The Office: 3x22

The Office
3x22
Beach Games

Holy. Hell.

I just... that was... wow!

I'm gonna geek out here for a minute (or half an hour, or until next Thursday) and admit how completely and totally nervous I was during this entire episode. Not kidding. Like butterflies bangin' around in my stomach, just waiting to see if the Promo Gods were leading me astray. And holy crap they weren't! I mean, I expected something to happen, don't know what, thought of various scenarios involving Pam coming clean somehow... but to see it actually happen?

Well, as Jim would say... WOW.

Back to that in a moment. For now, I promise to focus (for a couple of seconds) on the rest of the episode because it was, in a word, amazing. And not just because of Pam and the sweeps play. (Prepare yourself for a long one tonight...)

Seriously funny stuff went down...

1. Michael and his 40 illnesses a year. Good to know he does NOT have eggs, but has possibly eaten animal waste. And really, who wouldn't promote a person to corporate who, "gots to get their freak on?"

2. Meredith and her "bathing suit."

3. Poor Toby, being forced to stay behind... all he wanted was to see Pam in a two piece!

4. Song time on the bus. "And the night got deathly quiet..." Did you notice Michael's operatic version of the song? Funniest part of the scene.

5. Funtivities. All of them. Dwight and Ryan in the egg race. Mush! Mush! Every sumo match... but especially Jim's TH after he was attacked by Stanley. Dwight coal-crawling.

6. Michael's TH descriptions of Jim, Dwight, Stanley and Andy. Jim's not a hard worker, Dwight's an idiot, Stanley's done good for America and Andy is not to be trusted. Good stock to choose from for the next Regional Manager.

7. Two words. HARRY. POTTER. I'll solidify my nerdiness and say, I loved every minute, of every Harry Potter reference...

8. Angela and Dwight's clandestine meeting in the weeds, and her subsequent revenge in letting Andy float away. I think I laughed most during Michael's TH where Andy was in the background.

9. Creed and the fish. I mean, come on!

10. Oscar trying girls for a while because Angela thinks he can switch...

11. Bob Hope and Amanda Bynes.

And now, for the intrigue...
If Michael had asked me to choose a name for my team tonight, I'd have gone with TEAM PAM! I loved watching Jenna in this ep. Pam is coming out of her shell and you could see her filing away every moment that Michael held her back, or she saw Jim and Karen together, until she just... blew! And no, I don't think her venting session was out of character, considering the situation. Everyone reaches a boiling point sometimes, and this was hers. She walked on the coals, proved a point to herself (the most important kind); there was an adrenaline rush and things got said. She's tried to talk to Jim several times this season and she finally had an audience with him... so what if everyone else happened to be in the circle. It's one of those moments in life when we do something unexpected, and it's exhilarating and freeing and we're so glad we did it - even when we wake up the next morning petrified and completely embarrassed.

And can I just say... Jim's face was priceless. I can't wait to see what he has to say about this, especially with a new job opportunity looming above him. Maybe, maybe, he'll start to understand a little of how Pam felt last year when he sprung his feelings on her. Maybe he'll break up with Karen. Maybe he won't. Maybe he'll choose himself (lame)... whatever the case, next week should be interesting.

That said, I don't know that Jim and Pam will "get together" at this point. It seems rushed and fast and not on point if they do (feel free to prove me wrong, though, Greg). Pam's focus tonight was missing Jim and their friendship. OBVIOUSLY, they have feelings for one another, but I think what we'll see next year, is a return to season 2 Jim and Pam.

Still, this shooting two endings thing is making me crazy, so seriously, let's talk options:

1. Jim goes to NYC. This works on... yeah... NO levels. He has to be in Scranton. Seriously, I'd be pissed if they gave him a new job two years in a row. It doesn't work.

2. Jim and Karen break up, she leaves Scranton. The Jim and Pam door is wide open.

3. Karen gets the job in New York. She and Jim try long distance, but it's shaky with Jim and Pam on the road toward one another again.

But hey, what do I know, Jim and Pam could be making out at the closing credits again this year... and I'd be perfectly happy with that. All I know, is they have to give us something... or it's possible there will be a fan uprising.

And let's not forget, something big happens for Jan and Michael next week, too... and apparently the key word is "big." I have no clue where to go with that... or the fact that Michael's up for a job at corporate?!

It's gonna be a very tense (read: impatient) week for me.

(Here's a link to the new, "we can't show you anything from the finale," promo: http://video.dotcomedy.com/player/?id=103071)