The Job

The latest season draws to a close with the prospects of new jobs all around, promising increased pay and power for some and enhanced, um, attributes for others. It’s the latter for Jan, and just as well, since an ill-timed emotional collapse quickly ensures the loss of the former for both her and her newly-reunited ex-lover-ish. Meanwhile, the rest of the office copes with their new boss and the abolishment of all soft-minded dogoodedness. Jim gets enough of New York to realize that home is where the heart spends her day goofing around with Dwight, Ryan comes out of nowhere with one heck of a last word, and Creed’s blogging it all.

The Michael Scott School of Hard Knocks

There’s jumping the gun, and then there’s taking off so fast that you’re crossing the finish line before the gun is even loaded.

Michael : You know what, it’s a done deal. I basically have the job already. There’s nothing she can do to stop it now. I already sold my condo.
Oscar : Michael.
Kevin : What?
Angela : Why?
Oscar : I’m sorry, that just doesn’t make sense.
Michael : Yes, I–
Angela : What? Why– who gave you that advice?
Kevin : Yeah, Michael, you should never sell your condo.
Michael : I have to buy another place…
Angela : But you said you were in debt.
Michael : I’m not in debt.
Oscar : You’re not sure that you have the job…
[Cut to interview]
Michael : I sold it on eBay. The buyer was very motivated, as was I. It went for 80% of what I paid. Sold in record time.

For someone without a wealth of wise council at his disposal, Michael should really pay more attention to a moderate amount of sound advice.

Michael : No. No no no no. I’ll tell you this. It is not because of the boob job. Excuse me. Boob enhancement. That would be shallow. And this is the opposite of shallow. This is… emotionally magnificent.

Yeah… no. There is an opposite of shallow, and that is not it.

David : [to Jan] You are clearly unstable.
Michael : Hey, you‘re unstable.
Jan : Yeah!
Michael : No… we’re all unstable.

Who would have thought there would be a relationship in which Michael was the bastion of sense– well, okay, maybe not that. Maybe just the one clinging to sanity the longest. The question is, has Michael been Jan’s downfall, or the meager buoy that’s kept her afloat for this long?

Dwight Being Dwight

Dwight’s previous attempts to overthrow the appointed chain of command have been devious, underhanded, and utterly without the sanction of anyone but Angela. Turns out, that might be preferred. Because when it’s ceremoniously placed in his lap… well, it’s kind of gross.

Dwight : You wanted to see me?
Michael : Yes. The time has come to name my own replacement. So… please hand this letter of congratulations to Dwight K. Schrute.
Dwight : But that’s my name. [Rips open letter and reads aloud] “Dwight, congratulations, a-wipe. Don’t screw the pooch.”
[It sinks in and Dwight begins to gently sob]
Dwight : Thank you.
Michael : Okay. All right.
[Dwight cries harder]
Dwight : Thank you, Michael.
Michael : Okay.
[Dwight presses the letter to his chest and he’s really blubbering now]
Dwight : Thank you so much. Thank you.
Michael : Okay, stop crying.

The previous coup proved educational: when attempting to institute a militant regime of total office domination, it’s best to surround yourself with trustworthy allies. Namely yourself. And Pam, who is both trustworthy, and a woman.

Dwight : You showed great leadership potential at the coal walk, even if you did follow it with that embarrassing personal confession.
Pam : Thank you.
Dwight : I had to make Andy my number two. It’s political, complicated. You wouldn’t understand. I want you to be assistant regional manager.
Pam : Really?
Dwight : Well, in a sense… although publicly, I am going to retain the assistant regional manager position.
Pam : You will be your own assistant.
Dwight : Correct. I need someone I can trust. But I would also like the title to be secretly applied to you. Just stripped of its pomp and frills.
Pam : Okay. So you would be the regional manager, and the assistant regional manager, Andy is your number two, I would be the secret assistant regional manager.
Dwight : Mmm, let’s call it secret assistant to the regional manager.
Pam : Mm-hmm.
Dwight : Do you accept?
Pam : Absolutely I do.

Also, one must establish a seat of power to sufficiently strike fear in the hearts of all who would dare to enter.

Andy : It’s like I’m staring into my soul when I look at this wall.
Dwight : It’s like outer space without the stars, it’s so black!
Andy : This is going to look so awesome.
Dwight : And so intimidating! Anyone who comes in here is going to have to take me seriously. [Brandishes the paint roller and deepens his voice] Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.
Andy : [laughing] Totally!

However, it’s best to ensure one actually has power before instituting such alienating radical reforms.

Michael : Everybody, may I have your attention please? It is with great honor and privilege that I announce to you that I have officially withdrawn my name for consideration from the corporate job. I know, I know, I know. “Michael, what are you thinking? You were a shoo-in.” Well, got down there. I nailed the interview. And the strangest thing happened. Why is my office black?
Dwight : To intimidate my subordinates.
Michael : That’s stupid.
Dwight : It was Andy’s idea.
Michael : You shouldn’t have taken it. Bad management. Good thing I’m back.

And last, but certainly not least, once all has crumbled around your feet, pay due honor to those who have served you well.

Dwight : Pam. Hello.
Pam : Dwight, hello.
Dwight : I wanted to thank you, for helping me when you held the title of secret assistant to the regional manager. You served the office with great dignity.
Pam : [solemnly salutes]
Dwight : [returns the salute with equal solemnity]

In the midst of whatever madness, there is just something about Pam that touches what is most human and even, endearing, in Dwight.

The Many Faces of Jim

Unlike his boss, whom no one but Phyllis believes has a chance of snagging the corporate gig, Jim is the real shoo-in for the job. But how could he even consider it when this is what would be left behind?

Dwight : Jim, Jim, Jim. Jim, Jim, Jim, Jim, Jim, Jim, Jim.
Jim : Oh, hey, Dwight.
Dwight : I’m going to be your new boss. It is my greatest dream come true. Welcome to the Hotel Hell. Check-in time is now. Check-out time is never.
Jim : Does my room have cable?
Dwight : No. And the sheets are made of fire!
Jim : Can I change rooms?
Dwight : Sorry, we’re all booked up. Hell convention in town.
Jim : Can I have a late check-out?
Dwight : I’ll have to talk to the manager.
Jim : You’re not the manager? Even in your own fantasy?
Dwight : I’m the owner. The co-owner. With Satan.
Jim : Okay, just so I understand it. In your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.
Dwight : Yeah, but I haven’t told you my salary yet.
Jim : Go.
Dwight : $80,000 a year.

At least in his absence, if only for a day, his legacy carries on.

Pam : I learned from Jim, if Dwight ever asks you if you accept something secret, you reply, “Absolutely I do.”

It’s a tribute to Jim, for sure, but just maybe Pam has her own secret reasons up her sleeve, like running interference between Dwight and the rest of the office none too thrilled to be under his iron rule. Actually, though, that would have been a side effect of Jim’s efforts as well, so well done to both.

Confessions of a Receptionist

Have you noticed that if interoffice initiatives are met with even marginal success, Pam is in some way significantly involved?

Andy : Class is canceled, everybody out!
Dwight : No, wait, what are you doing?!
Andy : I’m punishing them.
Dwight : No, no, no, wait! Class is not canceled.
[General commotion ensues]
Pam : Hey, c’mon! Let’s listen to Dwight’s presentation.
[Everyone quiets, Dwight winks at her]
Oscar : What are you winking for?
Dwight : Zip your lid.

And if met with utter failure, it is by fault of complete disregard.

Michael : So, I guess we’re getting back together.
Pam : What happened?
Michael : Your advice was good, but Jan’s was bigger.

Something tells me we’re in for an enormous treat next season as the new and improved Pam really starts to take hold.

The Jim/Pam Index

A year removed from the heroics of last May finds us again fueled with anticipation for some crucial development with Jim and Pam. The bar is astronomically high; the main requirement is simply that it does justice to the weight of an added year of investment.

We pick up fairly close to where we left off last week, Pam flushed with confidence and owning the world. She said it, she did it, she’s content, unembarrassed, even enormously pleased. After all, as she points out herself, it only took her three years to summon the courage. And that is exactly what we have, three years of history rushing headlong into this one night.

Oscar : Hey, Pam? I’ve been meaning to say something to you. I really miss our friendship.
[Everyone laughs good-naturedly]
Pam : [smiles] Ha, ha, that’s very funny.
Stanley : I’ve never heard you talk that much. I thought it was Kelly.
Kelly : Are you kidding? I would never have done that. It was patheticville. No offense, Pam.
Meredith : You know what? Don’t even worry about it. Everyone was so drunk, I bet no one even remembers what you said.
Creed : I remember. I blogged the whole thing.

She’s in a really good place, arguably the best of her life. Her budding assertiveness is not limited only to interactions with Jim, but infiltrates every aspect of her day. On top of that is a great release and, no longer frustrated by self-restriction, she’s downright carefree.

Pam : I’m happy for him. I hope he gets the job. I really just want him to be happy. And I know that sounds cliche, and I know saying it sounds cliche sounds cliche. Maybe I’m being cliche, I don’t care. ‘Cause I am what I am. [Considers] That’s Popeye.

Not to say that she doesn’t care; absolutely she does. But she’s done all she can do and she’s at peace to let the present run its course.

Pam’s process of self-discovery this year has ever-so-subtly paralleled the opposite in Jim. What began as courageous attempt to expand his horizons now drifts rather aimlessly. The small, telling moments pile up throughout the rest of the episode– he has lived mere hours from New York presumably all his life and yet hasn’t ventured there outside of a middle school field trip; only under serious prodding and seeming duress does he change something as simple as a haircut. His current circumstances began as insurance against a further assault on his heart, but are now so evolved that he’s the cog in the wheel he would have once tried to stop.

