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The Office: Night Out, 4.15

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The Office

Writer: Mindy Kaling, Director: Ken Whittingham

Summary (NBC): Michael and Dwight surprise Ryan in New York for a night of clubbing. The Scranton branch is upset when they find out they have to come in on a Saturday for Ryan’s website project.

The Office Night Out extras

The Office Night Out rating

7.41/10

See all The Office Season 4 ratings.

The Office Night Out quotes

Dwight: You got a ton of dandruff.

Jim: But, best case scenario, you thought it was a quarter.

Pam: No, Dwight, not the good peanut butter, people are going to get mad!

Michael: Keep massaging, please.

Michael: They just lack a certain … Crawfordness.

Ryan: I can tell you’ve thought about this a lot. I appreciate that.

Ryan: Watch your back, Jim. I’m just kidding.

Ryan: This is a temporary measure to increase the legitimacy of the site.

Ryan: I hear you, Stanley. That is a great observation.

Jim: And then an older gentleman asks you, “boxers or briefs?”

Kelly: If I had created a website with this many problems, I’d kill myself.

Kelly: Yeah, I have a lot of questions. Number one: how dare you.

Michael: I am not applauding sarcastically.

Michael: Oh Ryan, I need a girlfriend so bad.

Ryan: Stay real, Scranton, all right? Peace.

Michael: Would you have sex with Meredith?

Michael: That’s still going on?

Michael: We’re going to New York to party with Ryan and to meet girls.

Andy: Old ball and chain’s been a lot more chain than ball lately, if you know what I’m saying.

Michael: I am going … to go get laid.
Dwight: With sex!

Jim: This is a group that respects good ideas. The one time a year they hear one.

Michael: This place is packed. Packed with beautiful babies.

Dwight: These women look like white slaves.

Ryan: When you think about it, Cabo’s really the third world.

Stanley: If I’m not in my bath with a glass of red wine in one hour, you’re both dead.

Dwight: If I’m dead, you guys have been dead for weeks.

Dwight: You resemble a Tolkien character.

Michael: I would like some chicken fingers and a Midori sour.

Dwight: Do you live in a regular-sized house?

Creed: Hank. His name is Hank.

Ryan: Weevils! What a crazy word, man.

Dwight: Do you have powers?

Andy: By a show of hands, who thinks we’re a better couple than Jim and Pam?

Michael: This place is like a sexy preschool.

Dwight: Don’t step on him.

Michael: I am a bank teller.

Michael: I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but I think I want her to meet my mom.

Hank: Stop calling me so I can put on my damn socks.

Michael: One of my friends is getting beat up by some girls.

Toby: I am moving to Costa Rica.

Toby: I’m just going to hop the fence and jog home then.

Ryan: Why wouldn’t they let me dance?

Troy: Do not take him to a hospital!

Michael: Ryan, we’re going to take your clothes off.

Dwight: I think his species might have a higher tolerance than ours.

Michael: Been watching The Wire recently. I don’t understand a word of it.

Ryan: You can leave the light on if you want, but please stop talking, okay?

Michael: It’s not about the horniness, it’s about the loneliness.

Michael: I say … let’s hear it for the boys.

Icon courtesy of pessimistreader.

417 comments

  3. I must say that so far, I LOVE drunk Ryan. I’m not so crazy about work Ryan though.

  4. ryan is psyched to see dwight and michael??

    something is not right.

    i love it!

  6. I’m so jealous that all of you on the east coast are already watching! It’s only 6:12 pm here in the west. Almost 3 hours until I can watch! Oh well, it’ll go fast!

  10. Ryan has a coke problem? Of course!

    Also, as a former undergrad at The College of New Jersey (formerly Trenton State) and a law student at Rutgers University, I can say with complete confidence there is no “New Jersey State”. Still pretty funny. I’m just going to assume they mean Rutgers.

  13. I loved Dwight dumping out the drink that the basketball players sent him. I love this episode!

  14. Pretty good so far, but the cold open was beyond weird, even by Season 4’s standards.

  18. This episode is AMAZING!! But I must say, Dwight’s questions/comments to the “Hobbit” just completely made me lose it!

    And Ryan on Coke!?!?!?!?!??!?! now THAT’S a curveball!

  21. The writers have condensed SO much into this episode that it amazes me! I know it will get 10,000 to 1 more awesome with the remaining 3

  24. Yes! They worked in a reference to The Wire. My two favorite shows are for a brief moment joined.

  25. OMG Toby! He’s gotta be the one leaving in the finale. Nice to see a conference room scene.

  26. This episode is BRILLIANT. Toby jumping the fence, Ryan’s coke problem, everything Dwight (especially the hobbit comments re: Ryan’s friend), brilliant.

  29. Ryan on drugs…wow. And I told everyone that was Ryan in the middle!! ;)

    And Toby rubbing Pam’s leg. Finally. That was crazy. I wonder if he’ll be the one to leave Dunder Mifflin.

  30. It was an amusing episode, but it wasn’t that funny. What the heck was going on between Jim and Pam??

  32. Ryan is SO New York. Hooked on coke? Wow, how “the kid who bought weed from Creed” has changed.

  36. I didn’t laugh all that much but I think this episode is a definite staging ground for these last three episodes what with Ryan’s drug problem and hostility towards Jim, Toby hitting on Pam, and Dwight’s dating. Not sure if Jam is going to get engaged anymore.

  38. Toby!!!!! He’s such a creepo sometimes!
    Loved the fact that Michael sent the picture of Dwight making out w/ that girl to everyone’s cell phone! haha

  39. Wow, that was pretty amazing. So many crazy things happened, I don’t know how to think.

  41. I loved this episode! What did everyone think of Toby? I could not believe he rubbed Pam’s leg like that! Even she was uncomfortable. I felt so bad for JAM when nothing was going right for them. The best line had to be when Jim said “and an older gentleman asks boxers or briefs.”

    Thanks!

  42. I hate to say it, but that was a weak episode. I don’t think I’ve liked any of the episodes where they leave the office. The humor is just better in the office setting.

  43. Yes that’s my real name. Did not name it after the janitor on tonight’s episode. What is the deal with Toby?? What the hell happened there?

  44. That was very odd – the office is entering new waters. I kinda wish it was like the old days! (I totally support Jim and Pam, though!!)

  45. It’s either Ryan or Toby leaving the show. Toby jumping over the fence was fantastic.

  48. I wonder if they really put a bunch of peanut butter on Steve’s actual hair? I’m thinking yes…

  52. Anyway, great episode. Mindy Kaling never disappoints! And there was the 6 foot basketball girl! I remember looking at the casting call thing on NBC.com. Who else thought that was Shea Hess from Best Night Ever playing the basketball girl?

  53. Toby— officially creepy and in front of Jim! OM! It was an okay episode… I found it kinda hard to watch… I really want to know what happened at The Christmas Party!

  54. “I think my friend has a drug problem. What should I do?”

    I wanted to cry. I was shocked how much Ryan was reaching out to Dwight and Michael for help, even just by letting them stay the night with him. This is by far the best episode of season 4.

    Plus, poor Toby. Nothing ever goes right for him. Good thing Michael wasn’t there to see it. And go Dwight! Heh.

  55. Am I the only one that REALLY didn’t like that episode? I mean, it had a few funny moments, but overall… not so great.

  56. Fabulous! Ryan on drugs! Toby jumping fences! Oscar talking to cleaning people! Dwight making out! Does Thursday get any better?

  57. Toby was getting it ON with Pam. Who throws a football like me, I might add.

  58. Toby can’t leave! He’s such a good addition to the team. I will be very sad if Toby leaves.

  60. How perfect was it that Creed, the man who can’t remember ANYONE’S name, was the one who got the security guard’s name right!?!?! PERFECT!

  61. So many great moments in this episode! The tag with the security guard at the end was awesome, perfect way to end the show. :D

  62. Honestly… This was one of my favorite episodes of all time. So many great scenes, quotes, and surprises.

    An extra-special congratulations to Mr. B.J. Novak for elevating the Ryan character as necessary. What an excellent job.

    Great job on the episode, Office staff.

  64. Holy crap. This ep. was very good, compared to the rest of the season :D
    There were lots of little moments I loved… “Why do you always assume they speak only Spanish?” “I… IF they speak Spanish.” “They HAPPEN to speak Spanish.” “Lucky us!”, Jim’s awkward call to Hank (“hey…chief!”), and “Show of hands, who thinks we’re better than Jim and Pam?” w/ Pam’s “…Phyllis!”
    And yes. Possibly the best of all, f***ed up Ryan!

  65. #33 is right…It’s been entertaining, but not funny. Hopefully the last 3 will pick up because this entire season has been disappointing.

  66. I was expecting some big Jam reveals but nothing happened. That was slightly disappointing.

  67. oh my gosh Toby!!! I could not believe that!! and i felt really bad for jim and pam this episode..people were being kind of hard on them..

  68. Oh and I forgot Ryan’s totally failing website. Now that was funny. Social-Networking on a paper-store website? I wonder what Ryan was thinking when he came up with that one.

  69. I hope this episode is a set up to a happy season finale because it was painful to watch. It was unsettling and uncomfortable, though it had really good, funny moments thanks to Dwight’s scenes, perhaps the most unpleasant of the series. Normally, I am glued to the screen beginning to end. I cleaned my closet during this one.

  70. I was literally screaming when Toby was rubbing Pam’s knee — haha good god this was great.

  71. Fantastic! Best episode since the strike. And they even included music from LCD Soundsystem and The Rapture. So much subtlety, too – it definitely warrants a rewatch. A+.

  76. toby leaving? anyone?

    actually i was watching the season 3 commentaries yesterday and i believe it is the pretzel day episode where rainn, bj, and leslie talk about how only toby could have a spin off, and it would simply be called “Toby.” maybe?

  77. There were some moments I really loved, though this wasn’t my fave of this season. I loved Ryan’s reach out to Michael and Dwight…so sweet, and of course Michael screws it up. Also, what’s up with Toby?

  79. Elisabeth:

    I totally agree. I don’t really like the idea of Ryan being a cokehead or Toby being a creep. It does give a sense of realism to the show in the Ryan aspect but there’s nothing funny about addiction. As for Toby, why would he decide all of a sudden to grab Pam’s knee with Jim right there. That’s so un-Toby like. I guess you could use the excuse that he’s really tired. Also, Jim seems to be turning into a dick in the eyes of everyone in the office. His character seems to be turning into one of absentmindedness and lack of respect for others i.e. Calling Hank an african american (unnecessary)and assuming the cleaners would be mexican.

  80. Re: 71
    I was thinking the same thing, but then I thought about The Injury after Booze Cruise. I’m thinking that next episode may be big for them.
    I thought this episode was pretty funny though, not one of my favorites, but still really good.

  83. Good episode…but I gotta say, I like the office better when its actually in the office

  84. Not sure what I thought… pretty sure it needs a re-watch.
    Toby was such a creeper. Jim’s face when he saw the hand was priceless.
    However I’m not sure I’m liking this new Jim so much, I think the writers have it out for Mr. Halpert, take him down a peg or two in everyone’s books.

  85. I LOVED this episode!! I have to go re-watch it now because I missed a lot of lines due to excessive laughter.

    I must say, as a young female in NYC, B.J. totally nailed the role of coked-out club guy (hence, why I choose to stay in and watch The Office).

  86. WOW WOW WOW! I can’t believe Ryan. Did not see that coming! He is starting to turn into a man Jan! What is with Toby? He can’t leave. Pam is a hard one to get! haha.

  87. I’m not gonna lie…not one of the best ones….can’t wait for next week…what is pam’s quirk????

  89. I LOVE that Ryan lives in an efficiency apartment in New York. So much for the big man in the city. And Jim assumes that the cleaning people speak Spanish, so he asks Oscar to talk to them. He’s slowly turning into Michael. What an interesting, layered, really brilliant episode. I want the actor who plays Hank to come to the convention this year!

  91. I would LOVE to see Ryan’s face the “morning after” when all the coke wears off.

    I think this episode was important for Jam. They have been very cute and perfect all season, and that kind of perfection can’t sustain itself forever. They needed to be taken down a peg.

    Also, I really wanted to see Angela get upset when she got that picture of Dwight the hot chick making out. I want her and Dwight back together. I just don’t get her and Andy.

  92. Some hilarious, yet cringe-inducing moments. Both Jim and Pam should’ve beat down creepy Toby. What a slime-ball!

  94. This episode was darker than usual but it was good. I figured Ryan was the one with the drug problem. And you know that Ryan is unsuited for the job when Dwight and Jim agree on something.

  95. That episode was fantastic!

    Best line of the night: “Ryan we’re gonna take your clothes off” — never laughed so hard!

  96. Can we get an interview with Mindy about this episode like we did with b.j.?!

  97. I can’t believe Dwight just dumped that girl like that. haha.
    You could really tell in the beginning of the episode something was up with Ryan but i did not expect that.

  98. I’m really not too sure what to think. I think Mindy did a pretty good job though. It would be really tough to write Ryan with a drug problem, but all in all I thought it was alright. Still, I can’t wait until next week!!!

  99. I guess I was really hoping for JAM to move towards engagement and that’s why I’m kind of disappointed in this episode. However, the word was that the “big stuff” with JAM would be on May 1. All I have to say is it better be good!

