Friday, March 26, 2010

The Office, "Happy Hour": Be gay with him, but be straight with me

A review of last night's "The Office" coming up just as soon as I whack some moles...

After a couple of episodes that finally recaptured the tone of the series but didn't bring a lot of laughs, the B.J. Novak-scripted "Happy Hour" was more of a mixed bag: very funny and/or on-model in parts, and then incredibly stupid in others.

Take, for instance, the use of Kevin. Kevin standing behind the windows making sex gestures and giggling while Andy and Erin talk about wanting to keep their obvious relationship a secret? Very very funny, and something Kevin would absolutely do. But Kevin repeatedly crying like a baby to make Pam lactate? Gross and weird and something where Jim and/or Pam would have slugged him the second time for sure, if not the first.

For that matter, I rolled my eyes at an awful lot of the Andy and Erin material. There comes a point where writing this relationship as Jim & Pam 2: The Dumbening stops being sweet and starts being, well, stupid, and I think we reached it here. Just because PB&J tried, and ultimately failed, to keep their romance a secret doesn't mean that these two have to automatically try the same gambit. Go somewhere else with it, please.

And yet the larger atmosphere of the Happy Hour night - and the idea that Oscar's attempt to ask out Matt the warehouse guy would lead to a really fun night for most of the office and warehouse staff - was really well-done and had a lot of nice moments for most of the ensemble. Darryl's new office is already paying dividends, as the "you can be gay with Matt but be straight with me" scene was a very dry, funny exchange between Darryl and Oscar. We finally got to see why Pam's friend Isabel might actually be into Dwight (she's a lot like him, just prettier), and we got some nice small moments like Phyllis's explanation of why she wears low-cut tops on nights out and Ryan and Kelly trying to concentrate on Dance Dance Revolution. And, of course, Oscar acknowledging Darryl's point that Matt isn't the right guy for him and then immediately running off to pathetically shoot hoops with Matt was a pathetic but believably funny moment.

As for Michael Scott as Date Mike? Another mixed bag. I get the joke - that when Michael's not trying to be charming and funny, he actually is charming and funny, and that his belief in himself as a performer always sabotages him - but Date Mike, like Prison Mike and some other alter egos before him, was just so over-the-top that it was painful to watch. And given that Michael was having some success with Pam's friend, and that Jim and Pam wanted to make this fix-up work, and that Michael has on occasion in the past been willing to listen to Jim's advice, I just didn't buy that Jim wouldn't have pulled him aside and been a lot blunter and more forceful about how badly Michael was screwing up what had been going so well only moments earlier. All the Date Mike shenanigans were a build-up to Michael forging a better connection with the bar manager (played by Amy Pietz), but I find less is always much, much more with Michael at his zaniest.

Overall, though, I'd say the good outweighed the bad in this one, but just barely.

What did everybody else think?

64 comments:

Jake said...

I agree completely. Still, as has been shown in the past, it is a lot of fun to watch these guys just have fun with each other.

I'm interested to see where they are going to take the Andy-Erin thing. Are they going to keep putting fake obstacles in, or are they going to just let their romance develop? The Erin's adopted brother storyline didn't work for me, I thought it was just plain weird (neither did tonight's "let's keep it a secret") but if they're really trying to channel Jim-Pam again, they can't make it smooth sailing obviously.

olucy said...

I liked it more than you did, I guess. In fact, I liked it more than I've liked this show in a long time, for some reason. I do agree, though, that when they choose scenes/eps where Michael makes a fool of himself they just run too long. But I love eps that involve the whole cast, and the high point for me was Isabel whack-a-moling Angela on the head. Totally didn't see that coming, and it was hilarious.

Kensington said...

As painful (in the bad way) as Date Michael was, the moment when Michael didn't realize that the manager was flirting with him was wonderful. His angry response when she teased him by saying "shut up!" is still cracking me up.

Also, I love Amy Pietz and was very happy to see her on the show.

