Life In The Office

As Michael’s tenure at Dunder Mifflin comes to a close, we have a throwback episode to one of the most monumental episodes from Season 2, The Dundies. Michael is grooming DeAngelo to take over his hosting duties, but DeAngelo isn’t sure that The Dundies is a tradition that he wants to continue as he builds his own Dunder Mifflin Sabre legacy.

It’s 6 am and much like The Oscar’s and The Emmy’s nominations for the The Dundies are about to be announced. Since the nominees can’t watch their appointments on TV, Michael takes it upon himself to deliver them in person. He enlists DeAngelo to accompany him to each of his employee’s homes to surprise them with their nomination. Michael says this happens every year and DeAngelo is less than enthralled, but he goes along with it. First stop is Jim and Pam Halpert’s home where Jim answers the door and promptly says that Pam isn’t there. We hear Pam calling from inside the house and Jim telling her to stay in bed as he accepts their nomination plaques. Next up is Stanley who, not surprisingly, asks them if they’ve lost their minds and promptly kicks them off his property. I’m curious if this is something that happens every year, why the employees are surprised by these impromptu visits. Next stop is Toby’s house where Michael just throws a few eggs at it and then they high tail it out of there to DeAngelo’s chagrin. He simply asks, “Is this an employee of ours?” LOL, I wonder if DeAngelo will have any more love for Toby than Michael does.

Next up is Meredith and Michael comments that he’s never seen this place in the day time and DeAngelo quips that it reminds him of Katrina. But what’s this? The door is ajar and Meredith doesn’t seem to be behind it. That’s because she’s just getting in from a night of partying and is doing the walk of shame up her driveway. She’s the only one who’s actually happy to see the two managers and invites them in for breakfast, but they are too disgusted and promptly flee the scene.

Michael enters the office holding his tux in a suit bag. He greets Erin as usual and inquires about her plans for the evening. She seems disinterested and says that maybe she’ll volunteer at the women’s shelter or go to bed, but then she reaches under her desk and pulls out her nomination and excitedly says, “Or maybe I’m going to the Dundies!”; obviously it’s Erin’s first time. Michael remarks that she is getting so funny, a big step for our clueless Erin.

In a TH, Michael says that The Dundies are his baby and they need to go on. When Larry King died (he didn’t die Michael), they didn’t just cancel his show; they brought Peirce Morgan in to do his show and that way, Larry lives on. I just love how clueless Michael is sometimes when he’s trying to sound intelligent.

Michael makes an announcement to the office that The Dundies will be held at Louie Volpe’s (which Bob has already revealed in his Scrantonicity column does not exist). Everyone gets excited at the upscale venue and Pam remarks that their bread sticks are like crack; only to be shot down by Ryan who remarks that she has no right to make that comparison since she obviously has never done crack. Pam gets annoyed at Ryan’s pompousness and asks him, “What then Ryan, what can use?” When he replies, “Something from your world, like the breadsticks are like scrapbooking.” she gets even more annoyed and proclaims herself to be a middle class fraud; which earns her look from her husband. Michael has had enough of this exchange because it’s obviously taking the attention off of him and he announces that he has chosen a co-host for the evening since The Dundies are his legacy and he will need to train a replacement. Dwight stands, expecting it to be him due to all of his years of experience as the back-up sound technician; but Michael reveals it to be DeAngelo. Dwight is incensed. In a TH he says, “Always the Padawan, never the Jedi.” I just love Star Wars references, don’t you? I see a new diabolical plan forming in Dwight’s head. I wonder how he’ll retaliate against DeAngelo; this should get interesting.

