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Party-planning committee. Something about a party for Toby that I missed because my PVR sucks. I do know, though, that Michael has been saving money from his grandmother in his shoe. I am also now gathering that Toby is leaving. Maybe he's really going to Cuba. MAN, I wish I knew what was going on here. How am I supposed to tell you what's going on if I don't even know? At any rate, Angela's refusing to help because Michael's asking too much of her, as usual, but this time she's putting her foot down, which is not as usual. Phyllis, however, is not so strong.

Pam receives an email that gets her all excited, and she runs into the break room to tell Jim she got into the Pratt School of Design, which will take her to NYC for three months. Jim assures her that while it'll suck to be apart, they'll be fine and he'll have fun visiting her in the city.

Toby's replacement is named Holly, and she is played by the prolific Amy Ryan. (My roommate recognized her right away, but I denied for the entire episode that it was her. Oops.) Michael and Dwight hate before they even meet her, ostensibly because she's Toby 2.0. When Toby introduces Holly to Michael, she handles his idiocy with quite an impressive amount of aplomb and Michael is somewhat taken aback by her awesomeness and blondeness. In an interview, he likens her to ET, and I sense a crush brewing.

Dwight introduces Holly around the office, and when he gets to Kevin, he tells her he's slow in the head and is here on a work program. Apparently this has something to do with the hazing they're giving Holly, but I fear Dwight may have the concept slightly backwards. When she meets Kevin, she talks to him like he's six, and it only gets worse when he offers her an M&M.

Michael comes out and makes a typically awkward joke about kissing under Holly. And then he gets even more awkward with the awkward flirting and asks whether she's real or a Holly-gram. She takes it well. She doesn't take it quite so well when Michael asks how long her commute is and then offers to make her a mix cd for the ride.

Aha! Toby IS going to Costa Rica. Which, I should point out, is not Cuba. Pam gives him a picture of everyone at the office, and he laments the fact that she isn't in it (which is because she was taking it). He says he'd also like a picture of the two of them, and she asks whether he has a camera there. He doesn't, so he yells to the whole room, asking whether anyone has a camera. It's somewhat awkward. He goes running out to find one. Pam still doesn't seem to get it.

Jim's on the phone with Ryan, talking about a great big sale he just made. Ryan is extremely unsupportive and terrifically rude. I know you're shocked.

Michael, meanwhile, is listening to song clips on Amazon again ("Crash," by Dave Matthews Band, currently), trying to find perfect stuff for the mix for Holly. He calls Jim in to ask his opinion on songs that work on two levels: 1) Welcome to Scranton, and 2) I love you. After affirming that U2 is in fact from Scranton, Jim scrambles to do some damage control, telling Michael he doesn't love Holly because he just met her. Michael, of course, claims it's love at first... hear, since he realized it when he heard her voice. Jim explains it doesn't work like that and that he's speaking from experience. Michael, of course, scoffs at Jim's relationship with Pam. Jim reminisces about all the firsts Jim and Pam have had at the office (conversation, meal, kiss, etc.).

Next, we see Jim ask Phyllis to arrange to have some fireworks at Toby's party (he's paying for them), and then he tells us in an interview he's going to propose tonight. Even he is surprised at this. It is just NOT Toby's day. Or life, for that matter.

Holly's being a good Samaritan and helping Kevin make a choice at the vending machine. This involves a lot of touching and patting, and you can see Kevin's getting the wrong idea. In an interview: "I am totally gonna BANG Holly. She is cute, and helpful, and she really seems into me."

Michael comes upon Holly trying to fix her chair and they trade awkward jokes, him more than her, for awhile. And then Holly, in what I assume is an attempt to make Michael feel more comfortable, does the most creepily accurate Yoda voice I've ever heard. While it's adorable in a strange sort of way, my jaw dropped a bit, because I think Holly might be kind of into Michael, which is... well, I don't have words for what that is. Maybe she just realizes he's trying to flirt with her and she's so nice she can't help but try to make him feel better. Or maybe... she's just as insane as he is. I really can't say at this point. Anyway, Michael comes and tells Jim all about what just happened, because he is a sixteen-year-old girl. Aren't we all. Jim's very encouraging and supportive, like a good girlfriend.

Michael, Toby, Holly and Pam (to take notes) gather in the conference room for Toby's exit interview, though Michael wishes it was just him and Toby so he could berate Toby one last time before he leaves. Michael reads some prepared questions off note cards, including, "Who do you think you are?" and "What gives you the right?", only he tries to give them a positive spin in light of his girl toy being in the room. She offers him the binder to see if that will get him back on track. Things are not going according to Michael's plan, and they get worse when Toby opens the present Michael got him, which is a rock with a Post-It reading "SUCK IT!" wrapped around it. Michael tries to blame it on the rest of the office, but Dwight rats him out. Michael then tries to save face by saying his real gift is forthcoming, prompting Pam to ask if it's his watch. She is so devious.

