The Office (US)

Discuss TV shows old and new.
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
Murdoch
Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2008 11:59 pm
Location: Upstate NY

Re: TV of 2011

#1 Post by Murdoch » Wed Jan 26, 2011 6:01 pm

Going off of swo's Elaine hair thing, I think the quality of the Office can be seen as directly proportional to the amount of work being done. As the series progressed the office felt less and less like they were actually doing anything. The first few seasons they answered phones, made orders and were concerned about lay-offs and it felt like an actual office, now I'm wondering how do these people still have jobs? All they do is have meetings about new year's resolutions or whatever then go home.

User avatar
mfunk9786
Under Chris' Protection
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 4:43 pm
Location: Philadelphia, PA

Re: TV of 2011

#2 Post by mfunk9786 » Wed Jan 26, 2011 6:17 pm

And constant parties

User avatar
Donald Brown
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:21 pm
Location: a long the riverrun

Re: TV of 2011

#3 Post by Donald Brown » Thu Jan 27, 2011 12:11 am


User avatar
mfunk9786
Under Chris' Protection
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 4:43 pm
Location: Philadelphia, PA

Re: TV of 2011

#4 Post by mfunk9786 » Thu Jan 27, 2011 12:21 am

Oh please, is there really that much of a difference between those two? Cherry/dog turd? Really?

User avatar
domino harvey
Dot Com Dom
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm

Re: TV of 2011

#5 Post by domino harvey » Thu Jan 27, 2011 12:23 am

They are basically the same kind of humor person

User avatar
mfunk9786
Under Chris' Protection
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 4:43 pm
Location: Philadelphia, PA

Re: TV of 2011

#6 Post by mfunk9786 » Thu Jan 27, 2011 12:25 am

I just meant, if you're ranking their abilities and/or talent, are they really operating on the levels of yet another attention-seeking Donald Brown proclamation?

User avatar
Donald Brown
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:21 pm
Location: a long the riverrun

Re: TV of 2011

#7 Post by Donald Brown » Thu Jan 27, 2011 12:55 am

I can only assume there's a whole lot of philistine yapping going on beneath the "Display this post" links.

User avatar
knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: TV of 2011

#8 Post by knives » Thu Jan 27, 2011 1:04 am

Are you suggesting it's classy to like Carrel, but philistine to like Farrell? There is little difference in the humour they work within and both are excellent performers. I really can't respond to such idiocy because there's no content to it. That's lower than Nothing.

User avatar
Donald Brown
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:21 pm
Location: a long the riverrun

Re: TV of 2011

#9 Post by Donald Brown » Thu Jan 27, 2011 1:17 am

There's a considerable difference in their abilities. Carell is capable of nuance and shows intellect, Farrell's humor is merely physical. Carell is quick on his toes and can improvise. Farrell would never have been as witty a correspondent on The Daily Show as Carrel was, nor would he have brought as many facets to Michael Scott's character. If you find Farrell's adolescent, simplistic shtick entertaining, more power to you.

User avatar
mfunk9786
Under Chris' Protection
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 4:43 pm
Location: Philadelphia, PA

Re: TV of 2011

#10 Post by mfunk9786 » Thu Jan 27, 2011 1:44 am

What Knives said is ironically reinforced!

User avatar
domino harvey
Dot Com Dom
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm

Re: Worst DVD Covers...ever! (Part 3-D)

#11 Post by domino harvey » Tue Jun 19, 2012 8:55 pm

Image

There's probably an extra who didn't make the cover but otherwise that's everyone, huh

(And yes, it too comes out September 4th-- has there ever been a release day like this?)

User avatar
knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: Worst DVD Covers...ever! (Part 3-D)

#12 Post by knives » Tue Jun 19, 2012 9:03 pm

Did they really need to steal Chevy Chase for that cover?

User avatar
RodneyOz
Joined: Tue Dec 09, 2008 6:54 am

Re: Worst DVD Covers...ever! (Part 3-D)

#13 Post by RodneyOz » Wed Jun 20, 2012 8:29 am

domino harvey wrote:There's probably an extra who didn't make the cover but otherwise that's everyone, huh
Where's Cathy?
SpoilerShow
(the temp replacement for Pam who for no apparent reason hung around after Pam returned, who demonstrated no personality at all until she tried to seduce Jim for that one episode in that plotline that went nowhere. Totally understand why the photoshopper would forget her.)

