The Office: "The Lover"

Wow. Just wow. Quite an episode of "The Office" this week. So many memorable moments, I don't even know where to begin. Let's start with Michael and Pam going at each other in the aftermath of Pam's discovery that Michael has been sleeping with her mom. One of the most powerful moments in the show's history, and especially painful to see them being so vituperative to each other, considering the history between these two characters; Michael is obviously very fond of Pam, and though Pam has so often looked out for Michael in the past (most notably and recently when she encouraged Michael to drive up north to see Holly). A great shot at the end of Michael leaving, and then thinking of coming back, ostensibly to patch things up with Pam, but then realizing it was futile...all done in a one-second silent shot. Very nice. Jim's in the thankless position of being caught in the middle, but used all his nous and charm to get across to Pam at the end, including a well-worked tie-in to the B-plot of Dwight planting a listening device in a wooden mallard that he gave to Jim. The tag where Dwight revealed he had the last laugh provided some welcome levity to the intense proceedings of the episode that transpired. I can't really end the recap without mentioning Michael manipulating Toby into speaking to Pam about her blow-up in the conference room in particular and her animosity to Michael in general (and surely it speaks volumes of how much Michael treasures his friendship with Pam that he's willing to go through the onerity of pretending to be Toby's friend?). Toby really believing that Michael has finally come round to being his friend, only to find out he's been "used later, was heartbreaking and funny in a resigned "Oh Toby" kind of way. Add to this the fact that he greeted Jim at the wrong time (just when Jim found out the bombshell from Michael that he's dating Pam's mom). Poor Toby can't catch a break. Funny, powerful, heartrending...this episode, penned by longtime "Office" scribes Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg (the latter also directed), had it all! The next episode can't come soon enough!