I had that feeling too for a moment, but then I remembered what show I was watching and felt guilty for having so little faith...it tells us a lot about the Schmaltz we've been trained to expect from U.S. television...

I actually disliked that final scene...not that it wasn't nice, but they are normally so good at packing a lot of emotion into a tiny little moment...and that went on for like 2 minutes...it didn't fit with the economy of means that I usually relate this show with. They could have gotten that point across in 10 seconds and maybe had some time left for a Toby moment...or some Creed...or that fatter, greasier Jim at Art School...

I enjoy how much Melora Hardin is comfortable playing flat out disturbed...Evil Jan has got to me some of the most difficult material on the show to pull off without getting all self-conscious and wishy-washy about it. That was just horrifying.

How everyone in that room managed to keep from laughing when she sang "Son of a Preacher Man" for, like, the tenth time...

Oh god, Jan singing was one of the more bizarre moments I've seen in the show. I personally loved tonights episode, and it was probably my favorite of the season so far. I loved the growing experience for Michael, and Dwight was just awesome.

Creed likening the tub birth to the tide at Omaha beach on D-Day; just too funny.

I was expecting the dude from her class to pull up and offer her a ride. Just to fuck with all the JAM freaks of course.:)

Rob

Rather a profoundly inappropriate song to be singing to an infant ... I mean, it doesn't have to be "Puff, The Magic Dragon", but sheesh.

I laughed and laghed and laughed.

Yes. Line of the night for sure.

Very good bounce back from Business Ethics. It seemed like one of those episodes that I'll watch multiple times on DVD. From the reaction of Jan singing, to Dwight's cold open antics, to Darryl schooling Michael on being a "baby daddy", to Michael finally getting over Jan and going for it with Holly, this was just a great all around episode.

Best LOL moment was Michael saying Holly smells like old tomatoes and dirt.

Didn't think tonight's was really funny in a laugh out loud sense, but I thought it had a lot of great storyline progression. I liked the set up to the end of Michael & Holly at the end with David.

Funniest part for me was Darryl explaining the playlist that Michael gave him.

I loved Darryl's plan to bail he and his warehouse crew out of Crime Aid, and love that Jim picked up on it. Roy coming back was interesting and well done, but it's weird how insecure it made Jim. I like how there were numerous Springsteen references, and Jim nearly acted like a desperate loser right out of a Bruce song (namely Valentine's Day.) Glad that he turned around, but it's sort of scary that he thought that way. He needs Pam back in Scranton badly. PAAAAAAAMELAAAAA. Miss you, kiddo.

Kevin saying that he was susceptible to a surge, Creed offering himself all inclusive, the camera finding Stanley looking incredulous after Michael talked about auctioning off people like in the olden days, and Dwight's list of the things Angela taught him were hilarious. I too hope to meet a woman who will teach me about sheets and monotheism.

I'm not sure what to make of Michael and Holly. I guess the thing about two lonely losers finding each other is that they get a little too crazy. Also, Michael must've been on a REALLY shitty P2P network to have mistaken all those songs for Springsteen. Also, he would have to be deaf.

What precisely was the bit at the very end with David Wallace? Missed it but came it just at the end to basically be able to tell it was a talking head of his.

Wallace caught Michael and Holly making out and said very sternly, "I didn't know that Michael and Holly were dating."

I was happy to see The Office again tease the cliche with Jim & Pam and then go against it. By teasing Jim going to New York, I really thought that they would show him walking in on her in a bad situation (doing whatever). But Jim turning around and saying "I'm not that guy" was great.

But the constant paranoia for Jim probably means the couple is meant for a split.

I think it was set off by what Roy said. I didn't hear it during the broadcast, but he said "You were friends." Coupled with the anxiety of being apart, I can see why Jim would start driving.

I think that they're teasing all the horseshit sitcom steps to breaking up a couple and then stopping things. Last week was communication problems, and this week was an ex making someone paranoid. It's like, these people are not going to be Ross and Rachel, so everyone relax.

Great episode.. the Roy thing did make Jim act like he really never acts.. but oh well..

And, "it squeaks when you bang it.. that's what she said" is easily line of the season.

Dave

Being that I work with a "Phyllis," the bidding for a hug sequence was one of the sweetest I've seen in the whole series.

Maybe I've watched too many "twist" movies, but was I the only one who saw that the office had been broken into immediately thought that Holly did it?

Since, Micheal only dates insane chicks, right?

Creed (explaining that nobody steals from him & gets away with it): "The last person who tried it? His name was *whispers* Creed Bratton."

I thought it was implied that the break-in was because Michael and Holly didn't lock up the night before. Maybe I reached that conclusion on my own, but that was my first thought. Funniest bit from tonight was Dwight making a knife...with a knife, and then asking if Phyllis had any better ideas.

