(S03E01) OK, I know I sound like a broken record, but The Office is hands down the best sitcom on television. If this season's first episode is not considered an instant classic, then there's something really wrong going on here.
I give the writers credit for resolving the Pam/Jim issue right off the bat. I kept going back and forth as to whether they were going to hook up or not, and I also give them kudos for not taking the easy route and have them fall in love and run away together. In addition, I liked the plot twist of Pam calling off her wedding with Roy. She at the very least showed some real independence and decided that marrying Roy would have been a disaster. We'll probably see Roy doing some wacky things in order to, as he said, "win Pam back."
How hilarious was Michael and his struggle with accepting Oscar (or anyone else) as a gay person? He demonstrated all of the stereotypical behaviors that an intolerant person would have, but he still comes across as a genuinely good guy, but just a bit confused about things. Of course, his behavior led to Toby and Jan coming down really hard on him, and Oscar getting some nice perks out of it. The scene of Michael kissing Oscar is worthy of an Emmy by itself, IMHO.
Did you notice how attractive Angela looked? Last season she appeared as cold and hard as her personality. And Phyllis looked a little more dolled up as well. Meredith, of course, is still quite disturbed, and the licking of the hand sanitizer actually made me groan out loud.
But let's get back to the big issue of Jim and Pam. The subplot of Jim taking a job in the Stamford branch was an interesting one, and we had a chance to see that craziness in Dunder Mifflin is not confined to the Scranton office. However, I think it would not be a stretch to say that Jim and Pam will get together in some format during the course of the season, so the long-distance relationship/longing can work for a little while, but I'm not sure if it will remain interesting over the entire season.
I say again that The Office is back with a vengeance! There aren't too many programs out there who leave me wanting more after the end of a particular episode, but this show does it each and every time.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
9-22-2006 @ 12:07AM
Aaron said...
I agree tonight's episode was very well done. I'm wonderfully glad Ed Helms is in the picture. I love the character he plays. I loved how he got so mad that Jim put his calculator in Jell-o. The Gay-Dar that Jim sent Dwight was priceless. Dwight crying at the beginning was hilarious.
It really is the best sitcom on TV. I'm with you all the way on this one.
Aaron.
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9-22-2006 @ 8:38AM
Lanfear said...
I'm going to have to disagree with you. I have seen every episode of Season One and Season Two, and this ranks pretty low in overall best episode. To me it seemed like they were going out of there way to be even more over the top, and taking it out of the realm of beleivability.
There were certainly hilarious parts, but on the whole it was not that great..
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9-22-2006 @ 4:18AM
Kurifurisan said...
One of the best premieres I have watched this week. THe anticipation didn't match the pure joy and fun when the The Office's theme started. I laughed so hard during the entire episode I missed some things. Oh and at the pseudo intervention/meeting room scene I absolutely lost it during the Oscar/Michael kiss. This season looks great so far...I hope Jim won't be gone from the Scanton branch for more than three or four eps.
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9-22-2006 @ 12:09AM
SJ said...
Wow. This episode deserves a 10/10. The new guy from The Daily Show (cant remember his name) was great, and John Krasinki deserves a lot of accolade. Perfect balance of comedy and drama.
I am still angry at Steve Carell not winning an Emmy. What an awesome performance. And soooo many hilarious moments that I can't even list them all.
The Jim/Pam/Roy triangle is going to be interesting, since it seems like Roy really loved Pam (His mugshot was hilarious). And Angela DID look really beautiful.
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9-22-2006 @ 12:22AM
MichaelGC said...
You hit the nail on the head. THIS WAS A CLASSIC episode!!! And the 1st of the season ARE you kidding me??!!! There are so many intricate story-lines (even from past eposides) with the characters and just blends into a wonderful mix of comedy and drama...boy oh boy...what a season we are in for!!!! Carell definitely should have won the Emmy!!!
Made me laugh: Dwight's smirk when Michael plants the image of Angela with another woman. Little things like that just make this a joy to watch.
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9-22-2006 @ 12:48AM
Carl Winslow said...
I loved Michael claiming that he watches The L Word, and (in his words) "Queer as F*ck."
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9-22-2006 @ 3:50AM
LP said...
It is truly amazing that this show is still on the air. I gave the show a chance, saw the first three episodes. There was nothing remotely funny about any of them. They were so unremarkable I can't even remember what they were about. Although it has a great cast, the actors have nothing to work with. This show is NOT a comedy (any more than Desperate Housewives is a comedy). It was actually painful to watch.
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9-22-2006 @ 1:33AM
Jim said...
I always thought that Angela was hot, in a "repressed ice queen" kind of way. Of course, she's no Pam Beesley, but still...
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9-22-2006 @ 2:02AM
Craig said...
The Office is the greatest show since Seinfeld. Narrowly beating out Arrested Devlopment.
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9-22-2006 @ 3:03AM
Peter K. said...
Wow, this show has exponentially grown in greatness. The first season was meh, and it just grew dramatically through the second season to what it is now, the wittiest comedy on TV.
I love how Jim doesn't fit in at all at the new branch, obviously foreshadowing his return to Scranton.
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9-22-2006 @ 3:13AM
Joey S. said...
This episode was amazing in that it added in completely new issues while not leaving the old issues unattended. It doesn't get any better than this show, and what a great start! The best part is we have a whole season more to watch. And another chance for Carell to win the Emmy he deserves.
Cheers to The Office
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9-22-2006 @ 4:26AM
Nick said...
"I hope Jim won't be gone from the Scanton branch for more than three or four eps."
I think they said that Ed Helms was going to be in about 10, so I suspect its around that number.
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9-22-2006 @ 5:03AM
Toby OB said...
For me the funniest moment was of the interview with the female co-worker up in Stamford as she complains about how Jim keeps screwing up his face. And then she offers a demonstration. "What is that?"
Very funny, self-referential joke. Makes two good ones in a week; the other being the daughter on 'HIMYM' saying "It feels like you've been talking to us for a year."
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9-22-2006 @ 7:56AM
jake said...
the episode was funny. The best sitcom on the air however is How I met your mother.
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9-22-2006 @ 7:59AM
Raychel said...
I don't know about anyone else, but I almost feel bad for Roy. I like how they set up that whole plotline of him "winning her back". I hope to see Sensitive Roy.
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9-22-2006 @ 8:04AM
007 said...
I liked that we got to see "Mr. Brown" again with his HERO presentation. And Roy's mugshot. But what was Meredith's deal with the sanitizer? Is it like licking one of those frogs? Totally didn't get that. Props to Stanley for having to deal with the toaster issue. That's no fun.
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9-22-2006 @ 8:23AM
lp said...
Umm, that LP up there wasn't this one.
I don't think that one has watched more than Series 1
I watched it earlier (from the internet multiplex, I'm in the UK) & thought it was even better than the best of last season.
Let's hope they keep it up
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9-22-2006 @ 11:52AM
Sarah said...
To #15: I think she licked the sanitizer b/c it has alcohol in it.
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9-22-2006 @ 9:22AM
Porchland said...
No. 15: Hand sanitizer has a high alcohol content.
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9-22-2006 @ 9:31AM
KateG said...
My favourite moment was after Ed Helms' character starts freaking out about the calculator in the jello: Jim stops smiling at the camera and starts concentrating very hard on his computer screen and can just manage a slight, very panicked head shake at the documentary crew. Brilliant.
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