Author Topic: The Office  (Read 65833 times)

Offline Matt

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Re: The Office
« Reply #30 on: November 30, 2006, 11:01 AM »
New episode tonight!

Michael tries to be supportive when he finds out one of his new employees - presumably someone from the Stamford branch - has a prison record.

"Kinda sounds like prison's better than Dunder-Mifflin."


"I bet it's the Afro-American guy."




Oh, and tonight's episode was written by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant (creators of the British original), so it should be pretty good. . .
« Last Edit: November 30, 2006, 11:07 AM by Matt »
"The good news is that all that blood is actually ketchup. The bad news, however, is that all that ketchup is actually blood."

Offline Sprry75

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Re: The Office
« Reply #31 on: December 1, 2006, 08:50 AM »
MMMmmmmnnnnyyeeahh....

I dunno.  Michael's getting a little too over the top.  He was at his best in the second season, where his eccentricities were funny, but not unbelievable.  Lately, he doesn't seem like an off-kilter, lonely, insecure guy putting up a "best boss in the world" front, but someone who is seriously mentally ill.

And I'm not getting the purpose of the Stamford/Scranton merger.  Andy and Karen are the only ones who bring anything to the table, but they're really underused.  The rest of the Stamford crew seem to only be there so they can quit one by one.

I hate to admit that I'm tuning in more for the Jim & Pam Show than for the Office, but the best parts of last night were the love triang--er--square with Jim & Karen & Pam & Andy.
"Really?  Sorry."

Offline ruiner

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Re: The Office
« Reply #32 on: December 1, 2006, 09:25 AM »
I feel the same way.  Michael's character is way over the top this season.  It's too much -the prison speech (with the dew rag) was simply unfunny.

Last night's episode was definitely the weakest of the entire series. 

Michael needs one of his epiphany scenes where he justifies his existence -

Offline Matt

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Re: The Office
« Reply #33 on: December 14, 2006, 09:50 AM »
New (hour-long) episode tonight!

Quote
A BENIHANA CHRISTMAS

Special Time 8/7c 2006-12-14

In a special one hour Christmas episode, Michael sends out an inappropriate Christmas Card which lands him in hot water with his girlfriend Carol. Meanwhile tensions mount on the party planning committee between Angela, Pam and Karen. The resulting tension leave the office with two competing Christmas parties.

Last year's Christmas episode was a classic, so hopefully this one will be just as good.

(Side note: Tonight's episode was directed by Harold "I collect spores, mold, and fungus" Ramis. . .)
"The good news is that all that blood is actually ketchup. The bad news, however, is that all that ketchup is actually blood."

Offline JayDouble

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Re: The Office
« Reply #34 on: December 14, 2006, 06:42 PM »
New (hour-long) episode tonight!

Can't wait. 

Offline Sprry75

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Re: The Office
« Reply #35 on: December 14, 2006, 10:15 PM »
I really, really hate to say it, but it's getting preeeeeeeettttyyy close....

"Really?  Sorry."

Offline Neal

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Re: The Office
« Reply #36 on: December 14, 2006, 10:30 PM »
Care to explain why you feel that way?

Offline Matt

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Re: The Office
« Reply #37 on: December 14, 2006, 10:44 PM »
Sprry sucks balls; that's why he feels that way.

Fantastic episode.
"The good news is that all that blood is actually ketchup. The bad news, however, is that all that ketchup is actually blood."

Offline JayDouble

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Re: The Office
« Reply #38 on: December 15, 2006, 12:00 AM »
"You have been compromised."

Offline Mikey D

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Re: The Office
« Reply #39 on: December 15, 2006, 07:24 AM »
When Michael marked his "girlfriend", both the wife and I were in tears.  Kevin was also in fine form last night.

Common sense isn't so common

Offline Neal

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Re: The Office
« Reply #40 on: December 15, 2006, 09:30 AM »
Sprry sucks balls; that's why he feels that way.

Fantastic episode.

That's kind of what I thought.  Thanks for the confirmation.

