Thoughts on Morrocan Christmas

Ok, so I lied. Thought I'd use this - well, let's face it - abismal excuse for a Christmas episode as a guinnea pig for my possible new blog format. Let's see how this works:



My thoughts, in no particular order:

• One of the funniest but possibly overlooked lines was Angela's "It's Christmas, and you're singing about naked ladies. And France."


• This episode was terrible. Two years we waited for a Christmas episode and this is what we get - 20 minutes on Meredith's alcoholism, 20 seconds of JAM, and a really anti-climatic reveal of Dwangela's secret office romance. And very little Christmas. I was not left satisfied and smiling.


• The scene with Meredith and Michael running around the rehab center parking lot looked straight out of Reno 9-1-1. Put Michael in a police uniform and blur out Meredith's face and I'm tellin' ya...Reno Sherrif's Department. Wonder if Oscar had a hand in setting up that scene?? Or Concierge Marie?


• I can't believe we have to wait a month for another new Office. This sucks.

Yeah, that's all I can come up with right now. Tired. Brain not functioning. Let's hope my brain finds itself by the end of this Christmas break. *sigh*

I've been lax

I'm a bad, baaaaaad blogger. I haven't done episode reviews in a while because...well, I don't know why. They got to be a pain the ass, if I'm being honest. I felt pressured to finish one before the next episode aired. This is supposed to be fun for me and for a while it wasn't. Plus I'm not even sure if anyone is reading this, so...

I'm going to rework my whole format I think. I'll wait until the show returns after Christmas break and start fresh from there. I don't think I'm gonna do those long-winded reviews anymore. I'll just do more general comments and favorite moments. Or something. I don't know. I'm still formulating a plan. If Santa brings me a laptop, maybe I'll blog as the show is happening :O

We'll see.

In the meantime, a quick recommendation for anyone reading this. I just discovered Office fanfiction last week. Yeah...last week!! I know, where have I been, right? Clearly in a black hole or on a bender with Creed. Anyway, I frickin' love it. LOOOOOOOOOVE it!!!! Especially the Jim & Pam stuff. If you're a true die hard fan like me, I highly suggest you find some. My favorite writer so far is named "neotantrika". Google her (him?).

Thoughts on Business Trip

This was...how you say?...a great episode. It was...how you say?...endearing, heartbreaking and hilarious all at once. I...how you say?...loved it. And now here are my thoughts, feelings, opinions - you know, the whole nine nards!

Jim and Pam - Oh JAM. *sigh* You are wonderful in every way and my heart just flutters at the mere sight of the two of you together. You gave me a scare there, you two! With that whole "3 more months of this" thing. I really thought the writers were going to be a-holes and drag this art school thing out for another 12 episodes (which I think would have put is almost at the end of the season). Thank GOD you were just teasing us, you big teasy teasersons!!

It was so sweet how Jim - despite being desperate for her to come home and devastated at the thought of her staying - set his feelings aside and did what good partners do...supported the one he loves. He was willing to sacrifice his own happiness for the sake of Pam's. He is definitely one of the good ones.

Jim really does love Pam. I know I am stating the obvious here, but it bears mentioning nonetheless. He really loves and adores that woman like nothing I've ever seen. The way he feels about her is pure. It's real. It's untainted. It's beautiful. The way he looked at her when she was standing in the parking lot. The amount of love on his face (I know they are actors. I know it's a TV show. Shut up!!!). I never get tired of it. I've watched that parking lot scene 6 or 7 times already. I could watch it a dozen more. It was perfect.

My only complaint regarding Jim in this episode comes from the scene where Dwight is making fun of Pam's painting on the wall. I would have REALLY liked to see (and was almost expecting) Jim get fucking furious with Dwight for saying those things about his beloved Pam. Considering how upset he was - how much he loved and missed Pam - to hear someone talking about what a shitty artist she is and how horrible her painting is...I don't know...most men would have blown a gasket. I kinda feel like somebody needs to knock Dwight down a peg or two, and that was the perfect moment - and the perfect person - to do it. Oh well.


Andy and Angela - When the Nard Dog is away, the Monkey will play I guess, right? Andy jets off to Ca-NA-da for his business trip and lo & behold Ms. Martin ends up in the arms of Dwight. But not before telling him to...oh I love this..."Be good". Cheaters are always the first ones to point the finger of blame.

So Andy goes away on his trip and, as is requested (demanded) of him by Angela, he behaves himself. Instead he channels his energies into "trying to get other dudes laid". But after a few bad decisions in a glass, he's drunk dialing Angela and telling her how he really feels; that there's something wrong with her and she needs sex school. Well, the first thing is true at least.

Poor Andy is going to have his heart not just broken, but shattered into a million little Nard Dog pieces. Whenever it happens (and I have to believe it will be soon) it is going to be explosive and unbelievable.

Michael - Heartbreaking. Absolutely, completely heartbreaking. He is so lost right now...maybe more than he's ever been. He's in his 40's and that window of opportunity for his happily-ever-after is quickly closing. He was sooooo close with Holly and then *BAM*. She's gone. David Wallace is a DICK for sending Holly away. There, I said it.

Michael's tryst with Concierge Marie happened because a) he was drunk, b) he is painfully lonely and c) he is desperate for someone to just make him feel loved. Clearly he didn't get that with her (as evidence by her almost instantaneously shoving him out the door). I think we are going to see the beginning of Angry Michael. I think we're going to see him be very short-tempered, snappy, irritable, and quick to punish. I think he's sick and tired of just trying to get everybody to like/love him because it's getting him nowhere. I think he's reached his breaking point and 40+ years of pent-up aggression are going to come out in a big way.

Favorite moments/quotes
*Meredith's "Hello"
*Kevin slapping Jim's ass, Creed rubbing his shoulder, and Stanley's knowing little laugh about Pam coming back
*"Michael G. Scott, rollin' like a pimp"
*"Follow moi, bro-seiur"
*"How you say...?"
*"Beer me dos Long Island ice teas"
*Drunk Andy
*Drunk Oscar
*Drunk Andy and Drunk Oscar drunk-dialing Angela
*"You get the whole nine nards"
*Darryl's victory march to his truck
*Michael telling off David
*"I realized that, for whatever reason, I couldn't do better than Kelly"
And my favorite: Pam's return and that entire scene in the parking lot. *sigh*

Thoughts on Customer Survey

Sorry I'm a little late getting to this post. I guess I'm just so much more important than all you people, and I have a million more pressing things going on in my life right now. Does that make me smudge?

LOL!! Just kidding, kids.

So...Customer Survey. What can we say about this episode? It had laughter, it had yelling, it had sweet moments, it had coffee mugs, it had the world's tiniest Bluetooth, and it had JAM's first "I love you"!!

Jim and Pam - What a cute idea - tiny, nearly undetectable Bluetooths (Blueteeth?) in your ears all day, so you can be a part of each other's entire day and feel like you're not missing anything. Let's hope Jimbo and Paaaaamooolaaaaaa have unlimited daytime minutes ;). But seriously, a cute idea that John & Jenna played very well.

But what's that old saying...Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it. If you're able to hear everything that goes on, you're able to hear everything that goes on, including some pudgy-faced art student trying to convince the future mother of your children to ditch you for the cornucopia of artistic opportunities New York has to offer. Because apparently there's a ban on water colors and easels in Scranton???? C'mon, Pam! Don't fall for it! Are there more opportunities in New York? Yes. Is it the end-all, be-all, centralized mecca of the artistic world and you're screwed if you go anywhere else? No! And don't tell me Pam hasn't thought about this herself already. Seriously! Pam's not a dumbass - she knows New York has more opportunities, yet she accepted Jim's proposal and they have begun planning their future together. I have a hard time believing Alex (Boooo, Alex!!) has suddenly opened Pam's eyes to new information. At least that's what I'm hoping.

