Office Meta 6.21-6.25
So this is awkward. Epic fail on my part, but enjoy the metas and the finale tonight.
Happy Hour:
Kevin
Oh god. Kevin's giggles & crying baby noises are killing me. I AM DYING. Pure comedy but also will haunt my nightmares. _see_spot_rock_
All Aboard
Holy crap, relationship overdrive. It was like they were trying to recreate the "Valentine's Day" movie phenomenon, but using only the cast of Dunder-Mifflin. Hard to say which venture was less successful. rainbowstevie
Plus it gave me the opportunity to ship Pam and Ryan. Yeah, her mentioning his name over the phone with excitement in her voice about seeing him, that was enough. (Is it gross to think about the two of them making out in the photo booth and him commenting on her new mommy physique and her sighing, "Kevin beat you to it"? Yeah, it's gross.) cashewdani
I am also an Erin and I need to find me an Andy. Like stat. IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK, UNIVERSE?!?! Would it be weird to ship myself? Because I totally would. _see_spot_rock_
Plus, Ryan was so cute with Kelly tonight too. They were holding hands while they played DDR and Ryan just wants her to be able to get more than stickers because he knows she likes the big things and then he's walking her to the car while she's crying. I saw tonight a glimmer of why Kelly's still with him. I like those glimmers. cashewdani
Andy/Erin continues to make me nauseous. JUST STOP IT, SHOW. I can't connect with this storyline no matter how hard I try. I hate that the show is making me not want to watch my favorite character anymore. He's so lackluster lately that I have trouble seeing why I love Andy so damn much. The most interesting thing about him these days? His pants. DEAR GOD, SHOW, GIVE ME BACK MY HAPLESS, UNSTABLE, OBNOXIOUS, SINGING GOOFBALL. *sigh* The rest of the ep rocked, though. Especially Dwight and Ninja!Angela. firthgal
The benefit of doing this too late is to be able to do things like write FORESHADOWING RUH ROH
Also, Oscar/Matt was so well done. This is how you handle a secondary romance, show. Why can't you pull off that brilliance with Andy/Erin? Heck, even Michael/Boss Lady was handled monumentally better in five minutes than Andy/Erin has been all season. firthgal
Things that are awesome
OK, where is there a bar that doubles as a full-scale arcade for grown-ups? Because I want to go to there. rainbowstevie
For some reason anyone unexpectedly screaming out a profanity on this show always makes me giggle up a storm. firthgal
Angela was so pretty tonight! And she was so sweet, and I remembered why she and Dwight are, against all possible logic, perfectly suited to one another. I also cheered when she whipped out her legal contract and started smacking him down as effectively as she slays Phyllis on a good day. rainbowstevie
Darryl trying to set Oscar up was fabulous. And he was trying to be such a good friend! You can be gay with Matt. Just be straight with me. He's a dummy. I mean, come on. Epic. Super epic. cashewdani
You know how I always loathe Pam when she freaks out and starts screaming stupid things, especially over the phone? This time, I thought it was adorable how badly she wanted to get out of the house and have adult conversations again. And that's essentially Cecelia's doing, so to echo Jim's sentiments, this baby is amazing. rainbowstevie
She’s probably from the land where Jim Darryl’s office came from
I just have one thing to comment on. Isn't Isabel Pam's sister? How does she have three brothers? Did I just make up that they were related? But sister or friend or cousin or whatever she is, where did she come from? I mean, I could understand her being at the wedding and Pam never really talking about her or hanging out with her because she lived somewhere else or wasn't really that great of a friend, but Pam didn't have anyone else. And now she's just around all the time and it doesn't make sense. Much like how I have no idea how she's into Dwight. That whole situation is still uncomfortable for me. cashewdani
Secretary’s Day:
Cookie!
