# The Office: "Two Weeks" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 27, 2009, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952 "2009-03-27T02:31:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/1 "2009-03-27T02:31:58Z")
Well that was something. Not too many laughs, but an interesting turn at the end with the Jerry McGuire thing. Charles is an asshole. Calling the Security guy to kick Michael out for such a flimsy reason was bad enough, not letting Michael say goodbye to the people he’d worked with was even worse. In the tag, I think we saw what a joyless prick this guy is going to be to work for. I really detest that character so far. I actually hope that Michael somehow makes a go of his paper company, as implausible as that may be. We can only see Michael get humiliated so many times before it just becomes unfunny and tedious. I want to see him win a big victory for once. My favorite line was Jim hearing growling noises coming from Michael’s comuter and then saying “It’s MonsteR dot com. Singular.” ---
**Author:** ![Soapbox\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Soapbox\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soapbox_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/2 "2009-03-27T02:42:01Z")
Well, I thought it had been announced that Holly would be returning to the show, so I’m assuming that once Wallace sees the Scranton sales numbers plummet after a few weeks of Michael being gone, he’ll beg him to come back, and use Holly’s return as a peace offering. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/3 "2009-03-27T03:13:04Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Well that was something. Not too many laughs, but an interesting turn at the end with the Jerry McGuire thing. > > Charles is an asshole. Calling the Security guy to kick Michael out for such a flimsy reason was bad enough… Charles isn’t really an asshole. It just looks that way because he’s acting like an real world corporate vice-president would. Still, I don’t like him either. I was surpised Pam decided to follow Michael, but then again she’s never really liked being a receptionist. Realizing that she now knew _everything_ about the copier was a bit of an epiphany for her. ---
**Author:** ![satoridt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@satoridt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/satoridt)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/4 "2009-03-27T04:43:31Z")
My DVR cut out at the end. What happened when Charles was divvying out the responsibilities at the end? ---
**Author:** ![pricciar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@pricciar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pricciar)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/5 "2009-03-27T04:48:42Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Charles isn’t really an asshole. It just looks that way because he’s acting like an real world corporate vice-president would. Still, I don’t like him either. I don’t think a real world corporate vp would threaten violence. Other than that you are right. But, I also think a real world VP would have paid more attention to the fact that Scranton’s sales were the best in the company. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/6 "2009-03-27T04:58:21Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Charles isn’t really an asshole. It just looks that way because he’s acting like an real world corporate vice-president would. Are the two really mutually exclusive? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/7 "2009-03-27T05:53:24Z")
A real world VP could also still have the decency to let a guy say goodbye to the people he’s worked with for 15 years, and not be such a dick as to call security and throw the guy out for such a contrived reason. He was going above and beyond just managing. He was being a dick to be a dick. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/8 "2009-03-27T06:00:27Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > A real world VP could also still have the decency to let a guy say goodbye to the people he’s worked with for 15 years, and not be such a dick as to call security and throw the guy out for such a contrived reason. I hardly think it was a contrived reason. Michael was using company resources to start his own business and had every intention of stealing all of DM’s client information to do it. You don’t get to pull that kind of stunt and then have a happy farewell party. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/9 "2009-03-27T06:32:13Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Well that was something. Not too many laughs, but an interesting turn at the end with the Jerry McGuire thing. Jerry McGuire? > [@](#): > > Calling the Security guy to kick Michael out for such a flimsy reason was bad enough, … Not flimsy at all. Totally appropriate. I’m surprised they even let him back into the building at all. ---
**Author:** ![kasuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@kasuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kasuo)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/10 "2009-03-27T06:57:12Z")
> [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](#): > > Jerry McGuire? The part where Michael asked, “Who’s with me?” and Pam joining him. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/11 "2009-03-27T07:00:33Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > I hardly think it was a contrived reason. Michael was using company resources to start his own business and had every intention of stealing all of DM’s client information to do it. You don’t get to pull that kind of stunt and then have a happy farewell party. Oh, he wasn’t starting anything, and he wasn’t “stealing” anything. His new company was nothing but a day dream. And he brought those cleints in, so he would be entitled to take them with him if he wanted. DM has no property rights over them. Charles needs his ass kicked. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/12 "2009-03-27T07:06:03Z")