    Feel bad for Toby, he’s doing exactly what Jim did at the end of Season 2, but there’s no sense that he has anywhere near the depth of feeling for her that Jim does.

    As for Jim, the rest of them will get over it…Michael has done MUCH worse!

  101. I don’t know – Jim has screwed up with everybody in the past… remember the “group birthday” fiasco?? I think this was a case of one understandable mistake that led to a string of more because he was so flustered and under the microscope. His crisis management skills are lacking… so what? It’s pretty normal.

    Toby, enjoying some postive attention from Pam all evening, got a little too relaxed and blew it. Jim will handle it far better than Roy would have.

    …and how much do I love Dwight right now??

  102. SO FUNNY!!! I love Dwight in this episode, at his best! And with TOby….omygoodness! I was cringing like never before! Thursday is the best day of my life!

  103. I don’t think they’re making Jim out to be a ‘dick’, rather an average guy who makes mistakes. For the last three seasons we all rooted for Jim, finally he got the girl and now its time to see a different side of him. I am interested to see Jim not all about Pam. He’s not perfect – we just didn’t see that seasons 1 – 3

  104. 90: agree about the writers wanting to take Jim down a peg. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as long as they don’t destroy him/make him insane.

    I didn’t see all of it, but did anyone else catch the “Diversity Day” shout-out with Pam’s head on Jim’s shoulder?

  105. Wow what an episode. With the exception of Dwight, everyone was having a case of bad luck. Even the security guard got screwed.

    It seems like when Jim takes a leadership role, he seems to put his foot in his mouth more often. To some degree he becomes Michael.

    Also, what was Toby thinking?

  106. I’ll have to watch this one again, though I also think the show is better when they are in the actual office more. It did seem like they were making Jim look more like a idiot. Dwight was very funny in the club though. The comment Michael made about the show The Wire at the end was my favorite!

  107. LOVED THIS EPISODE!!

    I was laughing sooo hard :) So many priceless moments- I am going to go watch it again now.

    The Office is perfection.

  108. I don’t understand why everyone loved this episode.
    I found it very forced and just silly. Not in a good way.
    I feel the quality of The Office has decreased to appeal to a wider audience….

    :'(

  109. I thought this episode was pretty ironic. Isn’t it interesting that Jim is sort of getting a taste of his own medicine? I mean, he basically went after Pam while she was dating Roy. So why not show someone else go after Pam in the same way while dating Jim?

    The tables may be turning.

  110. I thought this episode was hysterical, especially Dwight. I see it as Ryan going down(twss)while Jim still seems to hold David Wallace’s interest.

  111. I didn’t see it as Toby trying to be “creepy,” as several people put it. As Sugahwafuhs said (#108), he’s a lonely guy and was feeling good because Pam was being nice to him all evening since he had the security guard’s number in his cell and made a funny joke that made her laugh. So he did what he did without thinking, which of course became horribly awkward.

    Put yourself in his shoes. The girl you like (but have never gotten the courage to tell) is with somebody else, but there’s a moment of hope because you make her laugh. Maybe she thinks I’m cool after all…

  112. I was expecting that they’d deal more with the future JAM proposal – I don’t know, but they seemed to be totally segregated from the rest of the group..and not in a good way. I looooved this episode, but they are making Jim into a Michael – and we all know Jim’s a jokester, whereas Michael says things because he doesn’t really know better. I’d personally love a Dwight prank…we haven’t seen Jim pull one in sometime now. I miss that.

  113. I love the really uncomfortable episodes, and this was one of them. I love how Jim fails miserably every time he tries to step it up and do something monumental at work. I think it just solidifies the idea that he doesn’t belong there, really. I loved the Toby stuff, because it’s funny how after all of Michael’s bantering, he really *is* creepy. Ryan’s character development is wonderful too. To all of those who hate the “outside the office” ep’s, I just can’t agree. How could we possibly see all the different levels of these characters that we love so much without introducing new elements in different parts of their lives? Just my humble $.02. Excellent episode! I just hope they aren’t setting us up for a JAM disappointment. My poor heart can’t take it…

  114. I forgot to mention this in my last comment, but if Ryan had taken Michael’s drug seminar seriously maybe he wouldn’t be on cocaine and getting into fights in clubs. Just a thought…

  116. I was not a big fan of this episode. Ryan having a drug problem…? Not exactly funny. :-/ As for Jim and Pam, I can understand taking Jim off of his pedestal, but Michael has done things a million times worse and the office workers just let it slide. I mean, Michael brought in a blow up doll…Jim forgot to tell security they’d be working late! Big difference!
    Also, does anyone else miss Jan?

  117. Oh, man. The broad parts were perfectly executed, and the funny-with-a-twist-of-sad parts were just… amazing. The Office always seems to pull off a perfect balance so nothing seems too serious or over the top. They fit so many things into this episode!

    I gotta say, though, Toby stole the show. As much as I love coke!Ryan, Toby was outstanding. This was his casino night! I wonder if we’ll ever see him again…

  118. Poor Jim. I really felt bad for him this epsiode. They are downplaying his lovely character. I hoped to get more on Jim and Pam as always, but I expect that to come next week. I can’t believe Toby. That was priceless.

  119. #120 I didn’t think that Toby was being creepy. I thought that he just left his hand there a little too long because he just got caught up in the moment. He obviously really likes Pam.

  120. Loved this turning point episode. I fell in love with The Office during Season 2 because it didn’t feel contrived or formulaic. I think a JAM development tonight would have been too predictable. This rates as one of my top episodes.

  123. I like the show. It’s really great. I was wondering…since they’ve been talking about DMI 2.0, does that mean the website is geeting a makeover?
    -Marbella, Spain. DMI

  124. This episode seemed a little weird. The awkwardness with Toby’s hand on Pam’s leg was forced and not subtle at all. Dwight making out with a basketball player? And why was Jim being racially ignorant like Michael? There were some funny moments — but a lot of this episode seemed off. I challenge the writers to have an episode where the only location is the inside of the office.

  125. I think the Hobbit gave him drugs.

    Sorry if everyone else got that before me.

    Just wanted to share.

  126. “The women look like white slaves”
    hahhaha Dwight without a doubt was the star of this episode

  127. I thought this was really well written. I loved seeing all of the nuances that seemed to indicate that Jim is slowly turning into Michael. Like the awkward phone conversation with the security guard and the thing with Oscar and the cleaning lady. It really makes you wonder if Michael was more normal when he was younger too and then something went horribly wrong. He just never found his Pam.

  128. I loved this episode. I was not expecting the Pam/Toby storyline to continue at all. So much better than last week.

  129. #132- Jim DID come across as a little pompous. But then again, he kind of always has. But that does not mean I’m not in love with him.

  131. Am I the only one who noticed Phyllis’s sassy pink sweater? I was cracking up.

    Wow, I am very chatty today.

  132. I guess I view the treatment of Jim this season (his failures and all) as more of a comment about Michael, rather than Jim. Making us understand how it’s hard to run everything smoothly and have everyone like you. And that no matter who is in charge, people get ticked off at their boss.

  133. Watching it a second time and am enjoying even more subtleties. This episode makes up for where the rest of the season falls short.

  136. I love “The Office” so much! THis is actually the first time I haven’t loved an episode. I think the gang was kind of too quick to turn on Jim, and bringing a heavy theme to the show with Ryan’s situation feels too drama-ish to me. I did crack up over Dwight’s success at the club, and I always love the silly way that Michael is. I’m going to watch it again.

  137. I really don’t want to see Jim turning into Michael. This was hinted at at other times and just made me cringe! Ryan on coke is sad . Ryan is in over his head with corporate and the obvious failure of the website.

  138. Callan, as a current Rutgers undergrad I can say with complete confidence that I would have flipped (in a good way) if RU had gotten a shout-out. It would have outdone Dr. Cox wearing a Rutgers football t-shirt on Scrubs, which was pretty good.

  141. Mindy is an incredible writer and she has never disappointed me with an episode – in fact, the two she’s written have been in my top five favorite episodes ever. I hope we do get to ask her questions!

    I absolutely loved tonight’s episode. It just shows how human these characters are. I mean, drug addictions are such a prevalent problem today, so it shows a totally new side (which the writers, if they choose to explore it more) and give them plenty of storylines to go off of. And Michael’s insistence on having children, especially the last few where he continuously mentions how much he wants the family – I wonder if anything will ever come of that.

    There’s so much I would write about this episode, but I think my main point would be how much depth they gave the characters..as mentioned in previous posts – Jim subtly turning into Michael, Ryan’s coke problem, Dwight trying to find love/get over Angela. Amazing episode! Definitely one of my favorites!!!

  142. sorry to comment again, but did anyone feel a pam/toby thing coming on when he first made her laugh?? i thought something was coming right then and when it didn’t i wasn’t expecting anything after that.

  143. Very creepy episode. Are they setting up Ryan for a fall to bring him back to Scranton next season? The faux pas by Jim and Pam made me feel uncomfortable. Amusingly goofy I can handle. But this was just awkward and unpleasant. I guess after last week with the engagement ring they brought JAM down a notch.

    Too dark for me, sorry. I’m on the same wavelength as Jason Bice (#85).

  144. I think I’m gonna have to re-watch this one to take it all in.
    Sped-up Ryan was pretty priceless.

    one of my favorite quotes (that is, if I heard this right…)
    michael: i’m gonna get laid!
    dwight: with sex!

    that and toby’s costa rica/fence hopping scene were the best parts of the episode.

    and personally, i kind of like that they show Jim’s flaws amid all his charm… I think the writers are showing that, no matter how perfect jim is for pam, he’s still flawed in some ways. here’s to hoping he doesn’t turn into michael!

  146. Did anyone think from the conference room conversation that Creed might have been the sexual predator on the website?

  147. This episode didn’t do much for me. It definitely felt off, especially after the last two were, IMO, amazing and probably the best two of the season. I think I might appreciate it a little more after a rewatch or two, but it just didn’t feel right.

  148. I feel so unclean after tonight’s episode. The thing with Jim turning into Michael in Survivor Man made sense to me but this just seems ridiculous. Maybe there is some aspect of a joke I am missing here but I don’t see what it is about making executive decisions that turns an otherwise intelligent and socially adept person like Jim into…well, Michael. The only part I really laughed at was the thing with Toby going to Costa Rica but even then…unclean.

  149. I see that some people have taken issue with Ryan’s drug problem in the episode but I didn’t really think that it was played for humor, per se, it was there instead to illustrate how pathetic his life really is. He’s always bragging about his life “in the city” but it seems like he’s actually pretty sad. No ladies, few friends, reliant on coke, and so on. It did set the stage for him to be excited about Michael and Dwight, which made for some priceless moments(I was actually pleased to see Dwight get a little action)but the drug use itself didn’t seem to be written for laughs.

  151. Katie #145 – I agree. I really don’t like this “Jim as Michael” direction this season has been following. One of Michael’s leading characteristics is that he is very stupid. Jim is not, at all. Although they may share other similarities, I just don’t buy Jim “becoming” Michael, because Jim is just too smart. Although, maybe that’s exactly where the series is going – Jim realizing he needs to get out of Dunder Mifflin before he ends up stuck there for eternity.

    On a side note, I liked this episode a lot, despite its absurdity. I thought B.J. and Rainn were particularly excellent. And Toby scaling the fence – ha!

  152. MissTerious–I did notice Phyliss’s sweater. She looks great in bright pink!

  153. Mindy has such a great imagination! She comes up with the best stuff that is so insane, but yet weirdly realistic in the Michael Scott/ Office world!
    This might be my favorite S4 episode yet. Ryan’s conference room scene was great.

  154. I am SOO glad Kelly had lines tonight! Holy crap did I miss her! I seriously laughed harder at her comments than anything else, lol. “HOW DARE YOU?!”

    What a GREAT episode this was!!!

    Dwight: How did you all find each other? …amazons.

    HAHAHA

  155. Thinking about it, I can totally understand Jim ‘turning’ into Michael when he is the authority figure. To me, IMO, it seems realistic because it reinforces the idea that it just isn’t easy being the boss and the likable guy all at once. Believe me, that is so true.

  156. also, was ryan on cocaine?? and was the short guy the dealer

    Yes… Ryan was most definitely on cocaine. And it is very possible the short guy was the dealer(or hobbit, as Dwight called him. LOL)

    “Don’t bring him to the hospital…””

  157. The Office doesn’t make me laugh the way it used to… During Seasons 2 &3, I used to laugh out loud and roll on the floor. Now, I crack smiles at the JAMness or the subtle jokes in the background, but the laughing aloud has ceased; I officially realized this while watching “Night Out.” What’s happening?

  159. 158 – you totally got it. I think that is exactly what the writers are doing. Creating depth to characters that we all think we know. Having them experience new things, embrace new roles is a reason to keep watching – not get upset because they’re going down a road that we, the viewers, don’t think they should just because it is different.

  160. Wow. Great episode.
    I didn’t think that the Pam/Toby thing was creepy at all. It was obvious by Toby’s reaction afterwards that he wasn’t thinking when he put his hand on Pam’s knee. It would be out of character for him to do something like that with bad intentions.
    Best part of the episode: Dwight asking if Ryan’s Hobbit friend had powers. =)
    I love love love this show.

  161. I’m kinda torn about this episode. Part of me loved it and part of me didn’t. I don’t know… However, the episode did make me laugh out loud. I guess all the big character developments just caught me off guard. I think this is one of those episodes you need to watch more than once.

