Posts Tagged ‘The Office’

The Office – Frame Toby

There’s a table full of brownies and the Dunder Mifflin crew is grabbing them up.  Kevin takes two and is scolded my Angela, Michael takes two so he can parcel them up throughout the day, and Kelly takes two, one for her and one for Toby. Michael states that she’d have to send them to Costa Rica for Toby. She replies, “I’m just going to hand it to him right now.” Michael has paid such little attention that he doesn’t even realize Toby is back. He goes to the annex to see if Toby is there or not and when he comes up behind Michael, Michael turns around and screams “NO” in Toby’s face.

In an attempt to show Toby he likes him, Michael puts on an act and goes to Toby’s desk declaring how people missed him, how glad he is that Toby’s back and asking about Costa Rica. After, Michael and Dwight develop a plan to get Toby fired by framing him. They make several attempts including setting him up for sexual harassment and trying to get him to fight Michael. 

After all plans fail, Dwight suggests they frame Toby with drugs.  Michael goes to the shipping docks to talk to the guys unloading equipment.  One of the dock guys puts something in Michael’s pocket and asks for $500.  Dwight calls to report Toby and Michael places the drugs in Toby’s desk.  Security arrives and Dwight brings them to Toby’s desk.  Security inspects the desk and Michael suddenly says they should stop the investigation.  The cops find the drugs but discover it’s some basil and salad dressing in a baggy. Toby clearly sees it’s a set up but expresses concern for the cop’s time.

In the break room Pam discovers a nasty microwave and puts up a sign.  She walks in on Oscar and Andy expresses its ridiculousness, the note that is. Ryan approaches Pam saying he’s on her side with the whole microwave issue and casually suggests that at some point, someone’s just going to have to get in there and clean it. Pam suggests that that’s why they have a temp. Ryan squirms and runs away. 

Jim announces that today is the day that he shows Pam the house he bought without telling her.  At the end of the day, Jim brings her to the house.  She’s speechless.  He’s also converting the garage into an art studio just for Pam.  She finally speaks and says, “I love it.”  Overjoyed that he bought her a house.

Ryan breaks up with Kelly for the billionth time.  He’s going to Thailand. Oh, and he asks that if she has any money she could give him, that would be great.

The Office – The Surplus

Oscar brings Michael the year’s budget and explains what a surplus is.  He tells Michael they have an extra $4300 which needs to be spent by the end of the day.  Oscar thinks they should buy a new copy machine. 

Michael announces the news of the copier and surplus.  Pam suggests they get chairs instead. Jim sides with Oscar and says that he and Pam don’t have to agree on everything.  The decision is up to Michael who has to think on it. 

At Schrute Farms, Dwight shows Angela and Andy around. Andy pays extra for Dwight to slaughter the food the day before the wedding and steps in cow poop.  They argue over the butter sculpture and Andy steps in more poop.  Dwight finally shows the couple where the ceremony will be and suggests a trial run.  Andy plays Angela’s father walking her down the isle.

Angela plays herself and Dwight plays Andy (so that Andy can see what he’ll look like).  Dwight has a German speaking officiant conduct a “fake” ceremony.  Dwight says “I do” as practice for Andy and Angela says, “I do” too.  And that’s the end of the rehearsal.  Before Andy and Angela leave she confesses to Dwight that she made a mistake picking Andy.  Then Dwight admits that the German officiant was real and that Andy wasn’t signing a receipt earlier he was signing Dwight and Angela’s marriage certificate as a witness.  Angela’s upset and tells Dwight it doesn’t count. At the office she throws herself on Andy mid chew on his tuna sandwich and tells him she needs to take care of a legal issue.

Pam tries to get Jim to reconsider, forcefully, about the chairs.  She goes to kiss him and whispers, “You’re on very dangerous ground.”  Pam is talking to Michael about the chairs when Oscar interrupts inviting him to lunch and Jim joins in.  Pam’s ready to fight dirty. When the boys return she’s done her hair, put on extra makeup and follows Michael into his office showering him with complements and laughing at his jokes.  Later Pam makes some copies and the machine of course fails, in front of Jim and the whole office. 

To help make a decision, Michael calls David who suggests Michael return the surplus and take the bonus. Michael didn’t know about the bonus and is ok with disappointing everyone.  So he announces that they don’t need a copier or chairs.  Oscar calls out Michael about knowing about the bonus. Michael tells the staff that they need to make a decision or he’s taking the bonus. A few minutes later while on a coffee break, Oscar bursts in announcing to Michael they’ve picked the chairs as he’d rather have those than nothing.

