Chris Haston/NBCNBC Publicist: Eventually, there will be bobble heads of everyone on the show.
Reporter: Paul, someday you'll be able to play with yourself.
NBC Publicist: That's what she said.
The Office is coming back! Paul Lieberstein and Amy Ryan just talked to reporters about the new season, and the above exchange was just one of the many highlights.
Click in to find out the future of Michael's beloved Holly Flax, MIA HR guy Toby Flenderson, Andy and Angela, wayward exec Ryan and, of course, Pam and Jim!
What's in store for the Toby-Pam-Jim triangle? Could Toby be a genuine obstacle to them? Said Paul Lieberstein, who plays the Scranton branch's HR director emeritus Toby Flenderson: "Pam's going to take an internship in New York, and Pam and Jim are going to try long-distance dating, and that's going to be the source of obstacles for them. Toby is less of a threat than the price of gas."
Is Holly Flax serious about Michael Scott? Amy Ryan (new human resources director Holly Flax) says that Michael and Holly's infatuation with one another is just proof of her belief that, "There's a lid for every pot?or in this case, every crackpot."
What's to become of B.J. Novak's high-flying character Ryan? Paul said, "He went down a bad path last season, but he'll spring back up in a way that is typical for people who can spin anything." I happen to know how that Ryan pop-up happens, and it is highlarious. You guys will love it.
Will Angela and Andy actually make it to the altar? Paul said, "That is such a good question. They will make it to an altar of sorts?but probably not what you're thinking or in the way you're thinking. I don't have a good quip to answer that without giving away a lot of good stuff."
What are the stories Toby is most likely to tell his Dunder Mifflin friends when he returns from Costa Rica? Paul answered, "[He will tell them about] the time his camera was stolen by a monkey, or the time he was attacked by a monkey, or the time his wallet was stolen by a monkey." Hmmm...as we previously reported, there's going to be a scene set in a Costa Rican hospital room, so now I'm wondering if monkey bites can transmit rabies.
What happens to present HR director Holly Flax when once and future HR director Toby Flenderson comes back from his journeys? Paul wouldn't say a word about this, which makes me think there's going to be a confrontation and it's going to be awesomesauce.
What other interesting events will happen in and around the Scranton branch? There will be a robbery in the office.
How involved are Mike Schur and Greg Daniels (the show runners for NBC's upcoming The Untitled Amy Poehler Nonspinoff Show) these days, when it comes to the writing and running of the original Office? Mike Schur is on TUAPNSS full time, while Greg Daniels is splitting his time between both shows. Said Paul, "We miss Mike. A lot. He has to walk through the Office writers room to get to snacks, so we're always happy when he's hungry."
Mmmm...snacks. (I think hear some peanut M&M's calling my name.) Num-num-num.
The Office returns to NBC for season five with a one-hour premiere on Thurs., Sept. 25. Tune in beginning next week for exclusive video interviews with all your fave castmembers, but in the meantime, post in the comments about what you want to see in season five!
—Additional reporting by Jennifer Godwin