Episode 16 - Manager and Salesman
16 February 2010
Review
Synopsis: Sabre CEO Jo Bennett comes to visit Scranton and insists that there be only one branch manager. Michael wants it bad and when Jim realises he could make a lot more money in sales he agrees. Soon Michael finds out and gets his way and rejoins the sales team. But he misses his office and they convince Jo to let them switch back. Meanwhile Dwight and Ryan meet to plot a new scheme for getting Jim demoted. Andy gives everyone Valentines Day cards so as not to be too obvious with his affection for Erin. He accidentally gives her card to Kelly.
The Good: The co-manager situation doesn’t seem very feasible with no David Wallace to manage the situation, so it seems like a logical development to return things to the status quo. The Sabre sales commissions idea gave a nice logical reason for Jim to take a demotion and not look like he was moving backwards. His return to the ranks means he can now treat Dwight the way he deserves. It was a satisfying moment when he dunked Dwight’s tie into his tea to symbolically end his reign as manager.
Erin and Andy continue to entertain even if the writers are wasting time. Andy’s attempts at nonchalance while Bennett’s dogs smelt his crotch was pretty funny. As was his attempt to “dilute” his gesture to Erin by sending cards to everyone in the office, a typical Andy waste of time and effort. Kelly getting immediately interested in Andy just because she thought he liked her certainly fit her character and hinted at good jokes. I do like the irony of Andy’s sign off “yours in professionalism, Nard Dog.”
I liked the IT guy suggesting they call the police on Jim, a logical reaction to Dwight’s accusations. Seeing Michael unable to enjoy being a salesman again made sense.
The Bad: Again this felt like a retread and an illogical one. It was good that Jo comes down to the branch to see her new acquisition and explain why she purchased them. It also made sense that she would reduce them to one manager. But again it didn’t feel like enough, surely there needs to be big staff retraining to help them sell printers and fit in with Sabre’s policies on refunds and guarantees and all that stuff.
But the part which annoyed me was the unprofessional way the Manager position was doled out. First she lets Michael decide instead of holding some kind of enquiry or getting to know them or looking into their records or anything. She should be alarmed by Michael claiming, even in jest, that he will sexually harass people if left in the job. Then she just waved her arm to let them swap back claiming “I don’t care which of you does the job.” That just doesn’t seem credible. If she runs such a tight ship she should care who will be reporting to her and she should want the best man. Surely there should be some education for the manager on the corporate structure of Sabre and how that is going to work. It just left an unconvincing air and made me feel the writers weren’t putting much effort into the story.
Michael’s victorious return to his office didn’t please me either. His previous returns have had some measure of justice to them (such as Charles Minor’s departure in 523) where as this felt like bad management. Michael was being returned to his office so he can waste time and money with all his toys and gadgets and keep Erin occupied with useless tasks. Somehow a celebration of this stupidity didn’t sit right.
Once more I have to question Ryan’s character. He has been poorly written from season two onwards in my opinion and his behaviour alters to fit the needs of each joke sometimes. It’s all the more amazing when you realise that B J Novak is one of the writers of the show. But anyway, he comes across here as implausibly stupid, especially for someone who attended business school. Suggesting that he and Dwight actually re-enact the movie Saw on Jim was as dumb and foolish a bit of writing you are likely to see. If this is the end of the Ryan-Dwight alliance then it was another story which the writing seemed to half-ass.
Shouldn’t Toby be out of a job and replaced by a Sabre HR rep?
Comic Highlight: Jim talking to the camera with good character based believable logic: “I don’t think I’m going to miss being manager. You know how some people say they’re not in it for the money? Well with all due respect to this job; I think I’m definitely in it for the money. And quite honestly, the women.”
That’s what I said: The decline in quality in The Office has been sad and I don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes to allow this to happen. But it seems like the writers think the only plot worth writing is a change in management structure because that is what they have spent all season doing and it has become tiresome. They have also focussed heavily on Michael to the exclusion of practically everyone else. They need to change course and quick.
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