Ebert Did It Better: Gasbag Reviews

• The Writer – Justin Spitzer
• Director – Paul Feig
• A brief synopsis – Its Christmas time and Phyllis is in charge of the party planning committee.  She has Angela at her beck and call, or so she thinks.  Dwight is making a killing on the popular toy of the season.  Michael decides an intervention is necessary for Meredith.
• The best line –
  Jim:
  Ah. You brought in your doll collection.
  Dwight: These are not dolls, Jim. These are commodities. Same as gold or oil.
  Dwight: (To Camera) Every year I do research to determine which toy will be the most popular of the Christmas season. This year it’s a doll. Half girl, half unicorn. Catchphrase: “My horn can pierce the sky”. Pathetic. I bought out every store in the area over the last couple of weeks. And as lazy parents become desperate I will sell them for an enormous profit. Isn’t that right princess? [makes doll nod]
  Jim: That’s the Christmas spirit.
  Dwight: I am simply punishing those parents that would wait till the last minute to get their child a gift. And such a genetically improbable one. Look at that. How does that happen? King has sex with a unicorn? Man with a horn has sex with a royal horse?
  Jim: Yes.
  Michael: Oh, hey, is that Princess Unicorn? I thought they were all sold out.
  Dwight: They are now.
  Michael:
  Cool. [sings] My horn can pierce the sky.
• The best moment – The open when Dwight unwraps his surprise from Jim.
• The best storyline – Phyllis and Angela.  Evil wrapped with a Moroccan Christmas bow.
• Notable guest appearance – All those horrible parents, who waited until the last moment to get their Princess Unicorn dolls.
• Would Michael have been reprimanded? – Lines were crossed in the Meredith intervention, but she was probably too drunk to notice.
• Grade – A-

Not bad as far as Christmas Episodes go, but the mountain is high.  I love seeing Phyllis get vindictive, and Dwight is such a supreme being, it almost hurts to contemplate.  The intervention was kind of overdone, but Andy, Dwight and Angela help bring the episode to a nice close.  Poor Andy.