Posted on by tanster

The Office: Sex Ed, 7.04

iTunes ‘Sex Ed’ Giveaway: October 14-15

Every comment is automatically entered in this week’s iTunes HD giveaway of ‘Sex Ed’! One qualified comment will be randomly selected to win.

Just make sure to follow these rules:

  • Post a comment about the episode “Sex Ed” by Friday, October 15, 11pm PT.
  • Include a valid email address in the Email field.
  • Grammar and spelling count!
  • One entry per person.
  • U.S. entrants only, please.
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121 comments

  5. I’ve actually been very happy with 3 of these episodes so far, and Counseling was ok. I thought it was very funny over all and I laughed out loud several times…much better than the lineup of the last 3 years.
    -Jan was hilarious, I loved how she called her daughter Assy.
    -Carol was just like S3 and I loved it
    -the Andy stuff reminded me of the Return in S3, LOLed most during that part.

    Several other lines I found very funny. That cold open was very weird. Overall the writing seemed much sharper than it has in some previous episodes.

  6. A good melancholy episode. Not a feel good one but it definitely made me feel something. Poor Michael. Poor Andy. :(

    Still I wonder did Michael have herpes? They left it unresolved.

  7. Serendipitous episode- I’m an RA and we were watching tonight as a staff, and we burst out screaming when Andy said he was an RA in college- we were all definitely feeling a little cooler to work in student services tonight!!!

  8. I just have to say this season has been amazing the writers are doing such a good job! With that being said i loved this episode! My favorite parts was Darryl telling Andy to man up, and then him just saying that’s what he tells everyone. Also the whole Oscar part at the end, so good! Dwight really shined this episode i must say. I loved every second of it!

  9. Best episode in a long time! Paul should write every episode because this was classic “the office.”

  10. Weirdest. Cold open. Ever.

    I am so disappointed they didn’t show that clip from Mindy’s last Craig Ferguson appearance, I was really looking forward to some Ryan/Kelly. Like, a lot. I am so bummed.

    Dwight was hilarious, and all this self reflection Michael has been doing lately is making me feel so pensive, they seem really determined to let him grow as a character a bit before Steve leaves, which is nice. Also, I’m pretty sure Andy hasn’t freaked out that much since S3. That was all kinds of awesome.

  11. This episode defintely belongs in my top 10. It was funny but very sad at the ending with Andy and Michael. But overall a solid 10 and my favorite of the episode yet!

  12. Upside: Jan looked great, was sane (if a bit musical), and was an awesome mom. How cute was Astrid?
    Downside: Michael downgrading their relationship the way he did. Holly was right, Michael was wrong. And how long do we have to hear him rhapsodize about a woman he knew for a couple months who chose a lame HR gig in Nashua over him and got engaged to someone else 5 minutes later? At least Jan can point to a clear mental breakdown. I call fail. And promo tease.
    Also upside: Great to see Carol!
    Also upside: Gay witch hunt callback!
    Also upside: “I am the princess. And the queen.” LOL!
    Unfortunately, the downside keeps me from rating this well at all. Boo.

  14. Loved tonight’s episode! This is the office I have missed and been waiting for. I think it was great to see all the reunions with the former girlfriends and the callbacks to Andy’s anger management problem and the kiss with Oscar. Classic Michael!

  16. Disappointing. I was really looking forward to this episode. The “Michael’s women” story seemed contrived, and not believable, even for Michael, to push Michael in a new direction for Steve’s last season. The B story was just not funny and seemed contrived as well. I know last week’s episode was self contained and I didn’t expect it to come up in this week’s episode, but Andy seemed to gain lots of confidence in Andy’s Play. This week he regressed to Anger Management guy from season 3 when he threw the pizzas against the wall. The cold open was flat.

    Loved the tag at the end recalling Gay Witch Hunt though!

  17. No, Michael. Today is about herpes. Did anyone else think that that was not Amy Ryan’s voice on the phone? It just did not sound like her to me. Overall, great episode. Ed Helms is amazing. The Office seems to push the envelope first using “boner” in sexual harassment and now describing a penis as “not even hard”. Great start to the season!

  19. A return to form for The Office, in my eyes. Haven’t been too impressed with the season so far, I’ve found it decent but I knew the show was capable of much more. These are my favorite kinds of episodes, just the right blend of comedy and heart.

