The Office Season Premiere

by Kelly Bedard

I know, I know, I'm more than a week behind the ball on this but I just had to take a moment to share my love of the Office season premiere. 

In what is already turning out to be a really smart move, the writers moved James Spader's hilariously powerful Robert California to Kathy Bates' tired CEO position and had him appoint great character/mediocre salesman Andy as Regional Manager in his place. The well meaning go-getter spearheaded a really clever and terribly sweet episode that almost had me crying like hormone-charged Pam.

"Goodbye, Michael"

Tonight was the farewell episode of one of television's most beloved characters. Like Michael J Fox's farewell from Spin City, Steve Carell's departure from The Office will probably be remembered as the series' true finale, no matter how many years it continues on from here.

Michael's final arc had its ups and downs, as did his final episode. Deangelo (Will Ferrell), Michael's (most likely temporary) replacement is both unlikable and unfunny, making some of these final episodes (and especially the tag of this week's) hard to watch.

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NBC Thursday's Best Jokes This Week

"I'm not jealous"- Troy is jealous of Jeff's dinner with his best friend Abed. (Community)

Shirley as Samuel L Jackson in Pulp Fiction. (Community)

"I want you take this money and buy a book, it's called '7 Habits of Highly Effective People'!"- Vance tries to help out a stripper at his bachelor party. (Perfect Couples)

 Leigh and Rex call each other every half hour to gossip about their respective parties. (Perfect Couples)

"You're not smart"- Leigh to Dave after he spills his darkest secrets to the whole room trying to head off Vance's threat of revealing them on Julia's voicemail. The voicemail says "Dave, you are your own worst enemy". (Perfect Couples)

Moments of transcendence. (Perfect Couples)

"Now you've hurt me twice" -Vance after Dave calls his wife his best friend, explaining why he told her Vance's secret. (Perfect Couples)

"THAT is Dallas" - Kevin swindles Andy and Darell out of their money by faking a fit during a game of Dallas the board game where they've been inventing all the rules. (The Office)

Hundreds of candles set off the sprinklers during Michael's adorable proposal to Holly. (The Office)

"It's called the ground when it's outside"- Ron after Ben says he'll sleep on the floor while camping. (Parks and Recreation)

Tom watches season 6 of Top Chef (the Voltaggio season) in his high tech tent. (Parks and Recreation)

Leslie tries to come up with her next great idea while listening to "Steal my Sunshine" (Parks and Recreation)

"Is it TNT? Are Rizzoli and Isles friends in real life?"- Liz wonders what new channel Jack's acquired for Cabletown. (30 Rock)

"I don't know if my tone is conveying my fury about this but I am, pardon my french, bonjour. Now, that's a joke, but I am really really mad" - Hank, the head of Cabletown about Jack's new channel acquisition. "It's okay Jack, you made a bad decision and bought something you didn't understand- like when I bought tickets for Black Swan. Remember when a movie was just a fellow in a hat running away from a fellow with no hair?" (30 Rock).

AN AARON SORKIN WALK AND TALK!- see previous post. (30 Rock).

True Love: Other Stuff Edition

It's Valentine's time and TV is in full romantic bloom. Here are our favourite romantic episodes of the week:

1) Glee 
(We've covered this already. Twice)

2) Community
(This too. Just once)

3) Modern Family
The reprisal of Clyve and Juliana, Gloria turning Valentine's day into a competition, Manny's quest for Hayley's love, Cam and Mitchell's jealous search for attention, the triumphant return of Dylan! Brilliant.

4) Raising Hope
It wasn't romance, it was bromance, but it was awesome. "Romeo and Romeo" was the hilarious story of two star-crossed single dads in desperate need of a friend. Hilarity ensued.

5) 30 Rock
Not overtly Valentines-themed but based almost completely on couples when the show almost never is, this week's 30 Rock saw the return (and dismissal) of my (and everyone else's) beloved Matt Damon (seriously, who doesn't love this guy?!).

6) The Office
An awkward (but cheeky) Pam and Jim plot and a sweet but strange one for Michael and Holly made this episode of the office slightly above average. What made it significantly above average (at least for the current season) was Erin's Valentines treasure hunt. It was designed for her by the wonderfully deadpan new character Gabe and followed by my favourite character in the office, Erin, and her endearing ex Andy. It was sweet, it was melancholy, and it disrupted the office wonderfully (the scene with Darryl is classic).

