In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close.
A paper airplane contest with a $2,000 purse provides the backdrop for much of this week's "action." Erin proves to have a vicious competitive streak as a result of her hardscrabble childhood and in almost complete contradiction of everything else we know about her. Toby got half-blinded by Pam, allowing us to establish that Andy has a phobia of anything eye-related. Kevin's still a moron. And Dwight tries to throw the competition to Angela, given that she's now separated from her husband and broke. But he makes the mistake of saying something about it to his current girlfriend Esther, who says something to Angela, who stands on her dignity and refuses to accept Dwight's pity or charity.
The Halperts must have gotten eliminated from the competition in the early rounds, because they spend the day going about their ordinary business and doing this weird couples therapy exercise where they're acting all appreciative of each other and speaking their truths and so forth. But it might be too little too late, especially since their choices appear to be for Jim to give up his dream or Pam to give up her life.
Andy and Darryl are also out, because Andy's already got a gig through his new agent. It's an industrial film, which is still pretty damn amazing for his first week. Except he balks when the script calls for him to use an actual eyewash station, but then his agent's threats and Darryl's coaching help him find the strength to power through.
Jim and Pam don't seem to have gotten anywhere, and the fact that Jim's leaving for Philly again at the end of the day can't help. But happenstance leads to a tender moment in the parking lot when they remember their wedding and apparently everything is all better. Man, I hope it doesn't ruin the show for the long term now that they're together.
Want more? The full recap starts right below!There's a weird vibe going on; Toby walks in wearing an eye patch, and Clark does some trash-talking to Erin at Reception. Dwight explains, over a flashback to the day before, that the first round of the branch's paper airplane contest was yesterday. Apparently it's being sponsored by a brand that touts itself as the Cadillac of paper. "It's not so easy on the environment, if you know what I mean," Dwight confides, holding up a ream. "Practically made of plastic." And during Earth Day week, when there's a green NBC peacock in the corner of the screen. What would Recyclops say? Wearing a referee's uniform, Nellie cues up a highlight reel showing Kevin getting some major air, Dwight going William Tell with an apple on Nate's head, Creed hurling a cantaloupe, and Pam half-blinding Toby with her throw and then blaming him for it. "We are now down to an elite eight," Nellie concludes, holding up a bracket. "Well, seven and Toby."
After the mini-credits, Andy is running lines with Darryl for an industrial film, which he THs could eventually lead to a role in Moneyballs 2. Toby comes in, apparently having been summoned so Andy can freak himself out looking at Toby's eye injury, which he can't even do right now. Darryl tries to follow Toby out, but Andy's not done with him yet.
In the break room, Jim makes a big show of expressing his appreciation to Pam for letting him sleep in that morning, which she appreciates back. They do a joint TH in which they explain that they're doing homework for couples therapy that includes Jim expressing appreciation and Pam speaking her truths, as she explains that if she'd spoken her truth earlier about not wanting to move to Philly, they wouldn't have the opportunity for couples therapy. "And we're supposed to call everything we don't want to do 'opportunities,'" Jim adds. Yes, I think Pam was the one who started the not-truth-speaking about Philly, wasn't she? Oh, wait.
Andy comes out to the bullpen to announce that he's got a gig, which is his excuse to tell them all about his agent, Carla Fern. Nellie enters with a rep from the fancy-paper company (his name's Robert, because why not have a third guy named Robert on the show?) who brandishes a giant check for two thousand dollars, which is the grand prize for the paper airplane contest. Nellie totally forgot to tell anyone about that part.
Now that we know money is in play, Angela does a TH in which we learn she could probably use the cash, now that she's separated from the senator and holed up in a studio apartment with her baby and three billion cats, several of which are shown in the baby's crib trying to eat his face. "I had a chance with Dwight, but I didn't take it. And if I went back now, when I'm broke, and he just inherited a farm, I'd be one of those gold-digging tramps you read about that try to bag a farmer." For Dwight's part, he THs that Angela turned him down, so the move, if there's going to be one, is hers. Besides, he's now with Esther, who is used to the scent of a manured field. "Angela was at best indifferent," Dwight scoffs.