The Office: The Meeting, 6.02

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The Office

Writer: Aaron Shure, Director: Randall Einhorn

Summary (NBC): A request by Jim leaves Michael feeling insecure and defensive. Meanwhile, Pam deals with the guest list for the wedding, and Dwight convinces Toby to investigate Darryl’s worker’s comp claim.

The Office The Meeting extras

The Office The Meeting rating

In a poll conducted September 24-28, Tallyheads rated this episode: 7.74/10

See all The Office Season 6 ratings.

The Office The Meeting quotes

Michael: In your experience, what should I be expecting, in terms of sensation. Or emotions. Is there anything I can do to make it more pleasurable for me? Or for Dr. Chaundry? My main concern is should I have a safe word?

Michael: Once in awhile, one of the Amigos will go off to the bathroom while the other two have a secret meeting.

Pam: Yeah, I think the pregnancy really brought us together.

Michael: If you’re lying to me, right now, Pam, your baby is gonna come out a liar. That’s how it works. They inherit things through the breast milk.
Pam: Please don’t talk about my breast milk.

Dwight: How did the ladder end up on top of you if you fell off of it?

Dwight: I didn’t know we were in Communist Sweden.

Dwight: “Y’all having birthday cake?”

Toby: I am a fan of the hard-boiled detective novel. “I’ll punch you in the mush, see?”

Michael: Catch you guys on the flippity-flop.

Kelly: So jealous of your boobs.

Pam: People have to decide if they want to come to our wedding … or have to work.

Andy: It’s a total mind-effer.

Andy: “Hey Andy, let’s go visit Grandma, and then get drunk together, haha.”

Michael: I say go for the airtight plan.

Andy: If I may be so bold, it’s a lot of fun to let the goldfish take a little swim in the blue cheese. Bon appetit.

Dwight: I’m rebuilding a turn of the century steam engine in my slaughterhouse.

Toby: You gonna eat all that dog food yourself?

Ryan: I once had a glass of cognac that cost $77.

Ryan: Yes. I’m coming to your wedding.

Michael: Permission to speak on the record.

Michael: Jim is like Big Bird. He is tall and yellow and very nice.

Michael: Big Bird doesn’t make the tough decisions.

Michael: I’d have to talk to my mother and my guy at H&R Block.

Jim: I didn’t tell Michael because … I thought he’d try to help.

Michael: I can’t help but feel partially responsible.

Michael: Well we did talk about how handsome you are.

Michael: Did you know that Lincoln’s secretary was named Kennedy?

Jim: I tried to keep Michael in the dark. I should have known that he can do just as much damage in the dark.

Dwight: We thought that she was you.
Darryl: Why would you think a lady is me?
Dwight: Are you, are you serious? Because you look exactly alike? Am I the only one? Are you getting this?

Michael: That file had been falsified. Toby Flenderson is doing drugs.

Dwight: I would like to file an official complaint to Corporate because Darryl lied on an official form.

David: Co-manager and co-manager.

Michael: Jim Halpert, welcome.

Meredith: I’ll just have whatever’s fanciest, unless there’s ribs.

Angela: Pam, my bag was there.

Icon provided by pessimistreader.

129 comments

  1. Okay episode. I felt like it was intended to get the plot of the show going. Aside from the awesome cold opening, I didn’t laugh much.

  2. Great episode. I think this season is going to be the best one… I can’t wait to see how this “co-managers” thing is gonna work!

  3. VERY GOOD! Loved the Dwight/Toby storyline. Laughed out loud when Toby yelled at Darryl’s sister. I hope they keep up this great string of episodes.

  4. Great episode. The whole episode was great, the three main plots were weaved together perfectly. Very mockumentary like too, that’s good as well. The best part was the Darryl, Toby, Dwight plot.

  5. I thought Dwight’s scream was much longer lol!

    Hooray for Michael and Jim being co-managers! Toby was, miraculously enough, actually funny when partnered with Dwight.

  6. Not the best episode. It was just ok. Kind of boring for the most part but it had some moments. Big disappointment from last week’s excellent episode.

  7. I must admit I liked Toby and Dwight working together. First time for everything. :P

    But wtf at Michael trying to sabotage Jim’s chance? I mean, I get he doesn’t want to lose both of them, but man…

    Not my favorite episode, but seeing David is always a bonus.

