What I’m Watching: The Office (Series Finale)

The Office: Season 9, Episode 23 “Finale”

After about 200 episodes, there was a lot riding on this finale. I personally feel, as I believe most do, that the show peaked in its second and third seasons, and had some great installments in season four too. Sticking with the show even through Steve Carell’s departure was both an act of loyalty to the show and to my enthusiasm for TV, and though this season was frustrating, I think it all paid off with this very fitting finale. Fast-forwarding a year was a useful device that didn’t feel manipulative, and it’s just the right amount of time to be able to recap important life events without having to outfit characters differently to show that they have aged. Jim’s status as best man and his excitement about “guten pranken” was touching, and it’s nice to see that, after everything, he and Dwight became genuine friends. Making up a story about how the best man can’t be younger than the groom was an amazing way to introduce a cameo that I was expecting but still surprised me in the moment, which was Carell back as Michael, set up by Dwight for the most triumphant “That’s what she said” ever. Featuring Michael only enough for Pam to exclaim that he pays for two phones so that he can have more pictures of his kids was probably a result of Carell’s availability more than anything, but it was still just the right note. Bringing both Kelly and Ryan back and having them run off together was great, and it’s good that this episode wasn’t drowning in other return appearances. Erin’s parents both showing up was wonderful, and her character makes more sense now that we know that she was spawned from Joan Cusack and Ed Begley Jr. Stanley retiring and Kevin and Toby being fired were eventualities that were well-handled, and it’s great that Pam decided that she and Jim should move to Texas so that he could work with Athleap. Even Andy got redeemed by his owning of the mockery he was subjected to after his breakdown went public. I don’t think that the past few years justified the wait for this finale, and the focus on the documentary this season wasn’t necessary, but this was a tremendous and satisfying way to end this show. I’ve been thinking about this episode a lot, only good things, since it aired on Thursday. Last week, I re-watched a few of the episodes I remembered liking most, including “The Job” and “Dinner Party,” and in lieu of selecting a best episode right now, I’ll plan to do a retrospective with the best-ever episodes sometime in the next few weeks.

Series finale: A-
Season grade: C+
Season MVP: John Krasinski as Jim
Series grade: B
Series MVP: Steve Carell as Michael
Best Season: Season 3
Best Episode: TBA

What I'm Watching: The Office (Penultimate Episode)

The Office: Season 9, Episode 22 "A.A.R.M." (B-)

This episode feels a lot like the one that came before it, celebrating the nostalgia that is inevitably tied to nine years of a show and harping on sentimental accomplishments of its most prolific characters. I'd like to start by acknowledging the futility of Andy's plotline, which was in this episode wholly embarrassing and pointless. It also featured an unproductive use of guest star Jessica St. Clair, who was much better this past week as Gary's irritating girlfriend Dana on "Veep." I don't know what fate awaits Andy, but a career in show business clearly isn't it, and I wish no more time would be wasted on it. We've already moved past the troubles in Jim and Pam's relationship as the other half of the couple reaches out to the fourth wall to involve the documentary crew in his effort to convince Pam of his enduring loyalty. Jim advising Dwight on what to do about Angela was refreshingly honest and sweet, and, while I'm sure it's going to be eventful, it's great to see them finally together, and to find out that Phillip is in fact a Schrute! The search for the assistant to the assistant to the regional manager and its predestined conclusion was entertaining, and Jim and Dwight really do know how to have fun together. Kevin hating on Angela's baby and Darryl returning to the office were less memorable, and I sincerely hope that this show will go out on a high note that will remind viewers like me why we stuck around this long.

What I’m Watching: The Office

The Office: Season 9, Episode 21 “Livin’ the Dream” (B-)

I have many things to say about this episode. With less than two weeks until the series finale airs, you can tell that this show is headed into the sunset. This episode was full of the kind of nostalgia that exists only when characters realize that their time left together is short, prompting serious self-reflection, and, in some cases, a complete change in behavior that doesn’t track with years of history. That’s most evident in Jim’s satisfied response to Dwight being appointed manager, because he feels as if Dwight has earned it after so many years, namely because us viewers think so too. Oscar offering for Angela to stay with him is exactly the same, and what I liked most about that was that Angela now feels close enough to him to break down crying and confess her love for Dwight. The sensei scene and Andy changing his mind for the third and fourth time were unnecessary wastes of time, but there was something truly wonderful and charming about Jim and Pam flirting all day and falling back in love with each other. Jim did seem sure about his plan regarding the West Coast expansion of his Philly job, and I wonder if Pam will be more open to the idea of moving now that she has seen Jim sacrifice himself for their relationship. With Jim and Pam, Dwight, Andy, and Angela taking center stage, I’m not sure if the rest of the ensemble will even get much of a sendoff, but I hope that these final four installments will prove reassuring and entertaining, a fitting tribute to when this show used to be so good.

