As with tonight's "30 Rock," I was so underwhelmed with the latest episode of "The Office" -- other than Michael's initial reaction to Toby's return and the revelation that Dwight is a fan of "The Shield" -- that I don't have the energy or enthusiasm to write anything more than the generic invitation for you all to comment.What did everybody else think?
62 comments:
In fairness, Michael's "Scream 2" analogy was actually fairly apt if you accept his view that Toby Flenderson represents all that is evil in this world.
Also, any episode where Pam smiles like that ain't all bad.
I did love Creed's talking head hiding out from the cops. And I'm still in love with all things PB&J, even the awful clown art.
Episodes like this that set my teeth on edge. Jim and Pam were, as usual, the best part, an island of normalcy in a sea of idiocy, with Michael being the King and Dwight his court jester. When Michael acts like this the legitimate question is raised again: How is this idiot still in charge?
So, question for the group : did Pam really like the house, or was she being nice?
I mean, she really seemed to hate the place when they were walking around; I understand he won her over with the garage and the fact that he "bought her a house", was the perceived unhappiness just an act? Did she get over it? Will it return?
It didn't make me laugh as much as recent episodes, but I too loved Creed's reaction to the cops (even better than the TH was how he was full-on ready to do the perp walk and then kind of played it off).
I also loved Dwight using Andy's name to call in the tip, Dwight thinking it was lucky he was wearing his mustard shirt so he could be man bait, Ryan trying to get Pam to clean the microwave and her excellent smackdown, and Meredith assuming that anyone who cares about cleanliness must be rich. And then we get the tag which so clearly demonstrates Dwight's insanity, and which I assume Rainn Wilson must have ad-libbed.
I felt bad for Toby (why on earth would he agree to come back?) and for poor, stupid Kelly. I actually didn't care all that much about the PB&J storyline, but I don't think Pam was really into the house until she saw the art space. That's when she kind of realized he was doing this all for her.
I am the only one getting kind of sick/annoyed that every week there seems to be some Jim and Pam turbulence only to get a quick fix in the end? It seems like every week the writer's come up with a new dilemna for Jim and Pam only to have it explained away every week by their love for each other.
It seemed like Jim buying a house(without telling ur new fiancee, in this sorta bad economy seems like a big deal to me), coupled with Pam's bad day/not wanting to be the office maid would finally drive these 2 into a real, soul searcher conversation at least. Jim just makes the garage into an art studio (which ok, was incredibly sweet) and back to normal.
Every since the engagement story line last season, it seems like the writer's are writing toward some big PB&J implosion that will seemingly never happen, and i for one want to see them have an implosion that might lead 2 some relationship soul searching.
Now that i got that out the way, STOP PICKIN ON TOBY, MICHAEEL. It breaks my heart to see Toby get picked on for being basically doing his job. Not even that this week, just picked on him for being back. Poor Toby, I hope he has a Stanley-esque "DID I STUTTER" moment in his future.
More Creed please! Best part of the episode was him freaking out about the cops.
And we need Stanley...where is he?
Eh... while there were a few chuckles, I thought the Michael vs. Toby stuff was too slapsticky ... the Office is best when it functions as believable absurdity, and the "Caprese salad bust" was way over the top.
And actually, I didn't care for Michael's screaming reaction to Toby at all -- cartoonish.
re: "Jim just makes the garage into an art studio (which ok, was incredibly sweet)"
... except that without natural light, it isn't exactly the best place for artistic work.
Having Pam back was nice. And it makes me wonder what purpose did sending her to New York really serve? The PBJ relationship never really changed either way. It's almost as if the writers ran out of ideas for her up there so they just yanked her back.
I kind of got the impression that Pam really didn't like the house (nor did Jim, really), but still loved that he went out and bought her a house. Classic case of "it's the thought that counts."
I had the same frustration seeing yet another fast-fix ending for Pam and Jim. The grain of salt I'm giving the writers is that they're still building up to something bigger.
Jim seems to be acting out a fairy tale in his head and treating everything by how he imagined a relationship between Pam and him is supposed to go, rather than actually having a relationship with her. Buying the house without consulting her is ludicrous and treating Pam more like the star of a romantic comedy than as his future life partner.
