maybe there was a shark in the lake

Anyone who watches CSI or Grey's over Office is just an asshole, which says a lot about the average person... I personally don't know anyone who does - I do know a couple chicks who prefer Grey's, but they're borderline retarded.

From a business standpoint I think what they've done with these hour-long episodes is pretty smart. They themed them closely enough together that it feels like a cohesive one hour episode, but they also built the middle so there can be a clean split into two episodes for syndication packages.

Umm.. how did you come to this conclusion?

Yeah, both of those shows drove into the lake years ago.

http://www.dundermifflininfinity.com/

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Uhmm a good boss doesn't fire people. He hires people ... and inspires them.


I'm waiting for that to come back and have Ryan say it to Michael. Will melt my heart just a bit.

If Ryan makes it as the boss for more than a season, I'll be pretty surprised. They're setting him up for a big fall, I think.

'Course, in editing down to 30 (22) minutes, usually Creed and Toby's scenes are the first to go.

Toby annoyed the hell out of me in this episode. He's in HR, yet he blurts out about Jim and Pam in front of everyone. Out of character.

He tried it in the usual Toby way, but they cornered him. I don't think it was really that out of character.

He had a crush on Pam for the longest time and now realized he lost his chance. He's still a human character and is bound to make poor choices based on emotion rather than rational thought.

I liked this episode. I agree that the lake scene probably could have been staged a bit better, but it didn't ruin the episode (and certainly not the series), for me. I get the impression that the people who are ragging on these new episodes are watching the show with a constant comparison guide in their heads, so they can compare it to past episodes and see how it matches up to everything that has come before. What's wrong with just enjoying the episode for what it is and not getting all caught up in the overall quality of the show and it's increase or decline over time.

And you have to remember he has been really crushed since his divorce. Also remember he was the only one from the office to make it to Pam's art showing.

No, that was Michael (and Roy and his brother, if you count them).

Toby was ready to blow off his daughter's recital or whatever it was in order to go to Pam's show, but Pam insisted that he go to his daughter's function instead.

I don't think anybody is saying that watching the episodes and enjoying them for what they're worth is wrong, but it's not really realistic to expect those who obsess over television to the point that they spend their free time on a message board talking numerous shows are going to just post "great episode" and leave it at that. There is also nothing wrong with watching a show with a comparison guide in your head and dissecting it online. I personally fall somewhere in between those two extremes, and I would guess most of us fall somewhere in that vast middle most of the time.

I understand it hurts when you enjoy something that is getting crapped on. I understand that with TV it is particularly upsetting because such negative buzz could actually eventually lead to cancellation. I don't think most people here are at a point where they're about to stop watching, though. I think people are probably just sensitive about quality here because a large segment of viewers of this show look forward to it all week and hold it up as the best TV they watch. Expectations are high.

Well said, Mr. James. I personally have been somewhat critical of the show throughout the third and into the fourth season because I've been an avid viewer since the second episode. I love the first and second seasons, which in my opinion were absolute gold, and have felt (for my tastes) that the latter two seasons have fallen short of the very high standard set by those initial seasons for whatever reason. Perhaps the brilliance of the second season just set the bar too high for the show to continually live up to. Perhaps the underlying premise of the show just can't sustain that consistent level of wit and charm after a certain number of episodes. It's hard to say. There are still occasional moments when the show is on the level of the earlier seasons, but not consistently so. I still enjoy the show and will continue to watch it for when those good moments pop up.

My counter impression is that many folks who haven't noticed a decline or difference in the quality of the show over its run are probably latecomers to following it. Not that they haven't necessarily caught the earlier episodes, but watching a show evolve from the beginning of its run is a different experience than picking it up in the middle and then going back to catch the beginning on DVD or in re-runs. In the latter case, I think one tends to be a little more flexible or forgiving of, or just plain don't take as much notice of, subtle or abrupt changes in the characters and tone of a show.

has anyone else got their validation email to come through??!!!
f'n technology

I've been watching the show on air since the first episode. I've noticed the show has changed, but I don't see this decline in quality that some other people have seen. This version of the show hasn't had the limited number of episodes that the British version had, so it has had to change things up a lot more. These characters aren't as static as the ones in the British show; they need to be moved around and changed like real people would.

Of course, all of these observations about the quality of the show are subjective anyway. I still enjoy the show as much as I did in the first season, but sometimes for different reasons than previously. If people see a decline, that's what they see, but that doesn't make them right, and it doesn't make me right for disagreeing.

I guess I'm the counter to that
I watched the original run of all episodes thus far for all seasons
loved [the short] season 1 and didn't think it could be topped
season 2 did so
and season 3 was a major letdown for me but for a couple episodes (the premier and a few later eps) ... such a letdown I didn't buy this season on dvd while I rushed out for the first 2 when they streeted
I thought the first 2 eps of this season have been a great return to form and I just don't get all the dislike of yesterday's episode ... but then I guess people are funny that way since I never understood all the love for The Injury in season 2

Oscar brought Gil along as well..... Just sayin'

Aww, shit, forgot about Oscar and his roommate.

No, but he's that much of an ass to purposely do that to make sure he had a point to make with Ryan that he is against technology and would bring the car up as the reason.

I did not see that as accidental or stupid on his part. Anal retentive and being a dick? Yes, but it was pretty much in character.

That's not being an ass or a dick -- that's being a psychopath. It would be extremely out of character for him to endanger the lives of himself and others to make a point. That's a line he has not previously crossed nor one I think the producers want us to believe he did cross. Beyond all of that, if that was his intent, claiming it as accidental with the rental company would be fraud.

I saw it as being an accident. I've done that myself once, with people yelling directions at me and not realizing I was driving right off the road.

Michael realized he could spin it into something he could use against Ryan, but I believe that it was an accident first.

Season 3 "Safety Training"