Finally, it was nice to see Pam again. I've been worried that the show is going to end up "Jan"-ing her (i.e., write her into a corner with a baby and then end up dropping her entirely).

Kensington said...

Ooh, yes, olucy is spot on: Isabella whacking Angela like a mole was another brilliant, and unexpected, moment.

Anonymous said...

I wouldn't overdo the Jim/Pam and Andy/Erin secrecy similarity. Since Angela, Andy is a changed man and It seemed in character for him to want to make a big deal about keeping the whole thing a secret. He is, after all, a drama queen at heart.

Anyways, I thought that this episode was step in the right direction.

Chris said...

Disappointing that Michael got so stupid--one of the few times it was too much, and just painful/not funny.

Also, can anyone explain why the manager turned on a dime and suddenly liked him? Was it because he wrote a book "in his head"? Didn't quite understand the change in her.

Dan said...

My biggest problem with the Andy and Erin subplot is that we've already seen Andy date one office worker (Angela), and he tried to hook up with nearly every woman in the office as soon as he got to Scranton. The writers completely ignored the history of a character for a couple of cheap, poorly-executed gags.

Based on that alone, I should've guessed that it was a BJ Novak script. (shrug)

Dave B said...

Best show of the season, by far. Date Mike was suitably cringe-worthy, and lots of great comedic moments for everyone.

Sadly, the only part I didn't care for was the Andy-Erin plotline. Love the characters, but I've got no desire to run through another Jim-Pam romance. I was invested in it the first time, this time, it just falls flat. Just let them be like Kelly and Ryan: together, no big deal, bring the comedy.

Kristi Logan said...

I am in complete agreement with you about Date Michael. It's very outputting when they crank up the Michael Scott antics to ridiculous levels- I literally groaned when he was at his car changing into his Kangol hat, knowing exactly where it was going. I think it actually detracts from his character and the show in general when they go over the top with him, but that's just my opinion.

Kristi Logan said...

Oh, and I'll be another person to say my favorite moment was Isabel whack-a-moleing Angela on the forehead. Physical humor amuses me.

Ring Agent #6 said...

The episode was uneven, but there were a few moments that were really, really funny (Daryl-Oscar; whack-a-Angela; Kevin torturing Andy-Erin; Creed dancing).

stephen said...

One very minor point that I thought of only because I just saw the episode in syndication: when Oscar is playing basketball with Matt, he looks decidedly more "stereotypically gay" while shooting than he does when he plays the exact game with Darryl in the Career Day episode. Was this intentional on Oscar's part (perhaps trying to get Matt to show him how to shoot), or just out of character and done for cheap laughs by the writers?

Anonymous said...

I actually thought the Andy-Erin romance in this one was good. As for the similarity to Jim and Pam, I took that as Andy trying pathetically to be like Jim. I don't see this as a real storyline in the show like Jim and Pam, but rather as a vehicle to see what a doofus/jerk Andy is.

Anonymous said...

I thought this was one of the best episodes in a long time. Just an observation though- date mike was very funny, but in a different way than michael of old. Michael of old had a little bit of realism too him. You knew people like Michael. Date Mike was funny, but it was one of those points where you're just saying come on, nobody's that clueless.

Anonymous said...

I also thought Michael regressed too much after we've seen him have somewhat successful relationships with Carol, Holly, and Pam's mom. It would have been more appropriate for him to realize he's on a date and then just start being needy, awkward, and inadvertently saying off-color things. But Date Mike was just a jerk, and it's hard to fathom why he thought that would work.

Also thought the bar manager turned around on him too quickly, but it was a nice exchange. Overall, it was nice to see just about everyone in the office get some screen time and a chance to do something. And goes back to what made the Office work in the first place, simplicity. The whole night was set up by Oscar trying to spend some time with Matt.

Unknown said...

If there is another freaking lactation "joke", I am done with this show. That stuff (Kevin here, Pam/neighbor baby in the hospital) is just plain GROSS. So lame, Office, so lame.

