Sat, Nov 17, 1979
After Arabelle tells director Ghyselick about the official business notes, the rumor going round is that the feared general inspection is about to scrutinize Thienpondt's department. The staff work their tails off, for a change, fixing what has been neglected for far too long. Director Thienpondt and his deputy Persez, try to work out who should get the blame if the inspection goes badly. Persez is facing divorce after catching his Angèle in his bed with another as he returned a day early from Paris. However, visiting Director General Jan Clercx, to report himself 'sick', Thienpondt is actually the first to find out what really happened, and makes his counter-move.
1980
When a real criminal's robot photo resembling Gilbert Van Hie appears in the newspaper, the eternal 'marxist terrorist' and rebel-prankster can't resist pretending he committed the hold-up and is wanted by the police, testing how far the colleagues would go to hide him from justice. They buy his story, against their better judgment, so he can pretend to hide from the police literally in the office, fearing his home-made bombs, which now are given credence, may be discovered.
Sat, Oct 14, 1978
The colleagues read the carbon copy of a love letter that Betty left in her machine. While jesting about the naughty language they come to realize it's about a Theo who sounds suspiciously like director Thienpondt's son. The dad also finds out and is nearly sure, but even his wife can't verify their only child's intimate anatomy. Neither is told the other knows by the time Theo arrives to see both dad and girl-friend as both scolded love-birds are missing.
1980
Persez is back, but neither his dental prosthesis nor his spectacles, both new, satisfy. Uncharacteristically furious Verastenhoven has graver worries than stepping back as acting director: red-faced Baconfoy's family-run groceries shop is turning a loss, so he (as guarantor) must make payments on the loan. De Vucht takes charge of a common effort to turn over the shop into profit, as under the previous owner, even retired Arabelle contributes neighborhood pensioner addresses. Jomme's doubts about his fatherhood are linked to beloved, smarter son Adelbert's far better school results, so far.
Sat, Feb 7, 1981
While Jomme enjoys his trip to Lourdes, despite the rain, the director-general passes the ministerial order to Persez to cut one staff member from his directorate. Newcomers De Vucht and his girl friend Sabrina are immune from dismissal. Van Jes gets Persez blindly to sign a recommendation against her being fired, while her predecessor Mireille, now a deliberate single mother, was never officially laid off and may well effectively return. Persez's attempts to convince one of the permanent 'old' staff (exempting absent Jomme) to volunteer for a transfer are predictably pointless, so he's finally forced to decide.
Sat, Nov 25, 1978
The champagne drink at the office being canceled, Persez hosts a dinner party at home, but wife Angèle isn't interested playing the hostess and meeting his colleagues, except flirting with some, while various rivalries linger, so they don't know how many will turn up. Tienpondt is very late, unlike his student son Theo, who flirts with Betty and sees through her fake-Liverpoolian musician friend Billy Hammer. Van Hie keeps belittling his wife Esmeralda, while Jean is embarrassed his own José insists helping with baby Koenraad and even spilled drinks. Jomme, who composed an embarrassing 'fitting' poem, and Bacon remain open rivals, Bonaventuur gets drunk enough to consider a move towards Mireille after her studly car mechanic date Guido Borstels humiliates her as well as Platonic admirer Persez, who gets the general blame.
Sat, Oct 6, 1979
After Summer the colleagues move into their department's new office building, but find the builders still have much to finish: the small lift won't take all of them and their floor has no furniture, yet the director-general insists the file work must start. However, Baconfoy and Arabelle inform director Thienpondt that they have discovered the fifth floor has finished facilities and isn't occupied (the DG wanted the top floor instead). The problem is Thienpondt's rival colleague, director Ghijsels, discovered the fifth floor earlier and already filed an official request to assign it to his staff, which must therefore be intercepted urgently.
Sat, Sep 16, 1978
De Pesser remains viciously jealous of Verastenhoven's promotion to his direct superior, mutually claiming political/ trade union favoritism, and snaps at everyone inquiring about his rarely mentioned son Eddie. Tienpondt has trouble dealing with potential tenants for his Spanish apartment. Van Hie eagerly helps Jean play a dirty switch prank on the expensive posh hat Bonaventuur bought to express his new status, even stealing the janitor's keys, way beyond a regular joke as it goes on for weeks.
Sat, Dec 1, 1979
After the bank on the ground floor of the ministry's building is robbed, the two culprits flee to the fourth floor, where they take the colleagues hostage, including Mireille who nearly sneaked out and Persez, who is found passed-out in his office. Crook Rudy is as uncultivated as he is aggressive, threatening them with excessive violence, his fellow Guido an unemployed intellectual and inclined to consider reasonable alternatives. After the media reported the affair, friends and family gather, including Verastenhove, on -real- sick leave, and student Theo Thienpondt, whose offer to take his dad's place is ultimately accepted, and Guido turns out to be a schoolmate of his.
Sat, Nov 3, 1979
Director Tienpondt is worried sick, duly fearing his student son Theo failed his exams again. Indeed, he asks Bacon and the others to prepare his father, who might even suffer a cardiac crisis. Betty is pleasantly surprised to be sent searching the lost son, her ex-lover, in his favorite bars. Jomme bothers Jean and Gilbert with his absurd considerations about past questions to prepare for a promotion exam, which Bacon is also taking. Bonaventuur refuses even to consider giving a hint as the others got wind he's in the exam jury, but the mere rumors started by big mouth Jomme gets them barred.