My thought? This is angst created by the writers for angst's sake. Eventually Pam will come home to her beloved lanky assistant regional manager and they will live happily ever after...in Jim's parents' house (which damn well better have a terrace upstairs), watching "28 Days", eating mixed berry yogurt, and making thirsty Halpert babies.

Andy/Angela/Dwight - Apparently Angela's "office mattress-ness" hasn't been limited to the office nor to mattresses. Clearly she and Bobblehead Joe got it on in the barn a time or two...or twenty. And clearly she misses it...and misses him. So instead of - oh, I don't know - calling off her wedding to Andy and confessing her obvious love of Dwight, she decides to hold the wedding at Schrute Farms. Cuz that's whatcha do!

There is some question among the fandom what exactly that little "exchange" between Dwight & Angela meant - the long gazes, the look on Angela's face, Dwight's sexy little voice. Most people think it means Dwight and Angela have already rekindled the romance and now they'll just have free access to one another during the wedding planning process. I disagree. I think Angela cut Dwight off after the "6:14" discussion, but now realizes the error of her ways and wants to start things up again. I also think she often dreamed of her wedding being at Schrute Farms, in the hand-plowed field, with the barn full of antique tools, while she was dating Dwight. So now she's excited that her dream will be coming true...with a different groom, of course. Details, details.

Michael - The fake engagement thing was stupid. I'm sorry. I mean, don't get me wrong, I can totally see Michael doing this. I'm not saying the concept was stupid...just the execution. Having it be a cold open was a mistake. I think it could have been a funny, interesting, and poignant sub plot throughout an episode. Not this one, though.

Favorite moments/quotes
* "Our dusky, exotic customer service rep"
* "Pam's a gold digger" "Hey, New York ain't free. Get back to work!"
* "Alrighty, Dwighty"
* The first JAM "I love you"!!
* "Jim, they are a-poopy"
* Smudge and arrogant / "And there's your smudgeness"
* "Maybe that's because you spent the entire year flirting with the receptionist" "Little bit. Worth it".
* The entire Bill Buttlicker scene
* "...a bridal suite for my bridal sweet" (Oh Andy, you are SO screwed my friend)
* Dwight & Jim in the car, especially "Is there some evidence?"
* "Right Dwight is loud"
* "You juked the stats, cupcake!"
And my favorite: "Dwight, get out of my nook!" "That's what she said! That's what she said! That's what she said!"

Thoughts on Employee Transfer

Life's like a road that you travel on
When there's one day here and the next day gone.

Aww, Holly. We hardly knew ya!

So...some funny moments, some weird moments, some unnecessarily drawn out moments, and two rather shiteous actors playing the Brothers Halpert. Overall an "interesting" episode. Not one of my favorites, but still ok.

Michael and Holly - *sigh* So David Wallace saw them kissing and now Holly has been banished from Scranton. Can someone explain this to me please? Jim & Pam are engaged. Andy & Angela are engaged. Kelly dated Ryan and now Darryl. Michael dated Jan. All these office romances and not one person has been told to transfer to another branch. But one kiss and Holly is sent back to Nashua?? Why...because she's H/R? If Michael dating Jan, his boss, was ok, why wouldn't Michael dating Holly be ok? The logical answer is that the writers needed an explanation for Holly's absence, since Amy Ryan was only signed on for a handful of episodes. And I guess if they're leaving the door open for a possible reunion between these two, this story line is better than her dying, marrying an ex-boyfriend, or some other irreversible avenue. But still I'm bothered by the whole thing.

They are just so gosh darn adorable together. It breaks my heart to think Michael was that close to happiness and it's been ripped away from him. Again. It also breaks my heart that this dynamic duo of acting - Steve Carell and Amy Ryan - will be separated. They have such amazing chemistry and feed off each other so well.

Dwight vs. Andy - Yikes, guys. This little scenario dragged on for waaaaaay longer than it should have. It had some funny moments, sure, but overall it was too much. And why wasn't Anglea more involved in all this? I would have loved to have seen an Angela/Dwight "I know what you're trying to do. Knock it off!" fight by the elevators. Aside from a horrified or angry glance here or there, we saw NOTHING from Ang...ela...ela...ela.

Jim & Pam and the Brothers Halpert - Ok, so, cool concept - let's get the brothers together for a celebratory lunch. Yay! Cool! Oh and I know, let's find two of the worst actors available in the greater Hollywood area to play Jim's brothers. Let's choose one because he kinda looks like John Krasinski and let's choose the other because...well let's just throw a tall guy into a suit and call him "Tom Halpert". Yeah, that'll work!

That whole scene was painful. From Pam's weird "The absolute best!" talking head thing, to the Jim & Pam kiss on the cheek (???), to the clearly pre-arranged prank about Pam's art career being nothing more than a hobby. All around blech! The only good part was the Brothers Halpert making goofy faces at the camera. Other than that? Total trainwreck.

Favorite Moments/Quotes
* All the costumes in the cold open, especially Andy the kitten, Pam as Charlie Chaplain, and of course "Dave". Although I think "John" would have been funnier.
* Dwight asking "How are you, Phyllis?". It's so sweet seeing him be nice to her.
* When Dwight "clinks" glasses with Andy in the kitchen and Andy dumps his coffee in the sink
* "Did Darryl touch you?"
* "I've dated almost 4 women"
* "It's pronounced colonel and it's the highest rank in the military". Oh, Creed.
* "Dane Cook, Jack Bauer and Eli Whitney"
* Michael & Holly's goodbye hug
And my favorite: That single tear rolling down Michael's cheek when he said "We didn't break up". Oh my God.

Thoughts on C.R.I.M.E.- A.I.D.

Another great episode! Lots of laughs, a few tears, and some good ol' fashioned kissing in the stairwell.


Michael and Holly - My God those two are adorable. They are more like peas and carrots than Forrest and Jenny. It's wonderful to see Michael so happy...FINALLY! Is he inappropriate and creepy most of the time? Sure. Of course. But deep down he's still a decent, warm guy and he deserves to have happiness too. Normally I would be bothered by the speed with which their relationship is progressing, but somehow it doesn't seem weird to me. Maybe because Holly wants it as much as Michael does...maybe more?? I'm very happy they are together, but very worried about their future :(


Jim, Pam and...ROY??!! - Well there's a blast from the past, eh? Roy returns for the obligatory let's-fuck-with-Jim's-mind cameo appearance. And guess what? It worked...for juuuuuust a little while, it worked. Jim actually worried about what Pam was doing with her new "friends"; enough to get in the car and start driving toward New York to check up on her. THANK GOD he turned around. I don't think Ms. Beesly would have taken too kindly to Jim showing up unannounced, because I don't think he would have been able to pass it off as some romantic surprise visit. But in the end, like Jim said, he is not that guy. "That guy" is Roy.

As a sidenote...um, when is this friggin' summer semester at art school going to end??!! Did she sign up for more time? Is it not October in Office time? It should be because next week is the Halloween episode. So what the hell? A little explanation would be great.