  162. While it’s good that they are having this extra depth to the characters that we’ve known to love, I still think they should throw in a few old time jokes — like Pam and Jim pulling a prank on Dwight. Maybe try to set him up with someone ridiculous haha..

  163. I feel like I want to defend Toby a little, he obviously had a crazed moment there with Pam’s knee – the ensuing escape was just out of sheer desperation. He is NOT a creep, he is just lonely (like Michael? hah!)

  164. Are you guys joking–I’ve only read the past few posts, but they were negative. I loved this episode! I was laughing the whole time…I enjoyed Chair Model and Dinner Party, but I’m pretty sure I laughed like 5 times during those two episodes combined.

  165. Hmm…odd episode. I’m definitely going to have to watch it again.

    I agree with #108, Jim tried to fix things and made a couple of mistakes so it all fell apart.

    I was hoping for more JAMiness but I understand that the show isn’t all about them so it’s good that it focused elsewhere.

  166. I’m loving how we’re finding that Jim is mere human this season.
    He needs to get out of Dunder Mifflin and fast.

    154 & 159 Yes, and yes again.

  167. sorry to repost so soon, but I have been reading the other comments and am so surprised that some people didn’t like this episode. I feel like I didn’t convey my love for it enough now! This was classic Office. Possibly one of the best episodes in a while for pure comedy. This show benefits from having episodes heavy on drama (like last week and “Money”) for sure, but we also need the episodes with laugh out loud humor too. I thought Mindy did a fantastic job. Come on, the Back To The Future Tattoo, Michael calling his mom at the club, Pam’s beautiful football throw!

  168. Wow. Mindy now has the distinction of writing both my favorite and least favorite episodes of the show. What the heck did I just watch for 30 minutes???

  169. I loved the peanut butter scalp massage! Then it went into realistic drama again with Ryan’s drug problem. Oh, how I miss Dwight’s idiotic talking heads…

  170. Good episode overall. The awkwardness reminded me of what made the original Office great. Looking back on the previous seasons, I can see how the Toby/Pam situation fits (cocktails, beach party, etc.) and the talking head Ryan gave in the launch party seemed to foreshadow something was up. As to Jim, I’m glad that the writers do not treat this series as a typical comedy and are willing to show other sides of characters. Oh, and Dwight’s part was hilarious.

  171. “If I’m dead, you’ve already been dead for weeks.” LOL. Best line of the night for me.

  172. #153-

    I doubt it – Creed writes his thoughts in a word document with a made-up URL written at the top and thinks he’s posting to his blog, remember? I doubt he would know how to use the new DMI website. Of course, it IS Creed we’re talking about here, so you never really know! :)

  173. I agree 156.
    How come in season two we saw a Jim that had potential, was able to motivate people and was well liked,(The Fire, Office Olympics).
    Now all we see is failing Jim, it’s just so not funny or awkward, in the words of Angela(DMI) “it’s just bad”

    Well said 164!
    When the show was over tonight I said out loud to myself, “what was that?”

  174. I really liked that Pam and Jim did not turn on each other and start arguing and blaming each other. They are solid together, which is why it made no sense for Toby to think that he could put his hands on her right in front of Jim. He needed to jump the fence and get out of there. Completely out of line!

  175. Referring to #160… I think one thing they are trying to convey in this season is that maybe Michael isn’t really that stupid after all. It’s always tough being the boss, and I think we’ve seen examples of Michael’s experience and personality actually being a plus for the office. Michael may not be the brightest, but he has held his office together through tough times while exec’s like Jan and Ryan party too much and eventually start becoming insane.

    And yes, Jim is smart- but not even cool guy Jim is infallable, which is another thing they’ve conveyed nicely in this season..

  176. I loved this one… #141, I agree as well, thank you. Can anyone else believe Creed had Hank’s name right?

  177. Could it be possible that Toby will be leaving at the end of the season and Ryan will be demoted to Human Resources at Scranton taking Toby’s place?

  178. Wow, tonight felt like “Next time, on a very special episode of The Office…”

    If you had told me during the middle of season 2 that season 4 of The Office would be about cruelty to animals, spousal abuse, and drug addiction, I never would have believed you. And yet, those are the depths to which we have sunk. It seems to me like the writers are trying too hard to be outrageous and shocking. Is this really the same show that once had an entire episode revolving around a pick-up basketball game or playing random games to beat the boredom at work? It doesn’t seem like it to me anymore.

    Oh yeah–episodes of The Office need to be in the office.

  179. 171:

    Yes, Dwight is a volunteer sheriff, but he’s just as naive as Michael about real world issues…remember when he didn’t recognize that Oscar was gay when he caught him with Gil in Season 2.

  180. Does anyone else think that these episodes–that throw bombshell after bombshell of character and plot development at us–are the product of the strike and those missing 5 months? I’m sure a lot of this wouldn’t be coming out of nowhere if the writers had had time to hint at some of these things over a long period of time…

    I need to rewatch this episode a few times before I decide how I feel about it.

  181. Whoa there…Dwight gettin’ his mack on and Ryan’s got a coke addiction. Although, the highlight for me was still Meredith getting hit in the head with the football. The makeup people did a good job of realistically progressing the bruising and swelling as the episode went along.

    I hope Kate doesn’t start getting type cast as “women who gets hit by things.”

  182. I was definitely expecting more JAM moments, but overall I was very happy with this episode.
    I absolutely love what they did with Ryan – it really shows a different dimension to the character: like Jan, he pretends everything is great, when in reality he is obviously deeply unhappy. Props to Mindy Kaling for writing it and BJ Novak for executing it so beautifully.
    We’re seeing different dimensions to a lot of the characters in this episode, and that’s what makes the show even better.

  183. I didn’t enjoy this episode at all. I think Mindy was all over the place with this one. I’d go over the 200 word limit if I started typing what I didn’t like.

  184. I liked this episode a lot. Not as good as last week, but it still had plenty of hilarious moments. I loved Pam’s throw, I was happy for Dwight’s “success” at the club, the cold open was great and the closing was perfect. I felt bad for Jim b/c he made a mistake–but I don’t think anyone was REALLY that mad at him b/c he had good intentions to begin with. And I think he and Pam are great–I didn’t see any problems there. Toby’s exit was classic. I think he made a last ditch effort for Pam since he has this plan to leave…crazy…and the fence jump (followed by the Jim/Pam reaction shot) was priceless.

    Per usual I congratulate the writers, actors, and staff on another great episode–thank you!

  185. 160, 156 and 85 You guys nailed it.

    The redeeming element of this episode was Dwight and his LOTR references. “Not a wizard, a hobbit.”

    While I liked seeing a less white knight-y Jim, I didn’t buy the stupid version of Jim. I still have mixed feelings about this episode. I know I’ll probably like it more on the second viewing, though.

    While I get that Michael wouldn’t catch that Ryan is on drugs, how does Dwight, a former volunteer sheriff, not catch it?

  187. This didn’t do it for me. They are trying too hard to be something they’re not, when all the fans really want is to see more grilled feet and fewer Lifetime Original movies.

  188. I think that they are possibly setting up for a real change with Jim – possibly taking over Ryan’s job at corporate if the latter’s coke habit becomes known.

    Season 3 was about Pam’s development, and now it’s time for Jim. He’s got his girl, but he needs a change.

    There have been many hints towards this: his Second Life bit, his realizations that he’s turning into Michael (I think tonight’s debacle showed that he’s not actually suited to Dunder-Mifflin as well as one may think), and tonight’s bit about still being in contact with David Wallace.

    And yes, they are definitely showing that he is infallible.

  192. I probably need to watch this episode a few more times, but I think that it was good overall. I’m glad they showed that the Jam relationship isn’t perfect especially after last week’s proposal awesomeness. One of my fave scenes is when Andy asks everyone who thinks he and Angela are a better couple. And I can’t even begin to describe the laughs when Dwight is macking with that basketball girl. Wow.

  193. After a second viewing (still LOVE it) but I do believe that Toby moment has to be one of the MOST awkward moments ever in the history of The Office, kudos Mindy! Lol.

  194. Does anyone know if Paul Lieberstein actually did the fence climb and jump, I was wondering that when the episode aired.

  195. Did anyone else get the feeling like maybe Toby planned this whole thing?
    Jim has a great idea everyone is impressed with (especially Pam) so Toby concocts an elaborate scheme heads down and talks to the security guard, gets his cell number, tells him to go ahead and lock up at the scheduled hour, waits patiently and becomes the hero when he magically whips out the cell number, makes a joke for Pam, just happens to have a football….I don’t know it seemed a bit like Toby to throw a wrench in Jim’s plans. Remember the “Love document” incident.
    I loved the episode and I think I would REALLY love it if I found out Toby orchestrated this whole thing.

  196. Looks like most people didn’t like tonight’s episode…I don’t get it. I LOVED it! I’d go so far as to say it’s one of the best ever. I laughed SO hard at pretty much everything…kudos to everyone who worked on it!

  197. This is the first episode since after the strike that I’ve laughed out loud, but in my opinion the humor is quite different than the humor in seasons 1 & 2. I was glad that there were multiple moments I found funny, such as Pam’s football throw, but it wasn’t nonstop laughter. I’m hoping that the non-stop laughter writing comes back. Even so, this is still my favorite on-air show…definitely the best since the strike. And I agree with the few others out there, that the show should stay in the office more.

  198. I can’t believe no one mentioned Stanley’s wanting to get in his bath or else he was going to kill them! I thought that was hilarious.

    Also, beautiful job with Meredith getting hit in the face, it was very reminiscent of the Brady Bunch for me…Marcia, Marcia, Marcia…so now we now Pam isn’t good at Ping-Pong or football.

    Lastly, I couldn’t tell if Angela raised her hand when Andy asked his question…does anyone know?

  199. I always like Mindy’s episodes–tonight was no exception.

    “If I had started a website that totally failed, I would probably go kill myself.”
    “Kelly, do you have any questions?”
    “Oh, I have a TON of questions–first: how dare you!”

    I rather enjoyed everything about this episode. Kudos to Mindy and the cast as a whole!

  200. I have searched all over the web looking for the “extended” credits of this episode. Does anyone know what the music was in the night club with ryan and mike and dwight? I know the second song was “The Faint – Worked Up Sexual” but the first one. I know that I know the song but just can’t place my finger on it. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

  201. mmm….this was ok. I don’t like the whole “JIm turning into michael”. I liked all the michael moments such as the tattoo moment!! :)

  202. Oh yeah! And I LOVED when Ryan was so excited to see Michael and Dwight, and Michael was like…”you know it’s Michael and Dwight, right?” He was so surprised! It seems that Michael isn’t as oblivious as he seems.

  203. “i’m going to get laid!”
    “with sex!”

    haha my favorite line of the night :)

  204. This may come off as a bit harsh (not unless you’re a Ryan-hater like me, though), but I was SO glad to see that Ryan’s got problems like Jan. I hope he has a grand fall by the time the Season Finale rolls around. Foreman Grill’s theory of Toby leaving and Ryan taking his job makes too much sense!

    Speaking of Toby…wow, he did NOT deserve what happened to him. He’s such a sad sack character already, why did they have to lay on him what was probably the MOST awkward moment in the show thus far?

  205. and tobey wasn’t being creepy…he was just being an awkward guy who wasn’t thinking when he was around the girl he’s had a crush on forever. thats all..

  206. I kept half an eye on the episode tonight- I enjoyed what i saw- Yay for Dwight! I have to agree though that it was “odd” but it was better than the past two. I’ll have to watch it again too. But still, what I saw was good.

    And I really hope that Mindy takes some questions!!! :D

  207. Following up with Kris, yeah, this was one of the best episodes ever. Here we were, hoping for a super-cute JAM engagement, and what do we get instead?
    Toby’s kind of a creep, though I always thought (esp. in the season 3 deleted scenes) that something lurked beneath his largely amicable surface.
    Dwight apparently fares well with the ladyfolk.
    Ryan is a snowblower.
    So, yeah, the engagement didn’t happen. Instead, we got a pleasant surprise in terms of other character development.
    Win-win-win.

  208. I don’t think the hobbit was a dealer, but he was definitely a “cocaine friend” of Ryan’s. Not a good influence. Also, I wouldn’t say that Toby is a perv or anything. He obviously has had strong feelings that have built from the beginning of season 3. We just didn’t see it so much because him and Pam didn’t have much of a friendship of chemistry. I certainly think he imagines a life in Costa Rica on the beach with Pam, probably smoking reef and making money taking tourists out on a fishing boat when they felt like it.

  210. This episode was amazingly funny, and contributed a lot to the characters’ developments. Jim is human, Michael is sane (relatively), Ryan is troubled and Dwight is just Dwight.

    Favorite moment: Dwight pouring the free drink down the drain. Dwight in his essence!

  211. Overall, I enjoyed this episode!
    A few of my favorite moments:
    -The cold open. Peanut butter in Michael’s hair… loved it.
    -Pam throwing the football at Meredith
    -Toby’s quick get-away
    -Ryan trying to “dance”
    -Dwight’s hook-up =)

    Great episode, I will definitely be watching it again!!

  212. I actually think I found the awkward Toby moment the most funny. Jim’s facials were priceless. I sort of wish they could do one relatively contained episode which is just supposed to be bizarre and funny rather than tackling so many heavy issues at once like in The Injury.

