Honestly, I wasn't too into the A plot of Michael being afraid of the Italian insurance salesmen possibly being in the Mafia. I thought Andy had some great lines and moments and Dwight was his usual funny self, but it didn't click for me. It all felt like overly familiar ground.
The B story, however, of Kevin in Jim's office accidentally getting his credit card canceled absolutely KILLED me. As did Oscar's being the sole voice of sanity and wanting Kevin to spell out why he thinks Oscar would enjoy prison. [Kevin looks knowingly into the camera.] Jim and Pam's irritated phone voices was good too.
I had a few conversations with friends about last week's weddings and Kevin has really grown to be a breakout popular character now. He's really awesome.
Also loved Toby's reaction about his mentally "checking out."
I love the Office... but this was bad television. Within five minutes I could tell they were turning the night guard from goodfellas into the scapegoat for Office's weak mafia episode. I am not one to love Jim & Pam... although I appreciate them. I am also not one to jump to calling the show over the hill. But if this is the scheme post-wedding than wow... it was a mistake to continue the show. Parks & Recreation has surpassed that and I am a Poehler-hater.
Originally posted by The King of KeithThis was the worst episode since Angela groomed her cats.
See, I'm not feeling the hate on this episode. Kevin's identity theft and getting away with it, Jim and Pam being interrupted endlessly on their honeymoon, and Andy being an incompetent mechanic was hilarious.
"Do you know how to use that?" "On a car?!? No."
"As you may have read in Robert Parker's Wine Newsletter, 'Donaghy Estates tastes like the urine of Satan, after a hefty portion of asparagus.'" Jack Donaghy, 30 Rock
I didn't hate the episode by any means. Nor am I on board with the notion that crept up in last week's thread that the wedding should have been the series finale. I mean, the wedding WOULD have made a good series finale, but it wasn't. The Office is far from done. I'm really not looking forward to future "The Office should have ended at the wedding" posts whenever an episode that airs that some don't like.
I really, really liked the phone calls to Jim and Pam. Especially since calling someone on their vacation to deal with some routine office problem that only they know how to do is a fairly common situation, but of course on The Office, Michael is the routine problem.
Yeah, I didn't think this episode was bad either. "Semi-competent Michael" is always welcome on my TV. Also, a couple of the TV guides I've run across had a sub-plot of Erin ruining Pam's painting listed as happening in this episode, but it sure didn't.
EDIT: Just saw that this storyline made it to the deleted scenes at NBC.com.
I thought it was beautifully animated, but fairly pedestrian, and I didn't really find the characters all that interesting. The chase sequence in the canyon was pretty good though. Two and one half stars (out of four)