  20. Best episode of the season. Michael’s message to Holly at the end of the episode came close to early Jim and Pam in its emotionality, but more importantly, this ep brought a lot of funny.

  22. i really liked this episode. A lot of little hilarious moments, and a ton of little sad moments too. Michael’s message to Holly at the end made me happy and sad at the same time, and everything with Andy was hilarious. i loved the throwback to Andy before the days of anger management, and Michael bringing up his kiss with Oscar again. Good, solid episode. i am very pleased.

  24. I agree Marie, this is The Office I have missed and am glad to see again! I laughed out loud several times, something I haven’t done in a while. Dwight and that guy speaking broken, redundant Spanish/English – “donde where are you from?” – so funny! And when Angela got up as soon as Meredith sat next to her and held her breath as she walked away – that was so funny to me!

  26. I really like the Andy/Daryl mix. And, how funny was Daryl’s TH after his advice to Andy. And, I like the Gabe talk with Andy. Loved his line about the hand. I was really hoping Holly would be in the doorway when Michael was leaving that last message.

  28. @Tiffany In PA

    Jan treated Michael horribly throughout their relationship and has remained a cold, self-absorbed person since. I don’t think Michael downplayed their relationship. I think he finally saw where he stood with her. She never loved him, or at the very least she never loved him enough to make their relationship work. Michael was not wrong. Holly is his soulmate.

  29. Great episode – great season so far. The last two scenes (the phone message and with Oscar) were perfection. Oh, and the scene with Darryl and Andy was fantastic…hmmm… Darryl for boss?

  31. I love the episode overall — very funny & classic Office!

    Really glad to see Jan back and sane! Hope to see David Wallace back (and NOT crazy or promoting “Suck-It”) this season too!

  32. Chris @21 and 29: So how is what Holly did not choosing a job over Michael? A soulmate would have gotten another gig and stayed. And furthermore, how much did Holly love Mike if she could do him the way she did? Engaged to another guy no less? Maybe if Jan had her breakdown with a Yoda voice and a smile it would have gone over better.

  34. Dwight is near (and quite possibly at) the top of this game this season. This episode immediately felt like a Top 25 to me!

  35. I also love how Jan called Astrid, Assie. This episode made me realize how much I’m going to miss Steve Carell.

  36. I loved this episode! It was great to see all the old lovers and it was a great plot with Michael! Meredith’s herpes and Andy’s Sex Ed talk was hilarious! I loved this episode! Pencil d***.

  37. This episode was fantastic! Seriously, that’s all that needs to be said about it. Fantastic!

  38. It’s good to see Michael and all his women (except for Donna and Holly who are talkin’ on the phone), but he really misses Holly so bad. Andy’s sex ed was all about making Gabe cranky about Erin, of course. Really nice.

  39. Better than last week for me. “Democratic primary” might have been the line of the night.

  40. I liked the episode. Michael’s call to Holly at the end was very sweet. The tag was *hilarious.* I have no idea why Jim’s character is suddenly non-existent.
    After the last 2 seasons (with the exception of episodes like Niagara), this season is wonderful. I think they owe it to Michael Scott to finish things off right :)

  41. Loved this one. It was great seeing Jan– I love how we got such a big glimpse of her life after Michael in a few small scenes. Doris Day cover album? Classic!

    Steve was hilarious in this. Crying Andy was great. I loved when Gabe quoted him. Just a good episode overall. This season has been so solid!

  42. Holly was indeed forced to move away, and I think that given the choice, she wouldn’t have. I honestly think she was just downplaying her relationship because she truly did care for Michael, the way she cares for AJ, and if she admitted that, she might find herself in love with two men at once. And wasn’t that Angela’s job?

    So great to see or hear all five of those great women. Such a great night of television!

  43. All I have to say is 4/4. Fantastic episode with so many great moments! How stinking adorable was “Assty”? This season is giving season 2 a run for the money.

  44. A Statement of Fact:

    This was a very funny episode.

    Everything worked well – from Andy’s sex ed meeting -“So then we’ll move unplanned pregnancy to the PROS column” – to Michael’s cold sore misadventures with Dwight – “You have to call Holly and tell her she’s crawling with herpes.”

