The Michael Scott Paper Company gets off to a rough start as Pam struggles with Michael’s lack of motivation. Back at Dunder Mifflin, Charles continues to run the branch with an obvious lack of understanding of the staff.
Michael is nervous about starting his own business, procrastinating with endless amounts of french toast. With Pam’s help, he manages to get the ball rolling, though she has her doubts about his capabilities. Building up his “dream team”, Michael enlists the aid of Vikram, a salesman he met in last season’s episode “Money”.
The staff discover that Charles is a soccer fanatic and feign an interest in the sport to get on his good side. Jim abandons his principle of not being a suck up and lies about being a soccer player. At Dwight’s suggestion, Charles invites the office, not without singling out Jim, to play soccer in the parking lot after work.
“Pam, everyone deserves a second second chance.”
On their way to an investor’s meeting, Michael makes a surprise stop at a bowling alley to recruit Ryan to his new business. Ryan accepts and flees his job with an armful of bowling shoes. When they arrive at the investor’s meeting, Pam is surprised to learn that it is Michael’s grandmother who they are pitching their business to, along with her fellow residents at a nursing home. Nana’s investment club ultimately decides not to invest in The Michael Scott Paper Company.
The soccer game is a disaster, with Jim opting to “chalk it up to teamwork” and touch the ball as little as possible. Dodging a kick from Charles, Phyllis is hit in the face, effectively ending the game.
Vikram quits after considering the questions Michael’s grandmother raised. Pam is discouraged and breaks down, admitting that quitting Dunder Mifflin was only done on a whim. Michael, now in the same position Pam was in at the beginning of the day, calms her down and tells her that their only real option is to at least try. He calls the owner of Scranton Business Park and rents out the only space available: the janitor’s closet.
“They took away my parking space but they can’t take away my pride.”
“The Michael Scott Paper Company” sees Michael and his new staff kicking off their first day of business, complete with brand new opening credits featuring the new office.
Back at Dunder Mifflin, Dwight has found his rivalry with Andy has blossomed into a friendship and plans on taking him hunting after work. Jim is asked for a rundown of his clients by Charles, yet Jim has absolutely no idea of what a “rundown” is.
“They always say that it is a mistake to hire your friends and they are right. So, I hired my best friends and this is what I get?”
Pam and Michael have a difficult time with Ryan’s pretentious slacking and reconciling with their office being located beneath a men’s room. As tensions rise between the three in their tiny office space, Pam finds herself being gradually relegated to her former status of receptionist.
A new hire, Erin, seems to reignite Dwight’s hatred of Andy after he finds that they are both flirting with her. Dwight confronts Andy on this, and in an attempt to resolve the situation amicably try to convince one another to “take” her. The tension peaks when they try to outplay each other on a John Denver song to impress Erin.
Pam finally cracks and finds herself begging Charles for her old job, or at least one similar. Disheartened by this news, Michael begins to have serious doubts himself. Regardless, he holds a pancake luncheon to draw in new clients. Though it appears to have been a failure, they are called later on by a contact that Pam made that afternoon. Pam makes her first sale.
“Who would’ve thought that the thing that would save this company would be work…and pancakes?”