What I’m Watching: The Office

The Office: Season 9, Episode 20 “Paper Airplane” (C-)

It certainly doesn’t feel like the finale is approaching anytime soon with episodes that waste time like this with a paper airplane competition and Andy’s horrific career, only moving forward developments with the show’s most prominent couples. Nellie forgetting to tell everyone that there was a cash prize wasn’t all that exciting, mainly because everyone was already competing fiercely, and the only real highlight of that storyline was Angela telling Dwight not to lose on purpose to take pity on her. Esther showing up to encourage Dwight and pity Angela was poorly-timed, and Angela’s response was formidable. Erin’s adoption history is something we’ve already heard about, and her couple status with Pete has barely been touched upon for a while now. Everything involving Andy’s acting job was embarrassing, and that’s the kind of thing I’ve never really liked about this show. It seems to me that Darryl and Jim have the best, most unlikely deals in the world, where they’re able to spend full days in Scranton doing nothing while at work and prioritize their Philly jobs if anything related to them comes up. At least Jim was sitting at his desk for most of the day, while Darryl just went on a field trip with Andy while he could have been busy appeasing clients in Philly. I’m still not taken in by the drama of Jim and Pam’s relationship and their excessive complimenting in this episode, since it’s clear that they’re going to make it in the end, and all this back and forth is pointless.

What I’m Watching: The Office

The Office: Season 9, Episode 19 “Stairmaggedon” (C)

Objectively, the notion of Stairmaggedon is funny, but it just didn’t play out that way here, minus a few mildly amusing moments. Clark and Dwight are continuing their path to friendship thanks to their latest adventure, and though this show has presumed similar things in the past, I find it hard to believe that a drugged-up Stanley managed to impress a client enough for them to sign a contract and close a deal. The increasingly undeniable existence of the camera crew’s series, which inexplicably will air on PBS, is causing more problems that aren’t making for entirely compelling plotlines. The Senator announcing that he is gay with Angela by his side and then revealing that he is in love with his chief of staff started out in a good way and then turned peculiar and over-the-top fast. Andy’s desire to be a movie star was just silly, and there’s only so much stupidity that can be believed. Paying a $5000 flat fee to hire a talent agent is hardly the most regrettable thing Andy has ever done, but it’s certainly not his proudest moment either. I find it strange that Pam and Jim should choose to confide in, all of people, Nellie and Toby, about their impending couples counseling, but it’s nice at least to see them walk out and smile at each other rather than despair about the reality that they both have very different visions of what their futures together look like and where they are. I think they’ll make it.

What I’m Watching: The Office

The Office: Season 9, Episode 18 “Promos” (C-)

The end is near, and this show still doesn’t seem to be headed anywhere redeeming. Turning the series-long interviews and unseen cameras into something makes sense, but it also seems a bit jarring in the way that it’s being done. I will admit that the one truly funny part of this episode was Angela and Oscar’s joint call to the Senator, in which Oscar said that he will probably be outed and Angela said that she was caught on film cheating on him with Dwight. Andy wasting his time being concerned with comments on the promo was much less interesting, and the ultimate reveal that it was Nellie posting the comments the whole time didn’t make it any more worthwhile. Pam continuing to question the stability of her relationship with Jim and go talk to Brian about it is not a good thing, and I wish that the show would stop trying to drive them apart. That’s even more true when Jim isn’t actually doing anything at work, instead indulging the other Ryan Howard (bring back B.J. Novak!) by reading a sci-fi sports screenplay for an entire day. I’d like to see considerably less of Dwight’s farm connections, and bringing Esther’s family to the office was not a productive plotline in my mind. Dwight was always destined to end up with Angela, and there’s no reason that Clark needs to become friends with Dwight before the show runs its course. This show should try instead to get back to the things that used to be funniest about it rather than bring everything full circle.