Karen : So what’s going to happen to us when I get this job?
Jim : Oh, you mean when I get this job?
Karen : Well, if you get the job… then I’d move here for you. Would you move for me?
[Jim is silent]
Karen : I’m not stupid, okay? I was at the beach. We don’t have a future in Scranton. There’s one too many people there.
Jim : You mean Kevin?
Karen : Exactly. But you get it, right? We can’t stay there.
Jim : Yeah, I do.

There’s not much insight given into Jim’s thoughts at this point other than a surprising lack of conflict. Even “Dunder Mifflin, this is Grace,” only seems to stir a fond memory, nothing more. So what happens to spark the sudden change of heart? What breaks the stalemate and brings about the ending? At first I pointed to the obvious: Pam’s fateful note tumbling from the sales reports, don’t forget us when you’re famous!, her counterpart to the tinfoil trophy that he had once upon a time kept as treasure. And beyond that, the opportunity of the note was there because she had prepared the reports, a reminder in itself of how inexorably she is tied to even the most inconsequential details of his life.

But, after some consideration, I think the actual turning point snuck in and slipped by unnoticed. The moment surrounding Pam’s note is obviously the climax, but only for a decision unconsciously made long before. Fortunately, the all-seeing hypothetical documentarian chose to let us in on the whole truth.

[Flashing back to footage on beach day]
Jim : How are your feet?
Pam : Medium rare. Thanks.
Jim : The real reason that I went to Stamford was because I wanted to be… not here.
Pam : I know.
Jim : And even though I came back, I just feel like I’ve never really… come back.
Pam : [nods, pauses briefly] Well I wish you would.

I don’t know if it was the surroundings, the night, the water, or just my overactive imagination, but something about this scene immediately recalled the Booze Cruise and the pivotal moment of reigning silence with a hundred things dying to be said. And now, in contrast, for all who doubted their time apart was at least beneficial, if not downright necessary, Pam’s candid reply is triumph enough.

Suddenly, the person standing in front of Jim is the person he had always tried to push her to be– not out of any selfish intent to change her into someone who would love him, but out of his sincere wish to see her honest with herself, confident and untroubled, unafraid to stand on her own two feet. And though the brief exchange by the water may have been without immediate result, it’s almost assuredly the moment thrown into focus when the next ten years of his life demand to be accounted for.

Pam : No, I don’t know what the future holds, but I’m optimistic. And I had fun goofing around with Dwight today. Jim and I are just too similar. Maybe one day I’ll find my own Karen. But– you– that is a– um, you know, not… a man. A man version. But, uh, until then, I can hold my head up. I’m not gay.

It’s important to note that Pam’s satisfaction with the outcome comes long before she has any idea her life has changed forever a hundred miles away in New York. If she were to be asked at this moment if it was all worthwhile, I guarantee the answer would be an emphatic yes, every minute, even to go through it all again if it means getting here.

Pam : I haven’t heard anything. But I bet Jim got the job. I mean, why wouldn’t he? He’s totally qualified, and smart, everyone loves him. And if he never comes back again, that’s okay. We’re friends. And I’m sure we’ll stay friends. We just… we never got the timing right. You know? I shot him down, and then he did the same to me, but you know what? It’s okay. I am totally fine. Everything is going to be totally…
[The door opens hastily and the camera swings to catch Jim enter]
Jim : Pam. Sorry. Um, are you free for dinner tonight?
Pam : Yes.
Jim : All right, then… it’s a date.
[He exits and Pam returns to the camera, overcome with emotion]
Pam : I’m sorry, what was the question?

The culmination of three years in one simple little tap at the doorframe, slipping innocently into the middle of a sentence, a landslide without any commotion at all. I have yet to watch Pam’s response without mirroring it myself; tears and indescribable, inexpressible joy. I once declared nothing could top the spectacular Casino Night, and while they each belong to their season and really can’t even draw a fair comparison, I am thrilled to be so wholly wrong.

Once thing is certain; from here out, whatever the chosen direction will be uncharted territory. The road map of their British counterparts ends with such a moment and the proverbial ride into the sunset. Here there will be a morning after, and a year after, and a year after that.

The appropriate number of question marks are in the air, but at present, The Job soars unequivocally Up and all but obliterates the JP Index.

Supporting Nod

Jan completes her epic streak of self-destruction with a meltdown of cataclysmic proportions.

Jan : [sobbing, near hysterical] It’s just… I’m sorry. It’s just these painkillers that I started taking since the surgery. Ohhh! They make my moods totally unpredictable. Wow. What am I gonna do…?
Michael : Well, I guess you could come and stay at my condo. I think I could back out of the sale. Probably get some negative feedback on my eBay profile.
Jan : We can’t live together. Actually, wait a minute. This could be great. This could be perfect. You know, my full time job could be our relationship. I could wear stretch pants and wait for you to come home at 5:15. It could work! This could work, really!

Talk about coming full circle. Is this really the same woman who narrowly escaped Michael’s clutches on Casino Night?

The Superstar

Unequivocally, undeniably Pam.

Transmissions from the Office

  • Creed : www.creedthoughts.gov.www/creedthoughts. Check it out.
    Ryan : Last year, Creed ask me how to set up a blog. Wanting to protect the world from being exposed to Creed’s brain, I opened up a Word document on his computer, and put an address at the top. I’ve read some of it. Even for the Internet, it’s… pretty shocking.

    Better watch out, boy. That kind of quick thinking could take you straight to the top.

  • Michael : Pam, DEFCON 10, Houston, we have a problem.
    Pam : What do you want me to do?
    Michael : Uh, I may need some immediate assistance. If you would slowly and quietly gather the ladies in the conference room. Phyllis, Angela, Karen.
    Pam : What about Meredith?
    Michael : No. She’s an alternate.

    It’s okay, Meredith. Blessed be those who sit and wait. And who will be too drunk to remember anyway.

  • Dwight : How would you like to spend the night with the regional manager of Dunder Mifflin Scranton?
    Angela : No, Dwight, I don’t care if that’s how they consolidated power in ancient Rome…
    Dwight : No no, not– not Michael. Me. I’m taking his job.
    [Angela smiles, Dwight moves a little too close]
    Angela : Not now. [Considers, then smiles to herself] Goodbye, Kelly Kapoor.

    You know what they say, revenge is the sincerest form of flattery.

  • Dwight : Once I’m officially regional manager, my first order of business will be to demote Jim Halpert. So I will need a new number two. My ideal choice? Jack Bauer. But he is unavailable. Fictional. And overqualified.

    Nothing says mid-level employee at a mid-sized Northeastern Pennsylvania based paper company like Jack Bauer.

  • Dwight : I am going to begin this process with a simple test of intelligence and mental dexterity. What is the best color?
    Andy : White. Because it contains all other colors.
    Dwight : Wrong. Black. It is the most dominant. How do you make a table?
    Andy : You make a chair, but you don’t sit on it.
    Dwight : What is the capital of Maine?
    Andy : The capital of Maine is Montpelier, Vermont, which is near Ithaca, New York, where I went to Cornell.
    Dwight : Okay. Also, moratorium on Cornell talk. Don’t want to hear about it. Forget your personal history, and learn the history of this company.
    Andy : That should not be a problem, I minored in history in the ivy league school which I attended.
    Dwight : You’re not off to a very good start, Bernard.
    Andy : I agree. But, in another way, I am off to a very good start, wouldn’t you say?

    The capital of Maine is Montpelier, Vermont?

  • Dwight : This is a Schrute buck. When you have done something good, you will receive one Schrute buck. One thousand Schrute bucks equals an extra five minutes for lunch.
    Pam : [raises hand] What is the cash value of a Schrute buck?
    Dwight : Excellent question, Pam. 1/100th of a cent.
    Oscar : So 10,000 of your dollars is worth one real dollar?
    Dwight : Just zip your lid.

    Good thing Dwight’s reign of terror and elementary geology lectures lasts no longer than 24 hours, because Oscar is about one “zip your lid” away from Albany. Also, a little ironic that 24 hours is how long it takes Jack Bauer to save the world.

  • Michael : Let’s just run away together. Let’s just run away to Jamaica, live in a bungalow. You have some savings, right? You could pay off my debts, it would be fine. We’d have fun.
    Jan : What’s– what’s the matter? What happened in there?
    Michael : I can’t tell you.
    Jan : Tell me what?

    The time lapse between Michael saying he cannot tell until all gushes forth at an alarming rate averages at about 2/10ths of a second. Jan’s questioning isn’t even threatening and the look on his face is somewhere between severe constipation and violent internal combustion.

  • Michael : David, I did not tell her.

    Oh, he most definitely told her. Though, as always, the fault of the escaped secret lies mostly with whomever entrusted Michael with it in the first place.

  • Dwight : Now let us discuss precipitation. Stanley, when rainfall occurs, does it usually fall in a liquid, solid, or gaseous state?
    Stanley : Liquid.
    Dwight : Very good. You have earned one Schrute buck.
    Stanley : I don’t want it.
    Dwight : Then you have been deducted fifty Schrute bucks.
    Stanley : Make it a hundred.
    Dwight : Don’t you want to earn Schrute bucks?
    Stanley : No. In fact, I’ll give you a billion Stanley nickels if you never talk to me again.
    Dwight : What’s the ratio of Stanley nickels to Schrute bucks?
    Stanley : The same as the ratio of unicorns to leprechauns.

    Rainfall in solid, liquid, or gaseous state? Sorry, Dwight, you had this one coming.

  • David : Oh hey, do you have your quarterly numbers?
    Jim : Yes, absolutely.
    David : And that questionnaire? Sorry to make you fill that thing out.
    Jim : Oh, no, absolutely.
    David : It’s just an HR formality. We have this very irritating HR guy here, he’s probably the only person you’re not going to like. Kendall. Ugh.

    This was so completely overshadowed by the bombshell of the yogurt lid note that I didn’t even catch it until the third viewing. David has a Toby!

  • Michael : Ryan, coffee.
    Ryan : I don’t do that stuff anymore.
    Michael : No, it’s for me, bimbo. Kids.

