What I’m Watching: The Office

The Office: Season 6, Episode 22 “Secretary’s Day” (B+)

After an entire month off the air, it feels good to have the crew back for a somewhat even but ultimately fairly funny episode. Anything with Erin as its center is wonderful, and Ellie Kemper does a marvelous job of animating this secretary who actually looks up to her boss and wants to see the good in everyone. Unfortunately, Michael’s seeming inability to talk to anyone who actually respects him results in his revealing that Andy was engaged to Angela (even though that seems like something that might have come up beforehand). It’s a real shame because both of them are now such nice people, especially the lovely and harmless Erin. Pam’s return cements her as a different character rather than the lovable and sweet receptionist, a role which has now been taken over by Erin. Instead, she’s still able to commune with Jim and bring some sanity to the office. Oscar’s Cookie Monster parody was amusing, but what was much more energizing was Gabe’s attempt to exercise some authority. Until now, he was just a quiet, unassuming guy, but here he gets to take on a more obnoxious air like his character from “In the Loop.” While his actions, and his phone conversation with his boss, were like something Dwight would do (and has done), the way he handled it was actually much more like Michael. The descent into doing an impression of Kevin was pretty embarrassing, and Pam having to call Toby for help was a major sign of lost hope. Fortunately, Jim and Pam knew just how to deal with the situation.