    The writing was sharp. Nothing felt forced. It seemed as though each cast member had at least one funny line – Kevin, Andy, Creed, Kelly, Jim, Pam and (poor) Meredith rocked the conference room scene. Also Jan! and Oscar at the end!!

    I am impressed.

  46. Really liked the episode’s trip down memory lane, though not as laugh out loud hysterical as last week for me. It had some warm moments with Michael’s self reflection. Little Astrid was adorable. Great seeing Jan back to sanity. I know Holly is Michael’s soulmate, but I prefer the Michael/Jan dynamic for the comedic chemistry and I wasn’t disappointed. Great writing and acting from all!

  47. I believe it’s important to send Michael off on a high note, but his departure should be constructed within the framework the writers have developed for his character in the series thus far. Michael has shown flashes of empathy, loyalty, and business acumen (Broke). Some soul searching is expected and warranted this season. But I hope the writers don’t lose the essence of Michael by the end of S7 in an effort to “improve” him and supply him with apparently inevitable love and happiness by the end of the season. I’m not sure that would be true to the character and the show. It’s not how life works. My objection to tonight’s show is that it appears Michael may be heading in a direction that’s not Michael.

  50. I agree with the people who say that this felt like one of the ‘old’ episodes from one of the earlier seasons, it had that ‘classic Office’ style about it.

    I’m glad to see that they’re giving Darryl more lines, and seeing him as a sort of mediator character was pretty funny. I liked Angela’s little quirky moments, but Andy’s session was probably the highlight. The whole episode was entertaining, no complaints really.

    Based on ‘Sex Ed’ I hope that Paul Lieberstein writes and directs another episode soon, same with Mindy Kaling. The writing was witty and it was visually easy to follow… but I wonder what ever happened to that worker Dwight picked up at the beginning?!

    @Ranelle and @Anne I also noticed that Jim had far less screen time that normal. Maybe it’s something to do with the actor, scheduling conflicts of some sort are my best bet.

  51. Pretty good. It has occasionally occurred to me that Holly’s relationship with AJ is way longer than her relationship with Michael. I think they did seem like “soul mates” but it makes sense she’d find that debatable. A bit sad though.

    One hitch is I don’t think Astrid should be that old and I thought he proposed to Carol on the ninth date. (Four makes more sense though, at the time it seemed weird they’d have nine dates that fast)

  52. Amazing episode. I don’t understand all the Holly hate. She had the most chemistry with Michael and like Michael stated, not even she can deny that. I got a little emotion when she downgraded the relationship. I loved seeing insane Jan but I can’t wait for Holly to return. Don’t call it a comeback.

  53. This season is truly going great so far, really impressed. Only comment: needs MORE Jim!

    Sadly still no “that’s what she said” joke. Man, i miss those.

  54. @Tom #48

    What isn’t Michael? Michael’s character has gone through so much, and has shown so many different sides of himself. But there has always been one underlying theme: he has tried to find happiness. A complete character arc would be him finding this happiness. I’ve said it once, I’ll say it many more times..I wish this was the last season. Him finding happiness would be an excellent way to close out this series.

  57. Not to be obnoxious but does anyone remember right after Michael kissed Oscar in Gay Witch Hunt…THAT Dwight DID TOO!
    So that means Angela, Andy, Erin, Gabe, Kelly, Ryan, and Darryl would also have to be tested for the herptastics. No?
    …And in Diwali, Michael got pretty close to Pam’s lips when he tried to kiss her. Can the herps jump from lip to lip? Maybe Prof. (RA) Andy can let us know. If so, THAT MEANS Angela, Andy, Erin, Gabe, Kelly, Ryan, Darryl, Pam, Jim, Karen, Hot-Purse Girl, and Roy all have to be tested.
    It’s lucky for the office that Michael doesn’t really have herpes otherwise the whole staff might be infected.

  58. I’m really looking forward to the big character story lines this season. Obviously, Michael, but i really hope they do something good for Jim.

    I also agree this one had just the right mix of comedy and heart. Michael was very sincere and sweet in his final conversation, not forced at all. The Gay Witch Hunt callback was priceless. And i will always, always, love me some crazy awkward Michael/Jan interaction.

