(S05E21) Okay, so this is the second slice of Office bread in the Parks and Recreation sandwich, and, in keeping with my long tradition of strained metaphors, it kind of felt like an end piece. Edible, sure, but it would have been nicer if it was as good as the episode that came before it.While I'm enjoying frazzled Jim much more than "what-me-worry?" Jim, they're pushing the cringe humor between Minor and him a bit too far. Somewhere in the last couple of episodes, we went from "fun" to "not fun" (or, as we call it in the entertainment trade, from Last Crusade to Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls).
It was actually more interesting to watch my wife watching the episode: her face was twisting in grief for Jim's inability to figure out what a "rundown" was. It's a testament to good writing that we care so much for the characters that we feel their pain just as strongly as they do, but we need some laughs to lighten the load...
That's not to say the episode was humor free: there were a ton of great moments over at the Michael Scott Paper Company (I don't know who is happier that Ryan is back, me or Michael), and in Andy and Dwight's renewed sexual competition. I especially enjoyed the Banjo/Guitar duel, though I need to say this: it's unbelievable that any woman could resist Country Roads in German. Just not possible.
Other stuff:
-- Pam is a New York 6 and a Scranton 7? How dare you Ryan Howard? How dare you!?
-- I liked that Pam held her ground about not becoming a receptionist again, but I didn't buy that she'd go marching to Minor to ask for her old job back. I thought we settled her issues with The Michael Scott Paper Company last episode.
-- "You wanted me?"
-- The new Kelly didn't have a Holly-type entrance into the Dunder-Mifflin family, but, then, talking like Yoda sets the bar pretty high. I'm encouraged by her goofy dance with Andy in the break room, however.
-- "You could be hot too, if you made any effort at all." "Like how? Dyeing my hair blond?" "This is from the sun." "Oh, yeah, I bet." Fiesty Pam! Fiesty adds at least one point to your ranking, which means Pam is easily a Scranton 32.
-- Best subtle moment of the entire year: "I thought Rajini Ghanda was a boy's name."
-- The last five weeks have taken the show into an amazing new direction and it got me thinking: is The Office the first show to ever remain viable once the two leads got together? For the longest time, the idea was to stretch out the "will they/won't they" frustration out to unbelievable ends (see Frasier for more on this), but Jam has been jamming along now for a season and half and the show is as good as it ever was. I think Moonlighting lasted approximately one third of an episode past Maddie and David doing it. So, what gives? What did The Office do right?
As always, your comments are like banjo notes played in the break room just for me.
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
'Breaking Bad' Tidbits from Cranston, Paul and Odenkirk
Andy Cohen on Jersey Housewives, 'Top Chef,' and Being the Face of Bravo
Ed O'Neill on Being the 'Modern Family' Patriarch
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
4-10-2009 @ 4:39AM
Odimerus said...
Uh-oh Jay, did you miss the opening credits? If so, watch them now in your little hulu box you embedded. They were easily my favorite part of the episode.
Reply
4-10-2009 @ 5:33AM
Jay Black said...
I DID forget to mention that -- I saw them when they aired, I just forgot to write it down in the mad scramble to put up TWO of my patented "Awesome-sauce" reviews in the same night (not since Alex P. Keaton had two dates in the same evening has one man scrambled so much for so little).
Anyway, I'm glad you pointed them out because they were fantastic. Does anyone know if they're permanent?
4-10-2009 @ 4:48AM
Doug said...
Anyone else see the following tweet from Mindy Kaling:
ahhh!! next week, Beadie Russell and Stringer Bell in one place!! and rob huebel!!
Holly's back!
Reply
4-10-2009 @ 5:34AM
Evocatus said...
Maybe the "rundown" that Jim sent out is going to expose some kind of corporate conspiracy that puts the company under and everyone is forced to join Michael's company as it emerges as the leading paper company.
Reply
4-10-2009 @ 1:18PM
Andrew said...
He just sent that fake rundown to his dad. He didn't fax it to anyone important.
4-10-2009 @ 7:15AM
Jordan said...
Jim was asked for a "rundown of his client list"
Let's google it:
run·down
n.
1. A point-by-point summary.
Come on Jim. Seriously? I think this was just bad writing.
Reply
4-10-2009 @ 8:09AM
Jack said...