Angela's enormous grin and "this is my favorite day!" made me squeal with happiness. It's my favorite day too, Angela! Not only are people mocking Kevin, but you're taking unholy joy in it and don't care who knows! rainbowstevie
Aw, I love Kevin as Cookie Monster! Dwight, I too enjoy that program! (Have I mentioned on here that to my fancy grownup jewelery party I wore a men's Sesame Street t-shirt? Yeah, that happened.) But this took a turn and was mean to Kevin, and he's the only one who has never lost my love. YOU LEAVE KEVIN ALONE!! cashewdani
The Original
One worthwhile thing happened in this episode: AWWWWWWW, Jim/Pam! Nothing gets to me like when some offhand comment drives them to express their affection in a public manner, so her coming over to drop a quick kiss on the cheek = *squeal* My contact high from "The Delivery" was just beginning to wear off, and that picked it right back up. rainbowstevie
Erin + Michael = Shenanigans
Ooooooh, show, why do you insist on showing me these utterly hilarious and adorable Michael/Erin scenes that make me ship the hell out of them, only to make them not a ship? Just... not cool. But keep bringing me those scenes, because aside from Michael/Dwight, they are probably my favorite relationship on this show right now. SERIOUSLY, THEY ARE SO BRILLIANT TOGETHER. The show needs to keep exploring that chemistry, and I basically mean that in a platonic way, but obviously I would not be opposed to a romance there because they just... work, in their own weird way. firthgal
And while Erin's questions are weird and all on top of each other, they're actually kind of interesting conversation starters. What decade would you like to be a teenager in? I'm curious. Also, poor Erin, ugh, of course she didn't know about Angela. This is terrible and I feel bad for her. cashewdani
Andy/Erin: The Fallout
*raises hand* I know something else Andy could confess to Erin! Remember when he punched a hole through drywall and got packed off to anger management classes? That's something I would worry about more than a former engagement. rainbowstevie
DEAR GOD, LET ANDY HAVE HIS OWN STORYLINE. PLEASE. They've managed to sneak in an Erin storyline here and there since the whole romance started (and they were wonderful), but every stinking Andy scene has been about nothing but Erin. UGH. I thought it would get better once they got together, but... nope. I just want my Andy back. *cries* firthgal
Wow, ok. On the one hand, Erin kind of flew off the handle there. On the other, Andy should have told her. Like Michael said, she should have been told that her boyfriend used to sleep with someone who sits four feet from her. Michael making sense? Is this Bizarro World? fairandbright
However, and if you bring this up later I will deny it, I accidentally convinced myself that Andy's actions were charming? I want to be very clear that I do not find ANDY charming, I'm just saying, it's sweet how he adores her even though she's the most annoying creature on the planet. Erin should have gotten over her outrage as soon as she found out about the hate/lie-filled nature of that engagement. He did everything right while she barely let him touch her - it's not like he abandoned her by a fountain in New York, or canceled their wedding a week beforehand because he kissed some other woman. rainbowstevie
I know a kid named Gabe
Gabe continues to be adorable, wielding authority approximately as convincing as a dog wearing a tie. Look, he thinks he's people! rainbowstevie
Let's focus on the epicness that was GABE'S NO-NONSENSE DECISION MAKING SKILLS. Oh, Gabe, I'm pretty sure that you are my new favorite. I AM KIND OF IN LOVE WITH HIM. "I should probably get involved with this, but... I think my time is better used with the Cookie Monster incident." God, my heart broke for him so hard in the end. Sometimes I forget how cruel these people can be until outsiders come in and get pooped on (heck, look how long it took for Andy to be accepted as one of them). But, yeah, I sympathize with Gabe way too much, because he's such a sweet soul who is clearly lost when it comes to being assertive. firthgal
I don't even know the name of that corporate guy, but what a tool. I loved how Pam and Jim got back at him though. It was old school Jim and Pam. :D fairandbright
Body Language:
Michael
