Talk to me, Tivo: Chaos ensues when Michael takes responsibility for conflict resolution from the human resources department.
Jaminess: 2 [3=Casino Night]
Jam Cam: Wedding planning continues for Pam as Kevin tries to tell her to hire his band because they rock. Jim is apparently hearing alot of wedding preparation, but he’s fine with it [yeah, right] and they both get stuck hearing Dwight ordering deer urine so it all evens out.
Pam heads to the break room and talks to Phyllis about her save the date cards. Jim feels uncomfortable hearing Pam plan her wedding and turns right around to get out of there. Pam feels uncomfortable when she get called out by Angela for not sending her a card. Apparently, Pam doesn’t want anyone at the wedding that has called her a hussy before.
When Michael hears Toby trying to work on a conflict in the office, Pam gets dragged in to the argument by acting as the mediator’s assistant. Of all the possible ways to deal with a stupid ugly baby poster, Pam seems to come up with the most logical solution, but is completely shot down by her boss, who thinks it would make a better t-shirt. Sometimes, you really have to wonder if Pam’s true calling is to be a therapist. In the meantime, she shows a bit of heart and gives Angela a save the date card anyway, saying she didn’t have the zip code.
Michael is determined to make the office conflict-free and starts reading complaints from Toby’s complaint folder. Angela seems to have redacted quite a few complaints about Dwight now that she’s dating him. There is one complaint that’s in there from Angela: Does Pam have to plan her wedding on office time? Shouldn’t she do that at home? What a bitch that Angela is and after Pam gave her a save the date card, too! What the hell?
Meanwhile, Jim is having a problem of his own. Dwight tried to kiss him, but Jim doesn’t know how he feels about that. Really? Jim doesn’t know how he feels about kissing co-workers in general or Dwight specifically? Talk it out, Jim, and hope that doesn’t show up in your permanent complaint file in “New York” a.k.a. the box under Toby’s desk.
Pam is a very perceptive receptionist, calling Angela out on her wedding planning complaint. Angela says she didn’t do it, but we all know she did. At least Angela redacted all her complaints against Bobblehead Joe.
Pam is pissed about the whole Angela thing and goes to the one person she knows she can talk to: Jim. He thinks Angela redacted the comment because she was trying to make amends, Pam thinks Jim is taking Angela’s side. Jim coyly asks what Roy thinks about all this, but he doesn’t because Pam won’t bother him with things like this. “Like your thoughts and feelings?” Jim asks in a sarcastic and yet heartbreaking way. Pam doesn’t get the hint.
To get out his Pam frustration, Jim makes Dwight’s security ID huge with the wrong middle name. I thought Jim was an expert prankster, but changing Dwight’s middle name to Fart seems lazy and uninspired. Despite that, Dwight goes to complain to Toby who informs him that Michael has all the complaints now. Four years of malfeasance that was supposedly going to corporate has been sitting in a box in Scranton. Dwight is pissed. It’s either him or Jim — Michael must decide.
Dwight tries to not-so-subtlely tell Jim to leave town. There’s a job opening in Stamford, maybe he should transfer. What? Let’s be rational here, Dwight, and you can start by keeping your mouth shut and not suggesting anything of the sort.
Ok, that’s it. Cage match! It’s no wonder Jim’s security threat joke was a bit lame — he’s had so many over the years, there had to be at least a few duds. But there was also replacing Dwight’s pencils with crayons, paying people to call him Dwayne, making him hit himself in the head with the phone, and moving his desk closer to the copier. Of course, as Jim explains each funny prank, he looks more and more depressed. Jim is really not happy with his job except for when he plays another prank on Dwight or talks to Pam. Maybe he should transfer…good market, higher volume. Dwight can’t go with him though because he has a girlfriend.
With all the tension in the air, what better way to heal wounds than with a group photo? Everyone is pissed and Pam thinks this is the best time to confront Angela about her complaint. Jim tries to stop her and does, in fact, succeed when he tells her it wasn’t Angela. What? It was Jim. WHAT? This is not good. Jim tells her he didn’t know Toby was going to write it down, he was just venting and he took it right back. Oh dear.
As everyone is coming back in the next day, Pam has a message on her voice mail from Jim. He’s got a doctor’s appointment in the city so he’ll be in late. Whoa, wait. Since when did Dunder-Mifflin have doctors in their corporate offices? Oh no, that’s Jan. Jim is talking to Jan. This is not good.
The Others: Michael overhears Toby dealing with a complaint and takes it upon himself to resolve all conflict in the office. Of course, when you have Michael taking on a task like this, it will just lead to more conflict. Dwight wants Jim out of there, Angela wants Phyllis to stop parking in her spot, and Oscar can’t stand that scary baby poster. Too bad Toby didn’t win the wrestling match with Michael over the folder that contained all the complaints. In the end, everyone stays pissed including Michael, who still has to Photoshop a picture of the office clan to make them look happier even after he paid a photographer $160 for the pictures.
What have we learned today, kids: Leave conflict resolution to the professionals in H.R. or you’re just going to make things worse. Oh, or have a cage installed in your office so you can just have the sales guys duke it out to see who has to transfer to another branch.
– written by Jenny
Quotes
Kevin: So, uh, you found a band yet for your wedding?
Pam: No.
Kevin: Because I’m in a band. We really rock.
Jim: Yeah, I mean, it’s inevitable. I definitely overhear some wedding preparation, but I’m fine with it. She hears me arranging my social life and we both have to hear Dwight order deer urine over the Internet, so it evens out.
Phyllis: So I got my save the date card.
Pam: Yeah?
Phyllis: Yeah, pretty stationary.
Pam: Oh thanks.
Angela: I didn’t get mine yet.
Pam: Um…
Pam: There are a few people I decided not to invite and that might make things kind of awkward, but it’s my wedding and I don’t want anyone there who has called me a hussy.
Pam: Um — let’s move on. I volunteer. Did anyone have a problem with me?
Michael: Alright, Pamela. Come on down! Let’s do it and�ok. Just one complaint. Actually, it has been withdrawn, so that is no help to us. Next.
Pam: Wait, what did it say?
Michael: “Does she have to plan her wedding on office time? Shouldn’t she do that at home?” Who else? Why don’t we just warm up first? Warm up emotionally, alright?
Pam: I have this kind of big secret about Angela. And I’ve been really nice to her and I haven’t told anyone, and…what the hell?
Pam: I can’t believe Angela. I went against my better judgment and I gave her a save the date and now it turns out she complained about me to Toby.
Jim: Well, it was redacted. Look, if she wants an invite, maybe she’s just trying to be friends.
Pam: Don’t take her side.
Jim: Well, what does Roy think about everything?
Pam: I don’t know. I try not to bother him about this kind of stuff.
Jim: You mean your thoughts and your feelings?
Pam: Yeah.
Jim: Yeah.
Jim: Maybe Stamford would be cool.
Dwight: It’s a good market. Higher volume.
Jim: Yeah. Maybe we should both go.
Dwight: I have a girlfriend.
Jim: Sure you do, Dwight, sure.
Pam: Angela, I want to talk to you about something.
Angela: What?
Jim: No, Pam, don’t.
Pam: [to Jim] I am. [to Angela] It’s about the save the date.
Jim: Pam, it wasn’t her.
Pam: What?
Jim: I’m the one who complained about you. I didn’t know that Toby was gonna write it down. I was just venting. You know, it was one day and I took it right back. It was like…
Pam: Ok.
Jim’s message: Hey Pam, it’s Jim. I have a doctor’s appointment in the city so I probably won’t be in until the late afternoon. Just thought I’d let you know. Ok, bye.