Someone mentioned here before that we've seen a trend of Pam denying her honest feelings to please someone else, and that may be the case again with the house. Even though she's touched by the art studio gesture, there will come a day when she realizes she gave up going to Chuck Close shows in New York so she could paint bowls of fruit in a garage in Scranton. Then again, maybe Pam wants it that way.
Best Dwight line of the night: "I love catching people in the act. That's why I always whip doors open."
What did Jim say to Pam at the end? I couldn't make it out.
Maybe it's troglodyte red state of me, but I appreciated the fact that Pam had appreciation for Jim buying a house for her.
I have no doubt that she has mixed feelings - who wouldn't after seeing the monkey clown horrible karate round and yummy like cute small baby chick painting on the wall - but I also can totally see her buying into the young suburbanite dream.
As for the rest, it was a pretty run-of-the-mill episode, but perfectly acceptable for mid/late November. I had several giggles, and was reasonably engaged. I don't have to have the sitcom equivalent of "There Will Be Blood" every time out.
I'll miss Ryan's sublime New Yawk scuzziness, though. I'm assuming his trip to Thailand with "some guys" is his out.
I realize this is off-topic, and I apologize, but on a night when both 30 Rock and The Office were flat, It's Always Sunny put up its best episode ever. Best.
Dez, I listened to Jim's last line several times, and I think what he said was something like "Yeah, I can't move that," in response to Pam asking about the clown.
That's a paraphrase, because I listened to it hours ago and no longer remember the exact phrasing Jim used, but I think what I wrote above is very close.
I'm assuming his trip to Thailand with "some guys" is his out.
At least until BJ Novak's done co-starring in Quentin Tarantino's next movie.
I actually thought it had some hilarious moments.
"No god, no god please no, no, no, nooooooooo!!!"
"Sometimes the ends justify the mean".
"we should hang out by the quarry and throw things down there."
"Do you wanna hear a lie? ..... I think you're great, you're my best friend".
Dwight framed a raccoon... and a bear?
It wasn't the best episode, but I almost did a spit-take at Dwight's "No, but I've framed animals before," and when I though I had recovered, I did in fact spit-take at "The ends justify the mean."
Fernando, I completely agree with you re: the Jim/Pam fakeouts.
Every week, they're creating false drama by making it seem like there's tension or even a possible disagreement, and they short-circuit it every week. Once or twice was fine. But a weekly pattern is kind of annoying. The only way to justify it now is to deliver on some of that tension. If they're not going to do it, then just let Jim and Pam be happy for a few episodes and don't bother with the fakeouts. There are ways to write about people in a relationship without pretending that they're facing imminent doom.
I actually thought this one was pretty darn good. As for PB&J drama. I think that is the point...they don't have drama, as a stable, normal relationship should not. These two are meant to be married and will live a long and happy marriage together. If she reacted with distain to the house purchase, she wouldn't be the right person for Jim, IMHO.
Look, she's a secretary, he's a middling salesman at a dying paper company...what kind of home could he possibly buy for them that would be any better? I think she saw in that house the potential for their future...that it wasn't the shag carpet or the clown picture, but a house that they would change together, and that part of it showed her how much Jim really loved her.
Women are not all about expensive cars and nice houses. To the 'normal' women of the world, we just want a man who will love us, show that love, and be able to trust that he will stick around and commit. So leave PB&J alone!
Loved the attempts to get Toby fired that went awry. Loved that temp boy somehow managed to get sex and money from Kelly right as he was dumping her. Loved that Creed thought the cops were coming for him. Very much enjoyed Pam's irritation at the gross microwave.
Not a very good episode of "The Office", but seemed funnier after that atrocious episode of "30 Rock". Hey Steve Martin, stick with SNL and movies.
In fact, even "Supernatural", which is basically awesome every week, had a less than stellar hour last night (that's a show that should do less long story arcs and stick more with stand alones).
Kind of a bad night for shows, period.
Back to "The Office", if I don't see Ryan Howard anytime soon, that's fine by me. I GET that his character is supposed to be a complete doushebag, but he's really an insufferable prick. It's not funny after a while. The way he treated Pam, Kelly, Michael and Toby et all last night makes me want to pack his bags for him.
