The Office: Paper Airplanes (9x20)

Great episode. And it had an emotional payoff too, which I always love to see. I can only think of one part of the episode that fell flat, but unfortunately a lot of focus was placed on it. I would have loved to spend more time with the compelling parts of this episode, but instead we spent a lot of our time with... Andy.

Okay, I love Andy. I do. He's an interesting character, and Ed Helms has done a good job of carving out a niche for himself separate from that of Michael Scott. But recently, his character has been given lackluster subplots that separate him from the other characters and burn out on a lot of weak jokes. This week, his aspirations as an actor were tested as he had to face his fears of objects going into eyeballs in order to demonstrate a safety procedure. Okay, an interesting enough premise, but the entire arc was focused on physical humor, such as Andy sticking water in his eyes and crying and screaming. It was all a little boring to me, and his journey in this episode had no bearing on the other characters, so I wasn't invested in it at all.

But then we have the other two plots in this episode, both of which I loved.

The title of the episode, "Paper Airplane," references a competition going on in the warehouse between the Dunder Mifflin employees. Kevin had trouble making airplanes, which was hilarious, as was his line about "Wilbur and Orville Redenbacher." Erin lets her competitive side come out, and she's worried that Pete will see this bad side of her. Erin was adorable as she freaked out over her loss. "Sorry! I'm mad! I don't like losing, I thought I was going to win!" There was also Dwight and Angela this week. I was actually a bit heartbroken here. Angela is happy to see Dwight rooting for her in the contest, but when Esther turns up, she learns that Dwight apparently pities her. She throws the competition, derisively telling Dwight that she doesn't need his pity. It was sad to see these two characters at odds, especially since Dwight was trying to help, albeit in a Dwight-ish sort of way.

The third plot was about Jim and Pam. It's been really tough to see them in such a bad place lately, and this episode was no exception to that. The two of them begin employing techniques they have learned during couple's counseling, which means they say things like "I appreciate and acknowledge your sacrifice" and call things that they don't want to do "opportunities." It felt strange and uncomfortable to watch our favorite couple talk so formally and awkwardly with one another, but it was an effective way of showing us how far their relationship has fallen. Then, at the end, in an adorable flashback to Pam and Jim's wedding, we see the two of them give in to their love and share a desperate hug and kiss in the parking lot. I liked this scene a lot because it does not mean that their problems have been fixed, but it does mean that the strong basis of love is still there in their relationship, and that they can fight their way out of this hard time. I love them, and I hope to see more touching moments like this in the future.

Overall, I had a lot of fun with this episode!

8/10