Oh, Michael. Oh, Michael. It is kind of confounding how much of a ladies' man Michael has turned out to be. Seriously! And since when did Pam become his romantic cheerleader? I think she's just ridiculously happy that he's no longer into her mom, really. But I love that she was so supportive of him in this ep, and that she so fiercely believed that a woman was genuinely macking on him! firthgal
Seriously, do I even have to acknowledge Donna as a person? She's less of a waste of space than Isabelle, but that's sort of like saying an apartment complex wastes less space than a McMansion. They're both eyesores. rainbowstevie
Jim and Pam
And the Jim/Pam coupley moments continue to win me over. I know that I've fallen in love with Jim/Pam when it's no longer cool to love them and I hated them when it wasn't cool to hate them, but that's just how I roll, apparently. I don't mean to! I am just naturally this uncool. firthgal
JIM & PAM, FRONT AND CENTER; BRAIN, DANGER OF EXPLODING, IN. I really do not know what to say about this. I was bent in half from cringeing, wondering how big of an idiot Pam would make herself sound in this joint presentation that was clearly going to go horribly wrong and be all her fault. Her early jokes were not encouraging. She used to have a legitimate sense of humor, right? That's why she and Jim were so much fun to watch in season 2? Okay, from now on, whenever I dislike something Pam does, I will blame it on baby brain/lack of sleep. rainbowstevie
I feel like Pam was one of those pod people, like she's a character in Invasion of the Body Snatchers or something. I mean, I like goofy Pam ("What up, 212?"), but her jokes were just so lame and weird. fairandbright
Thankfully, Michael showed up to ruin it for them instead, and divert their attention to something much more fun for me: fighting! Not actual fighting, as I'm not sure they're capable of being mad at the same time, but close enough for me to run with Jim having a mild conniption fit over everything she said. "WHAT?" Doors were slammed (well, closed with a certain amount of force). I used the phrase "Fighting is sexy!" in my notes and I don't know what that means, but I'm pretty sure it's still true. rainbowstevie
Printing in many colours
Oh and Ryan coached Kelly to greatness. I bet they have awesome sex that night where she feels powerful and he feels like he achieved something. cashewdani
KELLY! KELLY, HEARTS AND FLAILING, I LOVE HER SO MUCH. I love everything about her, from her gorgeous traditional clothing to her general enthusiasm to the AWESOME potential of a Ryan/Kelly power play, to her schooling Dwight like a master puppeteer at the end. Where did that ruthless side even come from? Has she managed to learn a thing or two from dating Ryan after all? Don't know, don't care. rainbowstevie
GABE! GABE AND HIS FAUX PAS(ES)! Seriously, my love for Gabe is a little ridiculous, but he's so perfect for this show that it's insane. I love that the show is subtly building his character through these short talking heads or these little moments with the cast (like the bit with Kelly, OMG, so perfect). I think it's his reaction shots, or the way he carries himself, or something. firthgal
Heh
I got a kick out of the scene with Erin repeatedly attempting to break into the conversation, and Dwight repeatedly repelling her as she was squeezed out of the frame. It was like a live-action version of what my brain does to her while I'm trying to enjoy this series. rainbowstevie
Hahahahahahaha, there was a boob post-it on Angela's face. cashewdani
The Cover Up:
All you need is love
ANDY GOT TO DO SOMETHING COMPLETELY UNRELATED TO ERIN! AND IT WAS GLORIOUS! AND HE USED HIS SEXY FALSETTO VOICE! OMG, I LOVE HIM. And I love Darryl. And I love Creed. AND I LOVE GABE. And I really love Andy and Gabe interacting. And I love Dwight's methods of seduction! And I love Dwight asking Michael to rub his thigh in a place that was uncomfortably close to his crotch. And I love that Michael still trusts Dwight whenever he says he's good at something. And I loved Michael's shock at being a mistress. And I loved his misunderstanding of the word "amok". SO CUTE. And I loved Jim and Pam jerking Dwight around in Morse code! I especially loved how the show pointed out that they really don't have time to do those things anymore, but they did it anyway. For some reason, this just rings very true to real life. You always find time for the ridiculous things in life, even though you know that that time would be better spent doing something else. firthgal
