The Office: The Meeting

As we enter the sixth season of The Office it's amazing that there are still certain combinations of the ensemble cast that have yet to grace the screen. To its credit, the show has always based its characters' relationships on at least a modicum of believability. So many of the characters on the show have no earthly reason to interact with one another outside of the most banal elements of the work day, so they usually don't. That's why it was such a delight to see the unusual combination of Dwight and Toby having an honest to goodness adventure together. That was just one of many excellent parts of this great episode.

Before we get back to Toby and Dwight, let's take care of the main premise of the episode. David Wallace is in town to have a long, detailed meeting with Jim. This discussion has been a long time in the making. Several seasons ago we saw Jim shoot some hoops with Wallace at an uncomfortable company dinner party and Halpert has definitely worn that tie for promotion interviews on more than one occasion.

Of course, it's never a good idea to have a meeting behind closed doors when Michael is around. He attempts several times to burst in, only successfully so when it's already too late to hear anything meaningful. The cheese cart bit was epic, a real home run for Ed Helms. When Wallace tells Michael that he's thinking of promoting Jim to a branch management position, Michael sabotages the proceedings before he learns that the development will result in his own promotion to regional management.

Meanwhile, Daryl files a workman's compensation claim for a minor accident in the warehouse. Toby takes it at face value, but Dwight puts on his detective hat and starts investigating Daryl's story. Toby, initially just doing his job, tags along, but then he gets caught up in Dwight's absurd quest for the truth. It was great seeing these two characters interact. They make for an astoundingly resonant pair, especially given Toby's tendency to veer into the weird.

When all is said and done, Daryl gets caught gaming the system while Michael and Jim split the difference and take on co-management of Scranton. I look forward to a season of hilarious disasters resulting from that bone-headed setup. There was also talk of Jim receiving another job offer, which I hope doesn't disappear right away. The threat of Jim moving on in the world would provide some great dramatic tension for Season 6.

Best Moment: Dwight and Toby bonding over their love of trains. Who knew that something so strange as this pairing could be so natural?

Biggest Laugh: Andy's cheese presentation. Goldfish crackers and salad dressing have never sounded so elegant. Ed Helms really sold it, too. In a less capable performer's hands, I'm not sure the bit would have worked.

Episode Rating: 5/5- There was nothing wrong with this episode at all. It was well-paced, funny, compelling and it offered something new. Season 6 is off to a great start.