What I’m Watching: The Office

The Office: Season 9, Episode 17 “The Farm” (F)

Somehow, I missed this episode when it originally aired a week ago, mainly because NBC’s Thursday night schedule has been so spotty lately to account for more than four shows in four timeslots and, inexplicably, extra episodes of “1600 Penn.” Perhaps it would have been better if I hadn’t seen it at all. What’s worse is that this was supposed to be a backdoor pilot for the proposed spin-off about Dwight’s life on the farm that NBC wisely passed on. It’s about what I might have imagined, an awful attempt to make what has worked as an occasional joke about Dwight living on a farm into a central plotline, which is not a good idea. Even the interview segments on the farm feel forced, because, out of the office setting, there’s no legitimate reason to ask each of Dwight’s relatives to share absurd details of Schrute family customs with the camera. And we really didn’t need to see Dwight teach his excessively mature nephew how to milk a cow. To make matters worse, the other half of this episode had to include Todd Packer, one of this show’s worst characters, and bring him back to trick the entire office into thinking he was atoning for the way he treated people while he gave them cupcakes laced with drugs instead of frosting. This show has almost completely lost a sense of what’s funny, showing brief snippets of Andy and Kevin’s night at the office presuming that its events were hilarious. Let’s hope that this show goes out on a better note than this.

What I’m Watching: The Office

The Office: Season 9, Episode 16 “Moving On” (C+)

This show is now less than ten episodes away from its series finale, and I’m just not sure where it’s headed at this point. Jim and Pam were experiencing some trouble but seemed to be doing better when Pam suggested that Jim not go to Philadelphia and that he instead stay behind so that they could properly fight. But for Jim to react so poorly to Pam saying that she wasn’t sure she wanted to get a job in Philadelphia is a bad sign, and there’s definitely trouble ahead for this couple. Being told that she’s a good bet because she sticks around was a huge wake-up call for Pam, and I think she’s going to want to be sure she accomplishes something concrete professionally soon. I do prefer Bob Odenkirk’s conniving lawyer Saul on “Breaking Bad” to his Michael Scott imitation in this episode, but it was good to see a talented actor stop by for a guest spot. I’m not sure why the versatile Michael Weston was cast without really being given a role as one of Mark’s employees. Andy’s jealousy is, above all, petty, and the only worthwhile part of his temper tantrum was his boneheaded decision to invite Collette Wolfe’s Alice and Zach Woods’ Gabe to work for the company specifically to provoke conflict. It’s about time that Dwight and Angela got together, and I don’t think we needed this whole episode’s setup for it to finally happen again. I’m very curious to see how Oscar and the Senator will react.

What I’m Watching: The Office

The Office: Season 9, Episode 15 “Couples Discount” (C+)

Andy wandering back into the office after three months off is very much like the lead actor of this show checking back in after some time off to find that things are in a wholly different place than one might hope. In this case, of course, everything was much more productive with him gone, and you could see the contempt in Angela’s eyes when she gave Andy his bonus check for the excellent work accomplished during the time that he was absent. It looked like he had David Wallace fooled, realizing in time that discussing the warehouse fire was a mistake, and that he might even be able to hold on to Erin, but her unexpected bravery led to the end of their relationship and his presumable firing once David processed the fact that he had been gone so long. He’ll leave Dunder Mifflin a very different, almost unrecognizable character from who he was when he first joined the show. The couples’ discount plotline was somewhat amusing, and I suppose I chuckled at Dwight’s daily routine of having Pretend Andy sign off on his projects. Andy did a spectacular job losing a client, and I’m somewhat interested, though also don’t quite care at this point, to see who would replace him if David does in fact sack him. Pam meeting Brian on Valentine’s Day was a bad idea, but she made up for it by demanding that Jim stay and fight with her, which suggests that this show’s best couple has a chance of lasting after all.

What I’m Watching: The Office

The Office: Season 9, Episodes 13 and 14 “Junior Salesman” and “Vandalism” (C+)

I’m getting tired of subpar Thursday night NBC comedies preempting my beloved “Parks and Recreation.” This hour followed the series finale of a long-running show that started a year after it did, and it’s about time this show closed up shop too. It’s understandable that a new character like Clark should need something to do, but does he really have to spend an entire episode jumping through hoops so that Dwight couldn’t hire one of his friends? I don’t like when Dwight changes his personality so extremely, and having him hide between Jim to inform his friends that he wasn’t hiring any of them was unfortunate. Pam asking Dwight if he wanted to prank Clark was much better, and even the horrifying sight of Dwight wrapping plastic around Clark’s head was more in line with his character’s typical tendencies. Pam’s mural being defaced was terrible, and it seemed a silly reason to bring Brad William Henke in after his masterful “Justified” turn for such a worthless part. Without much addressing Jim’s actions at the end of last episode, he’s suddenly asking David Wallace to invest in his company and proving himself to be a slob to his new roommate Darryl. I liked that we saw a bit of the documentary crew at the end of last week, but having them appear so many times again is going too far. Oscar and Angela’s awkward party was generally unfulfilling, but for Kevin’s remark to the Senator about how he wasn’t a nice person. Let’s hope for some more creative plotlines before this show goes dark for good.

