pridesticks06

Loved the episode. The tag outro was great too, overall very good. And they say it's only going to get better the next 4 episodes.....wow...

Sex Fiend

I thought it was a pretty funny episode overall. Very old-school style "The Office" with Michael making an ass of himself, but in more of a low-key way than the outlandish shenanigans of earlier this season. Dwight was more like the old Dwight, too. Good stuff on that count.

As for Pam and Jim, my only reaction is yuck. I hope they are going to take that storyline in a more interesting direction than what appears to be the predictable Jim asking Pam to marry him for an "awww, cute!" season finale, and then the protracted lead-up to a season ending "Jim and Pam's wedding episode" next season.

Honestly, I think such boring and predictable pablum would be beneath the quality of a show that has generally avoided the same old tired TV cliches we've gotten from every sitcom of the last two decades.

Draven

Actually, having two people in a normal relationship that progresses in a normal fashion and ends up happy would be a nice change from typical sitcom fare.

GoldenJCJ

Couldn't agree more. Any other sitcome would drag a will they/won't they get together story for 2 seasons, have them get together but break up over some silly misunderstanding, date other people for a season while quitely pining for each other, finally get back together, get married and have twins!



I liked this episode quite a bit. The coffee shop was pretty awkward with Michael and Pam's landlady.

Did Michael swallow his toothpaste?

Jim getting down on bended knee at the end left me smiling for a few minutes.

GoldenJCJ

I actually thought it looked like Karen.

cungar

Anyone who thinks this show is still on par with what it was the first couple seasons is deluding themselves. Talk about contrived and unfunny plots. It's not even the Office anymore. It's "let's see what stupid idea Michael proposes to make everybody pissed at him this week."

Sex Fiend

Not necessarily. The standard "will they or won't they" plotting that everyone decries as a tired sitcom device actually ends with "they do" more often that not. Television history is littered with "the big wedding" episodes, often as series finales. Nothing really groundbreaking there, in and of itself.

But more to the point, I would be annoyed if they use the progression of the Jim/Pam relationship as oh-so-predictable significant promotional episodes. I can state categorically that I know they won't do this, but it would be even more refreshing if they came back next season with Jim and Pam already married (if that's the inevitable outcome) and having done so in the off-season without the hullabaloo of "the very special episode you've all been waiting for." That is what I meant by preferring the show avoid the tired maneuvers of so many standard sit-coms.

Jack Straw

I agree. Here's one more viewer that is happy that Jam is finally a reality.

Boba Fett

The "Five Families" bit had me roaring.

SlingshotBandit

I thought the model looked a lot like Marie Digby.




In case you don't know who she is, she a singer-songwriter who performs a cover of Rhianna's "Umbrella." (It's on the album she's just released.)

It's alright. She, on the other hand, looks absolutely stunning.

beesonosu

Why do I insist on reading this thread every week? It's worse than any episode of The Office so far. From now on I'm just going to enjoy watching The Office.

SlingshotBandit

I can't explain my love for this show as well as I'd like to.

First and foremost, this is my favorite sitcom on television. I don't post on The Office threads much, but I've been following it since the first season.

There are few moments where I really laugh. A lot of the moments make me smile. But more than anything, it's just flat-out entertaining and humorous. I don't feel that I have to laugh at everything for me to like a show, comedy or not.

It's just good writing and acting, plain and simple, and nothing else like it on television.

I thought the landlady, coffee shop scene was great. Her facial expression, when Michael was saying what it was like to find someone who was nice, and how hard it was for people like him and her to find such people. She felt like she could really connect with him. You could see it on her face.

Then he busts out the pic of Jan on his cell phone, talks about her boobs, and it slowly crushes her.

Of course the line at the end, "you're like a sweet old lady on a bus, that's nice to talk to" (paraphrased) just totally flips the script on that exchange.

And, of course the ensuing lines.

I know the previous scene was already mentioned, but what about the boardroom discussion with the Big 5? The look on the contractor's face when Kevin and Andy bring the situation up. The guy with the Affliction shirt says their time is being wasted, simply tells the developer/contractor to give them their parking spaces back, and the case is settled just like that.