And then! WHOA. Someone's posted a video on YouTube of Ryan being arrested in New York! Apparently he's been committing fraud by recording sales twice, once as office sales and once as website sales, which Oscar kindly explains to us in an interview. He thinks Ryan's real crime was the beard. Have you noticed how Oscar's always right?

Oh, also, I forgot to mention that Jim made a very assertive phone call to Ryan – or rather, he left a very assertive voicemail – prior to the arrest situation, and now he has made a second call to tell Ryan to disregard the first one, since he's obviously tied up. Har har.

Michael's sad about Ryan and crying in his office, and despite Toby's advice to do nothing, Holly goes in to console him. Michael likens her to a baker. No, I can't explain it. Then some stuff happens that I missed because of the crappy PVR. When we return to our regularly scheduled programming, Toby's party is in full swing in the parking lot. Phyllis has arranged a fairly impressive barbecue with rocking tunes (Darryl's band). She's informed they're running out of barbecue sauce, so she sends Kevin to get some more. When Holly sees Kevin getting in his car, she's all, "Oh, that's so cool! You drive your own car?" Kevin's still misinterpreting it.

Michael gets on the mic and gives Phyllis some props for the best party they've ever had. Jim, by the way, is rocking some awesome windblown hair. Michael claims to be an accomplished songwriter (Pam interjects with "song parody writer"), and will be performing a parody of "Goodbye Stranger" by Super Trooper. Holly seems impressed. Pam, in an interview, tells us she'll miss Toby's calming presence in the office and also, don't tell him this, but she always thought he was kinda cute.

Kevin calls Michael and tells him to get down to Gerrity's right away but doesn't say why. When Michael gets to the supermarket, he finds Jan with Kevin. Jan, by the by, is PREGNANT. Commercial break!

Michael and Jan sit down and talk, and Michael is all excited because he thinks it's his baby, but Jan breaks the news that, while she did get pregnant when they were together, he is not, in fact, the father. Jan maintains she didn't cheat on him, and Michael says he knows the whole toilet seat thing is a myth, so... Well, as it turns out, she went to a sperm bank. Michael is understandably insulted. Nonetheless, Jan invites Michael to her birthing class. Um... so awkward.

Back at the Dunder Mifflin parking lot, night has fallen and the fireworks have begun. They aren't bad for parking lot fireworks, I have to say. Jim and Pam are snuggling in lawn chairs, and we see him surreptitiously reach into his pocket for the ring, kissing her on the top of her head. Darryl's band is playing "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)." Just as Jim says "Hey" to Pam and seems about ready to launch into it, Andy grabs the mic and... freaking proposes to Angela! His parents are here for it! Pregnant Angela is not into this idea, but begrudgingly says "Okay." WHAT! WHAT? Dwight is also not into this idea. Jim shoves his ring back in his pocket.

Andy interviews he's been carrying the ring around in his pocket for six years. Ohh, Andy. Dwight, in an interview: "Well. It's my own fault." Ohh, Dwight.

Toby snags Pam for their picture, and Meredith keeps having to retake it because, as she says, Pam's smile is weird. And Pam's smile is weird because she really thought Jim was going to propose tonight. Ohh, Pam.

Holly snags Michael and tells him about the proposal, and then invites him out for a bite to eat. He totally misses it and instead tells her a good diner she should try. She's visibly disappointed, but suddenly Kevin pops up and offers to go with her and eat pie. They determine that they both love pie. Well, who doesn't? Holly looks back wistfully at Michael. Huh.

Toby's sitting at his desk reviewing the pictures of him and Pam on his camera when Michael arrives with a security guard to escort him out. And then Michael calls Jan to tell her he'll come to her birthing class. NO! Holly likes you! And she is less crazy than Jan, maybe.

And THEN, Phyllis comes back to the office with a box of party supplies and walks in on Angela and Dwight going at it! Dwight's not wearing a shirt! You know what that means!

NEXT SEASON, will Jim get Ryan's job and move to New York with Pam? Will Holly stick around? Will Angela and Dwight continue sneaking around? Will Meredith and Creed ever hook up? Is Toby really gone? So many questions!

Tags: The Office, Amy Ryan, Jim, Pam, Toby

Original Comments Posted (1)

sarahm says...

I pretty much loved the whole Kevin being handicapped storyline. He is my favorite. But Oscar might be my second favorite, that beard comment was hi-larious.