Posted by Mike, Ryan and johnnysweeptheleg
Synopsis: Michael is preparing for the arrival of Jan’s baby by running through various birthing scenarios with Dwight and a watermelon, and planning an office baby shower, which he regrettably requests be golden. Out of respect for Jan’s bloated feelings while she is in the “terminal stages of her pregnancy,” he’s even prepared to act coldly toward Holly, because she’s one of the most attractive people in the office. (He’ll also be treating Ryan the same way, he says … which is weird, because Ryan does not appear in this episode.) Jan throws a wrinkle into Michael’s plans when she arrives with a surprise — she’s already had the baby, a girl named Astrid (not Astird) — and Michael spends the remainder of the episode working through his feelings about being left out of the birth experience and his lack of feelings for the baby. By episode’s end, he seems to have at least figured out his feelings for Holly, and the two of them share a warm embrace. In a subplot that seemed like an afterthought — or, at the very least, filler — Jim and Pam are out of sync as the result of their long-distance relationship.
Mike says
Best Quote: “Babies are slippery” — Dwight explaining why he buttered up the watermelon before giving birth to it
Best Moment: Angela and Andy dressing up Astrid like “nature’s baby.” Most people’s first instinct around a newborn is to make goofy faces or baby talk. Theirs is to make a baby salad and take a picture.
Employee of the Week: To be honest, nobody was very funny in this episode, which has to go down as one of the weakest in the series’ history. But Stanley gets the nod here for the following rant:
“I do not like pregnant women in my workspace. They’re always complaining. I have varicose veins, too. I have swollen ankles, I’m constantly hungry. Do you think my nipples don’t get sore, too? Do you think I don’t need to know the fastest route to the hospital?”
Ryan says
Best Quote: “We gave you your wedding shower here. We all came into this room and gave you a golden shower. Well you know what? Where’s my golden shower, Phyllis?” — Michael, demanding that Phyllis throw a better baby shower (with live storks).
Best Moment: Dwight testing the durability of Jan’s $1,200 Orbit baby stroller by throwing it off a pile of old tires. “Playtime is … over!!”
Employee of the Week: Astird
johnnysweeptheleg says
Best Quote: “Growing up, I performed my own circumcision.” — Dwight, giving one of the best lines of dialogue since Rick Moranis uttered, “One time I turned into a dog, and they helped me” in the second Ghostbusters.
Best Moment: There were a few memorable scenes to choose from, but how could you forget the scene with Michael devouring his “child” after Dwight “gives birth” to it?
Employee of the Week: It was a Michael-centric episode. It was good to have the producers going back to give us a reason to root for Michael, again. Whether it was the scenes where we really do see that he’s good with kids and that they respond to him, or the scene where Michael and Holly finally share an embrace, we are reminded why we are still on Michael’s side … despite his propensity for telling people they smell like old tomatoes and dirt. Who would have guessed that one of the more touching scenes involving a couple wouldn’t be provided by PB&J?
