Sadly, on the cutting room floor...

He made the deleted scene cut on NBC.com, though.

http://www.nbc.com/The_Office/video/#mea=184156

That was good and I agree that it should have been left in.

If anything in this episode brings about Ryan's undoing it would his predeposition chat with Michael about Michael's testimony in Jan's lawsuit being favorable to the company.

Jan's performance view was harsh but it basically stated what many viewers have observed for quite some time: Michael's strength is sales with the company, not management.

glad i wasn't the only one! i thought it was one of the funniest things in the show's history.

On "Law and Order," Fred Thompson is the Manhattan DA, even though he sounds like a guy who owns a tobacco plantation.

As for the prep, if you're a lawyer, and you are presenting a witness, first of all, you had better know everything they are going to say. Any lawyer who is ever surprised by his own witness has screwed up horribly. You don't tell them what to say, but you better know the answer to every question you expect the other side to ask, and you teach the witness not to volunteer damaging facts that aren't prompted by the questions being asked, like Michael did.

I must have missed that at the beginning. But, yes, if that comes out, it would probably change the settlement picture and the company would be very displeased with Ryan. Michael isn't canny enough to use that information proactively, but he's likely to let it slip.

One thing that is interesting is that, now that Jan has broken her connection to Dunder Mifflin, it seems really unlikely that she will break up with Michael, because there's no other reason for her to continue to be on the show if she does. I think they're setting these characters up to stay in this bad relationship over a long term, which is really bold in comedy. I think Greg Daniels is a genius.

It's amazing how dark the show at the end of the past two episodes! Jim realizes his dreams of becoming a sports writer or guitar player are as likely as Michael achieving his professional dreams. Jim’s realizing how difficult the manager’s job is in the next-to-last episode and repeating Michael’s catchphrase was a subtle dig to himself.

The drive back to Scranton was really dark. It’s clear he can’t afford to give Jan the lifestyle to which she’s become accustomed (cheap Chinese vs. cheap fast food) as a Scranton branch manager. The manner in which she reviewed his performance and then callously sacrificed him on the altar with his diary made him to achieve her own financial goals was pretty vicious.

I don’t think Michael siding with D-M had to do with being liked so much as it had to do with loyalty. Michael realized he isn’t upper management material, but it was clear Wallace as a distant colleague was much less inclined to treat him as collateral damage by having his professional shortcomings entered in to the court record since he considers him a “nice” guy than his own girlfriend.

I'm happy the show has returned to giving Michael the persona of a basically good guy who is completely over his head and becomes wildly inappropriate at the most inopportune times. I think Michael realizes his relationship with Jan is tenuous at best and basically the result of two damaged people finding comfort in one another.

To end on a positive note, I like how Michael berated her for bringing his diary (which she did in a pre-meditated manner), and she then berated him for sending a topless photo to everyone they work with (which he did through his typical ineptitude), and then they ended the conversation by saying “I love you.”

Are you serious?

This________is________not________real________life! It is a TV show! Why are you arguing like it is? Michael screwing up was the nexus of the comedy for this episode.

great episode.

CFO and jan = funny
corporate ryan = not funny

Great episode. I liked the Pam/Kelly storyline a lot.

This episode was a little more serious than I'm used to for the Office, but it was alright. Loved the parts with Toby sitting at the table during the deposition, especially when he let out a laugh during the bit where they were reading the passage from Michael's diary where he called Ryan a different kind of hot.

"You expect to get screwed by your company, but you don't expect to get screwed by your girlfriend."

Best episode this year, the only one that made me feel like the writers hadn't been on strike since the season premiere. I died at the "I'll allow it" line, too.

That's what she said.

Best part IMO was when Toby and Micheal were sitting down at lunch and Toby started to tell him about his parents divorcing. I really thought Micheal was going put his hatred aside and take Toby's sympathy but then out of no where he shoves his food off the table and walks away.

I laughed hard at this episode.

Best episode of the season.
Top five Office episodes, in terms of laughs.


Dwight: "Yes, my childhood idols were table tennis champions." (just HAPPENED to be)
Dwight: "Jim, you dumbass, Darryl works downstairs!"

Did Jan get real bolt-on upgrades, or was that just a push-up bra?

Great ep.

I think that I read in an interview with her that it's a special bra.

Melora is smoking though, isn't she?

I only saw the first episode of the season. I'm waiting for the others...

It reminded me of the IASIP episode maybe a month or so ago when Charlie decided to act like a TV lawyer.

Boosh! You've got mail!

Best post of the thread. The bolded paragraph explains exactly what I think Michael's motivation was

Truth!

really? a line he's been shown to say ALL THE TIME, in any situation? that's unbelievable?

Yeah, I've had some issues with some of the craziness at times, but that is a very established gag from the show.