The Office: Season 5, Episodes 17, 19, 20, 21

The Office
Season 5, Episode 17: “Golden Ticket”
Grade: 7.8

This was a pretty awkward episode of “The Office” as we see Michael actually be a huge jerk and not redeem himself by the end of the episode. I like that they finally did this as I cannot remember the last time this has happened when he has not had any sort of redeeming moment by the end. I loved the crisis that Dunder Mifflin goes through as a result of Michael’s marketing scheme goes awry. This was a huge deal; Wallace was freaking out as well. Michael wants Dwight to take the fall which is ridiculous because that would mean him losing his job. Michael tries to convince Dwight that taking the blame would be the best things for him and he sucks up to him and takes him out for a walk and other such things. It’s quite cruel. But Michael gets his comeuppance when the marketing scheme ends up being a great thing for Dunder Mifflin and then Dwight actually does take the credit for it while Michael becomes jealous for someone else taking the credit for his ideas. I really enjoyed the twist for this episode with Michael’s plan backfiring and Dwight taking the credit; we kind of saw it coming but it was still great to see play out. It was also great to see Michael lose his cool like that and Wallace’s face and reaction were perfect.

The subplot was pretty boring. Although I love that they brought back Lynn and Kevin. Them I love but the plot was a little redundant.

Dwight explaining his inspiration for his idea that was not in fact his was my favorite part of the episode: "Okay guys, listen up. Here's the deal: I love candy; sweet, sugary candy from the second it touches my tongue, to the moment it's metabolized by my stomach acids, so naturally I liked Willy Wonka."

Moments/Quotes:-
Michael: Hey! Hey idiot!
Darryl: Start over.
Michael: Sir...

- Michael: "I do want the credit...without any of the blame."

-Jim: "This meeeting sounds like its Wonka fans only."

- Michael: "I have an idea for a fancy men's show store called 'Shoe La La'".

- Dwight: "Horse boat! A canoe built around your horse so that you can go from riding to water travel without slowing down. Horse Boat!"

Season 5, Episode 19: “Two Weeks”
Grade: 8.1
This episode continues a streak of really interesting and good episodes that The Office has begun in late Season 5 as Michael sits in his office and does nothing during his two weeks’ notice, Jim continues to look like a fool in front of Charles and other such stuff. Michael decides he wants to build his own paper company and because of this it gets him kicked off of the lot. Something I loved about this episode was the way we see that the coworkers, while they find Michael extremely annoying, would rather have him for a boss than an actual boss. We can tell they already miss the idea of him being there.

Moments/Quotes:

- Everyone being really enthusiastic about Michael’s quitting story
- Addressing how difficult it would be to start a paper company at this time.
- Michael getting kicked out of the office
- Michael crawling back into the office and particularly when Charles sees Phyllis’ in her chair moving from his window because Michael is pulling on her chair from the ground.
- Kelly and Angela competing over Charles

The end of the episode was what I really loved. I am not a Pam fan but I have always loved her interaction with Michael. So to know that she is the one who left with him and quit is extremely satisfying, it makes me like Pam a lot more because now she has a something else to do not involving Jim. I do not know how realistic it was that she actually quit but I really liked the way they tied her experience with the copier into causing her to actually quit. The very end of the episode was exactly like “The Graduate” when Ben and Elaine come back to reality following the actions they take at the very end and have a “what the hell did I just do” look on their faces.

Season 5, Episode 20: “Dream Team”
Grade: 8.5
Continuing on this great streak of episode we have Pam and Michael attempting to start up their business and Jim looking like a fool again in front of Charles. I love what they do with the story in the office. Andy pretending to like soccer to get on Charles’ good side was so funny because it actually worked. Then everyone pretending to like soccer in that short scene was hilarious with Stanley literally reading off of a piece of paper who he liked. Then Dwight turning the tables on Jim to make him feel like an idiot in front of Charles was still really refreshing to see. Poor Jim. It’s very satisfying to see this as painful as it is for Jim. Michael not being able to convince his Nana to invest in his company was pathetic. I seriously hate Ryan though. Seriously hate him. He is such an asshole and as we will see from the next episode he has no limit to how annoying he can be. The thing though that is so brilliant about Ryan is that he is so frustrating because there are so many people like him. I do not know if I have ever seen a more accurate and/or slimy representation of the type of person Ryan is and I love the way they are shining a light that Ryan’s exist out there; lots of them. Again the last scene with Michael and Pam is what made the episode for me. The way Pam explained her reasons for quitting rang true and Michael’s reaction to her crying and the fact that he knows that he works best when people do not believe in him (which is often) was very touching. Also the very very last scene with Michael and Pam putting up their name on the directory because they have an office in the Dunder Mifflin building was subtle and sweet.

Moments/Quotes:

- The opening with Kevin attempting to transfer a call.
- Dwight: Oh no! The new boss does not find Jim adorable!
- Michael getting eggs spilt all over him.
- Ryan being called shoe-bitch.
- Phyllis getting hit with the soccer ball.

Season 5, Episode 21: “The Michael Scott Paper Company”
Grade: 8.2
Not quite good as “Dream Team” but still a really great episode of the show.

I loved the beginning of this episode with the credits and how they made it about The Michael Scott Paper Company. Classic. It reminded me of a couple of concept credit things they have done with Buffy before.

I cannot explain how badly I want the Michael Scott Paper Company to succeed. There were many highlights for me despite the episode feeling like it dragged a bit (although I think they wanted that feeling in that Michael, Pam and Ryan had such a torturous first day in that awful office). My favorite scene though did not come with Michael, Pam and Ryan but with Dwight and Andy with their competing interpretations’ of John Denver’s “Country Roads”. I was cracking up during that scene. I like that Andy and Dwight are now friends (at least for now) because even though they have always been enemies it seems that they would make such a good pair up. They are both equally ridiculous and oblivious in their own ways. They each live in their own universe. The new receptionist being impressed with Andy’s singing talent (if you can call it that) is the specific moment that would be my favorite of the episode. I thought that this particular Plot B was entertaining.

Kelly’s “you wanted me” scheme is as Jim said not the worst plan ever but it’s still pathetic which means it’s funny for us.

I loved that Pam refused to make the copy. There is no reason she should have to go back to being a receptionist and Ryan’s attitudes towards Pam in that copying should be her job were ridiculous and sexist and I hate him.

Basically I hate Ryan. It’s not even really I love to hate him. I actually just hate him. He has always been entertaining to me with his ridiculousness and I find that his transformation as a character is the most intriguing and extreme but ugh. The way he treated Pam in this episode was horrifying. Such a dickwad. I love the way Pam handled it though which was basically not to take any of his shit and to be almost as childish as he was being. Go Pam. I never thought I’d say that. I felt bad when she went back to ask for her job. How humiliating. My favorite moment of this portion of the episode was Michael complaining on the phone to his mother about Pam and Ryan and how annoying they were being. “I have to go Mom. P’s being a B”.

The thing I did not like about the episode was the rundown Plot C with Jim. I felt that they could have come up with something else to continue the Jim-Charles conflict that did not have to be that. Mainly this is because I fail to understand why Jim could not have simply looked up what a rundown was on the internet.

I loved the Wayne Gretsky quote with Michael’s name underneath, giving him credit for even putting the quote up there.

I also really liked the glimmer of hope at the end with the MSPC making their first sale.

Quotes/Moments:
-Poor Stanley can’t do his crosswords anymore.
- Toby: "Hey have you been watching Damages this year? Its so good."