Something about this feels just plain sacrilegious, but I really didn’t find the latest episode of The Office to be funny. And the main culprit was the new managerial dynamic. I think the redundancy, as well as the inside glance into Michael’s processes, were supposed to play comically, but it all just fell really flat for me.
Am I wrong in remembering that Michael was tasked with control of sales, not “the big picture?” In which case, day-to-day (Jim’s area) is really where raises fall….
Speaking of Jim, anyone figure out where his office came from? It seemed to be to the left of Creed and Meredith’s cluster, if you were facing them with your back to Michael’s office; I remember a wall there, but not a window, or another office. I wouldn’t be surprised if they built up the set, but are we supposed to think it’s new to the office? Because the walls seemed permanent … they could have made it a temp office, with prefab walls. It’s not a big deal, but messing with a set that we all know so well threw me for a loop.
The broader framework of the show seems to be heading to an unfunny place — assuming the structure remains. That won’t pre-determine the episodic plots, or how good they are, but the dynamics…. What hurts Jim and Michael hurts everyone else, too.
And again, lots of Jim and Pam, but never together. Pam’s busy wedding planning, but is her story funny? Is it enjoyable? I’m sitting here shrugging.
There were moments, of course; this is still The Office. Some of my highlights?
And, like I said before, this is still The Office:
“How is that gonna repair Ryan’s car?” – Kelly’s problem with her not getting a cost of living pay increase
“What does a bean mean?” – Kevin, asking about Jim’s idea for determining merit-based raises
Alright, so implying that I didn’t laugh at all was misleading, but I definitely was left scratching my head. Why are they messing with a winning formula? Any thoughts out there?
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Oct 02, 2009 @ 09:00 EST5EDT
I agree, this was a filler episode that was just meh for me.
*POST AUTHOR*
Let’s hope it was just “filler,” and not a new trajectory….
I agree as well. I am disappointed with the last episode and a little nervous that the show is headed down the drain.
I am indeed worried about this new dynamic, seeing as our insights into “Jim as boss” last season went into quite scary territory. That said however, I did find a lot of highlights in this episode, as I particularly enjoy it when Michael is less caricature and more real person like he was this episode. Not my favorite, but still enjoyable.
*POST AUTHOR*
The Pam/Jim relationship could be problematic, as well. With a marriage, a baby … at the very least, they will never be the same. Let’s just hope it’s not for the worse.
Unlike last week, I loved every bit of this episode. I don’t remember whether Michael or David Wallace mentioned “the big picture,” and even if that’s not what was said, it’s certainly the way Michael heard it. Really the entire co-manager distinction is so nebulous that David should have expected the two of them to butt heads over the raise issue.
We did get Pam seeing “Mrs. Pam Halpert” for the first time out of the B-story, so I’d say that was time well spent.
Meredith/Creed just proves once again that anything involving Creed can not fail. Also Dwight attributing his squeaky-voiced dig at Jim to Creed and Creed immediately agreeing that he had said it.
*POST AUTHOR*
Always the contrarian…. ;)
Creed is a superstar; I definitely wasn’t suggesting otherwise. I’d love it if the film crew followed him back to the shelter he lives in in Canada on the weekends!
I agree with most of the things you said. Though I’m not worried about the show going in the wrong direction. I like that the writers are trying out new things, even if their pitches may not all hit the mark. I mean, you gotta take risks and experiment around a little to figure how what works, what doesn’t, and what should never be done again. I’m not worried. The Office has a great ensemble of writers and actors. As soon as they’re back from the drawing board, I’m sure things will be better than ever.
*POST AUTHOR*
Fingers crossed!