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Okay, so Ryan threw a management wilderness retreat type thing and didn't invite Michael, but did invite Toby. So Michael decides to stage his own Survivorman style solo wildness retreat. He makes Dwight drive him out to the middle of the "Pennsylvania wilderness" and leave him there. Dwight secretly stays behind to babysit Michael from a distance. It's nearly as compelling as it sounds.

I'll spare you the boring details, but eventually, after a whole bunch of stuff I hated and Paul loved, Michael decides to feed himself some wild mushrooms, which Dwight apparently recognizes as poisonous, so Dwight bolts out of hiding to save Michael, even though he swore previously in an interview that he wouldn't interfere.

Meanwhile, back at the office (oh, this show is about an office?), Jim has been left in charge. He's tired of the ridiculous number of birthday parties being thrown lately (me too, Jim; me too), and decrees that they will throw one birthday party for everyone. Angela, the head party planner, gets incredibly frustrated with all the requests for different types of cakes, pies and mushroom caps. I don't know.

The upshot of it all is that Jim finds himself turning into Michael. The single hilarious moment of the episode comes when Phyllis address Jim thus: "Hey, Michael – I mean, Jim..." and Jim FREAKS OUT. I mean, there is wide-eyed panic. It is a thing of beauty.

Michael and Dwight show up back at the office in time to sing "Happy Birthday" to Creed (for it is in actuality his birthday today), and Michael interviews that modern man has developed futons and satellite tv for a reason, and one need not necessarily forsake all this in order to commune with nature, especially when one has a perfectly good wooden desk in one's office. That's all the wilderness Michael needs.

We end with a scene wherein Michael, in a Battlestar Galactica sweatsuit, tells Jim that the birthday party idea was a rookie mistake, and he'll figure it out in ten years or so. Jim says he really doesn't think he'll still be at Dunder Mifflin in ten years. Michael: "That's what I said." Jim ponders. Michael then goes off on a "that's what she said" rampage, and Jim either humours him and joins in, or gives in and joins in. I can't really tell.

The best part of the whole friggin' episode was the teaser for this week's Chuck. Watching it yet? Watch it.

Tags: The Office