The Office: International Men of Business

This week on The Office, Michael – as an apology from David Wallace for sending Holly away to Nashua – is sent on an international business meeting to Winnipeg, Canada.  Thrilled to go on his first international adventure, Michael brings along two extra suitcases for souvenirs, Andy to serve as his French translator (Jim forgot how to speak French), and Oscar who looks like he might jump out of the plane on the way there.

But the trip quickly derails.  Meredith points out that their town car to the airport is really just a van.  Michael’s business class seats end up less exciting when he can’t order a meal and the drink cart slams him in the leg.  However, Michael’s excitement is restored when they arrive at the hotel to meet the attractive, blonde concierge.  She gives them a few tips on places to eat and go out, and Michael couldn’t possibly be more impressed.  He goes on to describe her as a “geisha,” “trained in the fine art of fanciness and pleasure.”  Oh Michael.

So following Andy’s surprisingly good wingman skills, Andy takes them to concierge Marie’s local haunt, The Huntsman, provides Michael and his lady friend with some wine, and sends them off to flirt in a corner booth.  Meanwhile, Andy had less luck playing wingman for Oscar.  As it turns out, Andy’s gaydar is not so in tune.  So instead, the two unlikely friends end up getting smashed on Long Island Ice Teas, which Andy calls a “bad decision in a glass” (ain’t that the truth!).

After getting appropriately sloshed Oscar finally asks Andy what the deal is with Angela.  How can he stand that woman?  Andy says that she makes him a better person (aw!), that her skin is really soft (okay …), and that he can’t wait to have sex with her (???).  Oscar can’t believe they haven’t had sex yet and convinces Andy (not that it takes much convincing) to drunk dial Angela and ask her “What is wrong with her?”  Angela, however, is none too pleased with the phone call from Andy demanding sex, and from the voice in the background saying, “Who is that, Monkey?” all of Angela’s needs are being met.  Andy, however, is too drunk to notice and continues to demand that he get to see her naked.  I can’t see how this is going to end well …

Michael, on the other hand, did get to see someone naked.  He and concierge Marie hooked up, but then Michael got kicked out of her room so she could go to sleep.  Michael “the cuddler” Scott didn’t seem very happy with this, not happy at all.

The next morning Oscar had to tell Andy that he didn’t just dream that phone call to Angela, and Andy gets demoted to first base – which for Angela is a kiss on the forehead (Oh geez).  Michael heads off to his business meeting, and he lands the account after convincing the client that at Dunder Mifflin they understand people’s needs and treat them like human beings.  Michael then proceeds to stand up for himself with David Wallace, letting him know that sending Holly away was a “really sucky thing to do.”  And then he hung up on his boss.  Let’s hope that doesn’t have repercussions …

Back in Scranton, Jim and the rest of the office are counting down the days until Pam’s return from New York.  As Jim puts it, they’ve all been “so excited for me and involved and intrusive and weird.”  Weirdest moment had to be the Creed back-rub.  I think Jim may need a tetanus shot after that.

Ryan prepares for Pam’s return by checking out his desk in the annex next to Kelly.  She pretends not to care because she’s with Darryl in a healthy relationship.  Then Ryan drops down and starts doing push-ups, and give or take a few minutes, Kelly jumps him on top of her desk.  Good thing Toby’s not back there any more.  Ryan and Kelly continue to hook up throughout the episode, and Ryan convinces Kelly that she has to break up with Darryl.  He even typed out a text message for her and all she has to do is hit send.  How nice of him!  They hit send together and make out in the danger of the moment where Darryl could come up and kill them at any second.  But Darryl simply texts back “that’s cool” and skips to his car.  Kelly is thrilled and Ryan has completely lost his mojo.  But they stay together, because Ryan realizes that “for whatever reason, [he] just couldn’t do better than Kelly.”  Then Kelly swooned, thinking this was a compliment, and I shook my head in slow disgust.

Similarly sad, Pam calls Jim all distraught because she’s failing her graphic design class.  She’ll have to retake it, which means another three months apart.  Pam wants to know if they can take another three months of this.  Jim – always the dutiful boyfriend – tells her this is about her dreams, not him, and that she should “come back the right way.” (Okay, Jim Halpert needs to be a real person working in my office like yesterday!) Extra kudos go to episode director Randall Einhorn for the close up of Jim’s teary eyes as he hung up the phone and the scene cut to Pam making up a low cell battery excuse to hang up with Jim and then proceed to cry on a bench outside the art building.  It’s scenes like this that always make me wonder how John (Jim) and Jenna (Pam) keep getting cast in comedy movies.  These are dramatic actors, people – and damn good ones at that.

But Jim and Pam’s agony is short-lived, when after a successful day one away from Pam, the red-headed cutie shows up in the parking lot waiting for Jim.  She makes it very clear that she didn’t return for him, but simply because she didn’t like graphic design.  So she returned the wrong way, but he can’t tell her what to do.  Jim responded with a plastered-on grin (to match my own), and then kissed that girl, until they were interrupted by Dwight who wanted Pam to make copies.  God, I love The Office.

Next week, someone makes a mess in the kitchen microwave.  Stay tuned for more details.

Season 5, Episode 7: Business Trip (originally aired November 13, 2008)

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Thursdays, 9/8C on NBC

Photographs courtesy of NBC