Everybody Loves Saturday Night

The Office: season finale

Dear The Office,

THANK YOU for returning to classic Jim & Pam pranks on Dwight. That was the best opening you've had in a while. And it set up the funniest episode you've had in a while. So THANK YOU for a general return to greatness. Is it coincidence that the show lasted an hour? I agree with Carolyn's assessment from the beginning of the season, that the hour-long episodes allowed the show to be a little more . . . human and tender in addition to brutally funny.

Amy Ryan rules. Dwight's set up, telling her that Kevin was "special," led to some really funny stuff--hilarious to watch Kevin just be Kevin but see it from Holly's perspective. And her face after Michael does his Yoda voice was priceless, as was her giving it right back. And Michael's reassessment of HR in general--"Not all monsters are bad"--also funny.

And thank you for giving Phyllis her time to shine. I love Phyllis. Her quest to find an anti-gravity machine had me on the floor. She took her duties so seriously, like she was a long-time minor league player getting called up into the majors, and she seemed so intent on getting that anti-gravity machine so Michael would be happy, but hey--bouncy castle is like the next best thing, right? And I love, LOVE, that she was the one to walk in on Angela and Dwight, especially after Angela delivered that awesome "you are never throwing another party again" line.

What else was funny...Ryan gets arrested for internet fraud and the video of his arrest shows up on the Internet. Awesome.

Creed trying to sound out what exactly it is that he does.

Oscar's face when Michael offers to make Holly a mix CD.

The idea that Andy has been carrying an engagement ring in his wallet for six years because you just never know...hilarious.

Thank you for bringing Jan back, as well. The idea that she got pregnant while she was with Michael but not WITH Michael, her explanation that if she were in her 20s...damn. That was harsh. Funny, but really harsh.

A great way to end the season, I thought. Thanks.

Love,
Michelle

A satisfying night of TV

My Thursday night TV lineup just got better: I can watch Ugly Betty at 8 (though I missed it last night), The Office at 9, 30 Rock at 9:30 and then Lost at 10. Provided I can stay up past 10. Which I managed to do last night (though I admit to nodding off a wee bit at the end, despite a strong and typically perplexing episode).

The Office felt different--still funny, but more menacing. I liked the dark bitterness of the dinner party episode a lot, and this felt similar, but clearly a different shade of dark. Ryan a cokehead, his life spiraling out of control because the Dunder Mifflin Infinity project is tanking? The idea that a paper company would support a MySpace-like social network is hilarious, and . . . well, let's just say that hit a little close to home, mmmkay? And because I can't help but analyze fictional characters, I'd say that it makes perfect sense that Ryan wouldn't be able to really cope with the enormity of going from Temp to Executive. And therein, really, lies the beauty of this show--so many aspects of it are ostensibly comic, but there's always some sort of reality-based logic to how they play out.

Also loved: Jim and Pam getting some hate: an unusual, awkward position for them to be in. Jim pretty much becoming Michael for the night, talking with the security guy and bringing Oscar over to talk with the cleaners. Toby declaring his upcoming move to Costa Rica and then jumping the fence (oh, Toby). Creed being the one who knew Hank's name. Dwight being the one to succeed with the ladies. "Amazons." Heh.

30 Rock was also a little bizarre. I think I read somewhere that they were going to have an Amadeus-laced episode, but I still was not prepared for it. And I have to love a show that bases almost an entire episode on a movie that no one has thought about for 20 years. Because I have seen that movie more times than I care to admit in public, and 30 Rock's riffs were pitch-perfect.

"Business juice." That is all.

On to Lost now, which I now realize I haven't written about at all since Season 4 began, which is just shameful. I still have all of them saved on DVR, so maybe when the season is over I could go back and do a retrospective, but . . . oh, you and I both know that's not going to happen. Bygones. Onward.

I said in a comment a while back that my standard response to everything that Lost has been throwing is "now that is some fucked-up shit." And last night's episode was no exception. That is not at all how I imagined Sayid's involvement with Ben starting, though it makes absolute perfect and logical sense given Ben's brilliance at manipulation. I cannot stress enough how much I adore Michael Emerson. That little self-satisfied smirk Ben gives as he walks away from Sayid? Chilling.

Also chilling was Ben's total shock at the execution of Alex. Someone called his bluff and he was not expecting that at all. I'm not sure what to make of this game he's playing with Widmore, but Ben's pledge of vengeance certainly raised the stakes quite a bit.

I also don't know what to make of Ben's flashfoward, either. He appears, out of nowhere, in the Sahara, wearing a winter parka with the name Halliwax on it (oh wait! Isn't Hallifax one of the Orientation video guys, along with Dr. Marvin Candle? Dun dun DUN!). And it's 2005. His need to ask for the year makes me think not that there's time travel involved in this show, but that the island/time/distance equation we have started to figure out thanks to Faraday is perhaps a bit unpredictable, and that this was an unscheduled trip to the mainland brought on by Widmore "changing the rules."