DeAngelo kindly declines the offer saying that he’s not much of a performer. Michael insists that it’s like part of his training. He enlists the help of all the men in the office to gather in the conference room to help DeAngelo work on his banter. Kevin remarks that he loves banter, but he hates witty banter. There needs to be a rat-a-tat, but right now it’s all rat and no tat. The guys offer DeAngelo some pointers, but Michael shoots them all down. This is his last Dundies and if he wants control over DeAngelo’s mind, then he doesn’t think it’s too much to ask. Michael comes up with some absurd tips of his own, including putting a walkman on DeAngelo and turning the volume up so loud, he won’t be able to hear himself. The problem with that, however, is that everyone else will hear him about 10 octaves higher than is possible without cringing.

Jim and Pam are walking back to the office from picking up lunch and happen upon Erin sitting alone in her car eating a sandwich. They make the mistake of approaching her and she ushers them into the car telling them to hurry or he’ll see them. When they ask who she’s worried will see them, she replies that she eats lunch in her car to get some alone time away from Gabe. She doesn’t like spending time with him. When Pam suggests she be honest with Gabe and break it off with him so he doesn’t waste anymore of his time, Jim bails on her, saying she’s got the situation handled. This seems to be Jim’s MO, remember how he almost left Pam at Michael and Jan’s dinner party? Ouch. Jim tells the camera that the conversation just wasn’t interesting to him. Erin and Pam continue the conversation and Erin tells Pam that she can’t be like her, she’s not mean. Instead of pressing Erin about when she thought Pam was mean, she just changes course and advises her to be clear and firm. Just tell him you don’t love him; just be honest with him. Wise and sage advice from the usually clear headed Pam, who stayed in a relationship with a man she didn’t love for how long? That’s right, about 10 years before it was actually Jim who pushed her enough to realize that she was about to ruin her life and call it off right before she walked down the aisle. Ok, Jim’s redeemed from bailing. I just needed to remind myself that he’s perfect. LOL

On to Louie Volpe’s where Dwight is evaluating everyone’s fashion choices for the evening as they arrive. Kevin is appalling, Meredith is an eye sore, but Jim and Pam are surprisingly adequate. The festivities begin with a Michael Scott digital short; boy I’m really going to miss those Great Scott productions. DeAngelo is sent on a quest by Jo Bennett (played by Michael Gary Scott) to find a co-host for The Dundies and she wants him to find Michael Gary Scott. He goes around the office asking all of his employees to help him find Michael Scott. He asks Angela (played by Michael Gary Scott) and Jim, (played by Michael Gary Scott), and Phyllis (played by Michael Gary Scott) and finally he goes into the bathroom with his back to the mirror, looks up to the heavens and cries, “Maybe I just need to look into my heart!” and the image in the mirror turns around and it’s Michael and he says, “I’m here. I’ve been here the whole time.” I’m actually not quite sure how they did that, but it was incredibly creepy. Surprisingly, everyone seems to like the clip, except for those that were picked on for impersonations (especially Jim who was completely misrepresented and Phyllis who Michael once again portrayed as older than him, even though they were in the same high school class). Oscar says that the analytical part of him wants to examine it; but he knows it has no content.

Dwight is at the microphone and requests that everyone stand up for their co-host of the evening Michael Gary Scott. Not surprisingly, only Kevin gets up; but everyone does clap. Michael comes out from behind two pieces of cardboard held up by Ryan and Erin. Dwight then asks everyone to remain standing for their other co-host and new manager; DeAngelo Jeremetrius (is that even a name?) Vickers. DeAngelo comes out looking quite nervous, surveys the room and makes a mad dash for the men’s room.

Michael follows him in and finds him barfing up a lung. They have a hysterical SNLeqsue exchange where Michael tells DeAngelo that The Boss Hosts The Dundies, it’s kind of like a perk. DeAngelo argues that it wasn’t part of the job description. Michael says, you’re not doing this for you and you’re not doing this for me; you’re not even doing this for them. DeAngelo wonders who he’s doing it for. Michael slaps him across the face and says it’s for all the kids out there eating off the Louie Volpe’s kid’s menu wondering, does it get better? He wants DeAngelo to say, “It’s Showtime!” and get out there. DeAngelo says he can’t. Michael slaps him again and tells him to say it. DeAngelo tells Michael to stop hitting him. Then he tells Michael to hit him again, so Michael does and then tells DeAngelo to hit him, DeAngelo hits Michael and then after a count of three, they both say, “It’s Showtime!” and with renewed confidence, they leave the men’s room.