Dwight / Angela / Andy - Oh boy. They set a date, complete with a glitter filled save-the-date card. It's a major reality slap for Dwight. The little trysts in the warehouse were just that...little trysts. Not the rekindling of their lost romance. She's going ahead with the wedding because, as Phyllis (who rocked in this episode!!) said "Angela's not really a risk taker and Andy's not really a risk". He's safe, respectable, stable, and most importantly controllable (Angela wants to wear the pants, the skirt and the leather whip in her relationships). I understand why Phyllis told Dwight to issue the ultimatum, but honestly let's consider who it was being issued to. Angela. The Ice Queen. As if she would ever actually respond to an ultimatum.

But then again, if Dwight goes through with his end of the ultimatum, i.e. saying goodbye "to this" (*shudder*), maybe that will be the push Angela needs to finally dump Andy - like we all know she should - and get back together with her beloved "D".

Favorite moments/quotes:
* Michael's "Miss ya kiddo" to Pam
* Jim's little smirk when Michael & Holly were planning their next date
* Holly's "Hell yeah"
* "Angela's not really a risk taker and Andy's not really a risk"
* "The future mother of my children"
* "Instead of farms fighting against AIDS..."
* "He knows how to get things. He got me" "Twice"
* Michael as the auctioneer: "Hey batta batta..."
* "500 dollars and one penny"
* "I am not that guy and we are not that couple"
* Holly "shushing" Michael with her hands and the way he looked at her when she did it
And my favorite: "It squeaks when you bang it. That's what she said" Best TWSS EVER!!!!!

Thoughts on Baby Shower

Aaaaaaand there's the Office I know and love! Extra awesome episode! I mean, anytime you have a cold open that involves Dwight birthing a butter-covered watermelon onto Michael's floor, you know genius is upon you. I laughed, I cried, I threw up a little in my mouth (I can't believe he ate the watermelon!!!).

Michael/Holly/EvilFuckingC*ntJan - Oh my. So much going on here. The tension between Michael and Holly. The tension between Michael and Jan. The fact that Michael felt nothing when holding Ass-Turd (lol!). The fact that Jan fucking had Ass-Turd without Michael being there (I cannot believe the nerve of that bitch!!!!), yet she still wants to rely on him for help ("Remind me to talk to you about Astrid's 529"). I could write a novel, but I'll keep it short.

Michael matured in this episode. You could see it. Michael just wants someone to love, who will love him back. He didn't get it with Jan. He didn't feel it with Ass-Turd. But then there's Holly. Wonderful, sensitive, perfect-for-him Holly. When Michael hugged her and asked her out, I think at that moment all of Jim's advice about taking it slow, getting to know her, blah blah blah went right out the window because Michael didn't care anymore. He likes Holly and wants to be with her. Period. He's no longer content with waiting to be happy. Also, I think he is sick and f-ing tired of Jan telling him what to do all the time. "Don't date Holly". Really? Well fuck you, bitch. Fuck you.

When he held Ass-Turd and said he felt "short-changed", I don't think he just meant short-changed for missing the birth. I think he meant short-changed by life; for never being able to achieve his dream of being married and having babies. He wants the ketchup fights, dammit! He thought being involved in Jan's baby's life would finally be his ticket to happiness. But since it's not his baby and Jan gave birth without him there, clearly someone ripped up that ticket. Jan is a thief of joy.

By the way, can I just say this? Amy Ryan is a treasure. She is an amazing actress and the best thing to happen to The Office since the arrival of The Nard Puppy (lol!). Producers, I hope you are listening. I am one of thousands of voices who feels Amy/Holly needs to stick around permanently. Make. It. Happen.

Jim and Pam - *sigh* Long-distances romances. They are not easy. When I first dated my husband, we were apart for the first couple of years and only saw one another on weekends. It was hard (TWSS) and there were many days like the one Jim and Pam had. Missed phone calls, one too busy to talk to the other, a feeling of disconnect between us. You're each living these alternative lives that have nothing to do with one another, yet you are each the single most important person in each other's lives. Those two concepts don't work together.

So, where is this going? Are we headed for JAM Tensionville? Is one of them going to make some grand gesture of dropping everything and running to be with the other person (like Pam dropping out of school, or Jim asking for a transfer to NY?). This whole 3 months in NY thing has to be ending soon, right? Why can't Pam just come back to Scranton and sit behind her reception desk, so all can be right with the world? Is that too much to ask? I just want to see Pam and Jim in the conference room, watching videotapes of bands for their wedding, ya know? Enough with the angst already. I'm all for character development, but not at the expense of fucking with one of the best relationships in the history of television.

Oh and PS - Fancy New Beesly is wearing lipstick!!

Favorite moments/quotes
* "We gave you a golden shower".
* Ass-turd...oh and Chevy!
* "...and her little grape head is under mine"
* The Nard Puppy (I really hope they put that collage of baby pics online)
* "She is in the terminal stages of her pregnancy" and "...to pay respect to her bloated feelings"
* Michael holding the various babies...awww!
* Dwight with the stroller
* "It must be like the tide at Omaha Beach."
* The fact that Meredith drank from a baby bottle the entire shower
* The babydaddy conversation
* "She smells like old tomatoes and dirt"
* The Michael/Holly hug
* The Jim/Pam message montage (very well edited, I might add)
* And my favorite: The entire cold open. I still can't believe he ate the watermelon. I can't believe Dwight drank the water. I can't believe I got to hear Dwight Schrute say "My cervix is ripening".

Thoughts on Business Ethics

Well, kids, they can't all be slam dunks.

It's taken me a while to write this entry because...well...I didn't have much to say. With a few exceptions, that sure was one yawner of an episode. Very little plot development (maybe none?) and just kinda "bleh" as Michael would say. I know the Office purists will say "That's what The Office was originally supposed to be. A mocumentary about daily life in an office. No drama. No plot development. Just people being people." Yeah, well, phooey! It hasn't been like that since Season 1. I'm not asking for a rest stop engagement or a surprise sperm donor pregnancy in every episode...that would be stupid. That would be a soap opera. But just a little more oomph from this episode would have been nice.

I can only do one real "category" this week:

Michael/Holly - So, they've progressed a bit. Okay, there's your plot development this week. They've taken the next baby step in their non-relationship relationship and shared a meal together at the "business romantic" seafood restaurant. And they had their first fight. And their first make up. But no make up sex because Michael is taking things slow. *yawn*

But I will say this: I still LOVE Holly and hope things between her and Michael work out somehow.

By the way, how funny was this? Let's begin our business ethics meeting by dancing to "Let's Get Physical".
There's nothing left to talk about
Unless it's horizontally
WOW!

Meredith - Special shout out to my character namesake this week, for FINALLY having a front-and-center storyline. And giving me what will now be my nickname for all of eternity: The Meranator!!!!

Favorite moments/quotes:
Jim's engagement announcement, the reactions, and Pam's "Sorry!" after Michael tackles Jim
Jim and the stop watch - classic!!
Jim's Battlestar Galactica recap
"It's a trick question. The bread is poisoned. Also, it's not your real family. You've been cuckolded by a stronger, smarter male."
"Would you like to bang it out over lunch?"
And my favorite: "The Meranator!! Sleepin' with suppliers!"

Thoughts on Weight Loss

Amen and hallelujah! Season 5 has returned with a bang...or is that a bang boom?

