The Office Episode 9.08 The Target

After last week's events, poor Oscar is terrified. Angela sits at her desk and asks Oscar if he minds if she asks a question. He trembles - but is relieved when she asks if he agrees that it seems hot in the office. Oscar breathes a sigh of relief as he heads out to adjust the thermostat. But clearly Angela's got a hunch that Oscar has corrupted her husband.

A restive Jim is avoiding a call with David Wallace to discuss his going part-time. Finally he screws up his courage; Wallace is nonplussed. Jim counters that Stanley and Phyllis will cover for him any time he's away from his desk. Wallace is convinced; Jim can work part-time in Philly. Now Jim just has to convince Stanley and Phyllis. For that he'll need an early, boozy lunch at a swanky local restaurant.

Angela approaches Dwight and instructs him to meet her in the old place in five minutes. Moments later, when she opens up a door in the warehouse, Dwight is waiting for her fully nude. Disturbed, Angela tells him to get dressed; she needs his advice on hiring a hit man to rub out Oscar. Dwight knows just the guy, his buddy Trevor.

Meanwhile, Pete is trying to amuse himself by finding some use for the volumes of customer complaints that are copied down onto notecards. He hits on the idea of building a towering house of cards, and the rest of the office joins in the fun. Outside in a dingy van, Angela, Dwight and Trevor review the plan and discuss an appropriate hit. Angela's pushing for a full-on murder, but Dwight and Trevor convince her that a kneecapping is a better alternative. Dwight is still unaware that Oscar is the target.

The staff's card tower almost reaches the ceiling - only to run out of comment cards. Pam, although she's never once received a complaint, promises everyone she can get one. She calls up a long-time client and insults the owner's mother before hanging up abruptly. A customer cancellation arrives just minutes later. Almost immediately, Pete's completed copying the complaint card. The tower finally reaches the ceiling, thanks to Pam's commitment to rudeness. The gang cheers.

Meanwhile, at Carl Von Luger's restaurant, Stanley and Phyllis are ordering everything on the menu. As Jim tries to discuss work, Stanley is busy with his pounds of lobster while Phyllis is already quite drunk, wondering where the years went, inspecting her hands and drinking every last bit of wine.

Realizing that Oscar is the target, Dwight intercedes. He frantically runs inside and grabs Oscar, taking him to the warehouse for protection. He explains what's going on, but as they head outside they run straight into Trevor, who's armed with a pipe. The three men battle for the weapon, but it's Oscar who ends up with it. Trevor runs off. Angela steps forward and tearily complains to Oscar that he made her husband gay. Oscar explains that the Senator was gay long before Angela married him. But he understands that what he did was wrong. Oscar invites her to hit him; she kicks him in the shins and storms off. Dwight finds her and offers her a comforting hug.

Jim returns with Phyllis and Stanley passed out in the back seat. He remains concerned because they never formally agreed to cover for him. As he drapes his jacket over Phyllis, Stanley and Phyllis begin giggling. They tell Jim they were just giving him a hard time; of course they'll cover for him.

Down in the warehouse, Pam has finally built up the courage to begin her mural. With warehouse kooks and critics looking on, she realizes that the happiest people seem to be those who follow their own compass. She puts paint to brush.

Trying to make sense of what happened with Oscar and the Senator, Dwight and Angela seek out Toby. Where does gayness come from? How is it transmitted? Where do gay men hide their vaginas? Toby does his best to educate them, but some folks just don't want to learn.