TVSquad

"My nickname was puke."

That killed me.

I love power party planning Phyllis! As she sheepishly said ok and started to walk away I was kind of hopping up and down chanting "Come on Phyllis!", hoping she'd turn around and do exactly what she did. It never occured to me that Andy wouldn't be there to catch it. The smug look on Dwight's face was awesome. I think that head actually swelled (more) with pride.

I thought the intervention itself was funny (and rather awesome), but I do agree that Michael, again, took it too far to the point of being absurd. Everyone knows you can't just check somebody - drag somebody, while they go limp - into rehab against their will. Although Meredith bobbing and weaving in a parking lot was a great sight. Better than her "belly dancing" at least...

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Wow. You are so wrong about the failed intervention and rehab attempt. First, it was not at all out of character. Michael was trying to help and went to a bit of an extreme to do it. You know what made the storyline great? It showed how even though Michael can be insane and extreme at times, he is motivated to help and to please. Maybe if the others in the office had not treated it all like a joke, or maybe if they had actually helped say constructive things to Meredith during the intervention it would not have gotten out of control the way it did.

The office is full of people who seem nicer and more grounded than Michael, but tonight Michael showed how much better he is as a human being than nearly all of them. Even Jim couldn't help but crack jokes during the intervention, when he should have been by Michael's side as on of the more intelligent people there to help Meredith in her clear moment of need.

The intervention plot was one of the best the show has ever done and is proof positive that it is still deserving of the title of Best Comedy on TV.

The Phyllis subplot only went to reinforce the picture of the characters that the episode was sending. These are all terrible people. And what's scary is that they are still totally relatable. Phyllis, as a good person, could have gone to Angela when she learned of the affair and told her that it was wrong and that she should come clean to Andy and make a decision about the future of their relationship. Instead she decided to blackmail her. Dwight, not showing any remorse about what had gone on between Angela and himself was also quite despicable, though not at all out of character. Even Jim and Pam making light of it all, even though their gag was funny, served to point out that our favourite couple are not exactly the nice people we though they were. But they are completely normal, and probably react to these situations as any of us would.

Michael has often been shown to have a deep human side to him that serves as his guiding motivation. He usually fails and only causes trouble or even pain to others. Sometimes he succeeds. This time he failed, but for the first time it wasn't his fault. His failure was not his own, but that of the other members of the office.

What other show, drama or comedy, has that kind of realistic resonance and darkness? Maybe Mad Men, but even that show is a bit too far removed stylistically to truly hit home. The Office tonight renewed my faith in the show and I can't wait till the next time they knock one out of the park in the same fashion.

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I loved that this show went so far as to show how pretty much everyone in The Office except for Michael and Andy (and maybe Darrell?) are sort of dicks. Pam less than the others, Jim definitely as much as everyone else, something he has shown on multiple occasions.

Another really strong moment was Toby's freakout to Darrell, which just made me sad.

The comedic highlight of the show was Dwight detailing how he would do an intervention. The fist made you think punch, but then he went the other way with it and it sounded really good, and then it ended with punching! I nearly spilled me tea watching that.

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I forgot to mention that Andy and Darrell, as Argus said, might be the only other people besides Michael who truly seem to have great hearts. Darrell selling the doll to Toby? Such a nice move. He didn't have to sell it, and he could have taunted Toby with it. He also probably missed out on giving his own daughter the doll. Very sweet thing to do for a clearly broken man who's only thing left in life to cling to is giving his daughter a better present than the one from her mother.

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What a downer of an episode ...especially for Christmas.

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The irony is that when we were first introduced to Andy he was to be perceived as an idiotic, name dropping douchebag from Cornell (entertaining nonetheless). While those things may still be true about Andy he has a good heart and he has never done anything to maliciously hurt anyone (beyond the getting Dwight fired thing). It's clear that the writers realize Dwight is the more popular character and that the audience "wants" Dwight and Angela back together but it doesn't change the fact that Dwight was simply sinister in his lack of remorse. The ending with Andy serenading Angela and wishing everyone to have a wonderful Christmas, as his would be ruined, was truly heartbreaking. I'd honestly love to see Dwight screwed over in the end.

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I have to say I agree with those who liked the intervention-it was classic Michael taking good intentions to unfortunate and ridiculous heights, and for the most part I didn't even think it got to the stupid over-the-top point that they always took him to in early season 4 (I know nothing about rehab except what you hear about celebrities in gossip columns, and I thought it was completely believable that someone like Michael would think you could just check someone in against their will). I also thought it was funny that Phyllis, in typical contemporary style, completely hijacked Christmas and moved away from the whole reason it is celebrated or anything to do with it all to make it a random Moroccan party. Overall a great episode, but no Christmas episode will live up to the one in Season 2 or even 3.

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Where I think Angela/Andy/Dwight plot goes? Angela still doesn't tell him, and there is at least one episode of intense tension at the office until someone else finally tells Andy. My prediction: Creed tells him, assuming he already knows.

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I guess I am in the minority but I HATED this episode. I think it was out of character for many, pointless, and just not funny. (Yes there were some minor funny parts) but I have never been more bored. What a major mistake! With everything. But I guess I am the only one who felt that way considering everyone elses responses. Ugh.

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Bob Roll once observed how the Tour de France is a series of millions of battles. Some very public among the front runners; some hidden in the back among those who are just hanging on. I think "The Office" tends to prove that much of life--especially working in an office--is like that.

In this episode, several of these little battles came to a head. Why? Working in an office, you are forced into a very unnatural situation. I can pick my friends, drift away if they start to annoy, or even have an all out blow-out (and make up or not). At an office, you are forced to maintain good relations with a group of people you didn't pick, and do so at all times. Yes, I don't have to socialize with my coworkers, and can avoid them. But ultimately, I may have to work closely with someone who screwed me over, I don't like, but still need to get the job done.

What happens? The steam is released in the petty Angela/Phyllis battle, or Michael and Toby, or the love triangle. Aside from Pam, Dwight is probably Jim's best friend at the office--it's the pranks that allow that to happen, rather than swing to the dark side.

You are also forced to tolerate behavior that you might not like, but is none of your business. Dwight's sale of dolls is probably a good example of this. Meredith's alcoholism, and Creed (really, anything Creed, no matter how amusing) are where this starts to cross the line.

On the other hand, friendships are formed. I look at Jim, Pam, Toby and Oscar as examples of this.

Most workplaces lack the chummy, we love each other camaraderie of other workplace comedies. "The Office" may be extreme, but the picture it paints is much closer to the truth. This episode was a good example of this.

-Loved Michael asking for the number of the rehab, Toby's earnest response, then Michael flipping the pen at him.
-The prank at the beginning was classic!
-The characters are so rounded out. Andy becoming obsessed with a musical instrument was so perfect.
-So many things that could get a company in trouble. "That's What She Said" has his work cut out for him. http://employmentlawpost.com/thatswhatshesaid/

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I loved Dwight's advice on the best way to kill a zombie.

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No one mentioned the cold open. I loved Jim Xmas paper wrapping Dwight's "desk".

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