  213. Lots of great moments and quotes, but it was Kelly at the top of my list. “How DARE you?” Classic! I love that girl in that train-wreck sort of way.

    I did particularly like as well the whole sales thing. It really is major corporate think to fudge numbers to make a favored project look better on paper than it really is. Ryan’s blow-off of Stanley’s concern about commissions was dead-on hilarious in its own right because it is so sadly true.

  214. #207
    When Ryan was dancing in the group of girls the song that was playing was “Get Myself Into It” by The Rapture.

  215. Great episode! Smart writing and acting. It seems Michael was right about Toby. And how funny is it that Ryan hangs out with a smaller version of himself?

  216. I loved when Pam threw the football at Meredith’s face…I think she was sort of trying to impress Toby.

  217. I gotta be honest, this was not my favorite episode. And it was a serious letdown after the hilarity and sheer genius of last week. I am really, really sick of this thing they’ve done twice now where every time Jim takes over, he ends up screwing up and everyone hates him. Everyone knows he’d be a more effective boss than Michael.
    I do love the Jim/Ryan tension there for a moment. That was funny. And Andy asking for a vote on whether he and Angela were the better couple. That was awesome.

    Dwight was the redeeming quality about this episode. Dwight was so incredibly awesome. I loved him so much. He is the reason I will be re-watching this episode tomorrow.

  218. Anyone notice Pam’s “Phyllis!” line was dubbed? Funny, since you don’t even notice her arm going up.

    I love that Michael’s “second favorite movie” is “Back To The Future.” It’s my first favorite.

    A friend of mine’s date kept “going to the bathroom” during our New Year’s get together. I think he was pulling a “Ryan”, too.

    Toby going to Costa Rica for the same reason Jim went to Stamford? His exit reminded me of Michael escaping to the train in “Money”. I’m certain it wasn’t Paul doing his own stunts.

    Is this is the first time we heard Oscar speak Spanish?

    I wonder what time Hank finally got there.

  219. When did everything become so contentious with this crew? Do they hate each other now? In the past, they seemed to at least tolerate each other, and gang up on Michael. I don’t know where this Unlikeable (and increasingly incompetent) Jim theme is going. Where is the heart that made this show so endearing?

  220. Does anyone else think that Jim is getting a little too cocky in general? Even in the way he handled this blunder. Maybe finally being with Pam has made him extra confidant…I dunno

  221. Here’s the thing: We expect more from Jim. So when he screws up or shows a flaw, it’s surprising and more of a disappointment than when Michael does something dumb, because we expect dumb from Michael. For so long Jim was busy woo-ing Pam, always being charming and cute. Now he’s finally got the girl, so he’s more relaxed and therefore we’re seeing his more real/human side.

    I definitely think the writers are having a hard time condensing the stories in the shortened season. They are trying to squeeze a bunch of character arcs and plot developments into too short of a time period. Darn strike!!

  222. What happened at the xmas party??? I didn’t quite catch the convo between Jim and Ryan.., Other than that, loved it! Loved Dwight.. throwing the drink, the hobbit comments, getting action!!

  223. It entertained me for half and hour, it made me both chuckle and laugh out loud, and most of all, it made me care about the characters.

    That’s good enough for me. :)

    Also…
    ‘You look like a regular Tolkien character.’
    XD

  225. I loved, loved, loved this episode. Every single line was hilarious, and it was never once preachy when it could have been (considering the seriousness of the topics addressed). One of, if not the best of season four so far.

  226. Why are there so many negative comments for this episode??? I mean c’mon, there were some great moments from the cold open till the end…
    -Peanut butter in Michael’s hair
    -Dwight’s obsession with hobbits
    -Pam playing football
    -the conference room scene!
    -Michael, Dwight, & Ryan clubbing in New York
    -Toby jumping over the fence

    Btw, Jim’s not perfect. It’s not like in every episode, people hated him. About Toby, don’t you do crazy things when you’re with your crush?! But yeah, that scene was really awkward. And just because Jim said he plans to propose to Pam last episode doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to happen in this episode. Just my thoughts… :)

  227. I appreciate that Jim has been brought down a notch. Maybe it will help him realize all the good things that he has, like Pam. And I am also pleased that there were no advancements in the JAM situation… this show is not all about those two, no matter how much we want it to be about them.

    I think Ryan thought of social networking on DM Infinity while he was on drugs…

    Dwight will never find someone was beautiful as the basketball girl (remember the casting for a 6 ft. tall girl they were doing a while back?), but he is meant for Angela.

    I also anticipated that Toby was going to do something weird. This was his casino night, but not as glamorous. Also, i think everyone should read comment 201. It’s a great theory.

    Could someone explain the whole Ryan-Jim thing…? I am having trouble connecting it to what happened at the Cocktail party…

  228. The drug problem and Jim’s incompetence is not done for humor. The show is simply trying to showcase real world issues. Someone that young in a position that demanding and powerful is easily susceptible to the invincible party lifestyle. I thought this episode was pretty good. Last week’s went a bit too much with Michael and his women search. This one was right on cue.

  229. Toby’s groping of Pam’s leg in front of her boyfriend and almost the entire office staff was both creepy and pathetic. I can’t believe some people are trying to defend his actions. He has always come across as a perv, but this was inexcusable. I hope Jim puts him in his place before this season is over.

  230. I really enjoyed this episode, because Dwight really shined in it, my gosh he was so hilarious in this one. I think Mindy does a great job with Dwight whenever she writes an episode. I fricking love Dwight!

    Okay, Ryan story is pretty sad, he didn’t have any friends at the club, didn’t get any girl there, was on drugs: I think we’re seeing how he’s pretty lonely there , whenever he visits Scranton he acts like a hotshot who’s living the dream in NYC.

    I also loved how he confided in Michael and Dwight, Michael so desperately wants to fit in and be someone’s friend that when someone confides in him, Michael really reaches out and helps (ex:Booze Cruise w/ Jim).

  231. Loved this episode! What a Ryan downfall…from the failing website, to being so coked up that he’s thrilled to see Dwight and Michael, and to his sad apartment bed in a Michael/Dwight sandwich. Dwight’s sci-fi fantasy reaction to Ryan’s short friend (did we see him briefly in the Deposition in the cafeteria?) was hilarious! The Toby’s-hand-on-Pam’s-knee scene and awkward, stunned expressions (especially Jim’s–what can he do? He’s been there.) are still making my shoulders ache from cringing I love Mindy’s episodes and this was way up there. She writes great, relevant and often subtle humor. She really knows this weird edge of humor that deserves a spotlight.

  232. I loved this episode… It’s a mixture of funny and oh-so-touching moments… Dwight was insanely awesome and well, just being the Dwight we love.. I liked it when Stanley said something about being in his bathroom with red wine in an hour to Jim and Pam.. Pam throwing the football! Dwight and the “hobbit.” Ryan’s coke addiction.. It was a great twist that Ryan’s apartment was so, well, un-New York like.. Overall, it was indeed a great episode.. I’ll definitely watch it again but I have a test tomorrow! Gotta go study again!!! (Yeah, nothing can stop me from watching The Office!) :D

  233. It comes across to me that they seem to be establishing from every angle what a dead-end job this is for Jim. He’s obviously not cut out for management. I think it would actually be sadder if he excelled when making “management decisions.” Then he /would/ be a Michael or, worse, a Ryan.

  234. -Oh, who are you dating?
    -Pam
    -That’s still going on?

    Arrested Development banter anyone?

  236. also the office crew reaction after getting pictures that Michael sent everyone of Dwight making out with that girl was just priceless.

  237. 239: It’s supposed to showcase real world issues in a humorous way, though. Until tonight, or rather until this season, they’ve balanced the awkward ugliness of reality with blissful heart and humor. Tonight it seemed like everyone was out to lunch.

  238. What a dynamic episode with so many surprises.

    Pam quoting Dwight’s “…then you’ve been dead for 2 weeks” is my favorite as it’s so quintessentially Dwight.

    The awkward exchange between Jim and Ryan in the kitchen

    And just when it looked like this would be a “very special episode” with Michael helping “Ryan’s friend” with his drug problem, Michael “Scarn’s” it.

    A teriffic writing job.

  239. I like the notion that this was Toby’s ‘Casino Night!’ His getaway was priceless! He was still so cute though! He’s liked Pam for so long and she always seems so oblivious . Jim’s reaction was great and Jim’s looks throughout the episode were great too. Especially when Ryan confronted him about his talk with David Wallace. Seriously, his repertoire of looks is one of my favorite things about ‘The Office.’ I do love Jim and Pam, and was missing a deeper Jim and Pam story (especially after last week!), but I’m kind of glad this episode didn’t focus on just them. It let the other guys have a chance to shine and I laughed out loud a ton (although last week might rate higher for me because of Jim and Pam). It’s always a little weird to watch Jim go through awkward or “Michael” moments, but Jim and Pam aren’t invincible. And Pam hitting Meredith – one of the best scenes ever! I kind of feel that Jim is very capable, smart, a great all-around funny, caring guy – but he’s just missing that je ne sais quoi that Michael has when it comes to running that office.

  240. #238: Ryan referenced the recent Xmas party, not the cocktail party when Jim discussed the website with David Wallace.

  241. HA!! and i just watched it again and when Pam says “Phyllis” it totally looks like its dubbed… either that or Jenna can talk without moving her lips…

  242. What Toby did was inexcusable, but I just can’t stay mad at him. I mean come on…he’s Toby! And at least he knew it was wrong. Did you see how he bought it back? By announcing he’s moving (to Costa Rica was it?) and jumping over the fence!
    I do like comment 201’s theory though; that seems entirely possible. In my opinion, going by this theory, Toby did want to make Pam respond to him, but he probably didn’t plan on groping her leg.

    The moment that killed me though was when Pam threw the football right into Meredith’s head. It was one of those moments that you probably saw coming, but would be disappointed if it didn’t happen. Hilariously awesome!

  243. Oh man, that’s an episode that requires re-watching. Did anyone else think BJ looked like he was about to break when Steve was talking about the website being “T.D.B.”?

    Can’t wait to see where the show is going with all these new developments. I hope Jim does something to get back into Hank’s good graces. I thought Jim was the friendly one who knew everyone’s name, but maybe that only goes for Hooters girls?

  244. Laugh-out-loud funny but far, far too obvious. If this season’s missing one thing its the subtlety that Office fans cherished. That’s what makes us choose this show over others!
    This is what I mean:

    1)Jim “becoming” Michael — repeated failures and racial insensitivity

    2)Jim and Pam growing apart — weird exchanges between them, too much friendliness towards Toby

    3)Jim working on being a leader, probably replacing Ryan — Ryan’s drug problem, Jim’s ability to give “good advice”

    This basically set the stage for the rest of the season but it did so in a way that SCREAMED “this is what’s going be happening.”

  245. Ugh am I the only one who knows the security guard has been called “Nate” in the past? Or on a name plate or something? Officequotes doesn’t have it.

  246. Oh, and I also loved Dwight’s complete failure to recognize Ryan’s drugged state. I’ll order you some cranberry juice. Way to go, ex-volunteer sheriff’s deputy.

  247. I don’t know. I think this was kind of a weird episode to me. There were points of awkwardness that were not even funny anymore. (Toby’s touching, Ryan’s addiction, everyone hating Jim) Usually there are moments of hilarious awkwardness, but not in this one. Dwight was the highlight of this episode. It was alright I guess. 7/10

  248. You know, Jim tries to do the smart thing but his ’slacker’ personality contributes to him not thinking things through.

    What’s so unlikable about a guy like that?
    231 | Kev Thu. Apr. 24, 2008 at 10:21pm

    i totally agree. we all love this show because it is real, they handle absurd situations in a real way and we care about the people because they seem real. jim and pam aren’t perfect, that is not the point. the point is that they are perfect for each other. jim had a good idea and simply didn’t think it all the way through.

  249. i wonder if jim’s awkwardness on the phone and with the group was another reference/comparison to michael?

    i LOVED kelly “yes i have a lot of questions for example, how dare you?” everything that girl says is funny.

    i know others did too but i totally called: a. ryan’s coke habit and 2. a toby/pam development.

  250. so basically, mindy’s a genius. i always love her episodes.
    and she finally got some lines in the actual episode!

  251. I like how the distance between Jim and Pam is being adressed by everyone- first Michael, thinking that it’s over, then everyone voting for Andy and Angela as the better couple (wtf?) and of course, Toby’s innapropriate leg rub- while Jim is planning to actually bring their relationship a step forward and become engaged! I find it really ironic, that’s all.
    Not the best, but good laughs no less.

  252. I have to agree Tuna, it was a good idea but Jim didn’t think it through. I think Jim and Pam slipping up this episode was to remind everyone they’re not perfect because they are often portrayed that way. I thought the scene between Jim and Ryan indicated Jim’s trajectory would be to become more responsible.

  253. What a great episode! Great writing, great performances and all the cast more or less involved. Things that made me laugh out loud:

    -Pam hitting Meredith with the football
    -Dwight’s obsession with “The hobbit”
    -Toby’s inappropriate behavior and then jumping the fence
    -Ryan’s reaction when Michael offers to take his clothes of.

    Best ep of the season!

  255. Ryan on drugs, Dwight getting some, and Toby moving away… I like how there were lots of developments here… Should be a fun rest of the season.