To be fair, corporate-speak is often a world unto itself and standard definitions mean nothing. If you've ever tried to read an internal government report, there's rarely a single sentence that could be read and understood outside the building.
4-10-2009 @ 8:12AM
Jack said...
...that being said, Jim's predicament reminded me a LOT of the episode of Seinfeld when George didn't follow his boss into the bathroom and missed all the details of the big project he was supposed to work on. Remember that one?
Reply
4-10-2009 @ 11:26AM
Niraj said...
You've gotta go downtown, George. It's all downtown.
4-11-2009 @ 10:47PM
kip said...
YES! I was thinking the same thing the whole episode!
4-10-2009 @ 9:03AM
hotboudain said...
Stanley's reaction in the background to Dwight & Bernard discussing blood flow in their lower appendages.....priceless (as usual)....
Reply
4-10-2009 @ 9:34AM
Sarah said...
i will chalk up Ryan's strong criticisms toward Pam to the fact that she shot him down when he tried to ask her out. and when he made corporate and came back, he seemed upset to see that she was with Jim.
Reply
4-10-2009 @ 10:20AM
Adam said...
These two episodes were okay, but they really didn't have much steam. I can see what the writers are trying to go for (a new direction, most definitely), but I think the uncomfortableness that the people watching with me felt was too close to the British version. Seeing Ryan seriously reminded me of the worst workplace I've ever worked at, and I really don't want to revisit that.... *shudders*
But, it always takes a few off-beat episodes to introduce a very good one. I'm still hooked. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about "Parks and Recreation"
Reply
4-10-2009 @ 11:54AM
Sarah said...
Jay, in your article on "the Dream Team" you mentioned how good The Office is at the little things like the inate need to find common ground with a hard ass boss. Another "little thing" that The Office hit the nail on the head was with Jim being given an assignment and him having no clue what Charles was talking about. I've done that before in my own office as I'm sure many have.
I can't help but wonder if Jim could have just said that he was wearing a tuxedo because of something to do with his impending nuptials to Pam. Maybe that could have left a different first impression on Charles. Maybe Charles would have seen the adorableness in Jim.
Reply
4-10-2009 @ 1:02PM
Jay Black said...
I agree with you that it cut very close to the bone -- back when I was teaching, I'm pretty sure I wasn't aware that 80-90% of my mandatory paperwork existed, much less what it was for -- but it wasn't that part that I found annoying: it was how uncomfortable _every moment_ between Jim and Minor was.
I'm all for cringe humor, I just thought that this was more "cringe" than anything else.
That said, in rereading the review, it seemed like I was coming down too hard on the episode. I really enjoyed it, just not as much as some of the others we've been seeing of late. And, I would have enjoyed it a lot more if there was at least some light between Halpert and Minor.
(Here's a question to you and/or anybody else that works at an office: does it ever get that bad between two people? I was a teacher -- essentially a one person job when you weren't in meetings -- and now I'm a stand-up comic -- which couldn't be more solo of a job if I was The Gunslinger from Stephen King's novels -- so I don't have much experience dealing with office politics.)
4-10-2009 @ 2:42PM
B said...
"Here's a question to you and/or anybody else that works at an office: does it ever get that bad between two people?"
Worse. Much, much worse. Even the bad blood between Angela and Phyllis was pretty tame compared to some of the things I saw at my old office. Which is why I decided to quit and go to grad school.
4-12-2009 @ 11:38PM
D-Bo said...
@ Jay Black
Combining the Office and a reference to the Gunslinger catapult this comment to an epic level of win.
4-10-2009 @ 1:16PM
Andrew said...
"Pam is a New York 6 and a Scranton 7? How dare you Ryan Howard? How dare you!?"
I had to pause my DVR so I didn't miss anything I was laughing so hard at this moment.
Reply
4-13-2009 @ 6:45PM
stg said...
I agree with Ryan though, Pam is pretty bland when in NY. I can see how she can considered a hot slice of ass in a one horse town like Scranton
Reply
4-23-2009 @ 10:17PM
tony DiMeo said...
maybe jim did not know what a "rundown" was because when michael worked for him he would just slack off, because he did not care or because michael had him participate in a fun run or some other stupid thing instead. overall, i used to to think that this season was pretty stale, but they have totally changed it around since this charles guy was brought in the mix.
Reply