Andy, Dwight and Stanley can all be jerks, but they are funnier to me abotu it. Ryan used to be funny, now he's just an evil troll. Kinda like Seth Green was on "Entourage" where I couldn't wait for his episode to end so I didn't have to see him be a complete a-- to Eric anymore.
Sometimes jerky behavior is funny, and sometimes it's too much. Ryan was too much bad last night.
Buying his parents house last night also seemed out of character for Jim.
Alan,
Is Toby back full time now? I thought Paul Lieberstein was focusing on the spin off or something....has something changed, or was this a one time or a short story arc?
At this point I'm finally convinced that the writers are not planning the demise of Pam and Jim's relationship and they aren't really even signalling doom all that much, they're just playing with our expectatoins. They know that we are waiting for the other shoe to drop so they trot out these minor (or maybe not so minor) complications each episode knowing we will assume that THIS is where it falls apart. Then what would have been an uncertain glances at the camera two seasons ago is now interpreted as impending doom because clearly that's where things must be headed right? I for one am enjoying watching these two negotiate a relationship. Although the house was probably a bad idea -- my wife told me last night I would've been a dead man, art studio or no.
Definitely the worst episode of a stellar season to date. I agree with Fernando and Chrissie who posted about the "oh no, a Jim/Pam conflict...awww, but true love prevails". The tease is getting old, and also starting make Pam look foolish for dumping her dreams and going along with anything for "true love".
To me, the Michael/Toby stuff works best when they have occasional brief confrontations or Michael rants about him behind his back. When Michael repeatedly screams, yells, and acts like a psycho to Toby's face and Toby does nothing (even granting that Toby is most passive human being in history), it gets boring. Maybe if he was doing funny things it would have been funny.
I'm cool with Jim and Pam being happy and in love. I just don't like the contrived "drama" and blatant audience manipulation that's being used as a stand-in for real storytelling. They're better writers than that.
My favorite bit was Michael trying to be nice to Toby. His facial expressions and the little mutterings under the breath, were priceless.
As for Pammy, I don't see why moving back to Scranton means she's abandoning her dreams. As much as I love her (and it's quite a bit) I've seen nothing in either her talent or her personality to suggest she would have ever made a living in NYC with her art.
OTOH, I can totally see her out in the garage, getting into altered books and funky jewelry (Dwight teaches her how to solder) and selling it on etsy.com.
Decent ep. Creed's freakout was terrific.
I mainly want to know, and I realize this is way off topic, but Alan, do you have anything to say in regards to Tim Kring's comments towards viewers of his (awful) show? Maybe its been done in several other places but I always enjoy your insight on these matters.
Again, my apologies for such an off-topic remark.
For all his faults, Dwight has really good taste in TV: Lost, Battlestar Galactica, and now The Shield.
I dunno, that part with Jim "inching" away from Pam was pretty fun, Creed is simply never given enough time, and who doesn't love that Michael would have thrown himself on his sword as always in the end?
Not the best, but still a nice episode.
-EmeraldLiz
I thought it was an OK ep. Not the best, certainly not the worst. Loved Dwight's idea of a perfect crime.
I'm surprised by how many people are looking for some kind of tension/fallout between Jim and Pam. I think it wouldn't hurt to show them having a tiff now and then, but I'm actually relieved to see a happy healthy relationship on my screen. It's all too rare. I hate manufactured drama.
Quite a few people have also said they don't see what the point of the NYC trip was, but I think it's nothing to do with manufactured Jim/Pam angst and everything to do with showing some character growth for Pam. I agree she probably doesn't have what it takes to make it in the NY art world, but I loved seeing that she tried. That alone is enough for me.
For the second time, I have agree again with OLucy.
I simply don't get why people want negative drama between Jim and Pam? If the writing is clicking, Jim and Pam can be just as funny as the happy couple pranking on Dwight or laughing at Andy's ridiculousness. They don't have to be unhappy to be funny.
