"Why don't you just take that pen and stab me in the heart."
The Office 3.19 - "The Negotiation"
I think this is the episode where my love for Dwight grew three sizes in one day.
One thing that I think is incredibly effective about this show is the care the writers take with the scale it's operating on. In general, television has an atmosphere of exaggerated violence and heightened emotion, but in real life, someone throwing a punch at someone else is an unusual and unpredictable situation fraught with serious consequences. The reaction to having someone attack you is not macho posturing and perfect defensive maneuvers but confusion and ducking. Roy's violence was a big deal for everyone; he had to psych himself up for it in the parking lot and again once he got into the office, and he got fired for it; it was a huge HR incident; the entire office was freaked out by the unusual drama; Dwight, who actually had the preparation and quick thinking to fend off the attack, was rightly regarded as something of an office hero.
And oh, Dwight. His active fantasy life led him to stock his workspace with comic book weapons like nunchucks and a police baton, but he ended up bringing Roy down with the very pedestrian pepper spray. (As Jim observes, "Roy was lucky Dwight used pepper spray, not the nunchucks or the throwing stars.") In the heat of the moment, he sprayed a little too widely, there was collateral damage, it was an awkward and jerky and messy confrontation, the exact opposite of a choreographed fight. As far as Dwight is concerned, the real heros wear capes and tights and can fly, he just pepper sprayed some guy who was going to punch Jim and that's the end of the matter. The rest of the office is impressed, and Angela is practically glowing, going around collecting the stories of Dwight's heroism and treasuring them like jewels.
Jim has been such a cypher this season. On the one hand, there are times when his fundamental decency shines through, like his genuine gratitude toward Dwight, his need to show his appreciation and even the score of accumulated pranks. A bobblehead display case! The cheesy police certificate. These were both gifts that Jim clearly put some thought into, because as misguided as they were, they revolved around things that are important to Dwight. On the other, though, there is Jim's attitude toward Pam, and the ways he's been warped by her rejection and refuses to meet her halfway when she tries to reconstruct their friendship. I think Jim was, underneath it all, really angry with Pam for putting him in a position where Roy was coming after him, as if it were Pam's fault, as if she had any control over Roy's terrible impulse control, as if she wasn't crushed already by what had happened. He either really does think Pam and Roy have a connection and that she'll find her way back to him--because the alternative is that she's single now, for good, and therefore dangerous--or he just said that to hurt her, and is being an enormous dickhead. I can't tell which, because he's so opaque right now, but maybe it's both.
I loved the conversation between Roy and Pam at the sad little greasy spoon, Pam there with Jim's words about her and Roy ringing in her ears but clearly feeling like she has to get some kind of closure out of the situation, Roy apologetic, knowing how badly he's screwed up, and still as clueless as ever. He never got that Jim was just the catalyst or he wouldn't have attacked him; he doesn't understand that it's not either/or, that Pam might have ended the relationship for any other reason than to hook up with Jim, that now that Roy's not an obstacle, Pam and Jim aren't going to just fall into each other's arms; it was always more complicated than that, and more about Pam and Jim as people. In the end, that was Roy and Pam's final negotiation: to agree that Roy doesn't get Pam at all.
One of the brilliant things about kaleidescope funhouse that is Jan Levinson and Michael Scott's relationship is how it lets Michael make the business of being in Dunder Mifflin management even more personal. Michael has these elaborate scenarios built up in his head; the office personnel generally have to play into them to some extent to get through the day, but Darryl absolutely refuses to engage. There was no way Michael was going to out-negotiate him, because that would require Darryl embracing part of Michael's fantasy, but it was especially delicious the way Michael armed himself with tactics from wikipedia and Darryl flattened him by pointing out he was wearing a woman's suit--which he was. Jan is less able to stop Michael in his tracks, because she is emotionally involved with him and has become sucked into that strange world, so she tries to lay the ground rules for their negotiation, tells Michael they need to set aside their personal stuff, and Michael launches into an entirely personal plea, complete with threats to withhold sex, and it's all she can do to coach him through the motions and retain some of her dignity. (Toby, in the meantime, is taking notes for the eventual deposition. After spending all day listening to Ryan and Kelly fight and make up, fight and make up, this is the most sane negotiation he's seen in a while.)
And finally, it was great to see Andy return from anger management, full of coping mechanisms and the terrible luck to have returned to an office recently traumatized by violence. I just about fell off my couch when Dwight asked no questions and took no prisoners and just peppersprayed the crap out of him the minute he walked through the door. What are the bets on Andy having a relapse?
Here's the take of one legal HR expert on the probable litigation value from the events of last night's episode.
I also enjoyed 30 Rock very much, including Will Arnett's guest appearance. Oh, Kenneth. That was actually a pretty good peacock impression.
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Apparently, in addition to the R2D2 mailboxes, the US Postal Service is issuing commemorative stamps for the 25th anniversary of Star Wars. You can vote for your favorite. Sadly, the Storm Troopers stamp does not note one of their most noticeable traits: not being able to hit the side of a barn from 20 feet.
