I see all this Ryan weirdness (the failure of DMI, the drug habit, the cruelty) as the writers' way of getting him demoted back to the Scranton branch and showing up in more episodes. And who of us doesn't want that? B.J. Novak, I have to say, has been at the top of his game this whole season: His writing is ace (his epis are my favorite) and his acting hilarious. Plus, he's actually quite foxy in person (not that he isn't on the show, but you'd be surprised). Then again, I like 'em short.
Since Toby (aka Mr. Human Resources) is on Ryan's side (for obvious reasons), this could also bode poorly for Jim and Jim's job security. Which also makes me think: Is this the flash point in the Jim-Pam relationship that we are leading up to? What if they have to consider a move? I know this would be great for both of them, but I always get this sneaking suspicion that she's a little afraid of the great beyond, careerwise (and of really giving graphic design a go) and that she uses Dunder Mifflin as a crutch. Jim (unlike Roy) is so supportive and wonderful that he might not let her continue to do that, which may spell trouble if she doesn't appreciate it!
Next, there's Dwight and Andy. Okay, dead cat aside, I ached for Dwight as he watched Andy and Angela giddily play Mad Libs. What I can't figure out is if their coupledom is supposed to be genuine (i.e., they do really enjoy each other's company) or forced (they don't belong together at all). If anything, Andy does indulge sides of Angela that Dwight never did (her cats, her overuse of the word ''nice''). But they just don't have that spark. Angela needs to be someone's Lady Macbeth (like in ''The Coup'' episode), and Andy is basically useless on that front. Does that mean Dwight, with his ''superior'' intellect, should have scammed Andy out of his Xterra and then flogged it on eBay? Perhaps not, but come on, you don't go up against the owner of a beet farm and not expect to pay big.
Which leaves us with Stanley. Grumpy, bored Stanley with his love of crosswords, Miracle Whip, red wine, and Pretzel Day — and his very thinly disguised hatred for Michael. Did anyone see his harangue last night as out of character? (Though he did give Ryan the what's-what for talking to his daughter, twice.) His outburst came out of nowhere, but then it melded so well into the rest of the episode that you knew it was percolating (to use Michael's word) the entire season: Michael really is ''out of [his] little pea-sized mind.'' Who fake-fires someone? This is at least the second time Michael has done that — he pretended to ax Pam in season 1. That said, Mike's embarrassment, and his unwillingness at first to admit he is disliked, was very very well played on Carell's part. His final speech — when he told Stanley that he can tolerate his hate, but that he will not be talked down to in the office — was an Emmy moment, methinks. ''Respect eeeeeeesssss nice.''
NEXT: Topless this
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