I am not a violent person, peeps. But when super-spy Sydney Bristow was still hunting bad guys each week on “Alias,” I secretly hoped for a chance to kick someone’s ass in a red wig and high heels, too. Say what you will about my violent tendencies back then, but I blame J.J. Abrams.
He directed this week’s episode of “The Office” and, as a result, cranked up the action meter on our friends in Scranton.
Jan and Michael take their top secret romance public at their CFO’s cocktail party. Some may think Jan’s exhibiting the obvious beginnings of a nervous breakdown. Michael shares gory details of their Jamaican vacation (who knew Jan could limbo!), while sidekick Dwight’s party conversations are equally appalling (“You know that line on the top of the shrimp? That’s feces”).
Instead of “collapsing into herself like a dying star,” Jan collapses into a bathroom, begging Michael to slam her against the wall. When he refuses (because there is no place to cuddle), Jan learns a hard lesson — no means please don’t.
These two remind me of the Elizabeth Perkins and Tom Hanks characters in ‘Big’ — Jan is an adult who wants rough sex in dark corners, and Michael’s a little boy longing for ketchup fights and to giggle like schoolgirls. But I think they honestly recognize something fragile and damaged in each other. They are wrong on so many levels, and yet I find myself rooting for them. As Dwight says, they’re great together.
At the party, Karen tells Jim she’s basically dated every guy there. Before JAM fans can yell “Karen Fillipelli is a slut,” she tells Jim it was all a prank. He laughs, but I wonder if Karen noticed his lack of jealousy when he thought it was true.
Meanwhile, Pam “Don’t You Dare Call Her Pammy” Beesly has decided to be more honest about what she wants. She insists Roy “do boyfriend things” by coming to happy hour with her and her co-workers. All goes well until Pam drops one honesty bomb too many. She confesses to Roy that she kissed Jim on Casino Night and may have had feelings for him. Oops.
I must align myself with those who saw The Rage of Roy a-coming. The guy got a DUI after Pam dumped him. We’ve seen him act aggressive with Pam last season and with Jim in season one. David Denman does an awesome job of showing what a few beers and a confession like this does to Roy and I believed it. And from Pam’s reaction, they’ve been there before.
Kenny joining in was also telling. Those two quickly slipped into a routine that probably dates back to high school. Pam’s quiet reaction to this is heartbreaking and I question her real motives for telling Roy about Jim.
In classic J.J. Abrams form, we end on a major cliffhanger. Roy’s ominous “I’m going to kill Jim Halpert” sent chills down the spines of Office fans everywhere.
Will Pam warn Jim of impending danger before it’s too late?! Will Creed’s fake ID business reveal he’s really a CIA operative who can give Jim a new identity in Des Moines?!
Before you fear for Jim too much, remember that this is a sitcom. Though catching a few “Alias” reruns might not be a complete waste of his time.
“The Office” supposedly goes on a six-week hiatus before we learn Jim’s fate. I give it until week three before fans are echoing Jan’s painful question … “Why is this so hard?”
But that’s what she said … not me.
6 weeks!?! That long!?
Awesome review Wendy! The 6 weeks are going to be hard on everyone!
Aha, awesome, but I noticed you didnt mention Toby and Pam.
ugh 6 weeks :( i thought 3 at the most….. blah
Oh Wendy…so worth the wait! Awesome recap once again.
“Will Creed’s fake ID business reveal he’s really a CIA operative who can give Jim a new identity in Des Moines?! ” Still laughing at this!
SIX WEEKS!?!?!!? Noooo
Great review! very clever last line ;)
and i will echo the other comments by saying,
“6 WEEKS!!!! ARGGGHHHHHHHHHH!”
“Why is this so hard?”
That was the best line of the episode.
six weeks = TERRIBLE.
Haha
First of all, I love Wendy’s reviews totally.
Second of all, I thought it was a 4 week hiatus…so 6 is really painful to hear :[
I don’t know how i’m going to make it
is it really 6 weeks??? i thought it was 3…
Is everyone sure it’s 6 weeks? I still haven’t seen an article that says that.
Six weeks, as far as I know, hasn’t been confirmed, but I think people are deducing the timeline based on some other comments (like the showing running non-stop after it picks up from this break). Also, we know more or less when the finale will be, so six weeks seems to make sense. I’m so depressed. I wish it weren’t so.
Wendy, that was an awesome recap!! Well done, you are too modest! Love the suspense you added at the end. Jan’s line was the best line of the episode and her “Oh my God” after she said it. Classic! HAHA! I also loved Dwight popping up from the back seat “Don’t break up you guys”. Awesome episode and awesome recap! :) But six weeks?!?! What will we do?
Regarding Michael and Jan :”But I think they honestly recognize something fragile and damaged in each other. They are wrong on so many levels, and yet I find myself rooting for them. As Dwight says, they’re great together.”
YES! I love the dynamic of this relationship, and this episode was so intriguing to me. I think Melora deserves an Emmy nomination just based on the scene in the car after the party.
Your recap was great! Loved it!
Wendy,
Thanks for such a great recap!
Wow, excellent explanation of the Michael/Jan relationship. It’s completely something out of the movie Big.
what does JAM mean? jan and michael?