User avatar
mfunk9786
Under Chris' Protection
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 4:43 pm
Location: Philadelphia, PA

Re: Worst DVD Covers...ever! (Part 3-D)

#14 Post by mfunk9786 » Wed Jun 20, 2012 9:42 am

domino harvey wrote:Image

There's probably an extra who didn't make the cover but otherwise that's everyone, huh

(And yes, it too comes out September 4th-- has there ever been a release day like this?)
It's a good thing no one in their right mind will be buying this

User avatar
cdnchris
Site Admin
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 2:45 pm
Location: Washington
Contact:

Re: Worst DVD Covers...ever! (Part 3-D)

#15 Post by cdnchris » Wed Jun 20, 2012 10:29 am

I was about to say that. I haven't actually watched the show since the 4th season, maybe the 5th, can't remember where I left off, but I heard this last season was terrible, which I think is saying something. I liked the first few seasons but I wasn't impressed with it wherever I left off.

User avatar
mfunk9786
Under Chris' Protection
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 4:43 pm
Location: Philadelphia, PA

Re: Worst DVD Covers...ever! (Part 3-D)

#16 Post by mfunk9786 » Wed Jun 20, 2012 10:41 am

The show started to fall apart during the 4th season (it became 'self aware,' for lack of a better term), sort of had a mild resurgence in the 5th, and then just came apart at the seams. The last few seasons with Michael Scott were weak to begin with, but without him, it's unwatchable. I think it was taken for granted just how charming mischievous Jim and his unrequited relationship with Pam were, and how detrimental getting them together and turning them into droll homebodies would be. The weird love triangle with Andy and Erin and that character I will never understand the purpose of is a particularly weak attempt at getting that vibe back. Like a lot of long-running shows that attain popularity, characters become parodies of themselves, the writers get sort of bored with what made the show successful in the first place, and everything shifts. Sometimes it's sort of transcendent like the last few years of Seinfeld, but most of the time it's just dreadful.

User avatar
Drucker
Your Future our Drucker
Joined: Wed May 18, 2011 9:37 am

Re: Worst DVD Covers...ever! (Part 3-D)

#17 Post by Drucker » Wed Jun 20, 2012 11:21 am

I stopped watching it during the wedding in season 6, and then went back and realized season 5 was bad, as well. Personally, I loved the Office, but I think it actually went downhill at the writer's strike in season 4.
The beginning of season 4, while not fantastic, wasn't bad. Jim and Pam being in a relationship still worked. And Dwight and Angela's break-up was one of the best acted, non-humorous points of the show period (Jim and Dwight's heart to heart in the stairwell was fantastic).
Michael Scott was also still tolerable: while he begins to fly off the deep end into extreme unbelievability, at least there's the shock of your former intern now being your boss to actually account for it. But even beyond that, he's kind of starting to grow-up. The last episode before the strike, which is the deposition, where Michael takes the company's side over Jan's, is very well done. So while it may not be hilarious, the start of season 4 is really great as a drama at times.
The episode back from the strike is the dinner party, which is fun at times, but also somewhat terrible. And then the rest of the season is hit and miss (the last few episodes, though, especially the open house at the high school, I think was good).

Season 5 is disappointing because there's a lot of interesting potential plot lines that I feel go nowhere (Scott leaving, Ryan coming back, Pam becoming a salesperson, etc.) and are wasted. And like I said, by season 6 I had turned it off. Tried re-watching at some point in season 7 and thought it was terrible.

I'll lastly echo MFunk's assertion that the characters becoming parodies ultimately killed it. Especially Jim, who used to be a prankster but eventually just kinda becomes a dick.

User avatar
mfunk9786
Under Chris' Protection
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 4:43 pm
Location: Philadelphia, PA

Re: Worst DVD Covers...ever! (Part 3-D)

#18 Post by mfunk9786 » Wed Jun 20, 2012 11:26 am

Michael and Jan's relationship was such a fun, well-acted portrayal of a somewhat unhinged career woman making a bad decision in the 2nd season, and then became a giant cartoon about a psychopath and a mentally challenged man in the 5th season. The Dinner Party episode is when I realized that the show just wasn't for me anymore.