  8. Did David Wallace say sh*t when he was being pulled over? I watched it like 3 times and it sounds like it.

  9. I was originally skeptical of the writers after the MSPC story arc. After seeing how great those episodes were I am really excited to see how this storyline plays out. And also one of the best that’s what she saids EVER.

  10. I certainly wasn’t expecting that to happen. I think Jim was pretty slimy this episode though. After six seasons he finally gets called out on his less than stellar work habits, manages to guilt Michael into changing his mind, and gets the job.

    That being said, the writers have just managed to open up so many new possible storylines with this one change, I can see why they did it.

    It was nice to see Toby and Dwight “bonding”, and that Dwight actually figured Darryl’s secret out. Not the funniest episode, but it was still enjoyable. The cold open was A+ stuff, though.

  11. That was fantastic!!! The episode was funny and full of tension from start to finish. I’m glad Michael was able to pull through for Jim in the end. Also, I was glad to see Toby and Dwight team up. What an odd and hilarious pair.

  12. I wasn’t crazy about this episode. It just seemed . . . painful. I felt the Dwight/Toby investigation was predictable – as soon as Dwight raised an eyebrow, it was pretty obvious that he was going to challenge Darryl’s claim and ultimately be right. It’s happened too many times already on the show.

    I did like the Pam-Angela dynamic at the end. And that Toby and Dwight have a common interest; that could definitely bring a new twist to the character development.

  13. Awesome!!! Not sure it lived up to last week’s ep. IMHO, but I still loved it. The big bird moment… priceless. I wonder how this co-management scheme will unfold… I don’t think it will last very long. But wow, can’t wait for next week!

  14. The first ten minutes felt like they were taking forever…but overall a pretty good episode.
    The cold open was hilarious!
    But…the storyline with the guestlist was kind of weird…I think that it was funny but ya know…kinda boring and not a lot going on…

    Anyways how will co-managers work???
    I’m having a hard time grasping this!!!

  15. Finally! An Office episode that once again deals with an office and its workings. Jim using tact to get the position was smart, Michael was hard to tolerate but redeemed himself, and lord Toby and Dwight were fantastic. Plus the cold open is one of the funniest since Stress Relief, and in some ways is better than that one. If they keep this tone up of developing the characters around the dealings of the office this will be a fantastic season.

  16. This episode was okay… for those that think that Jim forced Michael to change his mind, I don’t think that’s true. Michael probably thought that Jim was trying to take his job and demote Michael (which I think many of us thought too) and so he was trying to make sure he would stay manager. Truly, Michael thinks Jim is amazing and does actually believe he would make a good manager, which is why he agreed to being a co-manager. When David told Michael what Jim’s idea actually was, he obviously looked like he regretted making Jim look bad. In any case, I’m happy Jim was promoted but is still at the branch, and I’m looking forward to seeing the plot unfold.

  17. 16:

    How was Jim slimy? He was trying to get Michael promoted (what was it…in charge of all sales in the Northeast?), and instead Michael ends up getting himself demoted to co-manager, all because he didn’t want his “family” to leave.

  18. This season is restoring all faith I had lost in The Office during the last two seasons, especially the 4th. I’m so happy. I don’t know what everyone is talking about, saying it was boring and bad. This is why I started watching the office initially. Toby is still annoying and whiny though.

  19. 32.

    I felt he was slimy because Michael claimed he didn’t think Jim was cut for the job. We can guess that it’s because Michael was fearful for his job, but I don’t think that can be proven, and it doesn’t change the fact that everything written in that file about Jim was true. Jim never even acknowledged his failings, just got all pouty that Michael didn’t recommend him. He’s even admitted in a past episode that all he’s ever worked towards is mediocrity.

    Just my 2 cents.

  20. Thought it was well written overall. However, plot wise, I didn’t understand how the initial plan called for one branch manager and one district manager while the new plan called for two branch managers? I guess the excess workload is there, but David decided he didn’t need to promote any one?

  21. Also, may I add, how was this episode boring?!

    -Cold open: boldest ever!
    -Dwight’s impression of falling
    -Darryl’s sister
    -Michael in the cheese cart

    really? boring?

  22. David said it was the only way he could get *someone* to approve the move? I couldn’t understand what he said, though.

    Sounds like some others in upper management wouldn’t approve the district manager idea.