    Apparently some hotness, per se, can get you anywhere. However it came about, Ryan pulled the upset of the year with his tag scene shocker.

  • David : [on phone] We’re all very excited you’re going to be joining us. It’ll be nice to have another MBA around here.
    Ryan : [on phone, smiling] I’m excited too. Okay. Bye.
    Kelly : Who was that?
    Ryan : Nobody. You and I are done.
    Kelly : What?!

    If any lessons were learned from the Michael Scott School of Business, let’s hope it’s only rule five that sticks– safety first, i.e., don’t burn the building down, Fire Guy.

Odds and Ends

  • So, it turns out the corporate position did have something to do with Jan being AWOL– though I’ll admit, I would have never guessed just how.
  • That’s a whole lot of exotic souvenirs to pick up in Scottsdale.
  • Pay attention to Angela as Dwight expounds on the miraculous origins of paper. Teacher’s got a pet.
  • Could the prospects for season 4 be any more exciting?

The Story in Pictures

Gallery Image

192 comments have been recorded under this entry.

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CAN'T WAIT!

1Posted by Jen on May 17, 2007

So, let's set the odds on Jan's big news.

Pregnant: 2-1

She's quitting because Michael broke up with her: 3-1

She's taking over the Scranton Branch: 4-1

She has decided to propose to Michael: 6-1

She is going to pick the new corporate employee based on a series of beach games that will ultimately come down to a failed fire walk and a tribal council in which the only real progress comes from someone that isn't an actual candidate: 100-1

2Posted by wrldtallestmike on May 17, 2007

You left out "breast implants." My odds sheet would look like this:

Implants(Michael immediately takes her back): 2-1

Pregnant: 3-1

Buys home and asks Michael to move in: 4-1

Proposes to Michael: 6-1

Taking over Scranton Branch: 10-1

3Posted by Jake on May 17, 2007

I'm betting on:

Tells everyone she is really a man 2-1

Closing the Scranton branch 3-1

Pregnant with Tim Meadows' baby (had to make that sale!) 5-1

Brings her Girlfriend to the office 8-1

Has a crush on Bob Vance 10-1

4Posted by Pat D. on May 17, 2007

Oooh, almost forgot:

Corporate is being absorbed by the Scranton branch, and Michael is now her boss 50-1, but would be pretty damn funny.

5Posted by Pat D. on May 17, 2007

Sadly, none of those are funny.

6Posted by Shane Dubya on May 17, 2007

Darn, nobody ever laughs at my jokes.

Anyways, poor, poor Michael. Jan has completely gone insane and he's stuck with her now.

And it looks like Jim and Pam will be getting busy in the off-season. LOL.

7Posted by Pat D. on May 17, 2007

1st Man that was awesome...but such a long wait till season four. I'm gonna go crazy.

2nd I want to read Creed's "blog"

8Posted by bagley on May 17, 2007

OMG. They've blown my mind. My mind is blown.

"Who was that?"

"No one. You and I are through."

"What?!?!"

9Posted by MarvSomething on May 17, 2007

Did anyone else start crying when the gold medal from Office Olympics fell out with Pam's note? Dunder Mifflin--this is Grace. Scranton hands down whupped NYC's ass.

10Posted by Jillian on May 17, 2007

What did the note say? I don't have the biggest tv and couldn't run up to the tv in time to read it. I did see the office olympics medal of course. And Jim looks soooo good with the new haircut :)

11Posted by BB on May 17, 2007

That was amazing.

Kelly: Who was that?
Ryan: Nobody. We're done! (evil smirk)

12Posted by Brian on May 17, 2007

Spoiler warning

RYAN GOT THE JOB!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe it!!!! I never saw it coming!!!

To be honest, I thought the show was over after Jim asks Pam to dinner. I was mildly disappointed--thought it ended on kind of a downer. But MAN...what a shocking twist at the end! I love it I love it I love it!

And now, looking back, I realize that it's been leading up to this the whole time. Ryan's whole development as a character over not just season 3, but season 2 as well...it's all been leading up to this. And none of us ever even realized it!

Man--okay, first bring on the season 3 DVD. Now let's get season 4 going on!!! I can't wait!

13Posted by Philip on May 17, 2007

Pam definitely gets huge props for her handling of Dwight during his brief reign of terror.

14Posted by Adam on May 17, 2007

Now I totally understand why BJ was doing the live chat over at NBC. That was the most amazing episode. I cannot wait to have a DVR marathon and watch season 3 with happy thoughts the whole time!

15Posted by secondrink on May 17, 2007

Oh my god oh my god oh my god!! I'm speechless!! Does this show know how to do a season finale or what?!

16Posted by Miranda on May 17, 2007

Oh my god...Ryan has ascended to the throne. Does this mean B.J. Novak is off the show, at least acting-wise? What the hey happened to Karen? Did Jim just take off and leave her in New York? Or will we see a flashback during next seasons premiere which shows Jim breaking the news to Karen? It's nice that Jim and Pam are starting over again at square one....I didn't want him to come blustering in and propose his undying love for her...but I did want to see a start, a begining to something bigger down the road. Poor Michael...he did the noble thing and paid the price. His end speech was so sad...does he really feel that way about Dunder-Mifflin? That it's his tomb? Anyone else here feel like Pam doesn't really want to see Dwight hurt, but still likes to play with him? It's kind of like a big sister vibe...she's protective of him but would never show it. I think as much as she was playing around pretending to be Dwight's secret ally, she was kind of running interference for him and making sure the rest of the office didn't burn him at the stake.

17Posted by critterfur on May 17, 2007

Does anyone else feel really bad for Micheal? He seems like he just wants to keep people happy and have them like him. He's just horrible when he's legitimately trying to do both, albeit for the most part unintentionally (except when Toby's involved). He also really loves the company. But, with one episode, his life just went completely into the toilet.

I can actually see him dropping some of his blind hatred for Toby if Toby helps him out, as he did on bring your daughter to work day. I also see a very bleak and horrible 4th season for Micheal. Its going to get worse before it gets better for him.

18Posted by John on May 17, 2007

I guess Michael will be getting Ryan's coffee now...

19Posted by Cole Walk on May 17, 2007

hey, jake, post 3, did you have some intel or what? how'd you see the implants coming. wow.

best finale. ever.

20Posted by Grass Roots on May 17, 2007

Yes, how did you know about those implants.

21Posted by John on May 17, 2007

Man...are they trying to get people to NOT like Pam?? I mean, I'm a Karen / Jim fan but I didn't hate Pam...but now she was so rude to Karen, who has only been nice to her. What gives with that? She needs to know how to have her "moments" without hurting people, no one has hurt her but her.

...and if a fake gold medal is all it takes for Jim to go running back to a dead end job, then...more power to him... Yes, I'm upset!! :)

GREAT EPISODE THOUGH!!! I loved it! I think Kevin gets the supporting nod--hilarious.

Ready for the DVDs!!!!!!

22Posted by Monday Morning. on May 17, 2007

critterfur, you said "Ascended to the throne," did you realize it's Ascension Day today? It says so on my calendar :P

23Posted by Jillian on May 17, 2007

Well, seeing as Karen's the one who outwardly called Pam a b**ch, I can't say she's very nice either...

24Posted by Anne on May 17, 2007

That was a great ending. I can't wait for Season 4.

25Posted by BroncoMike on May 17, 2007

I stopped trying to like Karen the minute I saw Jim's new haircut.

26Posted by Bees Kneesly on May 17, 2007

My roommate and I freaked out and started screaming and hugging and jumping around our TV room as soon as Jim walked through the door during Pam's confessional.

I'm so happy!!!!!

Wow. I didn't thing the finale could be everything I wanted it to be, but it was.

27Posted by liesl on May 17, 2007

Holy crap that was good.

28Posted by Jon on May 17, 2007

Anyone else think Kitty Sanchez.... when Jan got her job done?

29Posted by sweepthelegs on May 17, 2007

Grass Roots & John...

No intel. I never bought into the pregnancy scenario but I kept hearing all the actors say, "something big, literally big, was happening to Jan." Then when I realized the episode was called, "The Job," bells rang.

#22...I just don't see how you can call Pam rude. Honest, sure, but rude? After all, it was PAM who went in to check on Karen to make sure she wasn't feeling "weird." That's not rude, that's empathy.

Also, that was A LOT more than just a fake gold medal. That was a symbol of everything Pam and Jim mean to each other. You can't change history. You can't derail destiny.

30Posted by Jake on May 17, 2007

That was great! Everyone expected Karen to get the job, but here comes Ryan out of nowhere. Unfortunately, it further increases my hatred of his character; he's a jerk. Also, he was the least qualified of the candidates, he's never even made a sale. Sorry, but MBA does not trump experience. Oh well, i guess it's like a normal workplace where some people get put in places they really shouldn't be.

ps, Jim sure likes to end relationships abruptly. First, katy on the booze cruise and now just leaving Karen in NY. That's low.

31Posted by Kaanon on May 17, 2007

AMAZING episode, I am so pleased! Fancy New Beesley has made me so proud this season and I really did not think it could get better than last week. And then they kicked it up a notch, BAM! :)

And then Ryan at the very end, with that devious look! So excited for next season, how will we wait four months?!

32Posted by o on May 17, 2007

Great twist with Ryan getting the job, but how is it possible? He hasn't been with the company that long and we all know his sales numbers weren't so great, plus he doesn't have any management background. He got the job over a phone interview? Is that really believable? It was still a great end to the third season. Pams face totally lit up when Jim asked her out. I'm glad Michael and Jan got back together. It'll be interesting to see how they work through their problems together. Andy as Dwights number two was hilarious. You could tell he hated sucking up to Dwight. It's gonna be a long summer indeed.

33Posted by shaun on May 17, 2007

I didn't see Jim's speech at the end because I turned to catch the beginning of Grey's!!! Can anyone write up with script of it???

