Talk to me, Tivo: Michael tries to be supportive after learning that a new employee is an ex-convict, then the staff compares the office to a prison.
Jaminess: 2 [3=Casino Night]
Jam Cam: Somehow I�m going to write an episode summary for an episode in which Jim and Pam are in the same office and didn�t say one word to each other the entire time. And yet, so much was said.
Jim and Karen are over by the copy machine trying not to obviously flirt even though they�re obviously flirting. Why are you talking to Pam, stupid? �Yes, I�ve started to see Karen.� What? Admitting you�re seeing her and just flirting with her are two different things, Jim. Ugh. Apparently, Jim wants to keep this all on the down low so people in the office don�t find out what�s really going on, but it�s obviously �people� as in �Pam� who is not an idiot and totally knows.
Meanwhile, Pam has other things going on like finding out there is someone in the office who�s a convict. Pam seems to be in on all the secrets in this office. At least she has her cute hair again this week so she has that going for her.
Maybe it�s going for her too well. Andy calls Jim to admit he�s horny and starts going through a list of the women in the office that he can date? Kelly. High maintenance. Angela? Fun for no one. Pam? Well, because Jim is at his new desk, he has to physically turn around to see Pam. She notices and gives him a smile. He turns back to his desk and smirks. �Absolutely.� Yeah! Pranking!Jim is back. Too bad Pam isn�t in on this. She would love it.
Jim pow wows in the kitchen with Andy to help him plan his strategy. Jim seems to think he knows Pam pretty well…and we all know that�s true because he still loves her. At least that�s what we�re telling ourselves. Jim starts going through a list of the most ridiculous things possible. Frisbee base competitions? Perfect! Andy loves frisbee. And hunting. And the Six Flags ads. And pig latin. Oh, this is going to be so good. Too bad Pam doesn�t know.
With this knowledge in hand, Andy goes in for the kill. Pam is looking a little stunned and can only answer with a �wow� after Andy asks her out with pig latin. Andy thinks she�s just stunned at how lucky she is to have a guy from Cornell hitting on her. Andy turns around and gives Jim a thankful punch � and Pam sees it. She�s no dummy. She�s figured out Jim is a part of this. Jim turns around in his chair very nonchalantly and BAM! Eyes right on Pam and a playful �You suck!� look back at him. Oh squee! That look seals the deal — Scheming!Pam is back. Thank you, Office writers. �Wow,� Pam says. �That was just…wow.� We concur, Ms. Beesly.
As Andy is walking by Jim�s desk later that day, he stops him to give more advice. According to Jim, Pam likes the guitar, but Andy�s bango will be just as good. And he needs to sing in a falsetto voice. Perfect! Not so perfect is Karen coming over to lean on Jim�s desk and chat. She asks Jim what�s going on and he tells her about his prank. Karen is a little too eager to join in, which seems to freak Jim out. He looks like a deer caught in the headlights for just a second knowing there�s no way he is going to let Karen be a part of pranking Pam. This is just his thing with his former crush. Plus, she may be hurt if he brings in a Stamfordite — and his sort of girlfriend none the less — so Jim dodges his sort of girlfriend. It starts to make me forget he even admitted to dating Karen earlier in the show.
Meanwhile, Michael has obviously gotten a little pissed off that everyone thinks prison would be better than working in the office so he drags the crew into a conference room meeting unveil �Prison Mike� to scare them all straight. Too bad it doesn�t work. Just as Mike starts to dig in to Ryan about being the prison bitch, Jim starts to control the situation. It makes us all remember that we missed Jim�s interactions with Pam as much as we missed him interacting with everyone else. Jim starts asking Mike how he got in prison in the first place. Without having to say a word, Pam picks up Jim�s line of questioning and the pranksters are truly back in form. When Mike starts bringing up the dementors in prison, Karen tries to keep up Jim�s line of questioning, but it�s just not the same. This is especially obvious when Mike starts going in on how great the place is and Jim and Pam share a little giggle between the two of them. Giggling!Jam is back! I love all the Jam things that are showing up again in this episode. I missed the Jam things.
And oh my gawd! The closing tonight is Andy serenading Pam with his bango and pig latin. Pam looks over at Jim and smiles. Jim, with his back to Pam and facing the camera, has a smile that mirrors hers and the look he gives to the camera as the screen goes to the trumpet guy is just…guh.
And just a note, I gave this episode a rating of 2. It would have gotten a 3 if Jim had never mentioned the fact that he�s dating Karen. I still don�t like it.
The Others: Michael finds out that Dunder Mifflin hired a convict and tries to make sure Martin, a new guy from Stamford, doesn�t feel weird about being said convict. Unfortunately, he in fact doesn�t feel weird because everyone seems to think that prison doesn�t sound that bad. You have to live in a cell, but you can take art classes and have outdoors time. It�s better than working in the office! Michael takes that personally and goes on a crusade to scare them straight. For his finale, Michael brings out �Prison Mike� in one of the most hilarious conference room scenes ever. Then he locks everyone in the room to show them what prison is really like until Toby talks him down from the ledge.
What have we learned today, kids: A look is worth a thousand words. It�s just that one thing that can break the ice and make everything ok again. But just remember � sooner or later, you have to start talking.
– written by Jenny
Quotes
Jim: Yes, I have started to see Karen It�s very new and not really ready to talk about it yet because once the word gets out there, it might affect the way people behave around us or…I dunno…just not yet.
Jim [on phone]: Jim Halpert.
Andy [on phone]: I am so horny.
Jim: Ok, I can�t help you with that.
Andy: Oh, I think you can, Big Tuna. Tell me about that Indian chick, Kelly. She seems pretty slutty. Good for a romp in the sack.
Jim: She is dating Ryan, I think.
Andy: Oh, and I care why?
Jim: She�s high-maintenance.
Andy: Next. How about [mouths �Angela�]. Blondes are more fun. C�mon, trust me on that.
Jim: Yea, trust me, that would be fun for no one.
Andy: Ok fine.
Jim: Ok.
Andy: Pam. The receptionist. Pam. Should I go for it? Jim [looks over and Pam smiles at him, then turns back to his desk] : Absolutely you should.
Andy: Jackpot.
Jim: I know Pam pretty well. I know the things that she likes and, just as important, I know the things that she hates. So one of the things that she likes is pranks and the things that she hates…
Jim: Frisbee base competition.
Andy: Are you kidding? I started the main Frisbee golf club at Cornell where I went to college. I live to frolf.
Jim: Lead off with that. She loves hunting. She also loves the ads for Six Flags with the old guy. Also, do you speak pig latin?
Pam: Wow. That was…wow.
Jim: Oh Andy? I thought of one last tact you can use take Pam.
Andy: What?
Jim: Quick question: Do you play the guitar?
Andy: I play the banjo.
Jim: Hold on, let me think about that. Yes, that�ll work. But can you sing in a sexy high falsetto voice?
Andy [in falsetto voice]: You know I can, my man.
Jim: Yep, that�s perfect.
Karen: Hey.
Jim: Hey.
Andy [whispering]: I�m gonna get my bango out of my car.
Jim: Perfect.
[Andy leaves]
Karen: What is going on?
Jim: I�m messing with Andy. I�m sending him to all the women in the office with just terrible information on how to get them to go out with him.
Karen: I love it. I want in. Who�s the target?
Jim [hesitantly]: Oh, you know what. It was gonna be Pam…
Karen: Perfect. What do I have to do? Just give me an assignment.
Jim: Oh, you know what though? I feel like I already sicked him on Pam. We�ll give her a break. Let�s think of someone else.