  23. Just thought of this: With Jim now co-manager, that means Charles is now his direct superior. I don’t know how many episodes Idris Elba is signed on for but that should make things really interesting.

  24. That’s two very good episodes to start the season off. My favorite parts:
    -Toby yelling at Darryl’s sister thinking it was Darryl
    -Michael and Andy’s “cheese” idea- i love how Michael mentions that he’s not going for the whole “it’s so crazy it just might work option”, but instead is choosing the safe option
    -And of course the cold open was classic!

  25. This season is so good. If this keeps up, this will top season 3. The Cold Open was amazing.

  26. @40: Reasons I thought it was boring include seeing several things from past episodes, but less funny. Dwight already did a stake out when Oscar took his day off. There have already been several funnier crashes. And storyline-wise, suddenly having 2 managers makes no sense, as others have stated.

    And the cheese cart went absolutely nowhere. I thought it was going to be funny with Michael spying, but as soon as Andy wheeled it in, the meeting ended.

  27. I loved this episode so much. It was hilarious.

    I actually liked Toby tonight for the first time in a long time. Hope that continues.

    I love that everyone’s attending the wedding.

  28. 36.

    The report was written by Toby though. Most likely when he and Ryan were tag-teaming to get rid of Jim. It’s obvious when Jim wants to he can get the job done, even if he plays pranks and slacks off.

    Maybe he wasn’t the most professional in dealing with Michael after finding out what happened, but I don’t think ‘slimy’ is the right word.

  29. I thought this was an excellent episode – the cold open was one of the best ever (I laughed so hard I cried). And the cheese cart cracked me up – Andy was hilarious (both the look on his face when he was putting the cheese cart together and his explanation of it to David and Jim). Yep, I’ll be watching this one a second time about 15 minutes from now.

  30. It’s not that I didn’t like the episode, but I felt a little alienated because it was so sudden and random. It did create some suspense at the beginning to not know what was going on, but then to all of a sudden find out that Jim has another job offer in the works and that he might become branch manager kind of made me feel like I had missed a couple episodes. It should definitely create some interesting stories, but on the contrary to the people who said it moved too slow, I think they could have taken it even slower to get the viewers a little more “in the loop.” Then again, I could just be a little shaken up by change. All in all, entertaining as always.

  31. I LOVED this episode but I don’t like seeing Jim all sad and serious… I love how he ate the jelly beans Michael gave him! he is just too cute

  32. 44:

    I don’t really see how having co-managers doesn’t make sense. It seems perfect to me…Michael SHOULD be in charge of sales, clients, etc. He’s a great salesman.

  33. I loved this episode, i thought it was funny and i really liked the plot. can’t wait to see jim and michael working together!
    Also, in the season premiere contest i posted this, “Michael becomes paranoid about his job when David Wallace promotes Jim to co-regional manager. Revenge and hilarity ensues.” Wow was i close. :)

    [from tanster: wow!]

  34. I liked this episode. It was dark-The Office at its best-but I feel like we missed a scene with Jim that might have explained the job offer thing. When Wallace mentioned it I had no clue.

    “That’s what she said.”
    “No.”

  35. I really enjoyed it, thought it was funny, especially Toby and Dwight, that was hilarious! Though at first I was confused with the whole Michael and Jim story, I get now that Jim was getting both of them promoted and Michael didn’t want to be separated from the “family”.

  36. Great episode! I loved it, I was just disappointed with Michael for screwing Jim over like he did. I mean, I guess in the end it worked out, but still; Michael was kinda mean in that sense, but his heart was in the right place (in his own eyes.) He wanted everyone together.

    Do you understand what I am trying to convey poorly?

  37. I absolutely loved this episode. Liked it a lot more than last week’s, actually, which apparently puts me in the minority! I enjoyed all the plots, and I laughed a ton. Toby, in particular, had me rolling! He was on fire this ep. Excellent work, all!

  38. I’m not usually a fan of Toby, but, man, what an episode for him! Probably my favorite line of the night: “That’s not a very good Darryl…” as Dwight just talks right over him. I think I’ll need to watch the episode one more time to fully decide how I feel about the Jim/Michael interaction.

    Otherwise, I loved Creed’s “Yep, that makes more sense.” But where were the accountants? Did Angela appear even for a second?

