(S03E15) Let's get the short review out of the way: this was an amazing episode.Here's a shocking thing that a lot of TV executives seem to not be able to understand: when you get really talented writers and allow them to work with really talented actors, good things will happen. You don't really need to over think the equation. The Office consistently manages to dazzle us with little more than well written scripts executed by great actors. You don't need mythology or gimmicks... just talent.
All right, the fawning is making even me sick. On to the episode...
Michael is a character that I'm conflicted about. There are times when I don't like him and find him to be unrealistic note in an overall perfect satire of modern office life (and yes, I am taking the surrealism of Dwight into account). It wasn't until tonight that I figured out why I'm so conflicted about Michael: I just don't think a guy who is that out of bounds would ever be able to survive in a managerial role. When he goes all "Michael" at the office, I'm taken a bit out of the show because I am constantly going "Well, there's no way they'd let him keep his job after that." (Yes, I think I'm stupid for thinking that too.)
But here's the thing: when Michael is out of the office, like tonight, his social awkwardness and emotional neediness is a lot more enjoyable. Whereas I can't imagine someone like Michael surviving in the workplace, I've seen several Michaels at several weddings trying to take the day and make it about them (as a stand-up comic whose eyes light up every time I see a microphone, I can empathize with Michael. Sadly, sadly empathize).
So I was able to enjoy Michael to the fullest tonight. My favorite moments:
- Introducing the Bride and Groom twice.
- Telling Bob Vance to never lay a finger on Phyllis.
- The 40 minute speech he planned to give (and confusing "welding" and "wedding...priceless!)
The main romantic plotline had some nice movement tonight as well. What I like about this show is that they've set both Jim and Pam into relationships that we're actually a little bit rooting for. I mean, we all hated Roy last season, but his attempts to get Pam back have been hang-dog cute and earnest. When she hooked up with him tonight (well, we didn't see it, but it certainly looked that way), instead of shouting out at the screen that she shouldn't go with him, you could completely understand why she would do it.
Karen, too, is a lovely character who, were it not for Pam, would make a great match for Jim. What I love about this show is that the producers have enough faith in their audience that they didn't make Roy and Karen evil or shrill. A typical sitcom would give Jim a string of terrible women to put up with just killing time until the inevitable hook-up between Pam and him. This show, though, gives us two rivals that we actually root for (even while we're rooting for Pam and Jim to get together).
When Jim said that he was happy that he was there with Karen, you believed it for both reasons -- the surface reason that he was glad to be there with such a fun loving and beautiful woman, and the deeper reason that he had someone to hold onto after seeing Pam leave with Roy.
God I love this show.
And listen, I've taken some heat over on my Studio 60 reviews for my creepy comments concerning the hotness of the female stars and I promised myself I wouldn't talk about my super-crushes on Pam and Karen, but something needs to be said here. Pam was drop-dead gorgeous tonight. Someone should build a statue of her so that geeks everywhere can go and worship at it. Seriously, if this were ancient Greece, I would be sacrificing a bull or a kitten or something to whatever Goddess is responsible for putting Pam on the planet.
There, I said it. Comment away at how creepy I am.
Six shows that I am watching pretty regularly this season
Five other TV shows where Sarah Palin should appear
Brought To You By ... - VIDEOS
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
2-08-2007 @ 10:38PM
Corey Atad said...
Hmm. I couldn't disagree more. When Michael is in the office his antics I am willing to accept through suspension of disbelief. But in tonight's episode it just went too far. He was not funny at all, and it was actually hard to watch. And there was not much else that was funny in the episode, except for a bit of Dwight, Creed, Toby and Ryan, but only a bit. And when Pam left with Roy I just felt depressed. To cap off a generally poor episode with a sad moment like that was not a good idea.
This was easily my least favourite episode of The Office since the beginning. I guess they are allowed one bad episode every now and then.
Reply
2-08-2007 @ 10:43PM
Marggy said...
I agree with Corey. Michael was way over the top today. It's impossible to sympathize with him when he's written like that. He ruined the episode for me. This episode seemed very "off" to me. It's supposed to be sweeps. Things need to start happening!
Reply
2-08-2007 @ 10:54PM
doug said...
Yes, they occasionally stretch Michael a bit past believability, but this week was just too far. Still a good show, but I worry when it stops feeling 'real'.
Reply
2-08-2007 @ 10:59PM
Ryan S. said...
I personally thought last weeks episode was better, I just didn't really like how Michael tried to hijack the wedding, several times. And, how sweet was Karen singing? I think Pam will likely realize it would be a mistake to hook back up with Roy, so I bet that doesn't happen.
Reply
2-08-2007 @ 11:05PM
Borat said...
