Sabre (The Office)

Synopsis

The Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin has been taken over by Sabre, a company the staff mispronounces as "sah-bray." Gabe Lewis, the coordinating director for emerging regions from Sabre, arrives and receives a standing ovation from Michael Scott. Andy Bernard and Erin Hannon perform a Scranton-themed parody of "Party in the U.S.A." that becomes awkward when the lyrics reflect the incorrect pronunciation of Sabre. In a conference room, Gabe shows an introductory video starring Christian Slater and announces new policies: reusable drink containers, fewer vacation weeks, and blocking of time-wasting sites like YouTube and Twitter, which IT assistant Nick implements.

Michael resists and requests a meeting with Gabe's superiors. He video-chats with Sabre CEO Jo Bennett, who tells him the policies came under a mismanaged company and gives him "until the end of the day" to decide. Frustrated, Michael visits former Dunder Mifflin CFO David Wallace for advice. Meanwhile, Jim and Pam Halpert visit a prestigious daycare.

Jim accidentally walks in on the daycare director Jerry using the bathroom. They agree not to mention it during the interview, but when the interview goes poorly, Pam asks if the incident is the reason. Jerry denies it, and after Pam persists, he makes veiled insults. Jim retorts by mocking Jerry's use of a child's bathroom and asking why the door was unlocked; Jerry explains the door does not lock for children's safety.

Reception

The episode was watched by 7.36 million viewers, with a 3.8 rating and a 10 share in the 18–49 demographic, rising 3% from the previous original episode. It came in second in its timeslot and was the most viewed episode of Comedy Night Done Right. Critics gave mostly positive reviews. Dan Phillips of IGN rated it 8.5, calling it "Great" and noting the episode sets up the next story arc while casting Michael as a goofy hero resisting new bosses. Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club gave it an A−, stating that the show's engagement with new financial realities keeps it lively and that Kathy Bates did a lot with little screen time as the faux-folksy, semi-terrifying head of Sabre.