Did I Stutter?
I just bought a car last week, and I'm already wishing I had used some of Dwight's psychological tactics to negotiate a better price. After several weeks of watching Dwight act beaten down by life as a result of Andy and Angela's relationship - even to the point of groveling to Michael to get invited to his exclusive dinner party we finally see the return of a Dwight hungry for power. First there's his flow chart which neatly summarizes the office politics of Dunder-Mifflin, complete with a plastic overlay that provides an emergency back-up plan in which Dwight is put in charge of everything and everyone (and apparently several people are now trapped in cages). Then he humiliates Andy by buying his car for cheap and cleaning it up in order to sell it for a profit. If he can't win Angela back, he'll at least try to take his romantic rival down a peg or two.
But the real character development this episode involved Stanley's confrontation with Michael. I think the important detail in this "clash of the titans" (to borrow Kevin's description) isn't that Stanley yelled at Michael in the middle of a meeting, but that he refused to even consider apologizing later. Michael is used to dealing with people who insult him to his face, only to turn around and take those words back later when they realize how pathetic Michael is and how he's unable to handle any suggestion that someone doesn't like him.
But Stanley isn't having any of that. He's a stubborn man who apparently isn't even willing to compromise with his own wife (hence his divorce and remarriage), and when Michael breaks down in tears in front of him he's still unmoved. It's interesting that Michael realizes he isn't going to convince Stanley to respect him, so he actually makes the best practical decision and reminds Stanley that, at bare minimum, he must refrain from openly insulting him in the office. Stanley agrees. This represents a rare moment of intelligence from Michael, who understands he has to make the best possible decision under the circumstances and move on rather than pretend to be Mr. Popular. His nervous babbling at the end is clearly the act of a man trying to hide how badly his nerves have been rattled.
My co-worker Matt is always telling me how much he dislikes Toby and I've been defending Dunder-Mifflin's HR employee up until now. Toby's infatuation with Pam has reduced him to complaining about Jim's poor job performance to Ryan, and Jim looked genuinely scared for a moment that he might be fired. He's fallen quite a ways from last year's finale, when his track record at the company was good enough to be considered for a position at corporate. Just check out his reaction shot after Michael fake-fires Stanley: he turns to face the camera, only he isn't smiling. I think Jim is actually worrying about his job security now, and maybe he'll start wondering soon if there's any kind of a long-term future for him at Dunder-Mifflin. He's got the girl of his dreams; maybe it's time to start looking for a better job to go along with her.
Oh yeah, and Darryl continues to be the man. I loved his list of gangs he's belonged to and his description of the "Fluffy Fingers" conflict resolution technique (to say nothing of Michael's assumption that Darryl had been in a gang to begin with).
Ladies and gentlemen, the Dundies:
Best Dwight Getting Drunk on Power Moment: The alternate power structure within the office in which he's put in charge.
Best Jim and Pam Moment: His offer to hold her hand and lead her out of the office when the Clash of the Titans begins. Runner-up: Pam forgetting her contact lenses at a "friend's" apartment.
Best Creed is a Dirty Old Man Moment: "I'd also like to see (Pam) topless."
Best Stanley Isn't Always Mellow Moment: His speech about how every one of Michael's ideas is stupider than the last.
Best Andy Gets Owned Moment: Dwight convinces him to sell his car for cheap because all it's good for is to "drive it off a cliff" or "sell it to someone you want to die."
Best Overall Moment: The rough gang Darryl was a part of?
The Newsies.
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