  60. @Rob I don’t think that’s a fair way to look at it in the context of soulmates or otherwise. Job security and security in general is a very hard thing to give up for any reason, and the fact that they had really just started dating made it easy to convince herself that he was making it more than it was. Michael gave Jan a chance (with a thing going with Holly, no less) even after she got impregnated artificially while they were together, and, rightfully so, felt that she screwed him out of what should be a huge part of his life.

  61. Wonderful, wonderful episode. Lots of closure for Michael. And it keeps the Holly spark still burning.

  62. I think this season has the vibes of seasons 2 and 3, which is awesome! Anyways, this episode was hilarious! Michael meeting with all of his previous ex-girlfriends was really funny.

  63. Andy did a really good job tonight I liked that he was being sincere and not obnoxious and the michael holly edge was amazing!

  65. I love that Astird has now become Assy. Jan is such a horrific disaster, so much fun to watch, (in small doses)!

    The tag had me laughing out loud, omg the gay sex location scenarios – give Paul Lieberstein a freaking Emmy, just for the tag alone!

  67. I’m glad i’m not the only one who thought that Holly sounded weird on the phone. Took me a minute to even realize that it was supposed to be her.

  68. “Leave a message after this tiny truck is done backing up!” Oh my goodness, I absolutely adore Holly’s & Michael’s knack for a lame joke. Even on telephone, Steve Carell & Amy Ryan’s chemistry is undeniable.

    Loved seeing/hearing Michael’s exes, although I have to admit that as the episode progressed, & I was checking off the women, I, like Michael glossed over Helene. *whoops, guilty*

    Last but not least, Assy! That poor kid will grow up to be Jan 2.0.

  69. amazing episode! “hole in a fence” and “democratic primary” had me cracking up. poor oscar! i hope he gets some kind of storyline this season with the warehouse guy.

  70. #21, 29 & 60 (Chris) – You’re talking about The Office as if it were the real world and not a scripted comedy. Besides what’s economics between soulmates? If they’d shown her even considering getting another job near Michael, maybe I’d understand this, but nope, she was off and packed for Nashua and then *engaged to another guy* in five minutes. That was the unwanked story. Michael is the only one in that relationship, all pathetic and desperate, and she’s in another state happily in a 1.5 year relationship. Holly spelled it all out again in no uncertain terms. Crazy as Jan was (and she *was* crazy), in her most sane and thoughtful moment, she was willing to ride the rails like a hobo to stick with Michael. Holly didn’t even open the classifieds.

    #49 (and others) – I miss Jim too!

    I also need to add that Andy was great. The Andy/Gabe scene was a highlight.

  72. I might be alone on this, but I absolutely hated the B-plot for this episode. To me, it was unclear what sort of message that Andy was trying to put across to Angela. I liked the Michael plot, but it also really stretched the believability for Michael and Dwight. The Office should inherently not need a large suspension of disbelief, which I believe this episode really jeopardizes. I find it hard to believe that Gabe would just sit there and let Andy do that demonstration. Toby took away Michael’s copies of the Kama Sutra, let alone pornographic style shots of people genitals.

  74. I told my wife that this was probably the best episode of The Office in three years. That’s no knock on the last three seasons, but goes to show how good this episode was. Not only did I laugh, I appreciated Michael’s character development. The answering machine scene almost reminded me of the scene in Forrest Gump where Forrest tells Jenny “I’m not a smart man, but I know what love is.” Excellent writing AND acting.

    10/10, hands down.

  76. I loved the episode but I was waiting for SOMEBODY to tell Michael that it wasn’t even an STD but just a ‘cold sore’. The closest that anybody came was Carol saying “Oh THAT’S what you’re talking about” and brushing it off. I don’t understand why they didn’t go for the–what I’m sure would be hilarious–payoff.

  77. Can I just say that I hate Gabe? Andy should’ve thrown that pizza in his face. I almost started crying for Michael at the end. Him and Holly are meant to be!

  78. Um…huh. Not my favorite episode ever. Which stinks, because I really wanted to like this one.

    Whoever did Holly’s voice on the phone did not remotely sound like Holly. I was distracted by how different the voice sounded that I actually couldn’t pay attention to their conversation.

    Astrid was cute, but way too old, I felt. She was born beginning of season 5, it’s season 7 now…how old could she possibly be? However, I did like the return of (somewhat) professional Jan.

    Andy subplot…not funny. It was awkward, but not good Office awkward. Just “What’s the point of this?” awkward. And do we really need a rehashing of anger-management Andy?

