Moving On (The Office)

David Wallace scolds Andy Bernard for lying about his three-month absence from the office. David later tells Andy that he will not fire him, thanking him for helping him buy the company, but warns Andy that he is on very thin ice. Andy learns that Erin Hannon is dating Pete Miller, which they have been holding in secrecy from him in order to make his breakup with Erin easier. Though Andy doesn't figure this out at first, having called Pete "Plop" for so long he forgot his name, he realizes the truth upon finding a lunch bag with his name on it.

Andy attempts to fire Pete, but Toby Flenderson points out that he cannot do this since Pete and Erin already disclosed their relationship and that he can’t fire people simply over grudges. Erin and Pete then both lecture Andy about moving on, claiming that working alongside one's ex-lover does not have to be awkward. To refute this claim, Andy hires both Pete's ex-girlfriend Alice and Erin's ex-boyfriend Gabe Lewis. After giving Pete and Erin time to appreciate how uncomfortable this is, he holds a meeting with them and their ex-lovers, leading the two couples to argue with each other. Andy tells the camera that seeing Erin and Pete unhappy has made him feel better.

Dwight Schrute requests the help of Angela Lipton in caring for his ailing Aunt Shirley. Angela initially refuses, but gives in when Dwight begins describing her ailments in grotesque detail. At the house, Angela is horrified by Dwight's treatment of his Aunt: he consistently speaks to her in a condescending tone, proposes to cut off her worn-out clothing with a utility knife, and "bathes" her by spraying her with a high-pressure water hose like a cow. After subduing Dwight by spraying him with the hose, Angela insists on washing and grooming Shirley in a more dignified manner. Through the process, Dwight and Angela recall their feelings for each other. At the end of the day, they begin kissing, but Angela reminds Dwight that she is married and says she will not leave her husband even though he does not care for her. Dwight accepts this, admitting that he would want that same loyalty from her if she were his wife.

Toby has been discussing the details of the Scranton Strangler case with Nellie Bertram for some time, feeling the guilty verdict he helped deliver was rushed. Having grown weary of the subject, she snaps at him that he should do something about it. Toby accordingly goes to the local prison to talk to the person convicted of being the notorious local murderer and tell him he believes he is innocent. Offscreen, the convict begins strangling Toby for his part in the conviction. However, Toby does have his spirits lifted, realizing he was guilty and after Nellie gives him a lift from the hospital and commends him for his bravery.

Pam Halpert leaves the office to interview for a job in Philadelphia; when Andy tries to assert his authority by asking where she is going, Pam snaps "not on a three-month boat trip" and walks out as Andy looks on in defeat while the rest of the office looks at him with disgust. At the interview, Pam finds her potential manager, Mark, is remarkably like her former Dunder Mifflin regional manager Michael Scott. While this initially amuses her, Pam gradually realizes that the prospect of working under another Michael Scott is abhorrent, and her horror increases when Mark reveals that she is interviewing for a glorified receptionist's job. During dinner, Pam talks about her interview to Jim Halpert, during which she tells him that even if she liked the prospective job and boss, she would not have wanted to take it. Her reasons being that she does not want to move to Philadelphia, despite Jim having started his own business there.

Oscar Martinez cues up a television show on his computer, and while the ad loads, he does gravity boot sit-ups. While he is struggling to get down, the camera zooms in on an upcoming television guide on Oscar's computer screen that reveals that the in-series documentary—called The Office: An American Workplace—will air in May.

"Moving On" was written by series producer Graham Wagner, making it his second episode for the series after the earlier ninth season episode "The Target".^[2][3] The episode was directed by filmmaker Jon Favreau, marking his first directing credit for the series and the first time he has directed for a television comedy since Fox's Undeclared.^[4] Fischer noted that, because Favreau got his start as an actor in "quiet, character based comedies", his directing of The Office was a "return to that" type of comedy.^[5] On February 8, 2013, NBC announced that the episode would be expanded to fill a one-hour television block, although it still counts as one official episode.^[6]

The episode guest stars Bob Odenkirk—who had previously been considered for the role of Michael Scott—as Pam's potential employer, Mary Gillis as Aunt Shirley, and Andy Buckley as David Wallace.^[3][7] The episode also features the return of former series regular Zach Woods as Gabe Lewis.^[3] Woods was introduced in the sixth season episode "Sabre" and was added to the series as a regular with the premiere of the seventh season.^[8] Woods's contract was not renewed at the beginning of the ninth season, but series showrunner Greg Daniels revealed that Woods would be returning; he noted "It's kind of a neat story turn ... He's going to come back and we're all excited to see him back".^[9]

When he is being yelled at by Wallace, Andy references American rapper Vanilla Ice and musician Jon Bon Jovi.^[3] Andy gives Clark (Clark Duke) various nicknames, including Clarker Posey (a reference to American actress Parker Posey), Clarkwork Orange (a reference to the novel A Clockwork Orange and the film of the same name), and Zero Clark Thirty (a reference to the film Zero Dark Thirty).^[10][11] At the Philadelphia office, Mark alludes to pop culture, with references to the 2011 film Horrible Bosses and the 2012 film Django Unchained. He also sings the K-pop hit "Gangnam Style" by Psy, and reads Pam's resume as if he were Bob Dylan. Mark also makes a reference to the Spanish Inquisition sketch from Monty Python, but misattributes it to the Canadian sketch comedy group The Kids in the Hall. Near the end of Pam's interview, Mark questions her on whether she enjoys the HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm;^[12] Odenkirk actually had a role in the third episode of the first season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. The title of the in-series documentary, The Office: An American Workplace, is the name given to the series itself when it was broadcast in the UK to differentiate it from the British version of the show.^[13]