The Office: "Garage Sale"

[Singing to the tune of "The Dog Days are Over"] The Office drought is over no-o-ow! We had one glorious week in Scranton after four weeks of reruns and March Madness. After such a long wait for new material, I was on heaven while watching this episode! Now we have another three weeks to process Michael's pending departure, but The Office can have all the time in the world if it continues to churn out quality viewing like "Garage Sale."

The Good:

• Dwight's bartering skills. He told us that the Schrutes are farmers by hobby and traders by trade, so I don't know why I had any doubt that Dwight would play an excellent game of Bigger and Better at the Dunder Mifflin garage sale. Sure, his last trade was a little ill-advised (a telescope for Professor Copperfield's Magic Legumes), but Dwight proved his skills when he managed to convince Kelly that a half-burnt candle was the key to her romantic bliss. The next time I have some extra dryer lint that I'd like to turn into a new car, I know who I'm going to call.
• Kevin's long con. Who would have thought after he eagerly pulled out his wallet to get in on the board-game betting that Kevin would be the one pulling the wool over Andy and Darryl's eyes and not the other way around? Despite Andy's J.R. Ewing impression sounding more like molasses sort of spilling out of his mouth than Texas oil baron, I would steal his money, too, if he shot my imaginary board game persona. I think Kevin is the most charming when he turns out to be smarter than he looks, so the scene of him standing there with Andy and Darryl's cold hard cash, saying, "And that is how you play Dallas" has to be one of my favorite Kevin moments in a long time.
• BJ Novak. BJ was one of the only cast members that I did not get to meet when I visited the Office set, but he was one of the only cast members to thank us for the gifts we brought them, so he will always hold a special place in my heart. But I'm not making him a Good this week for purely selfish reasons. Mama Sally's Pesto and Hot Cha Cha salsa were clearly the best (and funniest) items at the garage sale (yes, even better than the very cute squid that Erin happened to have).
• The proposal. Thank goodness Pam was able to talk Michael down from words spelled in flaming gasoline to a room filled with innocuous white candles. Not only was Michael's proposal safe and responsible and realistic and doable, it was absolutely perfect for the show and the characters. Those buffoons on The Bachelor should really take a page out of Michael Scott's book. From the walk down memory lane to the gang peering through the blinds to Holly's acceptance in a Yoda voice, no one says "will you marry me" better than The Office. I loved that the proposal gauntlet gave us some comic relief, but even a little humor and a whole lot of sprinklers couldn't water down the love that Michael and Holly have. If Michael was so adamant about his engagement being an event that everyone talks about always and forever, I can only imagine how epic his wedding will be. I just hope we get to see it. Series finale, anyone?

The Bad:

• Missing pieces. I'd be willing to bet that a lot of "Garage Sale" action was left on the cutting room floor. I would pay at least three years' salary to see what Creed was selling at his table, and I found myself actually missing Erin and Gabe, whose presence was notably lacking, as well. But I suppose that's what deleted scenes and DVD extras are for, right?

The Ugly:

• Bye-bye birdie. All season long, we've been wondering how Steve Carell will make his exit, and now we know. I'll let you in on a another little secret from our set visit. When we visited Claire (I think that was her name) in the editing room, we asked if she had any idea how Michael was going to be axed. She told us that no one really knew just yet, but that her theory was that Michael has always treated his coworkers as his family, and the only way he could truly leave Dunder Mifflin would be if he found a family elsewhere. So either sneaky Claire was lying when she said she didn't really know the answer, or her years of working on the show have left her quite in tune with the vibes of the writers. Either way, I was relatively sure this is how Michael's departure would go down. But that doesn't make it any easier. I love the supporting cast of The Office, but I can't imagine that the show will ever be quite as good without Michael Scott. Quick, let me browse through Phyllis's box of bras to get this terrible subject out of my mind!
  

Miscellaneous Tidbits:

• John Krasinski can do a mean heel click!
• How funny was it that Michael had the foresight to ask for Holly's dad's permission to marry her, yet, in true Michael Scott style, he left the entire conversation on an answering machine?
  

Quotable Quotes:

• "If it's a problem with the neon, I could have my neon guy take a look." - Holly
  
• "I should have burned this place down when I had the chance." - Michael
  
• "We're moving to Colorado!" - Michael
• "All of us?" - Kevin