The Office: Season Four (1 Viewer)

[Steve Y]

This episode toned it down a bit. Very good script, very character-driven. Paul Lieberstein (Toby) wrote and directed the episode, and I'll need to watch it a few more times before I catch everything.

It probably didn't deliver the belly laughs most wanted, and I suspect most regular viewers will consider it a bust, but for me it was a welcome relief. It actually brought to mind (slightly) the more dour tone of the original (British) show.

Dwight and Angela's relationship is more compelling on the rocks.

Next episode returns the show to the half-hour format.

 

[BrianW]

Did anyone else notice that the cat Andy gave to Angela is the same cat, "Garbage", that Dwight tried to give Angela? Andy said he found the cat hanging around Vance Refrigeration, which is where Dwight dumped it.

 

[Joseph Young]

I, too, was reminded of the BBC Office, in spots.

I loved the surreal moment with the outhouse door and the moaning in the middle of the night.

Pam and Jim are so much better as a couple then as a 'will they or won't they' device.

I don't mind (necessarily) that romantic relationships are blossoming throughout the office (everyone seems to be 'pairing off' with everybody else), as long as the scripts don't make it a prime focus every week. I really don't want to start watching a show about romance between quirky characters (there are enough of those, thanks).

The theme of last night's script, while all about relationships and friendships, mined its humor and the melodrama from each character's individual quirks, irrespective of their romantic lives. That's hard to do.

Not that it matters, but has anyone else noticed how almost all the NBC promos manage to make 'The Office' look like either a wacky/banal sitcom, or a cheesy, lighthearted romance? It is neither of these (if anything, the relationships are complex and dark-hearted), but such is the nature of the advertising business, for sure.

 

[Brent M]

Unfortunately I can't agree. I'm worried that The Office is going to end up like Friends, a show that was great for a couple of seasons and then became so focused on the characters' silly relationships that it ceased to be funny. I mean we've got Michael/Jan, Jim/Pam, Angela/Dwight, Angela/Andy, Kelly/Ryan, Kelly/Darrell and on and on it goes. It's a bit much IMHO and this week's episode was the first time I've felt like the show was heading in a really bad direction. Hopefully the Dwight/Angela storyline is done for good now and Dwight's demarcation line at the end of the episode was a good sign that he might go back to being like his character from the first couple seasons(fingers crossed).

 

[TravisR]

I don't think that relationship needs any major screen time but I imagine that there's going to be some very funny small moments of Darrell dealing with Kelly.

 

[Jose Martinez]

I really liked the last episode. It may not have had that many LOL moments as in past episodes but it reminded of some of the best moments in series like Cheers or MASH where it was more drama than comedy.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Dwigt and Jim's heart-to-heart in the stairwell made me tear up a little.

 

[Karl_Luph]

Call me a sentimental old fool, but that scene was touching,loved how Jim came back into the office and planted a big one on Pam,golden! Something that I found that I wanted to share with others here , do a search on Youtube for Jim and Pam,The Very Thought of You. This is such an awesome clip, enjoy!

 

[TravisR]

I definitely can see Brent's point about not wanting the show to become about relationships but I think having a relationship is a good idea as the occasional B story. I thought the Jim and Pam stuff in this episode was excellent and well balanced with Michael's bankruptcy story.

 

[Brent M]

I think having the Jim/Pam relationship progress from the "will they, won't they" phase suits the show perfectly as it mirrors the Tim/Dawn storyline from the UK Office. My main gripe this season has been with the Dwight/Angela relationship as I feel it has really dragged the show down a bit. If the way this episode ended is any indication hopefully we're moving on from that, but I worry that an Andy/Angela storyline could quickly become just as annoying. I hope I'm wrong and as I said before I just don't want this show to turn into Friends. It's so well written and well acted that it would be a shame for it to become just another formulaic, relationship-based sitcom.

 

[Jonny P]

Michael Scott's "riff" on the "Die Hard" movies and John McClane was excellent.

 

[Albert_M]

Finally got to watch it this weekend. Another great one. Yes this one was more sentimental as well, but the show handles it well. My only really complaint so far is the basket episode and how they went back to the former client after sinking the car. That was painful to watch and wasn't needed.

 

[JohnS]

I loved the style of the Money episode.
very endearing.

I loved how the telemarketing job of Michael's was like a secondary office, with just as normal or abnormal people working there.
I'd like to see more of them down the road again.

I also loved how Dwight got the phone call for his bed and breakfast and he changed into a different person just to take their reservation.

Ryan seems very power hungry

my favorite Michael moment in this episode is when he realized he caled Stanley, and then used different voices and acts to make it not seem like it was him calling.

 

[Joseph Young]

Brent M:


I may be mistaken, but I think the second fake voice he used was Yoda.

 

[Steve Y]

I, too, (for one) feel that the "coupling" aspect could go a little too far. In the original show, and the first few seasons of the American version, there was no such pairings-off with the cast. Angela and Jan, two of the "strongest" female personalities on the show, are now mostly seen through their relationships (on the rocks or not), and that's troublesome.

People make the "Friends" comparisons a lot and that's a little too harsh I think, but the general idea is well-taken - "pairing off" your ensemble is NEVER a good idea. That's why I love Creed, Stanley, Andy (unless they DO pair him off), and Toby. (Meredith has been funnier lately, but I still find she's written as a two-note character - "nymphomaniac alcoholic" - you can only take that so far)

One of my favorite scenes from "Money" involved Stanley speaking through the telephone intercom, "sitting in my sweat pants, drinking red wine and watching my mystery stories." So perfect.

Now that I'm not as distracted by the cameras following the cast outside of the office -- I didn't care for "The Initiation" last season for that very reason -- I'm willing to concede that I found Dwight's beet-wine making, table-constructing, manure-spreading clips hilarious. And Mose, as you attentive fans already know, is played by Michael Schur, who is a lead writer and producer for the show.

 

[logikreader]

I think one thing that will help the show along is the return to regular half hour episodes. This will allow the crew to cut out the fat and make storylines more cohesive.

 

[Doug Smith]

I agree. This show needs to get back to 30 minutes - fast.

 

[TravisR]

I haven't had a problem with the show running an hour but I think the show would work best at 40 or 45 minutes (which, of course, isn't possible). Then you'd get the good stuff that they had to delete for time but they wouldn't have too much extra stuff either.

 

[Brent M]

They actually did have a few "super sized" 40-45 min. episodes last season and I thought those worked better than the hour long shows this year. I'm interested to see what happens when they go back to the regular half hour format.

 

[Steve Y]

I agree that 30 non-commercial minutes is the ideal length - 20 seems too short, 45 can drag a bit, but I strongly disagree with any insinuation that these hour-long episodes are in any way affecting the quality of the show. These early four episodes have provided a much richer story foundation for the rest of the season.