Oh, yeah, that's it. Ben recruits Sayid to do all this killing, and the last name on the list is going to be Penelope. How in the world is that going to be justified to Sayid?

There were some truly heartbreaking moments in this ep, too. Jack finally realizing he's been wrong about the freighter people? My stomach would be all up in knots, too. Sawyer carrying Claire from the exploding house (ok, how the hell did she survive that? Without a scratch on her? It makes me think of "course-correcting" for some reason except that no one saved before the house blew up) and later wanting to protect/save Hurley? If it were possible to love Sawyer more, that moment did it for me.

Oh, and the smoke monster. Clearly controlled by Ben, possibly from his secret underground lair accessible from his hidden passport room (how many strata of secret rooms does this dude have, anyway?) via a wall covered with hieroglyphics. So now we know what we already suspected, that Ben's claim that he had no idea what the smoke monster was was a lie. My question is: does he always control it? Meaning, was Ben behind every single appearance of Smokey, from the very beginning, when it ate Greg Grunberg? When it killed Eko? Or is Smokey allowed to roam free but will come when called, like a dog (makes sense because another name for the smoke monster is Cerberus).

That's all that can fit into my brain right now.

Oh, Dotcom, I love you.

Note: at the end of this post, which is mostly about sitcoms, I have some info on Battlestar Galactica--just to warn those of you who aren't caught up with Season 4 yet.

So, I meant to start writing up more TV shows because you know, they're on again and all, but life sorta intervened and things got all frakked* and anyway, now I'm back.

And then I was going to write about both 30 Rock and The Office, only neither show was very good, I thought--particularly The Office this week. Yeah, we had the development of Jim and Pam's relationship, but am I the only one in thinking that Jim's approach to proposing to Pam is incredibly insensitive and out of character? And of course she would play along because she's Pam. Maybe it's me, but I don't think you should tease someone who once called off her own engagement because of you. (is it me? am I alone on this?) The rest of the episode I thought was one of the blandest shows they've had ever. It was nowhere near last week's cringe-inducing, often painful, and yet painfully funny "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" episode, which I thought was near-brilliant (though that also might have been in part due to my sheer delight at having this show back on the air).

30 Rock this week I also thought was a bit unfocused and not as sharply funny as it has been. My favorite part, the only part that is still making me giggle, is Dotcom's response to Jack's calling the Republican Party the Party of Abraham Lincoln (in an attempt to get Tracy to appear as the token celebrity at this fundraiser for McCain). He says that because Lincoln fought a war to preserve the federal government, among other things, that the Republican party of today would be unrecognizable to Lincoln. Jack tells him that his "need to be the smartest guy in the room is offputting," to which Dotcom replies, "I guess that's why I'm still single." Oh, Dotcom.

* yes, in other news, I am completely caught up with Battlestar Galactica, but haven't been able to write about it or frame any real coherent thought about it except for "holy crap!" I absolutely loved the last episode, "Six of One," in which a Six (who looks like Gina?) brings the Centurions on to eliminate the "skin job" Cylons who voted to lobotomize the Raiders--I just had the slightest pang of empathy for those Centurions, you know? To be given free thought and then learn that your cousins or whatever are being punished for expressing theirs? Oof. I also loved, absolutely LOVED, Gaius seeing Chip Gaius (for lack of a better term). "Oh, my giddy aunt!" has become my new exclamation.

Two Weeks of The Office

Dear Michelle, where are you in your Office watching?  Somewhere in Season 2 or 3?  Man, this season...this season is KICKING some sitcom ASS, let me tell you.

Last night's episode, while not dropdead funny like last week's, was still pretty damn funny.  When Michael started cutting his pants off... I was sure there was a major artery in danger.   And that last conversation between Michael and Jim about the birthday snafu, "rookie mistake, give it 10 years"...Uh oh!  I see some Jim discontent coming up pretty soon.  "I'm becoming Michael! NO! NOOOOOOOOOO!"  The fact that Ryan took Toby on the camping trip was just the perfect catalyst, wasn't it?   (The comments to Alan Sepinwall's post bring up some of the hilarity I didn't mention, like Andy's face at Michael's first happy birthday high notes.  Oh So Funny.)

Anyway, as I said, last night = fine, but the week before?  PRICELESS.  I have watched it at least four times, I can't even decide what scenario I find funniest. 

