S07E16 What a sweet little episode of The Office. Of course, considering how close we draw towards Michael Scott departing and how fixated he’s been on Holly, a Valentine’s Day episode was a given. But they managed to make it sweet without really giving into any of the sap or shit usually associated with the holiday.
And to think it started off with one of the most awkward cold openings of the show. The Office has done a fantastic job of mining the cringe-worthy moments of office life and they pulled out another classic. Pam delivers a condolence card signed by everyone to Daryl after the death of his grandmother, only everyone thought it was his birthday and then Andy and Dwight barge in to help him celebrate. As a single tear fell down his cheek, with Andy punching him for his birthday, The Office regained its crown as the king of awkwardville.
“That thing where you softly exhale on her neck.” -Daryl
Michael and Holly are back to dating and they want the whole office to know. They lock lips, hug, massage, rub each other, and basically can’t keep their hands off each other. The entire office is sick of it and decides to hold an intervention. After having all of their public displays displayed for them, they agree that they might have been overdoing it. But then Gabe (i’s always fucking Gabe) made them realize that they were going to have to split up once Toby came back from jury duty. Obviously Michael and Holly hadn’t thought of that as they never seem to think beyond the immediate. They almost spiral out of control, but Holly, lovely Holly, manages to save the day in one of the sincerest lines ever spoken on The Office and all ended up fairly well.
It was an incredibly sweet and fairly obvious plot but I think overall it worked well for the episode. Things are not going to be so smooth for Michael Scott in the upcoming weeks so its nice to have this little calm before the storm. Also it was a nice reminder for Michael that life exists outside of Dunder Mifflin. Perhaps as fans we should realize this as well. Michael Scott will leave the show and the show might suck afterward, but hey, its just a TV show. We have seven fantastic seasons and that is nothing to cry about.
“We never found that bottom did we?” -Pam
The other story lines dealt with the other two big relationships currently happening at Dunder Mifflin. First, is the funnier of the two. Jim and Pam decided to spend Valentine’s Day lunch as their romantic event so they can spend time with their daughter later. What they didn’t realize was they were getting unlimited champagne so when they come back they’re a little drunk. Actually, very drunk. They’re wasted the rest of the day and when it comes up that the rest of the office has had sex in the office (save for Kevin) they make it their personal mission to break in the office. The usual hijinks ensue when they try to find a spot, but they eventually do it behind that door that we’ve always noticed but never really seen before. Good for them.
I was particularly proud of this story, if nothing else it was funny seeing Jim and Pam be drunk. Their high five was particularly funny, but really only because it reminded me of the only other couple that could rival them in cuteness – Lily and Marshall on How I Met Your Mother. It seems like the writers never really mention their sex life if only because it would seem to ruin the pureness of their relationship. In the DVD commentary track of the episode where Jim and Pam visit Schrute Farms Jenna Fischer starts to talk about Jim and Pam’s sex life. She starts to mention about what positions they would use but they cut off the track (BOOOOOO). But it was good to see them actually mention it. I know Michael has mentioned it, but Jim would always shut him up about it.
“The temp at night.” -Fucking Gabe
The other cute couple in the office, Andy and Erin, got a little closer to fruition this week. Gabe (fucking Gabe) set up a treasure hunt for Erin to figure out, but Erin, bless her heart, can’t figure it out. So she enlists the other sad sack of the office, Andy, to help her out. They attack it with glee and eventually get to the treasure: a cookie and a kiss blown through the window. Again: fucking Gabe.
Andy and Erin have really grown on me. Maybe it’s because Andy is trying to act mature and give Gabe his space or maybe its because Ellie Kemper has really come into her character, but what appeared at first to be a cheap Jim and Pam knock off, has easily become its own relationship. Or it could be that my disdain for Gabe just swells so much that anyone other than him looks good by comparison. Fucking Gabe.
