tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post8261418313984420840..comments2024-03-19T05:50:19.572-04:00Comments on What's Alan Watching?: The Office, "Business Trip": Take off, to the Great White NorthAlan Sepinwallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-4788991088098681662009-02-02T00:05:00.000-05:002009-02-02T00:05:00.000-05:00I know this is kind of late, but I just wanted to ...I know this is kind of late, but I just wanted to point out a couple of things.<BR/><BR/>"Winnipeg accents" sound exactly the same as the actors on the office. The one that actors try to learn to sound like they have no accent.<BR/><BR/>Also, Quebec is the only natively French province in Canada. While many people are bilingual, the primary language in Manitoba is English.<BR/><BR/>Pretty decent episode but they definitely didn't live up to they Winnipeg hype.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-73187690217504421032008-11-17T09:11:00.000-05:002008-11-17T09:11:00.000-05:00It just hit me that both Oscar and the Concierge w...It just hit me that both Oscar and the Concierge were both on Reno 911. He played a con man called Spanish Mike Alvarez who tricks the department that his team is from Homeland Security so they can rob the evidence locker.Rmadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15166936061804633920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-71244912939616270992008-11-16T08:49:00.000-05:002008-11-16T08:49:00.000-05:00There's nothing wrong with having a relationship w...There's nothing wrong with having a relationship without angst and break-ups. My husband and I only dated 8 months before we were married (no, I was not pregnant). Some would say that we didn't know each other well, but I like the idea that we've grown up together. We've been happily married 21 years now.janahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02712544662159511512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-7459529755545434012008-11-15T15:36:00.000-05:002008-11-15T15:36:00.000-05:00Bravo to BJ Novak and Mindy Kaling for that episod...Bravo to BJ Novak and Mindy Kaling for that episode. Every beat of their scenes was perfect.digammahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18151702410343124384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-74833436460437740132008-11-15T12:40:00.000-05:002008-11-15T12:40:00.000-05:00medusa said:With Toby gone and Pam in NY, no more ...medusa said:<BR/><BR/><I>With Toby gone and Pam in NY, no more meetings of their lunchtime club (why can't I recall the name?)</I><BR/><BR/>The Finer Things Club!<BR/><BR/>That's true about her class coming down to a final, but again, the writers never gave us any indication of how school or NYC really were going for her.<BR/><BR/>To Zeke's point about them seeing each other on the weekends, I have friends who date long-distance and spend their weekends together, but it's very stressful. It's just not the same as seeing someone throughout the week and having those day-to-day, spontaneous moments. And considering Pam and Jim work together, too, it's believable that they'd find any prolonged separation difficult.<BR/><BR/>Along those lines, I'd be interested to see more scenes of Pam and Jim outside the office and/or away from co-workers (though the documentary pretense makes that difficult). So much of their relationship is framed in the context of the office that their one-on-one dynamic may not be quite as strong.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-86720074396960942782008-11-15T12:30:00.000-05:002008-11-15T12:30:00.000-05:00The Finer Things Club. I.e. the gayest thing Osc...The Finer Things Club. I.e. the gayest thing Oscar does.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-33593269557048278572008-11-15T11:13:00.000-05:002008-11-15T11:13:00.000-05:00So, maybe I didn't understand it, but have Jim and...So, maybe I didn't understand it, but have Jim and Pam not been seeing each other on the weekends while she's been in NYC? It's only about 2 and a half hour away (with traffic.) Jim doesn't drive up their on Friday nights to go hang out in Manhattan with the girl he loves? And then drive back down late Sunday night. Seems like a no-brainer.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-41334940724898184812008-11-15T10:08:00.000-05:002008-11-15T10:08:00.000-05:00Wouldn't she have known sooner that she was failin...<I>Wouldn't she have known sooner that she was failing the class instead of at the very end of the program?</I><BR/><BR/>Not necessarily. Often a final exam weighs heavily on the overall grade, and if you're on the line between pass and fail, the final can make or break you. So yeah, she probably knew she was in trouble, but hoped she could pull it off. <BR/><BR/>My sense was that this was a required course to get the certificate or degree or whatever she was going for, and without it she just has a resume of completed courses. <BR/><BR/>Do we know the date of Angela and Andy's wedding? I remember the date was set, but will it be a sweeps episode or a season ender? <BR/><BR/>Loved seeing Oscar acting like a normal person outside of the office. Poor guy needs friends, right? With Toby gone and Pam in NY, no more meetings of their lunchtime club (why can't I recall the name?)