Dwight, finding a new hero in Charles, clashes with Michael as each tries to steal the other's clients. After trying to sell Jim and Pam on his failed wedding plans, Andy tries to provide for all of Jim's emotional needs.
Tropes
- Brutal Honesty: The Andy/Jim plotline concludes with Jim telling Andy two things: first, Jim and Pam are happy together, and second, what happened between Andy and Angela is a bummer, but Jim promises Andy will find someone else. The confession cam immediately afterwards indicates that, despite trying to play it off, Andy needed to hear this.
- Comically Missing the Point: Michael, twice while on the phone with Dwight:
- When he tries calling Dwight for more info on his clients, Dwight tells him a story about someone who has a personal hero but is conflicted between him and a cool new "Will Smith-esque" guy. Michael asks if he's talking about a movie; Pam and Ryan draw a sign saying "He's talking about you!!" and point to it. When Dwight confirms he's talking about Michael, Michael asks if the cool new guy is Charles... or Stanley.
- Later, after coming back from lunch to find their place robbed, Dwight calls Michael to taunt him. Michael tells Dwight not now because they've just been robbed, to which Pam draws another sign saying "Dwight did it!!" to get him to realize.
- Cool and Unusual Punishment: Dwight gets back at Michael not just by blowing him off at a lunch date at Cooper's, but asking him to order the meatball parm sandwich for him. When Michael gloats over eating his sandwich, Dwight responds he'd anticipated Michael would do that and the meatball parm happens to be their worst sandwich.Michael: *between bites* You bastard.
- Heel–Face Revolving Door: Dwight goes from being loyal to the company to secretly helping Michael undercut Dunder Mifflin due to his frustrations with Charles' new regime, and then switches sides again and betrays Michael when Charles shows him respect.
- Hidden Depths: Michael shows that he's still a competent salesman by pointing out that the economy is in decline and bloated companies like Dunder Mifflin will actually be the ones who will taking the biggest hit from it. Whereas his company is just starting up, and with a smaller client base, he has more time to personally see to each one's needs.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Dwight rushes to stop Michael from scooping up one of his biggest clients, and is able to delay him into scheduling a meeting with both of them. ...Then he tries using the information from Michael's stolen rolodex, and asks Mr. Scofield point-blank how his gay son is doing, which clearly offends him. Michael reveals that he color-codes his information mostly to tell him what not to say to a client.
- Serious Business: Lampshaded. Even Dwight, normally The Comically Serious, admits that not a lot is riding on the events of this episode. It's serious to him, and it's serious to Michael. And that's it.Dwight: Master and apprentice pitted against one another for the fate of the greater Scranton area paper market.
(Beat)
Dwight: So it's not exactly like Highlander, but, still. - Stepford Smiler: Andy, believing that Pam is being bossy and controlling towards Jim, tells him about how breaking up with Angela was the best thing that ever happened to him. Jim however, recognizes that Andy is still reeling from the breakup and is now projecting his relationship failures onto Jim.Andy: I’m like, the happiest guy ever. I mean, I’m so happy. *straining to smile* I’m so happy!
