"The Office" Sheds Pounds, Not Laughs

Ever wonder what Michael, Jim, Pam, Dwight, Andy, Angela and the rest of the Dunder Mifflin gang do during their summer? Well, in the season five premiere of “The Office,” (8 p.m. Sept. 25, WMAQ-Ch. 5) fans finally get a hilarious inside look at what the Scranton branch does during the often ignored months. We also get much-needed updates on the show’s unpredictable relationships.

It’s “The Biggest Loser” meets “The Office.” Corporate is sponsoring a weight-loss contest and whichever branch loses the most weight wins a whopping three extra vacation days. Of course, Michael and Dwight spearhead this opportunity and enforce weekly weigh-ins to monitor the group’s progress.

Determined to help the Scranton branch win, Dwight replaces the vending machine goodies with only fruits and vegetables, Holly (Amy Ryan) who replaced Toby last season when he fled for Costa Rica, teaches yoga classes and Kelly begins her own cleanse diet. All she has to do is drink maple syrup, lemon juice, cayenne pepper and water for all three meals.

But thankfully, the writers don’t leave viewers waiting to see what’s happening with the relationships. Pam leaves for design school in New York, Andy brainstorms ideas for his wedding with Angela because, as he puts it, “every little boy fantasizes about his fairy tale wedding.” Michael, meanwhile, continues to crush on Holly.

In a great exchange, Michael asks Jim if he saw Holly’s butt during yoga. Jim, who’s been insisting that Michael take it slow with Holly, responds, “No, because friends don’t ask about other friends’ butts.”

Oh, and Dwight and Angela are still fooling around, but this time they continuously flee to the warehouse unbeknownst to Andy.

Now separated by three hours, Pam and Jim will face their fair share of challenges and encounter some surprises.

Even pregnant Jan and recently fired Ryan make brief appearances. Jan’s candle business is apparently doing quite well, and Ryan takes Pam’s receptionist job after the first replacement, Ronni (whom Michael dubbed “Rice-A-Ronni”), was not up to snuff for Michael

“The Office” is at its best when the writers weave several storylines together into a seamless, smart and very amusing story. This episode is no exception. When Michael tries to reinvigorate the team after some weight-loss struggles he informs Angela, whose doctor actually told her to gain weight, “If you gain weight, you will die.”

All in all, it’s a great welcome back to our favorite paper company. Thanks to the love triangle between Angela, Andy and Dwight, Michael and Holly’s awkward chemistry and Pam’s new digs, there’s plenty of new show to love. But Dwight and Jim’s antics, Creed’s dry wit and Michael’s loveable ineptitude ensure the show’s strengths are alive and well.