A Great Office Christmas

The Office has been hit or miss for years. Since about season 3 it has been made up of a lot of seriously broad humour and decently funny material combined with the occasional glowing moment that balanced it all out. Christmas is usually a time for standard Office fare. Usually someone gets drunk, there's some sort of Santa hijinks, Pam and Jim exchange cute presents and we're all sent home mildly underwhelmed but filled with some sort of holiday cheer-like message.

But this week's Office Christmas episode was pretty great actually. It was a full hour (always a danger with this show) but filled the time nicely.

First of all, there was the much-anticipated return of Holly. Her and Michael's epic romance story wasn't moved forward at all, really, but it played on some of Michael's more interesting character notes. The Woody doll bit was a truly excellent addition; it's destruction showcased Michael's lowpoints but his makeshift bathroom laundromat reminded us why we love him. Holly's ultimatum story seemed out of character and strange (though they did make a point of saying that was true) but it gave Pam a nice moment at the end (and the fans a nice callback to Jim's years of waiting for her).

Andy had some fun business, as did Phyllis, Stanley, Kevin and Creed, as usual. Toby, naturally, stole all his scenes as he desperately tried to connect using his stories from jury duty. Erin, my favourite Office worker, played a brilliant angle on the Holly story, unable to understand why Michael loved her so much. Her protective moment after Michael called Holly out was truly inspired.

Darryl had a rare storyline, a lovely one in which he struggled with the fact that his daughter didn't want to spend Christmas with him; it was heartbreaking but sweet. I love the detail of Angela's boyfriend being in the closet (even if it is overdone). Ryan's quest for a fancy cocktail was great (as was his brilliant critique of Pam's comic book) and any time Kelly references her minority executive training it gives me hope that maybe she will be the one to take over the office when Steve Carell leaves at the end of this season (she's my first choice, hands down).

Jim and Pam's obligatory present story was sweet as usual, but it was Jim and Dwight's story that was the highlight of the episode for me. We start out with Dwight calling Jim a little girl for being excited about snow. Jim then collects a snow ball from the parking lot (complete with dirt and a pebble), brings it inside and whips it at Dwight. This gross overreaction is supposed to be a joke but comes across (as golden boy Jim sometimes does in his ugliest moments) as just plain mean. The result is, in classic Dwight fashion, the most wonderful myriad of mind games concocted since Slapsgiving. Dwight gets his revenge, makes Jim feel bad and drives him off his rocker. By the end of the episode, the bloodied, exhausted and paranoid golden boy attacks a series of snow men as his tormentor looks on from the roof. It's beautiful, evil but beautiful, and ultimately hilarious in a character-perfect way.

So hey, maybe The Office has something left in it after all.

Where I Stand

I realize I have fallen behind on the many many things happening in the TV world right now. It's finale time, which means it's My TV Season Wrap-Up time so my plate is quite full of writing to be done. In the mean time, in case you haven't been following @mytvblog on twitter (which you all should), I thought I'd get you caught up briefly on where I stand on the TV issues of the moment:

The Survivor and Amazing Race Finales: in both cases the wrong person won and the most deserving competitor took second. As much as I would have liked to see Caite win the race and throw it in the face of all the snobby pseudo-intellectuals who teased her, the title should have belonged to the cowboys, who ran the most consistently impressive race. As for Survivor, the finale was fun because Jeff was super snarky with bitter Russell but the only reason Sandra should have won was if she had actually succeeded in taking Russell out when she tried. This was Parvati's season, she played the best game and really should have had it.

The Lost Finale: I'm generally pro, though I understand why the mythology-oriented fans are left disappointed. It was an emotional, character-driven, spirituality-heavy farewell and if that's not your Lostian focus then you couldn't have been happy. As for me, a super sap who's all about character over plot, I loved that it got me emotionally reacting to Lost again. Despite solid writing, excellent effects and superb acting, the MVP award goes to composer Michael Giacchino for creating iteration after iteration of his iconic "important emotional moment" music for the episode's record breaking number of important emotional moments.