What I’m Watching: The Office

The Office: Season 9, Episode 12 “Customer Loyalty” (B-)

This episode was all over the place, and I wasn’t terribly taken with any of its plotlines. What upset me most was the forced strain on Jim and Pam’s relationship. That couple wad doing just fine, and then Jim had to go mess it up by not telling Pam about the exciting job opportunity he had found, setting the stage for confrontation and problems. Jim missing Cece’s concert was bad enough, but scolding Pam for not using her camera properly was harsh. Them fighting wasn’t worth the first opportunity to see the documentary crew, one of whose members was kind enough to comfort Pam since their friendship apparently goes back many years even though we’ve never seen him on camera. Dwight hosting a customer loyalty meeting was over-the-top in classic Michael style, which isn’t always a good thing, and committing a milkshake prank with Darryl in the car didn’t work out so well for him. Their time together could have been much better utilized. Nellie realizing that she may have pushed Erin to be with Pete prompted funny results until Kevin came out and said exactly what everyone was thinking, which just made it hopelessly awkward. I also think that Toby thinking that he and Nellie have some fantastic relationship is just creepy, and an unfortunate use of a character that was oddly appealing even when he fantasized about how Pam might feel about him. Now that he’s acting on his impulses and being physical, I think he’s gone too far.

What I’m Watching: The Office

The Office: Season 9, Episode 11 “Suit Warehouse” (B-)

It definitely doesn’t feel like this show is on its way out in terms of where the plot is headed, except for the tearing up of the carpeting on the floor, which didn’t even get finished. Either Pam and Jim are going to move together to Philadelphia or they’re not, and dragging it out like this just isn’t necessary. Darryl almost tanking his audition and then sinking a basket into a tank wasn’t all that funny, and him moving to Philadelphia doesn’t have much relevance, especially since Val is not a main character and therefore their relationship working out just doesn’t matter. It’s nice to see that, after all these years, people still know how to waste time at the office while there’s no boss around, and trying all of the espresso flavors to see which ones they like best is one way of doing that. Erin getting stressed out about being tasked with receiving the pen delivery was too much of an obvious metaphor for her concern about starting a romance with Pete behind Andy’s back, and it’s about time we saw Andy again since the show might end before he has the opportunity to return. Dwight posing as Clark’s father on a sales call was hardly as entertaining or speedily effective as his joint efforts with Jim, including the ones that were referenced at the beginning of the episode, and I’d love to see a less forced attempted integration of the new characters into this show’s final season.

What I’m Watching: The Office

The Office: Season 9, Episode 10 “Lice” (B-)

Having everyone in the office get lice is a perfectly plausible nutty plotline for this show, and it’s just a shame that it had to come at this point, when things are so out of control in the office that there’s literally no one in charge. Dwight coming in fully suited up should have elicited either an objection or complicity from the man in charge, and seeing Erin take the lead on finding a solution since she has had lice twenty-two times suggested an amusing but sad state of affairs. Pam feeling guilty about assigning blame to Meredith was mildly entertaining, and I like that, after everything, they went out drinking together for a night of offbeat karaoke. Angela physically tormenting Oscar was fun, and I’d be much more excited about Erin and Pete flirting so much if I didn’t still feel that the whole plotline was inappropriate since Andy and Erin already did this dance. Dwight accidentally detonating his grenade twice was pretty funny, admittedly. Nellie, Kevin, and Phyllis should have had something better to do than try to convince Val that Darryl still wanted to be with her, and I’m confused about why he would want to break up with her anyway after the hoops he jumped through to get her, not to mention the fact that his job in Philly is far from set at this point. Speaking of hoops, Jim seems to be having a blast in his new job, and I hope that he can share his enthusiasm and success with Pam before his commute strains their relationship too much.