  257. This episode was awesome. Does anybody else notice Jim becoming Roy and not ever actually committing? The theme of this whole episode may have been characters becoming other characters: Jim becoming Roy and Michael. Ryan becoming Jan. Toby becoming Jim (by making a play for Pam who’s already taken by a guy, but a guy who won’t commit). Dwight becoming Oscar (by apparently being uninterested in girls – he didn’t seem interested even when he was making out with the basketball girl, at least from my memory of it – and he did say he wasn’t going to call her back). Are there any transformations I’m missing?

  258. I gotta say I didn’t see the whole character transition thing. Just because Jim makes a mistake… that doesn’t mean he’s transitioning. Just because Toby is attracted to Pam.. honestly, who isn’t.. doesn’t make him the next Jim. Dwight isn’t gay just because he wasn’t attracted to the random chick he made out with at the club.. honestly. Nowhere did I see a failure to commit in Jim.. commit to what?? To Pam? I think it’s unrealistic, illogical, and flat out dumb for him to rush in to a proposal. I think he knows his way around his woman well enough to know what to do.
    Also, I didn’t see Jim ‘losing his charm’ or whatever. I just saw him making a mistake. I didn’t understand or find Andy’s ‘better couple’ comment funny at all. I thought it was stupid and contrived.

    That said, I think it’s good for the characters to make mistakes and defy their archetypes. Although I didn’t really find this episode to be either as funny or as clever as many episodes.

  259. Jim totally turned into Michael this episode, with him having a “great” idea that he’s all smug about, him assuming the cleaning ladies spoke spanish, the weird “Hey…Chief” greeting…it was kinda interesting to see how quickly everyone else in the office (including Pam!) turned on him and started “hating” him in the same way they hate Michael.

    And, I have to agree with what a lot of other people have already said about how episodes that mainly take place outside of the office aren’t as much fun as the episodes that mostly take place IN the office!

  260. Mixed feelings about this episode. I like that Jim is being “made more human”, but the transformation of Jim into Michael seems forced and not true to the character as written previously. He used to be good with people, well-liked, an amazing leader when engaged, but usually slacking off or actively throwing a wrench into things. He used to be the one who cringed when Michael was insensitive. Outside of slacking in the Finer Things, his failings now seem to revolve around misreading people/dumb schemes (combined birthdays), incompetence (getting locked in), and racial insensitivity (cleaning people). And he is anything but liked by his colleagues. It seems like the writing has a destination of “budding Michael” without any of the character traits that make Michael comprehensibe/relatable. Initially different characters, but written to get the same results? I wish that the storylines kept consistent with his old promise, but mined his lack of investment more. Or showed some acknowledgment of his old charm and rapport. Each show seems to bring another “Jim disappoints” event, but if I hadn’t seen seasons 1-3, I’d think he was just an incompetent Michael clone in a great relationship.

  261. 251: Jim is not even close to becoming Roy and this episode showed nothing of the sort occuring.

  262. Weird episode. Looks like the typical Filler. But it was funny to see, that Ryan is has fallen for the white powder……lol…this looks like fun in the future.

  263. re: 240–No. No….I don’t think so. This was far less subtle and a lot sloppier.

  264. Hm, I’m surprised by some of the reactions. So Ryan’s got an addiction – but he’s not so far gone that he doesn’t realize he needs help. And Dwight was awesome! Toby I didn’t think was ill-intentioned, he’s just been crushing hard for a long time and when he realized what he’d done, he left. (Crazy fence action!) I don’t see Jim becoming Michael at all, and I thought everyone’s reactions to the lock-in were reasonable and in-character. I don’t think they hate Jim now or anything. I hate it when Jim isn’t perfect and adorable but hey, who is?

  265. I enjoyed this episode. They managed to fit A LOT of information into a neat 21 minute package.

    It looks like the writers are packing the final episodes with loads of plot developments, whereas, (if the strike never happened) we would have been rewarded with more pointlessly entertaining episodes a la The Injury. Imagine having to shorten a season’s (21 episodes) worth of storylines to a mere 14 episodes!!!

  266. Come on people…even though lots of JAM is good in my book, if there would have been more, people would have been upset about that…

    I thought tonight was perfect…though awkward it times, it was the awkward moments, to me, that may it what it is supposed to be…reality being filmed.

    This is the second time this season Jim has shown a move to being more like Michael…in the Survivor episode he did the same with the community birthday party…and the comments by Michael at the end of that episode.

    Again, this was a good one…great writing Mindy!

  267. I think the problem of this episode for me was that the real situations were created through unrealistic contrivances. Sure, you can get locked into a building site, but why did the security guard shut it down with all those cars in the parking lot? Toby being a lecherous creep with Pam was something I guess I could see coming, but Pam didn’t flinch, she just sat there. I guess I’m getting a little tired of Jim and Pam’s passivity. The Jim turning into Michael conceit is being done up so much that they’ve made him someone I do not recognize. I was disappointed in that story line.

  268. … just thought of something. If Ryan is having addiction problems he might end up leaving his position at corporate and that would create an opening (for someone at Scranton maybe)?

    That could be the opening for the spin off.

    hmmm… wonder who might be interested in applying for the job? Wouldn’t it be great if Jan made a comeback?

  269. We all know Toby has had a crush on Pam for a while now, and I think he probably just got caught in the moment that she laughed at his joke and gave him eye contact, that that’s how he reacted. I personally thought it was hilarious – and even more so by Jim’s reaction. The episode was amazing. There was soooo many good quotes that had me laughing…”how dare you!” or “Ryan, we’re going to take your clothes off”. HILARIOUS!

  270. Did anyone catch the part when Ryan was getting “beat up” by the girls at the club, that Michael happened to be on the phone with his mom? — probably talking about the girl he met? I found that to be incredibly funny that he met a girl, for what, an hour or so and he already wanted her to meet his mom. Oh Michael :)

  271. For me this episode was the best and worst of times. I loved the stuff with the group at the office, but the stuff in New York was forced and too awkward.

    The only good part about the New York stuff was Michael picture messaging the pic of Dwight, but the Dwight situation didn’t even make that much sense.

    I also didn’t understand why Michael said, “Best night ever.” When he seemed to be having an awful time the whole night. His talking head at the end about the boys I can understand, but he looked way too excited out of the blue when he said, “Best night ever.”

    This episode fits in with a few of the earlier ones of the season that just lack the overall Office charm.

  272. LOOOOOOVED this episode. I think I’m gaining quite the crush on Mindy, she writes my favorites. I didn’t even realize this was her episode til I saw on here. Some people were complaining about it being more awkward then funny…well as opposed to the last few episodes, those moments are then filled in by something funny. Michael and Dwight added the funniness of being oblivious to Ryans addiction. Toby’s creepy touch was no longer so creepy when he ACTUALLY ran and jumped over the fence! Hahahaha. We need more episodes like this!

  273. Fantastic ep. Every line was pure gold.

    I think they are definitely setting up a JAM engagement. The episode really showcased how others aren’t respecting their relationship or taking it seriously, with the whole Toby thing and Michael asking Jim to go clubbing. I think this might really spur them to ‘make it official.’

  274. “You’re evil like a hobbit.”

    Very intense. Coke Ryan made me scared and sad. Toby flipping out shocked me. I felt like Jim was not very Jim-like; his “you’re the…African American…” was a Michael line, not a Jim.

    The Dwight stuff was pretty good, and I liked Meredith getting rocked with the football, but I went to bed with a strange feeling about where the show has gone. Part of why I fell in love with The Office is because the writers were able to make the mundane office-related storylines very fun to watch…now they’ve deviated massively. I miss the minute-long talking heads and laughs brought about by expressions, reactions, wording…the subtlety.

  275. I’ve noticed some people talking about the story moving fast, sudden transformations, etc. Keep in mind, they’re working with far fewer episodes because of the strike, so this is something they have to do really.

    It is clear The Office is going more “sitcomy” with these situations, but it is still far from a true sitcom. Shows evolve, this is necessary to keep it interesting. Also I wouldn’t be surprised to see a ratings pick up with this new form they’re going with.

  276. Is anyone else going to get upset if Jim gets Ryan’s job? I think they need Jim’s chemistry with Michael, Dwight, Pam and really everyone else in the office. I don’t want his scenes to be filmed separately like in the beginning of Season 3. That was so sad.

    Jim needs to stay in the office!

  277. O.k., am I the only one who thought this was one of the worst episodes, ever. Druggy Ryan? Dwight making out? Those scenes make no sense. I really thought this episode went off into a whole different show. Drugs, making out, and Toby hopping a fence. What tha!

  278. Overall, I thought this was a great episode! From the cringe-worthy cold open, to Dwight and Ryan passed out on the bed…loved it!

    So proud of myself that I knew Hank’s name (that’s what happens when you watch Drug Testing over and over and over)!

    One issue I had was the whole Dwight/hobbit interaction. I feel like that whole exchange was lifted straight from Series 2, Episode 3 of “Extras.” Other than that, this was totally Dwight’s night!

  279. 200 – You have an excellent theory and I hope you are correct and we see it in a deleted scene play out exactly how you describe. The alternative is that the writers are making Toby become Jim 2.0 and Jim becoming a bad combination of Roy and Michael and I don’t like that at all – it’s too manipulative.

  280. It seems like the writers are trying just a little too hard….too much “stuff” going on, not enough dialogue and subtlety. The peanut butter all over the head, the drug problem, Toby’s pass at Pam, on and on….it seems like the post-strike episodes have much more action crammed into them than the pre-strike ones. I don’t know, I could be wrong. Hubby and I still LOVE the office but feel like the writers have lost their groove somewhat. I think they’re getting it back though….this was definitely my favorite of the post-strike episodes.

  281. I didn’t like this episode last night but after viewing it again I found it much funnier. I think the first time around I was much too focused on what was happening to the characters rather than the funnier moments. Still not one of my favorites but it sure sets up a lot of story lines….

  282. Don’t you think the security guard would have noticed that there were a bunch of cars still in the parking lot, and that the lights in the office were still on?

    Also, I think the director of that episode played the security guard. Anyone know for sure?

  283. It wasn’t that funny for me. Then again, last week was amazing and I don’t know if the rest of the episodes will top it (and I’m not saying that just because of the possibe Jam wedding – I like them, but I would be fine with the wedding being a closed-door, off-camera affair). I don’t know if I like where the storylines are headed either with Ryan on drugs and Toby leaving (nooooo!).

    Hopefully I’ll enjoy next week’s episode. My favorite quote was Michael’s “Ryan! It’s Michael and Dwight!” Steve’s delivery was amazing.

  284. I’m not sure why everyone’s so upset about Jim’s screw-ups in this episode. I don’t think the writers are making him unlikable. I think the story was very relatable – everybody has had a day where they make a stupid mistake, and things just sort of spiral down from there. When you’re already feeling stupid and you know that your dumb mistake has affected other people, you can end up digging yourself in deeper even in your attempts to save the situation. I think it just makes Jim more human, which is a good thing.

  285. People are reading too deeply into certain aspects of the episode. Jim and Pam and Toby. Contrasts between characters taking on aspects of other characters.

    Jim is not becoming anyone else at all, people make mistakes. The same thing happened when he tried to combine all the birthdays into one during Survivor Man.

    Toby is just horribly desperate after his divorce and has a thing for Pam. His stroking of her leg was his last little attempt at something, then embarrassed he said he was moving away, and took off running.

    All in all, it was just a more human look into the characters being put into weird situations. No one is turning into anyone else.

  286. I loved this episode. Better by far than the previous two. I also think we need to start thinking about that office spin-off coming up. I’m sure that they are developing that story line in these episodes. Who will be leaving?

  287. I think this episode was necessary for what lies ahead. As far as Jim and Ryan are concerned, it seemed like they wanted to portray them as real people for once to make what is going to happen in the next episodes. I thought the Toby thing was a little over the top and didn’t seem to fit with what we know of his character, but I loved him jumping that fence!

    For me, Dwight and Michael saved that episode because it was a little darker than we’re used to. I don’t think they set out to make drug addiction funny, just to foreshadow.

    I still enjoyed it and will take every Office episode I can!

  288. Chair Model was a nice, kind of break away from the quality of season 4, but this episode sort of just went right back to the season 4 slump.

    Ryan has obviously hit some sort of snag in his fancy, NYC, money life. His hair is all messy and his beard looks barely there anymore. It was actually nice to see that Ryan, very drunk and very high, was happy to see them, and could not even remember who Dwight was. In a perfect world, Ryan will get busted and sent back to Scranton. I think it would also be interesting if Karen then gets the corporate job. I miss Karen, even if she has no purpose when not Jim’s girlfriend.

    A big change of Michael’s personality in these last two episodes. Michael was very David Brent-like last episode, but I felt so bad for him here, he was trying so hard and was so nice.

    Scranton storyline was not one of the best. There’s just always something off when they leave the office, even if it’s only as far as the parking lot. Poor Toby, if he leaves, I will sit under my desk and cry all summer.

  289. How about this for an idea:

    Ryan flames out (kind of like Jan) goes to rehab and gets demoted (perhaps back to Scranton?) and Jim is given a second opportunity to take the job he declined last year.

    Or…

    Maybe Karen gets Ryan’s job? How about that for AWKWARD?

  290. @#251
    Why do you feel like Jim isn’t committing? I didn’t get that at all from him. I think he’s just waiting for a good time to propose. It’s for sure not in the Office lobby! I definitley saw Jim-Michael parallels, but not Jim-Roy.

