The Office running thread

Forgot to mention the thumbs up for the casting of Pam's sister - she was on True Blood as the wife of the "cult" leader.

 

The YouTube video ripoff worked for me because as soon as Michael saw it, he was going to want to re-create it. That isn't the writers being lazy because Michael takes all of his cues about what is cool from pop culture. And once Jim saw it, he knew Michael was going to want to pull it off.

I also loved that it took a series of signs worthy of a third base coach to simply get Dwight to change the song on the iPod.

 

For the Stanley question, I think that was his new woman. Phyllis made a comment about how Stanley's wife always liked her hat, and then she shot the woman a dirty glance. I think it is indeed over.

As for Bob Vance, I don't think we know he had an affair. There was a the disco club episode where Phyllis was suspicious, but when she said it out loud to Dwight, she started laughing and said she realized how ridiculous the idea was.

 

They tend to do that in the hour-long episodes because they eventually get split into two 30-minute shows for reruns and syndication.

 

Hmm. I thought when Stanley was checking in he said that was his wife ... or maybe he just "said" that. I missed the Phyllis comment.

Now that I recall, Stanley's wife was white (in the Dundies episode) ... so you're probably right.

 

Anyone else think it was odd that David Wallace wasn't there? Thought for sure he'd make an appearance at a wedding for one of his managers and another employee ...

 

Early in the show, when Michael and Dwight were haggling about the room, they showed the back of a guy walking into the hallway that looked vaguely Roy shaped. Perhaps it was a just a red herring to throw me off, seeing as they didn't show Roy at any point.

 

Here is why I loved it:

Jim's comment at the beginning about Niagara Falls is the emotional keystone to the entire ending, and it's a great example of why Greg Daniels is one of the best television writers of his generation.

"Niagara Falls used to be like a spiritual experience to people. They stayed in tents and it blew their minds. It's really kitchy now which ... is a lot of fun."

Niagara Falls used to be this wonderful romantic destination. It was timeless, kind of like a Sinatra song, until it became a cliche. Our culture still works this way, only at warp speed. The YouTube video started out as this funny romantic thing that was really just meant for those people in that church, and then it exploded and became a goofy pop culture cliche in a matter of months, not years. But Michael Scott, because he can't understand real romance (having never actually experienced it) thinks this is the perfect example of a romantic wedding. That's the way he processes things, through a YouTube lens of what's popular and cool. So of course he was going to do that at Jim and Pam's wedding the minute he saw it. And of course Jim knew he would, because after all this time, these characters know each other that well, especially Jim, who has always been able to predict the pattern of Michael's odd behavior.

So by having Jim and Pam get married on the Maid of the Mist, it's contrasting a "modern wedding cliche" with the "ultimate wedding cliche," and in doing so, it makes Niagara Falls timeless again.

It doesn't matter if the YouTube video doesn't hold up over time. Niagara Falls does. It's silly and campy, but still romantic and beautiful in ways that never go out of style. Kind of like Sinatra.

And of course Jim and Pam don't care about how ridiculous it all is, because they've already had their moment, just the two of them. The look on Jenna Fischer's face when she laughs as the long line of people are coming into the church at the end?

Just perfect. Every man should be so lucky as to get a look like that from his wife on his wedding day.

It was quintesential "The Office" writing. Snarky commentary on the way people like Michael (and Jim's brothers and Pam sister) absorb modern culture, ridiculous and silly but at the same time nailing a little slice of who each character was as the come down the aisle and get their moment in the spotlight (Michael goes twice; Kevin crashes at the end; Oscar is actually a great dancer; Kelly and Ryan act like they're in a dance club; Creed does a tribute to Michael Jackson; Bob Vance is slapping Phyllis on the ass; Erin is doing clueless ballet and you actually see her underwear at one point; Dwight is the only one who actually knows the choreography, yet he kicks his partner in the face, Angela won't dance), and yet still heartfelt and sweet without being too sacarine.

All that said, I actually think my favorite part of the episode was Jim cutting off his tie. We've all been to a hundred weddings where people obsessed over the details, hoping they'd go well, that nothing goes wrong, and yet here was a reminder (however cliche) that the only thing really matters who you're marrying.

Mental snapshot. Click.

 

Holy Lord. You put way too much thought into that.

 

Nothing wrong with thinking about things critically, Sonner. The best kind of art -- bet it music, comedy, drama -- can be appreciated in multiple levels.

 

Nah. You're right. I'm just a simpleton.

 

It's interesting, because I was talking to a friend who said a bunch of the posts from her facebook friends were about how bad this episode was, while the first three episodes of the season were good.

I feel exactly the opposite, of course. But then again, I love shows like Arrested Development that aren't all about beat-you-over-the-head humor. I love subtle humor, and this episode was full of it. I may go back and rewatch this one tonight after deadline.