45 replies to this topic

[CChambers]

Jim tries to head off a career disaster for Dwight; Andy learns Erin's not returning to Scranton

I have some of the same golf clubs as Dwight.
ETA: First time making a topic, I hope I did it right.

Edited by CChambers, Mar 9, 2012 @ 3:46 AM.

[GilvearSt]

I rather enjoyed this because I enjoy seeing Jim and Dwight together. The main reason Florida has worked for me is because it's focused on their relationship which is one of the few left from the start of the show that I still care about. The two actors have such great chemistry. So that main part of the plot really worked for me and carried this episode. Also just the little gag of Stanley being depressed to leave was wonderful.

The cookie story was stupid. Erin staying behind was alright. Erin and Andy are cute but I certainly don't care about them the way I used to care about Jim and Pam. I would love to see Erin stay in Florida and start over and I could take or leave her as a character.

[tominboston]

Erin serves the elderly lady hot Gatorade instead of tea. Wonderful. I suspect she'll be making her way back to Scranton before the end of the season.

I also liked Dwight's wordless acknowledgement to Jim that Jim had saved his job, after Dwight had spent the whole episode putting him down. I wonder whether Jim would have done that if Pam had not told him to.

[RustbeltWriter]

This one of those episodes where I really enjoyed parts and really disliked parts.

Jim and Dwight were fun together, especially when Dwight shook his hand. Nice to see he can admit when he was wrong and acknowledge Jim's effort.

The cookie thing would have been funnier if they hadn't made it so damn goofy by carrying it to ridiculous extremes. They could have subtley tried to entice Kevin's favor and it would have been funnier.

It's pretty unbelieveable that Andy was going to propose to his girlfriend a few episodes ago and now he's running off to Florida to get Erin. Although I share Andy's frustration in getting Windows to close when you need to leave the office in a hurry. It takes forever to just shut off your PC sometimes.

Edited by RustbeltWriter, Mar 9, 2012 @ 9:02 AM.

[Bookface]

It's telling that Dwight wordlessly helping Jim up was about 1000x sweeter than Andy deciding to go to Florida to 'get' Erin.

[lz1982]

It's telling that Dwight wordlessly helping Jim up was about 1000x sweeter than Andy deciding to go to Florida to 'get' Erin.

Amen to that. I really liked most of the episode, but my God, have the writers really been trying to make us care about Andy/Erin for three seasons now? What a waste of time, and of talented actors.

Biggest laugh for me was Kevin saying, "Darryl's dancing and singing were better, but Toby has that 'star' quality," followed by a shot of Toby blinking slowly.

[ReadIshmael]

Andy and Erin's webcam conversation was really cute, but not enough to forgive the way they've dragged that story out for so long, so I don't care about him going to Florida. And Erin not being able to properly sort that woman's pills was so horribly unfunny that it cast a pall over all her scenes in the episode (although I did like the reversal of expectations with the woman helping her figure out how to video chat).

The cookie thing was dumb. I got pretty much nothing out of that story. The only stuff in the office I liked this week was the cold open...or, more accurately, Oscar in the cold open.

Loved the Jim/Dwight stuff, though, and I appreciated the show acknowleding how crappy Sabre's products are so things made a little more sense again.

[Meraji]

I really don't understand about the cookie thing. I just rewatched an episode the other day, "Stress Relief" in Season 5, where Toby exchanges his signature on Dwight's apology letter for Dwight buying a case of Do-Si-Dos from Toby's daughter. So, tonight's episode completely lost me at this cookie storyline. Is it lazy writing, or what? It seems like there still could've been a competition for Kevin's business without the inconsistency. Oh well.

[blue monkey]

I wonder whether Jim would have done that if Pam had not told him to.

He called Pam because he WANTED her to tell him to try harder. Being assertive is Jim's kryptonite, and he needed a pep talk to work up the nerve to physically stop Dwight. There was an episode a while back, after Jim decided to make his job a career, where he and Andy took some whale golfing. Jim spent the whole lunch passively asking the guy for his business, and being shot down. Then, after he called Pam to get a similar pep talk, he became more aggressive and ended up standing in front of the whale's car saying he couldn't let him leave without having the guy's business. It worked then, too.

There are other examples, like the "You can't get rid of me" voicemail he left to NYC cokehead Ryan. This is one of the few things I like about the married couple Jim and Pam vs. the dating couple and pining unrequited love versions of Jim and Pam.

[possibilities]

Was Robert telling Jim because he knew Jim would save Dwight, or was he just gloating? It seemed like he was just gloating, in which case I wonder if that means he'll resent Jim for saving him. On the other hand, maybe he just wanted a fall guy and he didn't care who it was; getting rid of Packer certainly can't have caused him too much despair. And he had to know Dwight was one of their very best sales people.

They've made Robert a real corporate opponent, not just a comic obstacle like crazy Jan or ineffective David. And it makes me wonder if the new angle will be to see the Office uniting more, including Jim and Dwight, more of a united front than a sibling rivalry sort of tone.