Lannes314 said...

Isabel whacking Angela on the head made the night for me, but the whole episode satisfied. It was like a series of snapshots of all the Office romances at their various stages of development. That being said, they could have toned down Kevin.

Cody said...

I don't think the Andy/Erin plot was a re-hashing by the writers, exactly... more like Andy expecting everyone to care about him and Erin as much as they cared about Jim and Pam. They don't.

But, I do agree that it doesn't quite work, seeing as Andy has already dated someone from the office. Unless it's just Erin being the secretary that sparked the comparison in his mind...

Zach said...

I enjoyed the episode, very glad they are giving more screen time to Craig Robinson. It's getting funny how almost everyone in the office is getting a romantic storyline though, still holding out hope for Todd Packer and Meredith. And kudos to the poster who recalled Oscar shooting hoops at the Career Day episode.

Few things I enjoyed off the top of my head:
• Andy holding up the picture from the photobooth showing the deterioration of his relationship with Erin

• Creed's reaction when Michael said he was eliminated from the push up contest

• Dwight and Isabelle's first exchange when she walked into the bar.

Andrew said...

The transition from when the manager lady went from wanting to kick him out while talking at the bar to when she was interested was a weird transition. Hard to follow.

srpad said...

Mixed bag is the perfect description. Some funny moments but some really not.

Kevin's crying would have been funnier if he was more subtle about it. Pointing his face at Pam's chest was a bit much.

In past episodes, when Michael hit it off with women, it seemed very natural (including here with Pam's friend) but his hitting it off with the Bar Manager just seemed like the writers writing which is not good.

shushie said...

I just found too much of the episode painful to watch with Date Mike (and yeah, we've seen this before too much). Wouldn't Jim and Pam have learned by now? Didn't Pam lose her apartment thanks to setting Michael up with her landlord? How many more shows are they going to build around this tired plot? And I agree that the transition from the manager wanting to kick him out to wanting to ask him out was too weird.

Whack-a-Angela was funny though.

Alyson said...

That was Amy Pietz? How did I miss that? I love her. Will have to watch again with this knowledge.

Steve said...

I enjoyed it. I still haven't been blown away by The Office in a long time. I adore the Andy and Erin relationship. Ed Helms and the actress who plays Erin are great together.

I think the manager warmed to Michael so quickly because he was the exact opposite type of manager as she. Perhaps I was interpreting what isn't there, but it seemed that she was a stern manager and wanted to be more friendly and caring about her employees. She picked up on something in Michael that she envied or was attracted to. Granted, he's an idiot... but she'll see that eventually if they continue the subplot.

dronkmunk said...

Stephen - I noticed the same thing, because I also happened to catch "Career Day" last night.

Stonewall said...

I agree with much of what you said. Date Mike was just annoying, and I didn't really laugh all that much during his silliness. Oscar/Darryl moments were funny, and it was hilarious to watch Oscar shooting basketball with Matt. I have seen guys shoot that badly, so it was really funny to me. Dwight scenes were great - this was my favorite usage of Dwight this season I think. Isabel whacking Angela on the head at the end was hilarious!

I want to see more of Jim and Pam pranking people again. I guess they are trying to show that they have matured, maybe, but those were great moments.

Zack Smith said...

Date Mike (perhaps an in-joke about Steve Carell doing DATE NIGHT?), would have worked if it came off more as Michael's panicked response to being on a date and needing to seem "cool." What instead came off was that he welcomed an opportunity to perform and made a jackass out of himself.

The show's sort of moved past the point where setting Michael up for the moment of explosion/implosion feels old. He's better when he rises to the occasion, or there's some method to his madness.

Good to see Amy Pietz, though. She was excellent on ALIENS IN AMERICA, and she always seemed better than the material on other shows such as CAROLINE IN THE CITY...well, that wasn't hard.

She-Dwight was kind of awesome. Andy/Erin is more funny when they're being weird (their mutually horrifying backstories offer a lot of material), as opposed to Bizarro Jim/Pam.

