tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post5621064551548314970..comments2024-03-25T19:18:14.047-04:00Comments on What's Alan Watching?: The Office, "Night Out": All in the game, yoAlan Sepinwallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-59234418471059228812008-04-26T17:28:00.000-04:002008-04-26T17:28:00.000-04:00There's a deleted scene on NBC.com from this week ...There's a deleted scene on NBC.com from this week that sort of hints at not everything being perfect in the world of PB&J.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-76537193221631863862008-04-26T14:16:00.000-04:002008-04-26T14:16:00.000-04:00Know what I like? Michael ordered Midori Sour. M...Know what I like? Michael ordered Midori Sour. Michael obviously doesnt know much about alcohol (Wasn't sure that 15 bottles of Vodka would get his office drunk at the Christmas Party) and Midori was Jim/Josh's drink joke on "The Convention."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-6793687689765570502008-04-25T21:24:00.000-04:002008-04-25T21:24:00.000-04:00Maybe it was just me, but Toby seemed too prepared...Maybe it was just me, but Toby seemed <I>too</I> prepared for the lock-in, with the football, and having the phone number - which he went out of his way to mention how he thought it would never come in handy - maybe Toby knew the gate would be locked and didn't say anything about it because he wanted to hang out with Pam.<BR/><BR/>It kind of makes the whole hand on her leg thing make a little more sense, like he had built up what was going to happen that night in his head so much that he failed to realize what a horrible faux pas it would be to actually touch her. He was just living in his fantasy world, and then after he reached for her leg, like he would in his fantasy, he saw everyone else's reactions, realized what he was doing, and immediately pulled the ripcord.<BR/><BR/>Anyhow, I felt that Toby actions were a little too intentional - and I'm not criticizing the writing - I think it was true and on purpose.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-45910564339249178982008-04-25T18:44:00.000-04:002008-04-25T18:44:00.000-04:00Why is B.J. Novak still in the main cast??Why is B.J. Novak still in the main cast??Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-16688445218197144982008-04-25T16:17:00.000-04:002008-04-25T16:17:00.000-04:00Tony Dayoub:Oh it was DEFINITELY ultra-dark but Mi...Tony Dayoub:<BR/><BR/>Oh it was DEFINITELY ultra-dark but Mindy Kaling pulled off a miracle and it was also very funny. It's a tough needle to thread (I think that's why a lot of diehard fans had mixed or negative views of "Dinner Party") and she got it done. And as far as these people being broken, well, that's the strongest link between the British and American versions: the humor of people in an abysmal work situation and often a worse personal one who find brightness in the gloom.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-89829894202791918382008-04-25T15:42:00.000-04:002008-04-25T15:42:00.000-04:00I LMAO, plain and simple. Great episode.I LMAO, plain and simple. Great episode.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-44107562778030393622008-04-25T15:32:00.000-04:002008-04-25T15:32:00.000-04:00"The early comments on the TwoP board worried me b...<I>"The early comments on the TwoP board worried me because they were mostly saying the episode was ultra-dark, not very funny...Broken people, but not worthless ones by any means."</I><BR/><BR/>You sure made it sound ultra-dark in your comments.Tony Dayoubhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04632329277519635858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-25690585319361887692008-04-25T15:00:00.000-04:002008-04-25T15:00:00.000-04:00The early comments on the TwoP board worried me be...The early comments on the TwoP board worried me because they were mostly saying the episode was ultra-dark, not very funny, humiliating for Michael and Toby. But I thought this was a terrific episode, one that really hit a bittersweet target and felt true to the characters. I'd say it was the show "Dinner Party" aimed to be before tiliting into horror and embarrassment over Michael and Jan's interactions.<BR/>One interesting subtext of this episode was the way many of the D-M males were truly acting like the "Boys" Michael was talking about. There was Michael calling him mom while striking out at the club, Dwight brushing off a woman's interest and cheerfully lying about making contact later on, Jim making stupid statements because he was embarrassed and stressed out about the lock-in (that's my interpretation of his comments about Hank and to Oscar), and the two most shocking examples: Ryan brokenly trying to relate his addiction to a kind but clueless Michael while he's exhausted and ashamed, and Toby fleeing over a fence after his creepy but forgivable faux pas involving Pam.<BR/>Broken people, but not worthless ones by any means.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-11366098689534891222008-04-25T14:03:00.000-04:002008-04-25T14:03:00.000-04:00I heard a possible spoiler somewhere (maybe Ausiel...<I>I heard a possible spoiler somewhere (maybe Ausiello?) </I><BR/><BR/><B>NO SPOILERS HERE. NO SPOILERS. PERIOD.