  292. This show is EVOLVING and I feel it’s doing a fantastic job at it! So it went outside the office for the greater part of this episode – they’ve been doing that FOREVER and it works perfectly!!

    This show would be pretty boring if it was just Jam doing pranks on Dwight week after week.

    I say BRAVO(A) to all!

  293. this is the funniest freaking show on TV, by FAR. You read too much into the Jim/Pam relationship… they are HAPPY and show it every episode. The Toby thing was HILARIOUS!! How many guys on this board have felt like jumping the fence and running… I’m still laughing over 12 hours later!!! Watch it again… the subtleties in this episode are endless. 9/10 easily

  294. I loved this episode. I laughed out loud throughout, especially with the Ryan stuff. When he used his hands to emphasize 2.0, I almost fell over. Jim made a little mistake, certainly nothing major. Why does he have to get things right 100% of the time? As for Jim growing apart from Pam? I didn’t see it that way either. He’s obviously excited enough about her to plan on marrying her. Every episode doesn’t have to revolve around their romance!

  295. Wow – this episode really shows the polarity of Office fans. Some hated it, some loved it. I’m in the loved it camp. It really seemed like a Season 2 ep on acid. No, on speed. Nah. On steroids. Kudos, Mindy! I really think that there is some setting up of character and plot developments and Jim’s missteps will make sense when put in context with the larger storyline. Also, the reference to what he said to David Wallace at the Christmas party (which we didn’t get to see due to the strike) seems to indicate there’s something still going on with Jim and opportunities at corporate. And Jam is still strong as ever. I like the introduction of tension and things not always being sunshine and roses. That’s realistic, not an indication of problems.

  296. 190… I was curious about how long it took Hank too. I was really wondering how long they were sitting there before the cleaners came. I know they tried to leave around 9:05… too bad they didn’t show a clock as they were walking out. Ha.

    249… I LOVED Michael’s intro for Ryan in the conference room and laughed real hard when he said “TDB!”… meaning he has absolutely no idea what that even means, to the point where he can’t even repeat it correctly, but it must be cool to say since it came from Ryan (why he is still “in love” with him, I have no idea. His love probably only grew after their night out!)

  297. Okay my favorite part of this episode, hands down, was: “By a show of hands who thinks we’re a better couple than Jim and Pam?” Andy is growing on me for some weird reason, I hope if there is a spinoff he sticks around on the original.

    That being said, one thing I have always agreed with Michael Scott on is Toby. I may be the only one but I’ve never liked him or found him funny, but I think Paul is a great writer. So, if Toby moves to Costa Rica and Paul writes more episodes, that’d be more than fine by me.

    Also, Jim needs to stop being Michael cause it is SCARY. Why is everything so awkward this season? And not in a typical, awkward, Office way?

  298. I think this episode did set the stage for Ryan’s fall and Jim moving up to corporate but I can’t figure out how the writers would deal with JAM with Jim in NYC.

  299. This episode was alright, but definitely not one of their best from season four. Any episode where the employees are out of the office is one that just seems to lack something, with few exceptions such as ‘Money’ and ‘Booze Cruise.’

    I didn’t like the plotline of the locked parking lot. It felt like they were revisiting the ‘Jim becoming Michael’ plot, when he tried to make one joint birthday party.

    I did like how we saw Ryan in a different light then we usually see him, as Kevin summed it up, ‘You’re so money, and you don’t even know it.’ We saw that his life wasn’t all that awesome, highlighted by his tiny apartment and his drug problem.

    All in all, I hope that we get some better episodes for the end of season three, I felt that this one wasn’t up to the usual standard.

  300. Toby is no perv, he just absentmindedly put his hand on Pam’s knee. And why would you think Jim would get angry about that? He’s no Roy. Be nice to Toby.
    Please tell me you guys that you aren’t rooting for Jim to advance in the company. I agree that his time is running out there and it feels weird that he’s still around, but for him to go to corporate…please no.
    Does anyone else think that this show has reached a sort of awkward imbalance…and I don’t blame the writers, really. It’s just that the first three seasons were all about how much Pam and Jim wanted to make something more of their lives. Now that they’re together, ti seems like things have stagnated. But where can they go? I think this show will implode because of how dynamic the characters have been made by the writers.

  301. #200, I totally agree!

    I found it very suspicious when Toby was like “Hey…I happened to find this football” lol

    Maybe it was all just coincidence, but who knows…

  302. Hilarious episode! And I loved the Footloose reference by Michael (Let’s Hear It for the Boys)
    I was a little upset that everyone was hating Jim, but I guess he can’t always be the perfect, funny, lovable slacker. The Toby thing was really creepy, so creepy I couldn’t laugh, but it was easily balanced by seeing him climbing the fence. Priceless.

  303. I don’t agree with #250 on
    2)Jim and Pam growing apart — weird exchanges between them, too much friendliness towards Toby

    I don’t think it’s them growing apart, i think it’s them getting more comfortable with each other being in a relationship. These exchanges aren’t weird to them, it’s just weird to us because we expect them to be perfect but they’re not. I don’t want to get into the dynamics of ‘relationships’ but Jim and Pam were literally best friends before they dated and I’m going to assume that since dating, they’re getting to know each other MORE than what they knew about each other when they were just friends. They are learning to get annoyed with the other’s flaws, accommodating each other and understanding each other better.

  305. Not a good show–3.5/10.
    Again–the script thrust Michael and Dwight out of the office and into a situation where their social retardation was on full display without any redemption. Without any redeeming activity, I felt pity, and I don’t like it. Go back to Season 2–in Chili’s: Michael is out of the office, but HE MAKES THE SALE (redemption). Booze Cruise: He get handcuffed by the boat captain for acting like an idiot, but HE HAS MATURE ADVICE FOR JIM (redemption). It’s OK for the characters to go outside the office, but let them redeem themselves!

  306. Loved this ep, nearly as much as ‘Chairmodel’ last week (which my #$&#*@ TiVo deleted, grrrr). Nice to see Michael’s two chosen “proteges” Jim and Ryan both fall on their faces, while once again Dwight rises to the top on sheer weirdo charisma.

    My husband and I think of Jim as the ultimate Beta Dog — he’s likable and works hard, but never rocks the boat. Comment #177 points out he can motivate people (The Fire, Office Olympics) but only when they’re NOT WORKING, doing something fun or slightly subversive, not reacting to a crisis or making hard decisions. No wonder he likes the customer service part of the job — he is not a salesman at heart, like Dwight or Michael or even Phyllis, who will do anything for a sale (the makeover!). He needs to reevaluate his life and challenge himself a little — can’t just get the dreamgirl and stay in the same limited crappy job forever, buddy. Bark bark! ;)

  307. So it’s interesting that some people think Jim is moving too quickly while others seem to think that Jim is moving too slowly and can’t commit…

  308. I actually really enjoyed this episode…better than the Dinner Party but not quite Chair Model caliber….8/10 for me

  309. You resemble a Tolkien character. LMAO.

    I liked this episode a lot. I’m a HUGE Jam fan but I was glad they didn’t make it all about their relationship this episode. It felt like a season 2 episode to me.

    I like where they’re going with Jim – he’s quick with the muttered, smart arse comments but when he’s out in front leading a group, he just falls short. It’s something anyone in a corporate environment can relate. He’s still exploring that side of him…he’s not becoming Michael but just learning how to handle things in his own way.

  310. Jim made a mistake, but he doesn’t have a total lack of regard for others like Michael does sometimes.

    He was thrown into that position of having to make a decision quickly because Michael was out being an idiot with Dwight and Ryan.

    Sometimes he’s going to make mistakes, which shows that he’s human. I think people are a little quick to judge him for that.

  311. I haven’t read all the comments yet, but here’s my two cents:

    1. I don’t think Toby is creepy… I think he is the most normal: slightly depressed but not a complete loser. He was just having a good time, kinda sleepy, and slipped up. And because it’s The Office, everyone noticed. The leg punch was brilliant.

    2. Humanizing Jim is a good thing. Consider all us fan-girls who pine for a Jim Halpert because he’s so perfect when the underlying theme of the show is that these people are complelely normal. We see them as weird, but weird is normal. Including Jim and Pam. They’re just saying that our favorite couple isn’t without it’s faults.

    3. I’m worried for Ryan only because this is kinda soap opera-y and not funny. But brilliant writers = complete surprises. So I’ll keep the faith.

    Still a good ep but I thought last week’s was better. What kind of night club is that quiet and well-lit anyway?!

  312. I am kind of in denial about this episode. On the one hand, some lines were ridiculously funny. Also, as a German native speaker, I laughed for about 5 minutes when Dwight started singing “Schlaf Kindlein Schlaf”, which is *the* German lullaby that every kid gets to hear about a hundred times in their life, to Ryan.

    On the other hand, I feel like the strike took away a lot. It felt like they jumped into the episode too much, I think they would’ve needed another episode; one for the stuff happening in the office, and one for the clubbing stuff.
    Also, Ryan is a drug addict? Weird.

    Toby touching Pam’s knee was just… a long time coming, really. I don’t really find it creepy or anything, I just don’t find it cute either. The look on Jim’s face was priceless.

    Also, Kelly had some awesome lines this episode (“I have a lot of questions. Number one, how dare you?” or Dwight’s response to Michael’s “I am going to get laid”- “with sex”- haha. That had me laughing for a while.

    Pam throwing the football in Meredith’s face was about the most awesome moment in the episode. :)

  313. I loved the scene with Toby hopping the fence! Loved it! (Yes, I know I’m biased.)

    Favourite line – Michael and Dwight going into the nightclub
    Michael: Nice hat!
    Dwight: It’s a fire hazard.

    And Michael with peanut butter on his head – that’s an image that will haunt my dreams.

  314. I liked this episode. And being my favorite character is Jim, I was a little sad to see him screw up and be disliked (at least for the moment) by his co-workers. However, I do enjoy when they show Jim as being real. Yes, he’s a confident & charming guy, but at times he lacks that confidence and charm and thus makes mistakes. I think it makes his character much more interesting.

    Also, I think it’s great to bring JAM down a notch. Again, I love them, but it’s interesting to see them not as the “popular couple”.

  315. Anyone catch the part where the office crew is leaving and Jim raises his fist to bump against Kevin but Kevin does a High Five instead?
    so it’s like a fist with a hand wrapped around greeting?
    Was this accidental?
    or is this a Jim and Kevin thing?

    The office crew needs a party to liven things up!
    or a office theme party :P I miss those
    We missed out on Thanksgiving, Xmas, New Years, Vday, April Fools! We need a party :P

  316. Odd episode. I think we can all agree on that. It reminds me of the British show in that as the episode winds down you’re not immediately emotionally satisfied. But it’s simply one part of a larger whole, and building to a more satisfying conclusion later on (umm…that’s what she said?)

    That said, I enjoyed it. Not an all-time favorite, especially after last week’s masterpiece, but very enjoyable. And in different ways, at that. I liked seeing Jim and Pam at odds with the rest of the office and Ryan’s dark, dark side. It’s a sudden reminder that, in this created world, these characters are not infallible. They’re not perfect. I’m ecstatic that in an age of television that is often afraid mess with what works, the Office staff is brave enough to strive to make these characters real.

    So, yeah…I liked the episode.

    Best little moment: Ryan’s 2.0 fist-punching. Brilliant “management speak” that’s bound to make the Scrantonites hate him even more.

  318. You know–for those who called Ryan’s apartment crappy–it was actually really nice for NYC standards. When I saw it I thought I’d love to live there. Studios are pretty common and it wasn’t dingy at all. I mean, he’s working at corporate for a small paper company….I’m sure the salaries are good, but not IB good. You’d be surprised at how much something like that goes for.

  319. I have always liked Mindy’s episodes, but Ryan’s drug problem seemed a little too serious for the show. Even though he is a tool, I kinda felt bad for him.

  320. This episode was hilarious and it showed many new levels to a lot of the characters (including Dwight seemingly becoming a “ladies man”). And the whole scene with Toby inappropriately touching Pam was perfectly awkward and wonderful. I say let’s all stop analyzing so much and just enjoy the show!

  322. Is Toby leaving the Office forever? I always liked seeing Michael completely put down this guy with the worst insults.

  323. I’ve only had time to read about 200 comments so far, but I wanted to put in my two cents.

    First, I don’t think Toby is creepy or a perv. He just got caught up in the moment. If he was creepy or a perv, he wouldn’t have realized right away that what he had done was totally inappropriate.

    Second, I don’t think the writers are trying to turn Jim into Michael. I think they are showing that being the boss can be tough, and Michael’s not so bad at it all the time. We also see that Jim isn’t perfect (did we really expect him to be?).

    Third, I was touched that Ryan tried to reach out to Michael for help. And tickled by the fact that not only did Michael not recognize it, but he tried to turn the situation into another screenplay!

    Fourth, you know you are obsessed with The Office when you say “pattern” and in your mind you hear “My friend Pat took a turn.” (happened to me this morning)!

  324. Michael with the peanut butter in his hair just about killed me.

    Oh Ryan, you are collapsing in on yourself like a dying star!

    Loved Andy wanting to go clubbing followed by Angela’s, “I’m right here.” How is it that she can rock the episode with only one line? Love her.