I sort of loved Pam being so enthusiastic about seeing everyone from the office, and despite how it turned out, it was nice to have her try to hook Michael up even after what happened with her mom. (>:

The closing credits were AWESOME.

iamnoahjames.com said...

I absolutely loved this episode. The cringe-worthy stuff with Date Mike still made me laugh. I loved his attempt at winking. Great stuff. It also was justified him being stupid be his explanation of watching dating shows (and by his actions, we are talking MTV dating shows, of others like Blind Date, Fifth Wheel, Elimidate, etc.).

I loved how Erin/Andy thought people would care about them as much as Jim/Pam, which is 100% wrong - and the fact that andy was "worried" about it as much as HOPING for it.

I LOVED when Dwight didn't realize Angela was walking behind them, with him yelling out "F**K" at being shocked she was there.

Daryl was so awesome as a new dynamic, which I hope they keep using.

Chris said...

A lot of attractive women on the show last night, btw.....

tribalism said...

This was the best episode in a looong time...probably since "Niagara."

I guess it shouldn't be shocking that his his favourite drink is grenadine, but that tidbit had me laughing pretty hard. Steve Carell's super-serious delivery of "No, you shut up" after the manager flirtatiously told him to shut up was perfect. I had to rewind and watch it again two times after that.

My of my thoughts on this episode can be found on my blog where I go into detail about why Pam is very, very lucky that things with Julie worked out as well as what I hope Michael starts to learning about himself.

Unknown said...

I agree, a very schizo episode. The bad stuff was really bad (Michael's antics, Andy and Erin) but the funny stuff was firing on all cylinders (Dwight/Angela/Isabel, Oscar and Daryl, Ryan and Kelly).

And of course, the funniest bit was the closing sting, with the surgeon telling his yakuza story and Daryl's reactions. That was easily the best moment of the season so far, by a mile.

Christina said...

No mention of Stanley being the only one able to do 25 push ups just so he could leave early.

Asta said...

I turned the sound off during the Date Michael scenes. I can deal with a certain level of stupidity/obliviousness from Michael, but that went too far.

And Andy/Erin have worn out their welcome. Not that I want them to split up. They are cute together and well suited to each other, but the show is trying too hard to make them Pam and Jim 2.0 and it's becoming difficult to watch.

Nice to see Daryl continue to be integrated more into the show. And he was right, Oscar and Matt don't seem suited for each other, but Matt is very easy on the eyes and I can see why Oscar would continue to awkwardly pursue him. ;)

And I didn't think it was possible, but I felt a little sorry for Angela.

Jim said...

more like Andy expecting everyone to care about him and Erin as much as they cared about Jim and Pam. They don't.

I agree, I think it would have worked better if Andy had come right out and said, 'we're doing this because Big Tuna and Pam did it". Watching Erin's reactions to Andy--she's so naive and sweet but even she thinks he's kind of nuts and stupid-is great.

As someone said, I liked this episode because every character had at least a moment (except Meredith, but I guess I can't complain after she jumped Todd Packer last week). I like Ryan and Kelly's latest incarnation as hipster-doofus-kidults. I think they could have done more with Pam's first night of freedom and reconnecting with everyone in the office. They could have used Kevin's wah wah time to do it. In fact, I think this epi had the stuff to make an hour out of.

Jim said...

"I'll see you in small claims court!" as Angela runs from Isabel. Perfect capper to the whack moment

Truck said...

You know how sometimes you go to a bar and your friends are already way drunker than you and they're yelling over each other and drunk-dreaming some dumb invention that just bores you to death and you pray you get drunk enough to make it bearable soon? That's exactly what watching The Office is like now. I'm praying all this stupid shit they're doing this season will magically become funny, because I like these guys and hate judging all their mistakes so harshly.

Col Bat Guano said...