34Posted by Mindi on May 17, 2007

Oh, Mindi. Mindi, Mindi, Mindi. When will you learn that it's always best to miss the beginning of a mediocre show than the very end of the season finale of a great show.

(just kidding)

35Posted by Jake on May 17, 2007

Karen was never resolved. She didn't get Jan's job and she didn't come back with Jim, but she wasn't fired from her Scranton position. Will she come back next season and create more tension in the office? Revenge? Will she stay in NYC? Who knows?

36Posted by Cole Walk on May 18, 2007

Wow, it was Ascension Day, wasn't it? Looked it up on wikipedia :) I just meant ascension in the sense of a king, not in the biblical sense, but I suppose it is like going to heaven for a guy like Ryan...or else it's like taking over the 9th level of hell...I mean Ryan just looked eeevil in that last shot. I wonder if a lot of people missed that...seems like many show are trying to add in a surprise in that one or two extra minutes after the hour is supposedly up, so that people who tivo it are left in the lurch. I don't have a tivo, can't afford it, and just tape my shows the old fashioned way on a VCR, and I've learnt to allow for extra minutes at the end, especially during major episodes like this one. Let me say one thing about the "resolution" of the whole Jim/Pam/Karen hoopla...I thought that, at certain points, not just in this episode but in the season in general, that Karen AND Pam were right or wrong about certain things. I guess I never found I could pick a side, because just when you assume Karen will be manipulative little witch, she actually did something genuinely sweet, and just when you wanted to care about Pam, she went and did something a little mean or spiteful. And vice versa. I like that. Jim did pick Karen up on the rebound, and maybe that's the worst crime of all, because he played on the poor girls feelings in order to deal with his own frustrations. Let's be honest, watch the beginning of the season again, and tell me Jim isn't flirting up a storm with Karen...she's not seducing him away from Pam, she's actually very careful about how she proceeds (and that's before she even knew about Pam).

37Posted by critterfur on May 18, 2007

But it's funny that Karen's biggest mistake seems to have been calling Jan crazy in that one scene. Why is that, I've been wondering. Maybe I'm just slow on the uptake, but I'm guessing that Jan's moment of vulnerability, or saying what she wanted to say, of being painfully honest and embarassed, reminded Jim of Pam's coal-walk speech an episode ago...and hearing Karen mock such an open show of emotion made Jim finally snap. So it wasn't a situation where Karen openly said, "Ugh! Pam? Ugh!"...it was an insult by proxy...so let's have a little sympathy for poor Karen. Now next season is going to be the real test for Jim and Pam...the time when they finally have to mutually come clean about what's been going on between them. I think there's still a lot of hurt feelings there that have to be dealt with, and then once they're on the romance train, which I'm guessing will get pretty hot and heavy in the sexual department (I mean they've been boiling over for something like 5 years...yowza)...then they have to deal with the kiss of death for any relationship on television, namely...once we get two characters together, the audience gets bored of the lack of tension and wants them to break apart. Honestly, very few shows, if any, have found a way around this pitfall...maybe they'll finally break the curse.

38Posted by critterfur on May 18, 2007

Oh, and I predict, in addition to the death of the Ryan/Kelly relationship, we will see the second death of Michael/Jan and the death of the supposedly indestructible Dwangela. Why, you ask? Because it's normal episodic tv formula, the whole action/reaction thing, where if you get two characters together, an already existing relationship has to die, to make room for a new plotline. Otherwise everyone in that office is going to be matched up with someone else who works there, which comes off as a little unrealistic. Then again, who cares about the episodic tv formula?

39Posted by critterfur on May 18, 2007

Did anyone else notice that the ending was a mirror image of the ending of the UK Office Christmas Special? (Spoiler for those who haven't seen the UK version.) After Dawn left the party, seemingly out of Tim's life forever, Tim did his talking head where he said he figured they would never get together but life would go on etc. Then they show Dawn opening his Christmas present in the car with the note from him saying to never give up. Dawn rather suddenly reappears at the party and that is it. It was pretty close to last night except the roles were reversed.

40Posted by Rick on May 18, 2007

First of all, everyone has been saying that Pam needs to be more honest and assertive, but when she finally is, she gets criticized for it. I thought her co-workers' response to her honesty was pretty crappy--from Oscar to Karen to Meredith to Angela to Dwight. Michael will land on his feet. Yes, he is probably going to have to file bankruptcy and Jan is going to be waiting for him everyday at 5:15 wearing stretch pants, but Michael is a good guy and he will be baaack!! As far as Karen is concerned, Jim's feelings for her don't compare with his feelings for Pam. After Pam's honesty after the coal walk, many of the barriers between her and Jim have been removed. They are free to resume their friendship and it will undoubtedly grow into something more. Now, about Ryan. Is it possible that David was talking to someone other than Ryan? And is it possible that Ryan was talking to someone other than David? The conversations seemed to be with each other, but an entire season of Dallas was nothing more than a dream so stranger things have happened.

41Posted by dunderhead on May 18, 2007

I think Ryan and David were talking to each other, but it's possible that the position they were discussing was a different one, not Jan's. (On the other hand, a comment made during last night's live blog suggests that Ryan really will be Michael's boss.)

Speaking of Jan, she must have gone off the deep end to not be able to figure out that the position being filled was hers.

42Posted by Steve_OH on May 18, 2007

Holy cow! "Tell her I want to squeeze them. It's code." And it's actually in the vicinity of gallant when he uncorks "You're unbalanced!" at the CFO before reverting back to his Michael-ishness with "we're all unbalanced." I'm not sure how formulaic this show actually is but I'm guessing the writers and producers will try to come up with arcs that go against the grain.

Also, can you believe how much weight that little yogurt lid carried? I mean the weight of the entire last two seasons of JAMmy goodness (and 5 years or so in backstory time) was carried by that incredibly sweet (calculated? who cares?) gesture by Pam. Such is the genius of this show that a "gold medal" made out of a yogurt lid towards the beginning of last season can have such an effect and that we all get the meaning and the impact.

Last: All of the characters have shown their humanity in ways that have made us uncomfortable or heartened. Pam's cattiness, Jim's occasional asshattedness,
Dwight's real and obvious but mostly repressed affection for Pam, Angela's reaching out to Pam for friendship, all of these surprise and delight us because they are seemingly out of character until we realize we are still getting to know these people and that we care about them. In most sitcoms the breadth and depth of a characters are is explicitly spelled out by the first commercial of the pilot episode. But 2 seasons plus 6 episodes (you really can't call S1 a season) in to this series we are still learning about these characters. You'd better believe the writers will leverage that fact and the fact that we care in S4. How much to Jim and Pam REALLY know about each other, given that they've never spent (as far as I can tell) quality time together outside of the context of D-M Scranton?

PS: "Downside, I date Michael Scott publicly and collapse into myself like a dying star." Poor, poor Jan. Poor, poor Michael. They're not real, but they're specTACular.

43Posted by whoadaddy on May 18, 2007

whodaddy, kudos on the yogurt lid summary. That's when the tears started falling. They did pack a lot of symbolism in something that normally would just be thrown away. See Ryan's reaction during OO--perhaps the beginning of his evilness?

Being that Jan's prophecy was (self?) fulfilled, is she going to be a black hole next season, sucking Michael into her vortex of insanity?

44Posted by Jillian on May 18, 2007

About Ryan: It's a heckuva stretch for him to be named in that position. He's been a full time employee for less than a year. He has never made a sale. He's in business school ergo not an MBA yet. Which of these attributes make him qualified to make such a huge leap up the corporate ladder? And if he does, you just know his arrogance will NOT serve him well. In this scenario I have to believe that Karen got the job. Reason? The message Pam gave Michael towards the beginning of the ep to which he responds "isn't he in Pittsburg?" Someone calling for a reference on a certain ex-temp, perhaps?

45Posted by whoadaddy on May 18, 2007

About Ryan: It's a heckuva stretch for him to be named in that position. He's been a full time employee for less than a year. He has never made a sale. He's in business school ergo not an MBA yet. Which of these attributes make him qualified to make such a huge leap up the corporate ladder? And if he does, you just know his arrogance will NOT serve him well. In this scenario I have to believe that Karen got the job. Reason? The message Pam gave Michael towards the beginning of the ep to which he responds "isn't he in Pittsburg?" Someone calling for a reference on a certain ex-temp, perhaps?

46Posted by whoadaddy on May 18, 2007

It wasn't just the gold yogurt lid, it was Pam's note "Don't forget us when you are famous." That was the clincher!! Loved it. Awesome ending. Ryan, the temp who has YET to make a sale, gets Jan's job. LOL Fitting. That's management for you - we always wonder how they got their job because rarely are they qualified. So way to go, Ryan.

FINALLY, Ryan breaks up with Kelly. Sheesh! Took him 15 months.

47Posted by Diversity Tomorrow on May 18, 2007

What's happened to officetally.com?

48Posted by Diversity Tomorrow on May 18, 2007

Maybe Ryan will return to the office as often as Jan did. And perhaps a romance will bloom between him & Michael.... or not. shiver

49Posted by Steve-O on May 18, 2007

You know, I've been an anti-Pam/Jim guy for a while, only for the reason that NBC really exploits their arc, making it a Ross/Rachel thing. But I will be honest in saying that the last minutes of the episode (from the medal to Jim's flashback to Pam's confessional) were all very sweet and well deserved. It made me happy to see them happy. Which I wouldn't have been if we didn't see how human these characters are. We needed to see Jim brush her off in an attempt (not to be an a-hole), but to try to move on with Karen. But that is easier said than done. As far as Pam's assertiveness/catiness? If we didn't get that, then her end confessional about being happy for Jim leaving wouldn't have been present. We needed to hear how confident she COULD be about THAT possibility for the payoff to hold more weight. It's a sign of maturity (not the boring, societal kind...more of the human, emotional kind).

AND as far as comment #22's (Monday Mornings) comments about Pam being mean to Karen, does thou NOT remember that Karen attempted to destroy Pam's art gallery flyer?