</B>Alan Sepinwallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-42017711216570464092008-04-25T14:00:00.000-04:002008-04-25T14:00:00.000-04:00"I LOVED Michael's reaction when he saw that Ryan ...<I>"I LOVED Michael's reaction when he saw that Ryan actually seemed excited to see them at the club and even double checked that Ryan understood it was them. "Ryan, it's Michael and Dwight.""</I><BR/><BR/>COnfirms Michael is not oblivious of people's opinions of him.Tony Dayoubhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04632329277519635858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-2406036866117801182008-04-25T13:44:00.000-04:002008-04-25T13:44:00.000-04:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-50764977120137009092008-04-25T13:20:00.000-04:002008-04-25T13:20:00.000-04:00Did anyone else think that one of the women Michae...Did anyone else think that one of the women Michael was hitting on looked almost exactly like Jan?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-35183882300705583462008-04-25T13:09:00.001-04:002008-04-25T13:09:00.001-04:00The most I can hope for this season is Michael fig...The most I can hope for this season is Michael figuring out it is Ryan with the drug problem and then having the Office hold an intervention for him.<BR/>Squirm-tastic.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-23292457911297069302008-04-25T13:09:00.000-04:002008-04-25T13:09:00.000-04:00Speaking of Chair Model, I saw Pam's landlady on a...Speaking of Chair Model, I saw Pam's landlady on a ReadyWhip commercial during Ugly Betty.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-25712047630858165362008-04-25T12:26:00.000-04:002008-04-25T12:26:00.000-04:00"Not as brilliant as 'Chairmodel'"? What now? :) ..."Not as brilliant as 'Chairmodel'"? What now? :) This one far surpassed that ep just based on the number of times my husband and I LOL-ed out loud. <BR/><BR/>I don't think Jim is the new Michael but I do think the writers do like to show that being a manager isn't as easy as it seems and yeah, incidents like that are going to help the "Jim has no ambition" problem they seem to be setting up for Pam and Jim. Gotta have some drama, right, lest they get boring?<BR/><BR/>I LOVED Michael's reaction when he saw that Ryan actually seemed excited to see them at the club and even double checked that Ryan understood it was them. "Ryan, it's Michael and Dwight." Too funny!<BR/><BR/>Way too many great lines, but these are some of my favorites:<BR/>- I gotta go mom, one of my friends is getting beat up by some girls.<BR/>- I’m just going to hop the fence and jog home then (and then he does exactly that)<BR/>- Stay real, Scranton, all right? Peace.<BR/>- If I'm dead you guys have been dead for weeks.AyPNancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05134882749084313668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-33435306663705958972008-04-25T12:03:00.000-04:002008-04-25T12:03:00.000-04:00I liked this one. It was fun seeing Jim and Pam i...I liked this one. It was fun seeing Jim and Pam in the doghouse with everyone since they always seem to be above it all.<BR/><BR/>Everything that happened in NYC was great! Especially learning that ryan is a coked up loser whose posse consists of a dwarf that runs out on him. Not to mention Michael's idea of a job in finance is bank teller.<BR/><BR/>I also thought at the end we were going to see "Strangely Perceptive Michael." The fake-out was hilarious.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-27541155169621879182008-04-25T12:00:00.000-04:002008-04-25T12:00:00.000-04:00Michael and Dwight in a hip Manhattan club? Comic ...Michael and Dwight in a hip Manhattan club? Comic gold. Toby hopping the fence to go to Costa Rica RIGHT NOW? Hi-larious. <BR/><BR/>The Wire is <A HREF="http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/2008/03/09/85-the-wire/" REL="nofollow">stuff white people like</A>.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-68470466398482849012008-04-25T11:21:00.000-04:002008-04-25T11:21:00.000-04:00Funniest line of the night:Dwight to basketball te...Funniest line of the night:<BR/>Dwight to basketball team outside of club, in reference to the Hobbit, "Don't step on him".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-29012566811370162602008-04-25T10:13:00.000-04:002008-04-25T10:13:00.000-04:00The parking lot lock-in bothered me, mainly becaus...The parking lot lock-in bothered me, mainly because my first reaction was the same as yours, why doesn't Phyllis call Bob Vance.<BR/><BR/>It would have been funnier had they played off last week's meeting with the Five Families -- and had none of them willing to come because of the whole parking lot summit that wasted their time.<BR/><BR/>I loved the part where the security guard finally showed up at the end, because that has happened in my business a lot. You call someone in from home (usually in the middle of the night) to solve some problem, it's solved before he/she arrives, and no one bothers to call the person to tell them not to come.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-75006596941101838442008-04-25T09:54:00.000-04:002008-04-25T09:54:00.000-04:00"I'll admit that you have to overlook a metric ton...