Jim and Pam and Morse Code
They left their child with someone else when they're already away from it for hours a day to learn Morse code. To fuck with Dwight. I can't even process thought after this. cashewdani
LOL, I love how everyone flew away from the window and Pam hit the floor like it was World War III. fairandbright
But Jim and Pam, HOW PRECIOUS ARE THEY? This is officially my favorite cold open of the season. How many times do you have to watch something before it gets weird? I'm approaching that territory. It's just, I love everything from the fierce keyboard tapping to "Jim, are you clicking a detonator?" to the intense 3-way blinking, and when Jim spares a wink for the camera, certain internal organs of mine sustained damage. rainbowstevie
Exploding Printers
Poor Andy. Not that I didn't finding Darryl's prank hilarious, because I did, but hasn't Andy been shit on enough lately? Loved Darryl's talking head at the end. No more pranks. He's going to church and doing one good deed a day, lol. fairandbright
Michael the Mistress
MICHAEL'S THE OTHER MAN. Jesus, I'd hate to see what Donna's husband is like if Michael looks appealing! fairandbright
Comments that defy classification
When did Ryan have two girlfriends?! How is that we knew every excruciating detail of Angela's two boyfriends, but for this I get nothing? However, I love how Ryan makes his appeals about the diner straight to the camera rather than the people he's actually in the room with and talking to. rainbowstevie
Did you notice that Gabe eats like a squirrel? If Angela did not already have a reputation as the office mattress and a pregnancy contract with Dwight, I'd think they should get together and have uptight, socially awkward babies who fortunately split their parents' height difference. rainbowstevie
The Chump:
Radon: The Silent Killer
Toby! Toby Toby Toby, he had - he had lines, and an entire scene and-- !! *squeals* I wanted the cold open to go on forever. Yes, we've reached the point where Toby conducting a meeting about radon detectors is rapturous. rainbowstevie
No one wants to listen to Toby talk about the silent killer. fairandbright
Andy
Andy! ANDY!!!!!!!! Oh, you guys, my Andy is so back. Er... that's pretty much all I have to say about the ep. firthgal
You know sometimes you think a thing can't get any gayer, and then it does? Andy's pink tie with rainbow stripes is like that. rainbowstevie
Ryan takes what he wants
How many people thought when Ryan was saying he has to take what he wants that he was going to go and like make out with Pam on her desk? I'm thinking she was tired enough to allow it. I'm just picturing his glasses pressed to the side and her touching his suspenders. (But it was pretty decent that he tried to get a threeway going with Kelly and Erin. I'm still down with that.) cashewdani
RYAN JUST BLATANTLY PROPOSITIONED ERIN. AND THEN SUBTLY PROPOSED A THREESOME WITH HER & KELLY. Fortunately, I died in that moment, so I don't have to accept the fact that she's too stupid to even be offended, and he had to pretend it was a joke. Whatever. Next time fandom has a kink/PWP challenge out for this series, I expect this threesome to be covered. Use her naive innocence as a positive. Don't make me spell out for you how, but my word, can you even imagine the lethal combination of prettiness in one bed? (sofa, car, kitchen floor, we don't have to be fancy here) For purposes of this conversation, I will even call Erin pretty. Hah, and you all thought I was joking when I said I would support this OT3.rainbowstevie
Oh, and Ryan? Back your hipster ass away from Erin, or else Andy will beat you with a cricket bat, ok? fairandbright
Pam and Jim
I feel like such a terrible person for enjoying it when Pam snaps at Jim, but...as much as I love 100% sweetness and love, I like an occasional bit of conflict spark. Just a little bit. A pinch of 1-2%. For realism's sake? It hammers in their married-couple-ness for me?rainbowstevie
And Jim and Pam had to overhear Dwight and Angela having sex. Serves them right. You know, for all of their crimes. But they seemed pretty delightful tonight, I'll admit. With inviting Michael over for dinner to play with the baby while eating Hooters and playing Billy Joel Rock Band that doesn't even exist. cashewdani
Legal Issues