    As for the episode, after the initial viewing I didn’t really like it. I’ll have to re-watch. It had some great one-liners and some definite character development, but the locked-in-the-parking-lot plot seemed too contrived. Although it was worth it to see Pam nail Meredith with the football. It’s just such a shame that all they were planning to do in the second half of this season has to be compressed into six episodes. Wow, only three left!

  325. The episode was crazy but funny. It made me feel but for Michael though. He’s never going to get laid.

  326. “I say let’s all stop analyzing so much and just enjoy the show!”
    326 | Lindsay

    DITTO THAT!

  327. Loved it all!! Cold open was amazing…the Hobbit comments, Dwight getting some, Michael on the phone with his mom (aw!), Pam throwing the football, all of Jim’s awkward statements, the whole thing was just hysterical! And they gave a shout out to my other favorite show The Wire! (Pleasantly surprised by that one!)
    I feel bad for Toby but that was a little shocking to see…and Ryan with a drug problem? That’s pretty deep.

  328. Awesome episode, and I’d say one of the best episodes of the season. Unfortunately I think many fans are forgetting that it’s the nuances that make The Office funny in the first place. FINALLY the characters were spot on with their portrayals in seasons 2 and 3. Last week’s episode was “cute” but lacked a lot in quick wit. This episode was very well directed with quick cuts and reaction shots, joke after joke well executed, and some much needed character development for Jim and Ryan. 8.5/10… and a top 15 episode in terms of writing and acting.

  329. I’ve found something good in every episode of The Office–except this one. Ryan as a drug addict? Jim unable to figure out how to leave the office on a Friday night? What happened here?

  331. I read thru some of the comments and couldn’t find this point…but did anyone else notice Creed actually had the security guard’s name correct? No one believed him because, well…he’s Creed. But he was actually right!

  332. i think out of terms of being funny, this was the funniest episode of the season so far. yet in some ways, it’s depressing as well. i felt bad for ryan…in some ways, he’s more alone than michael…at least michael’s got dwight, pam, and jim…ryan’s got no one. poor fella

    but dwight and the hobbit was the best…

  334. I laughed the hardest when the girls bought a drink for Dwight, and he dumped it out. “Anything could have been in there. Nice try!”

  336. Hmm. The episode had some really good parts, but most of it felt too compressed and exaggerated to me. I really REALLY disliked the Toby stuff. I feel like the writers took the easy way out by ACTUALLY making him a dislikeable creep. Toby has always been one of the quietest, subtle and realistic characters on the show, and in 30 seconds they have him touching Pam’s leg and then jumping a fence?

  337. Oh, and one other thing that I haven’t seen anyone mention (maybe it has been, but I haven’t had time to read through every comment yet, I’ll get there!), is how underneath all his shallow focus on beauty, Michael’s real issue is loneliness. I am always touched by that. Now, if he could just get over the whole Cindy Crawford thing, I’m sure he could find someone to give him children, along with the snuggling, and the ketchup fights!

    Oh, and I thought it was interesting that at the end of the day, the only person really standing by Ryan is Michael. Ryan seems a bit lonely, too, no?

  338. the best episode since the strike!
    ryan on e or coke? that’s going to be the talking point for a bit!
    and they played the faint in the background during the club scenes!

    awesome awesome awesome!

  339. #300, exactly! I love how it’s evolving. I mean, come on people, there is a reason that the British version had only so many episodes, you can’t have every episode entirely in the Office and constantly about pranks and such. So if we did that, our show would probably be over by now. We are very into the characters now, we need character development; its become more of a documentary on the people at this branch, their lives, how they interact with each other, in and OUT of the Office.

  340. Shouldn’t Hank receive some of the blame for locking the gate? I know Jim forgot to give him a heads-up, but didn’t he notice a dozen or so cars still parked in the parking lot? Maybe Hank doesn’t deserve a tip next year!

    Ryan is clearly on a downward spiral. He’s living in an efficiency apartment, albeit a nice one, he’s lonely, his website is failing (pedophiles, identify theft), he doesn’t seem to be respected by his colleagues or subordinates, and now he’s doing coke to cope. I don’t know how long Ryan has at Dunder Mifflin. Wouldn’t it be funny if he were re-assigned to Scranton?

  341. This episode was fantastic. It was kind of different to see different things come out of each character.

    For the New York club segments, it was really strange to see Michael in a club and how he was somewhat weirded out by it. And I loved how Dwight ended up with the sexy girl and didn’t even think anything of it.

    Ryan’s “drug problem” is a bit of a stretch, but if you remember correctly, Ryan was always a party guy. Back when he started dating Kelly, he would always ditch her to go out, and in “Drug Testing”, while Dwight was asking him questions, Ryan told him, “I go to a lot of parties.” Because he’s in New York now, I’m sure his party side tends to come out a lot when he’s not in business mode. Somehow he must have just gotten into drugs, and maybe started relying on them when his job started to get complicated, what with the website problems and everything.

    I really think as well that Jim is always put in charge so we can all see how Michael is pretty much the only boss who can handle the Scranton employees. I’m sure that if Michael had gotten them locked in the business lot that he would have made a ton of excuses and tried to start a bonfire to calm their nerves. But not Jim.

    And mind you, whacked out Ryan is actually really hot.

  342. If you were on this documentary crew for 4 years wouldn’t you jump at the chance to see Michael and Dwight surprise Ryan? Or to see what a nightmare Jan’s dinner party would be? I rest my case.

  343. I just love any time Ryan raises his voice, for any reason whatsoever. That’s what I go for, voice inflection…that and this is the first time we’ve ever really seen him exhibit any real energy…too bad it was caused by cocaine.

  344. After one viewing, this episode is one of my favorites. It seems like just about everybody had a line or two that developed their character.

    I am fascinated with this show because explores its characters’ realistic weaknesses. It’s rare to see a show or movie these days that doesn’t have have some kind of an infallible Hero. I get bored of that kind of thing.

    Of course someone like Jim would get into a situation like that. He’s confident and friendly so everybody likes him, but it’s hard to be an organized leader and people are always ready to resent their boss. I thought that Jim’s many embarrassed looks at the camera were interesting and showed his insecurities.

  345. I have to say… this episode had so many levels.

    Ryan and Michael are obviously suffering from loneliness, in different ways.

    Dwight is a ladies man. He snagged Angela and he’s snagging ‘Amazons’.

    Jim is kind of a punkass when it comes to confrontations. Ryan… Toby… C’mon!

    Ryan’s life has been crumbling since he and Kelly broke up. Kelly kept him together. Go figure!

    Ryan’s drug dealer… totally a hobbit!

    Toby… I heart him and will miss him when he leaves for Costa Rica.

    And lastly… Ryan on drugs. It explains so much.

    All around a great episode. Take a bow, Mindy. Superb job!

  346. I personally felt slightly humiliated (but also entertained) by the show making fun of the office internet fans with 1. who’s a better couple? and 2. why do we need social networking on the website?

  347. This episode was … weird. I was very surprised by the lack of laugh out loud moments, even though the episode did have certain parts that were somewhat amusing. Dwight was the best part about the entire episode, what with him being the most popular guy of the night, talking to the “Hobbit,” getting everybody into the club etc, but the rest was very strange indeed. They probably needed this episode as a transition, but it didn’t really feel like The Office. And finally, Toby jumping over a fence and touching Pam’s knee? What on earth happened there?

  348. I loved seeing Dwight massage peanut butter into Michael’s scalp. That was funny! Does peanut butter actually help? Also, I loved Michael’s desperate attempt to get food at the nightclub – ordering a glass of olives and a glass of maraschino cherries from the cocktail waitress. I enjoyed this episode – I loved Ryan’s adoption of all the cool, aloof gestures, language and behavior of the young NYC finance/tech executive. It seems like he has a touch of the Eliot Spitzer ruthlessness about him, and like Spitzer, he’s going to crash and burn. It was fun to watch.

  349. Not my favorite episode, but it had some funny moments like Pam hitting Meredith with the football, and Toby’s quick escape from Jim after “copping a feel” of Pam’s knee. One peeve I had with the writing was trying to believe Hank didn’t notice all the cars in the parking lot before locking the gate. Eleven cars in the parking lot would have realistically raised a red flag. I wonder if Ryan will be the one to leave the show to check into rehab, like Andy and his anger management.

  350. What I wonder is, why couldn’t Bob Vance come and let them out? Dwight had a master key and a spare key, which he probably got from Michael, who is one of the five bosses in that building. Why didn’t Phyllis just call Bob Vance? If they’d give Michael a key, surely Bob Vance would have one too.

  351. Loved last night’s episode.

    What I love about The Office is that the characters are so realistic.

    Michael – lonely, desperate enough for love to talk to a girl who looked about 17, yet still choosy with women

    Jim – intelligent guy, but sometimes as boss you just make a wrong call, or you talk yourself into something dumb (the cleaning ladies are Mexican), or you forget something, and people quickly jump to the conclusion that you’re a moron

    Toby – lonely, desperately-in-love with girl in a relationship, takes the smallest thing as a sign that she likes him and makes a wrong move

    And that’s without getting into Ryan’s life falling apart as a big-time executive. I feel like I could write my dissertation on the main characters of the show, they’re that well-rounded.

  352. I finally feel like The Office is truly back after the strike. Loved all of it, especially that it was a Mindy Kaling!

  353. Dwight dumping out his drink and saying, “nice try!” was the highlight of the entire season.

    also…”If I’m dead…you’ve all been dead for weeks”

    hahahahha

    Best episode of season 4

  354. Coincidence? The day that Guillermo Del Toro is announced as directing the next “Hobbit” movie(s), Ryan parties with one…

    Ryan is a party boy and will probably overcome his dependence without the necessity of rehab.

  355. What’s next, is Toby going to kidnap Pam and make her his sex slave in Costa Rica? Hey, it wouldn’t surprise me, given what the writers have done to Jan. They seem to really enjoy making characters go off the deep end.

    There is a difference between quirky and insane, and this show has been getting and continues to get more and more insane. Me no likey.

  356. So apparently I’m an idiot and Michael was saying “It’s packed” to which Dwight replies “It’s a fire hazard.” My boss is having a laugh at my expense on that one! So much for watching the episode twice – apparently I needed to watch it three times to catch everything.

  358. Does anyone get the idea that they are trying to suggest that there was once something between Toby and Pam?
    I don’t like it!

    The episode was one of the best, I think. I think a lot of people forgot that The Office could be pretty dark sometimes- that’s what I like. Ryan’s drug addiction is a great addition to the show. I just hope he doesn’t OD.

  359. I forget who said this in an earlier post, but they had the theory that:
    Toby may have asked the security guard to lock them in, asked the guard for his home phone number so he could get credit for rescuing them, told him to come back to let them out REALLY slowly (to have more time to talk to Pam) and secretly hid a football behind the warehouse (or wherever it was) so that he could show Pam how to throw the football and flirt with her.
    It sounds very stretched, but after thinking about it for a little while, it would be hilarious if that is actually what happened!

  361. I just got the chance to rewatch the episode and I have to say the most impressive ‘happening’ in it was to see Dwight’s mad game. Who would have thought DWIGHT could pick up a hot ‘Amazon’ girl? The fact that she bought him a drink, made out with him, and then didn’t want him to leave, leading to Dwight’s Cool Guy-blow off was hilarious. I have to wonder if Angela will be jealous now that she has photographic evidence on her phone that he has moved on. Also, his quick thinking on pairing the girls up with each guy to get into the club was super slick. In other words…very un-Dwight-like.

  362. Bob Vance couldn’t have rescued them. He was at a weekend refrigeration seminar outside of the greater Wilkes-Barre area. I, of course, base this on absolutely nothing, but that’s how easy it is to rectify this supposed continuity error.

  364. What’s the actor’s name that played Troy? (hobbit guy) I KNOW I’ve seen him in something before!

  365. Rewatching the episode, it looked like the second club Ryan, Dwight, Michael, and the Hobbit go to is the same one where Ryan held his Launch Party. I enjoy that continuity.

  366. No, Ryan is definitely on Coke, that’s why he kept going to the bathroom.

  367. From this episode… Andy saying that he wanted to come clubbing… indicating that he and Angela are not working out, and that photo of Dwight making out with the blond girl….if you think about it, Angela and Dwight kept their relationship secret, while she is okay with having a “public” relationship with Andy (mostly to get back at Dwight). Might these events be enough to make Angela come to her senses and get back together with Dwight?

  368. Hey Jim isn’t the only one who doesn’t know the names of certain people or made assumptions that someone only speaks Spanish. Guily as charged over here. It’s not like he tried Spanglish or anything.

  369. I did not like this episode at all. The only part I enjoyed was Dwight’s snogging at the nightclub but other than that I thought this episode was all over the place. I did not like Jim at all, I thought Ryan having a drug problem was a little too “The OC” for me, and I thought the Toby/Pam storyline could have been handled in a better way…the hand on the knee scene took it way too far and was too unrealistic for me. After 2 great laugh out loud Office episodes this one definitely let me down. I understand that they may want a little drama in the show for plot’s sake…but with only 3 episodes to go let’s not lose ALL of the light-hearted comedy shall we.

  370. I have to say season four has strayed away from what made The Office a great TV show, subtle, clever office humor. More and more I find myself wanting to give up on the Office because it has strayed so much from what caught my attention in the first place. I want to see more of action in the DM office and more attention to all the characters! MORE EPISODES IN THE OFFICE PLEASE!!