Is it me or was this episode totally rushed and sort of "forced"? It's like they jammed as much material as the could possibly fit and tied up as many loose ends as they possibly could within their tiny 40-ish minute window. My brain was bouncing all over the place from start to Costa Rican finish. I tried taking notes during the episode; stuff I wanted to talk about on the blog, but I gave up after about 15 minutes because it was Just. Too. Hard. (TWSS!!).

Overall it did not feel like a real episode of The Office to me. It felt like a weird one-off episode, much like I think the upcoming "24" prequel is going to feel. Not quite a season 4 episode, but not quite fitting into season 5 either.

Ok, onto our featured players...

Andy/Angela/Dwight: I've said it before and I'll say it again...who's the office mattress now?! I wonder if that crucifix she wears has actually burned a scar onto her chest yet, because LORD knows she is committing some rather unholy devilish acts in that little storage room. My, my, my. This whole "thing" she has going on with Dwight is going to blow up in her prissy little face in a BIG WAY. I still stand by my prediction that Andy & Angela are going to make it to - or get close to - their wedding day before somehow the Dwangela booty calls (or is that booty pages?) are discovered. Wanna place bets on the possibility of Dwight & Angela going at it in the church rectory while she's in her wedding gown??!! Huh? Huh?

Michael/Holly/Jan - Or rather Michael/Holly/The One With The Feet (lol!!). Not since Jim & Pam has there been a more perfect match than Michael and Holly. Like peas and carrots (nice healthy weight management food). SPOILER ALERT: It's a shame Amy Ryan's contract was only for 6 episodes. It doesn't necessarily mean she won't EVER come back, but I think the odds are pretty slim right now. Which means he'll end up with evil Jan and her devil spawn donor (NOT!! You took me by the haaaand, maaade me a maaan, that one night...) baby. Blech! Jan is blech!

Kelly/Darryl/Ryan - Well, well, well, look what the New York State penal system (TWSS!) dragged in. Mr. Ryan Bailey Howard, all goateed up and ready to work...as the temp!!! Fire-d guy indeed. To coin a phrase from one Stewie Griffin, his uppance has come. And his first order of business, aside from the lamest, most insincere pile of bullshit apology to Jim, is to try making a play for Kelly again??!! What??!! Oh so now that we're back in Scranton suddenly Kelly is wonderful and..."perfect" was it? Such a player. Such a little douchebag player. And how amazing was it to watch Kelly be all "Oh that's so sweet Ryan, but I'm dating Darryl still and we're crazy in love". Ohhhh yeah! However, if I may make another prediction? She and Ryan will be back together by Christmas. Guaranteed. That is not a spoiler, that is just common sense. She can't stay away.

Jim and Pam - Ok, well, there's one prediction right out the window. An engagement in the first goddamn episode?! Wow. Did not see that coming...which I think was exactly the point. I think the writers did that on purpose to throw all the viewers off.

But although I am THRILLED they are engaged - and the engagement was cute and romantic and perfect for Jim & Pam - I am now officially very worried. Why? Because that leaves the entire rest of the season open for shit to go wrong. And you know it will. There can't ever be a couple on TV who just falls in love and gets married like everyone else. Oh no! There have to be angst and frustrations and obstacles. Pam isn't even finished with her semester at Pratt yet, and she's really enjoying her time there. So what happens when the semester ends and she...oh, I don't know...wants to stay longer? Or wants to stay in New York in general because she likes the city? And what about these friends she's making? Maybe I've seen one too many episodes of "Three's Company", where Mr. Firley walked in on Jack kissing a girl and misunderstandings ran rampant. But couldn't you see something like that? Couldn't you see Jim driving up to Pratt to surprise Pam one weekend, only to catch her giggling and flirting with that "My ex-girlfriend is behind me" guy? Not that she would be interested in him, but maybe Jim would see it differently and start to have doubts. After all, she called off her wedding to Roy, so...

Believe me, this is NOT how I want the scenario to play out. But to me the early engagement just opens the door to so many icky bad things happening. Of course it also opens the door to a Christmas wedding. Maybe I should stop being so glass-is-half-empty. Ya think?

Favorite moments/quotes (I have so many, because really I think the one-liners made this episode funny):
* "What up 2-1-2?" (How cute was she?!)
* "Who's the girl in Michael's office with the feet?"
* Angela's "That's how I sleep at night" speech.
* "Dangerous. Tacky. Sharks. Haunted."
* "What is up, girl in the computer?". And then Girl in the Computer being carted around the office to say hi, meet Ronnie, and find paper clips. And Girl in the Computer's talking head.
* "Beer me five" (Awesome!!!!!!)
* Michael saying Jim was going on a booty call and then giving him a condom. Yikes!
* Speaking of booty calls, Angela's repeated pages to Dwight
* Creed dividing up the rice grains like cocaine.
* "Give me Ryan Howard. Give 'em to me. I want him. I need him." and then the dueling goatees.
* Pam's "summer project"
* "Andy Bernard does not lose contests, he wins them. Or he quits them because they are unfair"
* The fruit in the vending machine...and the flies...and Dwight's, um, "solution" to the problem
* The names of the guys from Here Comes Treble (Broccoli Rob, Spare Rib, Doobie, Lunchbox, Sandwich, and my favorite Pubey Lewis and the News - LOL!!!!!!!)
* And of course the proposal, every single wonderful, wet, drippy, gasoline-smelling moment of it. It's about damn time!!!!!

Season 5 Predictions

Well, well, well. We made it through the summer. Fall has arrived. And finally - FINALLY - the return of The Office is upon us.

Since Season 4 ended, I have managed to bring two more people over to the dark side that is The Office Obsession - my stepdaughter and her boyfriend. While I feel few people could ever reach my freakish level of fandom (read my last post - 25 mother-lovin' Office items purchased, AND I spent some of my lovely Sunday cruise checking OfficeTally.com on my Blackberry for any news on the premiere, AND I sat on the edge of my couch with my eyes closed and fingers crossed [literally] during the Office-related parts of the Emmy awards), my SD and her man are getting close. We're having a family viewing party tonight and then I'm going to twist their arms into playing the Office board game.

So, with the premiere about to air, I thought I would throw out some predictions for the new season. If I know any spoilers (which I'll admit I know just a few minor ones) I will own up to them. Here goes:

Jim & Pam - Obviously they will be dealing with the separation brought on by Pam's art school internship. I think it will start out difficult but tolerable, then grow increasingly stressful as the separation goes on. I think Jim will have a very hard time adjusting to Fancy New Beesley's other life, with new friends and new experiences that do not involve him. And I believe Pam will have a difficult time returning to Dunder-Mifflin...if she returns at all?? But the big question - will they get engaged? I say yes, but not until either the Christmas episode or the season finale.

Dwight/Angela/Andy - I think the real office mattress, Ms. Angela, has a tough decision to make. I do know (spoiler alert) that she and Andy are going to go ahead with making their wedding plans. Whether or not the actual wedding takes place I do not know, although I believe it won't. I see Dwight pulling a Benjamin Braddock maneuver, a-la "The Graduate", and stopping the wedding just before the I-do's. In the meantime, will Angela keep hooking up with Dwight? I say yes.

Michael/Jan/Holly - Michael has wanted to be a daddy his whole life. Now he may (sort of) have his chance with Jan's sperm donor (oh puhleeze!!) baby. So I think he's going to dip his toe back into Jan's water, so to speak. But then there's Holly - clearly the peanut butter to Michael's jelly. They could not be more perfect for each other. Holly seems to have the hots for Michael and he is also interested. I think Michael will be torn between his growing affections for Holly and the baby that's growing inside Jan. Who will he choose? I say Jan. Reluctantly.