  39. Not too funny, but it did have some good parts.
    Part 1: When Dwight thinks Darryl and his sister look exactly alike: “…Are…Are you serious?”
    Part 2: David Wallace asks Michael to call Jim in: knock knock, door handle, door creak, foot pats, Jim: Hi David! Great impressions :)

  40. Decent episode. Not as good as “Gossip.” Cold open and Andy’s presentation of the cheese cart were the funniest bits. We haven’t seen and heard enough of Erin so far this season.

  41. Good episode!! Better than the Season Opener.

    Was expecting Jim to quit, especially with Michael.
    I would have loved seeing Jim have it out with him.

    Why does David Wallace (great to see him in this episode) place so much trust in Michael, when time and again Michael proves to be a total boob? Do I have to mention closing the Buffalo branch?

    However, I do hate how they are wasting Ed Helms’ talents with idiotic scenes.

    [from tanster: long live Buffalo!]

  42. Agreed – they are wasting Ed’s talent. Season premiere was PERFECT for Ed, and now this? Oi, major let down!

  43. I thought this episode was good. It felt a bit choppy to me though. I like how Jim has turned his attention to career advancement, but it seems really sudden when just in season four, I think the episode was Survivorman, he had a horrified look on his face when talking to Michael about how Michael used to make the same mistakes as branch manager, like it was the last thing he wanted to be. I know his priorities have shifted with a wife and baby on the way but it still felt really sudden. I did like to see a serious side of Jim though, something different.
    LOVED Dwight and Toby and that whole storyline! Also the cold open was awesome. All in all first two eps were strong..keep it up Office!

  44. Ok, sometimes I think we need to realize that this is a show and not real life. In real life, Jim probably would have taken another job so that he could get better pay. But this is a TV show. So I knew right away that they were probably going to try to do a co-manager thing so that Jim and Michael can both stay there. Writing off either of them would be detrimental to the show. I’m personally really excited to see how Jim does in this new position.

  45. #59 – I thought the same thing, as probably most of us did, but David was puzzled when Michael said what he said because David thought Michael liked Jim. Since David and Jim have hit it off in the past maybe he just wanted another opinion from someone else who was close to and thought well of Jim.

    Good ep. I’ll have to rewatch it though, a lot of unease and awkwardness in the first two eps which I’ve liked. An old-school feel. But along with that, Michael has been a pretty big jerk in the first two eps. Like Season 1 style. Ratting Stanley out and then not giving Jim a promotion? Not something I like to see from my favorite character.

  46. Loved the episode!
    I live in Wisconsin, must they always put the word cheese and Wisconsin in the same sentence?
    Maybe I should just be happy that they mentioned Wisconsin.

  47. Good Episode. “Gossip” was much funnier though. I do understand that they have to have these tweener episodes in order to explain what will be happening this season. Great Idea with the wedding though (Yay Pam!)

  48. “You Screwed Me.” “That’s what she said.”

    “Do I need a safe word?”

    Okay I’m going to have to say it

    Assistant to the Co Regional Managers

  49. Just a note: I’m happy for Jim and all. And I should mention Pam, too. But I think it’s sad that they’ve both kind of settled and they’re going to end up stuck at Dunder Mifflin. I think this show has always had a sad underlying of lost dreams and there’s just a touch of irony when you look at the happiness of Jim/Pam.

    But also: okay, Dwight had be DYING after Darryl asked, “And why would you think a lady would be a man?” UH…ARE YOU SERIOUS? ‘Cause you look exactly the same. Am I the only one getting this? And he looks directly into the camera. Loved it. Dying.

  50. I see absolutely no point in Jim being a co-manager, and it kinda irked me that Pam, who was so sad about no one from the office going to her art show, is now encouraging those people not to go to her wedding. I think that’s the one thing I’ve started to dislike about Jim and Pam, they seem to have a “we’re above everyone else in this office” vibe about them.

    With that said, this episode was utterly HILARIOUS! Loved the Andy cheese platter bit, seeing timid Toby angrily cuss out “Daryl” only to find out it was a woman was absolute comedy gold, and Dwight’s reaction to Jim’s promotion was classic. Overall, season six has gotten off to a GREAT start.

  51. I really enjoyed this episode because it’s laying out good foundation for the season. It makes sense that Jim is looking for a promotion because he and Pam are starting a family. We’ve been seeing Jim wanting to progress ever since season two when Pam suggested he apply for the job at Cumberland Mills because it had a higher salary.

