The Office: Branch Wars (open spoilers)

[msmith537]

@pricciar

Yeah, but in the context of the show Ryan doesn’t seem to even have the power to fire Kelly, let alone a regional manager. So, maybe he is on a probationary period were he can supervise but not make cuts.

Plenty of management jobs allow you to supervise but don’t give you the power to hire or fire. Ryan clearly has a boss and maybe he is the only person authorized to hire or fire regional managers.

Although I have to say, Michael’s antics are becoming more outrageous and unbeliveable every episode. I find it incredible that their little “prank” at the Utica branch wouldn’t gotten them in a shitload of trouble.

[SiouxChief]

I like this episode.

I loved the dummy Michael built so people can’t tell when he’s not at his desk. Complete with a mechanism to activate snoring.

Michael’s protective feelings toward Stanley were touching, and provided some funny quotes:

“You can’t take the hilarious black guy from the office…The bluesy wisdom, the sassy remarks. The crossword puzzles; the smile; the big watery red eyes. I don’t know how George Bush did it when Colin Powell left.”

“If you so much as harm a hair on Stanley’s head, we will burn Utica to the ground.”

For the Help Wanted Ad: “Wanted: Middle-aged black man with sass. Big butt; bigger heart.”

Awesome.

The handlebar mustache looks great on Dwight…I say make that permanent!

[Yookeroo]

I’ve been generally OK with Michael being over the top, but they’re starting to do it way too much.

[Oslo_Ostragoth]

Forgot to post this week’s litigation value: $400,000.00.

[aktep]

@pricciar

Oh speaking of reading too much into it. When Scranton and Stamford merged Scranton was supposed to be made in charge of East coast operations. Is Utica a new branch because that merger didn’t work? Or, was utica always there under the radar?

DM is a small, regional, paper company. Their East Coast region may not include Upstate NY.

[Hal_Briston]

@Cervaise

There’s a deleted scene on NBC’s website: They’ve stopped at a rest area, and Jim is on his cell talking to Pam, back in the office, while Michael and Dwight are in the bathroom behind Jim changing into the gray coveralls. Pam is clearly surprised that Jim has decided to go along with it; Jim tells her he’s pretty sure that if he doesn’t go with Michael and Dwight somebody will end up in jail or dead. Pam then mocks him good-naturedly, “You just want to see your girlfriend.” Probably a painful cut for the editors as it glued together a lot of pieces of the story.

Both of this week’s deleted scenes contained some pure gold.

Branch Wars - Clip One
Branch Wars - Clip Two
“I cut a chunk out of my penis for nothing…”

[Acsenray]

@pricciar

Oh speaking of reading too much into it. When Scranton and Stamford merged Scranton was supposed to be made in charge of East coast operations. Is Utica a new branch because that merger didn’t work? Or, was utica always there under the radar?

They said that Josh Porter would be head of “Dunder Mifflin Northeast.” I don’t think that that was supposed to mean that all the branches in the northeastern United States were to be merged into Stamford. Especially, especially because all their branches are in the northeast.

Either Dunder Mifflin Northeast was one of those grandiose corporate designations for the merged Scranton-Stamford operation and didn’t include the other branches (such as Camden, Akron, Buffalo, Utica, Yonkers, and Nashua). Or else, Porter was to be given some degree of supervisory authority over other branches that were to continue existing.