To break the staff of the focus Charles instilled in them, Michael opens a café-disco in the downstairs office to release stress. Pam and Jim plan to elope. Phyllis suspects Bob will have an affair.
Tropes
- Breather Episode: As much as any sitcom can have one. After the relatively high stakes Michael Scott Paper Company arc, and all of the bad feelings created when Pam joins the sales team, this episode is just everyone dancing and getting along with each other.
- Can't Believe I Said That: While getting a back massage from Dwight, Phyllis blurts out loud her fears that Bob will cheat on her with his secretary who looks remarkably like her. She then laughs at herself for realizing how ridiculous it sounds.
- Cloudcuckoolander's Minder: Pam learned a few tricks on how to manage Michael during their time working together. In this episode, she improvises Michael's "battery" falling out so he will pretend to power down instead of continue to be awkward.
- Comically Missing the Point: Michael laments the no-lunch policy after his predecessor stepped down, which means in all likelihood it was Michael himself who set that rule.
- Except the workers are obviously lying to him so that he won't eat lunch with them.
- Continuity Snarl: Dwight references The Shining, even though in "Golden Ticket", he doesn't watch movies.
- The Dog Bites Back: In the Cold Open, Dwight pranks Jim and Pam back by paying Erin to pretend to have won an art contest.
- Hidden Depths: Dwight is a very good masseur.
- I Just Want to Be Special: The real reason Michael is insistent on everyone joining him in Café Disco. He's frustrated that nobody likes having lunch with the boss (claiming it was a policy "instated" shortly after his predecessor stepped down) and just wants to be among the group.
- Insistent Terminology: Kevin says it is like a Disco Café, but it is nothing like that. It is a Café Disco.
- My Own Private "I Do": Jim and Pam, feeling tired of planning a big, expensive wedding, decide that day to head down to Ohio to receive a private marriage ceremony. However, a quick stop to join the dancing at Café Disco makes them decide that they want a real wedding after all.
- The Napoleon: Angela's strictness is played up this episode. Her height is too, as there is a quick sight gag of her walking under a limbo pole without bending in the slightest.
- Not So Above It All: Downplayed. Angela never agrees to fully dance at Café Disco, but Michael notices her bobbing her foot along to the music and considers that a small victory.
- Throw the Dog a Bone: Michael's Cafe Disco becomes a genuine hit among the co-workers.
