Recap The Office - Season 3, Episode 18 - The Negotiation

YAY FOR THE OFFICE BEING BACK! Really I could not be happier to get back my Thursday Night. I was so ready for a new episode. So let's get to it!!!

The commercials for this latest episode told it all. You knew Roy was coming after Jim. Too bad the entire thing went by so fast.

The episode starts with Karen and Jim talking about their plans for the evening. Roy walks into the office, Pam sees him and is concerned. Roy calls out Jim and swings up his arm...

AND THEN....

DWIGHT TO THE RESCUE! He pulls out the pepper spray from under his desk and gets Roy right in the face.

Dwight: Every day, for eight years, I have brought pepper spray into this office to protect myself and my fellow employees. And every day, for eight years, people have laughed at me. Well. Who’s laughing now?

Jim: I guess, all things considered, I was lucky Dwight was there. And Roy was lucky that Dwight only used pepper spray. And not the nunchucks or the throwing stars.

The entire office is in shock. They are all gossiping about the chaos. Angela goes around to all the employees to hear the heroic story. Meanwhile Dwight is taking it all in stride.

Dwight: No, don’t call me a hero. Do you know who the real heroes are? The guys who wake up every morning and go into their normal jobs, and get a distress call from the commissioner, and take off their glasses and change into capes, and fly around fighting crime. Those are the real heroes.

During all this Daryl (from the warehouse) has asked to meet with Michael so he can talk about getting a raise. Michael has been brushing up on his negotiation skills thanks to Wikipedia and their negotiating tactics.

Michael: Wikipedia is the best thing ever. Anyone in the world can write anything they want about any subject. So you know you are getting the best possible information.

Michael sits down Jim and practices his negotiating skills. He uses a method where he leans back and whispers to create a dominance over the conversation. He also uses the "walk out of the room" method which backfires on him when Jim distracts him and totally ruins the tactic by whispering "Sex. Steve Martin. Teri Hatcher."

So the entire office can't stop talking about Roy. Even Ryan and Kelly are talking. Really, what won't Kelly talk about? We finally get to see Ryan in his new seat (where he was moved as a punishment in the episode Business School) and we now realize it wasn't only Ryan who was punished.

Kelly: That is the bravest thing I have ever heard.
Ryan: I can’t imagine what I would’ve done.
Kelly: I can. You would have left me to fend for myself. Like the time we were on the ferris wheel and that kid dropped a milkshake on me and you just laughed.
Ryan: Well that was funny, that’s why.
Kelly: Oh it was? Okay, well the next time that you get scared that you think a murderer is in your apartment in the middle of the night …
Ryan: Okay …
Kelly: … and you call me to calm down.
Ryan: … you know what, I didn’t …
Toby: Can you stop?
Kelly: You can just call somebody else because I’m not doing it anymore, Ryan, I’m not.
Ryan: Well don’t talk to me about calling people in the middle of the night for no good reason.
Toby: There’s a bunch of people back here maybe …
Kelly: I call you in the middle of the night to tell you tell that I love you.
Toby: Guys …

Toby: I don’t think Michael intended to punish me by putting Ryan back here with Kelly. But, if he did intend that … wow. Genius.

Poor Toby. He is just trying to get by.

Meanwhile, Daryl comes in for his meeting with Michael. Michael continues his tactics by "switching locations" and "declining to speak first." None of it works because Daryl quickly spots a weakness in Michael.

Darryl: Are you wearing lady clothes? Those look like lady pants.
Michael: No. This is a power suit.
Darryl: That there’s a woman’s suit.
Michael: I do not buy women’s clothes. Would not make that mistake again.

Michael tries to get Pam to say that he isn't wearing a woman's suit but she won't help Michael. He checks out the tag to see who made it and sees it says "MISSterious." He says its mysterious because the buttons are on the wrong side. He then blames the lack of pockets on the Italian design.

But all this funny business doesn't distract the office from the incident with Roy earlier that day.

Kevin: So Karen, how do you feel that Roy tried to kick your boyfriend’s ass over another woman?
Karen: I feel great, Kevin. Thank you.

Karen: When I heard Jim and Pam had kissed, my reaction was to have lots of long talks with Jim about our feelings. Roy just attacked him. I’m not sure which one Jim hated more.

Pam even finds a moment to talk to Jim about it.

Pam: Sorry I almost got you killed.
Jim: Yeah. That was nuts.
Pam: He could have broken your nose or something. Crazy. It’s just so stupid. I mean, getting back with Roy and everything. I mean, what was I thinking, right?
Jim: No, I mean you guys really seem to have a strong connection.
Pam: Not anymore. It’s um, it’s completely over now.
Jim (chuckles): We’ll see. I’m sure you guys’ll find your way back to one another someday.
Pam: Jim … I am really sorry.
Jim: Oh yeah, don’t worry about it.

Jim isn't convinced that Roy and Pam are done and maybe Pam isn't either? Either way, Jim was not being his normal self around Pam.

Back at the meeting with Daryl, Michael continues to put up a fight. He insists that Daryl write down on a paper how much he wants and then slide the paper over to Michael because that's what they do on TV. Daryl agrees to do it and when Michael sees the number he is shocked because Daryl wants more money than what Michael is making.

