Technically speaking, Amy Ryan is signed on for one more episode of The Office, but whether or not she returns for a cameo appearance, here we see her big farewell. Even though she’s only been on the show for six episodes, no possible good-bye could do her justice. And this one does not.
Having Darryl around for Michael and Holly’s eight-hour breakup on a drive to Nashua (as we predicted last week, when corporate found out they were dating, Holly was shipped out of town) is an inspired touch, but, well, Michael losing the woman who’s obviously perfect for him is a momentous enough event that we probably deserve a Big Emotional Scene of the two parting. Everyone is just so mature about the whole thing. Michael is the bigger man, and lets her go with little fight. But why is he deciding to be the better man now? (His, “Now I’ll go back to Jan, and I HATE Jan,†did provide a certain visceral kick, however.) Michael could use the gravitas of a doomed romance, a perfect lover just out of his reach. Holly can return any time. Once suspects she will.
Meanwhile, Jim’s brothers are assholes. Shockingly: It’s also surprising to learn that he has brothers who live in New York. Isn’t he supposed to be the Scranton homebody who would never cut it in the big city? Why haven’t we heard from them before? Also, Andy and Dwight have an outstanding Cornell battle in the conference room, and, somehow, Creed makes an even more terrifying Joker than Heath Ledger. Not that it beats Pam’s brilliantly ill-conceived Halloween costume. Everybody knows that if you go as Charlie Chaplin, you can’t take the hat off, because you’ll look like Hitler.