50Posted by Jose on May 18, 2007

You know, I've been an anti-Pam/Jim guy for a while, only for the reason that NBC really exploits their arc, making it a Ross/Rachel thing. But I will be honest in saying that the last minutes of the episode (from the medal to Jim's flashback to Pam's confessional) were all very sweet and well deserved. It made me happy to see them happy. Which I wouldn't have been if we didn't see how human these characters are. We needed to see Jim brush her off in an attempt (not to be an a-hole), but to try to move on with Karen. But that is easier said than done. As far as Pam's assertiveness/catiness? If we didn't get that, then her end confessional about being happy for Jim leaving wouldn't have been present. We needed to hear how confident she COULD be about THAT possibility for the payoff to hold more weight. It's a sign of maturity (not the boring, societal kind...more of the human, emotional kind).

AND as far as comment #22's (Monday Mornings) comments about Pam being mean to Karen, does thou NOT remember that Karen attempted to destroy Pam's art gallery flyer?

51Posted by Jose on May 18, 2007

1) I can't wait to see Ryan as Micheal's boss.

2) I paused the Tivo for five minutes while my roommate and I discussed whether it was feasible for creed's url to exist before hearing Ryan's explanation which elicited a simultaneous "oh".

3) I'm glad Karen got left in NY.

52Posted by Black Pepper Snake on May 18, 2007

@Diversity Tomorrow

Office Tally is temporarily at http://officetally.wordpress.com

53Posted by Dude on May 18, 2007

I still don't think Ryan got the job. It's just too far to jump. Junior, junior salesman, no sales, no experience, he's still in business school so he's not an MBA yet and even if he was there's nothing on his resume, and that message from the guy in Pittsburgh. That message is the key. We all know how careful the writers and producers are about what gets in the final edit. That tiny almost nonexistent snippet between Pam and Michael was there for a reason. And that reason might be that Ryan may have been offered a position as A (to the) RM in Pittsburgh.

54Posted by whoadaddy on May 18, 2007

Karen was protecting her "very real" interests (her relationship)...unlike Pam who is not even with Jim trying to come between him and Karen. Sure there is some truth to...if someone is able to come between a couple...then the couple wasn't strong but I believe more in being respectful toward others and not being the cause for destroying a relationship. If it is going to crash and burn let it, but dont cause it. And Karen called Pam a B* because she was truly acting like one!!! I felt that way about her little "I'm jsut checking on you" scene before Karen's talking head. And if you guys cant see that...then...your love for Jam has jaded your view!!! Sorry!

Karen hasn't done a thing to Pam accept beat her to the punch with Jim.

Hey, I know I'm on my own with this...but...that's just how I see it.

55Posted by Monday Morning. on May 18, 2007

Did anyone get a screenshot of the Schrute Bucks??? I want one desperately!

56Posted by Kelly on May 18, 2007

Great Episode. I agree with Dunderhead. I get the feeling that Ryan was not talking to David at the end.

57Posted by Trace on May 18, 2007

Yes, Pam is stepping all over Karen. And now possibly Jim will be stuck in Scranton working at DM for the foreseeable future. But where was everyone after Casino Night? Jim did the same thing to RAM as Pam just did to JAREN. Are we more upset because Karen is not the obvious enemy like Roy? This is Fancy New Beesley and she's mad as hell and she's just not going to take this anymore! The scene in the break room where she tells Karen that she isn't retracting (redacting!) her statements and had been thinking these things for awhile but is sorry if it's weird... is that bitchiness or just brutal honesty? Did FNB try to kiss Jim or proclaim her love or anything like that? While everyone knows their feelings run deep I personally heard first and foremost her lamenting the loss of her best friend. And I think FNB knows full well that getting together with Jim doesn't guarantee babies and the picket fence and pranks on Dwight until death they do part. I think both she and Jim both know that this could possibly be their chance for true happiness in life. Karen is a well meaning, sweet, attractive, innocent victim of unfortunate circumstance. Jim's choice, in my opinion, was very clear:

A)
Take the job at corporate and he now has a career at DM, not a job. We all know the job was his to take. All he had to do when asked "where do you see yourself in 10 years" was say something along the lines of "sitting in your chair" and the deal is done. And Karen moves to the City with him and there you go. A person could do worse than an executive job in Manhattan and a partner like Karen

B)
Leave Karen, be #2 at DM-Scranton, rebuild his relationship with the person who may be his soul-mate, and take things as they come. Jim could find another Karen, someone pretty and smart and "into him." He certainly could find another job, a career, etc. But there is only one Pam, which is the gist of the whole thing.

58Posted by whoadaddy on May 18, 2007

Hee hee...oh boy, the conflict! The writers succeeded in making a worthy adversary to Pam with Karen, because just look at the posts...it's maybe not a majority, but enough so that Karen was not in any way universally hated, or if she was, it was mostly on principle, and not the fact that her character was flawed, or at least not any more than the other office folk are. I do, however, think that Roy and Pam were not quite the same as Karen and Jim. Roy would openly flirt with other girls in front of Pam, he was often rude to her, and he was quite controlling. Now the controlling argument could be applied to Karen, but only as the season progressed, and Karen realized she had packed up her whole life to come to Scranton to be with a guy who didn't really love her. Karen tried to hold on to Jim, not out of some selfishness, but because she was probably hoping Jim's feelings would change. She didn't outright dump Jim when he confessed he still had feelings for Pam, she tried to talk it through with him...which Jim obviously hated. I guess what I'm saying is no one is the "villain" here...these characters aren't sitting at home plotting against each other and laughing maniacally...they're just trying to be happy. Sometimes that means they're going to be a little selfish. The point is that at the end of the episode, Pam realized that she wanted Jim to be happy, and if that meant letting him go, so be it. That's the most honest and truthful thing she could have done, moreso than telling Karen off or cancelling her wedding with Roy or the coal-walk speech. Oh, and by the way, I like the fact that most of her workers thought the speech was embarassing. If we ever get to the point where Pam is treated as a perfect character and defered to by everyone else in the cast, it won't be a good thing.

59Posted by critterfur on May 18, 2007

yeah, NBC should definitely have Schrute Bucks available at its website.

i'm not gonna lie, last night i spend about half an hour trying to draw one by hand to pass out to my co-workers this morning!

what about angela last night? "goodbye kelly kapour." she was just flat-out evil looking.

60Posted by Tony on May 18, 2007

Oh, and Ryan is Michael's superior now...believe it. It may seem unrealistic, but this show has to reach for that unrealistic plotline moreso than the UK version ever did. The very fact that Michael hasn't been canned up to this point is unrealistic...sure he's good at pushing paper, but come on. The guy is disaster defined. The relationship with Jan was a reach...no one's that self-destructive, are they? So let's assume that Ryan really is higher on the food chain, now. It makes sense, plotwise, doesn't it? How many more variations can they do on the old, Ryan hates working there but he sticks around for some unknown reason (not Kelly, obviously, and he has no real friends there). Ryan is a character who believes that having that sort of ultimate power is what he really wants, but as they say, his ego's writing checks his body can't cash. The fun now is going to be seeing Ryan, who has always sort of shaken his head at Michael's choices as an authority figure, placed into such a position himself...and my guess is that the writers are going to show us a Ryan who fails...miserably. A Ryan who is humbled to a certain degree, because that's what the character needs. All these characters, in order to grow, have to step beyond their stereotypical trappings and be someone different, even if just for a bit. If you want to call that breaking character, so be it...but as was stated by whoadaddy above, we have to see how far these characters can stretch to actually define them and their limits. We have to see a sympathetic Dwight for the logical tyrannical Dwight to have any meaning. We have to see a Jim that's cruel to Pam, a Pam that's nervous around Jim, a Karen that's kind (I know some of you hate to hear that, but it was there, it was evident)...and a Michael who knows what he's doing.

61Posted by critterfur on May 18, 2007

I just found this website recently. How long does it typically take for an episode review to be up? Knowing about when to check back will save me from refreshing this page so often :) Thanks!

62Posted by BB on May 18, 2007

I'm with a l lot of you. I just watched the episode a second time and I'm not conviced that Ryan was talking to David. He does not have his MBA and he has never made a sale. I'm very confused here. It is going to be a long summer.....

63Posted by Tammie on May 18, 2007

"Look for Jamie’s recap of what is sure to be another rousing finale next week."

64Posted by N. Monkey on May 18, 2007

er...that was for BB.

65Posted by N. Monkey on May 18, 2007

Thanks, N. Monkey. BB, the recap is usually posted by the following Monday, although Jamie may need a couple extra days this week given the finale-ness of the episode.

66Posted by James on May 18, 2007

I really don't think Ryan got Jan's job. I think David was talking to someone else on the phone and I think Ryan was talking to someone other than David.Possible scenarios is that Karen got the job and Ryan was just making a date with someone. How old is Stanley's daughter. Although i think Ryan wouldn't go there. Maybe Jim got the job and thats why he wanted to talk to Pam and possibly go with him to further her art career. Maybe Jim broke-up with Karen and thats why he wanted to talk to her. And then maybe Karen took Ryan up on his email asking her out. i really hope Ryan doesnt leave the show. I would love to see them do some more of the Michael crush on him. Season 2 had a lot. Season 3 had some great stuff of them but most are on the deleted scenes.But to make a long story short(too late) I just don't think Ryan has an MBA just yet. He goes to business night school. No one mentioned him graduating and I don't think he would get such a high ranking job right off the bat. Sorry i rambled.

67Posted by hauseriv on May 18, 2007

Nope, still not buying Ryan the Recent Temp as Michael's new boss. It's gonna be a long hot summer to wait through, but I'm laying all my cards on the table now and saying Ryan accepted a job with the mysterious fellow "from Pittsburgh."

