(S05E19) And just like that -- as mysteriously as he arrived -- he was gone.SPOILER ALERT: At the end of The Graduate, Ben Braddock and Elaine Robinson get together after Ben makes an impassioned plea at her wedding to another man. They hop on a bus and as they ride off together, the camera lingers just long enough for us to watch the enormity of their decision wipe the smiles off their faces. A happy ending ruined by reality.
Watching Pam walk out with Michael tonight made me think of that scene. I don't know if this episode compares favorably to one of the greatest comedies ever filmed, but certainly, that idea -- that nothing ruins a good time like a dose of the real -- infused every bit of it tonight.
Let's take a look what reality does to our favorite sitcom and its stars:
1. Michael realizes that he up and quit in the middle of an economic climate the resembles wintertime on Hoth.
2. Pam realizes that even after her artistic rebirth and her love-'splosion with Jim, she's just the girl who spends half a day learning how to make a copier work. If you're the kind of lazy (read: "alcoholic") English teacher I used to be, you might want to use Pam's expression at the end of her copier confessional as the cornerstone of your lesson on "existential despair".
3. The Office itself realizes that a real boss (like, you know, one who actually wants you to do work) is actually kind of horrible and oppressive.
Points one and two culminate in Pam's Graduate-style walk out of the office together. Point three sets us up beautifully for the conflict to come.
I'm loving where The Office is at right now. This is our third slam-dunk episode in a row, and I can't remember the last time I was this excited for a non-Jim/Pam story arc.
Other Stuff:
-- There were so many little moments of awesome that I'll just do a quick rundown: Kevin spilling coffee on the old copier, Phyllis telling Andy that he didn't have to kiss Michael's ass anymore, Toby comparing Michael to a movie on a plane, Angela and Kelly competing over Charles, Creed trying to put coins in the copier, Dwight's face when he doesn't get made "Productivity Czar", and Michael's Splenda Scotch.
-- How about the sad little shout-out to Printz Paper? Think we'll be seeing them again in some capacity as Michael opens up his own company? Also, what's your feeling on where this is going? Is this a temporary thing -- i.e. is Michael back at Dunder-Mifflin sooner rather than later -- or is this a permament sea change? I kind of like the idea of following Michael on his own path, like when Puck got tossed out of the house on the third season of The Real World.
As always, your comments are the security guard that escorts me through the hallways of life.
The Office' Photos
THE OFFICE Steve Carell as Michael Scott and Amy Ryan as Holly star in the episode "Weight Loss." Airs Thursday, September 25, 2008.
NBC
THE OFFICE Steve Carell as Michael Scott and Amy Ryan as Holly star in the episode "Weight Loss." Airs Thursday, September 25, 2008.
NBC
THE OFFICE Mindy Kaling as Kelly Kapoor and Craig Robinson as Darryl Philbin star in the episode "Weight Loss." Airs Thursday, September 25, 2008.
NBC
THE OFFICE Amy Ryan as Holly and Brian Baumgartner as Kevin Malone star in the episode "Weight Loss." Airs Thursday, September 25, 2008.
NBC
THE OFFICE, Steve Carell, ''Did I Stutter'', (Season 4, airing May 1, 2008), 2005-. Photo: Chris Haston / NBC
THE OFFICE, Rainn Wilson, ''Did I Stutter'', (Season 4, airing May 1, 2008), 2005-. Photo: Chris Haston / NBC
THE OFFICE, Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, ''Did I Stutter'', (Season 4, airing May 1, 2008), 2005-. Photo: Chris Haston / NBC
THE OFFICE, Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, ''Night Out'', (Season 4, airing April 24, 2008), 2005-. Photo: Mitch Haddad / NBC
THE OFFICE, Rainn Wilson, Cassie Fliegel, ''Night Out'', (Season 4, airing April 24, 2008), 2005-. Photo: Mitch Haddad / NBC
THE OFFICE, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Rainn Wilson, ''The Dinner Party'', (Season 4, episode 4013, aired April 10, 2008), 2005-,. Photo: Chris Haston / NBC / courtesy everett collection
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
3-27-2009 @ 6:16AM
Michael said...
Your "Graduate" parallel seems dead-on, but I think the more immediate parallel the show was making was to Tom Cruise's whole "who's coming with me to start a new company" speech in "Jerry MacGuire," a movie that Michael Scott probably knows by heart.
Reply
3-27-2009 @ 7:28AM
julie said...
My Scranton husband totally said "The Graduate" at the end of the show last night. And if there is one perpetually economically depressed city, it's Scranton....
Good episode, lots of cringeworthy moments. "I know I have an effect on women" - priceless!
3-27-2009 @ 2:20PM
Suntzu said...