    At the end of the day, I just didn’t get the point of it all. It felt like a clip show without the clips. The Office doesn’t need to exhume finished story lines to make great episodes.

  79. @ Tyler (72)

    It’s definitely hard to believe that someone in Gabe’s position in real life would allow the distribution of such graphic images in the office, but Gabe’s character is pretty spineless and he’s different from Toby. This guy chose the cookie monster parody video of Kevin as an issue to take a stand on, and by the end of the episode he was impersonating cookie monster himself. He also allowed Pam to make up a new position for herself, calling her on it but then allowing her to continue as office administrator because he was reluctant to actually call her a liar. His failure to put a stop to Andy’s sex ed meeting seems typical of his character’s need for approval.

  80. It was great. I thought it was funny how Andy started talking about his days in college as an RA, because I was an RA in college too.

  81. I didn’t like this episode. I LOVED IT. I miss the Holly/ Michael dynamic and I’m so excited to see where the writers take their relationship going forward.

    The tag, with Michael insinuating he and Oscar had been lovers? The look on Oscar’s face? Done. Then the gay sex locations had me dying – at “fence with a hole in it” my husband legitimately fell off of our couch. Perfection, Mr. Lieberstein.

  82. Andy is my hero but what was even funnier was the conversation he had with Gabe. The whole hand thing was great.

  83. Maybe they aired a different episode in my time zone. I thought this entire episode was just plain awful.

  84. The phone message was magical. Nobody can play loneliness like Steve Carell. He is a good guy who happens to be bad with women. But, it was more than that. His whole life consists of everyone telling him that he is constantly wrong. Including in his relationships he is blamed for their demise. His message was not just him admiting that he still loves her, but it was a statement. It was him saying, “I’m always reminded of my mistakes, but no one not even you is going to take away the one thing that I know I did right in my life”, and that was loving Holly and what he gained from it. Michael is a remarkable man.

  85. I’m obviously in the minority but I didn’t like this one. Michael’s storyline was fine though it could have been funnier. The “B” plot was horrible. I saw how Andy was as Michael’s replacement and it was not good. I hope they don’t go that route. Please back off with Andy for a while.

  86. Umm. Wow. Probably one of the top 5 worst episodes of all-time. Didn’t laugh once, maybe smiled a few times. Andy was just way too over-the-top for me and the whole sex ed bit was just kind of lame.

    And I’m not an office hater either. It’s my favorite show on TV. Just a disappointment IMHO.

  87. “Whoever did Holly’s voice on the phone did not remotely sound like Holly.”

    I wondered about this, too. Went back and checked, and Amy Ryan didn’t appear in the credits, while Amy Pietz did. Love the idea of Andy as manager, but please don’t turn him into Michael 2.0. That sex ed seminar was something Michael would’ve done.

  88. Didn’t really like the cold open but loved the rest of the episode! It was great seeing all the women again (except Jan because I’ve always hated her, but Astrid is adorable!) I really really hope Holly is going to come back..her and Michael are perfect together.

  89. I love the episodes where Michael (misguided though he may be) has the intention to do something serious and mature. His interaction with Holly leads him to clearly want to understand his relationship history and do some actual soul searching which draws him to the conclusion that while he does tend to over-romanticize things, he didn’t do so with Holly. The humor comes from Michael being inept, not insane.

  90. I thought this episode was subtle hilarity. Wonder why Michael didn’t try to contact the concierge from “Business Trip”?

  91. @Anna (79) The point of the Andy subplot was because he was trying to find out if Gabe and Erin are sleeping together. When he didn’t get the answer he wanted, his old rage-aholic ways came back, hence the thrown pizza.

  92. I agree in that I’m not really feeling the Gabe character. Seems pretty out-of-place in that he’s redundant in his job title. He’s like a weird mishmash of Toby and Michael in regards to his job duties. Why is this position necessary?

  94. I’m not sure if I liked this one or not. I for sure didn’t enjoy the cold open. I also agree with the person who commented that they couldn’t believe no one told Michael it was just a cold sore! Odd…

  95. Okay, I’ve browsed the comments here for a long time, but this is my first post!

    This season, I found it odd how much people praised the first three eps. I attribute it to relief that the show has lightened up after season 6.

