Office Episode Description:
“Crime Aid.”
Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) helps Pam (Jenna Fischer) get a part time job at corporate so she can afford to go to art school. Michael and Holly (guest star Amy Ryan) get an early start at the office on their date night. After the office gets robbed, Michael decides to hold an auction to raise money for all the items lost.

This was a MASSIVE episode tonight. If you’re a die hard ‘Office’ fan and you didn’t see it – then leave now…because I’m fixing to spoil the hell out of it.

I’m also going to be talking about what we know about future episodes in this post as well – so keep that in mind. Now that we have all of that out of the way — let’s talk…

Tonight’s episode had three (count ‘em, three) major plotlines flowing through it.

1) Michael and Holly’s relationship. When we first see them they have already been on their second date. They make plans for their third, which include plans for “doing it”. After work (and after tricking the camera crew out of the building) Holly pulls Michael back in and “makes out” with him in the stairwell.

The next morning the Office has been robbed – because Michael and Holly forgot to lock up. So Michael plans a charity auction called “C.R.I.M.E. A.I.D.”. It goes about like you’d expect (with some truly hilarious moments) – and even David Wallace shows up for it. This is either an odd, out of character action to move the ongoing plot forward – or its a sign that David might be a little nutty too…I mean why on Earth would he drive down for this thing?

Regardless, at the end of the episode he sees Michael and Holly kissing – and is obviously not happy about it.

So here’s what we know about next week. The episode is called “Employee Transfer” and Michael and Holly are supposed to get some shocking news from corporate. I think it’s pretty clear that Holly is getting transfered. That’s a bummer – but hopefully it won’t be the end of their relationship.

2) Dwight and Angela and Andy – A new dynamic is established tonight as Dwight and Phyllis spend some time together since he has no one else to talk to after he finds out Andy and Angela have set the date. He needs advice on what to do, and Phyllis tells him to give Angela an ultimatum.

Dwight does – and Angela doesn’t respond. It seems very likely the she has, in fact, chosen Andy. Their wedding is still moving forward. Dwight takes his frustrations out of Phyllis – but after realizing that she was truly trying to be nice to her, he returns to the charity auction where no one is bidding on her offered gift of “a hug”. He begins to bid (always bidding higher than the previous bid by “and one cent”). It’s a rare, sweet, moment from Dwight that almost seems like a turning point for the character. I’m not sure where they’re going from here – but it seems like it’s going to be very, very interesting.

3) Pam and Jim – Pam has a part time job at corporate headquarters. It doesn’t matter much this episode – but it will be important next week. Jim gets a voice mail from Pam that lasts 6 minutes where she’s obviously drunk at 3:00 am, hanging out with a dude named “Josh” and acting like a sorority girl.

He doesn’t seem bothered by it. Jim continues to seem unhappy, as he has all season, and when the C.R.I.M.E. A.I.D. auction of “having a beer with the warehouse guys right now” comes up – he bids on it, and he an the warehouse workers go to “Poor Richards”. There, he runs into Roy, who ends up sitting with them and having a drink. After telling Roy Pam and Jim’s current status, Roy points out that she’s having fun with a friends…and Jim used to be a friend.

So Jim hauls ass to New York. It looks like the plot we’ve all be expecting – and dreading – is going to happen tonight.

Then when he literally reaches the turning point to head to New York – Jim turns around, and tells the camera “No…because…I’m not that guy…and we are not that couple.”

One one hand, it could be the first crack in his armor that will eventually lead to him being “that guy”…but I don’t think so.

I think it’s a fairly clear statement from the show that says “you thought we were going this way – but we’re not”. Looking at descriptions of future episodes, there is no indication of turmoil betwen the two.

Next week Pam is going to be embarrassed when she’s the only person at corporate who wears a Halloween costume. The week after that Pam and Jim decide they want to spend every minute together using their bluetooth headphones.

The week after THAT merely says that Jim is counting the days until Pam gets back from school.

There could be problems ahead for them – but I genuienly think after tonight’s declaration from Jim that the writer’s are smarter than that -a and that we’re actually going to see something quite different.

I certainly hope so.

All in all this was the best episode of the season thus far. It has some great moments, and wonderful story movement.

Oh and by the way, incase you didn’t know “It squeaks when you bang it.”

Best “That’s what she said – EVER”