The Office Ep. 3 Recap

This episode started out with the best Jim prank I’ve seen in a while: an Asian man came in, sat down, and claimed to be Jim. Dwight tried to stump him but he knew all about Jim’s orders, Jim’s voicemail passwords, and Pam treated him as her husband. Even the Halpert family photo on Jim’s desk had him in it. Dwight was stumped. It turns out that Jim was at the dentist so he had his actor friend come in and pretend to be him.

In an effort to make Nellie’s life miserable, Andy asks her to do unnecessary tasks. This includes researching his family tree. She lies and claims to have found that Andy is related to Michelle Obama. He’s very proud of it and starts talking on anti-junk food initiatives because she has an anti-obesity campaign. Some of the staff, mainly Oscar, figure that there may be some slavery involved in the family tree, which Andy finds mortifying. The staff teases him, likely to get back at him for how much he has bragged about other things. Later, Nellie reveals to Pam that she faked the family tree, but Andy doesn’t know. He tries to ask his mother to clear up the rumors, but it turns out that is family was involved in transporting slaves, not owning them.

Erin wants to impress Andy’s family by learning another language, so she tries to learn French. Dwight convinces her to learn Dothraki, a fictional language from Game of Thrones, instead. It is a loud and growly language spoken by brutal, barbaric warriors on the show. She growls around the office until Andy tells her that it isn’t a real language. Considering how dumb Erin usually is, I’m impressed by how quickly she was able to pick up Dothraki. She has a skill.

Nellie is stressed about her driving test so Pam offers to take her out to practice. She’s a terrible driver but she and Pam bond. Nellie likes Pam’s paintings and is very supportive. Pam decides that Nellie is fun and wants to be involved in her next prank, which is coming up with fake family backgrounds for everyone in the office. Nellie suggests that Pam paint a mural on an ugly gray wall in the warehouse. It seems like Nellie has the encouragement and dangerous streak that Pam needs. I support this friendship.

Darryl wants to leave the company, so Jim talks him into joining his new startup in Philly. Darryl convinces Jim that he needs to tell Pam about this instead of continuing to cover it up. When he finally does tell Pam, he is impressed with how well she takes it. She appears to be in shock; she probably didn’t take it as well as he thinks. After being told, she says “I can’t believe he didn’t tell me” to the camera. Uh oh, she’ll be ticked once it all sinks in. I have a feeling that I’m going to spend this whole season with my fingers crossed that Jim and Pam don’t split up. Please please please let them stay together!