Open spoilers ahead
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So, what? Is Packer out of there? They’re going to let him break into Jo’s house in Tallahassee and get arrested?
Wow, I can’t believe it’s been 10 years. Amazing. 
I fixed the date from 2001 to 2011.
I thought perhaps that Todd Packer would insult Holly, since (spoiler for the UK original, for anyone out there who still hasn’t seen it)
that’s what happened in the Christmas special that marked the end of the original UK series. David Brent had finally met a woman who liked him and accepted him and he brought her to the Christmas party that ended the series. Finchy insulted her to David’s face and David told him off for doing so. I think it was meant to show growth on the part of the character of David Brent. Previously, he would have laughed at Finchy’s jokes. Since Michael Scott is leaving this series, I thought they’d have a similar scene showing the growth of his character.
Isn’t that what happened? Packer dissed Holly right when Michael was going to tell him about the Tallahassee thing, so instead Michael went along with it.
I kind of like this mature Michael. Too bad he’s leaving now!
I totally forgot about that.
Boy I can’t stand Packer. I know we’re not supposed to like him, but I barely even enjoy not liking him. I admit, however, that I liked his joke about getting blisters on his ding dong or whatever he said. David Koechner has always rubbed me wrong, so that does add to my dislike of the character.
Former AV Club writer wrote this episode, so there’s a sizeable review for it on their site.
I dunno…color me unimpressed with this episode. It was basically a rehash of last week’s formula (Michael goes overboard -> Holly gives him a reality check -> Michael puts away his childish things), where the rest of the office plays a supporting role in the central drama. I wonder if all of the remaining Michael Scott episodes will continue in this way:
[ul]
[li]One of Michael’s parody songs is played up by a local morning DJ -> Michael thinks he’s a big music celebrity, starts dressing like Usher -> Holly tells him he’s making a fool of himself -> Michael quits making parody songs (but not before serenading Holly with a sweet-yet-awkward love song). [/li][li]Or: After years of going to improv classes, Michael decides to pay a local comedy club owner to feature him on a Friday night -> Holly warns him that he’s making a mistake -> Michael goes on, starts to bomb -> Holly and the gang manage to rally the crowd and salvage Michael’s dignity, probably by going on-stage as well -> Michael tells the documentary crew that maybe stand-up is dead, and his comedy is better suited to a one-person audience (Like Holly…awwwww!).[/li][/ul]
I realize this season is something of a victory lap for Carrell, but to my mind this fixation with obtaining closure for all of Michael’s faults and loose ends has come at the expense of realistically developing the other charaters, who will have to take over the funny when Carrell leaves. Dwight has always been idiotic and more than a little conniving, but the producers have made a mistake if they think multiplying these characteristics will turn him into a leading player. Jim and Pam are–as always–running in place, and the Andy-Erin-Gabe triangle is a rehash that (when compared with Jim-Pam-Roy) just doesn’t feel real (Gabe is a cartoon, and Erin’s bubbleheadedness is just exhausting). Carrell’s departure will leave a big hole that no one on the show has been groomed to fill.
The episode was ok. I wonder if Packer is gone for good. When I saw the summery for this episode weeks ago, the first thing I thought about was ending up like the British version, only this time the character could get fired… still not clear if he did.
Andy was kind of a baby, and was selfish for taking Erin’s computer.
I like Michael and Holly moments… I wish Holly would have been on the show regulatory; Maybe she would’ve kept Michael’s character more grounded. Amy Ryan’s really nailed the character, she’s perfect for the role.
I think the implication is that Packer will get himself fired for breaking into Jo’s house in Florida, but they didn’t really make it all that clear. I’m assuming we’ve seen the last of him and that Michael is washing his hands of him.
Dio, you must not have liked last weeks, you didn’t post your thoughts!
I wonder what we’ll be in for after Carrell leaves. Even knowing all the spoilers, I haven’t a clue.
I’ve been an IT tech for the past 7+ years at a sales company and Andy’s behavior wasn’t too far off from what I’ve seen real people do. I get to hear account managers say things like “I’m responsible for X number of dollars and it’s ridiculous that this floater desk where I sit once or twice a week is so slow.”
Love bumps. I was assuming some sort of STD.
Man, about damn time. This was a classic Office episode which made me first fall in love with the show. All it was missing was Toby.
I actually once pulled that trick of purposely wrecking my laptop so that the company would have to get me a new one. However, the plan backfired since the one they gave me was worse than my old one!
Probably genital warts or herpes.
This was actually an episode about the office and not some weirded-up musical thing. They still insist on everybody having a line to speak, but it was done pretty well.
Yeah, I always hate it when Packer shows up.
I did enjoy Jim and Dwight teaming up to get rid of him, though.
I also really liked the entire Pam b-plot. Especially how happy she was at the end because she was so “corrupt”.
She’s not very good at being corrupt, though. Andy got a new computer, Darryl got free days off, but what was in it for her?
What was the deal with Darryl blackmailing her about the computer she found for Andy? I was expecting him to fire it up and have it be full of porn for the warehouse guys, but I must have missed something.
She found it in the warehouse, right? What else was there to the story?
I thought that Darryl caught Pam in a lie; that she didn’t really find the PC in the warehouse.
When she and Andy were in the parking lot, you saw the box that they just got his brand-new PC out of, then they scuffed it up and put stickers on it so no one would know she bought him a new PC and ask for one as well.
Darryl knew better.