“Look at him. And his stupid face. His stupid…tie.”
Michael is in complete denial about Toby’s return and texts David Wallace with a 911 message. Despite the fact that it’s been on NBC’s episode list for weeks, it is a bit surprising to see Paul Lieberstein back. “Goodbye Toby” felt final for the character, but the writers seem to revel in restoring him to the cast.
After meager attempts at small talk, which are curiously frustrating for him, Michael decides to conspire with Dwight ways to get rid of Toby once and for all.
“It is like trying to be friends with an evil snail.”
Meanwhile, Pam opens the microwave to find that it hasn’t been cleaned at all in her absence. She posts an anonymous note above it, accusing those who don’t bother cleaning after each use of being inconsiderate and rude. Everyone else in the office finds the note “way more obnoxious” than the mess itself.
Michael fails once more after trying to provoke Toby into hitting him, to which Toby simply responds, “Why would I hit you?” Dwight proposes framing Toby with drugs, and Michael is off to the Vance Refrigeration workers (Lee Eisenberg & Gene Stupnitsky) to buy marijuana. The (unseen) bag is sold to Michael for $500, and he plants it in Toby’s desk while Dwight calls a tip in to the police.
Jim has managed to buy his parents’ home, and appears to slightly regret his decision as he points out its outdated design and structural flaws. A framed clown painting that is embedded into the wall, for example. His nervousness is lifted after he brings Pam to her surprise gift, and she is ecstatic when Jim reveals the garage-turned-art studio. A very cute scene that offsets Michael’s extreme cruelty to Toby in this episode.
“Do we have to sleep in your parents’ room?”
“No, we’ll just board that up.”
When the police arrive, they find only a bag of salad (with mozzerella) in Toby’s desk. Initially the officer searching believes it to be marijuana, and as Toby is being handcuffed Michael blurts out that it’s his. This detail is never brought into the open or even acknowledged, but it’s worth noting that Michael even found this framing to be too extreme. The police leave, and a combined talking head with Michael and Toby has them right back at odds with each other.
Ryan seems to be leaving once more. With Pam back, Ryan is forced back into his old seat right behind Kelly. The pressure drives him to go on an extended vacation in Thailand.
“Let’s have sex one more time. And if you have any extra cash on you, that would be amazing.”
With B.J. Novak’s departure from the show, don’t expect Ryan back anytime soon. His return in “Weight Loss” was amusing, but his presence was seriously lacking compared to his more prominent role last season. Paul Lieberstein is a joy to have back, however. Toby’s return isn’t completely explained (this is actually acknowledged by Michael accusing him of being a liar in one of the final scenes), but it’s fun to see Michael play off of his dry, quiet nature.
Mike Trevino is a rabid fan of House and The Office and blogs out of San Antonio, TX.
