Please be aware that there are several SPOILERS in the following review.
Last weeks premier episode of season 8 of "The Office" smartly put the focus on the entire ensemble. It reminded us that the thing that makes this show so great is not any one person, but the whole cast. This weeks episode takes the focus off of the rest of the cast and really takes a look at how Andy is handling the role of Regional Manager. Robert California drops the gauntlet on the Scranton branch at the beginning of the episode - last month they had 4% growth, this month he wants 8% growth. Andy struggles with how to make the office motivated to reach this goal to prove his worth to Robert, and he comes up with an incentive program. Doing good work earns you points, and points can buy you things, like a teddy bear or a vibrator. Jim, funny as always, gets Andy to allow them to pool together their points so that if they reach 5,000 Andy will get a tattoo on his rear end.
This main plot line was pretty funny, but it's main purpose was to show that Andy was the right choice for the job. Why did Robert California give him the job? Because his desire to not be mediocre will make him inspire greatness in the rest. It was hilarious to see the entire office in a frenzy to reach their goal - which they did in just one day. Andy has set the bar pretty high. There was a touching moment right before Andy was supposed to get his tattoo where Jim tells him that no one expects him to go through with it, but he was excited to see what other great ideas Andy will come up with. Because, let's face it, Andy inspired them. He got them to reach a month long goal in the span of one day. He IS an effective boss.
The other plot lines weren't so great. I was excited at the prospect of Angela and Pam being pregnant walking buddies, but it looks like that was dead before it even started. The cold open with Kevin was pretty funny, if a little unbelievable. And they desperately need to find something to do with Dwight. Sure, he is dedicated to the company, but he has been shunned so many times that it stretches believability. Maybe he should go to corporate. Or have him go back to Staples or something. But just do something with him. I'm tired of seeing him love his job and then be apathetic and then love it all over again.
Overall, this episode was NOT bad. It felt a little tired, but they sparked new life into it when Andy actually followed through with one of his ridiculous ideas. Now let's see what he does next.
Final score: 8.0 out of 10.
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