Frankly, I would rather have ignored Michael and watched the entire meeting with the lawyer over their contract, because I thought nearly every minute of this exchange was marvelous. Unlike the entire internet, I love this subplot. I especially loved their first shared TH; it was like the low-rent version of Jim & Pam, but somehow no less satisfying. They play off one another marvelously. rainbowstevie
The A-Story
He ate 40,000 calories in 3 hours. OH GOD, NEW TLC SPECIAL IF I EVER HEARD OF ONE!!. cashewdani
Happy Hour:
Kevin
Oh god. Kevin's giggles & crying baby noises are killing me. I AM DYING. Pure comedy but also will haunt my nightmares. _see_spot_rock_
All Aboard
Holy crap, relationship overdrive. It was like they were trying to recreate the "Valentine's Day" movie phenomenon, but using only the cast of Dunder-Mifflin. Hard to say which venture was less successful. rainbowstevie
Plus it gave me the opportunity to ship Pam and Ryan. Yeah, her mentioning his name over the phone with excitement in her voice about seeing him, that was enough. (Is it gross to think about the two of them making out in the photo booth and him commenting on her new mommy physique and her sighing, "Kevin beat you to it"? Yeah, it's gross.) cashewdani
I am also an Erin and I need to find me an Andy. Like stat. IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK, UNIVERSE?!?! Would it be weird to ship myself? Because I totally would. _see_spot_rock_
Plus, Ryan was so cute with Kelly tonight too. They were holding hands while they played DDR and Ryan just wants her to be able to get more than stickers because he knows she likes the big things and then he's walking her to the car while she's crying. I saw tonight a glimmer of why Kelly's still with him. I like those glimmers. cashewdani
Andy/Erin continues to make me nauseous. JUST STOP IT, SHOW. I can't connect with this storyline no matter how hard I try. I hate that the show is making me not want to watch my favorite character anymore. He's so lackluster lately that I have trouble seeing why I love Andy so damn much. The most interesting thing about him these days? His pants. DEAR GOD, SHOW, GIVE ME BACK MY HAPLESS, UNSTABLE, OBNOXIOUS, SINGING GOOFBALL. *sigh* The rest of the ep rocked, though. Especially Dwight and Ninja!Angela. firthgal
The benefit of doing this too late is to be able to do things like write FORESHADOWING RUH ROH
Also, Oscar/Matt was so well done. This is how you handle a secondary romance, show. Why can't you pull off that brilliance with Andy/Erin? Heck, even Michael/Boss Lady was handled monumentally better in five minutes than Andy/Erin has been all season. firthgal
Things that are awesome
OK, where is there a bar that doubles as a full-scale arcade for grown-ups? Because I want to go to there. rainbowstevie
For some reason anyone unexpectedly screaming out a profanity on this show always makes me giggle up a storm. firthgal
Angela was so pretty tonight! And she was so sweet, and I remembered why she and Dwight are, against all possible logic, perfectly suited to one another. I also cheered when she whipped out her legal contract and started smacking him down as effectively as she slays Phyllis on a good day. rainbowstevie
Darryl trying to set Oscar up was fabulous. And he was trying to be such a good friend! You can be gay with Matt. Just be straight with me. He's a dummy. I mean, come on. Epic. Super epic. cashewdani
You know how I always loathe Pam when she freaks out and starts screaming stupid things, especially over the phone? This time, I thought it was adorable how badly she wanted to get out of the house and have adult conversations again. And that's essentially Cecelia's doing, so to echo Jim's sentiments, this baby is amazing. rainbowstevie
She’s probably from the land where Jim Darryl’s office came from
I just have one thing to comment on. Isn't Isabel Pam's sister? How does she have three brothers? Did I just make up that they were related? But sister or friend or cousin or whatever she is, where did she come from? I mean, I could understand her being at the wedding and Pam never really talking about her or hanging out with her because she lived somewhere else or wasn't really that great of a friend, but Pam didn't have anyone else. And now she's just around all the time and it doesn't make sense. Much like how I have no idea how she's into Dwight. That whole situation is still uncomfortable for me. cashewdani
Secretary’s Day:
Cookie!