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-10040798907783502302008-11-15T05:19:00.000-05:002008-11-15T05:19:00.000-05:00Lol, "Beer me dos Long Island Iced Teas, s'il vous...Lol, "Beer me dos Long Island Iced Teas, s'il vous plait"--thanks for reminding me of that line, that's a keeper. I would clamor for an Ed Helms spin-off but then they might make it and then we would hate on it and/or it would legitimately suck. Love the character, love the actor.tabernaclehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09270564558390860172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-37431305063138543262008-11-15T01:10:00.000-05:002008-11-15T01:10:00.000-05:00Re: any Andy/Oscar "vibe" - it crossed my mind for...Re: any Andy/Oscar "vibe" - it crossed my mind for about half a second. But mostly I think it was a very well-executed display of just how desperately lonely Andy is - not only for romantic love and affection, but for plain ol' genuine friendship. The ever insightful and compassionate Oscar knows this and realizes it costs him basically nothing to be Andy's drinking buddy for the evening. I thought it was very touching.<BR/><BR/>Ryan's character was hilarious trying to gain back his sense of masculinity after having had his balls cut off in front of everybody in his fall from grace. He believes scoring a huge victory over "Big Man" Darryl would help him regain his sense of self. But of course Darryl beats him without even breaking a sweat. Doubly humiliating.Oaktown Girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00811331454878606058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-57831538857289002562008-11-14T23:51:00.000-05:002008-11-14T23:51:00.000-05:00I thought this episode was, how you say, fantastic...I thought this episode was, how you say, fantastic. A couple of moments that haven't been mentioned yet:<BR/><BR/>- "Dandy Dale and Foppy McGee"<BR/><BR/>- Oscar's tween-girl giddiness when Andy started calling Angela<BR/><BR/>- The fact that Angela was with Dwight when Andy called ("Who is that, Monkey?")<BR/><BR/>- Angela's definition of "first base": allowing Andy to kiss her on the forehead.<BR/><BR/>- "The whole nine 'Nards"<BR/><BR/>As for Pam, I thought her explanation to Jim rang hollow, like she was trying to convince herself of what she was saying. Wouldn't she have known sooner that she was failing the class instead of at the very end of the program?<BR/><BR/>At the risk of joining the bandwagon that's not happy with the PB&J storylines either way, it seems the writers were non-committal in their portrayal of Pam in New York. We never really saw for sure if she did like it or not. Similarly, when I saw her standing in the parking lot, I wasn't sure whether I felt happy or disappointed. (And I get the sense Jim had the same reaction on some level.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-68662634613542717182008-11-14T23:43:00.000-05:002008-11-14T23:43:00.000-05:00I noticed an Air Canada tail in the airport scene,...I noticed an Air Canada tail in the airport scene, so that must've been the clue that they were in Winnipeg - seriously that was lame and not even one reference to the city being windy or the geographic centre of Canada. I guess the concierge's accent made sense if the premise was that Manitobans were all French Canadians that forgot how to speak French, but still speak English with a half ass accent. I would have preferred and outright hoser accent, so the concierge's accent just bugged the hell out of me. <BR/><BR/>I thought that I had read somewhere that some of the cast actually went to Winnipeg to film scenes... if so, it wasn't obvious. <BR/><BR/>Anyway, I didn't hate it, and the Andy and Oscar scenes were cute, but I can't put this one that high on the list.Nicolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11317568565085893849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-64967438769813207172008-11-14T22:08:00.000-05:002008-11-14T22:08:00.000-05:00shara - vibe caught. definitely.shara - vibe caught. definitely.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-47310337647516868962008-11-14T21:08:00.000-05:002008-11-14T21:08:00.000-05:00Have to say: I disagree that there's a problem wit...Have to say: I disagree that there's a problem with Pam's abrupt return. I disagree it's a violation of her character. This is the same woman who spent years not really pursuing her art dreams. The same woman who spent years quietly going along with Roy.<BR/><BR/>If anything, I'd consider it a bigger violation of her character if she suddenly sprouted some kind of hardened ambition that would allow her to keep Jim and Scranton on the back burner for as long as it takes to achieve other things. My opinion is that it feels about right that she could only go so long being away from her old life.J.J.https://www.blogger.com/profile/11999053649820732449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-74869427273657795062008-11-14T20:37:00.000-05:002008-11-14T20:37:00.000-05:00Butte AirlinesFrench-speaking WinnipegMicheal's ho...Butte Airlines<BR/><BR/>French-speaking Winnipeg<BR/><BR/>Micheal's honest interest in the concierge knowledge base, and that interest getting him a ride on the F-train.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-62010643780827225282008-11-14T17:46:00.000-05:002008-11-14T17:46:00.000-05:00To me, the biggest part about Pam's story that nob...To me, the biggest part about Pam's story that nobody's talking about is when she said she missed Scranton. I don't think she was rationalizing, although she may be confusing Scranton with Jim a little bit, but after all the talk last week about how Jim/Pam aren't really city people, this felt like a perfectly natural way to keep them here. <BR/><BR/>I thought the Pam story was great actually. I don't think it's a cop-out to have her hating graphic design, and as others have said, we have no evidence that her classes were enjoyable. I do hope she continues with art on another path, but trying to achieve what she thinks she wants and failing is a story we don't see very often on television.