The Office: Business Trip

Synopsis: David Wallace, feeling bad for having made Holly transfer — and knowing that Michael is easily impressed — decides to send Michael on a business trip to Canada. It’s the perfect way to distract him from his broken heart, since Michael has always been intrigued by all things international: the women, the pancakes, the man of mystery. Andy tags along to translate and Oscar is pretty much forced to join them against his will. Despite Andy’s misguided attempts to hook him up with a “hot slab of Canadian bacon” during the trip, Oscar ends up having a good time — so good, in fact, that he convinces his equally inebriated new wingman make a late-night phone call to Angela. Angela, upset by either Andy’s drunken plea to see her naked or the fact that her secret tryst with Dwight was interrupted, busts him back to first base. Meanwhile, Michael hooks up with the hotel concierge, who kicks him out of her room as soon as they’re finished. The experience leaves him feeling hollow, and he calls to tell off David Wallace for taking Holly away from him.

In PB&J news, Pam is failing one of her classes at art school, and retaking the course would mean spending an extra three months in New York. In the end, she decides she can’t be away from Jim that much longer and she comes back to Scranton — where Dwight greets her in the parking lot with some pages he needs copied. One of Dunder Mifflin’s other couples reunites as well, as Ryan and Kelly get back together because — well, Ryan realized that, for whatever reason, he just can’t do better than Kelly. How romantic.

Mike says

Best Moment: Ryan attempting the worst one-handed pushup we’ve ever witnessed, which somehow arouses Kelly to the point that she’s willing to dump Darryl for him.

Best Quote: “I am ashamed of your naked face. I must cover it with my jacket. … You’re now sexy in your culture.” — Michael, to Meredith, preparing for any situation that might arise during his international business trip

Employee of the Week: Andy Bernard. Sure, he’s an oblivious cuckold. But he went the whole nine ‘nards for Oscar (we really hope he was talking about his last name), plus he introduced the phrase, “You will thank me when they spank thee.”

Ryan says

Best Moment: Michael bringing two empty suitcases for souvenirs from Winnipeg.

Best Quote: “In Italy, you must always wash your hands after going to the bathroom. This is considered polite.” — Michael

Employee of the Week: Concierge Marie, the Winnipeg equivalent of a Geisha, a woman who has been trained in the fine art of fanciness and pleasure.

And two nitpicky notes: Pam says that she’s failing Flash, and that they switched to Acrobat as soon as she was learning Quark. The problem is that Acrobat and Quark do two totally different things. The switch from Quark to InDesign would’ve been more realistic. This is what you discuss when you’re married to a graphic artist.
Also, how did Michael, Andy and Oscar get past the Canadian customs officials who get all up in your face about Americans stealing business from Canadian companies? Johnnysweeptheleg can tell you all aboot this.

johnnysweeptheleg says

Best Moment: Has there been a funnier non-speaking moment this season, than Darryl’s strut out to his truck after being freed of Kelly’s grasp?

Best Quote: “Look. I know my way around a van. That is just a van.” — Meredith, revealing either that she’s the inspiration behind the song “Chevy Van” or where she and Bruce Myers (Scranton rep for Hammermill) do their best work.

Employee of the Week: Oscar. I was almost going to award him this just from bringing an egg salad sandwich onto an airplane (minus a bag of baby poop). But it was when he got Andy to drunk-dial Angela that I knew Oscar was deserving of his first ever Employee of the Week. He may have struck out with the two straight fellas at the bar, but he hit a home run with us this week. What is first base with Angela?