    Although it wasn’t the funniest episode, I definitely liked it more than the season opener because the plots are feasible and a natural progression for the characters. I like it when Michael is placed with a moral dilemma.

    The Toby-Dwight dynamic was great as well as the Darryl show down. I also found it amusing and appropriate that Ryan was reading I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell, since it’s about egomaniacal womanizers. Season six is looking great so far :)

  52. I thoroughly enjoyed the acting in this episode especially with JKras’ particularly emotionally tense moments. But at the same time doesn’t it seem that the office has reached a new level of unpleasantness? I am just waiting for an all out war in one of these episodes.

  53. I hated the episode – esp Jim! I don’t think Michael thinks Jim is a great worker (’cause let’s face it, he’s not). Michael thinks Jim is cool, like himself(!).

    I would have just let Jim accept his job offer elsewhere and leave DM.

    And how was Michael supposed to know that promoting Jim would have resulted in his own promotion? Jim purposefully kept him in the dark. Michael has already sustained one attempted coup (remember Dwight?), there’s nothing to say Jim wouldn’t try something similar.

    Honestly, I can’t even remember the cold opening. Just kept waiting for David Wallace to leave and the actual episode to start. Obviously, I didn’t know that David Wallace would be a major part of the storyline.

  54. I loved this episode..personally I find I like the “story arc” episodes the best and I like the new direction this will take the characters in.

    IMHO If you watch the pre-writers strike episodes from season four you see Jim starting to take an interest in furthering his career or even just deciding what he wanted to do ie the sports writer avatar who plays guitar and him implementing the birthday changes during ‘Survivor Man’. But I think that got sidetracked by other plot avenues Andy/Angela/Dwight, Michael/Holly, Pam in art school. MSPC. All I’m saying is Jim has shown potential before, and the bad review from Toby though all true….is probably because we all know he has a thing for Pam :) Also didn’t Jim get really good customer reviews? (the real ones) And I’m pretty sure they’ve mentioned that Jim has good sales numbers.

    I’m excited to see where they go with Jim. He hasn’t had his own storyline since Stamford whereas Pam has walked on hot coals and gone to art school. I think it’s Jim’s turn to shine (beyond being in love with Pam) :)

  55. I didn’t really feel much for this episode, sadly. I’ll have to watch it again, but I suppose the problem was that it lacked some of the good laughs to balance out the tension. I love The Office for its offbeat moments, but thus far, this season hasn’t brought many of them yet. I realize that there’s going to be a large dose of JAM and their “life-paving”, which I can sort of relate to at the moment. I’m just in more of a lighter Office mood, perhaps.

    Nevertheless, I did whole-heartedly enjoy the Toby/Dwight antics. Clearly the writers are trying to shake up some new non-romantic character combinations. I hope they keep it up.

  56. Andy’s cheese cart monologue was the greatest thing ever! And his selection was hilarious–who puts a cylinder of gross dried parmesan and blue cheese dressing on a cheese tray?? Awesome! Toby and Dwight were a wonderful team, I loved Darryl’s look alike sister. I was bummed that Pam was, well, kind of a grumpy ol’ fussy hen in this episode. Would love to see much more of the sweet fun sassy Pam instead. I really can’t make heads or tails of the co-management–it will be interesting to see where that goes!

  57. Good solid ep, liked the Dwight/Toby stuff, the cheese cart, the cold open, etc. Not amazingly great but solid and kept me chuckling. Not sure what to think of the co-manager storyline but hopefully it leads to funny things and this is a building block episode. I can’t imagine Jim as manager will last all year?

  58. The writers really took the office back to classic glory with this episode. The plot was simple, it wasn’t over the top, and there was some great funny parts. I like the office when it it keeps it simple and doesn’t try to prove itself. This could have almost been a season 2 episode.

  59. This episode had me rolling on the floor. It had such a season 2 vibe, but with evolved characters and fresh new comedy. To me, it was better than Gossip, which was amazing to begin with.

  60. I didn’t like this episode at all. I was very bored and only laughed once at dwight’s classic yell to the camera. Other than that I feel like nothing happened…The Jim/Michael/David storyline confused me. And I didn’t like how we saw barely any other characters. I feel like there are still a lot of loose ends from last season that they need to tie up. I know it’s only episode 2 but I’m expecting better than last night (that’s what she said).

