Our take
A themed party, a toy craze and a public intervention make for one of the show's busiest Christmas episodes, and one of its spikiest. The black-market toy racket run by the office's most zealous salesman is the comic highlight, but the mood turns sour as secrets come out and the party ends more uncomfortable than festive. Worth watching for the payoff to a long-running storyline and some of the season's best lines.
What happens
Phyllis, now head of the Party Planning Committee, uses what she knows about Angela's affair with Dwight to make Angela do the work, and throws a Moroccan-themed Christmas party that most of the office loves and Angela loathes. Dwight has quietly bought up the season's must-have toy, the Princess Unicorn doll, and runs a black market from his desk, selling them on to colleagues. At the party Meredith drinks too much and sets her own hair alight, which prompts Michael to stage an intervention in front of the whole office and then haul her off to rehab himself. As the evening sours, Phyllis announces to the room that Angela and Dwight have been carrying on behind Andy's back, leaving everyone but Andy aware of it.
Can the kids watch it?
Rated 12 on the UK DVD for infrequent moderate sex references; it also deals with drinking and an intervention, so best for teenagers.