Job Fair
Maybe I'm just nitpicking here, but do high schools really have job fairs? The event apparently contains both job offers and possible internships, but either way it seems much more like something you would see at a college campus. For example, how do you sign up for an internship that might give you college credit if you haven't even enrolled in a college yet? Not that this is exactly a huge deal for me; I'm just surprised because
The Office is usually pretty convincing when it comes to the smaller details of how a workplace functions in the real world (although they're a bit looser when it comes to the characters within said workplace).
We get a welcome break from coked-up Ryan in this episode, although his presence is still felt when Jim hits the golf course in order to land a new client. Thanks to Ryan's warning that he's been goofing around too much lately and his own desire to make a little extra money in order to provide for Pam in a long-term relationship, Jim is willing to do something he's never even attempted before at Dunder-Mifflin: "Try." Such is Jim's smoothness that he's able to overcome Andy's unctuousness and Kevin's gambling addiction to convince the skeptical businessman (alright, I didn't catch his name and I don't have TiVo anyone want to help me out?) to come back to Dunder-Mifflin. It's good to see Jim back on top after getting humiliated by Ryan and Toby last week and made to look like a fool when he locked everyone into the parking lot the week before that.
But while Jim is actually trying to improve his lot at Dunder-Mifflin, Pam has her eye on bigger and better things. If the high school job fair felt unrealistic to me, the moment when the recruiter at the graphic design company told Pam that she needed several crucial skills and more schooling just to get her foot in the door was sadly believable. It's that old Catch-22: you need experience to get a job, but you need a job (or an expensive grad school) to get experience. Still, the finale is right around the corner, and the producers of the show are promising some huge life changes will be happening. Could Pam be moving away to pursue her dreams?
Oh yeah, and one thing I didn't catch when Pam went into the art room, the camera fixated on some discarded art project right after she walked out. I feel like I show know what it was (since the show obviously was trying to make it look important), but it's not ringing any bells. Was it supposed to be something of hers that she gave to the school at some point?
Nothing new on the Dwight and Angela front, except that they're able to work alone together in the office with only the bare minimum of communication. I was sure they were either going to get back together or have a violent confrontation, but no such luck. And Michael continues to be a tool (no surprise). His behavior at the school job fair demonstrates yet again one of his defining characteristics: he judges every person he meets in terms of how cool he or she is, and then treats that person accordingly. When he's around Pam in the office, he's eager for her to be his friend. But when he's trying to recruit a hip new intern to replace Ryan, he'll treat Pam like dirt in order to impress somebody new. No wonder Pam is so desperate to leave.
And now, tonight's Dundies:
Best Creed Does Nothing Productive Around the Office Moment: His rallying cry to Angela is "Let's ditch this bitch!" (Runner-up: admitting "I finished my work months ago.")
Least Romantic Jim/Pam Moment Ever: Making out while Kevin does his best impression of a porn soundtrack and Michael advises him to "kiss her kiss her good."
Best Michael Ruins Everything Moment: Telling everyone else at the job fair (including the people manning the concession stand) that their companies suck although he does have the common sense not to insult the Air Force.
Best Overall Moment: Andy crashing the golf cart. Into the sand trap.
Just one week left to go before the season finale. Post your thoughts on what the plot twists might be and join me back here next Thursday for my blog recapping the super-sized episode.
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