NBC Thursday Finales: Community offered its weakest episode yet (read Rachael's Season Wrap-Up for more, all of which I agree with), 30 Rock's finale was awesome after a really rocky season (again, see Rachael's Wrap-Up) and The Office was hardly noteworthy at all (hence, Wrap-Up still pending) except for the promise of Holly's return.

The Grey's Anatomy Finale: Amazing. A couple minor flaws but generally the best episode they've done possibly ever (after an altogether strong season). I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, even though I knew who would perish/survive because of contract news.

The Dancing with the Stars Finale: The right person won and managed to remind me that even if I despise her current band, I loved her first one and she was my favourite when she got her big break on Popstars back when I was a kid who watched Popstars. Also, Derek Hough is a god of choreography and dance and energy. Also, I love Evan Lysacek, he reminds me so much of my friend Chris.

Tomorrow's American Idol Finale: Team Bowersox!

The Bachelorette: I'm still not on board with Ali (she was just WAY too mean to Vienna, who danced on the DwtS finale btw and was beautiful!) but I do love The Bachelorette. I'd watch Chris Harrison do anything and there are already some really promising bachelors (including a cutie from Vancouver who caught my eye early).

Friday Night Lights: It's back and I'm still OBSESSED. I love very few things as much as I love this show.

A Lovely Day at The Office

Tonight's Office episode was really pretty wonderful. Though Jim and Pam's journey into parenthood started slow with them putting off going to the hospital, her cute food dates with Kevin helped the episode along until it started to pick up.

Once the ball was rolling on Pam finally having the baby, the episode turned into one of the best of the season.

Jim and Pam, in top form, were good for laughs and smiles as they navigated the waters of early parenthood and encountered some wonderfully awkward hijinks along the way.

Dwight and Angela devised a parent contract so they could procreate, drudging up some really poignant character detail that hasn't been visited all season.

and (my favourite)

Andy finally asked Erin out. The tired series has been impressively revived since the arrival of the naively sweet and quirky receptionist and her pairing with golden-hearted Andy had me at the word "go". The pairing's final scene of the episode made for some wonderful television and I can't wait to see more from them.

It truly was a lovely hour spent in The Office this week.

TV That Rocks

In recent days, my favourite TV characters have had a little help from the good people over in the music department in creating some really memorable scenes. Here are the videos of some of our favourite musical moments from this week (and one from last season that was just too great to pass up).

The Good and Bad of Jim and Pam's Wedding

This week's episode of The Office was an event; the wedding that fans and characters alike have been waiting for for years. In pleasing, disappointing and appropriate ways, the episode was perhaps the perfect one to celebrate the series' history and identity.

In accordance with The Office's tendency towards broad and unfunny humour, Andy hurt his scrotum, Kevin wore both a toupee and Kleenex box shoes and Michael was grossly inappropriate and outlandish. On the upside of the comedy was the subtly funny new receptionist Erin, the small Kelly/Ryan moments, Jim's humanizing slip-up about the pregnancy and Phyllis' hat.

On the other side of the Office coin was the sweet sentimentality that has always been the heart of the show. The landmark episode that saw loyal fans rewarded after 5+ seasons of rooting for Jim and Pam, gave the two beloved characters their happily ever after in a perfectly fitting way.

The episode reminded fans why they fell in love with the couple in the first place; they're low key yet somehow epic.

Not to give anything away, the lovely (if flawed) episode contained what I'm sure will be remembered as some of the series' sweetest moments, which included:

- Jim's (almost) perfect rehearsal dinner speech (John Krasinski, you may have just won yourself the "Marry Me" My TV Award)

- a beautiful scene featuring a tie and a veil (perfection by way of flaw= Jam personified)

- "plan A was marrying her a long time ago, pretty much the day I met her" + plans B and C

and (the best part)

- a montage of 2 cross-cut scenes of epic proportion, one being a beautiful character-perfect romantic moment and the other being a series-perfect tribute to a cultural phenomenon: the effect is the perfect mix of Office zaniness and sweetness that leaves you with a smile on your face.