I loved the whole thing with Dwight bidding on Phyliss's hugs until the price got too high. Nobody has yet mentioned the Angela/Andy/Dwight love triangle which I think will end in the season finale.

I remember hearing before the season that Amy Ryan was only signed on for 6 or so episodes, so I'm wondering if next week is her last ep. All leading up to, of course, THE RETURN OF TOBY!

I enjoyed Andy's, "You're always safe with me. I'm a real good screamer." Then following it up with his goofy accented "Consider Yourself."

And I love that they never fully allow Dwight to be a sympathetic character. One of my favorite moments of the entire series is where he's crying in the stairwell and Jim comes out to comfort him. We know he's okay again when we comes back to his desk and shoves Jim's stuff off his desk with the ruler.

That concept was briefly revisited last night when Dwight was about to cry talking to Phyllis. The minute I started thinking, "Man, Dwight really is human," he immediately pops out with "That is fattening." and walks off.

I thought Pam was only gone for three months? Did I miss anything as it seems should be back by now. There are very few shows I like any more but damn, The Office always delivers. I was really waiting for Pam to say some horrible on the rambling message. The fact that Jim hung up says a lot about him (in a good way).

Michael picking "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman as a top ten Springstein song had me rolling. Daryl's straight faced delivery is probably what made it even funnier.

And they really need to get Pam back in the office ASAP.

I haven't listened to much Springsteen, so I could see myself listing off random songs to fill out a top 10 list.

Loved Dwight bidding and then saying screw it, but still looked sincere while clapping for them. I can't imagine any other woman besides Angela marrying Dwight, so I await the appearance of his next flame, whoever and whenever it may be.

Has anyone noticed how bad Craig "Darryl" Robinson looks and sounds? I know he's had some problems, but his voice has constantly been hoarse and scratchy since the new season started.

So... are we to assume Holly is fired or something? Esp considering next week's episode is called...





At the beginning of the season premiere, Pam left for 12 weeks. The first 6 weeks were documented in Weight Loss. Presumably the events of Business Ethics, Baby Shower, Crime Aid all are meant to cover one week of "real time" -- so I think one could reasonably deduce that Pam will come back after 3 or, at most 4 more episodes.

Oh, I don't think I can name 10 Springsteen songs myself. But, "Fast Car" was just hilarious to me for some reason.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed this. Yeah, his voice is different and he has gained a lot of weight.

I like how they tease us with Jim doing something so cliche but they don't do it. It's almost like a big "Fuck you!" from the writers to whoever they're saying that to. I do think that near the end of the season something big and possibly cliche will happen. It's almost like they're setting us up. As for Holly, if she's gone soon then that's kind of a shame. Michael finding his soulmate was fun TV.

I wonder if the title of next week's episode doesn't have something to do with Pam. Now that she's working at the corporate H.Q. I could see Wallace offering her a position there which would be hard to turn down since she could also continue studying there. That could be the Jim/Pam crisis on the horizon. They like to have the week's theme be about one person, but then be revealed to be even more about someone else.

It's pretty much what I guessed might happen in the season premiere when Pam stayed in the wrong class, like a business management class. Seemed to be a foreshadow that she's meant for more than the receptionist job and a marriage to Jim.

For those who haven't seen the promo for this week's episode...

Creed's Halloween costume will rule the world

Damn, he really looks like Ledger. Props to whoever put that together.

I think that David Wallace is going to move Holly to another branch, because Michael's history with office romance isn't exactly stellar. That being said, this next ep is ep 5 of the season and if the first episode was 6 weeks, then the following week's episode should be the one where Pam comes back (not that I care...the JAM thing is waaaay too sitcommy for me) however, the Office writers have not been great with continuity, so who knows...maybe she's back this week...it just looks to me from the ep description:

That she isn't back yet.

I am not feeling this season yet honestly, I think they are going out of their way to please women with the JAM/MOLLY and ANDGELA thing. I was wondering why David Wallace didn't give Michael shit about Ryan being there.....maybe we'll find something out this week. I am happy that they are having a halloween episode...hopefully they'll do a X-mas episode as well.

I liked tonight's show...Dwight getting under Andy's skin was awesome, and Creed had the line of the night without missing a beat...

<Dwight hangs a "Cornell" banner above his desk>
"It's pronounced "Colonel" and its the highest rank in the military."

Which is a ridiculous statement either way...Andy looked like such a tool dressed like Huck Finn.

And by the way, why did Darryl spend over 17 hours of his time to move Michael's girlfriend?

I think tonight had the line that made me laugh the most I've ever laughed during this show...

Michael to Holly: "Did Darryl touch you?"

That line + Darryl's reaction = GREATEST OFFICE MOMENT EVER.

