Back from Vacation (The Office episode)

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The Office episode
"Back from Vacation"

Michael entertains the office with his newly-acquired steel drum in "Back from Vacation".
Episode No. 39
Prod. Code 312
Airdate January 4, 2007
Writer(s) Justin Spitzer
Director Julian Farino

The Office Season 3
September 2006 - May 2007
  1. Gay Witch Hunt
  2. The Convention
  3. The Coup
  4. Grief Counseling
  5. Initiation
  6. Diwali
  7. Branch Closing
  8. The Merger
  9. The Convict
  10. A Benihana Christmas
  11. Back from Vacation
  12. Traveling Salesmen
  13. The Return
  14. Ben Franklin
  15. Phyllis' Wedding
  16. Business School
  17. Cocktails
  18. The Negotiation
  19. Safety Training
List of all The Office episodes...
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"Back from Vacation" is the eleventh episode of the third season of the US version of The Office. It aired on January 4, 2007, and was the first episode to air after the winter hiatus.

Contents

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Jim is supervising a meeting with Karen, Dwight, Phyllis, Stanley, Ryan and Andy. Jim notices Dwight activating a tape recorder. Dwight explains to Jim that while Michael away on vacation he is to record and type up the transcript of every meeting that occurs. As a prank played on Dwight, Jim jokes loudly to the recorder that Dwight is "completely nude and is holding a plastic knife to Stanley's neck," to Dwight's angered protest. The other workers (except for Stanley and Ryan) begin to tease Dwight jokingly with deliberate false statements. The scene ends after Andy shouts "I am now chopping off Phyllis' head with a chainsaw" and imitates the power tool.

Michael returns from his Jamaican holiday rejuvenated, unfazed by the news that Hannah quit while he was away and filed a complaint against the company. Michael directs the Party Planning Committee to throw a luau-themed party in the warehouse to coincide with the postponed annual inventory project that evening. The committee initially objects, protesting that there is not enough time to plan. Michael attempts to impart the lessons of his vacation, displaying to the staff a photograph of a sign in Jamaica reading: "no shirt, no shoes, no problem". An astounded Pam notices Jan Levinson in the margins of the photo and points it out to her colleagues. Michael states to the camera that Jan didn't want anyone to know they travelled together since it may get them both in trouble. He then reveals he and Jan had an affair in Jamaica.

Michael's photo, "Jamaica Jan Sun Princess"
Michael's photo, "Jamaica Jan Sun Princess"

Michael attempts to send another racy vacation photograph of himself and Jan as proof of the trip to Todd Packer but instead mistakenly sends it to "packaging". Darryl, the warehouse supervisor, receives and promptly forwards the photo to several other employees, and it quickly reaches the entire office. Mortified, Michael attempts damage control, avoiding Jan's phone calls and dodging inquiries from Toby.

Karen is upset with Jim as he has expressed objections to the prospect of Karen moving into an apartment two blocks away in his neighborhood. When Pam asks Jim what is wrong, Jim reveals that he and Karen have been dating for a month and argues that living on the same street might be "a little close." Pam convinces Jim that he is being unreasonable and persuades him to apologize to Karen. During the luau, Jim hands Karen a piece of paper that appears to be related to the house she wanted to rent. Karen is pleased, asking Jim, "Are you sure?" Pam states that she was glad to help Jim, because she likes to help her friends. During inventory, however, Dwight walks in on Pam crying in private. Though Dwight appears to have good intentions, handing Pam a handkerchief and trying to comfort her, he mistakes Pam's crying for PMS.

As the luau/inventory is held, Jan arrives at the office to speak with Michael in private. Without explicitly revealing whether or not she is aware of the image being sent throughout the email system, she confesses her attraction to him against all reason. She informs Michael that on her psychiatrist's advice, she has decided to give in to her self-destructive tendencies and continue their affair. She kisses Michael and instructs him to make an excuse to leave the office party so he can meet her at his condo. In a reference to the movie Jerry Maguire, Michael, dazed and suprised at Jans assertiveness can only utter, "Jan, You complete me." Jan looks pained for a moment, and leaves.

Back in the warehouse, Pam and Roy joke about their failed engagement and Kevin takes home a large poster printout of the oversized vacation photograph produced earlier by warehouse personnel, stating that he will hang it at home since he doesn't have a lot of art.

[edit] Deleted Scenes

  • Pam shows the documentary crew some postcards from Michael's past vacations. Michael put ten dollars worth of postage on his postcard from Jamaica.
  • The documentary crew meet Michael at the airport. Michael sings the "Banana Boat Song" in the car and describes various events from his vacation, including buying a "chill pill" from a man at the beach. "And after I finished vomiting, I was more relaxed than I've ever been."
  • Michael has gifts for people in the office. For Dwight, a "genuine Rastafarian wig"; for Andy, a Milli Vanilli t-shirt; for Angela, a lei; for Pam, a coconut bra; and for Stanley, some ganja. Creed offers to get Stanley some real ganga.
  • Dwight complains to Michael about Jim's pranks while Michael was on vacation. Michael isn't interested.
  • Several brief talking head interviews:
    • Dwight admits to having taken one vacation, but never again. Jim had his desk shipped to him in Roswell.
    • Meredith explains that when a woman gets older, she'll go anywhere with anyone.
    • Angela emphasizes that one's body is a temple. "You can't just whore it out."
    • As a result of his skin cancer scare ("Michael's Birthday"), Kevin just hopes Jan was wearing sunscreen.
    • Dwight lists advantages and disadvantages of the Internet.
  • Jan is asked by an unnamed colleague about her vacation. She maintains the ruse that she was in Scottsdale, unaware that the colleague has a copy of Jamaica Jan Sun Princess on his computer screen. Jan sticks to her story in a talking head interview.
  • To help motivate inventory, Dwight announces that he has hidden a deck of cards which can be redeemed for a soft drink. Meanwhile, Jim and Ryan play cards.
  • Ryan mentions that they are missing seven boxes of canary yellow copier paper. Roy takes the scanner and scans the same box seven times. "Looks good to me." Ryan begins uses Roy's new inventory technique.
  • To get a better look at an upper shelf, Meredith climbs on a shelf, which falls and traps her.

[edit] Trivia

  • During a breakroom chat between Pam and Jim, Pam says she endured listening to Michael play a conch shell, though he only is shown playing a steeldrum.
  • Ed Helms (Andy) once again shows his musical talent, this time by learning to play the steel drums after only an hour's worth of lessons.[1]
  • The object that Darryl finds is an iPod dock with speakers.[1]
  • Jenna Fischer (Pam) cries real tears during the scene where Dwight is comforting her.
  • When exiting the warehouse after seeing the photo poster, Michael and Dwight take a left after stepping out of the doorway, when in the next clip they clearly have taken a right out of the doorway.
  • As of this episode, only two people (Andy & Karen) from the Stamford branch remain at the Scranton office.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Sparano, John. January 4, 2007. blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=102409815&blogID=213736679 "Back From Vacation", MySpace.com

[edit] External links

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