Thursday Night Hilarity

The Office

Sometimes, The Office is just so pitch-perfect that it shocks me. Tonight's premier episode comfortably, brilliantly straddled the line between Michael's awkward neediness, Jim and Pam's happiness, and the rest of the cast's quirks in a way that at once re-introduced us to our friends at Dunder Mifflin and made us wonder how we survive all summer without them. It wasn't a particularly huge episode (although it did include some surprising character growth amongst all the irreverence), nor was it the most quotable, but it took a well-worn Office trope (Michael's ridiculousness causes chaos, he tries to fix things, makes things worse. The office, specifically Jim and Pam, have to step in and fix things) and did it so well that I am feeling more confident than ever that this show can succesfully carry through on all the promises it has given out over the years.

I love how far The US Office has come from its UK cousin. Don't get me wrong, I loved Ricky Gervais' masterpiece way before Michael Scott was even a gleem in some tv producer's eye, but I like that our Office as its own flavor. It's not afraid of happiness. It started as a caustic workplace satire, but really, now it's a celebration of the tiny happiness of the average american. It's way too good natured to really be considered a satire, although it has satirical elements, and it's way too funny to just be schmaltz. But at the end of the day, this is a show that chose to end last season with two people with whom we've grown to love over five seasons more deliriously happy than I think we've ever seen a couple on television. And then they started this season with a witty, funny episode that deconstructed Michael Scott's neurosis without the malice that occasionally creeps into that discussion. It's a truly unique creation, and the best argument for The Colonies rebelling from their British Overlords since all that tea got dumped into the Boston Bay.

Community

After watching the previews for Community, I'm not sure I was ready for the angry, mysanthropic Joel McHale character of "Jeff." I had expected something more "wacky and good natured" than "college-faking and cheating." That being said, despite my surprise at its tone, I think I'm grooving at its promise, for a pilot.

I love Aved (the Arab, previously Sanjay on Greek ), who talks crazy fast and says things like "this is getting more like the breakfast club" and then does the Bender monologue with hilariously gleeful perfection, and who may or may not have aspbergers (although what great television protagonist doesn't, Sheldon?). John Oliver as the befuddled, morally-compromised, some-times-drunk-driving dean is all lovely British dry wit. And the surprise in the bunch is Britta, the love-interest for McHale, who is shockingly well realized and witty and cool in her own right. Or, as McHale's Jeff puts it, "how was I supposed to know you'd turn out to be smart and cool? You look like Elizabeth Shue."

The strength or weakness of this show will rest on how well integrated McHale's bullshit (which he does brilliantly) is with the rest of the show, and how much they make us believe in the man beneath it all. McHale is amazing to watch, and he's funny, and I'm only sort of distracted by how overly styled his hair is. The show is leaning in the right direction, but basing a show around a not-so-nice main character is always a tricky proposition, and I hope they can continue to get the balance right. You have to let the amoral dick that is at the center of your show grow and breathe without losing what makes the show funny to begin with.

And damn if this show doesn't have some quotable dialogue:

"As if there's a dinner on Earth that could make me forget you are a shallow douche bag."

"We are the only species on Earth that observes Shark Week."

"Do you think astronauts go to the moon because they hate oxygen? No. They're trying to impress their highschool prom kings."

"If it's so serious, why don't they call it meningitis?"

And never before has a show so succintly summed up my life and current woes: "The funny thing about being smart is that you can get through most of life without ever having to do any work. So I don't really know how to do that..."

Emily Blunt Has Good Taste

Not only was the British actress the woman who tamed my beloved Michael Buble (he may or may not have broken her heart, but I love him anyway) but now she's taking one of my favourite TV stars off the market for good.

Office charmer John Krasinski and Blunt have announced their engagement after keeping their relationship super private since November.

Add on Jenna Fischer's impending wedding and the onscreen nuptials of Jim and Pam and the Office cast will be spending half their year "eating dry chicken and dancing to celebration" (as My Boys' Brendan would say)

Congratulations Emily on your 6'3'' adorable Brown graduate/ Conan intern/Playwright with a cute smile and a lovely sense of irony- I officially hate you now.

