Anyone who has ever worked in an office setting and had to endure the weird dynamic that goes on
around the holidays would have loved this episode of The Office. Michael tries to set the festive mood by
getting an oversized Christmas tree for the office, while Jim tells the documentarians that he got Pam for Secret Santa
and plans to give her a teapot filled with references only she would understand. It's obvious that Jim is doing his
subtle best to score points with her.
Angela, who we've seen evolve into the "Female Dwight", is in charge of the office Christmas party, which Michael says "has to really rock!" Everybody manages to buy gifts for each other, and Ryan manages to get an iPod from Michael, which is way beyond the $20 limit that was imposed for Secret Santa. Pam gets Jim's teapot, but things go awry when Michael ends up with an ugly oven mitt from Phyllis. He hastily calls for a "Yankee Swap" whereby people either exchange or just take gifts from others. He does all he can to get someone to take the mitt while attempting to get something better, which he later regrets when he ends up getting a bag of paintballs supplied by Dwight. The iPod gets claimed a number of times, but Pam eventually ends up with it while Dwight gets her teapot, to Jim's consternation. Things get even more heated when Michael blurts out that he got a $3,000 bonus and the staff grumbles and walk away.
In order to rescue the festivities from collapsing, Michael purchases 15 bottles of vodka to bring back to the office. Although it's against company policy to have liquor on the premises, Michael forges on and everyone ends up loosening up and partying like it's 1999. Michael also runs around with his digital camera taking pictures. At the same time, Jim tries to get the teapot back from Dwight, but to no avail, since Dwight says he can use it for his sinus troubles. As the party reaches a crescendo. Pam tells Jim that she swapped the iPod with Dwight for the teapot, and she is touched by his thoughtfulness of the little references inside. (Who knows if this was a turning point in their infatuation with each other?)
As the party winds down, Angela is angry over how the party turned out and seems to be jealous that her "boyfriend" Dwight was kissed by another staffer. Later, as the group decides to move the fun over to a local bar, we see Meredith, who vows to make this occasion the last time she will drink during the week before the New Year, walk into Michael's office and suddenly take her top off. In one of the great comic reactions of the season, Michael exhales, takes a picture, and walks out.
This season has seen it's share of a number of terrific episodes, and arguably this was the best of them all. Some really great moments, and Dwight was fairly under control, at least for now. As mentioned earlier, the last scene was priceless.
As you may have noticed, The Office is moving to Thursdays at 9:30 beginning January 5. Obviously, this puts a crimp into those of use who have gotten used to watching the show at a particular time slot, but there's nothing we can do about it now.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-07-2005 @ 7:39AM
Tim Canterbury said...
Yeah, about that watching it at a particular time slot. We in Baltimore were screwed last night. Instead of being able to see "The Office," we got a half hour on some stupid news thing about at-risk kids or whatever. WBAL-tv was kind enough to air "The Office" later...at 2:05am! Because I, myself, have an office to go to (and a VCR from hell), I missed the episode.
(Sorry for the whining, but I'm a wee bit pissed)
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12-07-2005 @ 9:31AM
mattjh said...
Just download the episode like I had to...
Great episode, although Michael is just too insensitive to be believed sometimes.
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12-07-2005 @ 11:46AM
PiratedTVPro said...
You left out what I thought was going to be a turning point in the series. Not only were there "a teapot filled with references only she would understand" but there was also a note telling her how he felt. When she went for the iPod instead of the tea pot Jim was taken aback, and when she finally went for the teapot Jim pocketed the card before she even knew what was going on. Amazing.
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12-07-2005 @ 10:17AM
TarikB said...
Great episode, I really feel that for me at least the american version is starting to step out from the shadow of the english one. Top stuff.
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12-07-2005 @ 11:41AM
Ed said...
I love how Michael's face lit up when he finally got invited to go to a bar with people.
Angela flipping out and smashing ornaments was great too.
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12-07-2005 @ 12:20PM
Joel Keller said...
They really have to ease off Michael's "insensitive jerk" persona. It's a little too over the top. I mean, really; even the biggest a-hole would not so blatantly criticize a homemade gift like the oven mitt in front of the person who made it. He might bitch when he gets back in his office, but not so jerkily right in front of everyone.
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12-07-2005 @ 12:32PM
ted z said...
I was waiting for a voiceover saying "this episode of The Office has been brought to you by Apple." You could have had a hardcore drinking game for every time the ipod was mentioned, and how great it was. Had to have been at least 20. Kindof soured me on an otherwise hilarious episode.
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12-07-2005 @ 12:31PM
Vito said...
I agree, when they try to make him extremely prickly, it doesn't work as well. I thought they hit a much better dynamic during the Halloween episode, where he was insanely worried about what people would think of him for firing someone, and when he was a jerk, it was because of THAT, not because he really was an insensitive bastard. Steve Carell's character strikes me as an excellent salesman who should never have been made boss, but who thought it would look bad if he didn't take the job when they offered it to him.
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12-07-2005 @ 2:13PM
ted z said...
I was waiting for a voiceover saying "this episode of The Office has been brought to you by Apple." You could have had a hardcore drinking game for every time the ipod was mentioned, and how great it was. Had to have been at least 20. Kindof soured me on an otherwise hilarious episode.
Reply
12-07-2005 @ 8:36PM
apainter said...
Execellent, Excellent, Excellent.
Hilarious from beginning to end.
And the end, Perfect. Snapping the picture and walking out was just to perfect.
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12-08-2005 @ 1:19PM
Michael G said...
Thre Trimming of the Tree with a paper cutter was classic.
The big guy standing in his feet massager was as disturbing as a second woman kissing Dwight. When all of the women said Jims name, during the 'deserted Island' game. I thought it would be him.
THe bosses sigh was a perfect way to describe Meredith undressing. And the Snap of the photo was a winner.
Photos here:(also in my URL link here)
http://www.nbc.com/The_Office/photo/xmas/xmas_1.shtml
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1-01-2006 @ 5:16PM
The Office Fan Site said...
No where NEAR as good as the UK version, but getting better.
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