Why did The Office do a clip episode?

You’d think typing that into Google would yield THE ANSWER, but what we’ve found so far barely counts as speculation. Here’s what we know isn’t happening:

• The show being canceled.

So what gives? A few theories:

• Steve Carell and John Krasinski are working on other stuff right now. Scheduling conflict? Carell was in the episode, but only momentarily (I mean really, everyone was only in there momentarily, or not at all), and someone noticed his hair looking a little weird, maybe from his do in the upcoming Dinner for Schmucks.
• The original intention was to extend the season beyond Feb. 11, which would’ve put this in the middle somewhere. That would’ve worked better for people, except now they’re going to end before the Olympics.
• There is to be a major plot transition; the clip show bookends the “old Office”.
• The show has “jumped the shark,” a term given to a media artifact when internet fan dorks realize the creators are neither listening to them nor “doing it for the fans.”