As far as Karen v. Roy, well Roy was positioned as a loutish oaf from the beginning and represented Pam's past and many things that Pam needed to break free from. Karen was positioned as a viable person for Jim to start a relationship with and representing a possible future without Pam. That was my point in post #58 That's why the antipathy for Roy amongst Dunderheads is unequivocal and the feeling towards Karen is somewhat ambiguous.

Jamie's review of "The Convict" described Pam's reaction to the realization that Jim put Andy up to hitting on her and what that meant as "nothing short of the sun coming up." Her response to Jim's asking her on a date was possibly even brighter and sunnier. Or that could just have been reflected light from Jan collapsing on herself like a dying star.

68Posted by whoadaddy on May 18, 2007

BTW, if smart, driven, career oriented Karen gets the job, check back in 10 years to see her with a huge fake rack (er, fake enhancement, or...enhanced rack) and a horrible relationship with an underling, wondering where it all went wrong (we know, don't we JAM?). Don't think the various Office relationships reflect on one another? I do.

69Posted by whoadaddy on May 18, 2007

Agreed that Ryan got the job for the reasons Critterfur posts at 61. Also, it's spring, people. By the time the next season starts up, summer will have passed and it will be fall. Colleges are graduating classes right about now. I assume Ryan's finished his MBA (didn't he tell Jim about two years ago that it was two years of night classes?) and he's graduating and looking for a job.

With that in mind (and remember they're not hiring a salesman, they're hiring a manager) it's perfectly obvious for Ryan to apply for a management position at a company he knows very well, and for Dunder Mifflin to hire him as a newly minted, young and hungry MBA who already has operational experience with their company. If you think like Dunder Mifflin corporate instead of as fans of the show, Ryan's hiring makes perfect sense.

I also agree with Critterfur's assessment of the storytelling reasons for it. It gives them a path forward for Ryan who, lets face it, has been pretty much a dead end character for a long time now. There just wasn't much more to do with him unless they changed his situation dramatically, and now they've done that. Making him Michael's evil boss opens up a whole wonderland of paybacks and new takes on the weird relationship those two had back in season two - while paying off the revelation from Business School that underneath all the "being put upon," Ryan really is kind of a jerk.

So basically, I serve no purpose. What Critterfur said... :-(

70Posted by John on May 18, 2007

I also think Critterfur is right on the money. HOWEVER, Critterfur, if you are wrong, you will be deducted 500 Schrute Bucks!

71Posted by Jose on May 18, 2007

Nice try John, but I ain't biting.

Thinking like DM Corporate, it make NO sense at all. You don't hire inexperienced junior salesmen (what do you think his numbers look like? GOOSE EGG!) into senior management into a position where you are directly in charge of your former boss. He would have been placed in a junior management training program at most, or working under a person of Jan's stature say VP/Director, not AS a VP reporting directly to the CFO. And he's graduating/graduated? And Kelly Kapoor of all people hasn't let the whole world know? Nope, sorry, still not convinced at all.

CFO: So, you were a temp for a year, junior sales associate for a year. No sales at all? Can you explain that?

Ryan: Uh, wuhwuh. Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi!

CFO: Ok then, you have limited experience, you haven't finished business school yet, you have managed to make no sales in 2 years. Tell me why you should be considered for this position.

Ryan: Michael thinks I'm sexy.

72Posted by whoadaddy on May 18, 2007

I don't think Ryan is getting the corporate job but A corporate job. Which still opens the door for Karen or Jim to get it. I wonder if Jim would have been offered the job if he would have even taken it!

That last line was killer... I laughed my butt off! As a fan of Jam, I'm excited to see what happens next. And who else is curious to know what Jim said his 10-year plan is? What Karen will be like in the office if she and Jim break up? Yikes... talk about messy!

Creed's "Word document" is classic. There just has to be a blog out there somewhere. If anyone finds something like it, please let us know! It would be worth at least 50 Schrute Bucks!

73Posted by Irene on May 18, 2007

I haven't seen this posted in the comments yet, so I'll add it...
http://blog.nbc.com/CreedThoughts/

Also, I need to add that I kind of hate the "flashbacks". The show is supposed to be a documentary. I know that its a sitcom, but the flashbacks that they show move it closer to Friends then Seinfeld.

74Posted by wrldtallestmike on May 18, 2007

Question: Where was Toby?

Fact: I think he was committing malfeasances for malfeasanceses sake.

Bears, beets, Battlestar Galactica.

No really, I don't think I caught even a glimpse of Toby. I would have loved to hear his take on the newly pneumatic (I suppose hydraulic but pneumatic gives you a sense of lift and buoyancy) Ms. Gould or her subsequent meltdown at corporate. Possibly he made himself scarce, knowing of the coming nuclear winter? At corporate to consult on the candidates from Scranton? The world wonders.

75Posted by whoadaddy on May 18, 2007

I wonder:

Will, despite all our hopes, JAM's efforts to become intimate be so awkward as to devolve into Michael Scott-level crigeworthiness?

Can Dwangela continue to exist in the vacuum that is D-M Scranton? Being #3 (or 4) is no place for a Sith Lord. And Angela Martin is not going to stay with an Apprentice forever. Her lust for power overwhelms that of Darth Dwigt.

Has Jan already bought new latex and leather outfits to go with her bigger advice?

Is everyone getting irritated by my constant posting today? My schedule at work was extremely light today. I'm not a hard worker like Jim. I sometimes only work on things for 30 minutes to get them done whilst some folks here work all day to do the same thing.

76Posted by whoadaddy on May 18, 2007

Whoadaddy, you read my mind!! Actually, between you and critterfur, the postings for The Job have hit record numbers for the day after a show. I have personally enjoyed your contributions, and I agree with your analysis of just how unqualified sweetcheeks is for the job at corporate.

77Posted by dunderhead on May 18, 2007

Did anybody else think of Mr. Burns when Ryan gave that evil look and then dumped Kelly?

I could almost see him saying "Exxxxccccellllent. Its all falling into place."

78Posted by Pat D. on May 18, 2007

About the flashback (which I LOVED)

this is from the Live Blog done on nbc.com after the episode, from Greg Daniels:

Documentaries don't have flashbacks, but documentary editors can and often do change the order of scenes they have shot to tell their stories. The editor of this documentary saved the footage from Beach Games and decided to put it where he/she did for effect.
ah HAH! Wriggled out of that one.

-Anthony

79Posted by Anthony on May 18, 2007

Dunderhead,

I hope you yelled my tag out like Bart Simpson: "WHOOOOOOOOaaa DADdy! As for Ryan (Bimbo. Himbo?): Everyone thinks he's a tease. Interesting how it will play out what with Rashida's pilot not being picked up and she returning in a recurring role, from what I hear. I'm sure B.J. will be back being that he is a writer/producer as well as a regular. Sometimes there isn't enough room for everybody, and now Jan may be living in Scranton as well? Maybe this is why there is some speculation about turning TO into an hour-long show. Which would be a mistake. Do the 40 minute thing like TO-UK or Coupling.I think 40 minutes works for Earl and 30 Rock as well. Scrubs is hanging on for dear life and has had it's better days. 120 minutes of Earl, TO, and 30 Rock. I'd hit that!

But I digress. We saw two different conversations. Sneaky writers. Anyone else have an explanation for that Man in Pittsburgh snippet? We know that JAREN and Michael are in NYC on the interview. Did Ryan already interview? Wouldn't Michael and Dwight be suspicious and probably find out why if Ryan took a day off? And why would David have Ryan come up on a different day and earlier than the rest? He specifically wanted Michael to come up "Thursday (?)" on "Beach Day" and had JAREN come up the same day. Why? Jim, Karen, and Michael have no motivation to go to Pittsburgh. Ryan gave no previous indication of interest in the corporate job. I just don't buy it. Maybe Ryan ends up working with Todd Packer!

80Posted by whoadaddy on May 18, 2007

Hey, back again. I'll try to keep this one short. Ryan is not quallified at all for the corporate job...of course he isn't. That's not the point. If I can get political for a brief moment...our current president has kind of made a mockery of how he posted people to their various jobs, suggesting that most of those decisions were based on cronyism than any kind of logical merit system. The guy in charge of FEMA used to work with show ponies, most of the people making military decisions have no military background whatsoever...he simply picked people who were his friends, lackeys, or his father's friends/lackeys. Okay, political rant over...my apologies. Anyway, as far as I could see last night, the man doing the interviewing (David?) was using how someone thought of Michael Scott as a litmus test for good or bad potential. Karen's answer seemed to satisfy him a lot. And I'm sure Ryan could do his fair share of bashing Michael behind his back, or maybe he has so much dirt on him that he got in through blackmail. It is totally unrealistic for Ryan to get such a position, therefore, the comedy is ripe for the picking. It would work because it makes no sense. I may be completely wrong about the whole thing, but this show isn't Lost, it wouldn't try to mislead us or trick us. That conversation at the end was there for a reason. If they wanted to leave it open ended (as many season finales do) they could have cut right after the offer was made, or begun right as Ryan gets the call and smiles his evil smile...but they didn't. I seriously don't see them splicing together two different conversations just to fool people into believing something that isn't true. I think that conversation played out exactly as we saw, but the context behind that whole thing...that's the mystery. I think when Ryan saw Jim stand up and publicly announce he was going for the job in the beach day episode, he finally had enough. He contacted the corporate folks secretely and made some sort of devil's deal with them. Whoa, nelly, this post went on way too long. Signing off now.

81Posted by critterfur on May 18, 2007

Did any one notice that the CFO told Jim the only person he won't like at the corporate office is the head of HR. I found that funny that just like Michael hates Toby, the head of the company also despises the corporate HR representitive.

82Posted by altamonte on May 18, 2007

Ryan may not have the experience of Jim or Karen, but maybe he has the attitude. Remember his comments about DM-S in the episode where Michael gave a speech to his class. He may be more of a shark than we've seen so far. And he's probably less emotionally attached to the Scranton branch Jim, when it comes to making shrewd decisions (i.e. trimming the fat).

