First off, I have to thank Deb for linking to the promo on last episode’s blog that confirmed that Jan was the one who accompanied Michael to Jamaica. I didn’t watch the promo, but her post led me to believe that there was a chance that it actually wasn’t Jan, allowing me to be (sort of) surprised when it turned out that Michael did indeed go to Jamaica with his boss.
Andy (Ed Helms) has been a terrific addition to the program and it’s nice to see the show utilizing his talents. In the opening sequence, his delivery of the line, “I am now chopping off Phyllis’ head with a chainsaw,” was hilarious. I always enjoyed watching Helms’ work on “The Daily Show,” and he’s made a deft transition to my favorite sitcom.
Two other actors have stolen more than a few scenes over the first half of the season. The bit in the warehouse where Michael visited Darryl (Craig Robinson) trying to track down the email photo was absolutely priceless. Robinson’s timing was perfect as he sat there munching on a buffalo wing, saying, “I’m really busy here, Michael.” Meanwhile, Toby (Paul Lieberstein) and Michael’s discussion about the picture in Michael’s office was perfectly uncomfortable. It’s obvious that Michael dislikes Toby mainly because Toby doesn’t work for him (and that he’s politically correct, something that Michael is most definitely not). Lieberstein’s portrayal of the wounded Toby is always subtle.
Anyway, Jan was Michael’s mystery guest, but really, who else could it have been? I loved Jim’s reaction when he was discussing the revelation with Pam – “What happened there…kidnapping?” Speaking of Pam, she finally broke down and cried over Jim’s relationship with Karen. I still expect that she’ll get back together with Roy before Jim parts ways with Karen, allowing the “will they?/won’t they?” theme to go on for a while longer. But back to the crying scene; I nearly shed a tear myself when Dwight took off his jacket and wrapped it around his waist, later saying, “So you’re PMS’ing pretty bad, huh?”
It was a nice surprise when Jan visited Michael, apparently oblivious to his idiocy surrounding the photo. She’ll eventually find out, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she’ll be even more upset that he didn’t tell her about it the night of the inventory luau. But you really can’t blame Mr. Scott. He’s got to take the lovin’ when he can get it.
(Note: For fans of the original UK series, Ricky Gervais’ new show “Extras” enters its second season on January 14th on HBO.)
