The Office - Traveling Salesmen

[orangerful]

I have to say, tonight might have been the best episode of the season so far. Lots of laugh out loud moments but good character stuff too. I could probably rate show by how many times Jim stares into the camera and pulls a face, because he did that a lot tonight.

I loved the little "Amazing Race" moments of them in the car. Oh that was great. Especially Stanley and Ryan.

I cannot wait to see Angela unleash her wrath on Ed Helms Andy. That final moment when she was giving him that glare-of-death. Priceless. Him and Michael might be the only people that don't realize her and Dwight are a couple. (Angela was very good and making up fake names...almost too good...)

I'm so torn about Karen/Jim/Pam! Karen is a real sweetie too, a whole different kind of sweetie than Pam. And I think maybe Jim and Pam are now over. But then again, last week, Pam was bawling in the hallway. Plus, Jim did the classic repeat when asked about Pam ("Did you have a thing for Pam?" "Did I have a thing for Pam??") But Karen clearly likes him, she's moved to Scranton to continue dating him...*sigh* perhaps I'd feel better if someone perfect for Pam showed up. But I guess the tables are just turned right now, after 2 years of watching poor Jim squirm, now we're watching Pam squirm. Suppose it's only fair...but why does it feel so different now??

FYI - Joss is supposed to direct an episode of 'The Office' in February!!

I was thinking about 'The Office' today on the ride home, and how network execs always used to complain about how Angel and Buffy had so much plot and blah blah blah we cancel you now - but so many of the BIG shows on TV right now (Heroes, Lost, 24) are almost worse when it comes to having to have seen all the shows.

And 'The Office' is probably on that same level, which you would never expect from a "comedy". But it's not really a normal comedy is it? It's not some lame sitcom with a laugh track, it has lots of character development and changes. Which is probably what makes it funny, Michael somehow manages to remain static in an office of constant change.

'Scrubs' too! They've gone from being interns to full-time doctors and adults!

Comments

[bittertwee.livejournal.com]

Ok, random thoughts in no particular order, since you asked :-)

First, on the whole plot thing.. I agree that the Office seems to have the same plot complexity and character development as some of the dramas, but it just seems so much more reasonably paced and subtle, which is one of the reasons I love it. So many of the dramas do the Oh My God you won't believe who died/almost died/is in a coma/just got cancer/gave birth to an alien thing, which makes sense because many of them are crime/hospital/sci-fi shows, but it can seem really over the top (or just boring) when it happens every week. Whereas in the Office the ohmygod moments can come from something as simple as a grimace at the camera, or a half line of dialogue, or an odd act of kindness, or something else that seems innocuous until you realize what it really means. Or they come from a simple set ups like the salespeople going off in pairs, which probably sounds like a boring story pitch unless you know the characters and realize that every interaction is going to be hilarious (and unexpected.. they ALWAYS surprise you!)

Jim/Karen/Pam gets better and better. And again, unpredictable. It looked like we were headed for a Karen/Pam catfight for sure, but who could have seen that they would be friends (at least, for the moment..)? And who could have seen that Roy would really try, in all the right ways, to win Pam back? (an example of one of the subtle but significant moments I mentioned above was when he chatted with Pam at the Christmas party about her theory on the best way to wrap a package- something he would have just rolled his eyes at before.)

It was probably hard to come up with a character that people wouldn't hate because she wasn't Pam, but how can you hate Karen? She's perfect without being too perfect. She's smart, level headed, attractive, just an all-around cool person, and she dresses better than Pam. Pam is cool, but she's kind of a bundle of issues and insecurities, and she has a stunning lack of self awareness that she's paying the price for now. But on the other hand, love isn't a matter of comparing two checklists-- the question is, who does Jim really have feelngs for?

I was thinking today that Pam seems like a bit of a small town girl, but then Jim is sort of a small town guy (I'm thinking of the episode where Ryan said Jim pretty much does the same thing every day, and Jim has a hard time figuring out where he wants to take a vacation). And Karen is more of a city girl, which is maybe why Jim suggested that she should take the job closer to NYC. Maybe things will be resolved when Karen finally gets sick of Scranton.

