Getting to Maybe: The Office Recap - Season 3, Episode 22

Oh it's so sad - the season is almost over!! But we get some great laughs in before the end - and this one is on location at a "beach" - or as I would call it - sand around a lake.

Michael gets a call from David Wallace...

Michael Scott: To what do I owe this great honor, David Wallace?
David Wallace: Michael, I am calling...
Michael Scott: And Gromit.

David tells Michael that he is being chosen to interview for a corporate position in NY.

Michael Scott: [after being asked to interview for a position at corporate] I wish I had prepared something to say.
David Wallace: That's not necessary.
Michael Scott: May God guide you in your quest.
David Wallace: Yes.

David tells Michael he can recommend someone to take over his position.

Michael: What happens to a company if somebody takes a boss away? I will answer your question with a question: it's like what happens to a chicken when you take its head away--it dies... unless you find a new head. I need to see which one of these people have the skills to be a chicken head.

Along side this news is Beach Day! The entire office is excited about the prospects of leaving the office and hanging out at the beach.

(yes Michael is wearing his Sandals T-Shirt - LOVE IT!)

But Michael has some other plans for them...and Toby is not invited.

Michael: I want today to be a beautiful memory that the staff and I share after I have passed on to New York. And if Toby is a part of it...then it'll suck.

And it looks like Meredith isn't a likely candidate for being the new boss. Here she is trying to show the camera her bathingsuit.

Oopps.

Michael puts Pam in charge of taking notes on everyone so he can review them later to decide who he should recommend for the position.

Pam: There's nothing better than a beautiful day at the beach filled with sun, surf, and uh, diligent note-taking.

The office (minus Toby) loads themselves onto the bus, still unaware of what is ahead of them.

Kevin Malone: I just want to lie on the beach and eat hot dogs. That's all I've ever wanted.

They sing songs...

But then get interrupted by Michael and his plans for the day.

Michael: Everybody, may I have you attention please? Today, we are not just spending a day at the beach.
Stanley: Oh, sweet mother of God.
Michael: If you don't like it, Stanley, you can go to the back of the bus.
Stanley: Excuse me?
Michael: Or the front of the bus. Or drive the bus. Just, we are all participating in mandatory fun activities. Funtivities! And there is a special secret prize for the winner!
Dwight: Yes! Funtivities! I knew it wasn't just a trip to the beach.
Michael: Okay, you know what? Your enthusiasm's turning people off.
Dwight: I hope there will be management parables.

They get to the beach and Michael picks four "random" leaders for the teams. Dwight, Andy, Stanley and Jim.

Michael: Dwight is an obvious candidate for my job. He has the best sales record in the office. He loves to work. He is, however, an idiot.

Michael: Andy Bernard. Pros - he's classy. He gets me. He went to Cornell. I trust him. Cons - I don't really trust him.

Michael: I'm also considering Stanley... because of all the good that black people have done for America.

Michael: Jim Halpert. Pros: Smart, cool, good-looking... remind you of anybody you know? Cons: Not a hard worker. I can spend all day on a project and he will finish the same project in a half-an-hour... so that should tell you something.

And Jim already starts to pick on Dwight. (An episode can't go by without some of that)

Dwight Schrute: We will be called Gryffindor.
Jim Halpert: Really? Not Slytherin?
Dwight Schrute: Slytherin are the bad guys, Jim.
Jim Halpert: I know. Okay, we will be Voldemort.
Dwight Schrute: He who must not be named? I wouldn't do that.
Jim Halpert: Vol-de-mort, Vol-de-mort, Vol-de-mort!

The first test - one member of each time must carry an egg to the finish line with a blindfold on. The team leaders talk the team members through it.

Stanley doesn't get Phyliss very far and Andy tries to be supportive of Kelly, but she fails. And Dwight pisses of Ryan to the point that he quits the game.

Andy Bernard: [holding in anger after losing contest] I am okay if I lose every single contest today. Honestly. Because I see these contests as an opportunity for me to demonstrate what a good sport I am. Mallard! [throws a rock at the duck]

And Jim leads Karen into the lake.

Meanwhile Pam sits alongside and takes notes.