Ryan/Kelly/Darryl - I think there is trouble in paradise for Kelly & Darryl. I think Kelly is going to feel sorry for Ryan and all he's going through. Sure she put on the tough girl oh ha ha act when he was first arrested, but I have a feeling that will all change. I won't say more than that because I do have some inside info on what's happening specifically with Ryan.

So there you have it. Marked 9/25/08 at 10:15 a.m. Central time. We'll see if my Office ESP is properly in tune.

Target $1 Goodies are Back

After two failed trips to my local Target, I finally hit the jackpot at a Target in the next town over. And yes, I will happily admit that I spent over $25...on stuff from a $1 bin. Do the math, people! They don't call it an obsession for nothing, ok?

Some of the goodies:

While I love the pens, pencils, notepads and the like, I think my favorite item is the large "That's What She Said" sign. Right now it's hanging on the side of my refrigerator. However, I am seriously considering mounting a stick to it (TWSS) and using it as an actual sign. TWSS jokes are uttered in my house on a pretty regular basis now. It sure would save time if I could just hold up a sign, instead of going through the laborious task of actually saying "That's what she said" ;) I keed! I keed! I'm not that lazy.

Oh! And I also received the Office trivia board game as an anniversary gift from my darling husband. Love it!! Soooo much better than the DVD game. I am particularly fond of the Support the Rabid bracelet included with the game. Even though it is a game piece, I am not ashamed to say that I will be wearing it Thursday, in honor of the Season 5 premiere.

My first Office disappointment

I can't even believe I typed that. NOTHING about The Office is disappointing, right? RIGHT?!

Well one thing is...the DVD board game. Yikes.

Ok, don't get me wrong. There are elements of the game I liked. I liked winning Schrute Bucks, I liked that ALL of the major characters (minus the Nard-Dog and Evil Karen) were available as board marker pieces, and I liked that the questions ranged from easy to fan-obsessed hard. Oh and I enjoyed the fact that my whole family was able to sit around the TV and enjoy an activity together.

But thaaaaat's where my likes end.

Let's start with the DVD. The "How to Play" instruction section? Wow. It would have droned on forever no matter who was narrating, but the fact that it was Toby?! Hand. Me. A. Gun. It lasted FAR too long and, quite frankly, confused us all even more. Particularly the section about wagering Schrute Bucks. If we win, do we win everyone's wagered SB's? Do we only win back our own SB's? And if so, what's the point of wagering in the first place?

Now we move on to the game activities. The trivia questions I had no problem with (although one of them was WRONG!!!). But dude - lose the "clerical challenges". I suspect anyone who owns this game skips over these challenges, just like we did. We just automatically awarded SB's to whomever landed on that space. We're not gonna draw the Dunder Mifflin logo, or address an envelope to DM's corporate office. It's just not practical.

Let's be honest: Anyone who has purchased and/or is playing this game is doing so for one reason - bragging rights! We want to prove our Office knowledge is better than your Office knowledge. We want our friends & family to be amazed when we pull the make & model of Anglea's car out of our asses because we're that obsessed with this show. We do NOT want to draw, write, rearrange words, or count the number of O's in a line of dialogue.

Oh and how 'bout this, Office DVD creators? Remember that little thing called "Season 4"? Why does the board game go all the way up to Season 4, but your DVD game ends at "Theeeen it's a date"?

In the words of Mr. Kevin Malone, two thumbs down.

Season 4 DVD

Oh beautiful, sweet Season 4 DVD - how I love you so!!

There were many deluxe/collectors packages to choose from at various stores. I chose the Target exclusive deluxe package, which included the following:

• 4-discs for the show
• An extra disc with the cast Q&A from the Office convention in Scranton
• A mini copy of the original script for "Dinner Party"
• The most amazing little post-it note book thingy (it's basically the size of a large post-it pad, it's hard covered, and it contains TWO different Office post-it notepads and 5 or 6 stacks of plain little post-it flags)

For various reasons (stepson very sick , husband inexplicably breaking out in hives), I was not able to watch as much of the DVD as I would have liked. But you're damn skippy I watched the blooper reel!! Funniest. Thing. Ever. Seriously, that alone was worth the price of the DVD. Anyone who doesn't laugh until they cry at the very last blooper needs their head examined.

I also watched a few of the deleted scenes. There is a deleted scene from "Fun Run" between Jim & Pam that is so sweet and lovely, I am VERY disappointed it wasn't left in the original show. Instead we got to see Michael vomiting alfredo sauce. Uhh...yeah.

The "Dinner Party" script is pretty cool too. It is the original script before any rewrites or ad-libs were done. So there are several lines/scenes that did not make it into the finished product, including a prank phone call to Toby . Also, the peanut-butter-on-the-head cold open was originally slated for this episode.

Oh and the "Rabies: The More You Know" PSA thing from Steve Carell - hysterical!
"Rabies. Blech." LOL!!!

We're expecting lots of rain here for the next few days, but I will be happily curled up on my couch further feeding my obsession.

Spoiler Alert!! - Part 2

More spoilers from Officetally, written in white below. Highlight with your mouse:

* Holly Flax will be in the season premiere. I'm VERY happy to hear this. I really like her character and the actress as well. I think there is a plethora of potential for her character:
a) Tons of possibilities with the Holly/Michael/Jan triangle
b) Make it a quadrangle with Kevin thrown in, because he's "totally gonna bang Holly"
c) I could see either Andy or Dwight making a play for Holly when one of them is inevitably
dumped/shunned by Angela.
d) ...and then there's Creed, from Quabidy Ashuance

* At some point in the season, Michael is going to make the office throw a baby shower for Jan. Train. Wreck.

Season 5 - Spoiler Alert!!

Thanks to the good folks at officetally.com, we have a few really good spoilers for the Season 5 Premiere. They are written below in white. Highlight with your mouse:

1) It will be an hour long

2) It will take place over the summer. So for the first time we will see what happens during the summer months, isntead of that jump in time.

3) Each "act" (the time between commercials) will represent another week of the summer.

4) The office workers will be participating in some kind of weight loss challenge, the progress of which we will see over those 8 weeks.

Naturally, that's all they would reveal.

I was already pretty excited...now I'm jumping out of my skin. And it's only July.

General Office-ness...or Not

Just some general bits of Office-related stuff floating around in the ol' noggin:

* I love me some Jenna Fischer. I've been watching her appearances on Letterman, Craig Ferguson, and even heard audio of her visit to NPR's Fresh Air w/Terry Gross. Jenna is so unbelievably down to earth. Seriously. She's a midwestern girl (like me) and it shows! Very personable, genuine, not an ounce of "diva" in her. She still goes to craft shows with her mom, people! Now that's keepin' it real.

* Steve Carell, I love you too, but dude can you please tone down the fake sarcastic shtick when you're being interviewed? It's getting old. He does this thing where someone will ask him a question like "What's it like working with Anne Hathaway" and he'll answer sarcastically "Oh she's awful. Terrible actress. So demanding." (I'm paraphrasing). Or someone will tell him how wonderful & funny he is and he'll respond "Yes I am. I'm incredibly funny. I don't know how I live with myself". Once or twice is ok, but every interview?! It's annoying. Time to try something new.

