Unemployed Andy crashes a fundraiser for the Senator and winds up adopting twelve disabled dogs. Dwight discovers that winning an auction means losing money, and Darryl teaches Nellie how to eat a taco.

Andy returns to the office to find Nellie in the manager’s chair. Meanwhile, Kelly struggles to choose between Ryan and a new man.

Robert California forces the office to throw a welcome party for Nellie, but the Party Planning Committee works on ways to sabotage it. Meanwhile, Erin tries to help Andy figure out a way to break up with Jessica.

Andy makes a game-changing decision and takes a road-trip odyssey in the name of romance. Elsewhere, Nellie arrives at the Scranton branch and sets out to seize the manager position.

Jim comes to Dwight’s rescue when Robert slams the plan for the Sabre Store concept. Andy discovers Erin doesn’t plan to return to Scranton.

The Florida contingent puts the final touches on the new Sabre store, with Dwight preparing a theatrical presentation in his continuing bid to impress Nellie. Back in Scranton, a red-faced Andy arrives at work with a humiliating injury.

A power play unfolds in Tallahassee when Dwight and Todd Packer compete to become Nellie’s vice president. Meanwhile, Jim receives an unwelcome visitor, and Andy forces the Scranton staffers to work late.

Dwight arrives in Tallahassee with his team and sets out to win over the president of Sabre’s special projects. Back in Scranton, Andy fills in for reception and enjoys himself.

Dwight scores a special assignment at Sabre’s Florida headquarters. As a result, he and Andy must decide which Scranton staffers will join him. Elsewhere, Pam returns from maternity leave.

Jim returns from jury duty, only to have to deal with Dwight’s pesky questions about the details of the case. Elsewhere, Angela and her senator beau welcome their baby.

After Robert decides to sell his mansion following his divorce, Kevin suggests that he have an office pool party. Erin tries to make Andy jealous by flirting with Dwight. Meanwhile, Robert gives everyone a tour of his massive home.

Pressed to boost the bottom line, Andy finds a novel way to improve sales, while Dwight explores corporate opportunities outside Scranton.

“Christmas Wishes” is the tenth episode of the eighth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show’s 162nd episode overall. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on December 8, 2011. It was written by executive producer Mindy Kaling and was directed by Ed Helms in his directorial debut. The episode guest starred Lindsey Broad, Ameenah Kaplan, and Eleanor Seigler.

The series—presented as if it were a real documentary—depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. In this episode, Andy Bernard attempts to make everyone’s Christmas wishes come true, including those of a drunken Erin Hannon. Meanwhile, Dwight Schrute and Jim Halpert are entangled in an escalating prank war wherein one attempts to frame the other.

“Christmas Wishes” received mostly positive reviews from critics although The A.V. Club writer Myles McNutt slightly criticized the episode for losing its focus. According to Nielsen Media Research, “Christmas Wishes” drew 5.79 million viewers and received a 2.9 rating/8% share in the 18–49 demographic, staying even with the previous two episode, “Gettysburg” and “Mrs. California.” It ranked first in its timeslot, and was the highest ranked NBC series of the night.

“Mrs. California” is the ninth episode of the eighth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show’s 161st episode overall. “Mrs. California” aired on NBC in the United States on December 1, 2011. The episode was written by consulting producer Dan Greaney, marking his first writing credit for the series, and was directed by Charlie Grandy.

The series—presented as if it were a real documentary—depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. In the episode, Robert California brings his wife into the office for a job, and tells Andy Bernard behind her back not to give her one which turns disastrous. Meanwhile, Dwight Schrute opens a gym in the building and tries to get Darryl Philbin to join it.

Tierney was brought in to play the role of California’s wife because Showrunner Paul Lieberstein stated that he was “a big fan of hers”. “Mrs. California” received mixed responses from television critics. According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode received 5.74 million viewers and received a 2.9 rating/7% share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49, staying even with the ratings from the previous episode, “Gettysburg”. The episode also ranked at first in its time slot.

“Gettysburg” is the eighth episode of the eighth season of the American comedy television series The Office. It was written by Robert Padnick and directed by Jeffrey Blitz. The episode aired on the National Broadcasting Company in the United States on November 17, 2011. “Gettysburg” guest stars Lindsey Broad as Cathy Simms.

The series—presented as if it were a real documentary—depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. In this episode, Andy Bernard takes some of the office staff on a field trip to Gettysburg for inspiration. Meanwhile, the rest of the office, under orders from Robert California, are tasked with coming up with a new business idea for Dunder Mifflin. Kevin Malone proposes several ideas that catch California’s attention, although they are rather idiotic.

“Gettysburg” would be the last episode to feature Jenna Fischer before she went on maternity leave. The episode received mixed reviews, with commentators mainly criticizing the episode for recycling jokes. According to the Nielsen Media Research, “Gettysburg” drew 5.50 million viewers. Despite this, the episode ranked first in its time slot and was the highest-rated NBC show of the night.

