“F and C, Double Time!”

“Front and Center, double time!” as Michael Scott said in last night’s episode… but really, let’s get down to business, last night’s episode “Product Recall” as well as the episode from last Thursday are a definite departure from what the writers and directors have been doing so far this season. In the past two episodes we have had little to no Jim and Pam interaction, and certainly no sexual tension of late; however, the writers are getting back to their roots. In season two and much of season three the inter-office drama has revolved around Jim and Pam and Michael and Jan, but the writers are clearly making an effort to appease the original Office fans who fell hard for the show in its’ first season, where it was more about the minute to minute jokes than about the relationships.
From the opening scene where Jim dresses up as Dwight to the end were the reverse happens, us avid Office watchers were taken back to the beginning—and I loved every minute! While the writers have remained the same, they have been bringing in guest directors such as JJ Abrams, who have showcased the actors’ abilities and flair for the comedic much more than last season. One of the best themes that has run throughout the show from the beginning is the fact that Michael Scott believes that not only is Dunder-Mifflin the most important company on the earth, but that he is integral to its’ success. In “Product Recall” one of the workers at the paper mill decides to put an obscene ‘water mark’ involving two cartoon characters of the reams of paper which have gone out to business all over Pennsylvania, Michael decides to hold a press conference in the Scranton office in an attempt to apologize, where one client and a Scranton journalist are the only audience. The client refuses to accept the apology, just as Michael refuses to accept fault in the matter and in one of the funnier quotes of the evening tells her that he’s calling the “ungrateful Biiatch hotline!”.
Additionally, it is the small, subtle jokes that make The Office so successful, as I have said over and over again. It is also, the ridiculous actions that take place within the office that are just as hilarious, such as Michael making an “apology video” (of which he’s made many) and explaining that everyone is trying to make him the “ascape goat”. Lastly, we watch as Andy, fresh out of anger management, learns that he has been dating a girl in high school, which I pray that the writers will continue through the next episode. While this episode will most likely have nothing to do with the next, I am grateful that the writers are sticking with what made the show work in the first place. Such humor is what we want, so as Andy would say, “beer me” another great episode.

Team Karen or Team Pam?

Team Pam or Team Karen? Personally while I think that Karen is a good match for Jim, Pam and Jim are meant to be together. The question is, will that ever happen; will the writers ever allow Jim and Pam to be a couple or are we going to have to wait for the series finale? After The Office’s long hiatus we were finally given an episode last Thursday and I was hoping to have some resolution in the awkwardness in the love triangle that is Karen, Pam and Jim. Yet, while the episode, “The Negotiation”, was hilarious, I was disappointed to find that things are as uncomfortable as ever before!
The one point in the plot that does move the action onward is that Roy tries to beat Jim up, thus he is fired. While I actually like the character of Roy (and apparently he and Jim are great friends off-screen) the fact that he is gone for good means that Pam is now officially free to date Jim. However, there is still a roadblock in the theoretical romance that would be Jim and Pam, and that is Karen. From the start of her and Jim’s relationship she never seemed to be a jealous character, but this episode shows her in a more protective manner; she wants to keep Jim close and away from Pam. Maybe the next few episodes will free Jim of Karen as well!
On another note, the other two couples, Jan and Michael and Angela and Dwight are floating along the not exactly smooth waters of Dunder-Mifflin. In this episode Michael drives to New York City in an attempt to get a raise and Toby must witness a first in Human Resource history, a man (Michael) threatening to withhold sex from his boss (Jan) unless he gets a raise, but it was shown to be a successful tactic because he walked out with a twelve percent raise and he’s still sleeping with his superior. Additionally, after Dwight uses pepper spray to save Jim from the wrath of Roy, Angela seems to be ever so turned on; and they make the mistake of getting a little frisky in the office where Jim accidentally catches the sight of them! While Jim vows to keep it a secret, I am sure that it will come to play in the future. While The Office is a great show comedically, these romances and the dynamics between these relationships is essential. Now we just need to wait for the romance of Jim and Pam or as I like to say, Jam!

“I love inside jokes…love to be part of one someday”

I am certain that I am not alone in that I am having serious withdrawals from The Office. My Thursday nights revolve around the half hour that I am able to sit back, relax and let Michael, Dwight, Jim and the rest of the crew let me in on a little bit of their work week. Thankfully, we only have to wait for six more days for a new episode! In the meantime, NBC decided to throw us, avid Office watchers, a bone by airing a marathon last night, although most of us have Tivo or have downloaded all of the episodes on iTunes, regardless I tuned in.
I began to think about how revolutionary of a show The Office is, as a single camera show, shot in a sound studio with no audience the, writers have very little cushion with their jokes. There is no laugh track, no one to tell us when to laugh or when to be sympathetic to Jim and Pam; it is almost as if, other than the few scenes where someone is either talking to or glancing at the camera, we are a hidden camera at Dunder-Mifflin. This shows how the writers and executive producer, Greg Daniels, respect the audience, allowing us to laugh when we want and think what we will which makes the drama in the show much more human.
Speaking of revolutionizing television, iTunes and NBC have enabled us to purchase and download the show as soon as its’ done airing, allowing us to watch it over and over again, picking up on something new every time. Additionally, NBC did not simply release the recent episode “The Return” on iTunes, they released the “Producer’s Cut” which wasn’t seen on TV. This allows the writers more time to play out the story and it’s not censored nearly as much as it is on primetime television. In this particular episode, which runs almost twenty-nine minutes, we see Jim, Pam and Karen pull a prank on Andy by putting his cell phone in the ceiling; we see Andy get angry, however, it’s only in the producer’s cut that we learn that Andy has to go to anger management classes. Such extras are the reason in which many of us watch The Office on TV and then turn around and buy the iTunes version; it may sound ridiculous, but I’m still buying!
Last night, while watching the marathon, I was kept finding myself laughing aloud to all of the one-liners, which, I realized, is why I fell in love with the show in the first place. I’m always text messaging my brother one-liners, no matter what day or time and he, along with all Office lovers, will get it. All I have to say is, “false, I do not miss him” and he knows that I am referring to Dwight talking about Jim and it will make anyone chuckle. I started writing down the one-liners that were making me laugh crack up and I found that there were too many to keep track. I am sure next week we’ll have Michael trying to pursue Jan and Dwight will be tricked into doing something ridiculous like trying to buying “gay-dar” online, and just for good measure we’ll have a little Jim and Pam drama thrown in. I’m sure, as always, it’ll be great…that’s what she said. See you next Thursday!