Next Jim comes up to Pam timidly and asks her to make 3 copies of each document he has.  She just stares at him in surprise.  He turns around and says he’s kidding, leans in for a kiss and whispers, “I need 4 copies of each.”

The Office – Customer Survey

Rumors start about Michael being engaged to Holly and the team makes him call his mom on speaker phone. She gets it out of him that he’s not getting married.

Once a year Kelly calls the Dunder Mifflin clients and gets their opinions about the sales team. According to Jim, the reports affect their bonuses. Dwight’s first to hear his report feedback and it isn’t good. He believes there is sabotage.

Jim and Pam have bought the world’s smallest blue tooth so they can have each other in their ear throughout the day. Frustrated Dwight doesn’t understand why Jim is talking to himself and making seemingly random comments at Dwight throughout the day.

Jim’s up for his results, which are so bad that he hangs up on Pam (momentarily). He confesses he needs the bonus from the good reviews because he’s buying a house – and Pam doesn’t know.

Andy continues planning his and Angela’s wedding by booking the tent guy who did Giuliani’s first and third weddings. Angela doesn’t want to get married in a tent “like a hobo” but agrees with the conditions that the tent has to be in hand plowed field and other oddities. Andy finds the perfect place, Dwight Schrute Farms. Dwight delivers his sales pitch for the farm and describes what Schrute farms can do for Angela…and Andy.

Due to poor reviews, Dwight and Jim have a re-training session with practice phone calls – Jim is the customer and Dwight is the sales man. It doesn’t go well. Dwight has to put Michael on the phone who saves the fake sale with Jim. After, Dwight gets Jim into his car where he reveals his thoughts on sabotage. Back in the office Dwight accuses Kelly of the sabotage.

Jim runs into Kelly in the break room and Pam helps uncover another piece of the suspect Kelly puzzle – that she doesn’t chat Jim’s ear off. Realizing that neither Jim nor Dwight attended one of Kelly’s parties, Jim puts it together that Kelly is the saboteur and later tells Dwight, “You were right.”

They have a meeting with Kelly where she confesses that she did the fake reports because Dwight and Jim are bad friends. Dwight and Jim leave Michael’s office where he expresses his sympathy for Kelly. Michael tells Kelly that they are going to fake an argument with everyone watching.

Back at corporate and with Jim in her ear, Pam’s friend Alex stops by and lists off all the reasons she should stay in NYC. Pam’s only reason to go back to Scranton is of course Jim. Alex makes a great argument and clearly gives the pair some food for thought.

The Office – Week 7 – Business Trip

Jim is counting down the days until Pam’s return to Scranton. With Pam’s return Ryan will be moved back near Kelley. As they discuss the tension they return their old ways and start to make out. Later both Kelly and Ryan send Darryl a break up text in which he replies “its cool.”

Michael is preparing to go on his first international business trip to … drum roll please… Canada! Michael is able to bring two others, his numbers guy, Oscar and his translator Andy.

Once in the foreign land of Canada, Michael visits the concierge, Marie, who directs the team to some nice restaurants. Later, Michael runs into Marie at a bar, they get to chatting and end up in a room at the hotel that night. In the morning, Marie kicks Michael out. Andy and Oscar end up bonding over drinks, trying to set Oscar up and a drunk phone call to Angela.

A road block – Pam failed one class and has to stay in NY. She calls Jim to break the news and he encourages her to stay and pursue her dreams. At the end of the work day Jim finds Pam in the parking lot waiting for him. She confesses that graphic design and logos aren’t her dream, her dream is to have a life with him. This is followed by Dwight asking her to make copies in the morning and handing her a stack of papers.

The third-season premiere of NBC’s “30 Rock” Thursday night reminded us why it won Outstanding Comedy at this year’s Emmys with its offbeat humor and strong acting by stars Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin.

Recently “Must See TV” Thursday night has turned into “Maybe watch something else” Thursday night with the awful addition of “Kath & Kim” and the decreased funniness of “My Name is Earl” and “The Office.” Luckily, “30 Rock” came back just in time to give us some much needed laughs.

Thursday’s show began with Liz Lemon’s (Tina Fey) boss, Jack (Alec Baldwin) returning to GE to work his way back up to the top at GE after Devin Banks (guest star Will Arnett) took over. Devin’s making a mess out of the place – even selling the “E” in GE to Samsung who’s now known as “Samesung.”