Angela's enormous grin and "this is my favorite day!" made me squeal with happiness. It's my favorite day too, Angela! Not only are people mocking Kevin, but you're taking unholy joy in it and don't care who knows! rainbowstevie
Aw, I love Kevin as Cookie Monster! Dwight, I too enjoy that program! (Have I mentioned on here that to my fancy grownup jewelery party I wore a men's Sesame Street t-shirt? Yeah, that happened.) But this took a turn and was mean to Kevin, and he's the only one who has never lost my love. YOU LEAVE KEVIN ALONE!! cashewdani
The Original
One worthwhile thing happened in this episode: AWWWWWWW, Jim/Pam! Nothing gets to me like when some offhand comment drives them to express their affection in a public manner, so her coming over to drop a quick kiss on the cheek = *squeal* My contact high from "The Delivery" was just beginning to wear off, and that picked it right back up. rainbowstevie
Erin + Michael = Shenanigans
Ooooooh, show, why do you insist on showing me these utterly hilarious and adorable Michael/Erin scenes that make me ship the hell out of them, only to make them not a ship? Just... not cool. But keep bringing me those scenes, because aside from Michael/Dwight, they are probably my favorite relationship on this show right now. SERIOUSLY, THEY ARE SO BRILLIANT TOGETHER. The show needs to keep exploring that chemistry, and I basically mean that in a platonic way, but obviously I would not be opposed to a romance there because they just... work, in their own weird way. firthgal
And while Erin's questions are weird and all on top of each other, they're actually kind of interesting conversation starters. What decade would you like to be a teenager in? I'm curious. Also, poor Erin, ugh, of course she didn't know about Angela. This is terrible and I feel bad for her. cashewdani
Andy/Erin: The Fallout
*raises hand* I know something else Andy could confess to Erin! Remember when he punched a hole through drywall and got packed off to anger management classes? That's something I would worry about more than a former engagement. rainbowstevie
DEAR GOD, LET ANDY HAVE HIS OWN STORYLINE. PLEASE. They've managed to sneak in an Erin storyline here and there since the whole romance started (and they were wonderful), but every stinking Andy scene has been about nothing but Erin. UGH. I thought it would get better once they got together, but... nope. I just want my Andy back. *cries* firthgal
Wow, ok. On the one hand, Erin kind of flew off the handle there. On the other, Andy should have told her. Like Michael said, she should have been told that her boyfriend used to sleep with someone who sits four feet from her. Michael making sense? Is this Bizarro World? fairandbright
However, and if you bring this up later I will deny it, I accidentally convinced myself that Andy's actions were charming? I want to be very clear that I do not find ANDY charming, I'm just saying, it's sweet how he adores her even though she's the most annoying creature on the planet. Erin should have gotten over her outrage as soon as she found out about the hate/lie-filled nature of that engagement. He did everything right while she barely let him touch her - it's not like he abandoned her by a fountain in New York, or canceled their wedding a week beforehand because he kissed some other woman. rainbowstevie
I know a kid named Gabe
Gabe continues to be adorable, wielding authority approximately as convincing as a dog wearing a tie. Look, he thinks he's people! rainbowstevie
Let's focus on the epicness that was GABE'S NO-NONSENSE DECISION MAKING SKILLS. Oh, Gabe, I'm pretty sure that you are my new favorite. I AM KIND OF IN LOVE WITH HIM. "I should probably get involved with this, but... I think my time is better used with the Cookie Monster incident." God, my heart broke for him so hard in the end. Sometimes I forget how cruel these people can be until outsiders come in and get pooped on (heck, look how long it took for Andy to be accepted as one of them). But, yeah, I sympathize with Gabe way too much, because he's such a sweet soul who is clearly lost when it comes to being assertive. firthgal
I don't even know the name of that corporate guy, but what a tool. I loved how Pam and Jim got back at him though. It was old school Jim and Pam. :D fairandbright
Body Language:
Michael
Oh, Michael. Oh, Michael. It is kind of confounding how much of a ladies' man Michael has turned out to be. Seriously! And since when did Pam become his romantic cheerleader? I think she's just ridiculously happy that he's no longer into her mom, really. But I love that she was so supportive of him in this ep, and that she so fiercely believed that a woman was genuinely macking on him! firthgal