Sad and Strange TV News

Starting with the sad, Emmy-winning/nominated actors Bradley Whitford (The West Wing, Studio 60) and Jane Kaczmarek (Malcolm in the Middle) filed for divorce on Friday; August would have been the 17th wedding anniversary for these parents of 3. Whitford (a TV favourite of mine) can next be seen alongside Richard Jenkins (Six Feet Under), Amy Acker (Dollhouse, Angel), Fran Kranz (Dollhouse), Chris Hemsworth (Star Trek) and Tom Lenk (Buffy) in the 2010 thriller The Cabin in the Woods, written by TV hotshots Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse) and Drew Goddard (Buffy, Angel, Alias, Lost).

As for the strange, be sure to head to your local theatre to see the typical but sweet (and surprisingly funny) romantic comedy The Proposal starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. Office fans will be in for a shock when they encounter an exuberant Oscar Nunez playing a role very different from the dead-pan accountant he portrays in the NBC sitcom.

Season Wrap Up: The Office

The best way to describe the 5th season of The Office would be bittersweet. Everything from the season premiere that saw Jim coping with life in a Pam-less Scranton to the Superbowl episode in which overly cruel employees roast Michael to the finale that left Jim and Pam wordlessly celebrating life-changing news while Michael looked optimistically to the romance in his future; the whole season was a mix between sweetness and sadness, comedy and heartbreak. 

An above average season for The Office, in my opinion, season 5 was when Michael finally began to grow up. After throwing her a baby shower, Michael finally was able to let toxic Jan go and embrace a new character who brought out the best in him: Holly Flax. Whether they were rapping, flirting or performing "Slumdunder Mifflinaire" at the company picnic, Michael and Holly were the perfect complement to each other; she was the exact right combination that matched Michael's zaniness but also grounded him. And when they were torn apart and she moved on, Michael didn't make with the crazy as you might expect, rather he saw things with his newfound maturity and declared his and Holly's "a long [love] story" that just hadn't reached it's ending yet. 

This season also saw major growth professionally for both Michael and Pam. Michael saw some success when he was asked to go on a lecture circuit, teaching sales techniques to other branches. But, under-appreciated and under-respected, he finally reached his breaking point with the company when they cancelled his anniversary celebration. So, the series was tossed upside down for the first time since it's premiere 5 years ago, Michael started a competing paper company, taking Pam and Ryan with him. And though the storyline only lasted a couple episodes, it was a serious game changer for Michael, caused Dwight to reveal his true loyalties and moved Pam forward in the quest for self-fulfillment that she began 2 years ago at that infamous bonfire. 

Pam started the year out of the office. Her and Jim proved the strength of their relationship by going long distance for awhile while Pam went to art school in New York. In a somewhat lame move, however, Pam moved back to Scranton, seemingly giving up on her artistic aspirations. But she picked up new aspirations. As the only employee to walk out of the office by Michael's side, Pam demanded a sales position in his new venture, The Michael Scott Paper Company. And when the company merged back in with Dunder Mifflin, Pam carved out a space for herself on the sales team. She may not have moved as far as she wanted to go, but Pam finally got herself out of the receptionist chair she was so bored with. 

This is also the season that proved that Jim and Pam (as Rachael would say) are not Ross and Rachel but rather Chandler and Monica. Though it took them awhile to get together, this season proved that Jim and Pam aren't going anywhere, at least not without each other. Surviving the long distance thing, and Pam's multiple foray's into the world outside Dunder Mifflin, Jim and Pam grew even closer this year. They finally got engaged, Jim bought his parents' old house for them to live in and, in the final moments of the finale, they found out that Pam is pregnant (they're ecstatic about it, by the way). And in the episode when the couple was on the rocks because of Pam's parents' divorce, she summed up their relationship perfectly with the words: "When you're a kid you assume that your parents are soul mates. My kids are going to be right about that". 

As for the other main romance in the show, season 5 was a tumultuous one for Angela. She went from engaged (to Andy) with a bit of action on the side (with her secret true love Dwight) to single, hated and alienated. But the finale saw Andy healing and moving on, his attention caught by the new receptionist. We also got a little tease of a reconciliation between Angela and Dwight. Jim and Pam might have proved to be Chandler and Monica but Angela and Dwight have all the epic earmarks of a bizarro world Ross and Rachel. 