Jack happily starts out in the mailroom but not to worry because he’s already promoted to director of mail services the next day.

Meanwhile, Bev (“Will & Grace’s” Megan Mullally), an adoption agency official follows Liz around at work to see if she’s fit to adopt a child. Chaos ensues with her outrageous employees botching the interviews, the fake greenroom-turned nursery’s furniture needed to be returned by 5, and a set falling apart to subsequent cussing right after Liz tells Bev it’s a great place for a child to hang out.

“30 Rock’s” only main flaw is trying to take on too many storylines and then quickly wrapping them up to make a tidy ending to its 30 minute show, such as giving Liz a second chance to impress Bev after she gets knocked out by Frank’s nunchucks and then forgets she had already spent the whole day surveying Liz. Yet, the show keeps its reality by not giving Liz a happy ending because Bev still rejects her. Not so lucky for Liz, but lucky for the show because it keeps it from becoming too corny.

The best part of the show is Liz and Jack’s comfortable, easy-going chemistry in scenes such as when they quickly lapse into a pretend corny soap opera scene to fool Devin’s soap opera obsessed wife, Cathy, into thinking they’re lovers.

Yet, maybe could-be couple Liz and Jack just couldn’t force themselves to kiss at the end of the scene. But whether they ever become real lovers or not, we still love “30 Rock.”

The Office: Crime Aid

Michael gets Pam a part time job at corporate while she’s in NY.

Michael and Holly explore their new relationship in and out of the office and have a late night rendezvous. Andy passes out Save the Date cards. Dwight confides in Phyllis about Angela and wonders why she’s marrying Andy.

The next morning, the Dunder Mifflin crew finds they’ve been robbed. Michael and Holly realize they forgot to lock the door the night before.

Phyllis advises Dwight to give Angela an ultimatum as to whether she loves Andy or him. Dwight poses Angela with the ultimatum and gives her until 6:14 pm to decide.

Michael plans a charity auction to recover the losses of the robbery and promises Bruce Springsteen tickets. Items like Yoga lessons from Holly, a hug from Phyllis, getting a beer with Darrel, and Creed, are all sold. Jim buys the outing with Darrel and while out he runs into Roy, Pam’s ex fiancée. Roy asks about Pam and Jim reveals their engagement. After the conversation with Roy, Jim decides to see Pam, but later stops himself realizing “I am not that guy and we are not that couple.”

At 6:14, Angela seems to choose Andy as the time for her ultimatum runs out. Dwight panics and asks Phyllis how to win her back.

When it’s time for the Springsteen tickets Michael makes a classic move by stating he “can’t find them” and concludes that the tickets must have been stolen. Phyllis’ hug is the last item up for auction and a bid war begins between her husband and Dwight. Ultimately her hug is bought for $1,000 by her husband.

The Office – Employee Transfer It’s Halloween at Dunder Mifflin. We have a Carrie Bradshaw, Creed (and Kevin) as the Joker, Uncle Sam, a cat, “Dave” and a Cornell student (Dwight) which turns into an all out war between Andy an Dwight. Pam is the only one at corporate dressed up, she’s Charlie Chaplin.

Corporate found out about Michael and Holly and is transferring her to New Hampshire. Jim goes to NYC to have lunch with his brothers and Pam. Pam meets with Jim’s brothers early to plan a prank. The brothers come up with the idea to rag on Pam about being a professional artist and how she won’t make any money in front of Jim. When Jim finally joins them the joke begins and the brothers come on a little strong, but Pam and Jim hold their own and eventually the prank is revealed to Jim.

Dwight announces he is applying to Cornell making Andy a little angry. Throughout the day Dwight tries to talk Cornell with Andy. He hangs a Cornell flag over his desk and puts a bobble head Big Red Bear on his desk. Andy tells Dwight he is in charge of Dwight’s entrance interview. During the interview Andy gives Dwight “sub-par” scores and Dwight springs an “Interviewer Review” on Andy. This turns into a final battle of who can write the worst review. The next day Andy comes to the office dressed in farmer’s clothes carrying a bushel of beets and announces he’s bought his own beet farm.

On the road with Holly, Michael and Darrel they start things off with “You’re Going My Way.” Michael and Holly finally talk about the logistics of having a long distance relationship. Holly doesn’t think it will work and Michael tries to rationalize with her saying it will work. Michael panics confessing he’s not strong and will go back to Jan. When they are finally in NH they unpack. Michael tells Holly he’s going back home with Darrel leaving their relationship in limbo. Darrel tries cheering up Michael on the drive home with singing some blues in a way that only Michael could do.

