I liked Pam “translating” for Kelly in the cold open. I didn’t know what Kelly was babbling about either. It was hilarious that Pam was able to instantly understand it and translate it.
I don’t see that happening. In that episode where Jan was going to sue D-M, Dave Wallace’s notes on Michael said something to the effect that they’d never in a million years offer him a corporate position. I think Michael would have to do something huge to actually get them to seriously consider him for Jan’s old position.
I think they’ll offer it to Jim.
Re: Andy and Michael. I don’t think they’ve interacted much since Andy got back from anger management.
Remember that when Andy first got to Scranton, his goal was to usurp Dwight’s role as Michael’s number 3 (behind Jim), and he basically started acting like a cracked-out Michael and wound up getting Dwight fired, totally alienating everybody in the Office, and having Michael hate him. He’s much less ambitious post-anger management, but I think Michael still thinks he’s kind of crazy.
The show is definitely back on track as is evidenced by all the disagreement!
I’m with the people who think Ryan is the king dick and Toby is his prince, that the Pam with glasses subplot was funny (especially when Kevin was hitting on her), that Stanley went over the line, and that seeing Michael try to tickle Stanley would have been sublime. Also that Dwight conning Andy was great.
The show really has improved since the strike. After watching this episode, I went back and watched the episode where Michael works in telemarketing and Pam and Jim visit Schrute Farms. A relative snoozefest compared to these last 4 eps.
It was Devon White. He was the guy Michael fired in the Halloween party episode when he had to let someone go. He sat across from Creed, and Creed essentially got him fired. He made one appearance (that particular episode), and was played by this guy.
I think they’re laying the groundwork for Jim quitting Dunder Mifflin. Ryan and Toby were jackasses, and it’s a bogus formal warning, but the underlying issues are true: Jim doesn’t like his job. He doesn’t devote any more effort to it than he has to. (Of course, the effort he does put in is plenty to perform well, which is why the warning is stupid.)
There have been several other times this season when Jim is, subtly, reminded that he’s not somewhere he really wants to be. He wants to be with Pam – and that seems to be going well, and I hope it continues to – but he doesn’t want to become Michael. Not even a non-buffoonish Michael. And that’s the fate that keeps peeking around the corner when he tries to be managerial.
So I’m betting he’ll quit, or at least look for a different job.
How they’ll keep him on the show, though, is another question…
Michael and Dwight have both gotten other jobs, and the cameras followed them both to their new jobs.
As creepy as Kevin hitting on Pam was, I’ll admit that I see where he’s coming from. The right girl, in the right pair of glasses, is irresistible to me. In fact, when I first saw Pam had glasses on, I got a little excited, until I realized that they were really ugly glasses that made her look silly.
While I liked the episode overall, I think Michael and Dwight’s antics have really gotten out of hand; they are often the least-interesting characters for me because Michael has become a ridiculous buffoon and Dwight is a completely out-of-touch office-martinet.
With that said, I do think Michael partially redeemed himself (eventually) in diffusing the Stanley situation, although the “fake firing” that led up to it was an utterly unbelievable contrivance. I’ll also note that Dwight’s buy/resale of Andy’s car was more about diminishing Andy in Angela’s eyes than his usual disrespect for a fellow employee, a subplot that revealed a deeper motivation (compare that to the repeatedly unfunny “hobbit” comments Dwight made to Ryan’s clubbing partner the week before, which were just stupid).
And I’m glad to see the show dealing with the more vicious aspects of office politics. B. J. Novak’s character was pitch-perfect in the way he engaged Jim with bland small-talk about football just so he could get to the “while I have you here with Toby…” announcement. When he later accused Jim of defensiveness it was clearly designed to brush off Jim’s objections and scare him a little at what further measures Ryan may take. “Watch your back” indeed.
Ryan personifies all the annoying aspects of corporate management: the perfunctory “That’s a very good question…”, the discussion of material possessions as a contest with subordinates, the grand “Hello” as he enters the office, the meticulously groomed “hip slacker in an expensive suit”. Despite my loathing, he is by far the best character on the show. I really hope he isn’t undone by what looks to be a “Bright Lights, Big City” ending, because I think he makes the show a much better, much “darker” comedy in places–though I wouldn’t mind if Jim scored one against him before the season ends.
Very enjoyable episode. You just can’t get too much Stanley and it was nice to finally see Darryl again.
One thing not mentioned so far was another fake proposal by Jim. Pam seems to really be enjoying it. Notice how Jim didn’t disclose to Pam about his warning. I see a double cliff hanger at the end of the season, Jim proposes and gets fired.
That is not Michael’s first “fake firing.” He did it to Pam in the first season, with a trumped-up charge that she was stealing.
I just assumed Jim didn’t want to tell her about it right then, since Ryan said he spent too much time talking to Pam. Running straight to talk to Pam after that warning would be really stupid.
Another moment I liked that I haven’t seen mentioned is Michael’s stream of conciousness blending of every comedy routine ever into one at the end credits. “They should build the plane out of the airplane food!”
Absolutely right, which is what made last night’s “fake firing” so ridiculous; how could Michael possibly think it was a good idea? The writers were a little lazy on this one…
But he checked to see if the camera was there before he started his answer. The presence of a camera crew throws a monkey wrench into the office dynamics.
Michael fake fires Stanley, Stanley begs to keep his job, Michael tells him it was only fake, Stanley learns an important lesson. To me, that is a realistic expectation that Michael would have.