What I’m Watching: The Office

The Office: Season 9, Episode 9 “Dwight Christmas” (C-)

This show is truly beyond repair at this point. I can’t comprehend why the show would have Andy spend so much time last season trying to get his job back only to have him be out of the picture for so much of this season. Having him be continually absent so that Erin and Pete can get together is pointless, mainly because Pete is a new addition that the show didn’t actually need. Nellie sure hasn’t gone very far since her managerial stint last year, and kissing Toby to make him stop telling his never-ending Scranton Strangler story seems to have ignited a bizarre romance that came from out of nowhere. Darryl’s aggression towards Jim for not bringing him along to Philadelphia seemed extreme, since he’s always been much more reasonable than the rest of the office employees. Jim’s very public midday exodus was awkward, and it’s hard to believe that he once again risked the vitality of his new career to come back to finish the Christmas celebration. Dwight’s whole performance was pretty awful, and it’s a sign that this show has aired too many Christmas episodes over its nine years to have anything entertaining left to contribute. Dwight hugging Jim and whacking Oscar for his naughty behavior is hardly enough to make up for an otherwise irritating episode that demonstrates a definitive downturn in creativity and comedic competence of this show. We’re so close to the end, so let’s get a move on Jim’s career and the inevitable reconciliation between Dwight and Angela.

What I’m Watching: The Office

The Office: Season 9, Episode 8 “The Target” (B-)

This episode, in concept, was a good idea, but its execution didn’t work out as well, namely because everything took too long to come full circle. Dwight rising to Angela’s defense and bringing in a friend to help her get her revenge made sense given their history, but trying to talk her out of murder didn’t track at all with his character motivations over the past nine seasons of the show. He’s always been the extremist, and fighting to save Oscar’s life, and his kneecaps, seems like the opposite of what he would usually have done. Things are going to plenty awkward now that Angela has in fact revealed her hand, and I’m sure it won’t be long before the secret gets out to the whole office. Jim spending lavish amounts of money trying to convince Phyllis and Stanley to help him out was excessive, mainly because he’s actually a good salesman and should have known that getting them drunk and feeding them plenty of food would win them over much more effectively than bringing up the favor every few minutes. This is not the first time that gross amounts of time have been wasted in the office, and building a ceiling-high complaint card tower wasn’t the most creative or invigorating method. Deliberately trying to lose a client seems irresponsible for the likes of Darryl and Nellie, and hardly something that Pam wouldn’t have thought through first. I’m still not pleased with the insinuation of an impending relationship between Pete and Erin, but I suppose it’s too late to lament the unfulfilling direction of this show.

What I’m Watching: The Office

The Office: Season 9, Episode 7 “The Whale” (B)

This episode wasn’t quite as consistent as last week’s, but it was generally entertaining, even if not all of the plotlines worked entirely well. Andy’s lengthy disappearance is completely expected given his history, and only David Wallace wouldn’t blink an eye and would just call someone instead. Training Dwight to sell to women was a little silly, with even Erin acknowledging that he was wholly out of line and hopeless, but I think that Dwight’s inability to interact normally with women has been established as a defining characteristic by now. Realizing that it was Jan who Dwight was going to have to sell to was a surprise to be sure, and it was pretty well-handled, with a competitive Dwight offering up an innocent but obnoxious Clark to be her new hunter and to land the sale. Jan’s return was done well, and hopefully it will be indicative of more appropriately-timed and tempered cameos by former stars. Toby’s mustache plotline was odd at best, but it’s just the kind of thing that he would do. Angela’s jealousy was no match for Oscar’s jealousy, something which led to his own downfall since Angela would have been none the wiser if not for his enthusiasm in tailing him, and I enjoyed watching their very confused commentary about what was going on with the Senator’s various gym companions. The Senator calling Oscar while they were watching was a predictable but unfortunate moment, and I suspect that it’s going to cause some major problems in the office. I’m hopeful that Jim’s business opportunity doesn’t fall through, and that it doesn’t negatively impact his marriage with Pam.

What I’m Watching: The Office

The Office: Season 9, Episode 6 “The Boat” (B+)

This was easily the best episode of this show in a long time, even if it wasn’t perfect. Andy’s father running off with his mistress and leaving the Bernard family estate in jeopardy did present a surprisingly motivated and efficient Andy, though the pressure was obviously getting to him. It was sweet to see Erin suggest going to the boat to cheer him up, and refreshing to see her offer up an intelligent and productive suggestion. Unfortunately, things weren’t quite as they had hoped on the boat, and the unexpected presence of Andy’s brother left Erin out in the cold rather than alongside Andy on the boat. I’m less impressed by Pete’s continued flirtation with Erin, since, once upon a time, Erin and Andy were in fact perfect for each other, and Pete’s inappropriate efforts to court the boss’ girlfriend are becoming tiresome. Kevin overhearing Oscar’s confirmation of his affair with the Senator to the camera crews was a disaster waiting to happen, and having him forget when he easily could have blabbed about the whole thing was a funny way to resolve it, temporarily at least. Dwight’s enthusiasm for his radio interview was a prank just waiting to happen, and Nellie, Jim, Pam, and Darryl pulled it off exceptionally. Getting Dwight to strip down because of a supposed microphone malfunction was entertaining, and his phone call to David Wallace, which could have ruined the whole thing, turned out to be pretty damn funny too. Let’s see more this kind of stuff throughout this final season.