They find Dwight entertaining the crowd by playing his signature recorder. The employees look relieved to see their hosts return. Michael says they apologize for the delay, but they were at the DMV waiting in line. Everyone laughs, but when DeAngelo follows with, falls asleep after sex, Jim suggests he stick with the script.

Michael moves right in to the awards and gives Jim the Best Dad Dundie. Jim is ecstatic and goes up to give a resounding acceptance speech but neglects to mention Pam. When he sits down, Michael proceeds to give the Best Mom award to Pa….wait, that would be Meredith. She runs up to accept the award and kisses Michael full on the mouth (lucky Holly wasn’t around for that one; she might have decked Meredith). Everyone looks shocked. Meredith follows the kiss by saying, “I’ll tell you one thing, I’m not going to be a good Mom tonight. Woooooo.” You never can tell what crazy, drunken thing Meredith is going to do next. When Dwight asks for a photo of the Best Mom and the Best Dad, Pam looks horrified when Jim gets up to take a picture with our loose redhead.

Michael sets up the Hottest in the Office award and Ryan is practically out of his seat when Michael announces that it goes to Danny Cordray; even though Danny couldn’t be there in person to accept the award. How does Ryan feel about this? Relieved, although he can’t figure out how Michael chooses who will get the Hottest in the Office award, what are his criteria? Hmmmm….Maybe Ryan isn’t as relieved as he lets on.

Next up is Stanley Hudson, we all know he’s a grump, but he also is the face of debilitating disease known as Diabetes. The Diabetes award goes to Stanley Hudson! Stanley begrudgingly gets up to accept his award. Phyllis looks solemn. She says she has diabetes too, but you don’t see her making a big deal out of it. I feel you Phyllis, I really do.

DeAngelo takes a turn at presenting an award to Dwight, “They say he’s going to be my right hand man (ad lib masturbation joke).” Whoops, wasn’t supposed to say that out loud. He then presents The Most Promising Asst. Manager award to Dwight who dedicates the award to the humble trash can and promptly deposits the statue in the garbage and returns to his keyboard.
The restaurant manager is starting to get annoyed with the proceedings when he catches Kevin coloring on the cloth tablecloth with crayons he brought from home. This is a pretty familiar scene. It seems Michael didn’t clear all of his pomp and circumstance with the establishment before putting on his awards ceremony.

He awards The Cutest Redhead award to Erin. She’s so excited (Meredith is not and then throws her Best Mom award at the stage) and she gets up and hugs Michael and announces that she’s happy about the award, but she’s not feeling it because she wants to break up with Gabe; since she cringes when he talks and she’s not attracted to him. Gabe doesn’t quite know what to do with this so he gets up on stage to try and save face, but digs himself further in the hole and then decides to leave.

Michael decides to make DeAngelo feel good by giving him the Best Dundies Host award. DeAngelo is grabbing a bite to eat at the bar when Michael calls him up to accept the award. He tries to take it and run, but everyone calls for a speech. DeAngelo decides to try Michael’s walkman trick and he puts on the headphones and takes the mike. He yells into it that he feels truly blessed to be working with all of them, but of course the audience and other patrons do not feel truly blessed to be subjected to the loud obnoxious noise. The manager comes up and shuts the proceedings down by pulling the amp cord; as DeAngelo concludes his acceptance speech which requires no microphone due to the volume of his voice.