* I'm replacing my obsession with The Office temporarily with an obsession for Jon & Kate Plus 8. If you've never seen it, go now directly to your local television and tune to TLC. It's probably on right now because - man alive - does that show re-run!! I promise you won't be disappointed. Basic summary: Jon & Kate had twins 7 or 8 years ago via fertility treatments. When the twins were 3 or 4, they went back for more fertility treatments to try for one more baby and ended up with sextuplets!!! Their house is chaotic. Their children are screamers & fighters, but still friggin' adorable (except for that brat Mady...I'm sorry but she needs serious behavioral help). Little Aaden is my favorite. And I'm starting to develop a small crush on Jon :). Anyway, watch it.

* Season 4 DVD's come out in early September. I've seen the cover art. Not impressed at all. But I'm hearing rumors of a 40-minute blooper reel. If that's true, they can put dissected pigs on the cover for all I care. Forty minutes of bloopers??!! Dude!

* A thought has been nagging me ever since the season ended. I feel like the Jim/Pam relationship was rushed. I know he's been in love with her forever, and she's secretly loved him forever, and their dating courtship actually lasted about a year in "Office time". Nevertheless I really wish the writers had sloooooowed things down a bit. At the very least save the engagement talk for Season 5. That damn writer's strike fucked everything up!

Random idea about the spinoff

This goofy thought popped into my head over the weekend. I'm probably totally off base, but at the same time wouldn't it be kind of cool? What if the spin off were centered around the documentary filmmakers??!! The ones filming this unseen/unmentioned documentary about life in a Northeast regional paper supply company. Maybe we would see the cameramen discussing their thoughts about the various people in the office, or the latest social faux pas committed by Michael, or what they caught Phyllis & Bob Vance doing in the warehouse.

Huh? Huh? It could work, couldn't it?

Thoughts on Goodbye, Toby

Well. That was one crazy episode. I needed some quiet meditation time on that one. Like in yoga...or is that Yoda?

Jim/Pam: Despite my prediction of no engagement, I was still frickin' disappointed. I really wanted to be wrong. That look on Jim's face when he said "I am going to propose tonight. Holy crap!"? Priceless. Amazing. And then when he kissed her on top of the head? And that "Hey" right before he almost proposed? Oh my God!! I tried to figure out how I could actually climb into the TV screen and become Pam. I mean...just...seriously, how could any sane heterosexual woman not love Jim Halpert at that moment? But alas, the proposal didn't happen (Dammit, Andy!).

So that leaves us with this design school thing. Folks, I'm worried. Everything's going great for Jim & Pam. It's all love and hearts and all the wonderfulness we've always wanted. He's got the ring and he's gonna propose, but the plot is foiled (Dammit Andy!). So what are we left with for the summer hiatus? A non proposal (Dammit Andy!), a disappointed Pam, a 3-month separation, and Pam seeing this whole new life, in this whole new atmosphere, with a whole new group of people. I. Smell. Trouble. Yep, hate to say it, but I think when they come back in September, we'll see that the time apart, the missing proposal (Dammit Andy!) and the changes in their lives have caused some major tension in their relationship...

...or they'll be fine because Jim was offered Ryan's job at corporate and followed Pam to New York.

Holly: I really, really, really like her. A LOT!! She's sweet, warm, intelligent, and is the first person to not only tolerate Michael's "quirks", but also balance him out and bring him back down to Earth with the rest of us normal human adults. She likes him for who he is and she's not trying to control/change him like Jan did. She and Michael have the potential to form a genuine deep connection. It could be "the thing" I've been hoping would knock Michael down a few pegs. She also seems like she will make an excellent H/R rep - the perfect balance of professionalism and compassion.

Michael/Jan: That bitch!! I'm sorry, but screw her! Seriously. A sperm bank? Because Michael's DNA isn't good enough for you? You pompous psychotic loser! Get over yourself.

Whew. Now that I got that out of my system...

I know what Michael is doing, but...what is Michael DOING? Obviously he sees this as his one and only last chance to be a father, but c'mon! Wouldn't he rather not be a father at all than "sort of a daddy" to someone else's baby? And you know that won't last for long. Jan will use Michael for whatever she needs from him at the beginning - a lamaze coach, help when the baby is first born, maybe some babysitting - then kick him to the curb when his purpose has been served...leaving him absolutely heartbroken. Ick, ick, ick. Just all sorts of bad.

Andy/Angela/Dwight: Well, first of all...um...who's the office mattress?? Excuse me, Ms. Martin. She who is without sin may cast the first stone...or condom.

Whew. Now that I got that out of my system...

I feel like Andy sees dating & marrying Angela as just another thing he's "supposed" to do in life, you know? Remember his first day in Scranton, when he told the camera his grand plan for advancement in the company with "name repetition and personality mirroring"? He's all about advancing his status in life. He's been carrying around an engagement ring in his wallet for six years waiting for the right moment. Who does that? Someone who is just gonna pop the question to the first person who fits into his "plan", that's who. When Angela dumps him (which she eventually will) I think he'll be more upset that his plan was thrown off course than broken-hearted over losing Angela.

As for the Bible-thumping slut and her extra curricular activities... Well, as I said before, I think more happened last week after the cameras stopped rolling. I don't believe they just happened to start rubbing uglies for the first time that night. I suppose we can conclude that they talked, then kissed, then re-consumated their relationship all over the foam peanuts in the warehouse. And then...? Angela said let's keep it a secret? Angela said it was a one-time thing? WHAT?!

So how's this one going to play out? Will Angela plan the wedding right up to the end and then pull a Pam and call it off? Will she dump Andy over the summer and openly date Dwight? Will Phyllis hold this juicy piece of info over Anglea's head and blackmail the hell out of her? Should be interesting.

Ryan "He used to be the temp here...and now he's inmate #11275" Howard: Yeah!! Have fun behind bars, you weasel! You're a pretty boy, so you'll be somebody's bitch within the first 5 minutes. You'll be da bell of da ball. Good luck with that.

Whew. Now that I got that out of my system...

I wasn't expecting him to get arrested. I thought he'd just get fired, so that was a fun bonus. I'd love to know who posted the video on YouTube and sent it to Jim. That was the best part! And I loved how Creed kept referring to him as "The temp" and "The kid". Awesome!

Best moments/quotes:
*"If the devil exploded and evil were gone forever, what sort of party would you have?"
*The entire Jim/Michael conversation, especially Michael's "N3-P's" and "CD mix tape"
*"I am going to propose tonight. Holy crap!"
*Both of Jim's voice mails for Ryan
*Everything about Kevin from start to finish. "I do the numbers" and "I am totally gonna bang Holly".
*"You cheated on me when I specifically asked you not to?"
*Jim's kiss on Pam's head
*Dwight: "Well, it's my own fault" (Has to be THE MOST human moment Dwight's ever had...and I think the first time he's ever really acknowledged to the camera that they had a relationship)
*And of course the hot & steamy Angela/Dwight action up against the accounting files.

Season finale predictions

NOTE: These predictions were originally written on May 15 at 8:45 a.m., several hours before the show aired. I'm just sayin'...

*Jim/Pam engagement? No. Honestly, I think they are going to cliffhang the crap out of this one. I hope I'm wrong, but I am very worried.

*Angela/Dwight reunion? Yes. I think their afternoon alone in the office last week yielded more results than we saw on camera. I think more will be revealed.

*Ryan going down? Oh yeah! Big time. Whether it's for the drug problem or his shitty job as manager, I think his butt will get canned.

