The Office: Sabre

There comes a point in every episode since Jim and Pam's wedding when I wonder when that baby will finally be delivered. The concept of Michael Scott at the birth of a child is so ripe with hilarity -and we've already been denied the moment earlier in the series when Jan had her sperm-donor baby without telling Michael. So, I'll feel a lot better once that business is taken care of.

But this week's episode, "Sabre," had a lot to offer.

The cold open featured Michael receiving a box full of printers and scanners from Sabre, the company that's purchased Dunder Mifflin. After distributing the gifts like some kind of corporate Oprah, Michael realizes that they were meant for a company representative who's arriving soon and tries to fit everything back in the box, which Dwight notes that Michael opened like an ape.

The employees have been incorrectly pronouncing the company's name as "Sah-bray," which is awkwardly and hilariously exposed in a song set to Miley Cyrus' "Party in the U.S.A." performed by Andy and Erin meant to welcome the representative. (As soon as they started the song, I started laughing hysterically, knowing what they were about to rhyme with U.S.A.) What a perfect "Office" moment.

Speaking of awkward, Andy and Erin are at a stand-still for now - each thinks the ball is in the other one's court. They're kind of like the mid-point between the sincerity of Jim/Pam and the absurdity of Dwight/Angela. And speaking of Jim and Pam, they spend this episode at an interview for a day care they want to get into... it was one of the weaker B plots the show's had in a while.

Meanwhile, Sabre, a company with Christian Slater in its orientation video, is instituting a lot of changes that prove bewildering to Michael: less vacation time, aluminum water bottles, less Internet time-wasting, etc. Michael does what he always does: goes to former CFO David Wallace for help. Michael finds Wallace at his home, unshaven, in his pajamas and making fluffernutter sandwiches while his song bands on the drums. Michael tries to get advice out of him while in the hot tub, but David only wants to sell Michael on his new idea of a child's vacuum called "Suck It."

Terrified of what David has become without a job, Michael returns to Dunder Mifflin with a new, positive attitude about Sabre and its corporate head honcho, Jo (played by Kathy Bates).

Which brings me to an interesting conundrum: "The Office" is supposed to be operating in our very real world, which is why they don't usually have guest stars unless they're playing themselves - Conan O'Brien in season two, Jack Black and Jessica Alba in season five, etc. So - being that the head of Sabre is played by Kathy Bates, shouldn't someone at least notice that the new boss looks exactly like Kathy Bates? (I still like the casting choice, though.)


Quotes of the Week:

Michael: "There are very few things that would make me not want to team up with David Wallace. And 'Suck It' is one of 'em."

David Wallace: (singing) "YOU TAKE OUT THE SUCK IT AND YOU SUCK IT!"

Daycare owner: (to Jim and Pam) "Do you ever consider that you might not be as charming as you think you are?"