Offline Deanpaul

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Re: The Office
« Reply #41 on: December 16, 2006, 08:27 AM »


Here's a review I agree with:

Quote
"The Office Season 3" brings higher production value (the role of unsteady camerawork as a character takes a backseat due to even slightly better standards), and entirely new batch of characters, and much more forced humor.  Originally praised for it's "subtle" jokes, "The Office Season 3" is already catering to a bigger audience with forced punch lines of it's own kind (I can almost hear the studio laugh-track).  Contrary to many reviews, "The Office" was never truly subtle to begin with (especially compared to it's British provider), but structured and smart no doubt.

This season of "The Office" already assumes that bigger is dumber, and we are getting force fed a predictable plot, which will probably resolve after a dragging series of expositions complete with trite character and environment comparisons.  Michael's ignorance and Dwight's stupidity have escalated to make them both humanly unrecognizable.

"The Office" has gone from a believable documentary carried by it's acute observations of The Human Condition through the eyes of a lovable American workforce, to an over-the-top farce involving site gags and shock value.  I'll hope for the best, but might prefer savoring the days when low budget meant clever writing, and true innovation meant staying on the air.

I enjoyed a lot of the episode when compared to what else is on TV, but the show is losing ground with me from previous seasons. 

The opening sequence was painful, Rainn Wilson was so far out there the other characters were left with nothing to do but react.  I'll fault the writing and a scene that should have been resolved in half the time, but when you've got 42 minutes to fill instead of 21 I guess you've got to stretch things out.

I'm still watching, but I miss/hope for episodes with more character development from the acting, writing and directing rather than relying on situation comedy to do all the heavy lifting.
"Regime change, like charity, begins at home." - Ira Glass, This American Life

Offline Sprry75

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Re: The Office
« Reply #42 on: December 16, 2006, 09:15 AM »
Care to explain why you feel that way?

Mmmm...mostly because I suck balls, I guess. 

But also a little bit because I just watched the Season 1 DVD again last weekend, and have been comparing this season's episodes.  As a ball sucker, I'm not really good at explaining myself (usually all I can manage is "mmmmfrffrmfffrrmbbllt," or if I've had a few drinks, "ssshllsssshslrrthtbbllt"), but in Seasons 1 and 2, the show seemed to just nail it; the episodes were really brilliant, and now it just seems like the show is trying to take itself to 11 all the time.  It's like its trying to out-Office the Office.

Another thing that's gone by the wayside is the kind of comic melancholy that the first two seasons had.  There were always rumors of downsizing, and nobody was really happy except Michael, who was happy in a kind of blissfully ignorant way.  There was a nice thematic juxtaposition between some truly hilarious situations and plotlines and this kind of Scranton-sad melancholy.

That's mostly gone, I suppose because they got the payoff with the Stamford branch closing.  Now it's just wackiness from Michael and Dwight.

Admittedly, I'm being way too hard on the show--it's still better than Who Wants to Deal with 500 Big Losers or whatthefuckever they're showing on every other channel, and it really isn't jumping the shark, and the episode with Dwight's cousin is one of my favorite episodes, and the Christmas episode wasn't thaaat bad, but I just wish they'd tone it down a little, maybe be a little more respectful of the whole "mockumentary" style. 

I dunno, I'm not a critic.  I just haven't been nearly as impressed with this season as I was by the other two.  That's all.  Just my opinion.  If you don't agree...well, mmmmfrffrmfffrrmbbllt.

EDIT If I weren't so busy...well, you know, I would've read Deanpaul's post.  That review really sums it up well, I think.
« Last Edit: December 16, 2006, 09:19 AM by Sprry75 »
"Really?  Sorry."

Offline Sprry75

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Re: The Office
« Reply #43 on: December 16, 2006, 09:22 AM »
Sprry sucks balls; that's why he feels that way.

Fantastic episode.

That's kind of what I thought.  Thanks for the confirmation.

Oh, and **** you Neal.  Matt can say I suck balls because he has a little personal knowledge, but you don't so you can't.  So **** you.  :)
"Really?  Sorry."

Offline Neal

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Re: The Office
« Reply #44 on: December 16, 2006, 11:40 AM »
I never said you sucked balls.  You, however, did admit it many times in your post, so ... to each his own, I guess.  I'm not here to judge anyone.