The Office Episode 9.03 Andy's Ancestry

Dwight's perplexed; the Asian man sitting at the desk next to him dresses like Jim, but is clearly an imposter. The man greets Dwight and assures Dwight that he is in fact Jim Halpert. Dwight calmly tells him that he can't be Jim; Jim's not Asian. The imposter smiles and compliments Dwight on not seeing race. Dwight grows more and more confused as Asian Jim talks about work - and even enters Jim's voicemail password. In interview, Pam reveals that Steve (aka Asian Jim) is an actor friend of hers and Jim's. When Dwight sees Pam and Asian Jim exchange a casual kiss, he begins to panic. He hastily picks up a framed photo from the desk to see the real Jim, only to see a family photo of Pam, Asian Jim, and two Asian American kids. It's a prank for the ages, courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. Halpert and their buddy Steve.

In the break room, Darryl is reading some business productivity books; he's determined to step up his game as Assistant Regional Manager. Meanwhile, Erin is teaching herself French so that she can impress Andy's family. But Dwight convinces her she should learn Dothraki instead, the "Game of Thrones" language.

Nellie's found yet another novel way of getting under Andy's skin. As part of her weekly report, she tells Andy she's investigated his family history and has discovered Andy's a distant blood relative of Michelle Obama. A flattered Andy confidently steps out of his office and announces the good news. Erin is horrified that the First Lady will now be at Andy's family gatherings, yet another person she has to try to impress.

When Andy tells Darryl about his newfound family relations, Darryl responds with a "That's cool, man." Andy is overjoyed that Darryl now regards him as a cool man. In the break room, Andy demands that all junk food be disposed of. Like Michelle Obama, he's on a health kick for America. Pete and Clark applaud; it's their new habit. We learn that at first they began applauding every little thing Andy did around the office in efforts to suck up to the boss, but now they do it because they're amazed at all he can do, including making copies and making the water cooler bubble.

Meanwhile, a panicked Nellie convinces Pam to help her prepare for her upcoming driving test. It's a scary ride: with Pam in the passenger seat, Nellie drives while eating a salad, ignoring the car in front of her. Pam scolds her, but Nellie counters: she knows she'll always be eating and driving, so why not put in the practice now? Later, Nellie reveals to Pam that she lied to Andy about her research into his family history; he isn't related to Michelle Obama at all. For the girls, the secret is a bit of bonding. But back at the office, some employees are now wondering if Andy's family once owned slaves.

Sensing the staff's uneasiness with his potential past, Andy places a call to his mom, so they can discuss America's national shame. She doesn't answer and Andy leaves a message asking her to call back. Meanwhile, Erin and Dwight are in the conference room in the middle of a heated Dothraki lesson. He instructs her to yell the words as if she's shouting them from the back of a horse. She's progressing nicely. When Erin proudly tells Andy that she's learning a new language, he explains it's not a real language. Upset, Erin confronts Dwight, but he tells her it's been a worthy effort and a skill that will be respected eventually; he reminds her that people now major in Klingon.

The office continues to rib Andy about his slave-owning past. Looking to deflect some of the heat, Andy tells Nellie to dig up family dirt on everyone. Soon enough, Andy begins spilling family secrets per Nellie's research: apparently Phyllis' great-great grandmother spread cholera to the U.S., Jim is supposedly related to Richard Nixon, and Meredith is a blood relative of axe murderer Lizzie Borden. While the team is processing all of this, Andy's mom calls back and assures her son that they weren't slave owners; they merely helped transport slaves.

Hardworking Darryl tries to discuss some productivity suggestions with Andy, but he's preoccupied with his own situation. He fears that he's seen just as a child of privilege; he's busy trying to think of ways to make his childhood seem worse so his workers will have some sympathy for him. Disgusted, Darryl walks out, heading to the warehouse to reflect on his fate. Jim, noticing how upset Darryl is, tries to talk to him, but Darryl says it seems like the higher up his position is, the stupider the job gets. Jim assures him it can always get better and tells him a little about the new sports marketing venture he's starting. He asks Darryl if he'd like to get involved. Darryl's excited until he learns Pam doesn't know about the plan; he tells Jim that it's not real until his wife is on board.

Jim finally sits down and tells Pam the truth about his plans to throw in with his college buddies and join their sports marketing firm in Philadelphia. He admits he didn't tell her earlier because he was nervous she'd reject the idea. But Pam's on board. Her only objection is that Jim kept it from her. The day is done. With a final, throaty Dothraki shout from Erin, the employees disperse for the day.