The Office "The Convention" (2006)

It's time for the Annual Northeastern Mid-Market Office Supply Convention where management from Dunder-Mifflin Scranton and Stamford meet up and attempt to drum up some business for the company. The episode also sees Jim seeing Michael and Dwight for the first time since he left Scranton. I thought this episode might have been better a little further in the season. In the premiere we see Jim at Stamford not sure the employees even know his name and he doesn't seem to be interacting with anyone. This episode where he meets up with some of his Scranton co-workers would have served as a catalyst for him to try something different at Stamford other than replicating the path he took in Scranton. We already see in the next episode he's starting to integrate a bit more possibly because of the events of this episode but I guess I'm reading more into the first batch of episodes than is necessary.

At the convention we start to see Michael's true feelings regarding Jim's transfer as he sees himself in direct competition with Josh (Charles Esten)for Jim's friendship. Now Michael already has an inherent need to get people to like him, but I think this depression he feels over the loss of Jim to Josh shows that he considers himself closer to Jim than most others. He seems truly sad when he notices how much Josh and Jim get along and tries to re-insert himself with Jim as he honestly believes that Josh has taken his place. The fact is heightened when no one comes to his kick ass hotel room Scranton party but he brightens once Jim shows up. It's a testament to his salesman skills when he is able to convince a company to end their exclusive contract with Staples all the while bemoaning the fact that Jim has defected over to Stamford. Steve Carrell was superb this week balancing the usual awkwardness of Michael while showing that more human side which we always get fleeting glances of. Of course on the other side Jim was hysterical seeing Dwight again and trying to antagonize him as in the good old days. His plan to get Dwight's room key slightly backfired when he walked in with Angela waiting on the bed but his extreme glee at the thought that Dwight got a hooker was very amusing only slightly tainted by the fact he was unsure of who to communicate this fact to.

Back at Scranton Pam has decided to start dating once again and agrees to go on a double date with Ryan, Kelly and Kelly's neighbor, a local cartoonist. The audience must feel like Jim in these scenes: She rejects Jim because she plans to go through with her wedding, then ends her engagement and is now back on the dating scene. John Krasinski performs those facial expressions of anguish masterfully and it works to see up the new plot thread in the following episode. It's frustrating to see that obviously there are still unresolved feelings between PB & J but for whatever reasons refuse to communicate them to one another(either with Michael as an intermediary or in front of the cameras). It was nice to see that a stronger Pam wanted to move on past her engagement and is working to find that next special someone.

Favorite scene: The fact that the last time Jim confided in Michael about his feelings for Pam he went on to share it with the entire office must not weigh too heavily against comforting his former boss when he is obviously hurting. His decision to tell Michael that he didn't leave Scranton because of him but because his twice rejection from Pam is a touching moment between the two. When he tells Michael that he's a great boss there is nothing but sincerity in his voice and we get the sense that Jim is also pretty lonely up in Connecticut despite what it might look like to the contrary. Michael returns to his usual self following Jim's revelation and offers to talk to Pam for him, giving Jim a chance to once again convey to the camera his fright of confiding in Michael.