Unlike a lot of people, I wasn't a big fan of last week's Office episode. I found Pam's reaction to Michael's relationship with her mother too shrill and out of character, and was actually so put off by the episode that I was thinking about removing the show from the blog rotation if things didn't get better.
Now I'm starting to think the show works best in short bursts. I laughed harder at the Halloween opening than I did at almost anything in the main storyline (notable exception: Creed thinking Michael is paying too much for worms and asking "Who's your worm guy?"). And the show's latest webisode -- about Kelly and Erin forming their own girl group -- is hilarious.
Too bad that can't be The Office's future: five minutes and you're done. Pull a George Costanza: make them laugh and get out of there.
Because while I liked the first half of this episode, when it was just unabashedly silly, I don't think it the second worked as well. The staff of Dunder-Mifflin -- not to mention the audience -- shouldn't have needed another reminder of what a friendless sad sack Michael Scott is. He's sort of saved at the last minute by the revelation that Jim could have prevented his koi pond fall but didn't, but that felt too deus ex machina. And I kind of wish they'd figure out how to handle Jim and Michael's new working dynamic, which seems to change -- though not necessarily evolve -- each week.
Other thoughts:
- Man, that Halloween party was great. So much that made me laugh: Daryl not knowing what anyone was supposed to be (he thought Meredith was "the crone from Drag Me to Hell"); vampire Creed announcing "I vant to sell your blood!"; Jim's annual clever Halloween costume backfiring; Michael's far-too-graphic and inappropriate anti-suicide message.
- The "Michael-calls-a-meeting-that-quickly-falls-apart" scenes are hit and miss, and this one was mostly miss, aside from Creed's worm line.
- While I didn't feel as bad for Michael as the show might have wanted me to, I felt for Andy, who's so lonely that he's plotting out his future birthing classes. He and Erin would actually make a cute, if clueless, couple.
- Speaking of Erin, let's not forget that her name is actually "Kelly." You get the sense from watching the webisode that Kelly "subtly" forced Erin to adopt the new name.
Tom Coombe
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