The Finer Things Club = what a stroke of brilliance.  Pure Brilliance.  The scenes from previous club meetings?  So awesome.  "We're a closed club."  "The most exclusive club in the office."  Hilarious.   Letting Jim in at the end only to find that indeed he would just use it as an opportunity for mockery.  "You found it funny?  When?  When the twins died, was that funny?"  "Who was the main character?"  "Angela?  No, not Angela.  The Ashes?"  Andy's attempt to join.

The mustachioed gang (fake, of course. Groucho Marx-like). Real gas bombs in the trunk of the car. Peeing into the can. PEEING INTO THE CAN!  "I cut my penis on the lip!"  Jim in the parking lot.  Dwight's obsession with eyes!  "The eyes are the groin of the head."  "We will burn Utica to the ground."  "No, no...blah blah...or we will burn Utica to the ground."  The ultra professionalism of Karen's branch.  Her comments at the beginning, her confrontation of the mustached trio.  Michael's attempt at a personal ad to replace Stanley.  "You cannot take the hilarious black man."  So wrong but so "Michael."

Oh man.  That is definitely going on my list of Best Office Episodes ever.  You know, the list I just started.  Now I will need to rewatch all three previous seasons so I can properly rank it.  But it was damn funny.

Smooches! 

Rounding up last week.

Dear Michelle,

Last week was pretty rough on the Duff household's TV viewing and even after a somewhat relaxing weekend, I still have DS$ to go! 

Reaper was OK.  I don't feel as "why oh why isn't it as great as episode one? why is it disapointing us?" as most critics I'm reading.  On the other hand, I think "STOP WHINING."  Several times Sam has come to the "this is actually sort of a worthwhile thing to be doing" realization...and then comes the next episode and "WHY do I have to do this and WHY can't I get time off and WHY is some other dude liking Andy" to which I say "would you like some cheese with that WHIIIIIIINE?"  I am still entertained enough but I would like a little "YEAH LET'S GO KICK SOME ASS" and maybe not crying so much about having to do it.

Pushing Daisies was awesome. But of course.  The bees!  And how they always confront their latest issue.  They always have the talk and poor Emerson in the backseat listening.  And how Olive's jealousy just couldn't overcome the affection she's begun to feel for the Aunts. And when Emerson said something like "A MAN NEEDS MORE YARN".  And the old cars, and the wooden arm and the wooden leg with the secret container of diamonds...  So much love for this show.

The Office was good, but A-HA I KNEW in losing some of its time (length, per episode), it would also lose some of its tenderheartedness.  I yelled A-HA I TOLD YOU SO when I read this post by the AV Club.

Bones was awesome. So many good things going on with that show right now but you don't watch it so bygones.

Life was pretty good although they toned down both the zen quirky AND the fruit obsession sooooo much.  Can they just tone down one or the other?  Reese's slowly oncoming zen-ness, which is making her crazy, is a pretty funny touch though.  I'm worried that the White Roosky as I called him (did he not wear white in every scene he was in?) will become a recurring character.  There are already a shitload of characters on this show.

30 Rock I didn't find that funny.  Enjoyable, yes.  Outright laughing, not much.  Alex Baldwin is really a master of mimicry, no?

And as for Friday Night Lights, I felt that, as has been the case this season, there were a LOT of things to love but still a few things to NOT.  Smash and Saracen are, presumably, going to be a big focus this week as they got short shrift.  Tim is slow on the draw but once he gets there, he's THERE.  All in, asking for help. 

What did you think of last week's shows?  Are you ready for Heroes tonight?  Can it step up its game? 

HEROES, I ask you [you, the show, Heroes, not you, Michelle, or you, the other Reader(s)], DID YOU COME TO PLAY?  Then hey, why don't you?  Stop with the lollygagging and the moseying around and fucking play.

OK back to workyworky.  Smooches to you.

p.s. I still don't know your weekly viewing schedule. Is this not a NEED TO KNOW item? Yes, it is!  GO!

The Office: Supersized no longer, new ep tonight.

Dear Michelle,

Man this has really been a shithole week for me so far in terms of watching my shows, as I've still got Reaper, Pushing Daisies and DS$ waiting.  Don't think I'll get to all of those tonight as I'm definitely watching The Office in real time!

There's been a lot of whinging and moaning online about the full-hour episodes they started the season with.  Sure, some of them weren't great every moment of the night...but a) do I care? I'd rather watch a bad half hour of the office than most shows and b) last week?  Man, I thought last week's episode was just awesome through and through.

Pam & Jim GO TO DWIGHT'S BEET FARM FOR A ROMANTIC WEEKEND.  Come on.  Now that is some small screen brilliance.  The "Irrigation" room.  Michael at a second job! (And of course, failing desperately at it!)  Angela's sleep-apnea mask!  Ah ha ha!  Michael getting Stanley on his call list.  Stanley's response was just classic.  The recorder solo!  Oh Dwight!  The heartbreak.  Jim's truth tell in the hallway (and then rushing in and kissing Pam on his way back!).  Michael taking off like a hobo to the train...a train that then goes nowhere.  Dwight with the ruler...

