The Office: Livin' the Dream (9x21)

So this was a double episode, which means roughly 42 minutes of material instead of the usual 21. I really liked this episode, but unfortunately due to time constraints I'm only going to write a bit about it.

The biggest plot going on in this episode was Andy's back-and-forth decisions about whether to leave and pursue acting or not. As I've mentioned in previous reviews, Andy hasn't really been interesting to me lately, but I did think that this episode had some good things about it. David Wallace shows up to fire him, but Andy quits before he can get to it. He wants to be an actor, but everyone basically tells him he won't be able to succeed.  He decides he wants to be a salesman again, but then after some thought he decides not to abandon his dream so he tries to get fired again by pooping on Wallace's car. Some of the advice that Andy was being given about how he shouldn't leave was slightly amusing, but there was nothing too special. I think my favorite was Erin's blunt admission that she was worried Andy would end up homeless and maybe even starve.

Basically, this didn't really make me laugh all that much, but there was this really touching payoff when Andy played guitar and sang "I will remember you." It was such a sweet moment and it showcased his actual talent, which I love. Everyone in the office had such perfect reactions to it, too, as they gaze at Andy with a fondness for him which they didn't know they had.

Then you've got Dwight. He got promoted to manager! Dwight was of course over-the-top excited, and everyone in the office congratulated him and it was perfect. Earlier, when Jim and Wallace were talking, Clark asked Dwight what he thought about the possibility that Jim was being offered the manager position, and Dwight said that even though it was something he wanted, he thought Jim would make a great manager. When Wallace asked Jim if he was crazy to make Dwight manager, Jim said "Not at all. It should be Dwight." And then we get an actually sincere hug between the two of them. I always knew they were friends! Jim has now been offered the Assistant to the Manager position. This was a lovely throwback to earlier seasons!

Dwight also got his black belt in this episode, which was... sort of funny, but to be honest it felt unnecessary. There were a lot of other things going on in this episode and that portion of it felt out of place.

There was this tiny subplot about Clark wanting to sit in Jim's seat, and I absolutely adored the moment when Dwight accepted Clark's congratulations and then tells him to "get out of Jim's seat." He's so defensive of Jim and I just cannot get enough of it.

Speaking of Jim... he and Pam were back to their season one level of adorable flirting. Jim is taking some time off of work to make things better with his wife. Some of the highlights: Jim says that it's been nice to take time off, and Pam says "nice morning, too," with this little smirk and then Jim responds: "Beesly! Oh my God!" They kept flirting throughout the episode, and I loved the moment when Pam was back in the annex sitting on Jim's desk, and Erin was sitting on Pete's desk, and suddenly the show acknowledged how Erin and Pete are basically just the younger versions of Erin and Pete. It was great! At the end, though, there was this heartbreaking moment where Darryl found out that the Philadelphia company had this great opportunity, but it meant that Jim would have to go out west for three months. He immediately determines that he can't do that to Pam, and that she is more important. Pam overhears the whole thing, and she looks upset. I'm excited to see how this plays out!

The third thing going on this week is that Angela's life is totally falling apart. She's living in this crappy hovel and her cats are being taken away from her and she has no money. Oscar continually tries to comfort her throughout the episode, and then he sees her looking at tents online. He is horrified to discover that she's actually considering sleeping in a tent, and offers to let her stay with him. Angela is so grateful. In a moment that broke my heart, she leans over and grabs his hand and mutters "thank you." 

When they get into the car, Angela asks if his apartment is messy, and Oscar says that it's clean and tastefully decorated, and that the "stereotype holds up." Angela says "I wouldn't know. I never lived with a gay guy." Oscar starts to respond: "Angela, you just... were..." but then Angela bursts out sobbing. She says "I love him!" and when Oscar starts to talk about how he understands, Angela interrupts him. "No, not the senator. I love Dwight!" Oscar holds her as she cries, and I think it was one of the most touching moments this show has ever had. Their friendship has evolved over the years in so many different ways and it's one of the elements of the show that I truly adore.

So, as you can probably guess, I was a fan of this episode. While the Andy stuff never really captivates me too much, there were a lot of things to really love about this episode, and I think they set up some interesting stuff for next time.

8/10