Michael travels in style to New York to be honored.
Dunder Mifflin thought they had the perfect stooge.
Bring the sucker to the Big Apple in a big stretch limo. Have him sit at the head table, shower him with praise and maybe, just maybe, the company employees would be temporarily distracted from the annoying fact that the company is, well, careering headlong into bankruptcy.
Problem is, in Michael Scott, they chose the wrong stooge.
In “Shareholders Meeting,” Michael, Dwight, Oscar and Andy travel in a sweet stretch limo to New York City, where Michael is the special guest of the Dunder Mifflin board of directors.
Michael meets the bigwigs and then is ushered to the stage by a security detail so accomplished that it has protected Nelly Furtado. Entering the stage, Michael is stunned to be booed by frustrated employees.
Standing in line while waiting to ask his question, Dwight is incredulous when a woman asks that her spot in line be saved so she can use the restroom. “What, were you raised in a household without consequences?” he asks. Then he pulls out the big guns: “If onlys and justs were candies and nuts, then everyday would be Erntedankfest.”
Man, if I had a nickel for every time my mother, Helga, said that to me …
(OK, full disclosure: First off, my mom’s name is Marilyn not Helga and though my father’s side of the family is German, I had to go to Wikipedia to learn that “Erntedankfest” is Thanksgiving in Germany.)
Michael is introduced to a smattering of applause … mainly from Dwight. In fact, the waste pulp repurposing plant in Milford draws more applause than Michael.
Knowing that his 15 minutes of fame is running out, Michael does what he always does - he makes outlandish promises that he certainly can’t keep.
He tells the crowd that the company will introduce a 45-point, 45-day plan that will result in complete financial recovery for the company. Buoyed by the cheers of the crowd, he channels Springsteen, racing across stage and pulling off an impressive spin move and finger point that, I’m not afraid to admit, left me fired up!
After realizing that the company has absolutely no plan in place to save the sinking ship, Michael turns to his Mexican friend “who knows economics as well as he knows bull fighting.” Alas, Oscar is too worried about losing his job to offer any constructive criticism.
Back at Dunder Mifflin, Jim gives Ryan an assignment, but Ryan is averse to work since the company is going under anyway. After learning from a plastered Phyllis that Ryan has told coworkers that Jim has no real juice around the office, Jim makes an example of him by sending him to his room. A closet, actually.
One of the more amusing scenes of the season, especially because B.J. Novak’s character has been AWOL for a large part of the season. Watching Jim wipe that smug smile off Ryan’s face, even after he begged for mercy, reminded me of a parent disciplining an unruly child. Not me, of course. Other parents …
Back in New York, Michael offends a board of director member who tells Michael he can take the bus back to Scranton. Michael and his crew, however, beat the system by high-tailing it out of the hotel and into their limousine.
Just like a company executive. Certainly not a stooge.
