The Office season 5 - Page 6

Re: The Office season 5

That whole Jack Black section was really strange. Not even funny in a weird way. It's like a suit at NBC said, "we need some high-profile guest stars. We'll run it during the Superbowl. Go." And then Paul Lieberstein wrote the most inane, pointless insertion of a guest star possible to get his revenge.

I have the nagging feeling that after "The Office" started pulling in a more solid/reliable audience (during and after Season 3), NBC began supporting a call for a "new" direction for the show. The actors (/writers) probably felt all the characters' secrets were mostly revealed, so the only thing left to do was to stir them into increasingly broad and madcap situations -- situations which were formerly only fantasized about in script meetings!

This likely helped NBC's bottom line. Successes like "30 Rock" (or even SNL) seem to be leading the "comedy style" on NBC nowadays, and it seems to me that people running around screaming and being absurd is funnier to American audiences than the Season 2 style, which many people just find too subdued or boring.

All said, this episode was still funny in spots. Dwight was (again) the highlight. The whole love triangle plot is on the back burner now, so he gets to be funny again. The opening scene with the fire had a real comic momentum, and the "cutting" of the CPR dummy... disturbing and funny.

The roast plot was pretty predictable. Most of us were able to guess what was going to happen when we read the plot synopsis a few weeks ago.

The emotional arcs of Season 5 have been really, really spotty. It started so strong! Holly left, and it's like she was never there. After Michael had his realization about Jan's baby, neither appeared again. The Angela love triangle was broken up, and for the past two episodes it's almost like it never existed. Jim and Pam are just coasting on sunshine.

Re: The Office season 5

I am spending way too much time trying to figure out which of her cats that Angela threw up into the ceiling.

Dwight's Hannibal face was so disturbing and funny at the same time.

Re: The Office season 5

Steve, that's a very good theory. Subtle humor often creates a cult fanbase but rarely seems to deliver the ratings. Arrested Development is a prime example, and the fact that The Office's ratings have increased since the third season, where it began to turn into more of a caricature speaks volumes. It's easier to take it from a show that didn't take itself seriously from the start like 30 Rock, but The Office's downward spiral into physical humor and extreme situations is a major disappointment. I still like the show but it doesn't strike gold nearly as often as it used to (the first two seasons pretty much did on a weekly basis).

Re: The Office season 5

And thank God, too! Ever since "Moonlighting", television has been terrified to let couples that didn't start a show together to stay together. Jim and Pam are obviously meant to be with each other, work just as good together as they did before, so any gimmicks to continue keeping them apart would just feel really strained.

Re: The Office season 5

I couldn't agree more, Adam. I thought the choice to make Jim and Pam a happy couple was a bold stroke of brilliance, a breath of fresh air in a television wasteland of (relationship) misunderstandings and frustrations.

However, neither character this season seems to have any plot-arc that doesn't somehow connect back to the relationship. Their happiness was OK to establish for a while, but rather than get more individual-character growth, we get further "proof" that they are meant for each other. That was certainly the "lesson" in Pam's decision to leave her school, and in her father's decision to leave her mother.

The scenes of calculated "mania" sure are something to watch, though. It really shows a cast at the peak of its powers. But what this show really needs is some new blood. We need some unpredictable characters... which is why Holly was so great, and why this season never quite recovered from her absence.

Re: The Office season 5

No one liked the roast? I guess it was pretty tame, but I cracked up when Pam said, "Every hour someone falls victim to an Internet scam. That someone is Michael Scott."

Re: The Office season 5

Once again we have an hour-long episode that could have/should have been condensed into a half hour of pure gold. The fire scene was magic; the Jack Black stuff was hard to sit through.

Andy, I'm realizing, is becoming one of my favorite characters, right up there with Kevin and Creed. I just knew, once the 'Stayin' Alive' beat started, that he'd provide us with some high harmonies. I love it when he breaks into song (remember him attempting to cheer Jim up in the car a few seasons ago by breaking into 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight'? Wimoweh, Wimoweh...).

Oh yeah...and how about Meredith sitting cross-legged on the floor. Ewwww!

Jon

Re: The Office season 5

i love how Michael starts singing "i will survive" instead of Staying Alive

Re: The Office season 5

I like that Creed apparently had an affair with Squeaky Fromme.

And I laughed outloud at Mose not knowing how to use a phone.

Re: The Office season 5

Before I read any negative comments about this week's episode, I'm just going to say I THOUGHT it was one of the best of the season.

Re: The Office season 5

Other than Andy's storyline, it was a great episode. Interesting getting a better look at the Utica office, too.

(The only part of Andy's storyline that didn't have me cringing too much to laugh was Creed's advice capped off with him calling Andy Jim.)

