 Travis Fickett of IGN said he was happy with the new , unpredictable direction The Office was taking . He particularly praised the Michael / Pam relationship in the episode , as well as soccer subplot involving Jim and Charles and the return of Ryan ; he said Ryan 's new bleached blond hair and his theft of bowling shoes were particularly funny moments . Will Leitch of New York magazine said the episode has provided a change the show needed , and said , " Considering how unlikely it was that The Office was going to allow Michael and Pam to degrade into homelessness and squalor , the show has handled the predictable transition as well as possible . " Keith Phipps of The A.V. Club said the episode included a good exploration of Michael and Pam 's relationship ; he said " they 're weirdly good together " . Phipps , who gave the episode an A- grade , also said the Dunder Mifflin material worked well , " although Idris Elba has been so good at portraying a heartless professional it almost doesn ’ t seem right for anything to break through his icy exterior . " 