I didn't like the Ed Helms character, because he was too much like another Dwight (and because it was too much Daily Show migration). But he's smarter than Dwight, and now he's E-VIL, which gives his character a purpose. Who would have thought I could feel sorry for Dwight?

And then there's Michael. I don't think I agree that he remains static. Or maybe he does, but we're just seeing more depth. He can be counted on to make an absolute ass out of himself in most situations, but he's becoming more sympathetic. There have always been hints that he's actually a competent salesman. And he really cares about being a good boss. And when he actually clues into how someone is feeling, he can be compassionate. And you can tell this whole Dwight situation just isn't sitting right with him, although he hasn't figured out why yet. The poor guy, all he wants is, not just to be liked, but to be the life of the party, and he has no clue how to go about it. Your heart breaks for him sometimes. Hell, if I knew him, I might even be tempted to pull a Jan, haha. But then I've always had that odd thing for Steve Carell :-) Anyway, I like how they've made Michael a redeeming enough character that the Jan thing seems almost plausible.

Ok, that's about it. Oh, and my favorite show on NBC namechecked my favorite show on CBS! How cool is that?

[bittertwee.livejournal.com]

you probably got this, but when I said "how can you hate Karen", I was carried away and writng in BeckyReviewer mode, and thus addressing the world at large. I don't think that you yourself hate Karen.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

yeah, I think you're right, I dont' think "static" is the right term. Perhaps Michael is really the character we know the least about even though he talks to the camera all the time. He's always putting on a show, trying to be "the boss" and we only get glimpses of the real Michael Scott.

Speaking of moments, the week before when Pam was crying in the hallway and Dwight came up to calm her down...just brilliant bit of writing. And she must have cried even harder later when she realized it would be one of the best Dwight stories to tell Jim, but she never could because she'd have to explain her tears. aaaaw.

I like that city mouse/country mouse comparison for Pam and Karen. It works. Karen is far more secure. I'm wondering if she'll get to know Pam more and maybe "step down" after a moment with Jim that makes her realize he still likes Pam. And Roy's attempts to mend their relationship have been sweet. (the honeymoon line was great)

And the Ed Helms thing is working, though his character really cannot last. Dwight might be an ass, but his goal is to support the company, while Andy is only about Andy, and he really won't work as a character for a very long time before he becomes unwatchable. Or maybe Angela will just break him in two next week...we'll see..

[bittertwee.livejournal.com]

"And she must have cried even harder later when she realized it would be one of the best Dwight stories to tell Jim, but she never could because she'd have to explain her tears."

ooh, I didn't think of that.. nice observation. Reminds me of one of my favorite moments this season, when Jim breaks into Dwight's hotel room and then runs away when he sees someone else is there, saying "Oh my god, Dwight got a hooker, I have to tell P- I don't know who to tell!"

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

that's the other thing about Pam/Jim and Karen/Jim - they really are two completely different types of relationships. Jim has been playful around Karen, but as far as we've seen, they've never had the silly games that Jim and Pam used to play with each other.

[bittertwee.livejournal.com]

So the question is, is that two different chemistries, or is this a sign that Jim put more effort into interactions with Pam? Can you see him giving Karen a gift like the teapot/memorabilia gift he gave to Pam? Seems like he'd just buy Karen a piece of jewelry or something.. you know, generic girlfriend gift. hmm.. (come to think of it, did we see what he got Karen for Christmas this year? I don't remember, I was laughing so hard at Michael's inability to remember which Asian waitress was his "date")

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

oooh, true! Is this a sign that Jim isn't being 100% with Karen? Is he treating her like a rebound because he's afraid of getting hurt again (even though Karen clearly likes him!) (I can't remember the christmas gift either...though I think I remember how to prepare a duck or whatever it was Dwight explained to that poor girl at the table)