Michael: Ugh.. whose ahead in points?
Pam: Well, I think they're even. At various times you gave Jim 10 points, Dwight a gold star, and Stanley a thumbs up. And I don't really know how to compare those to...
Michael: Check to see if there's a conversion chart.
Pam: ...I really doubt it Michael.
Michael: Please just check.

Michael then directs Pam to heat up a large number of hot dogs for the next challenge. And then takes the credit for cooking the hot dogs himself.

The office thinks it is lunch time but Michael tells them they are going to have a hot dog eating contest. Everyone complains and doesn't want to do it. He then admits what is really going on.

Everyone thinks they can win Michael's job if they eat the most hot dogs - so they start chowing down. Andy beats them all. But he doesn't beat feeling sick afterwords.

Now that the word is out on Michael's job opening - people start to make plans. Dwight takes the contest very seriously and tries to get Angela to sabotage Andy's team.

Dwight: Sabotage.
Angela: What? What are you saying? Did you say "sandwich?"
Dwight: No. I was saying that before. Not now. Now I am saying, "sabotage." The ancient Dutch art of screwing up your own team.

The next contest is a fake sumo wrestling match. First up - Dwight v Jim.

And Jim is down.

Jim: Oh my God. I have never seen that look in a man's eyes... ever. I thought that I might die. On Beach Day!

Next up - Andy v. Dwight

And Andy is down.

Oscar: If either of these guys are put in charge of the office, I will transfer to Albany. Gil can come if he wants. I'm kind of looking for a way out of that relationship anyway. I think I might try girls for awhile. Angela thinks I can cross over. We'll see.

Later Andy heads near the lake and then falls in. The sumo-suit keeps him afloat but he can't get back to shore.

He calls for Angela's help but she acts like she doesn't understand what he is saying.

Dwight gets a little annoyed because he can't find Andy. Can you find Andy in this picture below?

Jim then calls the corporate office and makes an appointment for himself to interview for the corporate position. Karen does the same. Michael no longer has the upper hand.

The final challenge - walk across coals.

Michael: Who among you has the guts to replace me? Let him walk across these coals.

Michael challenges each of the "leaders" to walk across the coals. The only person that steps up voluntarily is Pam but Michael says she doesn't have a shot of getting the position so he won't let her do it.

Michael: Jim, you're up.
Jim: Nope.
Michael: Ju- why not?
Jim: Oh! 'cause I don't want my feet to get burned.
Michael: You do not have what it takes to be a regional manager!
Jim: That's harsh.

Jim tells Michael to do it, but Michael is too afraid.

Dwight then steps up.

And then falls down.

Not a good scene. The entire office then sits around together while Pam stays alone behind trying to get up the courage to walk across the coals.

And she does it! And then this flood of courage runs over her...

Pam: Hey, I want to say something. I've been trying to be more honest lately and I just need to say a few things. I did the coal walk! Just, I did it. Michael, you couldn't even do that. Maybe I should be your boss. Wow, I feel really good right now. Why didn't any of you come to my art show? I invited all of you. That really sucked. It's like sometimes, some of you act like I don't even exist. Jim, I called off my wedding because of you. And now we're not even friends. And things are just like weird between us, and that sucks. And I miss you. You were my best friend before you went to Stamford. And I really miss you. I shouldn't have been with Roy, and there were a lot of reasons to call off my wedding. But the truth is, I didn't care about any of those reasons until I met you. And now you're with someone else and that's fine. It's... whatever. That's not what I'm... I'm not... okay, my feet really hurt. The thing that I'm just trying to say to you, Jim, and to everyone else in the circle, I guess, is that I miss having fun with you. Just you, not everyone in the circle. Okay, I am gonna go walk in the water now. Yeah, it's a good day.

Michael Scott: Pam, that was amazing. But I am still looking for someone with a sales background.

If you couldn't read all that - she admits that Jim was one reason she cancelled her wedding and that she misses spending time with him.

For all you people who record the show with TIVO or DVR the episode ended there. For the other people who were able to catch it - the show ended with the entire bus singing the themesong to the Flinestones. YABA DABA DO!