Business Ethics

Jim makes the official office wide announcement about his engagement to Pam, starting off “Ethics Day.” Holly leads her new co-workers in “Ethics Day” in which she has to read from a binder about office ethics.

To start the meeting out her and Michael perform a musical number.  Michael wants to “merge” his friendship with Holly into a relationship without her even knowing.  Ryan’s behavior at the corporate office is the reason for Ethics Day and he confesses his regret for that behavior. 

“Time theft” is a major issue at Dunder Mifflin, meaning taking personal breaks is like stealing money from the company.  Holly opens up the floor to discussion about ethical decisions faced at work and Michael promises immunity to anyone who talks.  Meredith makes a huge confession – she’s been sleeping with the office supply distributor for a discount on supplies as well as Outback Steakhouse gift certificates. 

Holly, Michael and Meredith meet to discuss the confession and Jim now makes it his day’s goal to calculate Dwight’s “time theft” totals stalking him with a stopwatch. Holly and Michael go out to lunch to continue to “discuss Meredith.”  Michael attempts to woo his coworker with weather talk and a “business romantic” restaurant. 

Back at the office, Jim tempts Dwight with horrible talk of Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, and other Dwight passions, but he is determined not to steal time going to the extreme of peeing at his desk while filling out expense reports and sneezing with his eyes open. 

After lunch, Michael is not happy with Holly’s outspokenness of wanting to report Meredith and calling it unethical not to do so.  Dwight mysteriously disappears for 19 minutes and finally admits they he may not be so ethical after all.  Holly regrets her position as “morality police” because no one will talk to her in the office, including Michael.  Corporate calls Michael and Holly and they support continuing to receive a discount on office supplies during this hard economic time. Holly is to obtain signatures in order to show the completion of Ethics Day.  Michael backs up his girl when she tries to finish the seminar and no one is willing. He gets his employees together to finish and the kooky flirtation continues with Holly.   

Baby Shower

In anticipation of Jan’s baby, Dwight and Michael practice a few last minute intense “water breaking” moments. Dwight quizzes Michael on routes to the hospital and ends up “giving birth” to a watermelon covered in butter in Michael’s office in his underwear. 

The party committee sets up for the Baby Shower with some decorations and M & M’s with baby names.  Jim and Pam’s phone relationship is a little off today. They keep missing each other and aren’t getting each other’s jokes about their separate days.  Michael discusses with Holly that he may act mean to her because of Holly’s (and Ryan’s) beauty and Jan’s fat, pregnancy state, which is “extremely unattractive” according to him.  Jan arrives and brings a guest, the baby!  She’s already had the baby without telling Michael. 

Michael attempts to get to know the new buddle of joy and confesses that he tries to hold a baby at least once a day. He says they like him because they see him as one their own and then he theorizes about a baby being president.  Baby Shower time!  The team attempts to play the planned games, but they included now useless games such as “Lets guess when the baby will be born.”  The team chipped in to buy Jan a stroller, which is a worse model than the one she walked in with.

Dwight takes it upon himself to crash test the $1200 stroller that Jan has.  Jan starts singing during the baby shower and continues for a while.  Jim and Pam’s conversation about the awkward shower is again out of sinque.  Michael finally gets the chance to hold the new baby, but he is disappointed and feels “short changed.”  He goes down to the warehouse to get advice about being a baby daddy from Darrell.  The stroller passes Dwight’s tests and he puts it in Jan’s trunk.

At the end of the day Jan asks Michael not to date Holly and he agrees.  We then see him give Holly a very sweet hug for which he confesses he “got a good feeling from Holly” and “didn’t feel much when he held Astrid (the baby).”

What did Dunder Mifflin do over the summer and what are they up to now? Everyone’s got one new major goal – losing the most weight for extra vacation days.  While some are taking it seriously (i.e. swallowing a tapeworm), some aren’t too concerned (i.e. celebrating a one pound weight loss by rewarding everyone with a cake).

Michael – Attempting to play daddy to Jan’s unborn baby, he tries to be supportive and help with her candle business. He’s also attempting to win over newcomer Holly who is, according to Jim “kind of a dork” – just like Michael.  In an effort to motivate his team, he tries scaring them into losing weight by telling them that if they don’t shed some poundage they will all die of obesity.  In the end, Michael puts on a half inflated fat suite and lectures the Dunder Mifflin team on body image and discrimination against fat people, which leads to a Michael rarity, sharing a clear moment of actual realization, in this case that losing weight is part of living a healthy life so that everyone can live forever (well it was good until the “live forever” thing).

