After a dragged-out and frustrating break due to the Writer’s Guild strike, The Office is finally back with an episode that managed to satisfy me and leave me wanting more at the same time. Before I get into any of that, though…
Episode Summary: Michael Scott dupes Pam and Jim into attending a dinner party at the condo, and wonderfully awkward hilarity ensues. Jan suspects Pam of having a thing for Michael, Dwight shows up uninvited, Angela blows off Andy several times, and Pam and Jim attempt (but fail) to escape by faking an emergency call. After a plethora of awkward-funny Michael/Jan domestic disputes and breakdowns, Jan breaks Michael’s brand-new plasma screen television with a Dundie. The guests leave, and after the cops show up, Michael goes to spend the night at the Schrute farm.
The Verdict: This episode was full of the awkwardly hilarious moments The Office has made us come to expect, but I’m kind of wondering what happened over the course of the strike. I mean, I don’t remember seeing this many consistently ridiculous and inconceivable moments in any other episode. In the end, the show’s as funny as ever, and it was good to finally get a new episode. I just hope that future episodes go back to being a little more subtle.