The problem with stories like Date Mike is one the show has never really been able to handle well. Michael Scott as the obnoxious, needy boss who you have to deal with because he writes the checks is something everyone can relate to. Moving that character out into the "real" world such as here or in Phyllis' Wedding makes him seem unbelievable and hard to watch.

Anonymous said...

To me, this was the perfect example of how the Office is hilarious one scene, and painfully sad & embarrassing for the characters in the next scene.

Not that I like that format they usually tend to fall back on, but that's how they roll, and the good still outweighs the bad in this episode.

Anonymous said...

What about season one's 'Basketball'? Michael tells Oscar he can't play on the team and to wait for baseball season. Then the end of the episode, after the game, shows Oscar draining jumpers... right? I can't find the clip. Did the writer's forget this?

Anonymous said...

The problem I have with “Date Mike” is that they’ve gone to the well of inappropriate and cringe worthy Michael so many times that it’s gotten stale and predictable. I think part of the issue is that since Steve Carrell is the "star" of the show, they feel they have to give Michael the most screen time of any character, when an episode like this would have benefitted from less Michael and more of the other characters.

I like Erin. I love Andy. But, there is no chemistry between them and I find them dull as a couple. There are no real obstacles to their relationship, like Pam’s engagement was to early PB&J, so the contrived obstacles that the writers have come up with seem just that, contrived and stupid.

On the other hand, I was surprised at how much I loved Dwight and Isabel this episode, as they seemed a perfect match. I hope that relationship continues, and please let there be a Pam & Jim, and Isabel & Dwight double date.

Steve said...

The highlight for me was Creed killing it on DDR in front of huge crowd.

Anonymous said...

Andy and Erin is not JIm and Pam II. It is Andy Bernard, dorky loser, trying to be like Jim in a way that makes him pathetic/funny.

Anonymous said...

Alan, do you hear anything from the Office creators/writers as to where the series is headed? I only ask because recently when shows seem to veer in a direction that makes the fans angry you've provided interviews/insight into the series' process (Burn Notice, Chuck, New Scrubs...)

I'd be interested to hear what the writers think of the show and where it's headed.

Allison said...

I so hope the writers for The Office read this review. There were funny parts. I still find Michael and Dwight a happy duo to be hilarious.

But the part with Kevin crying like a baby, TWICE, and for way too long a time was excruciating. I can't say how much I hated that scene. I may not be able to see Kevin for weeks without trying to get that out of my head.

And part of the show's weird charm is that Michael can make us cringe as we laugh. But "Date Michael" made me want to run from the room. And that part of the episode had been funny.

The Andy/Erin pretense was a little too close to the Jim/Pam story but I still enjoyed it.

Oscar shooting hoops was very human and funny. Isabella smacking Angela was awesome. That relationship with Dwight has some weird magic in it.

And I loved hearing Pam enthusiastically react to going out and seeing her back in the show was wonderful.

Unknown said...

Those complaining about Oscar's hoops abilities, two things:

1) He'd been pounding beers because he was bummed Matt hadn't shown up.

2) He was focusing more on Matt and was obviously nervous.

Creed as always does the most with the least.

hmf said...

Worth noting, or maybe not: Warehouse Matt was played by Tim Daly's son.

Wesley J. Collins said...

I continue to agree that this may be the worst season of the show since Season One, and that it has spent too much time with under-developed plot lines. Still, it's best episodes (Niagara, especially Murder, and tonight's--among others) have been on par with highlights from seasons past. If anything, I think we were spoiled by the Michael Scott Paper Company arc, easily the series's most ambitious.

As to the increasingly unbelievable Michael Scott, I can only see Date Mike ("Nice to Meet Me") as stemming from the same sad place from whence Prison Mike and Agent Michael Scarn sprang.

Maybe I'm an apologist, but I am willing to let the show become whatever it ends up as. After all, imagine if Seinfeld had aired The Bizarro Jerry the week after The Chinese Restaurant. Two classic episodes, certainly, but with radically different concerns and tones--and separated by several years. The Office simply can't stay in the Season Two halcyon days forever--certainly not in its sixth year!

