The Office: Michael Being Michael

This episode followed the cookie cutter prototype for The Office: Michael gets all jazzed up about something (the shareholder’s meeting), which turns out to be way less awesome than he believes; as a result, he ultimately creates chaos (re: insulting important people, stealing a limo). We’ve seen this recipe time and time again–essentially for every holiday, birthday, or special occasion ever included in the show. And yet, it works.

If there are three things people love year round, they are Rainn Wilson, absurd costumes, and recycling. Therefore, audiences must have loved the intro to this week’s episode, which featured Dwight dressed up as “Recyclops”–the office’s Recycling Day mascot who has evolved into a cold-hearted villain wanting to destroy the planet. Probably one of the best intros we’ve seen this season. To keep the momentum going, the gang needed a pretty spectacular plot to follow, and for the first time in a while, they pulled through.

Michael is honored to be invited to the Dunder Mifflin Shareholder’s Meeting. A limo shows up in Scranton, and everyone beams with jealousy. Oscar mumbles about corporate wasting money on frivolous things, saying that DMI should really stand for “Dummies, Morons, and Idiots.” But still, when Michael offers to take up to 8 employees with him for a ride, Oscar jumps at the chance. In the limo, Michael, Oscar, Dwight, and Andy have a marvelous time, which will contrast with the boo-ing they experience at the meeting. It hadn’t really occurred to Michael that with the company on the verge of bankruptcy, he would not exactly be cheered.

Back in Scranton, Jim feels he’s losing control of the office: Ryan plays tetris on his computer and Phyllis takes a 2 hour lunch break to get drunk with Bob Vance. Jim soon finds that Ryan has been spreading rumors that he is not a real boss and doesn’t have the power to fire people. Jim isn’t sure if he can actually fire people, but decides to take action by moving Ryan’s desk into the closet so he can finish some data entry. You tell ‘em, Jim.

At the shareholder’s meeting, Michael meets the Dunder Mifflin CEO, Alan Brand, and former Congressman, Chris O’Keefe. After receiving a less than warm welcoming, Michael tells shareholders he has a “45 day plan” to get the company back on track. They cheer for him and he does a sweet spin move on stage before exiting. Brand and O’Keefe are not happy with Michael, echoing David Wallace’s sentiments that there is no plan for recovery. Michael calls up Oscar, hoping he will be able to work out something along the 45 day route; Oscar looks humiliated and scurries out of the room. After the Congressman calls Michael a “moron,” he runs off, grabs Andy, Dwight, and Oscar, steals a bottle of liquor and hops the limo back to Scranton. Just Michael being Michael…

Season 6, Episode 10: Shareholder Meeting (Originally aired November 19, 2009)

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Thursdays, 9/8C on NBC

Photographs courtesy of NBC, Justin Lubin