I still can’t believe Ryan is not only not in jail but back working for Dunder-Mifflin.
Yes, I know he’s a temp hired by Michael through an agency, so it’s possible Corporate doesn’t know. And yes, he did seem to be following some type of 12-step program by making amends to Jim and others he’d hurt during his drug-induced wunderkind phase.
But Corporate would eventually find out, and four months is awfully quick to kick a drug habit and so easily return to your old life.
Sorry. I’m overthinking this. I’m glad Ryan’s back, and I’m even more glad the old Ryan is back. It sets up great comic opportunities like this one…
Business Ethics (9 p.m.,ET) —Following Ryan’s recent scandal at corporate, Holly must hold a business ethics seminar. The meeting gets out of control when Michael lets everyone speak freely about their unethical behavior at work. Meanwhile, Jim makes Dwight comply with the company’s “time theft” policy.
Can’t wait? (I can.) Watch the preview… (I didn’t.)
The Office is back this week after a democracy-induced one-week hiatus (you know, the veep debate), and I’ve gathered a few items to help you get primed for a new episode three days from now.
First off, Kristin is starting trouble by asking “Is Roy Coming Back to Steal Pam?” The answer, of course, is no (but I included the adjacent photo in case you needed help getting back off the ledge).
It would be an awful turn of events, one from which the show could not recover as far as most fans go. But David Denman, who portrayed Roy for three seasons, is returning for an upcoming episode. The reason seems to be that the writers are addicted to angst.
Word is, somewhere around the fifth episode of the season, Jim and Darryl will meet up with Roy at a bar (as usual, to avoid some hijinks cooked up by Michael), and the meeting is fairly benign (no punching this time). However, it could still spell trouble for Jim and Pam. I’m told Roy throws out a zinger that makes Jim worry about Pam being away at art school and whether any of her new guy friends could steal her away (just as he did to Roy).
And just to add to the angst, potential spoilers are leaking out that include a possible romantic dalliance for Pam. Or maybe that’s just made-up. It’s 50-50, according to dos Santos, who lists spoilers and foilers side-by-side. I’m going with numbers 3 through 7 and 12. The jury is still out on Andy’s man parts.
Read more of this entry »
We’re back and so is vintage Office. We break down “Weight Loss,” the Season 5 premiere, and lament the eventual departure of DJ Hollis Flax. Oh, and we’re down 1.3 pounds this week! Take that Nashua!
My initial reaction to last night’s season premiere: The Office is back!!!
And I don’t mean back from summer hiatus. I mean back, as in Season 2 back. There, I said it. I compared it to the one perfect season of television ever produced, the heights to which the show has aspired to return ever since Pam Beesly uttered the words “I can’t” and a single tear rolled down Jim Halpert’s cheek.
This episode came exactly two years too late. But it wasn’t too late. Not by a long shot.
This was a frenetic, hilarious and deeply satisfying hour of television for die-hard fans who’ve longed for it to recapture the magic, not just of its two star-crossed stars, but the magic Greg Daniels and Co. captured at “The Dundies” and maintained through “Casino Night.”
I’ve only watched it once. I’m not embarrassed to say—though I probably should be—that I’ll probably rewatch it three times before the next episode airs on Oct. 9. (Why no episode next week? Besides the fact that NBC hates America, there’s some debate scheduled for next Thursday.)
So for now, I’ll eschew the detailed recap in favor of my take on what was so great about “Weight Loss.”
Imagine a frozen sledgehammer smashing you in the griefbone. Michael Scott really painted the word picture that day.
The episode was “Grief Counseling,” and John Alday, a 30-year-old lawyer from Atlanta, was inspired enough to assume the identity of griefbone at The Watercooler forums at NorthernAttack.com, where his wit and legal wisdom keep everyone on their toes (for fear of legal action).
The first episode that hooked him was “Diversity Day” (as well it should have been). His favorite characters are Michael, Toby and Kevin. His favorite prank is Pam jinxing Jim and the fallout; also, Dwight telling Holly that Kevin is special.And his most embarrassing thing done in connection with The Office: willingly watching License to Wed—because there is no such thing as an easy target). I’d mock him for this, but I watched that debacle too.
Our latest dispatch from The Watercooler at NorthernAttack.com comes from Patch. I mean Pudge. Err, Madge. You know, the East German gal from the warehouse.
Actually, Jennifer Hope from Iowa City, Iowa, is a diehard from almost all the way back. Almost, because for like a lot of fans it was episode number two, “Diversity Day,” and not “The Pilot” that hooked her in. Ah heck, I’ll let her tell it.
