The Office running thread

jim compliments kelly on an idea as the group brainstorms. kelly looks like she has no idea what he's referencing.

kelly to documentary camera: "i talk a LOT, so i've learned just to tune myself out."

classic

 

That part was great. There were lots of little good parts, like Dwight's daycare at the beginning and Pam making a new job for herself throughout. But I find the main arcs of each episode - Dwight trying to go Pretty Woman, Toby counseling Michael - to be completely boring.

 

They needed to find something else for Pam to do and they did a good job of getting to that point.

 

Just took The Office off the DVR list. Not because there isn't enough room, it's just the show is played out. Always some great lines but I've lost interest.
"A relationship/TV Show, I think, is like a shark, you know? It has to constantly move forward or it dies. And I think what we got on our hands is a dead shark."

 

I think it probably jumped the shark the episode that Jan accepted Michael's invitation to Jamaica.

 

Midway through season 3? That's absurd.

 

Yes and no.

I think that the show continued to be of high quality for some time after that. In fact, I thought they really lost something when they got rid of the Rashida Jones character.

But I think that Jan's frustration with Michael's management was a great early component of the show, and her accepting that invitation kind of showed a new willingness to do anything for a laugh by the writers and creators.

 

Dwight's day care was fantastic. Especially the Insane Clown Posse poster with everything crossed out except Clown. And Pam was great in this one trying to pull off that new job. What I'm wondering is, why has Jim been relegated to almost nothing in these episodes?

 

I thought the day care bit was one of the stupidest things the show has ever done. Yes, Dwight is loony, but they took it way further than believable -- a chest of plastic forks and knives to play with? No adults, just a locking door? Come on, that's beyond being a little clueless. It was just idiotic. My husband fell asleep around then and I was wary about even watching the rest of the episode later because I was so turned off by that bit.

 

More so-so this week. Honestly, it has the feel of a show playing out the string. Andy going for Erin again? I don't ever really remember getting an explanation of why they broke up in the first place. Unless it was some sort of unsaid thing over being the whistleblower in Season 6. Really the only part that made me laugh was Creed giving a show review over the phone.

 

I thought the episode was great and Ed Helms was fantastic. My favorite of the season so far.

- Michael doing the L&O audition
- The phone ringing followed by the wine bottle, followed by the balloons
- Jim and Pam's reaction to Erin bringing the baby
- Dwight pulling a knife out during the "viral marketing" of Sweeney Todd
- Michael booing the star then getting called out on it
- Creed's review
- Dwight, looking like a proud sibling, telling the stranger next to him that he works with Andy. Then mentioning, with the same prideful expression, that Andy's a terrible salesman.

A lot of funny, sweet moments for everyone. And until that episode, even with all the stuff they did last season, I didn't care about Andy+Erin, but now I'm on board.

 

I know they say they're going to go on after Carell leaves, but that really would provide a great excuse for a show that's on the last puffs of its creative steam. If they try to continue, they'll easily replace "News Radio" as the show that fell the farthest when it changed lead characters.