(edit: Andy's dance in the parking lot.)

Only part that wasn't that humorous to me was the graveyard scene, save for a few witty exchanges.

Michael: "What am I going to do now?"

Dwight: "You'll just have to wait till next year's catalog and go after someone who's alive."



Anyway, the show is like your best friend coming over to visit every week.

invisiblegt

I'm not entirely certain how the wording went, but my favorite bit from the night was...

"We'll take care of it."

"It doesn't matter. I don't really care."

kstublen

I literally laughed out at that part. Not to be a jerk, but it was more like this:

Andy or Kevin: "We won't let you down Michael."
Michael: "Well you can't, 'cause I don't care."

andicus

+1

Well put!

Seantn

I agree. This episode was funny, but parts of it felt...forced? I don't know, it just felt like it was trying too hard and that ended up making certain parts not funny.

And this wasn't a part that was trying to be funny, but the part with Kevin being happy about the parking spaces and then saying something to the camera about how he hasn't had anything good happen in a long time... it felt really forced, like we were supposed to say "Awww!" out loud.

FinkPish

Why do all the sad, little jaded people end up posting in the Office threads? I wonder if these people find any enjoyment in anything, or if what they actually enjoy is find fault with everything. I really hate reading these threads; they have become forced, predictable and cliched.

Mr. Salty

I'm thinking quite clearly, thank you, and I disagree.

You know, I did a search, and week after week you post in "The Office" threads about how much you dislike the show, how the plots are forced or contrived, about how the show has "jumped the shark" for you. I had to go back to early in the 2006 season to find a post by you about "The Office" that wasn't negative.

I have to ask, if you dislike the show so much, why do you continue to watch it? And why do you continue to not only tell the rest of us how awful the show is, but imply that those of us who like it are deluded?

These threads are for differing opinions, sure, but when you've clearly decided you don't like the subject of the threads, I don't see how your posts are much better than thread craps.

TyroneJordan

Am I the only one that thought the coffee date was extremely cruel? We know Michael wants a pretty girl, but he humiliated her, called her old, and she was visibly hurt. It wasn't funny, it was sad.

yojimbo44

Actually, the coffee shop date reminded me of one of the story lines in the BBC Office Christmas Special when David Brent sees his D-list status start to dwindle and uses a dating service ... one of the hookups in a pub played out pretty much the same way - funny, awkward and ultimately completely insensitive...good stuff.

scoot95

Not sure of the exact wording:

Pam: "I have a girl for you Michael"
Michael: "What is her name, Burger King?"

I lost it.....LOL

SuperBatMan

That line almost had me lose it too. And then he says 'I don't have time for this. Is she hot?'.

cdollaz

My favorite line: "Catcher or infield"

enderwiggin

My favorites:

Michael Scott: Hello Oscar Meyer Wiener -lover. I bet, that you have a bunch of very liberal girl-type friends, who trust you implicitly, because they know you'd never touch them given your condition.


Michael Scott: She is wearing blue jeans and a black top. So... behold my bachelorette. I give her 10 for looks and a 3 for her ability to describe herself. Hello milady.


Michael Scott: That would be bad.
Andy: Okay so... help us out?
Michael Scott: Wish I could. But I can't. Well, can, but won't. Should, maybe, but shourn't.
Kevin: Michael, please--
Michael Scott: What part of shourn't don't you understand, Kevin? Look I can probably handle it, yes, but I think it would be a good exercise for you guys to do it yourselves.
Andy: We won't let you down.
Michael Scott: [under his breath] You can't do that; I don't care.


Woman: Michael?
Michael Scott: Eeuh.
Woman: Are you Michael Scott?
Michael Scott: Is who Michael what?
Woman: Oh. I'm sorry I'm supposed to be meeting someone named Michael.
Michael Scott: Oh, that's not, yeah me--
Server: Michael? Michael. Large hot chocolate with caramel and a shot of peppermint.

Draven

After Jim and Pam kissed, they came back from the break with Pam and Roy broken up and Jim in another city.

I don't see why you think they'd do things differently here. They haven't really done ANY "traditional sitcom" things.