Michael is standing outside the restaurant along with employees milling about and chatting when he tells the camera that he’s a bit disappointed at how it all ended. Pam interrupts him by saying that they should grab some ice cream, head back to the office and keep the ceremony going. Michael is surprised and takes it to mean that they enjoyed the show. DeAngelo feels a bit like it was all his fault and says that he would like to see the show go on. Michael tells him not to be too hard on himself; they had a very truncated rehearsal time. I find it interesting that DeAngelo has not fled the scene yet and is putting up with all of Michael’s absurdity and it actually feels like DeAngelo kind of respects Michael and what he’s leaving behind. Any normal person would have been out of there by the end of the last episode; but then again this guy’s name is DeAngelo Jeremetrius Vickers, so how normal can he be really?
So not normal that he agrees to hold his pee until they get back to the office, just so Michael and Dwight can get good seats together in the conference room; really? Well on the drive back DeAngelo is doing the pee pee dance in the back seat while Michael and Dwight discuss how well the event went in the front. Dwight is still resentful and says it was the worst Dudies he’s ever been to. The jokes were terrible, the venue was bad and the fashion was boring. Michael pulls the car over and DeAngelo asks him not to stop so suddenly because the seatbelt is pressing on his bladder. Dwight yells at him that he’s a baby because he’s wearing a seatbelt in the backseat and that next time, Michael should pick a co-host that doesn’t have microphonaphobia. DeAngelo presses that he has to make a decision and wants to know how long what they are doing is going to take. Dwight just gets out of the car and runs away.

Back at the office, DeAngelo pushes everyone out of the way on his quest to the bathroom. Once everyone is settled in the conference room, absent Dwight, the awards ceremony continues with Michael presenting the Doobie Doobie Pothead Stoner of the Year award goes to Andy, because, by his own admission, he did marijuana in college. Andy gets up to accept and says that they all want to thank Michael for everything and then, no surprise, breaks out in song (accompanied by Darryl on the keyboard in the back of the room). The song is Seasons of Love from the Broadway Rock Opera; Rent (one of my personal favorites). However, the lyrics have been altered to fit Michael’s time at Dunder Mifflin. Nine Million Nine Hundred Eighty-Six Thousand minutes, they actually sat down and did the math. Nine Million Nine Hundred Eighty-Six Thousand minutes, that’s how many minutes Michael worked there. In costumes, in impressions, in meetings in cups of coffee, more birthdays, more meetings and e-mail forwards he made them read. It’s like watching Die Hard, Eighty Thousand times. He hit Meredith with his car, helped Ryan get off drugs. Creed watches him when he sleeps and Oscar forgives him for kissing him. Also, Michael should remember to call, that’s pretty much the gist of the song. Even DeAngelo chimes in with the actual words from the song, measure your life in love. For Michael, the office really was his first love and his longest relationship so far. He remarks in a TH that this is going to hurt like a mother f%#@er.

The tag scene takes us back to Louie Volpe’s where Michael and DeAngelo are about to award Toby his Dundie for Extreme Repulsiveness? DeAngelo is innocently reading the queue card, but once he realizes what he just said, he turns to Michael and says, “Oh, that’s so mean.” Oscar leans over to Toby and says, “It’s his last Dudies.” and Jim adds, “You gotta play along man.” So Toby trudges up to the stage and says that he really disagrees with this and he thinks it’s kind of hateful. But he is happy to have a platform to discuss the outcome of the case he was recently a juror on; the Scranton Strangler. A man is being put to death and he was part of the verdict, but frankly, he’s not so sure he’s guilty. Bob will have to investigate if the state of PA actually has capital punishment at this point and I’m sure it will be brought up in his Scrantonicity column. Really Toby? After everything that was discussed about the Scranton Strangler for the past two seasons, you don’t think he’s guilty?

Can I also say that Paul Lieberstien does not look so hot. He lost a lot of weight and seems really pale; I hope he hasn’t been sick or something. It’s nice to have Toby back after all this time, however, I hope to see him looking a little healthier in future episodes.

Well, that does it for Michael’s Last Dundies. Next week is Steve Carrell’s final episode of The Office. It’s an extended episode, so make sure to program your DVR’s accordingly. It’s sure to be bittersweet television history.

~Suri (aka HDF)