*Jan? Roy? Other surprises? Yeah, I can see Jan showing up, begging Michael to take her back. Roy...eh, maybe/maybe not. It would be an interesting twist though, wouldn't it? I definitely don't think Pam would break up with Jim or anything, but I could see some kind of weird misunderstanding involving Roy leading to a big Jim/Pam fight. Beyond that, I predict that Michael is going to show interest in the new H/R lady...oh and that we will NOT know anything more about the spinoff when the show is over than we do now.

Thoughts on Job Fair

Michael – Ok, seriously. I am about ready to reach through the screen and slap him. He is turning into such a friggin’ jerk!!! It’s worse than ever! The way he treated Pam was just awful. Just when you think there’s a glimmer of hope that he is a normal human being (last week during his private talk with Stanley), he pulls the rug out from under you with lines like “They don’t have to worry cuz they ain’t going to college” and “Pam, the office hottie. She will do you”. It’s gone from being funny and quirky to just plain cruel. I hope something happens in the finale that knocks him on his ass!

Jim – Up until now, Jim didn’t give two shits about his job. It was a way to pay the bills. He had no motivation to work hard. He had no reason to try bettering himself. Well now he’s found his reason…Pam. I think it is soooo sweet how hard he’s working in order to keep his job and make himself “worthy” for Pam (although it’s obvious Pam is the kind of person who would stick by him even if he delivered pizzas). The amount of love he has for that woman…wow. I mean, we knew it, but in this episode we were really able to SEE it. And I’m so glad he went after that executive guy and pressured him into sealing the deal. I was worried he was going to have a “Michael moment” and spill his guts to this guy (I’m about to lose my job and maybe the woman I love unless you agree to a deal with me). I’m glad he didn’t.

Pam – Oh boy. Now I am officially concerned. That last little scene at the end of the episode was shown for a very specific reason. What that reason is, I don’t know. But it’s obvious that “something” will come out of that little visit to the graphic design booth. At first I thought they were just showing how Pam has a long way to go in pursuing her art/graphic design dream, since she wasn’t even qualified for the entry level job. However, the more I’ve thought about it (and after watching it 3 times ), I now feel it has more significance than that. Especially when she kept repeating “New York or Philadelphia. Ok. New York or Philadelphia”. Many of the fans are speculating that she & Jim will be the subject of the Office spin-off, moving to either NY or Philly to pursue Pam’s dream. I’m not buying it, but I do believe something is going to happen in the finale and it might not be good. Uh oh.

Dwight and Angela – Well. Alrighty then. Alone in the office for hours and all they can say to one another is “Bless you” after a sneeze and “Thank you” after holding the door open? Hmm…this is a puzzler. One of two things will come of those awkward alone moments. Either a) it’s just setting up the tension for some kind of Dwight & Angela drama/argument/reunion in the finale, or b) something happened after they walked out of the office that the cameras didn’t see, but that we’ll hear about next week. Again, like Pam’s scene at the end, those scenes with Dwight & Angela had to have been shown for a reason.

Best moments/quotes:
*“Euthanize this place”
*“Oh my God, you guys. I’m dating Barak Obama”
*“You remember Ryan. He used to be the temp.”
*Andy’s blistered hands, the gloves full of lotion, and him trying to drink the beer
* Stanley ignoring Dwight, walking out, and Dwight saying “He left”.
*“Hey Pumpkin, it’s Creed. We’re gonna ditch this bitch”
*Pam’s speech to Michael, especially the “…then you sneezed in my tea” part
*Jim on the phone with Pam: “I like you”
*The Jim/Pam mini makeout session at the end , and then the handshake afterwards
*“Kiss her. Kiss her good”
*And my favorite…Andy crashing the golf cart!!!!

Thoughts on Did I Stutter?

Is it possible to feel both warm & fuzzy and sick to your stomach all at once? Well I do after watching this episode.

Stanley – Did you stutter? No, but you did yell. A lot. And I friggin’ LOVED it!!! Somebody needed to do that to Michael. He needed to be knocked down a peg or two…or twenty. While I will agree that it probably wasn’t professional of Stanley to snap at Michael and subsequently bitch him out in front of everybody, it still needed to happen. And hooray for Leslie David Baker! Very happy to see more of the background players.

Michael – It really amazes me that he hasn’t figured out WHY he doesn’t have more friends. I mean honestly! When you tell a woman wearing glasses that she looks like an ugly scientist, she will want to kill you. He’s such a screwed up person. He says shit like that to Pam, then later on he’s crying in front of Stanley because “I don’t understand why you’re always picking on me”. Wow. But then…but then…my God, a human moment! He told Stanley, very matter-of-factly and very boss-like, that he cannot speak to Michael that way anymore because he’s the boss. Period. Here’s what I noticed – his human moment came when he didn’t have an audience. Everyone left the room and he didn’t know the cameras were watching. When it’s just the two of them, alone, he’s relatively normal.

Pam and her Glasses – Adorable! Frickin’ adorable! If she got herself a pair of non-50’s school marm glasses, she would be even more smokin’ hot than she is now. Oh and how about that subtle-as-a-heart-attack comment “I spent the night at a friend’s house”. As if we don’t know!! C’mon, Pam, don’t be shy.

Toby & Ryan – Sniveling little weasels, the both of them. Ryan is an ass…a coked-out, conniving, manipulative, cocky little ass! I cannot WAIT to see his downfall…cuz you know it’s coming! And as for Toby…what the hell? You’re jealous of Jim because he got “your” girl, but dude you had so many chances to tell her how you felt and you blew them all. That’s nobody’s fault but your own. Man up, Toby. Let Jim & Pam be happy and stop being a dickhead weasel.

Jim – Ok, here’s where I’m getting worried. Do I think Jim will be fired? No. But I think Jim will be worried about getting fired and, as a result, won’t propose to Pam yet because he’ll think he’s not good enough, can’t provide for her, etc. I just have this sinking feeling in my gut that the season finale isn’t going to be the hearts & roses love fest that we’d all like it to be. Cliffhanger once again. Ugh.

Best moments/quotes:
·Once again, the cold open had me in stitches. More stuff smeared on Michael’s head!!
·Creed: "And I want to see her topless"
·Dwight: “I hope nothing horrible ever happens to them”
·Dwight flipping Andy’s car for profit.
·THE CHART!!! (If you want a good laugh, go to officetally.com or nbc.com to find a downloadable .pdf file of the chart. You can see the chart magnified…lots of little things that you can't see in the episode itself. Like the two man symbols next to Oscar’s name to indicate he’s gay)
·Darryl’s entire conversation with Michael, especially Fluffy Fingers!!!
·#1 favorite – Jim’s fake proposal in the conference room (“If you, Pamela Morgan Beesly…”)

Thoughts on Night Out

Well, that was certainly an...um...interesting episode. Now, y'all know my obsession with this show, but this episode was not one of my favorites AT ALL . Don't get me wrong, it definitely had some VERY funny lines/moments, but overall the whole thing felt weird and kind of "forced" I guess. It's clear to me that they are trying to cram a bunch of stuff into only a handful of episodes. Now, having said that, there are still some funny/interesting moments to comment on:

Jim - This is the second time this season we've seen him morph into a Michael-esque persona. Not exactly sure what's going on there, but I know I don't like it. Michael is Michael because he's Michael, not because he's "the guy in charge" and anybody in charge would turn into that bumbling, inappropriate dumbass. Jim is too smart for that. Yet twice he's been left in charge of the office and both times he's made Michael-like mistakes. The jury is still out for me on this particular character development.

