Dwight tries to beat Toby's running time. After the Stamford branch closes, the employees move to Scranton. Dwight tries to get Michael to fire one of the Stamford employees. Jan promotes Jim to Michael's "number two," while Andy and Dwight disagree over who should be "number three." Pam and Jim's reunion doesn't go as well as hoped.
Air date: November 16, 2006
Tropes
- Adaptation Expansion: While there was a merger in the original series, the US version is a bigger plot point.
- All for Nothing: Subverted. Dwight and Andy compete throughout the episode to be the office Number Two. At the end, that title is revealed to have been meant for Jim ever since the merger was implemented. The two immediately begin bickering over who is "number three".
- Ambiguously Brown: Karen, to Michael. He asks if her dad was a GI, much to her and Pam's annoyance. (Rashida Jones is half black, the daughter of Quincy Jones).
- Aside Glance: Jim gives a knowing smirk to the camera as Michael and Andy dance around and sing "What is Love?" Obviously, knowing the personalities of both men, Jim figured they'd probably end up doing some kind of goofy performance together before too long.
- Call-Back: A few episodes earlier in "Initiation", Kelly tells Michael about the "Lazy Sunday" video. Here, Michael produces a parody of it called "Lazy Scranton" as an orientation video.
- *Cough* Snark *Cough*: Dwight and Andy insult each other this way.
- Cringe Comedy: Watching Michael, Andy, and Dwight harass Tony is painful.
- Didn't Think This Through:
- While Michael and Dwight clearly put a lot of effort into their welcoming video, calling poison control if you're bit by a spider isn't going to do you any good. Spiders are venomous, not poisonous. Poison control is just going to tell you to go to the ER.
- Andy's go-getter policy of "never breaking off a handshake" serves him just fine until he meets Dwight, who has the same policy. Once they initiate a handshake, they do not stop until, presumably, an outside force breaks them apart offscreen.
- In showing the camera how good the new shredder is, Kevin begins shredding things that are thicker than paper. Then he shreds his credit card and doesn't realize the consequences until a few seconds later
- To save face when Tony announces he's quitting, Michael fires him instead. However, this gets him an angry call from Jan who informs him he was better off letting Tony quit so the company could avoid having to give Tony a severance package.
- Enemy Mine: The former Stamford and longtime Scranton employees struggle to get along with each other, until everyone realizes they all dislike having Michael as their boss.
- The Glomp: Pam does this to Jim when he returns to Scranton, killing his "Hi, I'm Jim" joke.
- Hate at First Sight: Dwight and Andy immediately hate-bond over their mutual petty desire to be the office Number Two.
- Never My Fault: This aspect of Michael's personality rears its ugly head again when Tony quits and says in no uncertain terms that it's because he deal with Michael's antics. This results in Michael ranting that Dunder Mifflin doesn't hire quitters and firing Tony in a pathetic attempt to save face, since letting him quit would mean admitting it is his fault and that he isn't the awesome boss he thinks he is.
- Nipple and Dimed: In-universe. Creed snaps a photo of Hannah's left breast while she's producing breast-feeding at work. No one comments on her using a breast pump in the workplace, nor is Creed punished.
- Noodle Incident: In the Cold Open, Dwight claims that the previous weekend, he outran a snake. In a Confession Cam, he says his running speed is "between a snake and a mongoose", implying he attempted to pit the mongoose against the snake, but they both ended up just chasing him (and the mongoose caught him).
- Piss-Take Rap: "Lazy Scranton" impressively manages to fall into this trope even though it's an In-Universe parody of a satire of Piss-Take Rap.Michael: Sittin’ in my office with a plate of grilled bacon! Called my man Dwight just to see what was shakin’!Dwight: Yo Mike, our town is dope and pretty!Michael: So check out how we live...Both: ...in the Electric City!
- Product Placement: In the original broadcast, Kevin has a subplot in which he uses a Staples shredder to destroy company documents. He even uses it to make a salad.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Tony Gardner is polite about it, but he minces few words in calling Michael out.Tony: I can’t work here. I have to quit.Michael: You can’t quit! On the first day. That’s heresy, my friend! Okay, let’s talk about this. What happened? I mean, what… Was it Toby? Did he say something? Cause he’s… what?Tony: No. Toby was helpful. He was very kind. It’s just your management style.Michael: My management style? So… didn’t you think "Lazy Scranton" was funny?Tony: No. Was it supposed to be funny?
- Remember the New Guy?: Minor example but besides Karen, Andy and Tony, none of the other Stamford actors had speaking parts in any episodes prior to this one (Hannah was briefly glimpsed in "Grief Counseling", and had some lines in a Deleted Scene from that episode). Also, none of the extras from those previous episodes are seen here.
- Shout-Out: To Sun-Tzu's The Art of War, Punk'd , A Night at the Roxbury.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Tony is the first Stamford employee who leaves, as he refused to put up with Michael's antics.