I've never looked at any of the PB&J scenarios as teasing a breakup or possible strife in the relationship. To me, the show has clearly shown that the relationship is strong and they truly love each other, and the things they've gone through are all part of real life. I find it to be one of the most realistic relationships I've ever seen on television: they're never all lovey-dovey, they don't have extreme highs and lows. They just have real moments. And it showed again with the house: as Jim shows her around, it's clear that she's not impressed...I suspected she might be upset about it, but she saw past the flaws and saw that the man she loved did it all for her. Why do people have to be so cynical about this relationship?
Color me surprised: 99% of the time when I watch The Office and then read Alan's review, I come away saying "We are like-minded on the subject", but this must be the 1% solution because I actually liked this episode.
I think one thing that helped was watching it twice. The first time, Michael's willingness be that vile to Toby was more disturbing than funny, except for Dwight thinking he could be Toby-bait and the realization that Michael spent $500 on THAT. On second viewing, I was laughing more because Toby's complete pacifism towards Michael was perfectly played by both Steve and Paul: what could be more enraging to a passive-aggressive jerk like Michael than someone who doesn't have an aggressive bone in his body?
Creed hits it out of the park every time. I just wonder if even the dumbbells at the office really don't know he loves pot.
If this was Ryan's last appearance, good riddance. The character has no value anymore. The part where Pam shot him down was funny, as was his final break-up with Kelly. I do hope BJ Novak returns as a writer (and I don't think he has written any eps this year) but as for Ryan, no.
And I agree 100% with Sam Hobart: the drama between Jim & Pam can come from the fact that there ISN'T any drama, that they have human problems that can be overcome with work and love. The prospect of a huge, sitcom-style chasm between them could be the like the bomb under a table in a spy thriller that never quite detonates...
"In fact, even "Supernatural", which is basically awesome every week, had a less than stellar hour last night."
I think most women would have to disagree with that one...Dean took his shirt off and had angsty sex with angel girl. That's an A+ episode in my book. :-)
Well, Kristin, as a straight man, I will never appreciate the Winchester boys in quite the same way you will, but I can respect that glowing review. I know a lot of women who feel the same way.
I was hoping that they would have done more with the mystery of the dirty microwave and worked in some plot that revealed the perp.
What was Pam heating up when she first discovers the microwave mess? She pulls open the lid of what looks like a yogurt cup sized container and pours it into a tupperware- it looks like juice or broth or something.
"I don't have to have the sitcom equivalent of "There Will Be Blood" every time out."
Thanks a lot...Now I can't stop trying to imagine TWBB as a sitcom.
The episode just didn't bring the funny, aside from the cold open and Michael screaming in horror at Toby's return. It was more painful and weird. I actually didn't believe that Pam genuinely enjoyed her "gift" from Jim.
I think people are misunderstanding my comments. I'm not demanding more drama or fights from Jim/Pam. I'm saying, every week, the writers go through this contrived false drama, building the entire episode up to make it seem like there is going to be drama, then they just pull the old fakeout on you. It's been a pattern in every episode, and it's more about manipulating the audience (ooh, what's gonna happen to Jim when Pam decides to stay in NY??? Can't wait till the get back from commercial!) than it is about honest storytelling.
With Jim/Pam this season, it's been a year full of red herrings. They're duping the viewer, but covering no new ground. They can be as happy as they want. The writers should just take a break from trying to trick viewers every week.
I liked this episode more than we're averaging here. Here's what I loved:
Fave Dwight line: To socialize, and inform.
I loved Pam's turnaround about the house. It was objectively super weird, what Jim did, but Pam's the kind of girl who might be blown away by having a house to call her own that her husband bought for her. It isn't my dream, but I can see where it might have been hers, without her even knowing it until that moment.
"Cool beens. I live by the quarry. We should throw things down there."
"Pretend to talk to me until the cops leave."
It's sad how underused Creed is, that it takes a 2-line episode for me to applaud it as a good showing by him.
Along with BJ Novak, Samm Levine will also be in Inglorious Basterds as, I'm assuming, a member of the crack, Jewish-American, Nazi hunting, soldier task force!
J.J., I don't think you want to see Creed used much more than he already is. More so than any other supporting character on the show, I think his funny quotient would be in inverse proportion to his screen time, because he's so broad (even compared to Meredith or Kevin or even Dwight).