Jim & Pam - Anyone else catch the little Bickersons moment between them? "I thought you said you had the guard's number." "I do, Jim. It rings here. You want that phone number?" OMG they are human beings after all.

Ryan - Wow. A drug problem. That was an interesting development, but I guess not totally unexpected. I figured Ryan would let the whole New York vibe get to him and he'd take a major fall, but that's even more major than I imagined. It will be interesting to see where the writers take this. Will he return to Scranton, disgraced and demoted? Will he go into rehab? Will he be homeless & alone and have to...*gasp*...move in with Michael??!! Can you imagine?

Toby - Ok, confession time. As an avid reader of all the office blogs & fan sites, I've read that NBC had the title of the season finale posted online for a brief bit of time, then took it down. The title was "Goodbye, Toby". So I was not completely surprised to hear him talk about moving to Costa Rica. But setting that aside for a moment...what the hell was with him rubbing Pam's leg? In front of Jim? Maybe he has a drug problem too!! Talk about ballsy. I'm sure he just got caught up in the moment because he's been in love with Pam for a long time now. Poor guy. I hope he finds his Pam in Costa Rica.

Michael & Dwight hit Da Club - This had the potential to be 1000 times funnier than it was. I mean, yeah, Dwight making out with the amazon woman was hilarious, as was Michael saying he was a bank teller (i.e. "in finance"), but beyond that I was yawning at these scenes. Such a waste.

Best moments/quotes:
* The entire cold open - the gum in Michael's hair, the peanut butter in Michael's hair, the dialogue between Michael & Dwight - awesome!!!
* The sexual predator infiltrating Dunder Mifflin Infinity
* "Yeah, I have a some questions. First of all, how dare you? "
* "I'm off to get laid" "Yeah! With sex!"
* Creed actually knowing the security guard's name...and nobody listening to him
* "Show of hands, who thinks we're a better couple than Jim & Pam?"
* Pam hitting Meredith with the football
* "If I'm dead, you'll have been dead for weeks"
*...and what has to be THE BEST OFFICE LINE EVER...* Michael asking Jim "Would you have sex with Meredith?" I'm screaming at the TV "Oh please God say yes!!" My husband didn't particularly like that :)

Thoughts on Chair Model

1) Michael – Yeah, he’s definitely bringing shithead back. Rude, distasteful, selfish, and all around icky. When he made the workers fill out his “love cards” or face termination…wow. Everything in Michael Scott’s world is and always will be about Michael Scott. There is a teeny tiny part of me that feels a little sorry for Jan Levinson-Devil for having to put up with that. But it’s a very teeny tiny part because clearly she is just as selfish.

2) Kevin – Poor Kevin. I just want to hug him. That moment when he said “It’s just nice to win one” was one of the sweetest things I’ve seen on that show. Kudos to Brian Baumgartner .

3) Jim and Pam – Where do I start? From the cute little “Give that to me” flirty moment in the break room, to the conversation at reception about moving in together & getting engaged, to of course Jim and the ring , everything was just spot on classic “JAM”. Like everyone else, I gasped when he showed us that ring and about fell out of my chair when he got down on one knee…to tie his shoe!!! As long as I’m handing out the kudos…kudos to John Krasinski . The smile on his face when he showed the camera the ring…Honestly? I don’t think that was acting. I think John Krasinski the actor is just as giggly school girl happy about Jim & Pam getting engaged as those of us watching the show are. It was sweet.

Best Moments/Quotes:·
*“Oscar Meyer weiner…lover”·
*“…because of your condition”·
*Kevin’s “As God is my witness…” speech about the parking situation ·
*Phyllis “Call us when you get there so we know you’re ok”·
*“What part of shornt don’t you understand?”·
*Creed’s quest for 3 chairs – WTF??·
*Kevin “It’s just nice to win one” ·
*Of course the moving in/engagement/”I bought it a week after we started dating” montage·
*Of course the down-on-one-knee/shoe tying scene

Thoughts on Dinner Party

So many comments, so little time:
1) Jan and Michael - Has to be the most dysfunctional relationship I've ever seen. Just 10 types of wrong those two. She makes him sleep on the bench because she has "space issues"? She's maybe poisoning his food? She made her own office and work space so she has somewhere to escape when she's "annoyed, frustrated, angry"? And OMG that bitch really DID make Michael get a vasectomy...then reverse it...then un-reverse it . And then the cops made him stay somewhere else because he was a possible domestic violence victim? Assault with a deadly Dundie!! Michael deserves better. Jan is evil. Oh and somebody's a little jealous of the nothing-remotely-close-to-an-attraction/past thing with Pam and Michael (umm...eww??!!). Mee-ow! The kitten has claws!

2) Jim and Pam - Becoming a true actual "couple"...attending dinner parties together, sending secret facial-expression signals to each other across the room, pulling the girlfriend guilt card so Jim won't desert her at the party, stopping for food after the dinner party, all that cute "coupley" stuff. Oh and who else caught it when Jim said "See you at home, Pam"? Hmmm. Probably nothing, but maybe not .

3) Angela and Andy - She is so not into that relationship AT ALL. Andy is trying, bless him, but Angela is mentally miles away. They're very weird together. I don't see them lasting too much longer. (P.S. Anyone else distracted by the different ways they were hiding Angela Kinsey's baby belly?)

4) Dwight and...his babysitter??? - It's weird because the internet chatter I read said she was Michael's mom, but obviously that was false. Anyway, poor Dwight. Snubbed by Michael and forced to watch his beloved Angela with another man. At least he had his beet salad to ease his sorrows.

Best moments/quotes:
* Michael screaming "That's what she said!!"
* Jim messing with Michael with the whole Katie Holmes/Dawson's Creek/Tom Cruise thing.
* Michael broke the sliding glass door running through it to chase the ice cream truck!!
* "My apartment is on fire." "Flooded." "Flooded."
* Jim's and Pam's whispering talking heads in the bathroom
* Hunter's CD, Jan dancing to it (and seductively rubbing herself ), and Jim stealing it.
* The tri pod with the video camera in the bedroom!!
* Jim and Pam calling each other "Babe" in the car at the hot dog stand
* Jim's face when he looked at the camera while they were in Jan's candle room . It was a combo of "Help me" and "I'm gonna puke".

Introduction

Hi everyone! Well, here's the deal. I belong to a "general lifestyle" message board that contains a specific TV-related posting section. Each week, after a new Office episode aired, I really wanted a place to express my thoughts/feelings about what happened in the episode. So I started posting in the Office thread. As the weeks went on, my posts were getting longer...and longer...and longer. After the Season 4 finale, I realized it was time to stop sucking up the server space on the board and just make a friggin' blog already!

Since Season 4 has ended, I will go back and copy/paste my message board posts here as my jumping off point for the blog. During the summer hiatus...well...I'm not sure what I'll post. Random Office-related thoughts that pop into my head (as they often do), updates & spoilers about the upcoming season, thoughts about the eventual Office spin-off (Here's my first thought...um, WHAT??!!). And who knows - maybe a random non Office related post here and there.

In order to truly enjoy this blog, I think you need to be a rabid fan of the show. If you're a casual watcher, you will think I'm crazy and have no life. I promise, I do. Granted, my family is >thisclose< to staging an intervention, but I do manage to function normally outside of the world of Dunder-Mifflin Scranton.

So, enjoy! Comment! Tell me I'm a genius! Tell me I'm a moron! I'm a big girl, I can take it (That's what she said!).

Now, break me off a piece of that football cream...
Mere