Seriously, do I even have to acknowledge Donna as a person? She's less of a waste of space than Isabelle, but that's sort of like saying an apartment complex wastes less space than a McMansion. They're both eyesores. rainbowstevie
Jim and Pam
And the Jim/Pam coupley moments continue to win me over. I know that I've fallen in love with Jim/Pam when it's no longer cool to love them and I hated them when it wasn't cool to hate them, but that's just how I roll, apparently. I don't mean to! I am just naturally this uncool. firthgal
JIM & PAM, FRONT AND CENTER; BRAIN, DANGER OF EXPLODING, IN. I really do not know what to say about this. I was bent in half from cringeing, wondering how big of an idiot Pam would make herself sound in this joint presentation that was clearly going to go horribly wrong and be all her fault. Her early jokes were not encouraging. She used to have a legitimate sense of humor, right? That's why she and Jim were so much fun to watch in season 2? Okay, from now on, whenever I dislike something Pam does, I will blame it on baby brain/lack of sleep. rainbowstevie
I feel like Pam was one of those pod people, like she's a character in Invasion of the Body Snatchers or something. I mean, I like goofy Pam ("What up, 212?"), but her jokes were just so lame and weird. fairandbright
Thankfully, Michael showed up to ruin it for them instead, and divert their attention to something much more fun for me: fighting! Not actual fighting, as I'm not sure they're capable of being mad at the same time, but close enough for me to run with Jim having a mild conniption fit over everything she said. "WHAT?" Doors were slammed (well, closed with a certain amount of force). I used the phrase "Fighting is sexy!" in my notes and I don't know what that means, but I'm pretty sure it's still true. rainbowstevie
Printing in many colours
Oh and Ryan coached Kelly to greatness. I bet they have awesome sex that night where she feels powerful and he feels like he achieved something. cashewdani
KELLY! KELLY, HEARTS AND FLAILING, I LOVE HER SO MUCH. I love everything about her, from her gorgeous traditional clothing to her general enthusiasm to the AWESOME potential of a Ryan/Kelly power play, to her schooling Dwight like a master puppeteer at the end. Where did that ruthless side even come from? Has she managed to learn a thing or two from dating Ryan after all? Don't know, don't care. rainbowstevie
GABE! GABE AND HIS FAUX PAS(ES)! Seriously, my love for Gabe is a little ridiculous, but he's so perfect for this show that it's insane. I love that the show is subtly building his character through these short talking heads or these little moments with the cast (like the bit with Kelly, OMG, so perfect). I think it's his reaction shots, or the way he carries himself, or something. firthgal
Heh
I got a kick out of the scene with Erin repeatedly attempting to break into the conversation, and Dwight repeatedly repelling her as she was squeezed out of the frame. It was like a live-action version of what my brain does to her while I'm trying to enjoy this series. rainbowstevie
Hahahahahahaha, there was a boob post-it on Angela's face. cashewdani
The Cover Up:
All you need is love
ANDY GOT TO DO SOMETHING COMPLETELY UNRELATED TO ERIN! AND IT WAS GLORIOUS! AND HE USED HIS SEXY FALSETTO VOICE! OMG, I LOVE HIM. And I love Darryl. And I love Creed. AND I LOVE GABE. And I really love Andy and Gabe interacting. And I love Dwight's methods of seduction! And I love Dwight asking Michael to rub his thigh in a place that was uncomfortably close to his crotch. And I love that Michael still trusts Dwight whenever he says he's good at something. And I loved Michael's shock at being a mistress. And I loved his misunderstanding of the word "amok". SO CUTE. And I loved Jim and Pam jerking Dwight around in Morse code! I especially loved how the show pointed out that they really don't have time to do those things anymore, but they did it anyway. For some reason, this just rings very true to real life. You always find time for the ridiculous things in life, even though you know that that time would be better spent doing something else. firthgal
Jim and Pam and Morse Code
They left their child with someone else when they're already away from it for hours a day to learn Morse code. To fuck with Dwight. I can't even process thought after this. cashewdani
