Andy refuses to sell his family’s boat when it’s necessary and instead sails to the Bahamas on it. ‘Nough said.
This episode shines; it starts the process of tying the show together, cleverly mirroring a previous season’s relationship. It’s also one of the funniest Jim-and-company pranks in ages.
It’s got laugh-out-loud moments in Dwight’s criticisms of the news media and the hilarity of the radio station prank. There’s also a repetitive character development for Andy that signals that now more than ever, writers are trying to turn him into the new Michael Scott – a self-centered, miserly, saddened man. Ed Helms – as proven by the character’s reduced likability this season – is no Steve Carell.
Oscar very surreptitiously tells the camera he knows it spied on him and the senator making out in their Halloween costumes. Kevin emerges into the shot after hearing and a scoop of ice cream he’s eating falls off his cone. Whoops.
He spends the entire episode trying to make sure Kevin doesn’t spill the beans to Angela about his affair with her husband, but in a stroke of luck, Kevin ends up forgetting the whole secret and not even mentioning it to the senator.
Andy’s family has lost all its money – it’s Dad’s fault – and the only way to ensure his mother can have a place to live is if Andy sells his family’s boat. It’s a boat that’s been in their family forever, Andy says, and he can’t sell it. The real reason he can’t part with the boat is because he never got to steer it.
Pam finds out that the local radio station wants to interview someone from Dunder-Mifflin in a business profile. Dwight begs to do it, and she lets him. However, the radio station calls back and tells Dunder-Mifflin it just found a new cupcake store and is going to profile that instead.
Jim decides Dwight would be too disappointed to find out he wouldn’t be going on air, so he, Pam, Darryl and Nellie set up a prank in one of the lounges. Dwight speaks on the phone in the break room area, thinking he’s calling the radio station, but it’s actually Nellie in an American accent, pretending to be the newscasters, with the rest providing sound effects and fake interviews.
After getting Dwight to strip down to a tank and his underwear, the gang tries to convince him that the radio believes Dunder-Mifflin’s paper is toxic and that its shares just fell 73 percent. In a panic to ensure stability, Dwight calls David Wallace to tell him everything will be okay and that Dwight believes in him. Wallace is confused and tells Dwight to never call his cell phone again.
After Erin’s insistence to visit the boat, Andy takes it back – being its captain, as was his dream – and sails to the Bahamas with his brother (played by Josh Groban). Meanwhile, Erin is left alone, not even invited to go on the trip.
Perhaps this is the writers’ way of connecting the seasons together. Look at the similarities: in the early season, the receptionist (Pam) was in a not-so-great relationship (Roy). What would Pam do when she was feeling down? Hang out with Jim, her office crush. At the end of the episode, we see Erin going off with Pete, the new, tall guy, who’s been compared to Jim several times.
Though it’s a horrible move for Andy, it actually gives closure to those who have followed The Office for years now – that this is the circle of life in offices. Once in a while, they work out.
Best Jim face:
When Jim runs into the break room to tell Dwight that shares have dropped 73 percent, Jim yells at him to get his act together or he’ll bring in someone that really knows how to deal with the media. He flashes a split-second but classic face as he runs out the door.
Best Dwight line:
“This is ‘gotcha’ journalism, but you know what? They’re not going to ‘gotch’ me.”
Throwback:
Remember in the first and second seasons when Jim would always go over to Pam’s receptionist desk and casually lean over it to talk about ways to prank Dwight? In season two’s “Office Olympics,” Angela sarcastically called it “Pam Pong,” saying she counted how many times Jim would get up to talk to Pam.
