Fly away sweet little bird. Fly away and be free.

Karen does get the promotion – sort of. Andy gets waitlisted. Road trip! Dwight’s inner pyromaniac/terrorist shines through. Jim cross-dresses and gets a severe tongue lashing. We learn that the eyes are the groin of the head.

Episode 406 - Branch Wars

Shocker! Karen’s a regional manager at Dunder-Mifflin’s Utica branch. Yeah, the bloggers have known about that since the Office Convention. I somehow remained blissfully spoiler-free, so I was psyched to see her back...and sassier than ever. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Stanley quits to take a job in Utica for more money and Michael is determined not to let him go without a fight. So he and Dwight take Jim, under false pretences, to Utica for a panty raid. For extra fun, Dwight has prepared some Molotov cocktails and old tire bits for stink bombs. Oh, and they stole some uniforms from the warehouse – and Jim gets Madge’s! Surprisingly, doesn’t fit too poorly. Don’t miss the mustachioed trio in Michael’s PT Cruiser!

Hysterical Oscar talking head:

"Besides having sex with men, I would say the Finer Things Club is the gayest thing about me."

We’re introduced here to the most exclusive organization in Scranton’s D-M branch. Comprised of just Pam, Oscar and Toby, the finer things club meets to discuss books and art and eat fine foods off linen and china…in the break room. Why the hell wouldn’t they meet off campus? The break room? They get a whole assful of Kevin, and Phyllis tries to play a concerto on the microwave during their meeting.

Andy offers a letter of reference from former US Sentaor Rick Santorum to get into the Finer Things Club, but the envelope is filled with three Ulysses S. Grants. They decide to use the cash for hard cover books and to send him a “thank you for your patronage” letter and wait list him – just like when he applied to Cornell. He’s psyched and still determined since it’s the most exclusive club at Dunder-Mifflin ahead of the Party Planning Committee and Scrantonicity II.

Back in Utica, Dwight and Michael infiltrate with ultimate stealth and hijack the industrial copier – down the stairs. Needless to say, they get pinned between the copier and the wall. Michael, on his death bed, begs Jim to host the Dundies after he’s gone. As his life flashed before him, it’s great to see that his priorities are in order!

Karen gives Jim quite the what for in her office. Jim is sufficiently tongue tied and nothing he says is right. It was great to see Karen give him some deserved shit about their relationship. We learn that Karen cried over Jim. I’m sure she dreamed about confronting him and while it probably involved physical pain, I’m sure she was pretty satisfied with the outcome.

Michael admits defeat with Stanley and starts writing a help wanted ad:

"WANTED: Middle-aged black man with sass. Big butt. Bigger heart…"

But Stanley realized Michael isn’t going to get him the raise he was hoping for and rescinds his resignation.

Pam needles Jim, but lets him off the hook by admitting him into the Finer Things Club. Too bad he slacks even at that. But he does do a fine Irish brogue.


While the WGA strike is still on, I’ll refrain from adding new links to NBC.com’s deleted scenes since the writers don’t get compensated for the ads and sponsorships of said video content.

Break me off a piece of that apple sauce.

Yeah, I'm a little behind. I'm catching up... Get off my back! All none of you readers. ;)

Dwight gets a Second Life squared and OD’s on happiness. Michael’s spot actually kinda rocked. Crazy-hot Sue Grafton gets Phyllis booted from the mall. Daryl writes some kickass jingles. Pam follows her dream, while Jim reveals just how little ambition he has. And the Nard Dog breaks himself off a piece of that lumber tar.

Episode 405 - Local Ad

Corporate buys ad time in Dunder-Mifflin’s local markets to brand the company. But when Michael sees the shitfest that are the spots, he takes matters into his own ever-capable hands. I mean, the spots show D-M as an alternative to shopping in a big box store. When do customers roam the aisles of the warehouse at their office park?

Anyway, Michael sends the ad hacks packing and convinces – amazingly – David to allow him to take a shot at it, or bring back the agency tools on his dime. Which is great since Michael is creative enough to have imagined a unicorn before ever having heard of one! Jim’s psyched cuz people ask Jim if he sells mufflers…or muffins…or mittens, so a commercial can only help with that. Michael sends Phyllis to snag Sue Grafton to do a celebrity appearance (Creed calls her crazy hot), but she returns raccoon-eyed and empty-handed after getting escorted from the book store. Her whimper at failing to get Sue was almost as good as Dwight’s wailing.

Daryl, Andy, Creed, Kevin and Kelly throw together some fine jingles for the spots. But alas, Michael gets exasperated. He wanted a rap, but instead got a perfectly-suited track for a paper company spot. Daryl’s obviously an idiot! How great was it seeing them all harmonize?

After learning of Dwight’s fore into Second Life and even Second Second Life, Jim follows him into the virtual world and we meet a new character – Philly Jim. It’s Jim, but with ambition and hobbies. Pam goads him into seeing more of Philly Jim, but he declines. Does Jim finally realize he needs to grow up? Didn’t he say in season 1 that he couldn’t do this for his life? Better get on that sportswriter track if that what you want to do, Halpert. While Pam is doing graphic animation, Jim’s getting a ride home from Meredith.

Andy, aka Nard Dog, confides in Dwight that he hasn’t gotten to first base yet with Angela. Perhaps there’s hope for Dwangela yet. Sadly, though, she hates to be titillated. Andy confides to Dwight that he’s necking – literally – with Angela. It sounds way more perverted than it is, I’m sure. Ha. But then Andy lets him in on her little sweet nothings of “Oh D,” and all is right with the world for Dwight. Oh D, indeed.

The whole crew was so genuinely happy watching Michael’s spot at Poor Richard’s. Michael was redeemed – if only to his branch. You have to wonder if the guys in corporate really didn’t like the spot or just couldn’t bring themselves to give Michael the props that deserved. (Though it certainly wasn’t ready-for-air as is…let’s be real.)

Break me off a piece of that Fancy Feast.

Fave deleted scene? #2 where Michael makes fun of Jim's expressions. You know they riffed that one off the cuff. Oh...oh (D) and this one, where Jim role plays with Michael. Brilliant. As good (or better?) than some of the show content.