The Office Part 2: Ain't No Party Like a Scranton Party

[corianderstem]

I don't watch comedies for believability either, but the fact is, the set up of the show is as a mock documentary. I know we're watching the filming of it, not the final documentary itself, but still.

Why couldn't they write Michael getting fired into the storyline? Surely there's LOADS of opportunity there. You know he'd be in everyone's faces all the time, despite having been fired. He'd still want to be all buddy-buddy, and at least make an attempt to change his ways ... which might be funny in itself, because you know he'd fail.

 

[LMP]

I think they scripted Michael's anger at him way too early. I wish they'd played it more like in the beginning with his talking head about the twinkle in his eye (which killed me), and continued that for a while. Like, Michael still thinks they're cool with each other, while Ryan clearly isn't a fan of his.

I don't know, if I were Michael, I'd probably feel the same way. He sees him as his protege, then he comes back in treats him like garbage; Jan feeds him the ageism thing, Creed puts printer ink in his hair... it all fits together.

Like CoriA said, Michael being fired would have loads of potential. Look at what happened with the British series. Sure this show's gone in a different direction since the first season, but it could still happen.

Jim and Pam didn't bother me this episode. The more I think about it, Jim's not too smug, just extremely happy. How would you be if you've been crushing on a girl for years and it's finally happening, it'd be pretty surreal.

Fuck, I just wrote a dissertation on a sitcom.

 

[No spoken words]

I don't watch comedies for believability either, but the fact is, the set up of the show is as a mock documentary. I know we're watching the filming of it, not the final documentary itself, but still.

Why couldn't they write Michael getting fired into the storyline? Surely there's LOADS of opportunity there. You know he'd be in everyone's faces all the time, despite having been fired. He'd still want to be all buddy-buddy, and at least make an attempt to change his ways ... which might be funny in itself, because you know he'd fail.

Maybe because the BBC version included that very scenario, and the EP's do not want to repeat themselves.

 

[SeattleVertigo]

Yeah, I could see firing Michael, but I think it would have to be toward the end of the series. The supporting characters are becoming pretty strong, but Steve Carell is the franchise right now, and if he's not the boss (or at least working in the Scranton branch), wouldn't he have to be in a much-reduced role on the show?

 

[No spoken words]

Fuck, I just wrote a dissertation on a sitcom.

Hence my Zapruder comment. It's a sit-com, it's not designed to be picked apart.

 

[corianderstem]

Maybe because the BBC version included that very scenario, and the EP's do not want to repeat themselves.

I think by this point they've successfully established themselves as different from the British version. I don't think anyone would care.

 

[No spoken words]

I think by this point they've successfully established themselves as different from the British version. I don't think anyone would care.

Re-read what I said. The Executive producers might care. They are the same producers (Gervais and Merchant) from the BBC version. It's possible, audience be damned, that they are determined not to repeat plot likes because artistically, they do not want to repeat themselves.

 

[LMP]

Hence my Zapruder comment. It's a sit-com, it's not designed to be picked apart.

Right, but it's still a different type of sitcom, I don't know what to call it though. Not a "double-cam, laugh-tracked, staged" sitcom, not that there's anything wrong with that.

 

[No spoken words]

Right, but it's still a different type of sitcom, I don't know what to call it though. Not a "double-cam, laugh-tracked, staged" sitcom, not that there's anything wrong with that.

Calling it a "single-camera verite" sitcom would likely do the trick. Something like that.

 

[LMP]

Calling it a "single-camera verite" sitcom would likely do the trick. Something like that.

Sounds good.

That being said, one thing I'm loving about The Office now is the steady stream of callbacks to other episodes, something my dearly departed Arrested had down a T.

Like I said before, the Big picture from The Injury killed me.

 

[No spoken words]

The callbacks are a blessing and a curse. A blessing for devoted fans, a curse for new viewers.

I am glad the 2nd episode was an improvement from week 1....I was worried that perhaps a bunch of writers had moved on, and that the quality would drop off.

 

[phillyfan26]

After a re-watch, I'm feeling better about this episode.

That whole scene was great, from the Big picture (leading to the Creed ink revelation), Michael trying to outplay Ryan with the old guy, and his examples being "storytelling, like the lady from Titanic, and humor, with things like 'Where's the Beef?'"

I'm still not sure about how I feel about Jim's attitude. I can see the excitement, but he still comes off a bit smug to me.

That said, if I was with the Pam I'd be smug too.

 

[LMP]

The callbacks are a blessing and a curse. A blessing for devoted fans, a curse for new viewers.

Definitely, but some of them, like the Big picture, are still funny no matter what.

Kevin calling Ryan "Fire Guy" is only funny to the die-hards though, like you said.

