nbc
The Office
Neoptism
Original Air Date: Sep 23, 2010
Shannon – Associate Editor
shannon@thetwocentscorp.com
The cold open is the entire office staff with the exception of Darryl and Angela (who says she doesn’t want to be on the internet) lip syncing along to a song I don’t know the name of and basically acting like idiots. Dwight is creepily pretending to cut people with a mean looking knife and Jim is dancing like a Peanut. It’s actually pretty cute.
At the top of the ep, Michael waxes poetic about his summer and all his infections. Also, Erin and Gabe are dating. Andy is not at all mad about this because he has been to anger management and is in his happy place where a humpback whale eats Gabe.
Dwight bought the building over the summer. Kelly took a course at Yale and now is super smart, y’all. Jim has been messing with Dwight all summer as he does. Pam busted up Jim’s latest prank and now she needs to make it up to him.
There’s a new assistant named Luke and everyone hates him. He’s a little emo punk and everyone wants him gone after he screws up the Starbucks run. Oh and by the way, Luke is Michael’s nephew. Michael sends Luke out for ice cream for the office and holds a meeting in the conference room instructing everyone to leave him alone. It comes out that he’s Michael’s nephew and everyone is understandably upset. Angela finds a bunch of unsent packages that Luke was supposed to send. Everyone is super upset and Michael and Gabe make a conference call to Jo who says that if Luke is staying he’s Michael’s responsibility. That leads to Michael taking over all Luke’s duties while he goofs off. He finally pushes Michael over the edge so Michael leans him over a desk and spanks him.
Pam wants to make up the prank to Jim so she has Kevin switch around the buttons in the elevator which leads to Pam and Dwight getting stuck in the elevator together. Dwight pees in the elevator because he’s been drinking water non-stop from the backpack hydration system he’s been wearing. It’s exactly what you think it is.
Gabe tells Michael he’s going to have to undergo some counseling in order to avoid a lawsuit for assaulting an employee. Michael is down with it until he finds out his counselor is Toby. Michael is not pleased and asks if there’s any other option. Gabe says there’s always termination. Michael looks pensive. Is this how they’re writing Michael off the show?
This was a pretty safe episode, I think. Not great, but not terrible either. I’m interested in seeing what direction they’re going to take Michael since this is Steve’s last season. I just hope they don’t make a victim of his own stupidity like they usually do. Give the poor guy a fighting chance! Let me know what you thought. Leave a comment!
TheTwoCents 
I loved all the Pam/Dwight (and later Jim) stuff in the elevator. The dynamic of Dwight owning the building is pretty solid and will make for great pranks as the season continues.
I totally agree with you about being wary of how Michael will exit Dunder Mifflin. My hope? Holly comes back for him and they move to Chicago where Michael tries over and over again to get into Second City (living off of Holly’s high-powered HR salary, of course).
The elevator stuff was pretty good and it does open up some questions as to why Dwight bought the building in the first place. I thought Bob Vance owned it. It’s really funny having Michael try to get into Second City since I believe that’s where Steve Carell actually started.
Exactly.