@Kensington--Thanks!
Very much enjoyed Pam's irritation at the gross microwave.
I'm afraid I identified quite a bit that, given a couple of the places I've worked. Never did put up a note, though (I just told the boss and let him ream out the office for it, heh).
Thanks a lot...Now I can't stop trying to imagine TWBB as a sitcom.
SNL did an amusing skit with TWBB as a Food Network-type show called "I Drink Your Milkshake." A sitcom with Daniel Plainview as the obnoxious boss of a family-owned oil company could work. Watch Daniel cope with Eli, the preacher next door! Laugh as uptight Daniel berates his liberal, deaf son! And you won't believe the hijinks that ensue when Daniel takes Eli bowling! Fun for the whole family, Sundays at 8 on TBN!
@TMC: i hear what you're saying, but i still see these situations as fairly true to life. for example, NYC: planning to go for three months, i find it completely believable that she would have at some point a doubt in her mind that that's a long enough period of time to realize (or not) her dream.
some people mention the episode where they keep missing each other on the phone...well, at the end of the day when they left each other messages, jim (or maybe pam?) said something about it just being "one of those days". haven't we all had one of those days when we don't connect? i still don't see the supposed tension there.
Alan, I've gotta say that I think you're wrong on Creed. First of all, from what I've seen of various deleted scenes, it seems like they leave some hilarious Creed material on the cutting room floor. It's not like he's short on material -- it's just that they too easily lift out during the editing because they're not really tied in very firmly with the actual plot.
But Creed can still work when they give him more to do. The episode when he dropped the ball on the quality control (the one with the obscene watermark) worked nicely. Or the one where he tried acting younger when he thought corporate was trying to zero out the old guys.
Obviously he's no Andy Bernard where he can carry a heavy load every third or fourth episode. But he can work his magic if they give him an occasional episode where he actually factors into the story. I've yet to come away from an episode thinking they gave me too much Creed (and I can't say that about any of the other characters, really).
DolphinFan Wrote:
On second viewing, I was laughing more because Toby's complete pacifism towards Michael was perfectly played by both Steve and Paul: what could be more enraging to a passive-aggressive jerk like Michael than someone who doesn't have an aggressive bone in his body?
I really liked this episode because of this dynamic. My favorite office moments are when Michael inadvertently says something that rings completely true and is very insightful.
In this episode it was: "Are you kidding me? That's what you're worrying about? You're worried about the cops' time! You think I framed you, and you're worried about the taxpayer!"
What Michael says is so true. Michael has done something horrible and way over the line and all Toby, the freaking HR guy, is worried about is the tax payer. Micheal, though he is in the wrong, is nonetheless completely on the nose in criticizing Toby's reaction. It's funny and ironic. And it's why I really liked this episode.
So did Michael actually buy pot which Creed then stole, or was he really that dumb not to know that it was Caprese Salad? It didn't even look like a pound of anything which is why I thought that Creed might have substituted the real pot for salad.
There were some funny moments... mostly Creed, but I can't say that this one was a favourite. The PB&J almost conflicts but not really seem a bit out of place to me. I am okay with them being happy in the relationship, but this has been a few weeks straight of bad sitcom conflict that is easily resolved that sorta take away from the funny.
>>re: "Jim just makes the garage into an art studio (which ok, was incredibly sweet)"
... except that without natural light, it isn't exactly the best place for artistic work.>>
Yeah, I noticed that too. He's all "It's got really good lighting" and there were no windows. Maybe he plans to punch some windows in there.
I'm fairly certain that Michael really did pay 500 bucks for that little baggy of salad. Of course, it's way less than a pound, it's way less than 500 dollars' worth, and it's a little silly that the cop even bothered opening the bag to determine it was just salad.
Creed, it's implied, actually does have drugs hidden somewhere.
Something else I thought about: Is Ryan's trip to Thailand related to drugs at all? I know it reads like he just wanted to run away from Kelly. But when you think about it, Pam had kind of made fun of him for being a lowly temp, and he's trying to put together some money from Kelly, and he's suddenly leaving the country (after all the talk of suspicion that Toby smuggled drugs back from his own vacation). Is this Ryan's next plan to hit it big?
