CHAPTER FOUR: Then again, the actual B-story in The Deposition is about how Jim can’t play ping-pong. So.

We cut to the end of the day. STANLEY putting his coat on to leave. He does not acknowledge the scene at RECEPTION, where PAM has given up all pretense and is openly and fondly watching JIM mime bashing a zombie skull with a pickaxe for a cheering DWIGHT. You can almost see the vision of JIM acting out stories for their kids in her head.

ANGELA follows in STANLEY’s wake, but stops to observe. She shakes her head in disgust, looking for all the world as if she’s gotten a whiff of CREED’s mung beans.

We cut to an ANGELA talking head, outside the building.

ANGELA (a perfectly ANGELA combination of judgment, frustration she’s been thwarted and complete denial of that thwarting):
It’s easy for someone to say they have an “Amish work ethic.” But what matters is what they do when they’re tested. I’m just disappointed. I always thought better of Dwight Schrute from sales.

Her face drops, and for the briefest of moments we get a glimpse of everything behind her anger, the deep sense of loss and grief… for SPRINKLES and for DWIGHT.

We cut to a little later. JIM is leaning on the wall next to DWIGHT, holding the book so he can see. RECEPTION is empty.

Quick pan to the entrance, where PAM, DARRYL, BILLY MERCHANT and DARRYL’S CONTRACTOR FRIEND NIKO enter. DARRYL has a couple mousetraps. NIKO is carrying a toolbox and a small electric handsaw, and BILLY has what look like building schematics in his lap.

BILLY:
So I don’t understand. You just… left him there?

PAM and DARRYL are deer in the headlights.

PAM (overlapping with DARRYL, stammering):
Oh, our budget is, we don’t really have a procedure or anything, and he keeps saying he’s totally comfortable…

DARRYL (overlapping with PAM, stammering):
Well, you know, there wasn’t really any immediate safety threat, and ah, you know, if it had been up to me, we would’ve…

NIKO (…okay):
Well, either way, as long as we cut pretty close, I think we should be able to rescue him without too much damage. How about it, guys, you ready?

JIM holds up a finger.

DWIGHT:
Quiet! They’re clearing the undead out of the Paris catacombs!

NIKO and BILLY exchange a look. DARRYL looks embarrassed. PAM hides a grin behind her hand.

JIM (with a French accent, but a serious one – he and DWIGHT are both emotionally committed now, and we zoom in on them as JIM reads):
“An advance team broke through without realizing what was on the other side. They could have withdrawn, blown the tunnel, sealed them in again… one squad against three hundred zombies. One squad led by my baby brother. His voice was the last thing we heard before their radio went silent. His last words: ‘On ne passe pas!’”

DWIGHT sniffles. JIM closes the book sadly and makes a move as if to put a comforting hand on his shoulder before reconsidering.

The camera swings to the RESCUE TEAM, who are awkwardly awaiting the all-clear.

NIKO:
…so can I get him out of the wall now?

NETWORK NOTES: REJECTED. Really, this is a B-story than cold open, and definitely not worth replacing Lester’s original pitch with Michael’s fake calls. And really… if you don’t find the phrase “Dwight gets stuck in the wall” inherently funny, you’re not going to get much out of this.