Just Another Day at the Office Retro 07.25.2008: Office Olympics Review
Posted by Seth Roy on 07.25.2008
Michael buys a condo while the rest of the office competes in the Olympics. Kevin likes M&M's.
Welcome back to another episode of Just Another Day at the Office, Retro edition! I was out of commission last week — sorry about that — but am back with a vengeance this week with the Office Olympics episode, the third show of season three.
We get a cold open with Michael talking about himself being an early bird and a night owl. “So I’m wise, and I have worms.”
He had Ryan come in early to work for the day to have him bring a sausage and cheese biscuit. He tells Ryan he can stay in the office for the morning and be like Risky Business. You know, take his pants off and run around in his underwear. Ryan elects to nap in his car instead.
After the music, Michael says he is becoming a homeowner.
More Pam and Jim hijinx, as Pam has to revive Jim from his boredom, due to filing expense reports. They try to throw things in Dwight’s coffee cup.
Dwight pushes Michael until Michael lets him accompany him to the condo purchase. Dwight is like Butch Cassidy, and Michael is like Mozart. Because that makes sense. When they leave, Michael instructs everyone to do their expense reports by the end of the day. Dwight puts Michael’s car top down so they can be seen together.
Jim discovers that Oscar and Kevin have played paper football for more than two years. Kevin also plays “Who can put the most M&M’s in their mouth?” Oscar tells Jim to have Toby show him Dunderball. (Which is Toby and Kelly throwing a ball against the wall).
Michael talks to Dwight about his new condo, but is showing him the wrong place. The condo association president’s name is Bill, which leads to Michael doing a Mr. Bill impression that is awkward.
Dwight talks about his beet farm that he owns with Mose. “Sometimes teenagers use it for sex.”
Bill and Carol (the real estate agent) tell Michael and Dwight that the neighborhood is very gay friendly. Dwight asks Michael to check out the master bedroom.
In the office, Stanley doesn’t play games.
Michael talks about how he is going to pimp out his room. Dwight starts to freak him out talking about thin walls.
In the office, Jim has started everyone in the first ever Office Olympics, competing for gold, silver and bronze yogurt lids. Angela and Stanley and Phyllis aren’t participating.
When it comes time for Michael to sign for the condo, he starts to freak out about the 30-year mortgage. Dwight doesn’t help. “If I were buying my coffin, I would buy one with thicker walls.”
In the office, the first game they are playing is Flonkerton, which is paper box snowshoe racing. Kevin and Phyllis (who has decided she wants in now) will race first.
Michael is freaking out still. He is concerned that he is the best looking person in the development. “If you are, you have no place to go but down.” Carol tries to convince him to rent out the third bedroom, before telling him he will lose $7,000 if he walks away right then. Next scene: Michael and Dwight eating on the bedroom floor.
In the office, Phyllis narrowly wins at flonkerton. Then Kevin fits a whole jar of M&Ms in his mouth.
Michael decides he’s going to let Dwight move into his third bedroom. Michael thinks he is doing Dwight a favor. Dwight keeps asking questions about different things. Michael gets annoyed and eventually tells Dwight that he rescinds the offer. Dwight sighs with relief, and says he is happy with his nine-bedroom farmhouse and crossbow range. The bathroom situation would have been better, though.
In the office, Angela tells Pam she’s sure she doesn’t want to play. Angela’s only office game is Pam-Pong, which is how many times Jim gets up from his desk to talk to Pam. Pam says they’re friends, and Angela says, “Apparently.” Stanley and Phyllis are playing some sort of HORSE game. Stanley has H-O-R, and Phyllis has H-O. She asks, “Are you calling me a ho?”
Next, we find out that Pam has made paper doves for the Closing Ceremonies. She tells Jim, and they high-five. Pam then sees Angela tallying up another Pam-Pong. This makes Pam nervous.
Michael tells Dwight that he should grow candy instead of beats.
Back in the office, as Toby and Oscar are racing with coffee cups, Dwight and Michael get back. Dwight wonders what’s up. Everyone stops playing, and people are suddenly in a somber mood.
Jim drops off his reports at Oscar’s desk, and we find out that they took about five minutes, and he closed two other sales at lunch time. All-in-all, a normal day, he says.
Pam sees Ryan throwing away his medals. She feels bad. Later, while looking at his medal, Jim gets an idea. He tells Pam to ignore her voicemails and put together a closing ceremony. She is happy.
At 5, Jim enters a brooding Michael’s office to congratulate him on his condo. He asks Michael to come into the office, and makes Michael stand in the Gold position for closing on his condo. Michael’s heart is very full.
Dwight gets the silver medal, and Jim gets bronze. Jim plays the national anthem, and Pam puts the doves on a clothesline behind them.
Michael: “What the hell is that?”
Jim: “Those are the doves.”
Michael accepts that answer. Cue credits.
Thoughts: Office Olympics is an enjoyable, moderately funny episode that advances some stories and develops the characters of Michael and Jim, especially, a little further.
We see Jim get truly excited for what might be the first time. Even while having a good time, though, he sees that Michael needs a pick-me-up, and he orchestrates the closing ceremonies for that to happen.
The actual Office Olympics stuff is pretty good, and inspired similar events across the country. Sadly, I have not partaken in any of these games.
We also get the important first introduction of Carol, played by Steve Carell’s wife. Carol becomes Michael’s girlfriend later on, and eventually helps lead to his relationship with Jan a little bit.
Angela’s Pam-Pong game also enlightens us to the fact that the rest of the office is aware of Jim and Pam’s mutual like/attraction for each other.
Also, Dwight was golden, yet again.
NEW FEATURE!!!
Quote of the Show: When Dwight sheepishly says, “Sometimes teenagers use it for sex.”
Future moments of the week will include the “That’s what she said” moment, and funny visuals.
What to look for next week: I will review this summer’s Webisodes, which should conclude next Thursday at the NBC Web site.
Thanks for reading!
The 411: A good overall episode, with some hilarity and some character development. There was also a lot of Kevin here, which is always good for an extra .3 points.