I knew Creed would step up, the moment they said you'd have to be crazy. However, that dart was really terrifyingly over the line. Jim putting the stapler in jello is a completely different order of magnitude than the dangerous stuff Dwight pulls, and I honestly don't think I'd save someone who rigged a poison dart anywhere in the office. Even if it was in his personal treasure chest containing a photo of the staff.

I agree that a more subtle contest for Kevin's favor would have made more sense. They could have maintained continuity by simply showing they wanted to increase sales, instead of having Toby be selling for the first time. But Kevin offering to buy more than double what he bought in the past kind of made the whole thing moot. Just sloppy.

"Darryl's dancing and singing were better, but Toby has that 'star' quality,"

Kevin needs to be a judge on The Voice. If he'd said "storytelling ability" he could have subbed in for Blake Shelton.

I really thought they were going to spin off Dwight and Erin to a new show in Florida. Seems it was just a tease, though.

And I don't see Erin and Andy lasting. First of all, she's a child, mentally if not in age. He's a doofus, but he's an adult. It's creepy. Second, he's her boss if she comes back. Trainwreck.

RE: breaking his plan to propose, I think Andy just wants to be married. He wasn't that into Angela and he's apparently not that into the woman he was about to propose to a few episodes ago, either. But I don't see a marriage with Erin happening, or lasting and being happy if it does.

Edited by possibilities, Mar 9, 2012 @ 12:17 PM.

[Rockstar99435]

Was Robert telling Jim because he knew Jim would save Dwight, or was he just gloating? It seemed like he was just gloating, in which case I wonder if that means he'll resent Jim for saving him. On the other hand, maybe he just wanted a fall guy and he didn't care who it was; getting rid of Packer certainly can't have caused him too much despair. And he had to know Dwight was one of their very best sales people.

I think Robert didn't care who he fired; he just needed a scape goat. At the same time, I think Robert was testing Jim. He wanted to see what Jim would do with the information.

[joanne3482]

And Erin not being able to properly sort that woman's pills was so horribly unfunny that it cast a pall over all her scenes in the episode (although I did like the reversal of expectations with the woman helping her figure out how to video chat).

Based on the way the woman was saying something about 'meeting her son' I just presumed that the old lady didn't NEED a helper, but really liked Erin and thought she'd be a good match for her probably older, unmarried son.

[Shanna Marie]

Jim came to Dwight's rescue twice -- not only did he save his job, but when they returned to the office and Kelly started to ask why Dwight was there when they thought he was staying in Florida, Jim asked her if she'd lost weight and completely derailed the conversation. She got so sidetracked talking about using makeup to contour so she looked slimmer in spite of gaining five pounds that she seemed to have totally forgotten the original question, saving Dwight from having to explain.

[reggiejax]

I too am sick of the Andy/Erin saga. While they are certainly cute together, and I love Erin as a charcter, there just isn't enough there to sustain interest, certainly not enough to get me to care that Andy would rush to Florida to get her back.

I love how the Jim/Dwight plotline was handled. We still believe that Dwight would be no loss to Jim, but that Jim simply could not stand by and watch Dwight get so unfairly crushed, no matter how dickish Dwight is.

The cookie plot had it's moments but was just weak overall. Maybe if there had been some sort of reward for Toby and Daryll's daughters that made all this fuss over getting Kevin's cookie dollar worthwhile, the story might have been more satisfying.

So I guess Kathy is staying in Florida? Good. She is cute, but they simply did not know what to do with her. Maybe they can palm her off on Gabe.

[Lollia Pollina]

Based on the way the woman was saying something about 'meeting her son' I just presumed that the old lady didn't NEED a helper, but really liked Erin and thought she'd be a good match for her probably older, unmarried son.

I agree. She was obviously much more competent and in control of her life than Erin is.

I thought Erin was actually pretty funny in this episode, but I still have zero interest in pairing her up with Andy. He already has a girlfriend - a perfectly decent human being - so it makes him look like a jerk to go after Erin when he already has a girlfriend. Yes, Pam was engaged to Roy for much of the time that Jim was pursuing her, but Roy was a selfish jerk who took Pam for granted, so Jim was rescuing her from him.

[msstaceyu]

It was a pretty good episode. I liked the Jim/Dwight interactions and the part where Andy was telling the staff that Dwight was no longer with them. I hope we get to meet the old lady's grandson before Erin returns to Scranton.

[PJWatcher]

Originally nailed on target by Rockstar99435:

I think Robert didn't care who he fired; he just needed a scape goat. At the same time, I think Robert was testing Jim. He wanted to see what Jim would do with the information.

Exactly. Robert couldn't dismiss Jo's idea without trying it (as a digression, what position does Jo currently have with the company anyway) so he played along with it even though he was right that Sabre's poor electronic equipment cannot sustain a retail venue. Someone was going to have to go and it obviously can't be Jo's good buddy Nellie. The position of VP in charge of Sabre Retail would be eliminated and, since companies rarely allow a promoted employee to move downward, that would necessitate the VP himself being fired rather than having his old job back.

So he was willing to fire Dwight but he mentioned casually to Jim what the real deal was because he knows Jim is a decent person and would try to warn Dwight. In the end, California didn't say, "Hey, Dwight is the VP here, not that Packer clown". He knew what had happened and was okay with keeping Dwight and making Packer the fall guy.