    I loved this ep, and then I come on here and people have mixed reviews! Perhaps any discussion of stds just makes people uncomfortable? This is the first ep of the season, where I’ve laughed out loud several times. The characterisation of Michael was great, and I watched in (amused) horror as Jan started singing her heart out. And Michael’s end speech to Holly was touching. I thought it sounded like her on the phone btw.

    Sure the cold open was bad, and Andy’s meltdown could have been handled more coherently, but I’m liking the idea of Andy as boss, and think he’s a strong contender since the writers love using him so much. Andy vs Gabe is interesting – Gabe definitely won’t run rings around Andy like Dwight did.

    Funniest line: “he had no arms or legs, he couldn’t hear, see or speak – this is how he led a nation.”

  96. I’m not entirely sure what to think yet about this episode. On the one hand, I think it had a lot of laughs; on the other, it felt *slightly* forced. But then, that’s just my take on it. I kind of felt as though the whole throwing-pizza-at-the-wall Andy was unnecessary. Sure, it was great to see a throwback to his anger management days, but coming off the heels of “Andy’s Play” it just didn’t sit right with me. I also didn’t feel much for the return of Michael’s women, either. However, Dwight was absolutely hilarious in this episode, as was Michael. The rest just felt flat – but with that said, I still found much of it to be funny and an improvement over past seasons.

  97. I was soooooo hyped for this episode. Last week was in my bottom ten of all time, so I was even more excited to see everyone back to form. Unfortunately it didn’t happen :(

    It was quite sad to watch Michael do his “post mortems”, on the whole the episode was a bit of a downer. I really hope we get back to the writing that kicked off the season as something is missing at the moment :/

  98. 94:

    Meredith told him it was just a cold sore, but the word “herpes” freaked him out.

  99. Ok… I gave it a 4. Don’t hate on me! I swear I’m a loyal fan from the very beginning, but I didn’t think Michael’s story line went as deep as it could have. TWSS I really enjoyed his story line, but thought it got over-shadowed with Andy’s, which I thought was kind of lame. I did, however, like a lot of the one liners that weren’t main dialogue. There was some funny stuff being said and I think several of them were breaking in the conference room scene when Andy got the pencil and Jim made that face. It looked like John was trying to hold it in, and Craig and Jenna, too.

    I liked the cold open. Hilarious…

  100. MICHAEL AND HOLLY!!! Ugh–oh my goodness it kills me. It’s like Jim and Pam all over again. Except less heart-breaking. But still.
    Annnd I sure as heck hope they end the show after ‘Michael leaves’. How dare they replace Steve Carell….

  101. #87 Kyle
    Amy Ryan is credited at the start of the show along with Melora Hardin, the other guest starts are credited at the end.
    and i also think that Astrid was way too old…she seemed like she was 5 years old but she should only be like 3 at the most. love the nickname, Assy.

  102. I agree with those who want more Jim.

    And please give Andy something else to do besides trying to win Erin back. Andy’s fallen in love too quickly too many times for me to believe he’s really in love with Erin, or for me to root for their relationship. (Andy tried to date Pam, asked Angela to marry him way too early, and remember Stanley’s customer who he also he was instantly in love with?) I’m just really done with Andy & Erin.

  103. Hey everybody,

    I chatted with a producer from The Office this afternoon, who confirms that yes, that was indeed Amy Ryan’s voice on the telephone!

    I can tell you firsthand from visiting the set, every phone call is always the real deal with the real characters/actors. :)

  104. Season 7 is off to a great start, which is a relief considering how lackluster I felt season 6 largely was. I know some feel that the relief is just due to lesser seriousness, but it isn’t. For the first time since season 4 and the Michael Scott Paper saga of season 5, I’m seeing cohesive episodes- but more importantly- they’re funny and I’m getting a clear picture of the direction the season is moving in. It seems that they have an organized agenda vs. a boatload of random “stuff” (ex: the unused Ryan/Dwight storyline to bring down Jim last year).

    All that said and to end my ramble… I felt this episode was hilarious. Nepotism was a fine premiere, Counseling was good, and Andy’s Play was unique. Not gut-bustingly funny, but a fun watch. This episode, Sex Ed, had it all. It would fit right in there with a season 3 episode. The only other time I said that in the past year and a half was The Delivery.