Filled with little delights like Phyllis' auctioned-off hug and Pam's secret volleyball skills; plagued with cringe-worthy things like the intervention for Meredith, the baby shower for Jan and Ryan's frosted tips; and packed with heartbreaking and heartwarming moments in between, The Office's 5th season isn't one to miss, though I wouldn't go into it expecting a barrel of laughs without a couple of tears. 

FINALE GRADE: A-

SEASON GRADE: B+

The Office: Company Picnic

This week's season finale of The Office was pure, unadulterated joy. From Andy's crush on Erin, to Dwight and Angela's mini-reconciliation, to Stanley's drunken glee, it had happiness and hope for nearly every character. But most importantly, it brought the three most important characters to beautiful places. Michael met up with (the almost mythical at this point) Holly, and I immediately remembered why Amy Ryan was one of the best things to ever happen to this show. She was goofy and adorable and endearing, and more than that, she brings out the best in Michael. Around Holly, Michael is a human being, awkward and stupid and prone to ridiculous gaffes, sure, but capable of nearly astounding grace. His ending monologue about theirs being a "long term" love was at turns heartbreaking and hopeful. Please, please, NBC, whatever you have to do, bring back Holly next season.

And speaking of long term love, Jim and Pam. Pam had a great episode to begin with, getting super competitive in volleyball and deciding to stay at the company picnic despite her and Jim's desire to just make the rounds and then escape. But the episode capper, where Pam, attempting to find out about her volleyball injury, instead finds out she's pregnant, was poetry on screen. Kudos, a million times over kudos, to John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer for bringing so much exuberance and joy. Specifically Krasinski, who in a five second phone call to Dwight managed to radiate so much love it was nearly overwhelming. We've spent so long with these two characters, watched them go from awkward flirting to blatant longing to the art-school-phase and now they're one of the most believably happy couples on television (I've said it before, but they're Monica and Chandler where they once seemed like Ross and Rachel, and I argue this makes them all the more epic). This is romantic arcs done right.

All in all, a beautiful capper to an occasionally really sad season.

And check out that moment between Jim and Pam, and the incredibly fine, emmy-worthy acting that accompanied it:

Where Will it Go?

I love The Office. I used to be able to say it was one of my favorite shows. And although it's not one of my favorites anymore, I do like some of the things the writers are doing.

First off, Pam is no longer just the receptionist. Jenna Fischer is a dynamic actress (Blades of Glory and Walk Hard) and she deserves some great material. I like the gumption Pam showed when she left Dunder Mifflin to work for Michael and I like that she insisted on being a saleswoman, rather than the receptionist. She has really come into her own when you compare her to the woman from Season Two.

I also like Michael in the past four episodes. Although, for the most part, he has no clue how an office should be run, he does have some shining moments. I am glad that he recognized that David Wallace was mistreating him by not allowing him to have a party for his Dunder Mifflin anniversary. His attempt to start a new company was genius because it gave the audience a glimpse as to why he is a Regional Manager. Michael knows how to woo his clients; he knows how to relate to them, to make them feel special. I particularly enjoyed how he color-coded his contact cards to know what topics to not talk about. Michael is a smart man, despite some evidence to the contrary.

Although I am enjoying some of these aspects, this season leaves me wondering "how much time does The Office have left?" Jim and Pam are on the verge of marriage; Michael will always be Regional Manager of Scranton; Dwight will always have his beet farm; and Toby will always be an HR representative...so how many stories can the writers produce before there is nothing left to laugh at?

This past week's episode irritated me. The possible mutiny was not funny. Dwight's plans are no longer 'out there', they're just juvenile. The show has taken a much more serious route this season indicating that it is either time for a hiatus or a series finale. I'd much rather a series finale before the characters lose everything that I love about them.

I've Never Been Hang Gliding, Either.