Jim's a personable guy, and a good salesman, but those may not necessarily be the qualities they're looking for in a corporate position.

Honestly, I missed a few eps in season 3, so I'm not sure where Karen would fit in this comparison, but I'd pegged her as more of the corporate type than Jim.

83Posted by Wraith on May 18, 2007

It kind of did seem like Ryan was talking to someone else. Even though I'm not really buying into that theory too much, I did feel that way upon watching the ep.

And this was an interesting bit on B.J.'s blog: "HI Anissa, it's B.J. First, be sure to send your phone number to me c/o nbc.com... just kidding... seriously, I think there will be some very funny plots next year involving Michael and Ryan... Their relationship could take on some characteristics of Michael and Jan... I'm sure that's Ryan's fear anyway. Thanks for the question. The short answer is I'm looking forward to that twist from both sides of camera."

84Posted by Jose on May 18, 2007

"less emotionally attached to the Scranton branch THAN Jim", that is.

85Posted by Wraith on May 18, 2007

Gosh Critterfur, I wish you would have left all of that stuff about our President out of your post. We can analyze the ending till the cows come home, but in the end, it will all just be our speculation. That being said, I anxiously await the season premier!!! Have a great weekend everybody! I'm signing off.

86Posted by dunderhead on May 18, 2007

Critterfur:

We're not done until you address the Pittsburgh Gambit! And it was Jim's job for the taking. I'm just sayin'. He chose what's best for Jim, and that apparently is a nice healthy slathering of JAM.

87Posted by whoadaddy on May 18, 2007

Like I said, I apologize for getting semi-political (I tried to just state the facts but it came out sounding like I was standing on a soapbox, so...sorry). I just had to show an example of what I was talking about happening in the real world, at the very highest levels of power, so....

Oh, and Jose beat me to the punch by looking up that quote from the live blog chat...I looked it up, was just about to post it, but there you go. Sounds to me like the relationship being similar to Jan and Michael, and the "twist"....sounds like what we've been saying. Maybe this was the plan all along, to introduce one of the writers/producers as this peon of a character and have him turn out to be a big antagonist in the end...Ryan is Keyser Soze!

88Posted by critterfur on May 18, 2007

By the way, refresh my memory....what exactly was said about Pittsburgh? I didn't catch that at all last night. Seems to be it could be a throwaway line...they do exist, y'know.

89Posted by critterfur on May 18, 2007

Critterfur...I apologize for posting that before ya'. However, you have just earned 1 MILLION Schrute Bucks for the Keyser Soze reference!

Oh, and no one has referenced Michael's new black office. Or Kevin's opinion on Pam vs Karen. Or even Jan's tearful goodbye with her stereotypical secretary!

90Posted by Jose on May 18, 2007

You're right Jose. Michael's black office...poor Dwight. You just know he wanted to throw on those Sith robes, sit on a little throne in that dark room, and summon people into his prescence...and now it'll never happen...sob. Kevin's opinion on the two babes of the Office? Poor Kevin didn't know when to quit talking...he pulled a Michael. I loved it. He went up to the line and took one freaking huge leap over it. Jim was just dumbfounded, and he kept giving Kevin these desperate looks, like, "Please, buddy, don't say another word...oops, there you went and said another one". And Jan's secretary...was that the guy Michael was jealous of a few episodes back? The James Vanderbeek? And I will gladly take as many Shrute bucks as can be spared...I have a feeling those will be worth something someday...when Dwight is Emperor of the Known Universe.

91Posted by critterfur on May 18, 2007

"Swing low, sweet chariots."

It's always been pressing before, but now it's official: Creed absolutely needs his own section. Perhaps titled "Creed Thoughts"?

92Posted by Pandadog on May 18, 2007

Creed Thoughts are actually posted at the Office site @ NBC.

93Posted by Jose on May 18, 2007

As poorly qualified as Michael was for the corporate job, I think he handled the CFO's bad news with surprising dignity. I thought he would act childish by crying or yelling when he didn't get the corporate position, but instead he just nodded calmly and accepted the news. And then he made a point of calling Jim and Karen "excellent candidates" for the position. I think it was really Jan's whole grand-exit scene that made Michael look so bad, but he never blamed Jan at all for costing him the job. He even comforted her on the car ride home. Classy stuff from the Scranton Regional Manager.

94Posted by flonkerton on May 18, 2007

I was just thinking that maybe the CFO was referring to Ryan getting Karen's old job and Karen getting the one in corporate? maybe, maybe not either way I loved the finale good start for Jim and Pam

95Posted by Ellie on May 18, 2007

>documentary editors can and often do change the order of scenes they have shot to tell their stories

This is exactly how I was going to respond to post#74. Thanks for posting that.

Toby was in the background of the scene where Pam apologizes to Karen about the beach speech. He's sitting at the table behind her.

Rashida's show DID get picked up by Fox so she won't be a regular next season. She may not be on at all.

http://www.fox.com/programming/

(from the link, click on "new series"...her's is called "The Rules to Starting Over")

96Posted by Jake on May 18, 2007

BJ just posted a blog to clear up any doubts about his promotion
. . . here it is:

Thank you for watching another season of The Office. You turned us from a cult show to an actual hit this year. We will be back in September.

In the meantime: the episodes are all available on iTunes. The DVD set of Season 3, complete with all deleted seasons, cast commentaries, and extra material will be available sometime in early September. Repeats, "newpeats" with additional seasons, and new web materials will most likely surface during the summer and will always be announced on www.nbc.com/office.

We are already hard at work writing the next season, which will be a very exciting one. Especially for Ryan, who has risen quickly from temp to sexually-harassed salesman to Michael's boss.

Thank you again for all the support this season. Everything we do feels like an inside joke, and it's always amazing to see how many people somehow know the jokes too.

97Posted by Anthony on May 18, 2007

He's just toying with us. He's like a little cat playing with a mouse: Bat bat bat, bat bat bat. Tongue in cheek and so on. I'll believe it when I see it. No way he's Michael's boss. I'm sticking to my guns.

Critter - the Pittsburgh Reference happens when Michael returns to D-M Scranton after his mistaken first trip to Corporate. As he comes in Pam gives him a message and he says "Isn't he in (from?) Pittsburgh?" Could be a throwaway, but in this of all episodes show me a throwaway line during the entire hour. They are brewing up some seriously strange and wonderful potions for us next season, count on it. Misinformation abounds. Maybe I'M a plant, who knows?

98Posted by whoadaddy on May 18, 2007

THANK YOU JOHN, of post #70. I was so getting ready to type the same thing.

I would also like to point out that being a good salesperson and being a good manager are two unrelated skills. Example: Michael Scott. He's a great salesperson, so they promoted him to the managerial level. BAD IDEA. His sales skills do NOT translate into management skills, and he has no schooling to suggest that he would posses those skills in the first place.

Ryan, on the other hand, has AT LEAST six years of secondary education under his belt, now that he's finished night school and acquired his MBA. So he's never made a sale. So what? He probably should have been fired from his job as a salesperson, but Michael thought he was cute, so he got to keep it. Why has he never made a sale? This is what we should all be considering.

I'm sure, with an MBA, he knows EXACTLY how making a sale is supposed to work. But his interpersonal skills are SO terrible that it has NEVER worked for him. Not once. We can't know, based on his performance as a salesperson, whether or not he'll be a good manager. Because to be a good manager, you don't need to make people like you, like you do to be a salesperson. You don't need to charm people into doing what you want. People will do what you want them to do, or they'll be fired. You don't have to ask nicely; you don't need to be liked. You just have to know how to get it done. And in my opinion, Ryan knows. Or should, at any rate.

99Posted by Isadore on May 18, 2007

I'm a newbie. Also I'm in high school. Clearly time for an all-out.

First off, the foreshadowing to Ryan getting Jan's job is all there.

CFO tells Michael:
"We're interviewing branch managers and some LOWER LEVEL company people."
Michael asks Ryan for coffee:
"I don't do that stuff anymore."
Ryan can also be seen doing paperwork (during his BREAK) in the background of the big Oscar-Stanley-Kelly vs. Pam fiasco AND he gives the camera an interestingly subtle look in the middle of Michael's goodbye speech. Maybe not all intentional, but the pieces are definitely there.

I don't buy the phone switcheroo. The writers have never tried to pull anything that ridiculous off on us. Ryan could've easily lied his way to Jan's job, or maybe that administrative assistant Hunter's job, who knows. Either way, he's above Michael now and that's definitely necessary to make Season 4 remotely interesting as far as corporate goes.

Say what you will about the new Pam...she is, for better or for worse, the real Pam. Coincidentally, she's starting to legitimately emulate Jim...and in some ways, she's a much better Jim than Jim is right now. Even as she wishes Jim were with her, she handles the soil situation with more disciplined empathy than Jim ever could. The interesting implication here is that she may not need Jim as much as she and we think she needs him. I sure hope we haven't seen the last of this independent, confident Beesley.

Toby's presence was severely missed. What did he do all day on Beach Day? How is he going to get back at Michael, who made him miss Pam's two piece? This was a very intentional move, as Lieberstein co-wrote here. Toby's up there with unresolved issues in my book, as he's due for a massive explosion. Also, I definitely loved the "there's just one guy from HR here you'll hate, Kendall" moment, altamonte...It appears there may be a little Michael Scott running in the blood of every manager, teacher, and CFO.

Dwight's (and by proxy Angela's) direction out of this episode is another big question mark. His emotional range goes from elated (Michael gives him job) to assertive (goin' after the sexytime with Angela) to a bit unsure of himself (Hell Hotel with Jim) to slightly challenged (the luck wishing) to extremely challenged (the soil lecture and the tragic delation of Schrutebucks) to crushed (Michael's return, a reminder of the wounds of The Coup) to dutifully friendly and close to crying (with Pam near the end). How's he getting off that rollercoaster?