What I’m Watching: The Office (Halloween Episode #3)

The Office: Season 9, Episode 5 “Here Comes Treble” (C-)

Ah, the show this once was. I almost needed to be reminded of Andy having gone to Cornell and being in an a cappella group since they haven’t been referenced in so long, making Andy bringing in his former group a completely random occurrence. For once, Erin is the one thinking clearly, unable to comprehend why Andy is so obsessed with his status as the Boner Champ. This was a horrible waste of Stephen Colbert, whose friendship with Ed Helms should have led to something much, much funnier and indicates that the show is in dire need of being propped up from its unfortunate current state. Finding out that Andy’s parents are broke is likely to cause Andy to try to redefine himself, but I’m not interested in watching what happens as a result. In other recycled news, we have Meredith put into a net by Dwight, something that was really only funny the first time with the bat, and Clark’s overenthusiasm for Andy’s antics is becoming infuriatingly irritating. The Senator showing up at the party and having some fun with Oscar was also something that we’ve heard about and didn’t turn out to be any funnier to see. Dwight persecuting the owner of a pill to get some for himself was unnecessary, though I suppose he does have a decent, logical relationship with Nellie. Jim really needs to stop making crucial life decisions without consulting his wife since he has a shot at something good but seems to be doing everything possible to screw it up.

What I’m Watching: The Office

The Office: Season 9, Episode 4 “Work Bus” (C+)

This show has taken a number of field trips in its time, and this is hardly the best one. Dwight’s ownership of the building was amusing at first but has now become more irksome than anything. Jim’s desire to do something nice for Pam since she was (seemingly) supportive of his choice to finally move on with his career was sweet, but driving out to the middle of nowhere to get pies during a work day was a bit extreme, especially since the entire office ended up being part of it. Planting the unpopped popcorn on Dwight’s desk was another great reminder of the good old days, something this show seems intent on doing about once per episode in case not all viewers have caught on to the fact that the show has gone downhill in recent years. Nellie wanting to adopt a baby seems like it came from out of nowhere, and it’s just another obvious setup to create conflict between Andy and Nellie, pulling at the heartstrings even more since Erin always wanted to be adopted. Creed hitchhiking while he was playing hooky and getting picked up by the work bus was funny, but another indication of a character who has been underused during the show’s run. Kevin’s sudden ability to do math when it involves pies is perfectly in line with the character but equally frustrating. It’s at least refreshing to see Clark get hated on, and to have Dwight and Jim experience a brief tender moment.

What I’m Watching: The Office

The Office: Season 9, Episode 3 “Andy’s Ancestry” (C+)

I’ve had it with the stupidity in this place. Andy falling for Clark’s news setup for Erin was far-fetched enough, and now to believe that he’s related to Michelle Obama simply because his sworn enemy Nellie told him so is simply ridiculous. It’s just the kind of thing that Michael would do, but that doesn’t make it funny or worthwhile. Bringing up slaves and Andy unintentionally confirming that his family did in fact likely transport slaves was unnecessary, and the whole plotline devolved from there. This was the first productive use in a while, if not ever, of Nellie, as she prepared for her driving exam by bonding with Pam, and it was good to see Darryl try to accomplish more by presenting time-saving ideas to an utterly uninterested Andy. Jim offering Darryl a job was quite a step, and though Pam was supportive, she did seem very upset that he hadn’t told her in the first place. Jim’s Asian friend coming in posing as him to trick Dwight at the start was a wonderful nostalgic moment reminiscent of the way things used to be but haven’t been in a long time on this show. Dwight teaching Erin the Dothraki language, from “Game of Thrones,” so that she could impress Andy’s family with her knowledge of another language, was highly amusing, but I can’t comprehend why both new guys Clark and Pete, with extremely different approaches, think it’s anywhere near appropriate to try to flirt with and seduce the boss’ girlfriend.