Admittedly, things don’t get off to a hugely promising start, with a pre-credits sequence that – while it again sets up one of the episode’s plots – fails to provide the customary “big” gag to lead into the opening titles. Thankfully, the “parking spaces” plot goes on to provide ample opportunity to get reacquainted with various characters – although, while Kevin is good enough to carry a plot, Andy fares rather less well, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to see what his role in the show is really supposed to be. When you consider some of the great material built around him in season three (the “Rockin’ Robin” mobile phone trickery, the attempt to woo Pam, the Pig Latin), it’s a shame that Ed Helms is being wasted somewhat.
But it’s Jim and Pam who, once again, just about steal the episode, this time in its closing minutes. Somewhat out of left-field, a further plot thread between them is opened up – and this leads to a quite superb moment of game-playing by Jim that tricks the viewer as much as it does Pam. Once again, the developing relationship is one of the most compelling things about the show – and even with the “will they/won’t they” out of the way, it’s hard not to enjoy watching it blossom.
What really makes this ep stand out compared to last week, though, is the lack of reliance on situational, or cringeworthy, humour to draw laughs. Instead, there are just great lines dotted throughout – Creed being mysterious about wanting three chairs (and hey! Creed’s back! Yay!); Phyllis’ admission that no, her friend can’t fit in a rowboat; and even Michael’s staggeringly-misjudged “Oscar Meyer Wiener… lover”. There is silliness, still – but the whole idea of the “five families” feels like exactly the sort of faux-serious title that people in an office would come up with, and you can just about forgive the graveside “American Pie” rendition for the way it feels so much like “classic” Michael and Dwight.
