(S06E16) Ahhhhhh.... order has finally been restored to the universe.

Can you feel it? The air is cleaner, food tastes better, and the two feet of snow outside my window is a fluffy dream instead of an icy mess.

It seems like the producers of 'The Office' realized things weren't right in their world and they decided to rectify things. And in the process they made one of the more satisfying episodes of the season.

Has the show been completely reset? Not exactly. Jim and Pam are still married and having a kid (as we'll see in the first episode back). But at least now Jim is back to being the smirking, going-nowhere salesman he was at the beginning of the series, albeit making a lot better commissions. He can goof on Dwight again, and look into the camera when things go screwy.

It's the exact antidote to what what was making him a such a tool in the last year or so. Jim in a suit with neat hair, acting like the boss, wasn't working at all. Jim with his tie loose and sleeves rolled up, makin' sales and crackin' wise, is the Jim we love. Hopefully, that's what we'll see, even though now it's a Jim who "knows too much," as it were; he's seen what it's like to manage this bunch, which might change his view a bit.

Still not sure why the producers brought in Kathy Bates to play such a seemingly minor role like Sabre CEO Jo Bennett. Maybe this isn't the last we see of her, as she might run roughshod over Dunder Mifflin a la Mom from 'Futurama.' But at least it was fun to find out that she slept with some of the same men that Truman Capote did, and that her dogs really like Andy's crotch.

It really did seem like the episode was going to end with Michael being in sales and Jim being manager, didn't it? That would have been an interesting direction to explore. But it's better this way. Especially because it short-circuits Dwight and Ryan's scheme to bring Jim down, a plot that made both characters look more one-dimensionally evil than they had in past years.

Now, the big question is: What is Sabre's impact? Are we just going to see D-M sell printers along with the paper and everything else will go back to normal? That usually doesn't happen when companies are acquired. But maybe the integration of the Sabre culture will happen slowly.

It's not like Bennett's presence prevented the usual office shenanigans from happening, as we got Andy passing out a ton of Valentines to obscure the fact that he really wanted to give one to Erin. Despite how funny this plot was -- good to see Mindy Kaling come out of the writers' room for some extended screen time -- but this fumbling Erin/Andy romance feels like a parody of Pam and Jim, doesn't it? At least now we know that Erin knows where Andy stands; the near-misses were getting frustrating.

More fun stuff:

-- What allergy medicine would cause Phyllis to emit such noxious gas? Please let me know so I can avoid it. It does seem that sending a warning e-mail about your farts is proper office protocol, though.
-- We knew that Erin admired Kelly's singing and dancing abilities because of her participation in the group Subtle Sexuality. But who knew she also admired Kelly's ability to buy clothes at the mall?
-- Erin really enjoys working for Michael, doesn't she? She likes his toys, his keyboard, and his dancing. Jim was no fun for her. Talk about being the opposite of Pam...
-- After so many years, Jim is a Michael Scott expert. "In which movie did they realize the boss was within earshot and they just went to talk to her?" Michael: "'Leathal Weapon?'" Jim: "Then I think we should do it the 'Leathal Weapon' way."
-- Favorite Dwight line of the night: "I wish I had a lair."
-- Jim tells jokingly tells the camera that he really did join D-M for the money, "and for the women." True, D-M did bring Pam into his life. Can the company be all that bad?
-- The Vancouver Olympics-related intro was such a throwaway, but Michael going through three years' worth of e-mails just so he could cancel did elicit a chuckle.
-- I hadn't noticed Ed Helms in the opening credits before. Congrats, Ed!

[You can see clips and free episodes of 'The Office' from our friends at SlashControl.]