Tonight's Office was a lot darker than the past couple of weeks. For awhile, I was supremely annoyed, feeling as though this episode was built on Michael getting into the absurdest possible situation within the setup, and then getting out of it with typical Office logic. After all, petulantly repeating every word your boss says is pretty childish, unprofessional, and stupid, especially when you're arguing over figs. Then Michael showed up in David Wallace's office, and you realize that what Michael's really upset about is the complete lack of respect the new Vice President was showing him, and Wallace was in turn reinforcing. It's not that we don't understand why these interlopers into the strange Dunder Mifflin universe want to fix it, but the show has well established that while Michael may be a selfish idiot at times, he also somehow (magically?) gets the job done. He has, as he repeatedly pointed out, worked there for fifteen years, and in this past year, has lost a girlfriend to the job. On top of that, he's apparently so good at his job that they had him road trip to all the other offices to talk them into shape. In other words, when Michael tells David Wallace that he deserves better than this, he's more than just petulant: he may be right.

That moment, and the fact that everything didn't return to sitcommy normalcy at the end of the episode, redeemed what had been a cringe-inducing and annoying A-story up until that point. The episode didn't so much have a B-story as a couple of C-stories. Jim is forced to deal with how far he's fallen down the rabbit hole of Dunder Mifflin when he confronts the ridiculousness of his pranks within a real world setting and when the new VP forces him to admit that the powerless title of Assistant Regional Manager now seems to mean as much to him as it once did to Dwight. It's fun to see the Office's resident pantheon of cool (here literally embodied in his "classy" James Bond/magician's tux) realize how ridiculous he acts. On top of that, Kelly and Angela fighting over the sexy new VP provided some giggles, although it was mostly a throwaway. Still, I can never really get enough of Kelly's ridiculous blatherings.

All in all, this was not a particularly rewatchable episode, but it did exemplify how many different things the writers are still finding to do with their setup and characters.

Thursday Night Comedy Block = Yawnsville

The Office and 30 Rock, after both having strong showings last week, were sort of underwhelming tonight.
The Office's plot was pretty weak, in particular. After Michael's misguided, Willy Wonka-inspired Golden Ticket promotion goes awry (losing the company 50% of their biggest client's money), David Wallace is looking for someone to blame. One of the biggest weaknesses of this episode is the other story: Jim, Pam, and Andy all give Kevin different advice in his quest to win the heart of the lady we saw him flirting it up with last week. In a good episode, this would be a cute C-story. In this episode, it's a very weak B-story.

In particular, though, my biggest Office pet peeve is when Michael is played purely selfish for laughs and specifically when he shows no regard for Dwight. It's a throw back to the British version, where David and Gareth, despite Gareth's suck-up-age, were incredibly mean to each other. But by this point in the show, I don't want to watch Michael sell Dwight down the river the second he senses his job is in trouble. I 100% believe he'd sell someone down the river, but I'd like to have seen him struggle more with what he was doing to Dwight. That being said, the episode capper with Dwight getting caught in the infinite loop of logic that was the ding dong KGB joke was all sorts of fantasticness.

30 Rock, even on an off week, can inspire giggles in me that make me seem like a stoned fourteen year old, but this week's just felt blah. Not only have we yet to get resolution on the Liz Lemon/ Don Draper love story (although we did get meta-teased about it with the constant references to Hamm), but a plot following Lemon in jury duty and Jack trying to come up with the name for a mini microwave and Jenna trying experimental drugs isn't exactly the stuff of legend. And while I love the idea that Liz uses her crazy Princess Leia guise to get out of jury duty, in an episode this otherwise weak, the throw back just felt like laziness. That being said, Kenneth, upon finding out he's in charge of TGS, immediately declaring that "all menstruating women must go home immediately" was exactly the kind of comedy randomness that keeps me coming back week after week. And the increased interest in the supporting players is nice, although I miss Pete and I wish the ones besides Frank and the hot girl got lines. What ever happened to Toofer and Josh? Not even Dot Com and Griz got to play in this episode.

There are a lot of Princesses out there, with a lot of different sized feet. And hands.

Some weeks, The Office is more like a laughathon. It's high concept and the guffaws come closely together. And most of the time that's okay with me, but it's always a balancing act between pathos and hilarity.