Madge
I know it’s cliché and it’s cliché to say it’s cliché, but “Diversity Day” was the first episode I saw when I knew The Office was a groundbreaking show and something I’d never seen before. It was also the funniest show I’d ever seen. I laughed until I cried. Pam resting her head on Jim’s shoulder and the resulting smile was the hook that melted my cynical heart and turned me into a hopelessly addicted fan.
Dan Frew sees the future. That is, he lives one time zone ahead of East Coast time, up in Charlottetown on Canada’s Prince Edward Island. Whether that gives him any insights into the future of The Office, time will tell. Dan got to meet his country’s prime minister, which is pretty cool. He has never met Jenna Fischer, though, and I suspect he’d prefer her to Mr. Harper.
Online he goes by the name Daoust, which apparently has something to do with hockey and, like many hockey-related terms, sounds nothing like it looks. Here’s his Office vitals… (Forgive the misspellings.)
First episode that hooked me: “The Dundies” Favourite Character: Michael Least favourite: Jan Most favourite scene: The PLOD (parking lot of doom, for the uninitiated) or the kiss from “Casino Night” Least favourite scene:Michael: Phyllis, did you break wind? Most embarassing thing I’ve done in connection with The Office: Wrote this. One thing I’d tell Greg Daniels: Why don’t you try to get The Office Convention to come to Canada. Also, can I play Pam’s love interest. Also, I love you.
They know their stuff when it comes to all things Dunder Mifflin, and they’re not shy about sharing what they think. That’s why The Office fans at The Watercooler forums at NorthernAttack.com are the best around. (Also, strong arms.)
This time around we hear from Claire Halsey, a 22-year old Web developer from North Carolina, who goes by the moniker Toosie. That’s an abbreviated reference to Jim admitting in Season 2’s Conflict Resolution that he incrementally move Dwight’s desk two feet closer to the copier through the course of a day.
Toosie shares five reasons she’s looking forward to Season 5. Funny stuff.
Toosie
The most basic reason is because I like The Office. I like watching new episodes on Thursday nights. It’s sort of a fall-through-spring routine for me. I’ll get to do that again when Season 5 starts.
I like the interaction between the various characters, especially Jim and Pam and Andy and Dwight. And I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen engagement-wise. Between Jim and Pam and between Andy and Dwight and Angela. I mean, Angela said “OK” to Andy. But then she was making out with/doing (something more with) Dwight! Plus, Jim almost proposed! What’s going on with Jim and Pam now?
It’s that time of year again, when there’s a chill in the air, people are smiling more and goodwill just seems to prevail. Yup, it’s Office premiere time, or as I like to call it, Christmas in September.
So as I’ve done in the past, I turned to the hardcore Office fans at The Watercooler forums at NorthernAttack.com, one of the best and original Office fan sites. Usually I throw specific questions at them. This time, I just gave them the topic, Season 5, and a few suggestions and let them have at it.
The first reply of several I’ll be posting between now and Thursday is from Jen in Utah, who goes by the hip, Season 1 name of…
LookAtThesePurses
The first episode I ever watched was Diversity Day. My favorite scene of all time is the scene in “Hot Girl” where Jim convinces Dwight to buy a purse, and Jim and Pam’s mocking of him while he does (hence my NA screen name). My favorite prank of all time is the stapler in Jell-O (my entire state is taking that as a shout-out to us. Well, I am, anyway). If I were sitting next to Greg Daniels on a flight, I would ask him what he thinks the government should do about the subprime mortgage crisis.
It’s a disgrace and the reason I don’t watch the Emmy Awards that The Office was shut out this year, but the sweeping recognition of 30 Rock as one of the funniest and best written shows on TV was well deserved.
Of course Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin won the Outstanding Actor and Actress trophies, while the show took top honors and Fey won for best writing. If you’ve seen the show at all, you know why.
Baldwin robbed Steve Carell—yet again. Carell’s performance in the finale, “Goodbye, Toby,” should have made the top actor category a no-brainer win for the world’s best boss.
That said, I picked a few clips I think amply demonstrate why the academy got things right with 30 Rock.
Those kind souls at NBC know my memory isn’t what it once was.
Actually, it’s exactly what it always was: bad. So a series of video reminders about where things left off with the gang at Dunder-Mifflin Scranton is much appreciated. (Though, isn’t that what the Season 4 DVDs are for?)
Yeah, so NBC and iTunes patched things up, and you can buy The Office (and 30 Rock, Battlestar Galactica and a bunch of other Peacock shows) for your iPod again.