Pam was indeed looking gorgeous. Jenna Fischer is such a cutie! (Yes this is getting a bit creepy). Plus Kelly looks great in white!
I agree with the other commenters that Michael was way too over the top here. He made Dwight look normal.
Other favorite moments:
-Jim conditioning Dwight to ask for an altoid whenever Jim logs off his computer. Brilliant because it can happen (took psychology a few semesters ago)!
-Creed putting his name on somebody else's present.
-"Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration" when the pastor/minister (sorry, I'm not a Christian so I don't know) pronounced his name.
Not enough Stanley moments this week though! Not a bad episode but not that good either. Easily forgivable since this season has been outstanding so far.
Reply
2-08-2007 @ 11:12PM
Diane said...
Great show, off to a slow start this Season, but back on track, for certain. Such a talented cast. Love, love Dwight.
Reply
2-08-2007 @ 11:28PM
Porchland said...
Rashida Jones is shooting a pilot for the fall season, so Jim/Karen may be headed for splitsville.
Reply
2-08-2007 @ 11:52PM
mike said...
I especially loved when Ryan batted the bouquet out of Kelly arms.
What was up with Toby's date?
Reply
2-08-2007 @ 11:54PM
Kristeen said...
I totally agree with Corey.
I think my favourite part of the episode was the bouquet toss when Ryan jumped in and swatted it away from Kelly. And when Toby was psyched that his new girlfriend caught the bouquet.
Reply
2-09-2007 @ 12:09AM
Nick said...
Agree with the comments that this episode was not that great. Michael was too over-the-top.
I agree though that Roy has come off as a sympathetic character. The fact that he paid the band to play the song was very cool.
I thought we'd see a Jam dance when Jim said she danced cute, but wasn't to be. Loved the Toby moment and Jim waving his cellphone at Karen (Rashida is actually a good singer, I remember seeing her on Carson Daly and saying she's put some thought into recording an album.
Reply
2-09-2007 @ 12:16AM
James said...
I think that they should have taken the over-the-top moments of Michael (I thought some of them were really funny) and used them for Stanley or Ryan/Kelly. This would have been a perfect episode for an awkward Ryan/Kelly moment.
Reply
2-09-2007 @ 12:20AM
Tom Wright-Piersanti said...
My problem with the welding joke... I knew I had heard it somewhere before. I dug deep into my Simpsons geek encyclopedia mind (and snpp.com) and realized that when Homer is teaching the class in "Secrets of a Successful Marriage", he starts the class by saying:
Homer: Now, what is a wedding? Well, Webster's Dictionary describes a wedding as, "The process of removing weeds from one's garden."
Reply
2-09-2007 @ 12:27AM
Gabriel said...
Karen singing was my favorite moment of the episode. That and Michael confusing the definitions for wedding and welding.
Reply
2-09-2007 @ 12:37AM
Randy said...
Angela was also looking mighty fine this episode.
Reply
2-09-2007 @ 12:54AM
Kyle said...
Michael is driving me crazy. He completely ruined this episode. This horrible episode almost drove me away from watching this show anymore.
Reply
2-09-2007 @ 1:17AM
smashthesymbols said...
Thank you Tom Wright-Piersanti. I had the same feeling you did, but couldn't figure out where I had heard that before.
How weird was it that Phyllis basically stole Pam's wedding?
Oh, and Jay, I'm with you on Pam. She was definitely looking hot tonight.
Reply
2-09-2007 @ 2:45AM
Whitecat said...
This episode was one of the best of the season. Thank God for Tivo. I don't know how many times I re-wound to re-enjoy.
And Jenna is truly beautiful.
Reply
2-09-2007 @ 2:48AM
Nick said...
I also liked that Scrantonicity covered The Police, which seemed timely with them opening the Grammys on Sunday.
Reply
2-09-2007 @ 3:23AM
amy said...
I love every episode of The Office in different ways. This one is no exception. Little moments with Toby and Ryan were gold!
P.S. Karen > Pam
Reply
2-09-2007 @ 4:59AM
Diego said...
This was just a bad week to watch Michael. He was just so annoying. at first i laughed when he hated on the old man walking, but then he tried to do so much. it was annoyin i felt the time would've been better spent on Jim/Pam/Karen.
There were little things that were great, like Dwight takin out the demented uncle out and the bouquet swat, that was a good move ala Ronnie Lott.
Pam was annoyin me. She keeps starin at Jim and she supposedly was gonna be more outgoing and more interesting but she is really lame now. She just stares at JIm and Karen and if she hooks up with Roy then i don't care about her no more. Karen was so cute singin. how can anyone root for Pam when they got Karen.
Reply