THE OFFICE

[Wolfe]

Was anyone else really put off by Jim in this episode? He makes a play for Michael's job behind his back and then is pissed when Michael ruins his shot at it. And Michael didn't even shoot it down by lying to Wallace about Jim, but with a progress report written by Toby that was actually a pretty accurate summation of Jim's job performance. I realize Jim tried to build a promotion for Michael into his deal, but his sneakiness and sense of entitlement was off-putting. He basically bullied Michael into sharing his position.

I kind of hate the Jim character. They should kill him off.

[BrianLynch]

I didn't take it as Jim making a play for Michael's job. Michael was going to be promoted and then Jim was going to take his old job.

[Wolfe]

I didn't take it as Jim making a play for Michael's job. Michael was going to be promoted and then Jim was going to take his old job.

To his credit, he was looking out for Michael as well as himself, but he was still angling for Michael's current position without first consulting him about it in any way. And then was angry with Michael for standing in his way. Again, it seemed very sneaky and presumptuous. Left a bad taste in my mouth. 

[Cuppy]

Did you have a problem with Michaels dishonesty this or any other time he lies because he is galactically mistaken about his own presumptions?

[Wolfe]

Did you have a problem with Michaels dishonesty this or any other time he lies because he is galactically mistaken about his own presumptions?

I'm not saying Michael isn't an ass, or wasn't one in this episode, but I felt that Jim's actions were underhanded. He tried to force a huge life-changing decision on Michael without any notice, and then browbeat him when he didn't get his way. Did no one else really have a problem with what Jim did, or at least how he went about it?

Also, Michael wasn't dishonest about Jim to Wallace.

One more thing: When Jim found out that Michael torpedoed his deal, he ordered Michael into his own office, made him call Wallace, and then took it upon himself to turn on the speaker phone. He can go spit.

[ExpendablesFan]

But Jim's character is about to get married and have a kid. So he's upset when a promotion he was going to gets ruined by Michael. And by upset I mean, barely upset. Where is this coming from?

[DerickA]

Jim did nothing wrong. Michael was wrong, as usual and is completely responsible for the results.

Tobey's "Hey asshole, how much dogfood could you possibly eat?!" and Dwight's "Are you serious?" were character highlights, to me.

[Luke Erik]

One more thing: When Jim found out that Michael torpedoed his deal, he ordered Michael into his own office, made him call Wallace, and then took it upon himself to turn on the speaker phone. He can go spit.

You are nuts, Jim did exactly what he should have, or at least I would have done.

I busted a gut when Toby said "Hey you, asshole, you going to eat all that dog food yourself?". Overall, Toby was the highlight of this episode for me.

[Wolfe]

Michael only threw Jim under the bus because the evidence pointed to Jim trying to take his job. Which Jim was trying to do. Michael just had no way of knowing that Jim was trying to help him out with a promotion as well until after he'd already thrown Jim under said bus. If Jim had made him aware of his plans in advance, all of it could have been avoided. Michael came to the same conclusion that I think even a normal person would have in the same situation. Why should he have given a stellar recommendation to someone going for his own position?

It's strange to me that no one else sees what Jim did the same way. Yeah, in the real world, a guy starting a family has every right to be opportunistic, but in this TV world where I'm supposed to think Jim is a swell guy, what he did - or at least the way he went about it - didn't sit right.

I feel like this is one of those CURB episodes where I identify with something Larry did even though I'm supposed to think he's a jerk.

[Scott Taylor]

Jim is a hero and "Wolfe" is a nutty nut that needs to calm down. I don't know who this "Wolfe" is but he sounds like a bitter version of my old friend Chiusano, who used to post here. That man was amazing. This man reminds me of Jim on The Office last night.

[Luke Erik]

Michael only threw Jim under the bus because the evidence pointed to Jim trying to take his job. Which Jim was trying to do.

Jim was after the job because it would be open if Micheal was promoted. It would have been beneficial to both Jim and Mike. 

[Wolfe]

Jim was after the job because it would be open if Micheal was promoted. It would have been beneficial to both Jim and Mike. 

Yes, this isn't lost on me. But Michael knew nothing about a promotion for himself until it was too late. All he knew was that Wallace and Jim were meeting for a long time without saying why, and then Wallace is asking him his opinion about Jim's managerial potential. He wasn't dumb to assume that Jim was trying to take his job, and he had no reason to suspect that there was anything in the deal for him.

The more I think about it, Michael didn't do anything wrong in this episode, at least based on the information he had.

[Luke Erik]

I agree with you that Michael didn't do anything wrong, I just don't think Jim did anything underhanded.

[Dan]

Jim knew Michael would fuck up the situation somehow, although he should've known that by keeping him in the dark, it would cause Michael to fuck it up even more.

I totally don't understand the seeming anger you have at Jim over this, though. He was looking out for Michael, and Michael did screw him over. You really think that Michael lying about Jim's performance constituted him "not doing anything wrong"? I agree that Jim would not make a good manager at all (hasn't he effed up nearly every managerial decision he's made over the course of the series?), but knowing how much Michael worships Jim and knowing that he thinks he's one of the best workers there, whether he is or not, it was really messed up that he would go back on that to cover his own ass.

The Toby/Dwight team and Andy were the highlights of the episode for me. And, if I were Jim, when Wallace said "Jim will handle the day-to-day stuff, Michael will handle big-picture stuff", I would interpret that as "Jim, you'll do all the actual work and Michael can keep coming up with ideas that are useless to the company."

[Hawkboy]

I totally don't understand the seeming anger you have at Jim over this, though. He was looking out for Michael, and Michael did screw him over. You really think that Michael lying about Jim's performance constituted him "not doing anything wrong"?

Michael didn't lie about Jim - he read Toby's HR file notes on Jim. Toby hates Jim, given his crush on Pam.