I’m not going to go crazy cheearleading this move. It was dumb to split like they did a year ago. Now they’re back together. Big whoop. I can’t tell you how much money I saved since then. It was such an anti-customer feud that I’m loath to even give the reunion much free publicity.
But then there is a bright side: freebies. Go to iTunes now and you can download free episodes of several shows in both standard and HiDef versions, which are now available for $2.99 – a complete rip-off if you ask me.
I grabbed every one that interested me, and I didn’t spend a penny on anything else while I was there.
Here’s the first link from a reputable outlet that I came across, if you’re curious about the details. Don’t look for any apologies there, though.
I had the chance to listen in as HR reps extraordinaire Holly Flax and Toby Flenderson, aka Amy Ryan and Paul Lieberstein, chatted up the press about Season 5 of The Office, which kicks off Sept. 25.
Academy Award nominee Ryan reprises the role she assumed in last season’s finale. Lieberstein, meanwhile, takes a step back from the camera so he can executive produce this season.
Will Holly and Michael (Steve Carell) find love? Will Toby ever return from Costa Rica? Will Pam return from New York? What’s the deal with Andy’s engagement to Angela and Angela’s illicit affair with Dwight?
Don’t expect too much scoop from these two, but do count on the kind of insights we Offic-iandos crave. And be warned, this is a long one. (Don’t say it, Michael.)
On how she landed the role of Holly Flax
Amy: I think there were a few things in play. One is I knew Paul Lieberstien many years ago from a television show we both worked on called The Naked Truth. And then most of the writers turned out to be fans of The Wire. And then I had briefly known Steve Carell when we shot the film Dan in Real Life. And when I got nominated for an Oscar I asked my agent and manager, I said you know the one job I’d like that I don’t think I’d get if I weren’t nominated, I want to be on The Office. They all laughed at me when I told them that story. They said I shot too low, but I think that it’s one of the best shows on TV.
The Season 4 DVD is out today, and depending where you get it—you are running out to get it, right?—you’ll bring home a different pack of goodies to augment your viewing pleasure.
OfficeTally.com has a great breakdown of what package comes with what, and who’s selling it for how much. More important, there are already comments detailing the reactions from diehards who busted down the retail doors this morning to get theirs.
Me? I’m probably going to swing by Best Buy later and get the one that comes with a Fun Run T-shirt.
The first episode summary is out, and here it is…
For the first time, we see what happens over eight weeks of the summer, as a Dunder Mifflin weight loss initiative causes the branch to diet and become obsessed with their weight. Michael pursues a friendship with his new HR rep, Holly. Jim misses Pam who attends art school in New York. Dwight, Andy and Angela attend to unfinished business.
Nothing new that we didn’t know there. I’m still hesitant about this eight-week retro approach to the summer. I cared a lot more about the summers of 2006 and 2007, and we never got to see what happened then. So why now? I’m glad to see Michael is still out to make friends with Holly, though. I’m surprised Pam will be away in New York for any portion of the season. And I can’t wait to see what happens when Andy finds out Dwight and Angela are taking the slow train from Philly.
…Pam’s free!Thanks to the opening of The Rocker, Rainn Wilson has let her out of her trunk. (Wondering what that means? Check this out first.) And she’s talking to Kristin over at E!.
Well, I am pleased that you are out, because I have been to set twice in the past week and was getting concerned that you were no longer a part of the show. Pam hasn’t been in any of the scenes at Dunder Mifflin that I’ve seen. That’s because I am away at art school right now. Pam was accepted to Pratt, and she’s living in New York, and there is a whole new world opening up for her. We’ve been shooting some really great scenes at USC with Rich Sommer and John Cabrera and having so much fun. It’s like we’re doing our own show called Art School.
My take: That sounds an awful lot like a parallel of Jim’s seven-episode departure for Stamford two seasons ago. (Has it been that long?) I see a lot of potential pitfalls, plot-wise, but my fingers are crossed.
What else can you tell us about Pam this season?
Well, I think last season was all about Pam being in love and just enjoying that and being content with Jim and now, she still has Jim, but she is growing and getting into something she’s always wanted to do. It’s a big year for Pam. And it’s also made my schedule a dream.
I like the sound of that. I think they’ll avoid those pitfalls if they keep this in mind.
Fischer goes on to say it hasn’t been decided whether Pam will return to Dunder-Mifflin. Read more of this entry »
Seven figures makes you a millionaire, right? That sounds about right, considering the mammoth contributions of funny Schur has made. You can read the details of his development deal with Universal at that link. I’ll just list my favorite Schur-written Office episodes:
Office Olympics
The Job
The Alliance
Christmas Party
Valentine’s Day
And no, that headline is not based on a Schur ep, but it fit.