A break of at least four weeks makes sense. We know the next two weeks are repeats. The two Thursdays after that are nights the NCAA men’s basketball tournament will be on CBS, so it’s doubtful NBC would put a new show up against that.
for john, i dont want to sound like a jerk, but where have you been? JAM is jim+pam…sort of like brangelina, or frangelina, whichever you prefer….
oh wendy, great recap, but i did think i saw somewhere that the next new episode would be on the 15…not sure, but i think i saw it…..
thanks, just found this site lol
Awesome recap Wendy! I loved Jan’s “collapsing into herself like a dying star” line.
I also loved Dwight this episode. I jumped out of my chair when I saw him in that rocking chair! Hilarious stuff.
:)
GREAT review Wendy!
“These two remind me of the Elizabeth Perkins and Tom Hanks characters in ‘Big’”
This is the perfect way to describe them. Michael is a little boy, and it is sometimes the only reason I don’t hate him. (like when he tried to kiss Pam in Diwali) His line of, “Why are we going in the bathroom? I thought this is where you liked your privacy,” was so telling. I just picture Michael trying to follow her into the bathroom like a child or dog at home.
I saw Roy’s rage coming too. I don’t think he has ever hit Pam but I also don’t think it was the first time she has seen him like that. I’m glad “Don’t Call me Pammy” is going to be asking for what she wants now.
I just hope she calls Jim and warns him an ass-kicking is something Roy wants to do.
According to thefutoncritic.com it’s only two weeks of reruns and then we get back to new episodes the week after. So I don’t know why everyone is saying 6-weeks. thefutoncritic has always been reliable in the past, at least.
Dead on with the recap, Wendy!
I really believe Pam was more than familiar with Roy’s rage, which is why I think she told him. It was her litmus test as to whether he really was New Roy, or just Old Roy with facial hair and toned abs.
And his behaviour completely explains Pam’s natures since Season 1. If she was living with a man who goes off like that, it would explain her nature of submission , poor self-image, and timidity. I know this is a comedy, but the writers know these characters and I’m sure they have complete backstories to explain personalities, etc.
Another reason I’m always happy to give Pam the benefit of the doubt. Now she just has to turn that honesty onto Jim.
Great job, Wendy!!
As always, thank you everyone for the incredible comments. I am always blown away by the support of us Office fans. We truly are the best fans there are! Thanks again for the kind words on the review. They are fun to do and I’m glad you’re reading them! Happy Oscar Sunday! :-)
Truly spot-on in detailing the Michael and Jan relationship….nice. I think Pam went “all-the-way-honest” with Roy because of his ‘I can read you like a book’-type comment during the bar game. Pam looked both hurt and mad at the same time.
What I think would be incredibly awesome:
Roy going after Jim and trying to fight him and Pam coming in between them and telling Roy not to hurt him because she loves him and she kissed him back. And the whole time, Karen standng there watching.
Haha that would be amazing!!=D
Wendy! Awesome awesome review.
“Say what you will about my violent tendencies back then” – holy mother of god, I’m now more afraid of you than ever :) Not that the violent tendencies are exactly a suprise or anything, but, they are now out in the open. Hmm.
Your analysis of Kenny and Roy’s behavior in the bar was right on. Sadly, I know too many guys that would do that :(
Loved loved Creed’s fake ID business. How Dawesome is that?
“In classic J.J. Abrams form, we end on a major cliffhanger. Roy’s ominous “I’m going to kill Jim Halpert” sent chills down the spines of Office fans everywhere.” I could not have said that any better myself. You know, as chilling as that is. Those words were the best word’s I’ve heard in this show since “I’m in love with you” – something big is going to happen very soon (that’s what she said)
Dawesome review!
Great recap, Wendy!!
Do we really have to wait 6 weeks? I don’t think I can wait that long to learn Jim’s fate!
Jim and Karen are too much alike! It hitme in this ep. Her prank was very Jim-like. I agree it didn’t make him jealous at all. It actually made her less appealing to him. In the end these two should have stayed friends. There was a bit of chemistry early on, but somehow that prank made Karen like “one of the guys”
On Jan and Michael, I liked how Jan tried to make up for michael embarrasing her by attmpting to replace it with physical connection in the bathroom. Clearly she doesn’t really see that nothing she can do will make her less embarrassed to be with him in public.
Another great episode. And what a cliffhanger!
Honest Pam was great to see, but I think she might revert to her old self after Roy went nuts. Agree with everyone that Melora did an amazing job. Also agree that Jim will be offered some sort of corporate job.
Dwight popping up in unexpected places was a great running gag. And Creed gets the biggest laugh from me for the second week in a row, after his great non-reaction to the bat last week.
SIX WEEKS?!?!? NOOOOOO!
Wendy,
Once again, awesome recap! The next six weeks are going to kill me!
Yeah I think #25 might be right, I don’t think it’s 6 weeks.
On epguides it also says the next episode will air March 15.
That’d only be 3 weeks since the last episode.
JimPamFan, I’m with you on Andy. The character served a good purpose, and was hilarious, but was 2-dimensional (manipulative anti-Dwight) and ran his course. I can’t see how Andy fits in with Scranton now.
*Really* hope we don’t have to actually wait 6 weeks. That would be nuts.
I agree with just about everything JimPamFan said. Andy will need to be heavily developed if he’s to come back.
Two things I don’t like: all the loose ends and the now fully soap-opera nature of the show.
Jim is the #2 – we see none of that.
They work in an office – we see almost none of that anymore.
I thought Cocktails was one of the best episodes ever, but I’m concerned for the future. All this character stuff is great, but it’ll fizzle real quick if they don’t get them back in the office playing pranks and going to stupid meetings.