Unknown said...

I really enjoyed this, from start to finish. The highlight was Dwight finding Angela literally standing below his left armpit. Damn, she's tiny.

I spent a lot of time wondering how women who look like Isabel and Amy Pietz have enough trouble finding dates that they are willing to entertain the possibility of Dwight and Michael, but putting that aside I thought it was great.

(As an aside, I'm a sucker for Ryan and Kelly, so I enjoyed their unity on Dance Dance Revolution. They may be a terrible, terrible couple, but there are definitely reasons why they stick together.)

Anonymous said...

I found the whole "Date Mike" part really pathetic. It ruined what could have been a really good episode. I totally agree that "less is more" when it comes to Michael. Imagine if they'd played up how well the date was going longer, and held the scene with Michael changing into "Date Mike" until late in the episode, then ended the ep with a cut to a "morning after" scene where Michael was bemoaning how everything went wrong, leaving all the specifics to our imagination. It would have been funnier and we would have totally got it, without the insufferable, over the top footage we had to suffer through (and which makes Michael look like a total ass).

TomV-Piscataway said...

I hope Isabel is in every episode. I loved her. A female amazon-like Dwight. They played off each other so well. The Angela smack by her was perfect.

I think Andy and Erin are two perfect dorks. They will work out fine.

Kevin - ugh! Really hated his scenes.It got uncomfortably stupid.

Date Mike - Cringeworthy at times, but i like the way it ended for him with Amy P.

Darrell was terriffic tonight. He doesn't have to say much, his expressions say it all.

Anonymous said...

Not to dwell on the Oscar hoops thing, but that was Kevin who was draining jumpers at the end of the basketball episode in season 1, not Oscar.

Susan said...

I loved this episode. Date Mike was awesome, just like his relative Prison Mike. The best part of Michael Scott is when he is painful to watch, pathetic, unlikable, and yes, cringe-worthy.

It was very realistic that new mom Pam was so starved for adult contact that she was excited to see her co-workers. Normally she can barely tolerate these people. She gave us her reason for fixing Michael up with her friend..."She laughs at everything."

And Isabelle! In an earlier season, Michael and Dwight got into a club accompanied by a woman's college basketball team and Dwight summed it up in one word, "Amazons." Dwight and Isabelle's conversation while walking in the parking lot was fun. She "gets" him.

Rob Biesenbach said...

I see two different levels of "painful-to-watch Michael Scott." There's the one at the job fair and when he spoke to Ryan's b-school class. And then there's Prison Mike and Date Mike. I like the latter ones better. Maybe it's funnier because it's the character of Michael Scott trying on a new character and performing.

But either way, even when it's painful to watch and I'm squirming and peaking through my fingers, it's still engrossing to me. But I also thought Valerie Cherish was one of the most ingenious characters and performances on television ever.

I thought this was the best episode of the season. Dwight was on FIRE. And I liked that when they had to deal with phony writerly "obstacles," they at least dispensed with them quickly.

Anonymous said...

Am I the only one who is not a Amy Pietz fan? When she showed up, my reaction was "not her again". The actress that kept showing up in one bad sitcom after another. As soon as would see her in a new show, I would immeditately change the channel, knowing the show would be awful. i'd think to myself, probalby unfairly, who is she sleeping with to keep getting work?
Now in this episode, it was probably bad writing and not bad acting by Amy Pietz, but I too am confused about the manager's sudden conversion from wanting to throw out Micheal to wanting to date him.

par3182 said...

Every time I see Kelly and Ryan together I get distracted by where we are in their on/off relationship (when did they get back together?)

Before I recognized Amy Peitz I briefly thought Marisa Tomei was slumming.

I dread the thought of yet another season of the show; it's running on fumes now. Unless they plan on giving Daryl a lot more to do..?

Ori said...

