(S06E22) It's odd seeing a Michael Scott that's relatively restrained and under control, isn't it?

I say this because, even though some of what Michael did in this episode would be deemed wildly inappropriate in any office, he had a reason for it. And, compared to some of the embarrassments Michael has perpetrated within the walls of Dunder Mifflin Scranton, misinterpreting the signals from a bar manager is way, way down on the list. Remember, this is a guy who held a teenage pizza delivery guy hostage.

But it did make for a pretty funny episode. Even Dwight's Schrute-ish shenanigans weren't even all that annoying, especially because it's always funny to see his schemes backfire on him.

Good to see Amy Pietz back as Donna the bar manager. We all knew from the start why she was in the office, and it wasn't to buy a couple of printers. Sure, she may have worn the "boobshirt," as Pam put it, to goose her chance to get a good price. But we all knew she was there because she liked Michael. And that's why Michael's silly behavior -- going in for a kiss after wrapping up the sale, eating a mint off Donna's hand, the lingering hug as she left -- didn't feel completely cringeworthy. He was getting as mixed a set of signals as everyone else was.

At least Pam was the only one to acknowledge that Michael wasn't being delusional this time around. Jim just wanted the sale. Phyllis was too enamored with the fact that Bob Vance's underlings hit on her all the time. And Creed was fascinated with the fact that the only things people ooze are "sex and pus." But Pam had a point -- if Donna didn't like Michael's advances, she'd have left, or not even shown up to begin with.

Even as Michael ran out to give Donna her "baguette," we knew that he might be rewarded for his impulsive behavior. It helps that Donna is now in her "late 20s," where Michael's fumbling attempts at being suave are "flattering" instead of intensely creepy.

Despite the fact that we all knew that MIchael and Donna were going to end up in a liplock, the journey there was still funny. I mean, who doesn't like seeing Kevin trying to push his manboobs together, or Andy talking about how the doctor who was feeling his punctured "scrote" was just teasing doing so to up his bill?

More fun stuff:

-- Like I said, who doesn't like seeing Dwight's schemes backfire on him? He thought Kelly would be the perfect puppet to install in Sabre's minority executive program, but Ryan got to her first. Loved Kelly's over-the-top ethnicity in that interview. I don't even think she was that ethnic during the 'Diwali' episode.

-- Of course, Darryl is pretty much the smartest person in the office. But he has his priorities straight: softball over executive training.

-- Loved how Gabe was celebrating nabbing an Indian for the executive program, because it was getting "almost too black." Wow. Gabe's a mild-mannered, borderline racist.

-- We never really did see the Halperts do a sales call together, did we? What is it about doing a sales call with Jim that turns Pam into a borscht-belt comedian? Even Jim's embarrassed by it.

-- Erin seems to be recovered from her Andy trauma, huh? Love how she's excited about the executive program... but only because Dwight was recruiting Oscar and Stanley. She was excited for them. What a naive, too-trusting sweetheart she is.

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