Couples Discount
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.
Andy surprises everyone by showing up a day early and proceeds to alienate the entire office through a series of selfish and arrogant actions: he arrives at work without having washed or shaved since he left, he wrecks Dwight Schrute's record-setting sale with the Scranton White Pages while trying to reassert his authority as boss (in a later episode, Andy confesses that he intentionally ruined the sale out of spite), shows no shame at accepting all of his absentee paychecks and a "merit bonus" because the branch exceeded their quarterly sales goal while he was gone, and holds a meeting to get up to speed on recent events so he can bluff his way through a meeting with CEO David Wallace, who has no idea that Andy was gone at all.
The employees decide not to tell David about Andy's unapproved absence, but at the meeting they cannot resist crafting made-up recent events in the hope that he will blow his own cover.
In an awkward attempt to lighten the mood, Brian makes a joke referencing how he consoled Pam when she broke down after her fight with Jim over the phone in "Customer Loyalty".
Andy vehemently protests the breakup and says their relationship can work out if she just pretends to still love him, using the example of his own parents (oblivious to the horrible end of their marriage).
"Couples Discount" was written by co-executive producer Allison Silverman, marking her second writing credit for the season after "Roy's Wedding".
Club reviewer Erik Adams complimented the transformation of Andy into a villain, calling it "intriguing" and "curious", although he said the characterization would not "stick" to the character for the following episodes.
Adams gave more praise to the subplots, particularly Jim and Pam's storyline, calling it a "refreshingly honest take on the vagaries of marriage" and compared their decision to fight at home to the early "Pam-and-Jim charm".
[9] TV.com columnist Nick Campbell complimented the choice of using Andy as a villain, for further developing the Erin-Pete relationship, which he called "one of two satisfying events in this episode".
He also praised the Jim and Pam storyline and the writers for focusing on their relationship, rather than Brian, writing that their final scene was "almost sweet, how nervous they were about heading into the Thunderdome".
Cornet complimented the turn in the Jim-Pam-Brian storyline, and for the writers using Brian as a catalyst for a "real conversation between Pam and Jim", instead of a love triangle between the three.