Rob

Funny episode. The first time they did the "Life is a Highway" thing might be one of my favorite moments in Office history. Really all three plots were pretty good, with the Jim & Pam one being the least funny. The Cornell thing was really well put together, although part of me wanted Dwight to be all about Dartmouth.

So was the end of the episode the return of Angela thinking less of Andy?



He did. I thought that was odd too. I thought maybe Darryl was going to go somewhere else between New Hampshire and Scranton, and was going to force Michael to stay the night with Holly. But it allowed for that classic scene where Michael "sang" the blues.

Andy's reaction to Big Red Bear was the highlight for me, and the funniest moment of the show this season for me.

Did I miss something, as to why seemingly the same day was suddenly no longer Halloween? Didn't they show them leaving for New Hampshire "on Halloween" and then cut back to the office and everybody was no longer wearing costumes? I found that really, really strange.

Only the cold open was Halloween. Though it's odd that they showed Halloween if Pam is still at art school that was supposed to last, what? Six weeks?

Yeah, I thought when Michael and Jim left at the same time it was still Halloween. But, I guess they cut from a Halloween scene to Michael being in the warehouse (or was it Dwight walking in w/ the Cornell sweatshirt?) and we were to assume that was a new day. Not the smoothest transition. But, I pretty much forgot about it once I realized Halloween was over.

My only thought behind Daryl driving Michael and Holly is Dunder Mifflin had him do it. Because they were driving a Dunder Mifflin truck. Maybe he was paid or something.

Decent episode, not a ton of laugh out loud moments, though.

I've officially given up trying to guess how people will react to this damn show! When I don't like an episode people are falling all over themselves to praise it. When I love an episode (like last night) it gets a ho hum reaction. Am I THAT far off with the rest of the Office fanbase?

Darryl was a superstar last night. He was just killing it in every single scene he was part of. The storyline with Jim's brothers was a bit odd, but the rest of the show was awesome.

I thought the Jim/Pam segments were weak as it didn't really make any sense why his brothers would think of that as a "rib" to Jim, but the Dwight/Andy segments and Darryl in general more then made up for it.

Well, Holly's move was a corporate relocation one, so they had an employee assist in the move to cover expenses. That is what I assumed.

That was one of the first times I really didn't like either of them. Jesus I'm glad I'm not a prank person and I don't know anyone who's a prank person. Can't they just have one cockadoodie lunch without someone playing a prank on someone else. Take those two out of a situation in which they are the only "normals"...and it turns out they're just insufferable in their own right.

Christ, I'd choose the dinner party with Michael every time. At least the music will rock.

I thought last night, while not the funniest, was probably the strongest and most realistic of the season with the Michael and Holly storyline. They've done an excellent job turning Michael back into a human being who screws up instead of being this completely retarded stereotype. For once, he doesn't ruin everything, his company does, and it kills him.

I'm paraphrasing, but his blurting out "I'm going back to Jan, and I hate her, and I don't want to, but I'm so weak" or something like that: probably one of the bravest and wussiest lines of dialogue at the same time.

I really don't care about Jim and Pam anymore. If there isn't conflict, they aren't that interesting. The Office is great because the characters get nuggets of happiness, not two seasons worth.

This show overall still rules, but Michael, Jim, and Pam are completely uninteresting to me at this point. They really should have dragged out the Michael/Holly sexual tension longer, as he has been completely unfunny the past two weeks. I much preferred him tearing up concert tickets and throwing away her food to take her out to eat. Michael's character is more suited to be a minor one rather than the lead. I just feel bored with him. Jim and Pam are dreadful now, and this episode was a prime example. I've gotten to the point where I'm hoping for them to break up.

Andy and Dwight's subplot was excellent. The interview scene is probably my favorite scene this season so far with Jim tormenting Dwight by incorrectly referring to "Dumbledore Calrizzian" in Battlestar Gallactica as a close close second.

I want to say I wish Creed got more air time, but the awesome one liners might lose their effect.

The over saturation of the joker costume was good as well. I'm prepared to see an endless parade of Jokers and Sarah Palins tonight.

Edit: Also, Darryl's lines were all great last night, but what the hell is wrong with the actor himself? This doesn't seem like the same guy who was so great in the first couple of seasons.

The Michael/Holly stuff was possibly the best stuff the show has ever done because it was real.

As for the the actor portraying Darryl (Craig Robinson) was arrested over the summer for possession of Meth among other substances.

The vibe I got from it was that they were trying to test Pam to see if she would stand up for herself.

I got that kind of "vibe" at first. But I also think that the brothers really don't care for Pam trying to do visual arts and telling her it was a prank was just to cover their asses. The text at the end was another way to say "We were kidding" so there isn't any ill will towards them. It does set up something big down the line though, this definitely adds to it.

Yeah, and Jim did kinda point out that his brothers are assholes when he said that they'd probably beat him up.