The cookie contest was okay. Not much to write home about. I've gotten bored with Erin/Andy. They were cute once, but not anymore. She'll have to come back to Scranton before she causes that poor old lady to overdose on her pills. As always, Creed has the best moment with a cameo by paranoid Dwight and the poison dart.

[possibilities]

what position does Jo currently have with the company anyway

I believe she owns it.

[niklj]

So who did Kevin buy cookies from?

[My Way]

So he was willing to fire Dwight but he mentioned casually to Jim what the real deal was because he knows Jim is a decent person and would try to warn Dwight.

Exactly. I think, as mentioned, he was also testing Jim, or maybe just tweaking Jim out of curiosity and no other purpose. Dwight is a valuable salesman.

[Col Bat Guano]

Exactly. I think, as mentioned, he was also testing Jim, or maybe just tweaking Jim out of curiosity and no other purpose. Dwight is a valuable salesman.

Which is why he would have returned to his job in Scranton even if he had been fired. There were less stakes involved in that story than they wanted us to believe. That fight scene went on far too long.

[murrrrr]

I believe she owns it.

I thought Robert bought the company from her. IIRC, he was originally hired to be Michael's replacement, but on the first day he took one look at the motley crew of DM, high-tailed it to Florida and bought Sabre from Jo.

Which is why he would have returned to his job in Scranton even if he had been fired. There were less stakes involved in that story than they wanted us to believe. That fight scene went on far too long.

Yeah, I can't see him firing Dwight. He is a good salesman. I felt so bad for Dwight when they were back in Scranton.

Edited by murrrrr, Mar 10, 2012 @ 8:59 AM.

[Lollia Pollina]

I thought Robert bought the company from her. IIRC, he was originally hired to be Michael's replacement, but on the first day he took one look at the motley crew of DM, high-tailed it to Florida and bought Sabre from Jo.

Robert convinced Jo to give him her job. Essentially Jo still owns Sabre (and possibly other companies as well) but Robert runs it.

[Writer13]

the part where Andy was telling the staff that Dwight was no longer with them.

That was SUCH a Michael thing to do.

Dwight and Jim were very sweet. Don't care about Erin and Andy at all.

[cousinsrock]

the part where Andy was telling the staff that Dwight was no longer with them.

That was SUCH a Michael thing to do.

See, that part just reminded me of the beginning of Fun Run, when Michael comes in and tells everyone that Meredith was hit by a car and makes it sound like she didn't make it. And then I remembered how good The Office used to be and I was sad.

I am not invested in Andy and Erin. At all. She's too stupid for me to like her and I agree with other posters that Jessica seemed really sweet and she and Andy were a cute couple. It's also been so long since Andy and Erin first broke up (because she went all whack-a-doodle when she found out Andy and Angela were engaged) that I don't care anymore. Sigh. Judging by upcoming episode descriptions, it looks like we're stuck with them, though, so I guess I better suck it up and learn to at least tolerate them.

[NiceGuyEddie]

It's also been so long since Andy and Erin first broke up (because she went all whack-a-doodle when she found out Andy and Angela were engaged)

Really? I don't remember that reason for their break-up being given at all.
I remember at the end of one season, Andy and Erin had begun dating. At the beginning of the next season, Andy reveals that he and Erin weren't together anymore, and she was dating Gabe. It was a really weird transition between seasons, it felt very awkward and contrived.

And yeah I don't find the Andy/Erin thing interesting either. I'd rather less soap and more office-related plot lines.

[Betsyb]

Which is why he would have returned to his job in Scranton even if he had been fired. There were less stakes involved in that story than they wanted us to believe. That fight scene went on far too long.

Yeah, I can't see him firing Dwight. He is a good salesman. I felt so bad for Dwight when they were back in Scranton.

Very few companies will let their employees do drastic downward demotions like that. I am not saying never but it is not common. The big exceptions tend to be when someone is around retirment age and they don't want to let them lose but they no longer are up to their duties. The reasoning is that if you have an employee who was a VP but is not just a salesperson that person will be resentful. More importantly, when you are firing someone as a scapegoat it undercuts your position that this person was bad at their job by giving them another one.

[alexmarsz]

Which is why he would have returned to his job in Scranton even if he had been fired. There were less stakes involved in that story than they wanted us to believe. That fight scene went on far too long.

Yeah, I can't see him firing Dwight. He is a good salesman. I felt so bad for Dwight when they were back in Scranton.

I don't know, whoever got tapped was clearly going under the bus. California (and subsequently whats-her-face) were trying to paint him as a Ryan-level screwup, something you don't come back from. (At least, not without a Michael Scott making a stand for you.) It's not like Jim's co-manager position that he just gave back.

[rocknrollchic]

So who did Kevin buy cookies from?

Hmm. It's not like this show to leave a story hanging, even something small... this could have been a fun tag at the end... Kevin, surrounded by a mountain of cookies, stuffing his face... Darryl and Toby grinning and shaking hands?

[HyeChaps]

This is twice that Jim and Dwight have screwed over Todd Packer. Wonder if he will ever seek revenge.