Jerry Mcguire too easy
3-27-2009 @ 3:32PM
Malren said...
I actually thought of both...I felt like the JM scene was an homage to The Graduate anyway, so it all works.
EXCELLENT episode and I'm really curious to see what comes next.
3-27-2009 @ 6:32AM
Jimmy said...
Jay, your review is better than this week's episode. And this was a pretty good one too.
Reply
3-27-2009 @ 7:07AM
Lisa said...
Loved your review and although I find it hard to imagine Scranton w/o Michael and Pam, I think i'll be a fun ride. I think they both will find their way back to the "Office" but I think Charles will have to be shoved to the curb somehow as stealing client lists is pretty egregious (borrowing Michael's word). What might bring Charles down far enough to get Wallace to bring back Michael? Flagging sales might do it and Jim and Dwight together would be able to pull that off.
Reply
3-27-2009 @ 7:47AM
reb said...
I don't think that Charles was stealing the client list. He was just getting Michael to compile a list of clients before the end of his time with Dunder Mifflin so the new boss would have that information available. Not an unreasonable request at all.
I agree--great episode and review.
3-27-2009 @ 7:28AM
StillBash said...
The Spoiler Alert is priceless. That movie came out a decade before I was born ^^;
Great Review Jay!
Reply
3-27-2009 @ 10:39AM
Usama said...
I'm glad he did it. I haven't seen the movie but I read it anyway, and now I want to see it more. Still I appreciated the warning :-)
3-27-2009 @ 7:28AM
Jason said...
I agree, this review was one of the few recently that I've read and paid attention to all the way through, and I think you nailed the comparison. God, I wish there were more reviews like this one that were less of a recap and more of a dissectional.
Reply
3-27-2009 @ 7:55AM
Lisa said...
Reb,
I didn't mean Charles was stealing lists, sorry. I meant Charles caught Michael doing it so in order for Michael to be allowed to come back, Charles is going to have to be out of the way.
Reply
3-27-2009 @ 8:35AM
Kel said...
Kevin on the phones and Stanley as productivity czar. I almost choked.
Reply
3-27-2009 @ 8:19AM
lou.dalmaso said...
I know this has been brought up elsewhere, But I just want to know how Micheal went from "Shining Example" to someone who needed "managing"?
it's almost as if these are story lines from two different seasons.
Less than a month ago. David Wallace thought so much of Michael that he sent him on a tour to share his sales expertise. Now they bring in a handler? Was the Willy Wonka promotion such a disaster? No, cuz David himself complimented "Dwight" on it. Was it because Michael tried to reclaim the credit for it? Cuz that's not the worst thing he's ever done.
I just don't get the reversal of DM's opinion of Michael. It doesn't seem natural
Reply
3-27-2009 @ 10:35AM
Devin said...
I don't think Charles was brought in specifically because of Michael but rather to fill the position that had once been held by Jan and then Ryan. Charles first 'visit' was supposed to be just that a visit he was going to all of the branches under him to get to know the employees, he just found more than he bargained for in Scranton.
After finding how Michael runs things Charles and his no non-sense personality started implementing new rules (no party planning committee!!!) and that is what caused the problems with Michael.
I really don't think he was brought in to manage Michael directly or because they didn't think Michael was doing a good job, Charles just found a branch that was in need of structure and he is attempting to give it some of that structure.
3-28-2009 @ 4:38PM
timg said...
Scranton is DMs top branch. Corporate can't understand why, but they see the results. Charles is making the classic mistake of trying to fix what isn't broken. Michael and Dwight are incompetent morons, but their passion for their work overrides their weaknesses. Without Michael the Scranton office will fall apart, because his ridiculous teamwork exercises actually do seem to accomplish something.
3-27-2009 @ 9:28AM
lebow24 said...
It was Prince Paper, not Printz.
Reply
3-27-2009 @ 10:18AM
kip said...
I really loved the irony in Charles's appointments. Kevin as the guy that answers the phones, and Stanley as the head of productivity. Exactly the worst possible appointments in the office for either of those jobs.
Reply
3-27-2009 @ 4:46PM
Twilo said...
I think the whole who is coming with me is like that scene in Half Baked....where the guy is in the record store and he is like "whose coming with me?" and the only person that does is that one hippie chick...I love the Office it is my favorite show...I hope Micheal does start his own company but I think he will be back with Dunder...cause how would he get all of the others to come to his paper company and the show is nothing without everyone.
Reply
3-27-2009 @ 10:36AM
beanspants said...
my theory is that charles is going to be fired for being a crappy boss.
Reply
3-27-2009 @ 10:48AM
Bill said...
Jim doesn't seem to be on solid ground there either. He may end up working for/with Michael soon.
Reply