> [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](#): > > Not flimsy at all. Totally appropriate. I’m surprised they even let him back into the building at all. It was totally contrived BS. There isn’t any new company. It was just Michael talking out of his ass. Charles was being a prick for no reason. He could have just told him to knock it off. There was no reason to call security and humiliate him like that. Charles needs a serious beatdown. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/13 "2009-03-27T07:11:17Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > And he brought those cleints in, so he would be entitled to take them with him if he wanted. DM has no property rights over them. Charles needs his ass kicked. Well, there may be contracts between DM and these clients, and perhaps I missed something, but _did_ Michael bring in these particular clients? It is, in any case, a situation Charles had every right to put a stop to. Michael was behaving in a way that ran counter to DM’s interests and though we the audience know he’s a doofus, Charles has no reason to put up with it. No doubt the other characters will start to chafe under Charles’ more businesslike style, though this just increases the mystery of why the Scranton branch was doing so well. I just wonder if the numbers will turn out to be inflated under Michael’s mondo-bizarro accounting. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/14 "2009-03-27T07:20:15Z")
Michael said something during the episode about having brought the clients in, and if they have a contract with DM, then DM has nothing to worry about anyway. But the real point is that Michael’s “new company” is totally imaginary and impossible and Charles knew that. DM’s interests were not being threatened in any way. His humiliation of Michael was completely unnecessary and heartless – and speaking purely in sitcom terms — not funny or entertaining. Just because he has a technical right to do something like that doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do. And there was no excuse to threaten Michael with violence under any circumstance. ETA, I don’t think Scranton’s success is creative accounting. The show has repeatedly made it clear that Michael is a savant as a salesman and none of the other sales reps have ever been shown as anything less than competent. Dwight and Stanley have both been highlighted as good salespeople. If there’s a weak link in sales, it’s actually Jim (who is not incompetent, but can be lazy and is an inveterate fuck off). ---
**Author:** ![tesseract](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@tesseract](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tesseract)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/15 "2009-03-27T07:57:03Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] ETA, I don’t think Scranton’s success is creative accounting. The show has repeatedly made it clear that Michael is a savant as a salesman and none of the other sales reps have ever been shown as anything less than competent. Dwight and Stanley have both been highlighted as good salespeople. If there’s a weak link in sales, it’s actually Jim (who is not incompetent, but can be lazy and is an inveterate fuck off). [/QUOTE] Yeah, agreed – Michael is a great success as a salesperson. IMO that and his loyalty (such as ultimately sabotaging Jan’s sexual harassment suit against the company) are the only reasons that he hasn’t been fired long ago for his antics. I don’t like Charles, but we are supposed to hate him, right? He’s a villain. It’s interesting to speculate how they are going to tie this all up. I am so sad about Prince Paper Company! That sucked bigtime. I thought that was pretty mean-spirited even for The Office…they usually find a way to make good guys win, right? Sometimes? Is that it for them, Michael gave away their client list and now they’re gone? Yuck. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/16 "2009-03-27T12:48:51Z")
I don’t know whether Charles is a dick or not, but he doesn’t know how to manage the Scranton branch. Kevin as fill-in receptionist? Stanley as productivity czar, for crissakes? The guy who never goes to a company meeting without a crossword puzzle book in his hand? The looks on their faces was priceless. I was really sad about Prince Paper Company, too. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/17 "2009-03-27T12:53:08Z")
I don’t know where the rest of you have worked, but in my experience it’s absolutely routine for someone in Michael’s position to be escorted to the door by security after being terminated, with no opportunity to go around and gladhand your coworkers. As the head of the branch, he’s in a position to seriously jeopardize the company, whether the threat of doing so is realistic or not. However, I will agree that it doesn’t necessarily make for good comedy, and that Charles was more of a dick than necessary, but he was follwing “real world” protocol. I predict some nervous times for Pam and Jim. Jim just bought a house; Pam no longer has a salary or any benefits; and Jim is already on thin ice with Charles. ---
**Author:** ![Trion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Trion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trion)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/18 "2009-03-27T12:53:55Z")
Nope, Charles is a dick. When an employee (Jim) is called into his current boss’ office (Michael), that employee hasn’t really done anything wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/19 "2009-03-27T13:30:22Z")
If we’re making off the cuff predictions (or what we would like to see), I’d like to see Charles either A) Crash and burn since the sales numbers will crash and burn, or B) Get fired for an HR related reason (e.g. deciding to over reciprocate the advances of Kelly or Angela). Then I’d like to see Wallace beg Michael to come back, and as someone mentioned, use Holly as an olive branch. I’m not sure where she’d fit though with Tobey being back. ---
**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952/20 "2009-03-27T13:36:14Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Oh, he wasn’t starting anything, and he wasn’t “stealing” anything. His new company was nothing but a day dream. > > And he brought those cleints in, so he would be entitled to take them with him if he wanted. DM has no property rights over them. Charles needs his ass kicked. Not necessarily. You can’t set up a company to compete with the old one while still employed by the old company. Nor can you contact those clients while still employed by the old company. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-two-weeks/490952.md?page=2)