<I>"I'll admit that you have to overlook a metric ton of contrivances to buy into the locked-in storyline. Why wouldn't Hank the security guard have noticed the lot full of employee cars? Why couldn't anyone call a locksmith? Or the cops? Or have Phyllis call Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration, who almost certainly has a key?"</I><BR/><BR/>I think that a lot of people have had a security guard, like Hank, that sleepwalks through his job enough to do everything by rote, including locking up on a Friday night with a lot full of cars. As for Vance, I'll give you that one.<BR/><BR/><I>"If there's a problem with these episodes, it's that the writers are squeezing 14 episodes of story into a 6-episode bag... there wasn't time to drop a few hints about Ryan's coke use..."</I><BR/><BR/>Here, I have to completely disagree with you. This was no surprise. In fact, all the signs have been there since day one. Though not tangible, they have been implied in Ryan's performance. I think anything more obvious would have been perceived as a setup for something more serious than the amusing subplot it currently is.<BR/><BR/>The last thing we need is a "very special episode" of The Office.Tony Dayoubhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04632329277519635858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-81837415598880313382008-04-25T08:54:00.000-04:002008-04-25T08:54:00.000-04:00My favorite line of the night was Pam talking to t...My favorite line of the night was Pam talking to the camera about Dwight having both the backup key and the copy of it...and how Dwight had told her if he were dead, the rest of them would have been dead 'for weeks.' Hilarious!<BR/><BR/>I liked that Jim can never seem to do well when in charge. Because it shows that, one, Michael's managing isn't nearly as bad as some of them think, and, two, that Jim will never want to take a job of any responsibility b/c he has failed every time. His 'great ideas' seem to backfire. <BR/><BR/>Toby's hand on Pam's knee was classic. How desperate he was to teach her how to throw a football. How much he glowed under her praise when he had the phone number of the security guard programmed into his phone.<BR/><BR/>Good episode...and I didn't even need to touch on the hilarity that was Michael hitting on women in NY nightclubs. Disaster.K J Gillenwaterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12023089365553324315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-42012886257667772492008-04-25T08:53:00.000-04:002008-04-25T08:53:00.000-04:00This episode didn't seem right to me and it was ex...This episode didn't seem right to me and it was exactly for the plot contrivances that you list. <BR/><BR/>Ryan's drug problem and Michael and Dwight going clubbing were wonderful. The conference room scene and all the stuff about the website was gold, but getting locked in to the parking lot was dumb.<BR/><BR/>Overall I was disappointed. <BR/><BR/>Interestingly, I suspect if Jim had told everyone he was really sorry people wouldn't have been quite so pissed at him. I don't recall that he ever did.<BR/><BR/>And I wonder if Toby's move will prompt him to make a similar confession to Pam about his feelings at the end of this season. Could be an interesting corollary.Grunthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03308246886810700890noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-9257717290347978882008-04-25T08:45:00.000-04:002008-04-25T08:45:00.000-04:00Just to further go along with the whole Jim fillin...Just to further go along with the whole Jim filling in for Michael theme- Jim had 2 uncomfortable conversations dealing with racial subtexts that are usually Michael's bag: the comment asking Hank if he was the African-American gentleman that sits behind the desk and his comment to Oscar about the Spanish-speaking cleaning crew.<BR/><BR/>I had an inkling that Dwight was going to do well at the club- in the British version when the gang hits up the nightclub, Gareth ends up making out with some girl as well (if I remember correctly).<BR/><BR/>...and to re-affirm an earlier comment, it was a water polo team in Flight of Concords (the mermaid song).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-17736254434816016142008-04-25T03:14:00.000-04:002008-04-25T03:14:00.000-04:00Toby jumping the fence was brilliant.And a Wire re...Toby jumping the fence was brilliant.<BR/><BR/>And a Wire reference...love it.<BR/><BR/>Sorta off-topic: Alan I get the feeling that The Wire is huge among TV writers/creators. My Name Is Earl creator Greg Garcia also proclaimed his love for it a while back. Do you think that is true?<BR/><BR/><I>"Poor Office just can't win"</I><BR/><BR/>You know it did win best comedy at the Emmys in 2006...SJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01245472084190224186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-469964839309327412008-04-25T02:38:00.000-04:002008-04-25T02:38:00.000-04:00I thought it was really funny when they all got th...I thought it was really funny when they all got the picture of Dwight on their phones at the same time -- do wish we'd seen whether Angela was upset, even though I know they're having to hide the real Angela's pregnancy. <BR/><BR/>P.S. on the previous anon comment -- I don't remember Phyllis not liking Pam. I know she can't stand Angela, but don't remember any Pam animosity.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com