The Office
Image credit: Paul Drinkwater/NBC
CHEESE FACTORY One more reason we love Jim and Pam: their acknowledgment of their mutual desire to have a big wedding...as well as the all the cheesiness that comes with it and their officemates
More The Office recaps
- EPISODE 26 | Team (and Family) Building
- EPISODE 25 | Dancing Scene
- EPISODE 24 | Family Matters
- EPISODE 23 | Back on Track
'The Office' recap: Dancing Scene
Michael tried to sell everyone on hanging out in the vacated office — and Dwight dropped a so-bad-it's-awesome (or was it just awesome?) impression of Jack Nicholson in The Shining. Michael couldn't get anyone on board until Erin referred to the space as a ''café disco,'' which, of course, Michael loved. What's more timely than the term ''disco'' to mean a place? Nothing.
Kevin was the first to accept Michael's invite, though he couldn’t really figure out the espresso machine. When Angela came down to retrieve the wandering Kevin, she and Michael got into a faux-dog-owner back-and-forth, instructing Kevin to stay, to eat a cookie, to come, etc. It was simultaneously hilarious and surprisingly depraved. Michael said he knew how cigarette execs must feel: ''You just want to give people a smooth, fun way to relax, and suddenly you're just some terrible monster....''
Michael's next attempt to woo companionship had him holding his speakers up to the vent. The music, lo, it moved Phyllis, who swung by her hubby's office to see if he wanted to come dance. But she was met with her sort of doppelganger, Bob's new secretary, and she was crushed. She headed downstairs and started jamming with Michael — but thew her back out (and screamed a darling epithet). Michael called Dwight to help him deal with his debilitated saleswoman, and they clumsily brought her back upstairs in a rolling chair.
Michael was devastated that no one approved of his disco, and angrily instructed Erin to ''shut it down.'' But when she went downstairs, Kelly went with her, and between the lights being off and the music being on, the two ended up starting their very own dance party — and they had a fan, Leo (Office scribe Gene Stupnitsky). He told his buddy (another Office writer, Lee Eisenberg), and the next thing you know, there was an honest to goodness dance party in full effect.
Back upstairs, Dwight — in an undershirt — was cutting Phyllis's top off.
At the dance party, Erin had invited a non-Dunder Mifflin pal, much to Oscar's bafflement. And then, in my favorite bit of the episode, Kelly made eyes at Andy and initiated what Andy believed was a dance-off...and what I believe was the beginning of my new favorite coupling on this show. Team Kandy!
Michael came downstairs and was thrilled to see everyone having a good time.
Dwight continued to rub Phyllis' back, and he told us he's using horse massage methods on her (though given last week's pony meat reveal, I wonder…). He also rubbed her with ''oil from the gland of an otter.''
In the episode's best sight gag, Angela marched into the dance party without even ducking to walk under the limbo stick taped to the wall. Tiny! Creed brought a disco ball to the party, which apparently used to be his rearview mirror.
Phyllis admitted to Dwight that she's afraid Bob Vance (Vance refrigeration) might cheat on her and then laughed at how silly it sounded. Dwight seemed completely concerned...in his own weird, kinda creepy Dwighty way. When they went downstairs, it was clear that Phyllis's concerns were for naught.
Jim cut a bouquet of flowers for Pam, who was now in a pretty pink dress. They decided on their way out — past a sleeping Stanley — to swing by the dance party. As they danced to ''YMCA,'' the lovebirds admit to each other that they sort of like the cheesiness, and they decided to have a big-ass wedding after all. As much as I was looking forward to these two finally sealing the deal, a done-up Very SpecialOffice with their elaborate nuptials could be really fun. They gleefully gazed into each other's eyes.
Back upstairs, in the women's bathroom, Kelly was piercing a wimpy Andy's ears. Uh, again I say ''Team Kandy.''
Whew! Overall, I thought ''Café Disco'' was a lot of fun, especially because everyone was back together, interacting all at once. That said, it didn't particularly advance any kind of plot, which wouldn't be a big deal except that next week is the season finale. Generally, I like when The Office has a mega buildup leading into its last episodes, so for it to be absent a central, critical issue at this point seem strange. But not necessarily in a bad way; there are enough irons in the fire that I'm convinced next week's ''Company Picnic'' installment will still pack a punch.
Your turn, Officers! Let's all grab espressos and talk ''CafééDisco!''


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