That’s not to be mean. She sounds like a lovely child, but those videos of Angela pre-baby didn’t do much for me. The latest round are much funnier. Watch this one and scroll around at the site for more.
Season 4 of The Office comes out on DVD two weeks from tomorrow, and here’s an early reviewfrom someone luckier than me who got an advanced copy.
The writer is clearly a fan of the show, and she has me pumped for the release, like when he says…
The only thing cooler than watching Ryan the Toolish Former Temp descend into ruin is the overload of special features offered in the boxset. It’s an abundance of bonus material.
Of course she lost me when she said…
The “More You Know” segment is pure bliss, and the blooper reel is ridiculously overlong, but that’s why God gave you thumbs – you can press the stop button as soon as you get bored watching Jenna Fischer crack up. (To be fair, it took me a full 20 minutes to tire of it.)
That’s like complaining that you have too much ice cream or too many hundred dollar bills in your wallet. Anyway, let me complain once again about how much I hate how close to the new season these sets come out. I’d have spent the summer devouring every second of it, but now I’ll be lucky to make a dent before the Sept. 25 premiere. Read more of this entry »
Whenever a celebrity gets pulled over for drunken driving or gets popped for gun or drug possession, I wonder to myself how it’s even possible.
I’m not saying I’m surprised that rich and famous people can’t stay out of trouble. I’m just wondering what’s the point of having an entourage — And don’t they all have entourages? — if you can’t use these hangers-on to shield you from criminal trouble.
Robinson, who plays the often underutilized and usually underappreciated warehouse foreman Darryl on The Office, was arrested on suspicion of possession of ecstasy and crystal meth. Now I don’t know what “suspicion of possession” means or why it’s even a crime. If the cops suspected he had the drugs, shouldn’t they have to at first see if their suspicions are founded or unfounded? But I digress. Read more of this entry »
Earlier this week, I wrote about “Chuck” star Zachary Levi hosting NBC’s upcoming prime-time preview special. For the special, which is supposed to be broadcast on network and Internet affiliates starting Aug. 30, he’s showing off some of the network’s new shows and teasing returning series.
With a little snooping around, I was able to track down what appears to be a leaked version of the “Chuck” segment from that special more than two weeks before it officially airs.
Scroll a little more than halfway down this page on io9.com and search for the video that appears just under the phrase “And here’s the EPK for Chuck.” While there’s not much content that hadn’t already been revealed at Comic-Con, it’s still two minutes of rough-cut excellence. Just above that Electronic Press Kit are a couple of other promo videos unseen by this blogger. Same situation; previously released content re-edited for new commercials.
That i09.com post has a bunch of videos pertaining to fall sci-fi series, including “Knight Rider,” “Heroes” and “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.” And another post from that science fiction fan site has spoilers for upcoming “Chuck” Webisodes. Perhaps the NBC powers that be were inspired by the Internet traffic generated by the Web-only mini-mini-miniseries for both “The Office” and “Heroes.”
According to io9, “The good news: Unlike the Heroes webisodes, they actually feature the regular cast of Chuck (but not Chuck himself, as far as I can tell.) The other good news: They’re actually pretty great.” Employees of Buy More—Morgan, Lester, Jeff and Casey—have been tabbed for the Webisodes, according to the site. Good times.
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First off, Kristin is starting trouble by asking 
iTunes
I’m not going to go crazy cheearleading this move. It was dumb to 
Academy Award nominee Ryan reprises the role she assumed in last season’s finale. Lieberstein, meanwhile, takes a step back from the camera so he can executive produce this season.
Well, I am pleased that you are out, because I have been to set twice in the past week and was getting concerned that you were no longer a part of the show. Pam hasn’t been in any of the scenes at Dunder Mifflin that I’ve seen.
My take: That sounds an awful lot like a parallel of Jim’s seven-episode departure for Stamford two seasons ago. (Has it been that long?) I see a lot of potential pitfalls, plot-wise, but my fingers are crossed.
Seven figures makes you a millionaire, right? That sounds about right, considering the mammoth contributions of funny Schur has made. You can read the details of his development deal with Universal at that link. I’ll just list my favorite Schur-written Office episodes:
I’m not saying I’m surprised that rich and famous people can’t stay out of trouble. I’m just wondering what’s the point of having an entourage — And don’t they all have entourages? — if you can’t use these hangers-on to shield you from criminal trouble.
With a little snooping around, I was able to track down what appears to be a leaked version of the “Chuck” segment from that special more than two weeks before it officially airs.