“Pam’s Replacement” is the seventh episode of the eighth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show’s 159th episode overall. The episode aired on NBC in the United States on November 10, 2011. It was written by Allison Silverman and was directed by Matt Sohn. The episode guest stars Lindsey Broad and Steve Moore.

The series—presented as if it were a real documentary—depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. In the episode, Pam Halpert trains an attractive temporary worker to take her place while she is on maternity leave, and enlists Dwight Schrute’s support when she tries to show that Jim Halpert finds her replacement attractive. Meanwhile, Robert California surprises Andy Bernard, Kevin Malone, and Darryl Philbin when he requests to join their band.

“Pam’s Replacement” relates to Pam’s pregnancy; Fischer was actually pregnant and her pregnancy was written into the series with Pam and Jim having their second baby. The episode received mixed reviews from critics with Myles McNutt from the AV Club calling it one of the “laziest” episodes of the series. According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode received 5.96 million viewers and received a 3.0 rating/7% share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49 marking a slight drop in the ratings from the previous episode, “Doomsday”.

“Doomsday” is the sixth episode of the eighth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show’s 158th episode overall. The episode aired on NBC in the United States on November 3, 2011. “Doomsday” was written by Daniel Chun and directed by Troy Miller. The episode guest stars Ameenah Kaplan.

The series—presented as if it were a real documentary—depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. In the episode, Dwight Schrute installs a Doomsday device that will fire all of the employees and effectively close down the branch if they make too many mistakes. Meanwhile, Gabe Lewis attempts to court the new warehouse worker, Val.

“Doomsday” received mixed reviews from critics, with some reviews critiquing the episode’s resolution. According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was viewed by 6.15 million viewers and received a 3.2 rating/8% share among adult between the ages of 18 and 49, marking an increase in the ratings from the previous episode. The episode ranked third in its time slot and was the highest-rated NBC show of the night.

Erin works to make a spooky, non-childish Halloween party with help from Gabe. Dwight becomes friends with Robert’s son, and Pam and Jim debate the existence of ghosts. Meanwhile, Robert tries to figure out everyone’s deepest fears.

Andy plants the seeds of trying to impress Robert California by throwing a garden party at Schrute Farms. Andy’s parents and brother also attend the event, only to make him feel awkward.

The entire warehouse staff quits after winning the lotto, leaving Andy and Darryl to scramble for replacements while several of the office workers get a taste of the warehouse life.

“The Incentive” is the second episode of the eighth season of the American comedy television series The Office. It was written by showrunner Paul Lieberstein and directed by Charles McDougall. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company in the United States on September 29, 2011.

The series—presented as if it were a real documentary—depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. In the episode, after Robert California challenges the Dunder Mifflin staffers to double their sales, Andy Bernard, taking matters into his own hands, creates an incentive program. Eventually, he promises to tattoo himself if the staff doubles their sales, which they inevitably do. Meanwhile, Pam Halpert strikes up an unlikely friendship with Angela Lipton, both of whom are pregnant.

The episode introduces Sabre’s Pyramid tablet, a device that serves as a parody of several tablet computers, specifically the Apple iPad. The device would be explored later on in the season. “The Incentive” received mixed reviews from critics with many, including The A.V. Club reviewer Myles McNutt, mainly criticizing the episode for recycling stories. According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was viewed by 6.7 million viewers and received a 3.5 rating/9 percent share among adult between the ages of 18 and 49, marking a drop in the ratings from the season premiere, “The List”.

“The List” is the eighth season premiere of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show’s 153rd episode overall. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on September 22, 2011. It was written and directed by executive producer B. J. Novak.

The series—presented as if it were a real documentary—depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. In the episode, Robert California stops by for the first time as CEO and leaves behind a mysterious list that has a line down the middle and every member of the office on either one side or the other. The office members frantically try to figure out what it means. Meanwhile, the new manager Andy Bernard faces a crisis.

“The List” was the first episode of The Office to feature James Spader’s Robert California in a starring role. The episode received moderately positive reviews with many commenting that it proved the series could survive without Carell. According to Nielsen Media Research, “The List” drew an estimated 7.63 million viewers and received a 3.9 rating/10% share in the 18–49 demographic, making it, at the time, the lowest-rated season premiere since the first-season premiere.

Deangelo’s new replacement is sought out through a search committee process led by Jim.

Deangelo’s new replacement is sought out through a search committee process led by Jim.

“Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting) Manager” is the 24th episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show’s 150th episode overall. The episode was written by Justin Spitzer and directed by Troy Miller. It originally aired in the United States on May 12, 2011 on NBC. The episode also features guest appearances from Kathy Bates, Cody Horn and Michael Schur.

