(s05e02 “Business Ethics”)

Official Episode Description:

Following Ryan’s recent scandal at corporate, Holly must hold a business ethics seminar.

Tonight was a Holly/Michael specific episode. Pam did not even appear in the episode (much to the dismay of most of the male viewing audience). We did hear her voice in the opening when JIm told everyone in the office that they were getting engaged…and none of them cared.

The main story focused on an Ethics seminar that Holly was required to give due to Ryan’s recent misconduct. During the course of this meeting it was revealed that Meredith was sleeping with a supplier to get the company a discount on paper.

Holly was horrified by the situation, and felt obligated to tell corporate about it. Michael, on the other hand, wanted to push the whole thing under the rug. Michael also chose this time to try to take Holly out on a lunch date…because he has terrible timing. The result was a “classic Office” awkward moment that culminated with some extremely hilarious petty behavior on Michael’s part.

After Holly filed her report – which she believed would get Meredith fired – the head of HR had a phone conference with Holly and Michael. He was not happy with Holly for bringing it to the company’s attention – and essentially threatened to fire her if she didn’t forget about it and get statements from everyone signing off on the ethics seminar.

This was interesting not only because it put Michael back in defense mode, where he tried to help Holly get the situation back under control- but also because it gives us incite as to how people like Dwight and Michael can continue to be employed after all their bizarre antics. Corporate clearly just doesn’t care.

The Jim and Dwight sub plot this week had Dwight attempting to prove that he never “stole company time” by doing non work related things. Jim decided to follow him around with a stop watch and log every second he wasn’t working. Again this week Jim seems kind of mean without Pam there to ground him. This particular prank is not worse than the phone full of nickels or moving Dwight’s desk into the bathroom…but for some reason Jim seems more sinister and mean spirited than he normally does.

That situation reached its ultimate conclusion when Angela called Dwight away for almost 20 minutes of…together time. Dwight finally admitted to Jim that he might not be ethical. Then smiled into the camera, proud of his forbidden love.

All in all this episode had all the classic characteristics of a great Office episode, and built heavily on where things started two weeks ago. We’re just getting warmed up this season, and things are looking good.