  61. Pretty funny episode overall. I’m not a Toby fan, but the scene with Toby and Dwight in the car, when Toby starts swearing at “Darryl”…that was hysterical!

  62. I loved when Michael discreetly jumped out from under the cheese cart. I had to rewind that and watch it a few times.

  63. I’m excited to see where they go with Jim. He hasn’t had his own storyline since Stamford whereas Pam has walked on hot coals and gone to art school. I think it’s Jim’s turn to shine (beyond being in love with Pam) :)

    Tricia I totally agree with you! I would love to see more Jim character development. I always felt like we were going to see it in season 4 but then the writers strike happened.

    Also, I agree with what someone said about Pam, she was crushed when no one went to her art show but now she wants none of these people at her wedding? This is a far cry from “please don’t throw garbage at me” Pam, “whom” I love. She was actually acting like “kinda a bitch” in this episode. Granted an art show and a wedding are two very different things, but come on…

  64. Loved it!

    I understand Pam not wanting everyone at the wedding, but being sad when no one came to her art show. She said that it costs $75 per person to come to her wedding. Since they didn’t come to her art show, she knows they aren’t coming to the wedding to support her and Jim, they’re coming to get off work and get free food (at her expense!). I don’t blame her.

  65. I feel like Jim’s #1 fan. I don’t see slimy at all! Jim didn’t take his job seriously at first. He was young with no family plans. I know he applied to Stamford so he could get away from Pam, but also to get promoted! Then he took the job interview for Jan’s job. When Ryan was riding him, Jim made a huge sale (on the golf course). Jim is Jim. He’s silly and funny, but deep down, he cares about his career. He’s just horrified (as I think many of us are sometimes) that his career is Dunder-Mifflin.

  66. My main concern is that we won’t get to keep our fun loving Jim with his new position. Hopefully Pam doesn’t become Jim’s only outlet for humor – I love Jim/Dwight interactions just as much as I love the Jim/Pam ones. Fingers crossed that those can still happen

  67. I think the only reason Michael didn’t recommend Jim was because he was afraid Wallace was going to promote Jim over Michael. Duh Michael – Wallace wouldn’t ask you about promoting Jim without some plan for you! And I don’t blame Jim for not coming to Michael about it. Michael has the ability to screw anything up!

  68. This was one of the best LOL episodes I’ve seen in a long time. All three plots were equally hilarious. But the Cheese cart was AMAZING.

  69. A very slow, very awkward episode. It was awkward in a great, old school Office way, but didn’t have me rolling on the floor like Sunny would later in the night. However, I feel this episode will play better in time in terms of both the subtle humor becoming funnier and funnier and as later episodes build upon this foundation.

    I’m glad the writers decided to wait a week to start this (apparently) season-long arc as opposed to just jumping straight in with the premiere; a little breathing room to transition from Season Five to Six helped.

    I’m excited to see where this goes.

    That’s what she said.

  70. My favorite episode in a while, seriously. For me it had all the hilarious moments and awkward moments I’ve come to expect.

  71. Whoops, and I totally forgot about the awesome “Tell the Mayor he just lost six votes!” line. That and Toby’s “That’s not a very good Darryl” were my faves.

  72. andy always has the best lines. the thing about his cousin i was laughing so hard i missed whatever anyone said next. let’s go visit grandma and get drunk. pffft.

  73. Andy’s goldfish swimming in the blue cheese comment, followed by ‘Bon Appetit’, has me rolling every time I rewatch it.

    I wonder if the writers are giving him the big funny moments only because he was a lead in what is now the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all time.

  74. I loved it! Ever since the awesome-ness that was the Michael Scott Paper Company, I’m okay with the office dynamic getting switched up a bit. I hope that the management position makes Jim realize that no matter how high up he gets, this job still makes him want to throw himself under a train.

  75. That cold open was amazing! I was so uncomfortable I almost squirmed right through my chair! Wow…I don’t blame Oscar for walking out, I would have been right behind him…or in front of him.

  76. I liked this episode with the exception of David all of the sudden flip flopping his decision about Jim. It doesn’t make sense. (well maybe, we don’t want to lose Jim and Michael …) If he had driven all the way from NYC to meet with Jim, I think he had strong feelings about promoting him. Am I wrong in feeling this way?

