0407: “Survivor Man”
Written by Steve Carell
Directed by Paul Feig

To paraphrase Geddy Lee, the stars aren’t aligned or the gods are malign, at least when it comes to The Office. One-third into this, the fourth season, they’ve managed to recapture some of that Season 2 magic, that perfect arc of 22 episodes that crescendoed on Casino Night.

Michael is wacky again, but within redemption’s grasp. Jim is torn about his future. Angela is stern, yet oddly engaging. Dwight is weird, but not creepy like Toby. Andy, well he’s new, but it’s like he’s never not been there. Pam, well Pam is perfect, even when she’s not – as usual.

And yet it will all come crashing down in a few days if the writer’s strike continues. For now we press on like there is a future to press on into.

“Survivorman” was a silly romp of an episode with all the gravity of a Fudgy the Whale ice cream cake. Still, it had a depth that resonated and a dissonance that collected like the lump you get in your throat when you think too hard about the future and where it might take you if you’re not careful. I don’t think I’m overselling it because I’ve seen that look that crossed Jim’s face in the closing moments, as he realized how easily he could – and nearly did – become Michael Scott.

It begs the question: is a Michael born or is he made by his circumstances. Jim probably never blew his tuition on a pyramid scheme or shared his mom with a guy named Jeff, so I’m leaning toward the latter.

It was all triggered by a snub. Ryan took his regional managers camping but left Michael out. Even Toby got to go. (His “More s’mores?” line gave me the wiggins, by the way.) After a childhood no doubt spent being left out of every game, club and clique, you just know this was Michael’s sore spot, and Ryan surely knew too. So Michael decides to go it alone, after Jim hypothetically turns down his invite. Armed only with duct tape and one of Dwight’s many strategically hidden weapons – Did he really pull a blowgun out of the toilet and put his lips on it? – Michael Scott is getting back to nature.

Michael: Dwight and I are going out. He will return later, but I will not. I will also be taking a personal day tomorrow, and perhaps the next day.
Pam: Do you want me to ask where you’re going?
Michael: No.
Pam: Great.
Michael: Dwight will be driving me deep into the Pennsylvania wilderness.
Pam: Oh.
Michael: Where he will then leave me to either die or to survive. The choice is yours.
Jim: Hmm, no, the choice is actually yours. Are you sure you want to do this?
Michael: Yes, and I am leaving you in charge of the office for the rest of the day and for the next several days. Do not try to follow me.
Jim: OK, great.
Michael: This is a very personal, private experience in the wild, that I wish to share it with me, myself and I.
Jim: Yup.
Michael: When I return, I hope to be a completely changed human being.
Jim: That’d be great.

He leaves Jim in charge. In two and a half years, I can’t recall Angela and Jim exchanging more than a half-dozen words. But the head of the Party Planning Committee had harsh words for the interim Regional Manager after he put the kibosh on birthday month.  Pam even tried to warn him it was a bad idea to combine all the birthdays, but she couldn’t say so in as many words. In my opinion, she’s hesitant to make such waves in their relationship by contradicting him. And why should she, really, when she can watch him go down in flames, as evidenced by her tricking him into calling a conference room meeting?

The split personality of this episode worked for me. There was Michael in the woods, led there by Dwight, aka the Overkill Killer. Before long, Michael is duct taping his pants together or pitching them as a tent. He declares his proctological woes to nature and forages for poison mushrooms. (Best scene: Dwight surveilling him via rifle scope without realizing the safety was off.) It was a silly farce without being “Phyllis’s Wedding” over-the-top. The difference was subtle but real.

Jim’s stint in charge, meanwhile, was very different from what, by my reckoning, was his last time in charge: “Office Olympics”. With Dwight and Michael closing on Michael’s condo, Jim took de facto charge of the office that day and showed his leadership skills. But the man who staged a Flonkerton face-off fumbled his first birthday-related executive decision.

Jim: We can just have one big fun party. Everybody’s happy, nobody wastes their time.
Angela: I don’t like it. [Angela leaves]
Pam: Wow! You’re shaking things up a bit, huh?
Jim: It’s a pretty good idea, don’t you think?
Pam: Do you think it’s a good idea?
Jim: No… I think it’s a great idea.
Pam: [smiles] Hmm.

He wanted to be the anti-Michael – whose birthday surprises nearly had me hyperventilating – but he’s the only one who sees his mistake. And the entire staff turns on him. Kevin, who sits around all day waiting for a party. Stanley, who took an extra insulin shot. Even Toby annoys Jim with his whining, as Jim concedes in a Michael-esque talking head. Then, the final insult: Phyllis calls Jim Michael.

Jim relents on the birthdays and gives Creed his cobbler. Michael abandons the woods for his corporate jungle in time for the festivities. And in the end we get a scene the likes of which we haven’t seen since “Booze Cruise” or “A Benihana Christmas”. Michael and Jim just talk. It’s as if the camera isn’t even rolling and just John Kraskinsi and Steve Carell are chatting.

Michael: So what did I miss?
Jim: Well, I tried to put all the birthdays together at once.
Michael: Oh.
Jim: So, terrible idea.
Michael: Yeah, okay, I did that. Rookie mistake.
Jim: You did do it?
Michael: Uh huh. Yeah, just wait. Ten years, you’ll figure it out.
Jim: Well, I don’t think I’ll be here in ten years.
Michael: That’s what I said. That’s what she said.
Jim: That’s what who said?
Michael: I never know. I just say it. I say stuff like that, you know, to lighten the tension. When things sort of get hard.
Jim: That’s what she said.
Michael: Hey! Nice. Really good. Bravo, my young ward.

Michael admits his “That’s what she said”’s don’t always mean anything. He just says things like that to break the tension – and Jim knows just what he means. The party gaffe was a rookie mistake, Michael tells him, assuring him he’ll get it eventually. And that look that crossed Jim’s face was him contemplating his future, not sure if he likes what he sees or not.

To paraphrase a younger Jim Halpert: that’s what they’ll be working on the rest of the season. Strike permitting, of course.