I didn't see all of it, but I caught the last ten or so minutes, so:
- oh no, not more "Jim is Michael" stuff
- when Jim spoke Spanish, my heart went "SQUEEEE!!!" a shameful amount
- Pam can't throw a football
- OMG TOBY?!?! (He gives me the wiggins now........)
- OMG RYAN?!?!
- Woohoo "Diversity Day" callback
- Oh, Michael.
ETA after a rewatch/seeing the first fifteen minutes: I don't like it nearly as much as "Dinner Party" and "Chair Model." I think the episode was, like, punishing us for the amazing-ness of "Chair Model" (and hopefully, for what's to come ;) ). It was just so weird, like if I had a really intense fever and started hallucinating about The Office, this would be the result. Or, perhaps more accurately... it is one of Ryan's coke-addled dreams.
Okay, Jim didn't speak Spanish (I thought he said "aqui es," but he said "lucky us"), my bad.
When I caught it the first time around, I missed the part where Ryan's hands were shaking, he kept going to the bathroom, etc., so I thought he was just extremely drunk and not high on cocaine. When he was dancing around and breaking bottles, it came off as what a stupid overconfident drunk would do, and it was hysterical. Rewatching it, I feel really bad about thinking it was so funny... but BJ Novak's wonderful performance of a guy who has a pathetic life and is in so far over his head and doesn't know how to get out made me actually feel terrible for Ryan, after having hated him all season.
Everyone at the office's sudden "let's talk about everything Jim has ever done wrong in his life" talk came off as petty and annoying. I wasn't like "oh look, Jim is falliable!" I was like, "wow, these guys are obnoxious..."
Speaking of Jim's plan, is it wrong that I kind of think Toby orchestrated screwing it up? Oh, look, Toby just so happens to have the front desk guard's number. Oh, look, Toby just so happens to have this random football he found. Maybe Toby ran into the security guards as they were going to lock up, and they asked him if they should lock up even though there were cars in the lot, and Toby said yes. I'm definitely reading too much into it, but he just gives me the wiggins now. Though his line delivery of "why?" after they take his robe from him in "A Benihana Christmas" is still perhaps my all-time favorite line delivery on this show, so yeah.
I actually liked Jim and Pam in this episode. There was that "Diversity Day" callback, and then the fact that they stood by each other when everyone else turned on them, when Toby caused mad awkwardness, etc. And I loved the look on Jim's face after Toby caressed Pam's knee. It's like, he was obviously horrified and grossed out, but Jim's a nice guy and, more importantly - he's been there.
I really hope what happens isn't this: Ryan is fired. Jim, who's been talking to and impresssing David Wallace this entire time, gets the job in his place. That job turns everyone that has it insane/into a cokehead, apparently.
When Andy said that Angela was more chain than ball, he had this line delivery and head movement thing where he TURNED INTO Todd Packer. Where is Todd Packer? Having him in every episode would be horrendous, but we haven't seen him in at least a season and a half!
[ETA: Oh yeah, Todd showed up in "Ben Franklin" for like 2 minutes didn't he. Oh well. Like, a season.]
I think I'll like this episode better when all the "OMG WHAT????" issues get resolved. One thing I gotta say (that isn't necessarily good or bad) is that the strike really made every episode step up its game in terms of plot and character development. I feel like after every episode, I need to catch my breath. For all the Season 2 love (which is totally deserved, don't get me wrong), there were a ton of episodes that were, plot-wise, just kind of filler.
Best parts: Toby jumping the fence, "I am going to go get laid!" "With sex!", and "And then an older gentleman asks you, boxers or briefs?"
