The Office running thread

I know there is a strong "It's just TV - anything goes!" crowd on here, but the idea that an office would be talking openly about someone's impotence at a meeting was so preposterous that it took me out of the episode completely. Maybe on "Arrested Development." But like I've said so many times before - and, again, I understand that there is a vocal segment of viewers that completely oppose me on this - this show early on set up its parameters, and now it refuses to stick to them. Michael Scott would have discussed impotence, but in a way that just creeped up to the line, which made it uncomfortable and funny. For example, remember one of the early seasons when he found out about Jim's crush on Pam? It was excruciating to watch as he fought every instinct he had to let the cat out of the bag, while knowing he couldn't just outright do it. Now, they would just have a meeting about it, with "Jim Hearts Pam" on the dry erase board.

The days when Michael Scott was a burr in David Wallace and Jan's side at corporate seem so long ago that they belong to another generation of television. It's so broad now, I'm very close to abandoning it completely.

 

I mostly watch it because it still shows up on my DVR. I can't pull the trigger to kill the timer on it. The Killing? I had no problem axing that one. I wasn't invested enough in the characters to give a fuck what happens to them. But there are enough tiny funny moments that I'll still watch the Office. My expectations have been lowered to the point where I don't get angry with what the show does any more.

 

I know ratings don't work like this, but I watch it, in part, because I want its ratings to stay as high as they can. I feel like the better the Office does, the better Parks & Rec and (less so) Community will do. And I desperately want those shows to stay on the air.

Also, I do find myself chuckling a few times an episode. And Pam and Erin are hot.

 

You have to wonder at this point if the show has harmed its legacy. Those first two or three seasons had it knocking on the door of the sitcom pantheon.

 

Maybe. It's definitely going to end up on the outside of the pantheon, I think. But the last several seasons of Seinfeld were horrible, regardless of what the fanbois here will tell you. It doesn't seem to have suffered historically.

 

Erin is just awful. She's cute, yes, but they try to make her funny in ways that are just so unrealistic they fall flat. What real person would actually not own a toothbrush of her own because there's always another one lying around?

 

Love having more Creed in recent eps. Can't stand that British woman. Loved seeing David Wallace again. For a minute, I thought they were going to have David Wallace hire Andy. Now that could have been funny.

 

In an otherwise shitty episode, I was thrilled to see David Wallace again. Then he brought up the Suck-It, and I was reminded of his ridiculous ginger son playing the drums and screaming "YEAH!" Good times.

 

Must say, I enjoyed last night's development.

 

So did I ... when it happened a few years ago as the Michael Scott Paper Company. I know they need a way to get rid of Robert California (since Spader is on a 1-year deal) but this seemed forced and old hat. Besides, wasn't Andy a horrible salesperson? And now he's pulling in the best client? At least we knew - and saw - Michael Scott being good at his job.

The Office used to be the first thing I watched on Thursdays, now it is the last. There were some OK moments from last night*, but overall just seems like the writers have completely lost focus.

* Toby pretending to be the salesman was definitely one of them

 

Fox picked up Mindy Kaling's sitcom "It's Messy" for the Fall (she's writing, starring and going to be the showrunner), so it would seem impossible for the Kelly Kapoor character to be back next year.

 

So uh, I guess this entire past season was just a "my bad," since the season finale basically rolled back everything.