 

[phillyfan26]

I've really liked Andy, Toby, and Creed in the first two episodes. I loved Andy running up and doing the "Fire Guy" thing without even understanding it.

 

[LMP]

I didn't notice this before, but Andy always copies Jim's chair movements/positions.

Funny stuff, Tuna.

 

[phillyfan26]

And they sang "Closer to Fine" together as well.

I just realized that after Kevin criticized Andy for calling Ryan "Fire Guy" without knowing its meaning, he ended up calling Jim "Tuna" without knowing its meaning either.

Kevin and Andy together is so good. Like they don't even know how good it is, but they do.

 

[corianderstem]

nm

 

[UberBeaver]

One of the greatest scenes of the BBC version is after David Brent gets fired and he makes the video. Of course, they don't portray Michael as a fame seeking "renaissance man" like David Brent, but goddamn that was funny.

 

[No spoken words]

One of the greatest scenes of the BBC version is after David Brent gets fired and he makes the video. Of course, they don't portray Michael as a fame seeking "renaissance man" like David Brent, but goddamn that was funny.

It was fucking classic.

 

[UberBeaver]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=DN41XutK61Y

I'm dying over here. I havent seen this in a while.

 

[impy13]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=u1_jx-KQ5aE

Great deleted scene... or greatest deleted scene?

 

[VintagePunk]

Am I the only one that finds Kelly funny?

No, I love that character. Mindy Kaling plays bitchy-whiny-cute-neurotic to a tee, and she's funny in real life, on the dvd commentaries, too. Her quick shake of the head in last night's episode was priceless, and had me rolling!

 

[LemonMelon]

Fun Run: 8.5/10
Infinity: 7.0/10

The season opener was great. Classic Office, with amazingly funny jokes everywhere. The pointlessness of the Jim/Pam romance had also not shown up yet. Best line:

Dwight: "Really dead. Like a dead cat."

The second episode...mmm...not so great. The "Michael/Dwight give out a giftbasket followed by some throwaway cutscene based around Jim and Pam" formula got pretty repetitive, and I found Ryan more annoying than entertaining. Obviously, there some very funny moments, but the plot was too deranged for words. Best line:

Michael: "WHERE ARE THE TURTLES?!"

Good season so far, though.

 

[LMP]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=DN41XutK61Y

I'm dying over here. I havent seen this in a while.

but I still love Free Love Freeway a little bit more.

"She's not dead"

And that Schrutebucks scene... God, I love Creed.

 

[UberBeaver]

but I still love Free Love Freeway a little bit more

http://youtube.com/watch?v=9JitDWQI9qc

That's a twofer.

 

[phillyfan26]

While normally I don't think the Kelly character brings anything, her belief that faking pregnancy to have dinner with him means "We have a date!" cracked me up.

Creed is unbelievable. His character has never let me down at any point.

 

[BonosLil'Pal94]

Never really watched it before, but this season I'm starting to watch it and I really like it!

(as you can tell by my avatar and location)

 

[VintagePunk]

Mindy Kaling plays bitchy-whiny-cute-neurotic to a tee, and she's funny in real life, on the dvd commentaries, too.

I just caught the coolest thing on TLC, a show called Take Home Handyman, starring Andrew Dan-Jumbo (formerly in While You Were Out, for any home renovation show junkies out there), and the house he remodeled on this episode was Angela Kinsey's! During the four days they worked and filmed, it was mainly Angela and her mom who worked along with him, but several other cast members dropped in to work along with them, including Jan/Melora Hardin, Oscar/Oscar Nunez, Kelly/Mindy Kaling, Meredith/Kate Flannery and Toby/Paul Lieberstein, along with Angela's real life husband, who is actually Paul Lieberstein's brother.

Angela and her mom seem so sweet and down to earth! Her house is nice, but fairly modest, not exactly one you'd expect an actress to live in, at all. Of the co-stars who appeared, Mindy got the most air time. She showed up in sweats, no make-up, very ordinary and every day looking, but lord, she was hilarious! They had her working with Andrew, tiling the bathroom, and it was a constant flow of flirting with Andrew, innuendo and one-liners from her! I adore her.

Oscar was there only briefly before he had to go. He'd been helping them put up a fence, and said he had to leave to go to a barn raising at Rainn Wilson's place.

 

[Lila64]

there was a little picture of that in a recent People magazine VP Missed the TV show though.

Finally got to watch the whole hour episode from Thursday. Make a u-turn if possible And yeah, Kelly bugs me too. Well, so does Michael's stupidity, but I love Carell...

 

[mysterious_jen]

jim and pam squeeeeeel !!!!!!!!!!!!! but its all goimng to go horribly wrong

loved the drive into the lake, though the whole thing, ryan scruff