Over the first couple seasons of The Office, Ryan Howard was a killjoy, set on the straight and narrow, trying to honestly better himself.

He wanted to legitimately make his way up in the world of business.  I didn't like that Ryan.  But after he earned a top position at Dunder Mifflin corporate, and subsequently got messed up on drugs and got fired, he became one of my favorite characters on the show.

This week's "WUPHF.com" focused mainly on the eccentric Ryan that wants to make a lot of money quickly, not caring how he does it.  The A Story, which featured Ryan pitching his "WUPHF" marketing plan to the office would have been enough to make this episode enjoyable. 

Especially with Ryan's ability to look at the situation with realism after Oscar asked, "How long can you sustain without a cash infusion?"  Ryan's response?  "We have nine solid days."

The great news was that both the B and C stories also worked.  Jim Halpert has been a character of few bright spots as of late. However, if he's going to have no reason to work for the rest of the fiscal year, I'll be looking forward to a return of the old Jim. 

He wasn't pulling his usual pranks on Dwight, but the long con that he pulled off on Gabe might have been better.  The effort alone that Jim put into making Gabe's day, evening and night a living hell was simply awesome! 

Dwight was out of the office all episode (except for the fantastic shelter bit during the cold open) because he was running his own Hay Place attraction area.  This was interesting to me for three reasons.:

1. Kevin getting lost in the hay maze.
2. Dwight appointing himself Hay King and raising his fist in glory. 
3. Jack Coleman stealing Angela away from Dwight.  It sure is weird to see Coleman without his horned rim glasses after those years on Heroes. Oh, you wanted to act like that series never happened?  Sadly, the final two seasons did.

Just like last week when Michael acted like Erin's mother to provide some sweetness to the episode, this time around he finally stood up for Ryan. Even when he realized Ryan selling WUPHF was the right thing to do, Michael refused to sell because he wanted Ryan to know he believed in him.  I don't understand why there are so many Michael haters out there.  He's hilarious, and one of the kindest dudes on television.

And now some of our favorite The Office quotes from the episode:

Dwight: Did I truck three hundred bails of hay to a parking lot to rectify some childhood disappointment? Yes. | permalink

Oscar: How long can you sustain this without a cash infusion?
Ryan: We have nine solid days. I love these questions, keep 'em coming. | permalink

Jim: If I can make mushed carrots seem better than a boob, I can pretty much sell anything. | permalink

Dwight: The petting zoo closes at 2:00, and the goat roast starts at 3:00. | permalink

Dwight: Everyone follow me to the shelter. We have enough food for 14 days. After that, we have a very difficult conversation. | permalink

Darryl [to Michael]: What is wrong with you? What happened to you in high school? | permalink

Dan Forcella is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow him on Twitter.