User avatar
Brian C
I hate to be That Pedantic Guy but...
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2009 11:58 am
Location: Chicago, IL

Re: Worst DVD Covers...ever! (Part 3-D)

#19 Post by Brian C » Wed Jun 20, 2012 11:51 am

RodneyOz wrote:
domino harvey wrote:There's probably an extra who didn't make the cover but otherwise that's everyone, huh
Where's Cathy?
Also the woman that Craig Robinson's character was crushing on all season.

User avatar
Murdoch
Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2008 11:59 pm
Location: Upstate NY

Re: Worst DVD Covers...ever! (Part 3-D)

#20 Post by Murdoch » Wed Jun 20, 2012 12:08 pm

I'm in the minority on the Office as I just couldn't stand Michael Scott, so every episode since he left has been a breath of fresh air for me. Not that any of the episodes this past season were particularly great, but I like the show a lot better now without him, especially since the whole Jim and Pam will-they/won't-they thing has been settled.

User avatar
mfunk9786
Under Chris' Protection
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 4:43 pm
Location: Philadelphia, PA

Re: Worst DVD Covers...ever! (Part 3-D)

#21 Post by mfunk9786 » Wed Jun 20, 2012 12:27 pm

You didn't think that Jim and Pam plotline made for fantastic television for the first three seasons? I'm always shocked to hear someone say that they're happier without it - it gave the show a bit of a backbone from episode to episode and was genuinely wrenching.

User avatar
swo17
Bloodthirsty Butcher
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
Location: SLC, UT

Re: Worst DVD Covers...ever! (Part 3-D)

#22 Post by swo17 » Wed Jun 20, 2012 12:34 pm

Murdoch wrote:I'm in the minority on the Office as I just couldn't stand Michael Scott, so every episode since he left has been a breath of fresh air for me.
You watched a show for seven years when you couldn't stand the lead actor?

User avatar
Murdoch
Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2008 11:59 pm
Location: Upstate NY

Re: Worst DVD Covers...ever! (Part 3-D)

#23 Post by Murdoch » Wed Jun 20, 2012 3:20 pm

I think I've just soured on the whole sitcom romance thing and am much happier if the writers just get the couple together and have a mature relationship develop instead of seasons of backpeddling and faux-relationships used to fan the flame. It's nice to have a show continue a relationship instead of ending when the two get together, as if that's its pinnacle. That's part of why the series finale of Friends was so dull, because who really cares if Ross and Rachel get together after nine years? (millions of people I guess is the answer, but still)

And I wasn't ever a regular viewer, I kept up with the show for the first two seasons but my interest tapered off and I caught the occassional reruns here and there. Although, from what I saw of the last season with Carrell, the characters became really obnoxious. This season, especially the Florida storyline, I liked the general feel of the show, there was nothing spectacular about it but I always find it interesting when a show loses its lead and the writers try to make up the difference. I think the show's been fairly successful at coming up with amusing storylines this past season, but I wouldn't disagree with anyone who says that it's just running in circles at this point. In conclusion, I like Erin.

zeroman987
Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 3:17 pm

Re: Worst DVD Covers...ever! (Part 3-D)

#24 Post by zeroman987 » Wed Jun 20, 2012 8:58 pm

mfunk9786 wrote:You didn't think that Jim and Pam plotline made for fantastic television for the first three seasons? I'm always shocked to hear someone say that they're happier without it - it gave the show a bit of a backbone from episode to episode and was genuinely wrenching.
I agree that the Jim and Pam plot was darn good. However, I was glad they had them get together and put it to rest before it got too stale. So, for me, it isn't that I am happier without it, I am just pleased they didn't ruin it.

Michael was super uncomfortable to watch and it got even worse towards the end. I didn't religiously watch the show, but it seemed like every time I turned it on, he was doing something stupid and it wasn't funny. The episodes I have seen this year are much better but James Spader has got to go. He got old quick.

User avatar
colinr0380
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 4:30 pm
Location: Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, UK

Re: Worst DVD Covers...ever! (Part 3-D)

#25 Post by colinr0380 » Thu Jun 21, 2012 7:11 pm

So the conclusion seems to be that Ricky Gervais did the right thing by cutting the UK series off in its prime?

Post Reply