  77. OK episode; it will take another watch for me to warm up to it, I think. Overall, it was just painful to watch Michael thwart Jim’s plans. Mainly because…shouldn’t David Wallace know better than to take Michael’s comments at face value??? David has always had a great relationship with Jim, and has humored Michael…but all it takes is a 5 minute conversation to completely undo all of Jim’s good work? Just sad, more than funny.

  78. I LOVED THIS EPISODE. Classic, classic Episode. And I thought it was very funny…I laughed every fifteen seconds for the first six minutes.

  79. I agree with others who are questioning the continuity and believability of David Wallace actually seeking and listening to Michael’s advice. It seriously doesn’t make any sense at all, especially since David would have promoted Jim to Corporate in Season 3 if Jim had accepted. This is not the first time that an Aaron Shure scripted episode has had a major plot and character continuity problem like that. Seriously, Shure needs to do his homework and watch the previous seasons of The Office (which he has admitted to not seeing). It’s not fair to the fans. :(

  80. Wow, jam packed jokes and storyline in this one! Great episode again, this season has kicked off in unbelievable fashion. OHHHH, and I heard something about a wedding next week. THE OFFICE IS THE GREATEST SHOW EVER IN THE HISTORY OF TELEVISION!

  81. To all of those people who are questioning David’s flip-flop decision, let me just say that that’s exactly how the corporate world operates. I think it was more realistic of David, with the pressures he is under from shareholders, to consider the records Toby filed, even if he should know better than to listen to Michael.
    Also, Michael’s sound effects on the phone were hilarious! =)

  82. Someone has to explain David’s line to me at the end…when he’s talking privately to Michael. He says something like “unless you want to lose Jim”. What does he mean by “lose”. If he means lose as in “promoted to Branch Manager somewhere else” then Michael’s decision is kinda selfish. He’s still just trying to keep Jim in Scranton. If he means lose as in “fired” then Michael’s decision is very altruistic…he’s sacrificing some of his power to save Jim.

  83. @108, Jim had another job offer. I think that’s what Wallace meant. If Jim wasn’t promoted, he was most likely going to take the other job.

  84. dwight’s reaction at the end was perfect. as long as they keep the stories realistic and subtle this season will be great

  85. Best episode in 2 years! It reminds me of a season two episode: subdued, subtle, and with a feasible story arc—Jim’s promotion attempt. Anyone who’s worked knows how Jim was feeling.

  86. i don’t think david “flip-flopped” because of what michael said. he was shown a file with paper work filled out by a corporate employee (toby) reporting that jim was unprofessional and antagonized other workers. now, we the audience know toby had a thing for pam and he and ryan had it out for jim but david wallace doesn’t know that. of course he has to take that seriously. i don’t see any inconsistency.

    i can’t believe there are people who don’t like toby! i loved him and dwight, especially the comment about the darryl impersonation. and btw megan #95 – andy’s bit about the email from his cousin was the funniest thing ever!

  87. I loved the episode. While Wallace does have a good relationship with Jim, I think it was somewhat weakened by Charles last season. Even though Charles didn’t handle things very well in Scranton, Wallace made it clear in “Broke” that he valued Charles anyway. So, I think that explains any willingness he might have to listen to criticisms about Jim, even from Michael. And he has shown before that he considers Michael’s opinions. After all, as he’s indicated in the past, you have to accept success in these times, even if it is achieved in unusual ways.

  88. One more thought…although we were all thrilled Jim didn’t take the corporate position back in season 3, Wallace probably wasn’t. He was probably a little miffed that Jim didn’t take a position that was obviously his for the taking, especially when Jim had indicated that he wanted it. Plus, if Jim had taken the New York position, the whole mess with Ryan damaging the Dunder Mifflin name wouldn’t have happened. I think Wallace is professional enough to be mostly above such feelings, but I think both of these would have to affect his opinion of Jim a little if he’s at all human.

  89. This episode was weird. I didn’t understand why Jim was so mad at Michael, considering Jim was basically trying to take Michael’s job. Yes, he was pushing a promotion for Michael too, but that would have affected Michael’s life– to leave the office, possibly have to move, etc. I feel like Jim broke some sort of subordination rule. And I agree with a lot of you guys about David’s approach to Michael. Why is David still listening to him? It doesn’t make ANY sense.

