and walks around the room.

“You know what’s crazy?! I’ve been saying that this whole time!” he says. “This whole time! Every time I’m like, ‘This day, what’s gonna be next? I feel like I’m living in a TV show!’ Oh my goodness, y’all are incredible actors … all y’all are phenomenal actors.”

Asking if Marjorie, the Oak Canyon Ranch activities manager, was an actor too, Anthony starts to compose himself. Still in great spirits, Doug tells him how he conducted himself so admirably.

As the actors start to apologize and explain the situation, Anthony still tells them he loves them. Things get extra emotional when “Helen” from accounting cries as she tells Anthony how he made her feel seen.

“You was my favorite,” Anthony tells her and embraces her.

Anthony finally gets emotional when Doug tells him that they would like to give him his “final paycheck in the amount of $150,000.”

Anthony gets teary eyed and embraces Doug, before the rest of the behind-the-scenes crew stepped out.

“I’m grateful for all y’all. I have questions like, ‘How did I go from an assistant to like being in a TV show?’” Anthony says, asking, “Can I get one more hug from my family?”

The rest of the episode goes back “several months earlier” and breaks down how this season came together, including rehearsals, the creation of the camp and where all the hidden cameras were. It also shows the unexpected complications that almost ruined certain scenes and a final interview with the whole cast now that the secret is out.

In his final confessional, Anthony says, “If there’s one thing I can take away from the Rockin’ Grandma experience was, it’s not the job, it’s the people that you work with and the environment that you go to everyday is what makes you feel whole and makes you feel like you’re doing the right thing.”

“It really just starts with the way that they made me feel,” he continues. “They made me feel very welcomed and at home. So I was definitely taking away the fact that whenever I go back to look for my purpose in life, is to make sure that whatever it is I’m doing is I’m doing it around the right people.”