Alan, the way I saw the Andy-Erin subplot in this episode was not as a pale rehash, but a Jim-Pam that-phase-of-their-relationship parody, beautifully fueled by condense-ad-ridicule - so I don't think you gave the writers enough credit. That said, I generally agree your conclusion, and would like to see them go to new places, too.

Sidenote: Gosh, the guy who plays Oscar's so great. And, I loved the way two gay gays throwing basketballs - one, not proficient, the other, is - was portreyed, follies of stereotypical humor be damned.

Anonymous said...

The funniest part was when Pam started to lactate because Kelly was crying, after Kevin hopelessly tried to make that happen. Sorry,but there's no way Stanley would have beat Oscar in the push up contest. Oscar is in great shape & does yoga. I was surprised Jim did so poorly. Have we ever seen him in a short sleeve shirt? Maybe he doesn't have muscle arms. Something is "off" with Erin. The weird relationship with her live in foster brother, rubbing that guy's thigh ("I think I saw it in a movie"), I guess its leading up to some big reveal.

Anonymous said...

I used to love this show, last nights episode was another reason for me to find something else to do on Thursday nights. Not much original this season. Do we really need another Pam-Jim (Andy - Erin) relationship? This just seems lazy on the writers part. Kevin was just creepy, and Pam and Jim are so uninteresting now. Only moment that made me laugh was Angela getting whacked.

Anonymous said...

I hate Date Michael.

Henry said...

The episode was going so well, and then "Date Mike" showed up and it went downhill. It was like watching a car accident in slow motion. Good parts in the margins (Dwight getting it on with Isabel in front of Angela; Michael inadvertently flirting with the hot manager), but it just didn't compare to the stuff that came in the actual office. The Andy-Erin romance just doesn't work. That said, the beginning of the episode is the best I've seen the show in a long, long time (since immediately after "Niagara") and I hope there's more where that comes from.

Henry said...

At the end of "Basketball" in season one, Kevin is the one who keeps draining jumper after jumper. I don't recall what Oscar was doing.

LoopyChew said...

While Date Mike was far too OTT for me to find believable, everything else worked quite nicely for me. While Kevin's gag was annoying (particularly as he shoved his face into Pam's breasts--I'm with the consensus that believes she should have decked him then and there), Kelly's crying setting them off was a perfect punchline.

Isabel is growing on me with each appearance, and I love the many random sight gags revolving around Angela's height (the whack-a-mole gag would NEVER have worked if she weren't that short, but also that bit where she was trailing behind Dwight and Isabel and he didn't notice until she started speaking). I kinda hope Isabel stays around for a while, because I don't think anybody deserves to be stuck with Angela. (The character, obviously; I'd love to be stuck with Angela, the actress. She's adorable!)

LoopyChew said...

Also, I was kinda happy about the whole Andy/Erin thing in that they kept on hitting the joke that everyone KNEW, and it was blatantly obvious.

Erin's "talk to me like that and I'll cut your face" was also far too cute.

Still, I kinda wish Andy had gone with calling her "Kelly Erin Hannon" instead of just "Erin Hannon," since canonically she normally goes by Kelly and only started using Erin in the office so she wouldn't get confused with crybaby Kelly.

Thong said...

Hmm, I kinda agree with the guy mentioning how Erin is a little off and there might be more to her story. Perhaps there will be a big reveal when it turns out Erin is/was a prostitute and that's why she's so good at being able to seduce the guy at the bar? And her "step-brother" is actually a pimp.. She does seem sort of innocent, otherwise.

Cracked up when Dwight freaked when Angela walked beside him.

Kevin is retarded. He is always way over the top. Not funny at all. Meredith is unnecessary as well. She's basically a weird, drunk ho 24/7. OK, we got it.

And at least make it 50 push-ups. Only 1 person is able to do 25? Come on.

I've seen the Kevin fail/Kelly crying lactating type of punchline in the past but can't remember where.

Kind of odd that this is Oscar's second attempt at hooking up with Matt. He must really want to bone.. or be boned.