This week, the show was just human. It was all about a group of people who work together and have, despite their best intentions, become family. Watching the b-list office mates pull together for Michael (who had a particularly great week, without a single truly cringe worth moment, and with a lot of truly adorable moments) reminded me of why we can sit through the episodes when they're unintentionally cruel or over the top. And the b-story, with Pam and Jim eating with an overly-amorous Phyllis and Bob, was just the right mixture of goofy and cute, and reminded me why The Office doesn't need a conflict of the week between Pb&J (they're more Monica and Chandler than Ross and Rachel).

There have been funnier weeks, and probably episodes with greater quotability and rewatch value, but this week's Valentine's Day episode was just plain sweet, and a nice return to the show after the sweepsless month of February.

Oh Jenna Fischer, How I Love You

Lots of weeks on The Office, the big funny gets carried by folks like Steve Carrell, Rainn Wilson, Ed Helms, and Angela Martin. Jenna Fischer's Pam mostly gets to be sweet and witty. But the past two episodes, Pam played comedy-routine side-kick on the Michael Scott tour and the result was, well, this-



I really do just love everything about that clip (and I also love that Hulu lets you make your own adorable subclips out of full shows. Oh this crazy Internet and all the fun things it provides for me. Avenue Q was wrong about you!)

Valentines

It's that time of year again. Flower prices are skyrocketing, restaurant reservations are hard to come by, jewelry stores are bustling and all around North America people are wishing that life were as romantic as their TV. 

So in honour of this most auspicious holiday, that of St. Valentine, I thought I'd revisit the issue of TV's greatest couples. In the months since my last list of this kind, circumstances have changed for some of the list toppers (I'm talking about you Mr. Grubstick, how dare you become annoying) but some remain eternally perfect for each other. So, without further ado, here are my favourite television valentines (and some of their sappiest lines) in no particular order:

Marshall Erikson and Lily Aldrin (How I Met Your Mother): "I love you because, one, you made me a sack lunch, and two, you laugh every time you say the word 'sack'"- Marshall Erikson. 

Jim and Pam (The Office): "When you're a kid, you assume your parents are soulmates. My kids are going to be right about that"- Pam Beasley.

Tammi and Erik Taylor (Friday Night Lights): "I bring this up because as usual my wife is always right"- Erik Taylor. 

Paul and Jamie Buchman (Mad About You): "Do you know how long I waited for you? My mother used to say I was too picky, or afraid of commitment, and that's why I was still unmarried by the age of almost 30. But the truth is, I was just looking for you"- Jamie Buchman. 

Monica Geller and Chandler Bing (FRIENDS): "I thought that it mattered what I said or where I said it. Then I realized the only thing that matters is that you. You make me happier than I ever thought I could be; and if you'll let me, I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you feel the same way" -Chandler Bing (proposing)

Cory Matthews and Topanga Lawrence (Boy Meets World): "Ever since I was young I never understood anything about the world, and I never understood anything that happened in my life. The only thing that ever made sense to me was you" -Cory Matthews (his wedding vows). 

Seth Cohen and Summer Roberts (The OC): "for me it's always been you Summer, it's always been you. I've tried to fight it and I've tried to deny it and I can't. You're undeniable" - Seth Cohen.

Scotty Wandell and Kevin Walker (Brothers & Sisters): "I am completely, completely in love with you. I even love the things about you that I hate. Because you make me feel like I don't have to be anyone other than who I am, and to me that feels like family"- Kevin Walker. 

Wesley Wyndam-Pryce and Winifred Burkle (Angel): "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey"- Fred Burkle. 

Chuck Bass and Blair Waldorf (Gossip Girl): "I am me. And you are you. We're Chuck and Blair. Blair and Chuck. The worst thing you've ever done—the darkest thought you've ever had—I will stand by you through anything" - Blair Waldorf. 

Meghan Rotundi and Sean Blumberg (Felicity): "I love Sean. I love guys. I wish I didn't, they're such idiots" - Meghan Rotundi. 

CJ Craig and Danny Kincannon (The West Wing): "So, if I'm gonna jump off the cliff, and you're gonna get pushed off the cliff, why don't we hold hands on the way down?"- Danny Kincannon

Geoffrey Tennant and Ellen Fanshaw (Slings & Arrows): "We're both big fat losers"- Geoffrey Tennant; "you're my only friend, isn't that pathetic?" -Ellen Fanshaw. (pictured at top of post)