She’s baaaack – Filippelli returns to sour the Jam-fest
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- October
- 3
If you believe everything you read—and when the writer is Michael Ausiello, I tend to—then we haven’t seen the last of Karen Filippelli.
Despite her apparently clean getaway, as signified by a desk cleared not only of personal belongings but the company computer and phone, Karen (Rashida Jones) will be making a return sometime soon. At least that’s what TVGuide.com’s Ausiello is saying this morning.
Jim and Pam are finally happy, so you know what that means: It’s time for Karen to put in an appearance! Rashida Jones is due back on the set next week to shoot scenes at Karen’s new place of employ. Office producers are currently casting the role of her assistant, a twentysomething metrosexual who is friendly and has a good energy. Meanwhile, I hear new bossman Ryan is also in the market for an assistant  and she’s smokin’. According to the casting notice, she’s in her early twenties, businesslike, attractive and smart. In other words, Kelly’s worst nightmare come true!
The Return of Karen was no secret, though. Producers made it clear all summer she’d be back to wrap up her storyline. Jones’s new Fox series, The Rules of Starting Over, was still slated for a January pick-up last I checked.
While I won’t miss the character and her dour, defensive, victimized demeanor throughout the latter half of last season, I hate to see Jones go. She had her funny moments, like her take-charge offensive against Angela’s Party Planning Committe monopoly in “A Benihana Christmas.”
Like I told Chris Serico earlier this week in our video podcast, hate the character, love the actress.
I am intrigued by Ausiello’s mention of new characters. With Nicholas Dagosto entrenched as Claire’s creepy flying friend on Heroes, it seems producers felt the need to fill the Hunter void, at least temporarily, with Karen’s assistant. And Ryan’s new assistant sounds like either a Human Resources or Kelly Kapoor explosion waiting to happen.
Meanwhile, remember when I profiled Jennie Tan, creator of OfficeTally.com, last spring?
Well the tanster found time in her busy schedule to spend a day with Angela Kinsey (Yeah, I doubt it was tough to make room in her schedule), and the Contra Costa Times picked up on the story. The piece follows an earlier profile in the vaunted San Jose Mercury News. Go tanster!
Jennie deserves all the kudos she gets for her efforts keeping us Dunder-Mifflinites in the loop.
Have you ever dreamt up great ideas for future Office episodes? Best Week Ever has, and no. 2 is a doozie. And by the way, did you catch the latest video posted at EW.com from the recent Office cover shoot? It offers a glimpse of a whole new side of Steve Carell.
Nearly forgot to mention, there’s a great analysis at TVSquad.com of the physical transformation Pam Beesly has undergone since Season 3. It’s a women’s perspective, which is refreshing since it is devoid of words like “hottie”, except in reference to what the guys tend to think of her.
Before you watch tomorrow’s episode, be sure to check out the transcript of showrunner Greg Daniel’s live blog following last week’s premiere.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, October 3rd, 2007 at 10:01 am by Brian Howard.
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I loved Karen in the ” Party at the boss’s house” episode where, she convinces Jim she’s had an affair with the senior boss, and pretty much every guy in the office. Truly impish and very believable. Good to hear she’ll be back.
Rashida’s new show on Fox has been renamed “Unhitched”
Good call Justin. And that’s why you fact-check even the things you think you know.