The Office used to put on good holiday episodes

Even the presence of Robert California couldn’t save last night’s episode of The Office, although he certainly gave it a fighting chance at the end. I’ve been enjoying the show this season a lot more than I have in years, but the ensemble is still struggling to find the legs it misplaced a long time ago.

And I’m sure I’ll be saying this from now until he makes his grand exit, but what in the world is the CEO of a printer company based in Florida doing spending so much time at one branch of the multi-branch paper company that his company bought a few years back as a companion piece to its main business line? I enjoy Robert’s presence … I just don’t understand how its substantiated. Oh well.

I know that many of you enjoy how naive and innocent Erin can be, but the self-consciousness on display last night surely must have been too much even for you. Her obsession with what Andy thinks about her, and why he was seemingly undermining her, was ridiculous. First of all, does she not know that Andy may very well be even more self-conscious than she is? Second, if you’re so concerned then march into his office and say something! The good relationship that the two enjoy should have made it that much easier for her to do.

How about Jim and Pam spending the episode arguing about the existence of ghosts, and how Pam would handle a hypothetical question from baby CeCe? Is that rock bottom? Because it’ll take their hitting rock bottom before they start to get better … lets hope that happens soon.

It was Robert collecting his employees’ fears that marked the beginning of the good part of the episode for me; too bad it came all the way at the end. I enjoyed how crazy his story was, and how randomly he weaved together all the various fears floating around the office. His son Bert cracking up when he finished was perfect.

I think this is one of those episodes that could have a ton of fun outtakes, and potentially a treasure-trove of bonus features for a DVD set, with each character talking about their costume, their fears, the actors’ favorite Halloween stories, etc. But as far as the episode that we got to see is concerned? Here were the only good parts (aside from Robert at the end):

• Andy implying disappointment in the effort the office made for the party … while being dressed as a construction worker. I can’t believe no one called him on that!
• Robert’s son Bert. He provided some brief levity while tracking a hurricane, jousting with Dwight, and not allowing Jim to take his desk back.
• Plus Bert’s firing of Toby in the coda. Just awesome.
• The skeleton dance, performed artfully by Gabe, Kelly, and Toby. That was cool.
• Kevin’s fear of mummies. Some of the other fears were funny, too, but this one was particularly amusing. Especially given his reaction.
• Robert telling Andy, “I’m never uncomfortable” (plus his sitting down in Andy’s office after saying that the conversation between Andy and Erin was none of his business). That — and the story, by the way — was so James Spader.

But otherwise … pick it up, The Office.

Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Oct 28, 2011 @ 12:43 EST5EDT