Tori’s Review: Goodbye, Toby

Saturday, May 17th, 2008

I hope Angela has a season pass to confession, because Miss Martin has sinned — and it was awesome! I’m so happy to see that another couple, besides Jim and Pam, is making the most of their time in the office.

“Goodbye, Toby” started with a painfully excited Michael planning Toby’s funeral. I’m going to miss Toby. I hope Costa Rica is a nice, warm place to start working on The Office spin off.

With Toby leaving, the office needed a new HR person to keep Michael in line. Enter the softer, slightly saner version of Jan — Holly.

I loved the characterization of Michael in this episode. Sometimes his lunatic level is too high for me to care about him. I laugh at him, but I don’t always care. But when this Michael comes out to play, I really just love him. I care about him so much I want to kick him in the head for being so damn stupid.

It was really interesting to see Michael through the eyes of someone who doesn’t hate him, or pity him. Holly actually likes him! Might even want to see him naked! The view through her eyes made me find him a little attractive too. The feeling has passed. (Just for the record, I think Steve Carell is very attractive — Michael not so much.)

For a few minutes, Michael had it all: a beautiful woman, with a dislike for Toby, who could throw back terrible Yoda impressions as fast as he could toss them. Sure, her boobs were still real, but the relationship was young.

But, then he threw it all away for a pregnant Jan who probably loves him, but also clearly hates him. I can’t wrap my mind around someone with such low self esteem she would want to be with a man when she thinks his sperm will one day end up in a special work program.

The storyline between Kevin and Holly was quite possibly one of my favorites since Season 2. We are all used to Kevin’s strange behavior, but it was hysterical to see how easily his mellow attitude can be mistaken as a slow adult. Poor Kevin. He thought he was totally going to bang Holly. I’m sure the only contact was when she had to reach over and wipe ketchup off his face at the diner.

The most disappointing part of the season finale was that Jim didn’t get to propose. It was adorable watching him nervously grip the box and Pam’s knee. I ached for them when Andy ruined their moment. Jenna Fischer did a fantastic job of showing so much emotion in that sad smile during her picture with Toby. You could almost hear her telling herself it would be silly to cry.

I am a little worried about Pam’s, “I wouldn’t go if things weren’t so solid with Jim.” Foreshadowing? When we come back the show will be three months in the future, and Jim and Pam still won’t be engaged after a summer apart.

Even though this season finale didn’t quite knock me over like Season 2, it definitely set up some exciting stuff for next season. I can’t wait to see the repercussions of “The Devil in Miss Martin.” I wonder if Holly’s crush on Michael will be more misery for the status of HR in the office. I hope Ryan spends at least until November sweeps in jail. And I’m anxious for Michael to plan his own “I’m kinda going to be a Daddy” baby shower.

See you in Season 5!

–

Tori Weber is a Web Producer and writer for a television news station in Orlando, FL. Writing keeps her sane, and ice cream makes her happy. Dogs are good too. Visit her here.

Posted in The Office Commentary

53 comments

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I really don’t want to Jim to propose. JAM is SO boring, and I was a huge fan of them until this season. why are they so unrealistically happy all the time? it would have been more interesting if they’d gotten together and seen they both have flaws and had a bit of difficulty making it work. now it’s just boring.
53 | Andy's Blisties Tue. May. 20, 2008 at 3:34pm
Did anyone else notice Stanley dancing to the music in the background at the party???? HILARIOUS. I forget who was talking on-camera..I’ll have to watch it again…but check it out.
52 | I Love Jim Tue. May. 20, 2008 at 12:57pm
OK here’s my theory (and it’s a bit off the wall so stay with me). Pam will go to school for graphic design in New York over the summer and get a job at DMI Corporate doing what she loves, Jim will be offered Ryan’s job as Ryan “has his hands full”. Jim gladly accepts because he would be with Pam in New York… The spinoff now becomes JAM in the Corporate Office!
51 | Matt Tue. May. 20, 2008 at 7:31am
#43 - I think the idea of Toby taking Ryan’s job is fantastic - I’d love to see Michael’s reaction to that.
50 | TobyFan Tue. May. 20, 2008 at 7:22am
The only thing I can see being a problem for Jim and Pam is if Pam feels that Jim is putting off asking her to marry him. He says he wants to, but she spent 10 years of her life with a guy who talked about engagement and marriage but really dragged his feet. I could see Pam getting scared that it is happening again.

36 | KZA I totally think Holly looks like a sweet, lady baker version of Jan.