The series depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. In the episode, Dwight becomes the interim regional manager, instituting a typically heavy-handed management style. Meanwhile, Gabe tries to win back Erin, but Andy gets in his way.

The episode received positive reviews from critics, with many commenting that it proved the series could survive without the lead actor, Steve Carell, and others calling it the best episode of the series in years. According to Nielsen Media Research, “Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting) Manager” drew an estimated 6.45 million viewers and earned a 3.3 rating/8% share among those aged 18–49, making it the second-lowest-rated episode of the season after “Todd Packer”.

“The Inner Circle” is the twenty-third episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show’s 149th episode overall. The episode originally aired on May 5, 2011, on NBC. The episode also marked Will Ferrell’s final appearance as Deangelo, having signed up for four episodes. Cody Horn also makes her first guest appearance for the series as Jordan Garfield.

The series depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. In this episode, new office manager Deangelo begins picking favorites among the staff, revealing his true management style. After he only picks men to join his “inner circle”, many of the female staffers begin to believe he is sexist.

The episode was written by Charlie Grandy and directed by Matt Sohn. The episode marks the first episode since Steve Carell left the series as a series regular. “The Inner Circle” received mixed reviews from critics, with many commenting on Ferrell’s performance, comments ranging from positive to negative. According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was viewed by an estimated 6.90 million households and received a 3.5 Nielsen rating and 10% share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49 marking a drop in the ratings from the previous episode, “Goodbye, Michael”.

Michael wants to have a drama-free day at work on his last day before moving to Colorado. Meanwhile, Deangelo Vickers and Andy Bernard scramble to retain Michael’s biggest clients.

“Michael’s Last Dundies” is the twenty-first episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office and the shows 147th episode overall. It originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company on April 21, 2011. The episode was written and directed by co-executive producer Mindy Kaling. “Michael’s Last Dundies” guest stars Will Ferrell as Deangelo Vickers and Jack Coleman as State Senator Robert Lipton.

The series depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. In the episode, Michael Scott trains his office replacement, Deangelo Vickers on how to properly host the branch’s annual Dundie Awards. Michael soon learns that Deangelo has a terrible problem with speaking in front of others. Meanwhile, Erin Hannon deals with her dislike of her boyfriend, Gabe Lewis.

The episode—which was originally going to be called “Goodbye, Michael Part 1″—was the first installment in the series to be both written and directed by Kaling, who also portrays Kelly Kapoor on the series. The episode also marks the second appearance of Ferrell as Deangelo Vickers; Ferrell had originally signed onto the series to make Carell’s exit transition easier. The episode received mostly positive reviews from television critics. “Michael’s Last Dundies” was viewed by 6.849 million viewers and received a 3.3 rating among adults between the age of 18 and 49. The episode was the highest-rated NBC series of the week that it aired, as well as the sixth-most watched episode in the 18–49 demographic for the week it aired.

The new manager, Deangelo Vickers, has everyone hoping to make good first impressions: Andy finds himself awkwardly typecast while Jim and Pam worry that they’ve come on too strong. Only Dwight is apathetic about the new leader.

The office holds a garage sale in the warehouse. Michael decides to propose to Holly, and runs into trouble thinking of how to do it well.

Traveling salesman Todd Packer comes to Dunder Mifflin looking for a desk job in the office. However, the office is unsure if they want him to work there due to his previous behavior. After dealing with computer problems, Andy confronts office administrator Pam to get a new computer.

Michael screens his action film Threat Level Midnight to the office after eleven years of writing, shooting, re-shooting, and editing. The film features Michael as Agent Michael Scarn, Dwight as Scarn’s sidekick, and Jim as archnemesis “Goldenface,” as well as several people from Michael’s past.

The staff grows increasingly uncomfortable with Michael and Holly’s PDAs. Jim and Pam regret a champagne luncheon. Andy horns in on a romantic treasure hunt Gabe arranged for Erin.

An emergency call from Helene forces Jim to abandon Michael at a gas station restroom, and Holly, Erin, and Dwight set out to rescue him. Gabe becomes offended at submissions to caption Pam’s latest work of art.

Holly and Michael turn Andy’s business seminar into an improv challenge. Erin and Gabe compete in a board game battle.

Michael prepares himself for the good or bad news about Holly and her boyfriend. In an effort to be an “awesome” office manager, Pam decides to put up a resolution board for everyone to post their New Year’s resolutions.

Michael could not be happier when Toby has to take a leave of absence and corporate sends Holly Flax to cover for him. Pam is forced to do a second Christmas party after Michael wants the party to be on the day Holly returns to Scranton. Meanwhile, Jim regrets agreeing to a snowball fight with Dwight

Michael could not be happier when Toby has to take a leave of absence and corporate sends Holly Flax to cover for him. Pam is forced to do a second Christmas party after Michael wants the party to be on the day Holly returns to Scranton. Meanwhile, Jim regrets agreeing to a snowball fight with Dwight.