Daryl then convinces Michael that he needs to get a raise as well.

Darryl: You gotta call your girl … and get paid. Show who wears the pants in the relationship.

Angela continues to ask everyone around the office about the Roy incident. She knows the real story but she just wants to hear about what Dwight did. Creed starts to tell the story all wrong and she tells him he is useless.

Back to Kelly and Ryan and their bickering. Poor Toby is stuck hearing this:

Kelly: You are so mean.
Ryan: I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Kelly: Yes you do, Ryan Bailey Howard. You called me stupid.
Ryan: No, I said your idea was stupid.
Michael: Toby, c’mon, let’s go.
Toby: Where?
Michael: Where? — I’m gonna smack you in the head with a hammer. C’mon, let’s go.
Kelly: What is so stupid about wanting to name a baby Usher?
Toby: All right.
Kelly: Usher Jennifer Hudson Kapoor.
Ryan: Don’t you see why that’s insane?
Kelly: Oh, so I’m crazy now?

So Michael spoke to Jan and she agreed to meet with him that day to discuss the raise. She insists he bring another person along because of their relationship. She insists Toby comes to the meeting even though Michael insists he hates Toby.

Toby, Daryl and Michael smush into Daryl's car all in the front (and only) row. When they get to the corporate office Michael sits down next to a woman who is wearing the same suit as him.

During the meeting Michael makes some threats to try and get paid.

Michael: You give me a good raise, or no more sex. What are you writing, perv-ball?
Toby: Just preparing for the deposition.

Toby: This may be the first time that a male subordinate has attempted to get a modest, scheduled raise by threatening to withhold sex from a female superior. It will be a groundbreaking case … when it inevitably goes to trial.

Michael is upset and Jan sees right through it. She asks Toby to leave so they can privately talk about what is wrong with Michael.

Jan: What’s wrong with you?
Michael: Ohh. It was a weird day. I accidentally cross-dressed.

Michael lets it all out and tells Jan that he is upset that he was made fun of for cross-dressing by mistake, making so little money and that Jan has a new James Van Der Beek look-a-like assistant (who really looks nothing like Dawson).

Jan tells Michael that all he needs to do is ask for 15% raise and she can counter with a 12%. She obviously feels bad for him and that's why she gives in and tells him what he can really get. He does the 15% thing and doesn't really get that he is only getting 12%.

Meanwhile, back at the office Roy shows up to pick up his last paycheck. He apologizes to Jim, who seems to take it well, and the rest of the office is on high alert for another attack. As he leaves he asks if Pam would agree to meet with him after work for some coffee. She quietly nods her head agreeing to go.

At the restaurant, they have a real talk.

Roy: I’m so sorry, Pammy.

Roy: I just thought you guys were really good friends, or … maybe he was gay or something. Not that that’s wrong.

Did he really call her Pammy??? I thought she didn't want people to call her that anymore. Roy thinks she broke off the wedding because of Jim. Pam tells him there was a lot of other reasons why she broke it off. He doesn't press the issue. I guess he knows he wasn't good enough to her.

Pam: I think that we both made some bad choices.

Roy: You mean you’re not even going to try to go out with him? I don’t get you, Pam.
Pam: I know.

So now Roy is on Jim's team? Strange but at least Roy and Pam are on better terms.

The entire episode Jim is trying to repay Dwight for his good deed. Dwight continually refuses. He insists he doesn't need anything. Jim even puts a fake certificate on his desk that says it is from the police department. Dwight says they give that to anyone even kids and points to the teddy bear with a police cap on.

In the end of the negotiation for the pay raise Michael and Daryl got what they wanted.

Michael: Negotiation is an art. Back and forth, give and take. And today, both Darryl and I took something. Higher salaries. Win-win-win. But, you know, life is about more than just salary. It’s about … perks. Like having sex with Jan.
Jan: Michael!

And after a long day at the office everyone starts to head home. After the entire office is gone Angela and Dwight are still behind. Angela pulls out the report Toby made about the incident to show Dwight that they can look at it later and talk about Dwight's heroic act. And then they start making out!

Dwight: I am not a hero. I am a mere defender of the office. You know who’s a real hero? Hiro, from Heroes. That’s a hero. Also Bono.

Jim then walks out of the bathroom and sees Dwight making out with Angela. He is utterly shocked.

Jim: I … will never say a word. And now … we are even.

The episode ends with Andy returning to the office after anger management classes. As he walks in Dwight goes into attack mode and pulls out the pepper spray again. Then Toby comes by and confiscates every weapon Dwight has in his desk. I wish I could get a video of that because he had so many funny weapons.

Andy: I graduated from anger management the same way I graduated from Cornell — on time. Now I’m back, got a second chance, and I’m not going to blow it. So look out, Dunder Mifflin! I mean “look out” in a fun way. You know, not like, “I’m going to hurt you.”

So we leave off with Jim knowing about Dwight and Angela. Now both Jim and Pam know about this relationship - I wonder if they will talk about?

Do you think Roy is gonna talk to Jim about Pam? Do you think Jim and Karen are going to make it to the end of the season? Will we get more of Dwight and Angela together? Until next week!

Quotes from the Office Tally. Photos from Life in the Office and Buzzsugar.