Thank you for all of the comments!
49 | Tori Weber Tue. May. 20, 2008 at 1:01am
[from tanster: 200-word limit]
48 | mL Mon. May. 19, 2008 at 9:33pm
#34- Grace. She got in to the school, but she’s probably just taking one graphic design course on full time. If you only take one class that means you can get more hours per day. And also, remember it’s not a full training. Just one course. I’m going to do that in Stockholm this summer - journalism though
47 | Mollie Mon. May. 19, 2008 at 2:44pm
if you look at jim and pam throughout the whole episode the “tone” was very positive. the conversation in the break room showed a happy healthy couple. there was ONE moment where pam is sad because she thought jim would propose and then he didn’t. now we the audience know that she WANTS him to propose (something we didn’t know for sure before). i guess i am not an alarmist or something but that one moment doesn’t make me think, oh no, they are going to break up, the relationship is on the rocks etc…
46 | tuna tuna tuna Mon. May. 19, 2008 at 2:03pm
34 | Grace

Yes; if it is just a school of design, then she isn’t getting a degree–something more like a certificate. With intense scheduling, you can definitely finish a certificate program in 3 months, one quarter. There are lots of intensive language programs at universities around the country like this now, where you can basically get a minor in a foreign language in one summer; actually, my husband is doing a GIS certificate this summer. Class from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (with reasonable breaks, usually 3 or 4 hours to work in the lab in the afternoons) six days a week for two months. Not going to be much fun for me, but it’ll give him some career flexibility when he’s done, so it’s all good, right? *sigh* Anyway, the certificate program is worth 24 college credits, about the size of a college minor.
45 | director of marketing Mon. May. 19, 2008 at 1:07pm
[from tanster: please proofread and re-post. thanks!]
44 | Long Tim Mon. May. 19, 2008 at 1:06pm
Anybody think something should be read into the fact that Pam said she thought Toby was kind of cute? I’ve been watching season 3 episodes over the last few days, and she’s always nice to Toby. She’s not so nice that she wanted to date him more than she wanted to date Jim, but she is friendly to him.

So, in the wake of Jim’s foiled proposal, here’s what I think might happen: Pam will go to NYC without being engaged, DM will convince Toby to take Ryan’s higher-paying job in NYC (remember, Toby didn’t look too happy at his going-away party, so he might rather stay), and things will fizzle between Jim and Pam (at least for a little bit). That’s how I think season 5 will begin.
43 | Ignorant Slut Mon. May. 19, 2008 at 8:44am
I think Amy Ryan is going to be a semi-regular. As to the commenter who wondered why she would be on a television show - she was on a television show for years. Rent The Wire. It’s fabulous (plus it will make you laugh really hard at Michael Scott’s synopsis of it in the episode a couple of weeks ago). The Office has a lot of movie stars on it these days anyway ;). I enjoyed this episode quite a bit - particularly the Kevin subplot.
As for PB&J - I think that she will meet someone in art school that she will NOT get together with but will make Jim have to step up his game. Jim still needs to figure out what he’s doing with his life. If they weren’t operating under the constraints of this show, those two characters would have moved to Philadelphia already. Good design schools for her and remember “Philly Jim”? He obviously has a picture of himself as a sportswriter in Philadelphia that he has never pursued. But we won’t see The Big Four leave the Office while it’s on the air. So that’ll have to happen in the series finale. :)
42 | Like a carpenter who builds stairs Mon. May. 19, 2008 at 8:42am
is phyllis depressed?
41 | banned from Chili's Mon. May. 19, 2008 at 7:01am
Great review. I think everyone here is anxious for September and the Spin-Off!

However, think about people; Dwight hooks up with Angela and Andy somehow finds out, leaving DM in humiliation.

There lies your Spin-Off, Andy, Andy, Andy.
It has already been stated that neither Pam (for that matter, Jim as well) or Michael will leave the show.
40 | DwightsAwesome Mon. May. 19, 2008 at 6:53am
That’s true that Jim was a shoo-in for the NY job, but would it be so crazy for Karen to get it? I’m not sure how much of a grudge she still has against Jim, but she might keep some of the job-tension there if she is still mad. And we’ve already seen Jan and Ryan go crazy in that position…if Karen got up to NY and decided to go nuts, too, things could get even more interesting.
39 | arc Sun. May. 18, 2008 at 8:49pm
Tori, I mostly enjoy your insight as the sassy powerful woman you are but I gotta say I think you are missing it on this one. The writers are showing more depth and experience than most of the comments give them credit for.
38 | Alfredo'sPizza Sun. May. 18, 2008 at 7:07pm
Definitely the best episode of the season, and Steve Carell’s finest hour. I love that in only one episode, Amy Ryan’s character stole every fan’s heart as the woman who could truly complete Michael Scott.

Looking forward to season five, and super excited that for the first time in perhaps the entire show’s history, Michael Scott might just have a storyline more potent than Jim & Pam…
37 | Drew Sun. May. 18, 2008 at 5:55pm
“Enter the softer, slightly saner version of Jan — Holly.”

Why is she a version of Jan? I don’t see how the two are alike at all?
36 | KZA Sun. May. 18, 2008 at 5:22pm
Could it be Ryan who gets the spinoff? I think I could go for a rip-off of Prison Break :)
35 | george Sun. May. 18, 2008 at 3:52pm
Can someone please explain to me what kind of design school is only 3 months long…?
34 | Grace Sun. May. 18, 2008 at 3:50pm