  105. hi from the uk here. been following this site for a few years, lurking around, first time posting!

    despite the change of pace in this episode or maybe because of it, i rarely laughed and was massively disappointed. this was probably the first episode where i didn’t really care what happened to michael or any of the cast. it felt completely lacking in heart.

    some of the lines were good sure, but you need the tension to make any of it worthwhile. rehashing michael’s old relationships was uninteresting and a bit desperate, not to mention the cold open and andy.

    it just all feels tired and any emotion is transparently manufactured to the point where it’s hard to care. last season did have some fantastic eps and laughs, so hopefully they’ll rein in the quality and rely on a nice mix of subtle and classic michael+dwight antics :)

  106. There was a lot of build-up for this episode but I was kind of disappointed. The whole “Sex-Ed” thing was way over the top and like several others have commented, I am hoping that the focus will move from Andy to some of the other characters. I also thought it was weird when Jan called her daughter “Assy.” What kind of a nickname is that for a child? I did enjoy her singing though.

  107. Was I the only one that recognized the guy in the cold open as ‘Kenny Strasser’ the guy who pretended to be a yoyo master and pranked several morning TV shows throughout the Midwest?

    Link

  108. “Holly didn’t even open the classifieds.”

    Actually I think they did say in “Employee Transfer” that they talked about getting jobs in the other’s towns. Scranton is presumably better than it was when my Aunt visited there, but in Fall of 2008 I don’t think it was exactly crawling with decent jobs. Still sometimes I did get the sense the relationship meant more to him or at least that she assumed it being so short it shouldn’t be that important.

  109. It was great seeing Michael’s ex lovers again; crazy Jan singing to adorable little Assy, Carol and Helene.

    I did however not like how Holly blew Michael off. I want her and Michael to get together so that he could finally start the family he always wanted. Holly is Michael’s Pam to Jim. They are soulmates, no matter how long she’s been dating A.J.

  110. Man, this episode is getting a lot of mixed reviews. I thought it was really funny, and i loved Dwight in this episode.
    What did you think Tanster?

    [from tanster: i love it when dwight tries to help michael with a task. it reminded me of when dwight and michael hung out waiting at david wallace’s house trying to save the branch. clueless but with good intentions. :) ]

  111. I really enjoyed this episode. I love that Andy is being showcased more. I really think he might be the new boss (or wishful thinking on my part). That sex ed meeting was very Michael like! lol

    Solid ep, but my favorite is still Andy’s Play.

  112. Ya i totally agree with you Tanster. This was a great episode!I love When Dwight helps Michael!

  113. I loved the “No, I’m the princess. And the queen.” quote! It reminded me of Michael’s “Ryan is book smart. I’m street smart. And book smart.” (The Fire). Great episode! Andy is awesome.

  114. Just loved this episode, everything about it. Head and shoulders above almost every episode last season and I even have it as a top 10 on my list. This is shaping up to be a great season, can’t wait for more!

  115. Beautiful thing seeing the princess queen again. Hope she and Mike take another run at it now that she’s got her head back in the game. Seems like they’re working overtime to downgrade them though.

  116. I guess it was a pretty good episode but I´m also getting kind of tired of having Andy and Andy/Erin force fed on us. Do they really have to pair off every single character on the show? Jim and Pam were a hit, I like Kelly and Ryan, and I´ll even buy Dwight and Angela, but that´s about it. Looking forward to more screen time from Jim, Ryan, and Creed! always more Creed.

  118. Worst cold open ever. The rest of the episode wasn’t that great either. The only redeeming part was Michael’s voicemail to Holly at the end. I loved the first 3 episodes but this was a major downer for me.

  119. LOVED IT! I think Kelly had the best line of the show. “Like Jim and Pam, whaaaaaaaaaaaat?”

    Hahahahahaha!!

    Daryl’s retort was great too, “I’m sure they don’t regret having that child, let’s move along….”

  120. @118 – OMG, that would be a show unto itself! Mind-bending and hilarious and awesome.

  121. @Tobeter Surprisingly, I think you and I were the only ones to notice K-Strass making an appearance on The Office! This has been extremely under-reported, which is understandable because it’s hard to recognize him without his yo-yo. I did a bit of research, and according to his Twitter page, “Nate” will be appearing again soon: link

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