I think this was one of the least enjoyable episodes I’ve seen. The new boss is a buzz killing asshole. I liked seeing Michael summon the stones to quit, but I didn’t laugh at very much. I just thought the new guy was a dick. I hope the character doesn’t last very long. I won’t be very interested in watching a show about a humorless asshole running a humorless office. That kind of person might run a more efficient office in real life, but it doesn’t make for an entertaining sitcom.
And what happened to New York being so impressed by Scranton’s sales? A few weeks ago, Michael was a company hero, now he’s back to being a schmuck?
I thought that the characterization of Jim’s position as “fake” was strange. Didn’t Wallace give him a bonafide position as the number two in the office after Ryan was given Jan’s job and the branches merged?
I actually think it was a really good episode. It’s the first in forever that made me even think of the far superior BBC version. Michael’s confusion and resentment, his childish response, even doing the repeating game then shoving the chair… it was almost David Brentish. The bit with Jim and the tux felt like a joke without a punchline, though.
I liked seeing Jim look ridiculous. He likes to think he’s professional but he thinks hes so far above anyone at DM he works with smirking disdain, in the end he’s one of the biggest clowns in the branch.
Right, Jim is in charge of sales right? It’s not as if he got Dwight old (fake) job? Maybe he was saying is that there’s not fiscal reason to have Jim in that position. Especially being the goof he was being.
I don’t know, everyone who seems to be ‘the bad guy’ get’s a lot of hate, (like Ryan), but the show doesn’t have an antagonist these days.
I don’t mind a little touch of reality now and then, it keeps the show from getting too unbelievable and it gives something for the characters to play off of. Having a no nonsense corporate prick to watch over the branch for a while is something that might really happen, as compared to something unrealistic like Wallace deciding that it would be a good idea for Michael to go to other branches and give sales workshops.
I too enjoyed Jim getting some grief due to one of his Dwight pranks. Dwight is such an easy target, it isn’t really a level playing field. Jim and Pam’s smugness can sometime work my nerves.
Yeah holy shit, Stringer Bell. Don’t be fooled by his professionalism, Dunder Mifflin! Yes he may have a master business mind but he is still a Drug Lord!!!
(for those of you who don’t know, the guy who played Charles also played one the top-of-the-foodchain seriously badass mofo drug dealers in The Wire. It’s hilarious to think of him leaving the game and settling in to the paper business!)
Yeah, I kept expecting him to pull out a burner and give Avon Barksdale a call and start a conversation like, “so what are we gonna do about this Michael Scott…”
I thought Michael said “I acquit” at the very end in his typical word confusion. The ending is ambiguous enough that it supports either version and listening to it again, it still sounds vague.
My wife and I played it back several times, and I am about 99.993% certain that Michael says “I quit.” You can tell by the pained expression on Michael’s face when David is telling him that he will pay for the party that he knows that David just doesn’t really understand the gravity of the situation (at least in Michael’s mind.)
That, combined with Michael saying “You have no idea how high I can fly” makes me pretty sure that he just quit at the end of the episode. Now, I’m sure that he won’t actually end up quitting since paper is in his blood, but Michael sure thinks he will.