You can only run so far with an ”Office cast as The Beatles” comparison before it starts to fall apart. You’ve got to mull over whether Jim’s biting wit makes him a John or if the cuteness factor makes him more of a Paul. Then there’s the question of where all the others fit in (after all, with such a large cast, an Arcade Fire analogy might be more apropos). One thing is certain, however: Michael Scott is the Ringo of The Office, and tonight was his Hard Day’s Night.
Michael, like Ringo, is the goofy one of his group. Quite frequently, he’s the butt of everyone’s jokes. Both are underrated: The drumming on the Abbey Road medley can make you do a double-take, and Michael’s business skills can sometimes surprise us. Just like an angry Ringo famously spent a good portion of A Hard Day’s Night wandering off on his own and feeling unappreciated, Michael needed a little stroll through the streets of Scranton to cool off this week.
It all started with Michael and Holly fighting over whether they should start dating or not. Concerned about developing a reputation, Holly is hesitant, and Michael storms off on a sales call with Jim. After Pam’s mom accidentally locks CeCe in the car, Jim is forced to drive off while Michael is still in a gas station bathroom, and our stranded hero sets out exploring.
This was a much slower episode than last week’s, but it was an oddly touching one. While Michael talks to animals in a pet shop and attempts to use his watch as collateral to buy a hot dog, Erin, Holly and Dwight set out looking for him. As usual, Holly and Michael are on the same wavelength. They choose the same Chinese restaurant. They both use fake names on a credit card application to get a free stress ball. Eventually, Holly’s instincts lead her to the same roof Michael’s standing on, and — moved by all the signs that they’re meant to be together — she lets Michael kiss her.
Michael Scott won’t be around forever (in fact, now that he and Holly are together, we predict he’ll be making his exit sooner rather than later), but every group needs a Ringo, and it’s looking more and more like Gabe will fill that void. While Michael’s out, he shuts down an office game that poked fun at Sabre. Rather than be defeated, the rest of the gang spends the day instant messaging each other jokes at his expense. Overall, it wasn’t a laugh-out-loud week at Dunder Mifflin, but the silly jokes balanced the rest of the heartfelt episode nicely, which raises the question: could Gabe throw his hat into the ring when Michael departs?
Stray observations
-Kelly and Ryan announcing their divorce: “Ryan was crying a lot.” “That’s not a relevant detail.”
-Michael, on science: “Why do magnets stick together? Because everybody says so.”
-After cooing at puppies and birds, Michael talks to a snake: “You are disgusting. You’ll never find love!”
-Need a new alias? Try Orville Tootenbacher, Michael’s millionaire character who farts popcorn.
-Stanley, hissing at to Phyllis close a window on her screen: “Click the X! Woman, you’ve had a computer for years!”
-Once again, Pam and Dwight’s bizarre friendship is alluded to when he tells her “Pam, I’m obviously gonna get that stuff for you, so shut up.”
-Meredith and Angela are back onscreen this week, if only for a few precious seconds.