LOL, I love how everyone flew away from the window and Pam hit the floor like it was World War III. fairandbright
But Jim and Pam, HOW PRECIOUS ARE THEY? This is officially my favorite cold open of the season. How many times do you have to watch something before it gets weird? I'm approaching that territory. It's just, I love everything from the fierce keyboard tapping to "Jim, are you clicking a detonator?" to the intense 3-way blinking, and when Jim spares a wink for the camera, certain internal organs of mine sustained damage. rainbowstevie
Exploding Printers
Poor Andy. Not that I didn't finding Darryl's prank hilarious, because I did, but hasn't Andy been shit on enough lately? Loved Darryl's talking head at the end. No more pranks. He's going to church and doing one good deed a day, lol. fairandbright
Michael the Mistress
MICHAEL'S THE OTHER MAN. Jesus, I'd hate to see what Donna's husband is like if Michael looks appealing! fairandbright
Comments that defy classification
When did Ryan have two girlfriends?! How is that we knew every excruciating detail of Angela's two boyfriends, but for this I get nothing? However, I love how Ryan makes his appeals about the diner straight to the camera rather than the people he's actually in the room with and talking to. rainbowstevie
Did you notice that Gabe eats like a squirrel? If Angela did not already have a reputation as the office mattress and a pregnancy contract with Dwight, I'd think they should get together and have uptight, socially awkward babies who fortunately split their parents' height difference. rainbowstevie
The Chump:
Radon: The Silent Killer
Toby! Toby Toby Toby, he had - he had lines, and an entire scene and-- !! *squeals* I wanted the cold open to go on forever. Yes, we've reached the point where Toby conducting a meeting about radon detectors is rapturous. rainbowstevie
No one wants to listen to Toby talk about the silent killer. fairandbright
Andy
Andy! ANDY!!!!!!!! Oh, you guys, my Andy is so back. Er... that's pretty much all I have to say about the ep. firthgal
You know sometimes you think a thing can't get any gayer, and then it does? Andy's pink tie with rainbow stripes is like that. rainbowstevie
Ryan takes what he wants
How many people thought when Ryan was saying he has to take what he wants that he was going to go and like make out with Pam on her desk? I'm thinking she was tired enough to allow it. I'm just picturing his glasses pressed to the side and her touching his suspenders. (But it was pretty decent that he tried to get a threeway going with Kelly and Erin. I'm still down with that.) cashewdani
RYAN JUST BLATANTLY PROPOSITIONED ERIN. AND THEN SUBTLY PROPOSED A THREESOME WITH HER & KELLY. Fortunately, I died in that moment, so I don't have to accept the fact that she's too stupid to even be offended, and he had to pretend it was a joke. Whatever. Next time fandom has a kink/PWP challenge out for this series, I expect this threesome to be covered. Use her naive innocence as a positive. Don't make me spell out for you how, but my word, can you even imagine the lethal combination of prettiness in one bed? (sofa, car, kitchen floor, we don't have to be fancy here) For purposes of this conversation, I will even call Erin pretty. Hah, and you all thought I was joking when I said I would support this OT3.rainbowstevie
Oh, and Ryan? Back your hipster ass away from Erin, or else Andy will beat you with a cricket bat, ok? fairandbright
Pam and Jim
I feel like such a terrible person for enjoying it when Pam snaps at Jim, but...as much as I love 100% sweetness and love, I like an occasional bit of conflict spark. Just a little bit. A pinch of 1-2%. For realism's sake? It hammers in their married-couple-ness for me?rainbowstevie
And Jim and Pam had to overhear Dwight and Angela having sex. Serves them right. You know, for all of their crimes. But they seemed pretty delightful tonight, I'll admit. With inviting Michael over for dinner to play with the baby while eating Hooters and playing Billy Joel Rock Band that doesn't even exist. cashewdani
Legal Issues
Frankly, I would rather have ignored Michael and watched the entire meeting with the lawyer over their contract, because I thought nearly every minute of this exchange was marvelous. Unlike the entire internet, I love this subplot. I especially loved their first shared TH; it was like the low-rent version of Jim & Pam, but somehow no less satisfying. They play off one another marvelously. rainbowstevie
The A-Story
He ate 40,000 calories in 3 hours. OH GOD, NEW TLC SPECIAL IF I EVER HEARD OF ONE!!. cashewdani