Your art was the prettiest art of all the art.
Can we talk about The Office for a minute?
Last Thursday’s episode = strongest episode of the season.
I felt like the show was wandering a little too much these last few episodes, drifting too far away from the cores of the characters and their milieu in the office. This episode brought them right back to their essential traits while still offering something new and inspired.
For instance: Pam is pathetic, yes. We know this. But in this episode, her pathos is just so … head-on and total. It’s like it grew five extra dimensions. Her scenes at the art show made my face crumple.
Michael is on some of his worst behavior ever, and yet he ends up being the hero of the episode. I vascillate between hating him and feeling serious empathy for him so quickly it makes my head hurt.
And, he’s at least partly responsible for one of the episode’s handful of genuinely touching moments (and not just of the “aww … Jim and Pam are pining for each other again” variety to which we’ve become so accustomed).
Because my love for 30 Rock is fresher and more crazy-big right now, The Office had been sitting in the backseat for a while. But this episode reaffirms my conviction that it’s the smartest show on television* right now.
* Remember, HBO isn’t television. It’s HBO. (QED.)
Posted: February 18th, 2007 under Television.
Comments: 5
Comments
Comment from Dan
Time: 18 February 2007, 11:53
I agree. It’s difficult to think of a television character that has been more emotionally draining than Michael. He is all over the spectrum: you hate him, you love him, you feel sorry for him, you want to kick his ass. I’m not sure how Steve Carrell does it, but he’s one of the best I’ve ever seen.
Comment from Grace Park
Time: 18 February 2007, 14:56
Okay, sure, but can he talk-whisper lines like, “Being in a foursome with this man will change your life” with the same aplomb that Alec Baldwin does?
Not that I’m arguing. I loved this episode, too.
Comment from lizz
Time: 19 February 2007, 07:15
joss whedon directed it.
Comment from Jake
Time: 19 February 2007, 16:35
And it was written by Brent Forrester, Mr. Show and Simpsons alum.
Comment from Patricio
Time: 28 February 2007, 15:01
Did you watch last week’s episode?! I finally did last night thanks to good ole iTunes and it was, aside from the straitjacket thing at the beginning, just as good. This show is brilliant.
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