''We're going to have stories of disease, misery, jealousy, lawsuits, car wrecks, homelessness, betrayal, financial ruin, broken hearts, and kidnapping, but funny,'' relents Daniels at last. ''Oh, and a pencil sharpener goes missing.'' See, that wasn't so hard, was it? But wait, there's more! Jan (Melora Hardin) takes her cohabitual relationship with Michael to the next levelby trying to redecorate his condo; one story line in the first few episodes involves Angela's (Angela Kinsey) sick cat, Dwight's (Rainn Wilson) irritation, and the phrase ''claw marks in the frozen peas.'' A large part of this season's focus will be on Ryan (B.J. Novak), the former temp-turned-corporate suit who is now basically evil. His attempts to force the company into the digital age will mirror a real NBC social-networking website brewing at dundermifflininfinity.com, while his attempts to distance himself from spurned ex-girlfriend Kelly (Mindy Kaling) will prove less than successful. On the day we visited the set, Michael was holding a pizza delivery boy hostage over an unhonored coupon. And in staffing news, kooky crank Creed (Creed Bratton) and Darryl from the warehouse (Craig Robinson) have been upgraded to series regulars.
What about Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer)? Fischer uses the word ''courtship'' in reference to the next phase of their relationship — ''There's something about Jim and Pam that is true love personified in a TV show,'' she says sweetly — while bemoaning how painful it is to stare up at the much taller Krasinski after breaking bones in her back in a fall during the off-season. Daniels, of course, is vague, making reference only to ''a soap opera-y thing that I'm gonna let be a surprise.'' We nod, smile, and think to ourselves: What is this, Lost?
Outside of plot specifics, though, the employees of The Office are more than happy to talk about whatever you want. They'll tell you who's loud in his trailer (Krasinski, who claims it's everyone else who's coming over and making noise) and who's the most likely to lose it in a scene (Kinsey, but she's getting better). They crack on each other, jump on each other, and slow dance with each other between takes. They even haze reporters: Ask Carell or Daniels to define awkwardness, and they'll just sit there and stare at you, as the tape recorder quietly creaks. After an agonizing stretch of silence, you realize, Oh, right. Then they'll smile, and you will, too, because you fell for it. Twice.
NEXT PAGE: ''It is really a group of driven, creative, and thoughtful artists. They're not just taking the paycheck and blowing it on cocaine.''
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