And of course, there's Jim's dilemma. The way he is forced into a corner in this episode is brilliant. The choice comes to him in the form of the "long haul", the big commitment he's willing to make, pitting all he's invested into his career and his career-based relationship against all he's invested into the chance of Pam. If Karen has legitimately changed him, and there's many reasons to think she did, Pam's gonna notice. His impulse may again come back to haunt him.

So, Top 6 Issues going into Season 4:
JIM AND PAM, but so much more so than ever before. How are the writers going to keep us invested? How can their next set of rises and falls raise the stakes? What unresolved issues will keep them at the center of the series?
RYAN AND MICHAEL. Could very well top Neil Godwin vs. David Brent.
DWIGHT AND ANDY. There's got to still be some lakewater in Andy's advantageously-used brain.
TOBY. See above.
DWIGHT. See above.
JAN. How is she going to integrate? Michael can't dump her, but she still clearly antagonizes him. Can Michael handle both her and a potentially vengeful Ryan? Not to mention a heap of potential financial trouble...Something tells me he's going to be pushed farther down than he ever has before, which could setup a huge victory on par with Brent's Christmas special success. I guess Michael's really more the issue here, duh.
KAREN. Clearly she's capable of moving on from Jim and Scranton, but what will be her Roy-like finale in response to Jim's betrayal? There's at least one big bit of drama in her yet.

And a final comment; definitely agree with the earlier post about the office relationships influencing each other. Michael's attitude towards Jan has been affecting Jam / Jaren from the start; check out the food court scene in Women's Appreciation. Here, I think his getting back together with Jan, complete with not-right timing and hurt feelings, reinforces Pam's efforts to get past Jim (luckily in vain). How is a real Jam going to affect that relationship continuum?

Now that that's done I can graduate.

100Posted by LovableTito on May 19, 2007

Just wanted to add my 2 cents in to this very lengthy conversation!

Re: The "Pittsburgh" controversy... Isn't it possible that the message Pam gave was re: Ryan? And Ryan had told Michael he would be in Pitt. when IN FACT HE WENT TO NYC TO INTERVIEW FOR THE CORPORATE JOB?!?! That would make sense to me.

I also find it interesting how many of you think that Ryan's getting the job (after Jim turned it down/blew the interview for his little Pammy Wammy) is crazy - as soon as he turned his evil little gleeful grin to the camera i DIED! PERFECT! He does (or will soon) have his MBA - while Jim probably doesn't even have a college degree, and if he does it is no more than a Bachelors. That goes for a lot in the world. And who cares if he never made a sale - he got to learn about the inner-workings of the Scranton Branch for 2+ years while getting his degree - that is quite a bit of experience to draw from. And his corp. job won't require him to make many sales anyways. I can't wait to see Michael have to actually show him some respect! It is going to be AWESOME!

Great twist, in my opinion! Sorry this was so long!

101Posted by SumoStanley on May 19, 2007

While the directors left us under the belief that "Temp" got the call from the CFO and is offered the position I am seeing the ending from a different perspective.

Is it possible that Ryan was actually getting a call from Karen? Afterall, he did confess to Jim recently that he asked her out and was shot down. That would then explain, rather nicely, why he kicked Kelly to the curb instantly.

I am also not so sure that Karen or Jim got the job. Either scenario would require them to organizationally leap Micheal. The CFO did tell Micheal that he had candidates from other branches and my guess is that Jan's replacement could be the introduction of an entirely new character.

Just for fun, how outrageous would it be for Packer to get the job? Can you imagine that loose cannon in charge of the branches?

Anywho I'm sticking with the Ryan - Karen angle for now.

102Posted by Allen on May 19, 2007

One quick point re: Jim/Pam/Karen: I think everyone might possibly be jumping to conclusions based on what happened. Let's not forget that last season ended with Jim and Pam kissing and this season began with Jim in self-imposed exile in Connecticut. I'm not necessarily predicting that they will throw us for a loop again next year, but I'm saying maybe we shouldn't be expecting to receive save-the-date cards just yet.

103Posted by WagonAngle on May 19, 2007

But WagonAngle, they didn't end with Jim and Pam kissing and then pull the rug out from under us. They ended with Jim and Pam kissing and then she rejected him and he went off to find his destiny somewhere else. When the new season started, he was in Stamford.

I still stand by the arguments from 70. I'll concede though that this particular job at corporate is maybe a little bit of a stretch. More authority than you'd expect for a first position. But it's no more of a stretch than the idea that Michael didn't get fired two or three episodes into the show. And the real reason they're doing this is not because it makes sense in the world of the show. They're doing it because it gives them all kinds of new toys to play with as storytellers. The newly inverted Michael/Ryan relationship is just the beginning.

Of course Jan's firing does make my spec even more obviously out of date... Blast.

104Posted by John on May 19, 2007

Oh. WagonAngle, you're talking about something else entirely aren't you? Um... never mind....

Okay, to redeem myself, yeah, I'm a little worried about what Fox's pickup of Rashida Jones's (utterly generic and unpromising) sitcom pilot means. Most likely that she'll break up rather angrily with Jim and disappear, but we at least need to see her in episode one of next season actually doing that.

And then, without her, they need another mechanism to keep Jim and Pam from getting comfortable to avoid the dreaded happy couple curse. I'm not sure what that would be. They sure can't bring Roy back, having learned his lesson and cleaned up his act and out to win Pam back. They burned that card this season, although they didn't really need him bc they had Karen, and he didn't really do it all that earnestly, and he flamed out pretty permanently at the end there. So he's out. I wonder if that was a bit of a wasted opportunity, if they wouldn't have been better off saving Roy's counterattack, and then putting more into it when they did it.

If not him, then what? Toby? I have trouble seeing that, but maybe.

(and on a completely different topic, how funny is "Dwight, no. I don't care if that's how they consolidated power in ancient Rome.")

105Posted by John on May 19, 2007

"Just for fun, how outrageous would it be for Packer to get the job? Can you imagine that loose cannon in charge of the branches?"

Any plots involving Packer are A-OK in my book.

106Posted by Pat D. on May 19, 2007

there's a new blog on BJ Novak's myspace where he specifically says that Ryan got the job. Sorry to ruin your spec!

107Posted by secondrink on May 19, 2007

it makes sense ryan got the job. or else there may not be a plot for next season. i'm pretty sure they won't go back to a will-they-won't they JAM again. too tired out and no one wants it. i think the next season it will be less jam-centric, and more on michael/jan, ryan/kelly and ryan/michael. Am I the only one who would be seriously upset if it was another season of jam again?

108Posted by Abe on May 19, 2007

Hi long time listener first time caller-- I have to say I worked for a large NY corp and you would be amazed what the power of a MBA would do-- I did see fresh face MBA grads get hired for jobs they weren't qualified for just because they had MBAs - the fact Ryan has a MBA and worked for company makes him a shoo in -- remember he isn't going for sales job but corporate headquarters management type position - In the real world they probably would not even interview anyone who didn't have a MBA.

109Posted by smartone on May 19, 2007

New thought: perhaps some of the interest and hijinks next season could also come from Jim and Pam trying to keep any romance they have going secret?

This could be likely, to avoid the inevitable cringeworthy situations with Michael etc. It would also create a sense of tension - (when/how) will they be found out? It would allow for Toby to continue making awkward advances, which would be funny given the new situation...

Just an idea, let me know what you think?

110Posted by Jen on May 21, 2007

Jen, everyone heard Pam on Beach Day and they will see Jim not going to corporate, hard to believe it will be any sort of secret.

I was pondering the significance of Office Olympics. One fateful day in Oct 05 (we know shortly before Halloween because Michael was in the condo when kids were trick-or-treating), Michael went to BUY his condo. He MET Carol whom he dated and who was a brief obstacle in his relationship with Jan (two ladies on Casino Night!!). Meanwhile, Jim organized the Office Olympics and GAVE OUT medals designed and created by Pam. Now more than 1.5 years later, Michael & Carol are through, Michael & Jan are back together, and he SOLD the condo. Jim GETS BACK a medal from Pam, causing him to rethink his personal and professional future. Talk about follow through!

111Posted by sara on May 21, 2007

BJ is of course a writer/producer/actor on the show so his blog lends the weight of verity to the discussion. However this does not mean he is not spreading disinformation. There is no empirical evidence as yet that Ryan has received his MBA at this time. I'm going to just wait and see but I think there are strange forces at work with this whole thing.

As far as the theory that Ryan was talking to Karen and accepting a date, hmmm. I suppose that could be possible as a revenge date. We don't know yet how Jim left that situation: Did he just leave Karen in NYC and drive back to Scranton? Did he break up with her in NYC then go directly to Pam? Did he break up with her in the car on the way back to Scranton (we saw shots of him driving on surface streets, not on an interstate, so the point could be valid)?
He has a tendency to toe a fine line between honesty and asshattedness with the women in his life so either scenario could be true. Again, we'll just have to wait and see.

112Posted by whoadaddy on May 21, 2007

Sara, I agree with you--it would be difficult for Jim and Pam to hide any relationship, as they've both been pretty transparent about their feelings from the beginning. Remember "Email Surveillance" when Pam asked Phyllis if she knew about any "secret office romances," and Phyllis assumed it was Pam and Jim? And of course, there's Pam-Pong, and Roy attacking Jim, and Michael's big mouth. Unfortunately, JAM can never have the same privacy as Dwight and Angela. However, I don't think we can assume that this first dinner date will automatically turn into white picket fences and babies for JAM, but rather a return to the old fun friendship we knew, but with more chances to encase people's property in jello now that they'll be staying over at each other's places on a regular basis.

Since BJ Novak has confirmed that Ryan got the job, I think we should just concede that he is now Michael's boss. Michael, honestly, should never have even gotten the position he's currently in, and I cannot even fathom why David Wallace thought Michael was a good candidate for corporate in the first place. Say what you want, but Ryan is much more suited for a corporate job than anyone else in the office, and he's also more suite