Angela – Semi-planning her wedding to Andy, she’s also having an affair with ex Dwight. She’s been replaced as the head of the party planning committee by rival Phyllis due to what Phyllis witnessed during last season’s finale.

Jim – Volunteers to lose 65 pounds just to mess with Michael.  He visits Pam at her new school. And, after not seeing Pam for 10 days, he finally proposes.

Pam – She’s at college! Her first day she ends up in the wrong class. She makes some new friends (you might recognize one of them, he’s the TV department head from “Mad Men” whose making a guest appearance). She’s also an RA. And, when Jim asks her to marry him, she says, “Yes!”

Dwight makes Phyllis walk five miles in an effort to add to the weight loss cause.  Kelly swallows a tapeworm to lose weight.  And Ryan’s back as the new “Pam” taking over her secretarial tasks while she’s at college.

By the end, Scranton needs to lose eight pounds to win the extra vacation days, but they do not.  However, Stanley, on a weight loss mission of his own, loses a terrific seven pounds for himself!  Go Stanley! And let’s not forget poor Toby, who, on day three in Costa Rica, broke his neck in a zip-lining incident. He’s been in the hospital for five weeks. He likes visitors, so please feel free to pass that along should you run into Michael Scott and the Dunder Mifflin Scranton branch.

Until Next Week…

The Office star Rainn Wilson leaves his cubicle to play a has-been rocker in the aptly titled The Rocker opening Wednesday. It’s too soon to see how the movie career of Wilson, best known for dorky Dwight will fare, but in the meantime let’s take a look back at the best TV to movie crossovers.

George Clooney The Emmy-nominated ER doc hung up his scrubs for a successful movie career that spans box-office commercial fare (the Ocean’s Eleven franchise) to the critically acclaimed (winning a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Syriana). He’s also established himself as a bona fide writer and director with Good Night, and Good Luck.

Tom Hanks Before going on to win two Best Actor Oscars, he starred as a cross dresser in the 80s sitcom Bosom Buddies. Since then he’s starred in dozens of classic films like Forrest Gump and Saving Private Ryan, as well as writing, directing and producing.

Johnny Depp Now known for his chameleon-like ability to immerse himself into eccentric characters like Captain Jack Sparrow, Edward Scissorhands, Sweeney Todd and Willy Wonka, Depp got his start playing a baby-faced undercover cop in 21 Jump Street. 

Leonardo DiCaprio Before he sailed on the Titanic, DiCaprio played a scrawny teen in Growing Pains. Now he’s grown up and starring in critically acclaimed films like The Departed and Blood Diamond while scoring three Oscar noms.  

Will Smith The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star now rules Fourth of July weekends in explosive movies like Independence Day, Men in Black and Hancock. He doesn’t just fight aliens though; he also was Oscar nominated for The Pursuit of Happyness and Ali.

Denzel Washington The St. Elsewhere star is another sexy TV doc who rocketed to the A-List with a number of classic films like Malcolm X and Training Day, for which he won an Oscar.

Jennifer Aniston The Friends star has starred in numerous films such as Office Space, The Good Girl, Derailed and The Break-Up; yet, she’s still best known as Rachel. But several upcoming films like Marley and Me may make us forget about that New York waitress with cute hair.

Steve Carell He’s just as good at getting laughs in films like The 40-Year Old Virgin, Little Miss Sunshine and Get Smart as he does in The Office, but he also kept it real with low key film Dan in Real Life.  

Bruce Willis With classic films like the Die Hard franchise and The Sixth Sense, one almost forgets he won a Golden Globe for his TV show, Moonlighting.

Helen Hunt The Mad About You star went on to win an Oscar for As Good As It Gets and to star in Twister, but then she disappeared until this year’s underwhelming Then She Found Me, in which she starred, directed and co-wrote.

Yet another up-and-coming, beloved actor was busted for drugs over the summer. Craig Robinson, who plays too-cool Darryl Philbin on NBCs The Office and stars in the recently-released Pineapple Express, was arrested on June 29 for suspicion of possession of ecstasy and mathamphetamines.

According to sources, Robinson was also charged with being under the influence of cocaine, marijuana and amphetamines when he was picked up. (Are you kidding me???) Robinson is scheduled for court on August 21. Maybe he’ll go the positive route: be accountable, agree to treatment and move on to lead a drug-free life. Hey, worked for Robert Downey, Jr.