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-55055126825162573462008-11-14T17:34:00.000-05:002008-11-14T17:34:00.000-05:00Great episode---awesome season so far. I hate to s...Great episode---awesome season so far. I hate to sound like such a fan, but the show has been excellent and I'm enjoying each episode.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-9691749014851576492008-11-14T17:27:00.000-05:002008-11-14T17:27:00.000-05:00A perfect Office episodeA perfect Office episodeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-13971045773795728002008-11-14T16:54:00.000-05:002008-11-14T16:54:00.000-05:00Several points on a terrific, funny-and-sad episod...Several points on a terrific, funny-and-sad episode:<BR/>*The fact that Ryan and Kelly were both trying to use Daryl against each other, and the way he could not have cared less about either of them, was hilarious.<BR/>*I liked that David Wallace and Michael are both right and both wrong here. David's following a sound policy (supervisors can't date subordinates in the same office) but if he got past the rule book, he'd see Holly was good for Michael and the office. And Michael's comments to David were correct, but it's still never a good idea to rant at your boss, especially when you've got the spotty track record Michael has.<BR/>*I agree with the poster who thinks Angela's drifting into Jan territory. The problem with Ed Helms making Andy likable and funny (like here) is that it sends Angela's stock tanking. <BR/>*I trust in this show to have a solution for Pam's future that doesn't involve her being a receptionist anymore. Whether she's working in a nearby office or on a design project for DM, anything that doesn't return her to Season 2 form would probably work.<BR/>*Has Oscar Martinez ever had a story, let alone a scene, that wasn't outstanding and memorable? I can't think of any.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-60996170599323877882008-11-14T16:20:00.000-05:002008-11-14T16:20:00.000-05:00Alan, you missed the best part of the line."Beer m...Alan, you missed the best part of the line.<BR/><BR/>"Beer me dos Long Island Iced Teas, s'il vou plait."<BR/><BR/>Beer me for non-beer. "Dos" in Spanish. And "s'il vous plait" in Manitoba's native French. :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-82266558075165842992008-11-14T15:15:00.000-05:002008-11-14T15:15:00.000-05:00As for the "delightful faux-Manitoba accent", to m...<I>As for the "delightful faux-Manitoba accent", to me it sounded like a Scandinavian person with a cold. Not my idea of local, but I'm not complaining.</I><BR/><BR/>Yeah, I have no idea what the actual Winnipeg accent sounds like, and didn't think McLendon-Covey was coming close to it, but whatever she was doing sounded funny.Alan Sepinwallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-77650718455530564432008-11-14T15:11:00.000-05:002008-11-14T15:11:00.000-05:00As another Winnipegger, it's basically true what t...As another Winnipegger, it's basically true what the previous poster said. However there were subtle local touches, including brief inclusions of local products such as Fort Garry beer and Old Dutch potato chips. Just thought I'd mention it. As for the "delightful faux-Manitoba accent", to me it sounded like a Scandinavian person with a cold. Not my idea of local, but I'm not complaining.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-32356043797701213062008-11-14T15:02:00.000-05:002008-11-14T15:02:00.000-05:00Thanks, Alan! It wasn't even a well pasted link -...Thanks, Alan! It wasn't even a well pasted link - so, sorry about that :) The second posted link up there goes to the same place, and doesn't have a spoiler within the link!<BR/><BR/>Was I the only one who caught an interesting vibe with Oscar and Andy, that might go somewhere more interesting once we get past the inevitable wedding fiasco? I thought that it seemed intentionally ambiguous, but then again maybe I'm reaching.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-34173196895868502412008-11-14T14:13:00.000-05:002008-11-14T14:13:00.000-05:00Further to Evie's comment, no graphic design progr...Further to Evie's comment, no graphic design program that's even halfway decent would still be teaching Quark. They would have switched to InDesign ages ago.<BR/><BR/>Also, on behalf of the citizens of Winnipeg, I have to say this episode was a huge let-down. There wasn't even a token effort to make it appear as thought they were in Winnipeg, or use any local references (bar name and street names were fake, we don't have a "financial district"). This show is supposed to exist in the real world, so would it have killed the writing team to spend 3 minutes on Google?Colin Fasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02630707728041232328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-12705909561693924972008-11-14T13:57:00.000-05:002008-11-14T13:57:00.000-05:00I would feel like a huge nerd mentioning this if i...I would feel like a huge nerd mentioning this if it hadn't been for Alan's mention of the fact that there are no direct flights from Scranton to Winnipeg, but Pam tells Jim that she knows Quark but they switched to Acrobat--which is incorrect. The Adobe program that does the same thing as Quark is InDesign. Acrobat just works with pdf documents; InDesign actually designs them.<BR/>Anyhoo, I felt like the reason they gave for Pam coming back was better than a lot of others they could have come up with, but my ultimate question was just, why have her even go to NY in the first place? I don't think it added much to the series overall.Jennifer Boudinothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00474532822351545580noreply@blogger.com