So then Dwight is wearing the green Robin Hood hat and giant plastic elf-ears he's going to be rocking for most of the rest of the episode, as he lays down the law on the Secret Santa thing. They have five minutes to get their gifts under the tree or they're disqualified. "No exceptions! Except Michael."

Toby tells us that he drew Angela, and he bought her the infamous baby musicians poster that will be turning up later this season in "Conflict Resolution." "I felt kinda weird buying that," he says. And that's Exhibit A on why there's hope for Toby. Oscar says he drew Creed's name, about whom he knows nothing. He thinks he's Irish, so he got a shamrock keychain. It's too bad Andy's not here yet, to record for Creed an a capella version of "Midnight Confessions" by Creed's 60s band The Grass Roots (not making that up). Kevin drew his own name. "I was supposed to tell somebody but I didn't." And then he gives us a smile that is as close as people ever get to the childhood joy of Christmas when they're at the office. Or at least, my office.

Still wearing his Santa hat, Michael goes to schmooze with Jim about Secret Santa. Jim doesn't want to say whose name he drew, "because it's a secret [although not the secret I continue to convince myself certain other things are]." Undeterred, Michael says he spent "a lotta dough" for his guy. After mentioning the twenty-dollar limit, Jim tells Michael not to tell him who it is. "It was Ryan," Michael boasts. Jim demonstrates Annoyed Nod #5. That's one of my favorites.

Secret Santa time. Dwight poaches the Christmas light plug from Stanley and someone hits the overhead lights. In the darkness, Michael counts down to the lighting of the tree, which turns out to be, as he says, "...Not great." Phyllis dies inside; she was in charge of the lights. But if Angela keeps glaring at the tree like that, it's going to start giving off a much heartier glow as it catches fire.

TH Michael explains the true meaning of Christmas gift-giving: "It's this tangible thing that you can point to and say, 'Hey man, I love you this many dollars' worth!"