This season, the best part of Thursday nights has been going through some changes.

Going on their fourth season, the ensemble of “The Office” has endured the threat of downsizing, a merger and their former temp being promoted as Michael Scott’s (Steve Carrell) new boss.

Dunder-Mifflin is a strange office where everyone is hooking up with someone else. It’s like the employees never even looked at the ethics handbook. The latest episode made that all the more apparent. Trying to list all of the couples makes the comedy series sound like a soap opera.

Also strange this season is the number of hour-long episodes. Usually those were regulated to big events like season premieres, finales and Christmas specials. But so far the first four episodes have been twice their usual length and when it’s not stretching the show’s momentum, it’s turning the beloved comedy into a strange kind of dramedy.

This episode especially focused on Michael’s money troubles with Jan. He takes a night job as a telemarketer because he “likes sales so much,” and learns that simply shouting that you are bankrupt is not the same thing as actually declaring bankruptcy.

This episode really brought home what makes “The Office” such a well-loved show, because for all the awkwardness, for all the cringe-inducing laughter, there is a clear emotional investment in these characters.

For all of Michael’s unbearable qualities, the writers and Carrell’s performance always remind us that he isn’t evil, he’s just very misguided.

In fact, Michael’s attempts to cover up his insurmountable debt brought him much sympathy as does his unhealthy relationship with control freak Jan.

Also getting an unexpected dose of sympathy was overachiever Dwight. In an ironic plot development, as Jim and Pam revealed that they were dating, Dwight and office shrew Angela ended their not-so-secret relationship, and while Angela has moved on, Dwight hasn’t.

The show usually makes Dwight’s darwinist ambitions and gullibility a hilarious combination and the butt of Jim and Pam’s pranks.

Now that Jim sees him depressed, he do what he can to cheer him up by staying at his farm for the weekend and congratulating him for beating the company’s Web site in sales last week.

It’s a remarkable feat for a comedy show to successfully steer into heartfelt drama and come out with its sense of mischief still intact.

That being said, hopefully “The Office” will stay sharp when it returns to half-hour long episodes next week.