  371. #295: “Why do you feel like Jim isn’t committing?”

    I’m not sure if he is or isn’t but it seems like he might be. Keep in mind that engagements/marriages mean instant sitcom death.

    On another note, the funny thing about a lot of these comments are the ones accusing Toby of being a “perv.” So, when Pam’s going out with Roy but Jim makes all these passes at her, including kissing her on Casino Night, it’s cute and endearing, but when Toby does the same thing it’s creepy? “Well, yeah, because we like Jim better.”

    Another interesting thing about this episode is that the one time Toby is tempted to run away there’s this big obstacle in the way. This episode was still awesome.

  372. # 368: The actor playing Troy is Noel Petok, he usually works behind the scenes but he had a bit part in “Benchwarmers”.

  373. Oh my gosh, the quarter and tinfoil bit, was really funny, i always investigate if i see a shiny object, only to find it was a shiny piece of trash..hahaha

    Dwight was extremely funny in this ep. the pouring out the drink and the “maybe his species has a higher tolerance” i laughed so hard

  374. Is it cocaine? The whole time I was watching it I was thinking Ecstasy…

  375. “People are reading too deeply into certain aspects of the episode. Jim and Pam and Toby. Contrasts between characters taking on aspects of other characters.” –#290

    I totally agree!! I’ve been reading all these comments and I’ve just been thinking, “whaaat? why is everyone overanalyzing all of this?!” Jim made a mistake. How can that be interpreted as him “turning into” anyone? And as for all his awkward stumbles afterwards, when trying to fix his first mistake…he obviously felt embarrassed and it just went downhill from there. So what! It was just another storyline.

    And just because Jim and Pam weren’t flirting and being cute for one episode doesn’t mean they’re growing apart or that anything deeper is going on.

    I didn’t think anything about NY felt forced. It’s Michael and Dwight clubbing in NYC. Of course it’s going to be straight-up weird. They’re totally out of their element.

    Bottom line-I just don’t think the writers had ANY of these strange parallels/ideas that are being drawn in their minds when writing this episode.

  376. I think this episode was really good and well-written, but you could tell a lot was edited. They obviously had more footage of the club and of Michael with ladies (lol), and probably some Dwight stuff too.I wish we could have seen more of the events that happened at the office though, i thought that was a really funny concept and totally real too!

  377. I though the episode was crazy. Not necessarily in a bad way, just really effing insane. Mostly because Ryan was on drugs.

    The situation that happened with Toby just reintroduced his crush on Pam – he must have felt entitled to putting his hand on her leg since he’s leaving for Costa Rica.

    I didn’t particularly think that Jim and Pam were having trouble in the episode. I just think that the writers thought it would be funny to have Jim’s plan backfire, and then have Jim unable to rescue everyone.

    I enjoyed Chair Model more, but still liked this episode.

  378. #349–I never got the feeling the writers were making fun of us here at OT. Maybe I’m just naive, but I don’t quite get the connection. Polls are a part of a lot of websites, and the social networking thing is also a popular trend. I don’t think they were taking a dig at OT. I think it was funny, actually, that Ryan has such delusions of grandeur that he imagines the DMI website as a place where cool people come to connect and hang out! :-)

  379. Dwight and his pepper spray would’ve come in handy when Toby groped Pam’s leg. Let’s hope Toby has a one-way ticket to Costa Rica. Overall, the NYC stuff was both funny and interesting. Dwight and coked-up Ryan were priceless. The Scranton after hours sub-plot was not funny and felt strange, forced and awkward. Mindy seems to have little love for JAM in general and Jim in particular.

  380. NB – Oh my gosh, great point about Bob Vance! Why COULDN’T he come let them out?

  382. I don’t know why, I have this feeling that the last three episodes are going to be miles better than the rest of the season. I just keep getting the feeling that we’re going to be given an instant classic with the season finale and make people like me say, “Oh great, you put on a brilliant episode at the end of the season and now I have to wait four months?”

  383. It actually makes sense that Creed would know the security guard’s name. No one really knows what he’s ever up to or planning, and it would be advantageous for him to know Hank on a first-name basis.

  384. Night Out wasn’t my favorite Mindy Kaling episode but it was better than Branch Wars, IMHO. I kind of enjoyed everyone harshing on Jim and Pam. It keeps it real. Charm will only get you so far and Jim learned the hard way. Jim wasn’t kidding when he said Pam was a klutz- she clocked poor Meredith good with that football. Toby disgusted me. The reactions and awkwardness were spot-on and I felt horrible for Pam. How awful to be groped like that- and by the company HR rep no less! Ugh. I hope Toby gets fired. Never thought an Office episode would have me feeling sorry for corporate wunderkind Ryan. He needs an intervention ASAP. Superstar of this episode: Dwight K. Schrute. He rocks.

  385. I think my favorite part was when Michael told Ryan he was going to take his clothes off.

  386. I love how when an episode has no JAM people come on here and hate on it. Anyway, this was easily my favorite episode since the strike

    “Yeah I have a question. How dare you.”

  387. I agree with stacey
    jam is still strong

    I thought this episode was funny as hell, not gonna lie. Especially dwight and his hobbit friend. lol!

  388. I think this episode showed if anything, that Michael is a real friend to Ryan beyond the mancrush. Even though Michael didn’t pick up on the obvious signs Ryan was on coke, he knew something was wrong and was there for him.

  389. It wasn’t because of JAM that I didn’t like this episode…sure there were no JAM moments but after season 3 I’ve gotten over having those moments each episode. The bigger problem for me was that Jim’s lines felt more like Michael’s (“African-American…maybe they speak Spanish…”)…those just felt out of character for me. Plus the fact that he thought he was full of good new ideas…I’m not a fan of cocky, stereotyping Jim Halpert. He’s normally quick on his feet (especially when it comes to getting Dwight) and so his complete bomb was just not believable.

  390. To everybody criticizing the fact that the security guard locked the gate:

    1. Dunder Mifflin employees are undoubtedly his biggest headache. (Who also didn’t tip last year)
    2. It was a Friday.
    3. It took him an hour to show up (I doubt somebody would commute 1 hour each way for his pay, meaning that he took his time.)

    Also, he could probably lay the blame on the tenant for not notifying him of the late hours if push came to shove. My guess is he probably reveled in sticking it to them.

  391. I didn’t like it. It seemed like I wasn’t watching the Office at all….especially with Bizarro World!Jim and all the contrivances with not finding anyone else to cut the lock or get them out somehow.

  392. Spot on, #378.

    Additionally, I understand people’s sentiment of wanting more episodes in the office… but it’s really not such a huge deal to me that they’re straying outside of that. Honestly, how many light-hearted office shenanigans can you make while still be interesting? While those moments also make the show great, I like that the writers are really delving into these characters and showing how they’re dealing with new, problematic situations (i.e- Jim having to actually take on a leadership role, Ryan’s debacle, the office’s perceived legitimacy of Jim & Pam).

  393. i know why they couldn’t call bob vance. the keys that pam is talking about (the ones dwight has both copies of) are the keys to the office, not the keys to the gate. bob would have keys to vance refrigeration. i am sure that hank is the only one with keys to the gate.

  394. also, how is ryan’s drug addiction more outrageous or too serious that the fact that meredith is a total alcoholic? having a young business school exec type getting into coke is just as realistic as having a woman in the office who drinks all day from a giant sippy cup!

  395. okay, me again. so i was just watching the deleted scenes from the fire (which, btw, i almost like more than the episode) and i have come to a conclusion about jim. if you compare jim in the fire or in office olympics versus jim in survivor man and night out, jim is a great leader when it comes to having fun. but when it comes to doing business, he is not. it’s pretty consistent. i think that the point here is not that jim is a jerk or becoming michael but that jim is just not cut out to manage a paper business. he should be doing something creative and fun. we are just seeing the start of jim’s path. and for the record, i don’t think he is leaving for any sort of spin off.

  396. I absolutely loved this episode.
    It had its Office-y outrageous moments (I thought the Dwight/Ryan/Michael plot was HI-larious) but I think it had a lot of serious overtones that will definitely come into play in the future.

    Case in point–Jim’s Michael-like behavior that many have complained about from his “African-American” remark to getting everyone locked in is reminiscent of Survivor Man with Jim/Michael’s talk about how he thought he’d leave in ten years and he’s still here (that’s very basic paraphrasing, can’t remember exact quotes). This is pure speculation but I think it could all hint to Jim possible leaving his job as this entire season has hinted towards his growing dissatisfaction with his job (Think SecondLife Jim vs. Scranton Jim). And if you think back to even the pilot with his “if this was my career, I’d throw myself in front of a train” comment–he definitely does not want/see his current job as a lifelong, fulfilling career. I think Pam has been one of the biggest reason for his staying at his job and now that he has her…

    Okay, I’ll stop with my overanalysis. Heh.

  397. I try to think about this show as if the characters are real people and I think about the story as a creation of the documentarians. When a documentary is cut together you can pretty much make your own truth. In the first three seasons it was obvious to follow the romance and tension between Jim and Pam and present them as totally likable characters who you could cheer on. Instant story.

    Now that they’re together and still main characters, to keep things interesting, they can now show some of their flaws.

  398. Bob Vance would have left his office while everyone in the Dunder Mifflin office was working. Simple as that. Not a loop hole. He wouldn’t have been there to let them out.

  399. Austin, I think people mean that the loophole was that Phyllis would have called Vance, who would have gone home already, to come and open the gate (she would have his number because they’re married).

    *Sigh( I hate not living in the States. I never actually get to see the new episodes… I get my fix pretty much just by reading the quotes and comments off this site.

  400. hahaha, just went back and watched Drug Testing from season 2! It was fun to watch after seeing Night Out. AND at the end, you can clearly hear Dwight call the security guard “Hank”.

  403. Guys, I think you’re over-thinking the parking lot lock-in. I don’t think the writers thought this out to the point where you’re going. I mean, would the security guard really have locked the gate with half the cars still in the parking lot without checking with the DM office?

  404. 396 – You took the words right out of my mouth! Their initial problem was trying to get back into the office to find Hank’s number and call him to unlock the gate. At this point, yes, Phyllis could have called B. Vance to bring a key for the office. However, Toby solved that problem by revealing that he already had Hank’s number in his cell phone.

  405. bob vance wouldn’t have keys to the gate! the keys that dwight had are to the office, NOT to the gate. bob vance would have keys to his office, NOT to the gate. there is no continuity error.

  406. I also wondered why Phyllis didn’t call Bob Vance, but then remembered that he wouldn’t have a key to the gate. But maybe as one of the business owners, he might have been able to get Hank the security guard to take less than an hour to come?

    Something that I was wondering, though – if Dwight has the key to the office, and the spare key – how did everyone get into the office that one time where Jim and Pam tricked him into thinking it was Friday, when it was actually Thursday, and then the next day, Dwight came in late to work?

  407. It’s funny how the “If I created a website with this many problems, I’d kill myself” line is displayed at the top of OT. XD

  408. I’m (positively) surprised that after 3 seasons, they still manage to write episodes that keep me nailed to the screen, both in terms of entertainment as well as character developments. Ryan on coke? Brilliant! Steve Carrel’s face after rejection, as usual, is priceless. He plays the loser-role better than anyone.

  409. so i was thinking about some past evidence that ryan would get into drugs:
    in drug testing when dwight asks him about going to a party on saturday and ryan says “i go to a lot of parties”. then the talking head where creed says some kid he used to sell weed to got promoted to corporate.
    little things here and there.

  410. Re: tuna tuna tuna

    Which episode did Creed have that talking head about selling drugs?

  411. i believe creed said that in the “summer vacations” talkings heads that the cast did just before season 4 started.

  413. At first I thought the Toby-Costa Rica bit was too random and not like Toby’s character at all, but I was just watching season 3, and in the Branch Closing episode, Toby says,
    “Well for a minute there, I saw myself selling my house, moving to Costa Rica, learning how to surf. But … Costa Rica will still be there. When I’m 65.”

    So I guess he really DID want to go to Costa Rica and the awkward moment with Pam (i.e. everyone knows that he likes her now) spurred him to actually move there. I bet he decided right on the spot. Poor Toby.

  414. I haven’t read all the comments, and this is my first post on any board, so sorry if this has already been covered, but did anyone else think this episode was a lot like a Greek tragedy? There may be more comparisons that I’m not thinking of, but off the top of my head . . . both mighty Jim and high and mighty Ryan “fell” because of a “tragic flaw” — hubris, excessive pride. Ryan’s is obvious, and Jim’s was exposed in his comment about the other employees working well the one time a year they hear a good idea. Ryan’s friend’s name was Troy, reminiscent of the Trojan horse story. He appeared harmless enough, but seems to have been carrying the agent of Ryan’s destruction, drugs. And I am not familiar with the show “The Wire,” but Michael mentions it, and apparently it is based on Greek tragedy or mythology. Dwight and his Amazons. There may be more, and once you are looking for something, even unintentional patterns can emerge, but I am just trying to remember 10th grade English here! Anyway, love the show — so glad it’s back!

  415. it is an excellent nuance that ryan is inhaling coca :) taxi vomit was good too. after the last 2 post-strike fiascos this is great kick-start for the show.

  416. During the conference room scene when Michael says “tdb” BJ breaks just a tiny bit but it is hilarious!

  417. I loved the cold open of this episode. This was my favorite of the new episodes actually.

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