There were just so many moments where I either burst out with a laugh or just felt a big "awwww" rising up (squelch it down! squelch fast!).  Tonight's episode will be back to the 1/2 hour format, with the compactness probably meaning it'll have more laughs and be better plot driven and not have too many Michael makes really horrific (and not necessarily funny) decisions... on the other hand, I don't know that it'll manage to be as tender. 

The hilarity and the heartbreak = it's just won me over. 

Smooches to you! ;)

Thursday Night Laugh-In

Dear Michelle,

Did you have time for TV last night?  I don't watch Ugly Betty, but I watched its next door neighbors. 

30 Rock wasn't funny throughout, a couple dead spots, but some of the individual moments were just priceless.  Kenneth going over to Angie's...and then puking!  Then realizing his grilled cheese has mayo in it! (I wasn't sure if he thought that was good or bad!)  Tina Fey downing a ginormous steak in a minute flat!  Jenna: "I'm keeping it!" 

Oh! Oh! and Hello Will Arnett.  Loved all his moments.  Him lusting after Kenneth!  Awesome. 

The Office was more outright hilarious, in a way, but also more horrifying.  Andy deciding to ask out Angela = oh this is hilarious.  This is soooo going to cause some crazy crazy Dwight behavior.  How sweet is Pam, totally feeling bad for Dwight and sending him the "you beat me" message from the "computer."  The kidnapping was simultaneously funny and horrifying but I think the best part was it being the same kid who steals Hemp from Dwight's farm (and thinks it's bad weed!).   And OMG!  Meredith's cast!  That was a visual I was not expecting.

It still feels a little oddly "light" to me how they are handling the Pam/Jim situation.  But in some ways, I'm just an idiot and the odd part is probably the realistic part:  i.e., remember on Friends, when Rachel was considering dating Ross and Phoebe says something about it being both a good and a bad thing that going on a first date w/ someone you know that well is almost like going on a 15th date with them?  Like, yeah we're past all the awkward, the icky weird awkward. But that's also a boo, we're past all the awkward, the sparkly exciting awkward.  The moments up on the roof were really sweet.

I love Thursday nights...now that I've (pretended to) cut Grey's out of my life (OK I did watch it. But I didn't like it...). 

Smooches to you... and HELLO to the ginormous headed one.  hee hee....

The Office: Back with a Vengeance

Damn, from the crash, bang! first segment, it was clear this was going to be just an awesome episode.  A full hour of almost-complete hilarity.  Steve Carrell was just pitch perfect, as always, handling Michael's various "apologies".  I know I'll forget some majorly comic moments (I expect Monica to help me out in the comments) so I'll just highlight a few things I particularly loved:

• hello, Dwight kills Sparkles (Sprinkles? Whatever its name was!)!!!
• The claw marks on the french fry bags!
• Pam, Michael and the "dangling participle"!
• Andy's nipples
• "Carb loading"
• Pulling out the IV
• When Ryan hears the out of office message!

I really loved it.  I thought the Pam/Jim stuff was a little underwritten though.  The first scene, with the porn ("which celebrity?" "Irrelevant!") was hilarious and I was expecting them to hit it again later, but it seemed like in giving them secret "couple" moments, the writers maybe left out a few "teasing" "joking" moments, which is what these two have given us so well in previous seasons.  I'm psyched they're together, I'm psyched it's a secret from everyone except the "documentarians", you know that eventual reveal is going to be played out in hilarious ways...but I don't want them to lose their playfulness. 

Bygones.  First episode = pretty great.  Yay!

p.s. should I be horrified that Dwight's nickname for Angela is...one of my own nicknames? 

The Office vs. Grey's: Season Finales

Grey's:  Horrible. Sucked.  Everything that could go wrong, in every relationship, does go wrong.  And frankly, gave me no reasons to want to watch next season at all.

The Office: Awesome. Rocked.  Some things went so hilariously wrong, and some things went so wonderfully right.  Yay!!!  CanNOT WAIT until this Fall!!!

Verbose, aren't I.  What did you think?

The Office: Awesome on both counts.

Count one: Hilarity.  Awesome!  Doing things like this is my worst work nightmare and I know people who've been forced to do them on crazy team-building weekends!!!  When Dwight winds up crawling on the coals? And Andy floating in the river in the sumo costume?  My ribs hurt from laughing so hard!

Count two: Jim/Pam/Karen, a.k.a. ROMANCE.  Finally some movement!  Yay!  You go, Pam!