Re: The Office season 5

I know I've been the squeaky wheel in this thread lately, but I agree with Derek - this was a big step up in quality from the past couple of weeks. Mindy Kaling (Kelly) wrote this episode... she wrote some classics early in the series, but her episodes are hit-and-miss with me. This was a hit. Definitely one of the better episodes of Season 5, and almost on par with "Weight Loss" (the first, and still my favorite, episode this season)

Dwight's version of a birthday party was one of the funniest things I've seen all season. Just imagining it makes me laugh. Michael's totally inappropriate speech about remembering peoples' names is even funnier in recall when you realize how irrelevant it was to Scranton's sales, but it wasn't pushed too far. Jim was on the back burner and that was OK... nothing felt too over-the-top. Even Andy's faux pas was handled with restraint.

Plus, we had some nice closure with Pam and Karen - a nice tie-up from Season 3. Better yet, the only compelling romance of the season is finally getting some attention next week.

Re: The Office season 5

"sugar boobs" my god how do they come with that....

Jim: how old is Kelly?
Dwight: 24. 32.
Jim: Do you think I called you for your best estimate?

Re: The Office season 5

Go rent Harold & Maude. Wonderful film.

And I think it Dwight was doing a Leatherface rather than Hannibal.

Re: The Office season 5

He did the tongue flapping thing and said, "Clarice."

Re: The Office season 5

Isn't Holly supposed to be coming back?

Re: The Office season 5

I loved Creed giving Jim the $3 bill

Re: The Office season 5

Well, considering the setup of this week's episode, I think most fans would be PO'd if she didn't show up in the next episode.

Re: The Office season 5

Let's hope the producers have figured out that Holly is pure gold, and are bringing her back.

Now if they can just get the lady back from Staples who says (about Dwight) "I hate his beady little eyes."

Re: The Office season 5

I don't think they really have a choice about whether to bring Holly back or not. It depends on whether Amy Ryan is free, which I doubt, since she's busy making movies (supposedly the reason they wrote Holly off the show in the first place). It's a shame...she's definitely my favourite supporting character ever on the show and most of her scenes with Michael are adorable.

Re: The Office season 5

I really liked this episode:

- Angela licking her cats on the web cam, and Oscar and Kevin's reaction.

- Jim and Dwight trying to come up with a "theme" for Kell(e)y's birthday party. I loved the look Phyllis gave the camera after Kelly storms off because Jim and Dwight didn't know that a party has to have a theme.

- Michael backing out of the Nashua conference room on his hands and knees.

- Pam doing a bang-up job trying to take over Michael's presentation. I loved her look and her accents. And I love Pam in "sensitive" mode, when she tells Michael that Holly wasn't trying to hurt him by dating A.J. You can see in her expression that she has plenty of sarcastic things that pop into her mind, but she makes the conscious decision to be caring and thoughtful, even when Michael insults her.

- Holly is the H.R. manager at the Nashua branch and she leaves for three days and doesn't lock her PC screen?! And she has a "Dear Michael" letter on her desktop?! There are places where you can be written up for such things! Of course, you'd be written up by the H.R. manager...

- Do you think Pam actually read Holly's letter? Do you think what she told Michael about it is accurate, or was she just making him feel better?

- I would choose nap time also.

- I like the episodes written by Mindy Kaling, and I like how they feature Kelly. ;-) I like Kelly's story. "Thelma and Louise, but in a boat" haha.

Re: The Office season 5

I'm sure what she said is accurate so when/if they can get Amy Ryan back on the show, there will be a story to play.

Re: The Office season 5

I think judging from this episode it's safe to say they want to bring her back at some point.


Holly was never that good of an H.R. manager. She did some highly inappropriate things for an H.R. manager while she was at Scranton as well.

Re: The Office season 5

Has Holly dated guys from everywhere she's worked?

Re: The Office season 5

which makes her even more appropriate for Michael.

Re: The Office season 5

Other than the Andy plot last week and the Angela plot tonight, this two-parter has been the best thing of the season for sure.

Re: The Office season 5

Really? I thought the Angela thing this week was hilarious. To each his own I guess.

Re: The Office season 5

Oscars interview about Angela licking her cat was great. Something along the lines of not wanting to think about the emotional problems of someone who feels the need to clean a cat. And of course, the hairball.

Re: The Office season 5

Opinions of individual episodes of this show among fans seem to differ more than any other show I've ever come across. I thought the two parter was easily the weakest two episodes of the season. I had no interest in any of the Michael/Pam road trip. And even the stuff back at the office was pretty weak. Although I did get a kick out of, "It is your birthday."

Re: The Office season 5

This is a brilliant Office fan-made video.

YouTube - Ryan Started the Fire