    Also, I understand that the writers want the characters to grow and make changes as they would in real life, and yeah, it makes sense that Jim would want a job with better pay now that a kid is on the way. But trying to make all that happen “in house” makes the show feel less and less believable to me. I mean, I’m still madly in love with The Office, but this plot was one of those that felt like a stretch.

  90. I’m surprised that people find Michael to be in the wrong here. The things about Jim in that file were true, regardless of whether or not Toby had a thing for Pam. And Michael shouldn’t have to sacrifice himself for Jim, especially when Jim didn’t even tell him what he was doing. As much as people may love Jim, and as silly and unaware as Michael may sometimes be, Michael is the harder-working, more successful employee.

    But other than Jim thinking he’s automatically entitled to a promotion after years of laziness, I thought this ep had a lot of great moments – the best of which were Michael’s sound effects during the phone call.

  91. This episode was SO funny! I wasn’t a big fan of the whole David/Michael/Jim plotline, but the Toby/Dwight plotline was HILARIOUS! I love when Dwight tells Darryl and his sister that they look exactly alike. Classic Office.

  92. Yo Jim, I’m really happy for you and I’m going to let you finish, but Ryan had one of the best promotions of all time.

  93. In my opinion one of the least funny office episodes ever. Say all you want about character and plot development, but what makes this show work is its fresh creative hilarious writing, and it just wasn’t there this time. Hopefully it was just sacrificed this one time for the sake of the story arc.

  94. Toby/Dwight definitely need to hang out more, OMG I LOOOVED them together! I laughed so hard at their scenes.

    And man, do I ever love Creed. I think every single episode where Creed gets a line or two, that’s always the part of the show where I laugh the hardest. LOOVE Creed!!

  95. I’m confused by all the confusion over the politics on the episode. It all made sense to me – Jim, while not overly ambitious, has always been considered a good employee and most recently helped broker the deal between Michael and David in “Broke” – so he’s in a very good position to be asking for a promotion. The memo from Toby was four years old and was a result of Toby’s jealousy. And Jim explained in his TH why he didn’t tell Michael in advance about his plan. Besides, why wouldn’t he think Michael wanted a promotion (it was Michael, after all, who thought he had the corporate job in the bag just a couple seasons ago). I think the episode was actually a great indication of the writers using the characters’ histories appropriately.

  96. This was an episode that I needed to watch twice to appreciate it. I didn’t know what to think after viewing it the first time and I didn’t laugh much. The second time I enjoyed the episode much more. I do agree the first deleted scene would have helped to emphasize how much work Michael had been dealing with since the closing of the Buffalo Branch.

  97. I watched the episode a 3rd time and noticed that when Jim and Michael are on the phone with Wallace, Michael actually muted part of his sentence. When Wallace asked if he was “changing his mind about Jim?”, Michael replies “absolutely *presses mute* not”. I didn’t understand why he would say that to Wallace the first time I watched it but now I know his comment never reached Wallace’s ear.
    I love spotting these minor details they put in the show!

  98. #117. Matt … I totally agree with you! Jim doesn’t deserve a promotion. Even Stanley is more productive than him.

  99. #125 Yeah I noticed that too. That’s why Wallace says “you’re cutting out” just before he gets pulled over by the cop. I love those little details, and they make every scene so funny!

  100. This episode got me pretty confused. I thought Jim was way out of character, I still remember the “if this were my career, I’d have to throw myself in front of a train” comment. Plus what will he be like now as a “co-manager”?

  101. #128- About a ba-jillion and one things have happened to Jim (and everyone else, for that matter) since he said that in Season 1. He’s had a lot of important life experiences and soon he will have a family to care for; I think it’s only natural that he tries to step up.

    It will certainly be interesting to see how he handles it, though… I don’t think we should expect an entirely smooth transition.

  102. Oh, and I absolutely loved Andy’s “cheese platter” presentation to David Wallace and Jim. I don’t think there is any other way you can make a plate of various American cheeses sound so elegant.

  103. I personally like this episode because it shows the ‘serious’ stuff that actually happens in everyday office.. and of course..not everyone in the office will be happy with Jim’s promotion..

  104. Regarding what nick and matt stated, Jim has good sales numbers, beatable only by Dwight, charisma and leadership skills. He is perfect for the promotion. Jim has also saved Michael and the company various times from angry employees and possibly lawsuits. Even though in the past Jim goofed off (he hasn’t played a prank on Dwight in a while) he is the most qualified for the job.

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