This was really weak. It was drastically out of character for Dwight to suggest framing someone for drugs, and Michael went further than I'm able to forgive him for--I hate when the writers have him do that. And all the stories felt underdeveloped, like there were a couple scenes missing from each. There was a deleted scene from the microwave subplot that would've helped things out a lot, but I was very upset we never found out who made the mess--specifically because I really, really believe it was Jim (watch it back and look at him whenever it comes up), which would've had an interesting effect on the relationship if it had come out. Michael's blinding hatred of Toby is one of my favorite running gags ever, so whenever that was the focus I was happy, but the rest? Eh.
I'm amused by Michael's hatred of Toby, too, but this felt over the top.
And as for Michael's level of stupidity that's sometimes hard to swallow: did I understand correctly that Toby was back for a week before Michael even noticed?
Probably too much to ask but i would've loved if they'd followed up on the microwave story with a reveal with the same clip being shown over and over again like when Gaffney was stealing the lunches of the detectives in H:LOTS.
I think Creed is used perfectly. He's not meant to be the center of attention in any episode. His humor comes from the fact that he's used so sparingly.
The same goes (or used to go) for the Michael hating Toby subplot. That used to be my favorite running subplot - when Michael would just casually make it be known that he hates Toby. However, they totally went WAY overboard this week. So much so that I didn't find it funny at all.
I missed what Dwight said/did that references The Shield -- can someone enlighten me?
I hate whatever it is about TV that makes us tense up about a huge implosion or the dissolution of a relationship every time a dating couple has conflict. I love PB&J because the comfortable dynamic is familiar to me. My husband and I are both happy and secure, which is something that rarely happens to main characters. As a viewer, I want Pam and Jim to have the same security so I'm not jumping at shadows.
As far as the house, I see it as "it's crappy and it needs work, but it's good for Jim's family and we have a place of our own."
Pam doesn't strike me as the kind to be big on interior design (or really hip, extreme crafts, for that matter). I think she's come around to the fact that it's not a castle, but it's a home to build a life on.
The episode wasn't blow-my-socks-off memorable, but Dwight was in good form, and Creed is a favorite of mine. :)
Anonymous, I missed it the first time also. Dwight suggests they frame Toby by planting drugs in the desk, then says, "It's illegal, but everything they do on The Shield is illegal."
My take on Pam's reaction to the house: I don't think she liked it at first, because it's a fixer-upper, but what it *meant* sunk in and the externals didn't matter. Jim bought her a house, and that's something Roy would never do; Roy always thought of Pam as an afterthought and never supported her dreams/passions. Jim put her happiness first. Yes, he was helping out his parents, but he didn't *need* to buy the house. He wanted to do it for Pam, to give her everything. I mean, this is his history and he gave it to her, holding nothing back. He valued her dreams (the studio where he could have parked his car). He set aside space where she could pursue them, even after she 'failed' in New York. And he was giving her something permanent, something that would be hers (theirs) to do with - she could paint it and decorate it however she wanted and not have to ask someone's permission. This is not something that they'd rent. It was *theirs.* I loved Pam's reaction because she *got* it, and got Jim. And if I had been in the same situation, even if I hated the house, I would have loved it for that reason. Because the carpet can go. And so can the wall with the hideous clown on it. But a man like that -- priceless.
As far as Michael and Toby. If I had been drinking when Michael screamed "No, no, no, no, no!" I would have spit. The whole thing just shows how lost he is without Holly (because she would have reined him in).
I also like the idea that Ryan is going to end up in some Thai prison for being a drug mule. He's always been kinda a jerk, and even after FRAUD, he's still as arrogant and condescending as ever. Fitting end to the little twit!
The Ryan-Kelley breakup was, of course, marvelous---"And, if you have any extra money laying around, that'd be great." But what really made it comedy gold was Kelley's moment of thought before saying "Okay." If she had just blurted out "Okay without thinking, and thus gotten roped into it out of enthusiasm, it'd be one thing. But the fact that she THINKS ABOUT IT! and then says okay almost makes me feel bad for the poor creature.
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