The Office: “Branch Wars”
As assumed after last week, the half hour format is officially the preferable format for this series. We’d rather get a half hour and want more afterwards than get a full hour and be relieved when it’s over. This episode, finally, gave some of the characters story arcs that didn’t involve the other people in the office that they always commiserate with.
The episode was written by Mindy Kaling (Kelly Kapoor), who’s other credits on the series include “Diwali” and “The Injury”, the latter of which also put Jim, Dwight and Michael in a car together for Dwight to have an MRI after sustaining a concussion. I guess she discovered a winning formula, because these three characters in a car together seems like a series in and of itself. It’s also a testament to the writing that it can be done twice (albeit separated by two seasons) and still hilarious situations can manifest from such an isolated setting.
Though we will concede that having Michael and Dwight threaten and attempt to burn the place to the ground (with homemade bombs and all) was a little over the top, but Jim’s flummoxed expression that his coworkers could be capable of potential homicide justified the entire premise. Especially his reaction to discovering they’re going to Utica (I know it’s a real city, but it sounds like a prison from the future or something), the dismay he registered when he found out he was eventually going to run into his bitter ex-girlfriend is pretty much how anyone would react. It seems like Jim’s character enjoys working there, even more so that he works with his girlfriend, his boss is incompetent and undemanding, and his coworkers are eccentric; but things such as this or the Yankee swap Christmas episode or the Michael crashing his party really seem to frustrate him. Essentially anything that effects his personal life.
The B-story with “The Finer Things” club was probably funnier than the main story, which is rare since the three main characters weren’t involved. But between Oscar’s line, “Aside from having sex with men, The Finer Things club is the gayest thing about me”, to the wardrobe, to everyone’s intentional (Andy making his plea to join) and unintentional (Kevin rocking the vending machine, Phyllis microwaving popcorn) and unnecessary (refusing to use the microwave in the kitchen because it wreaked of popcorn) interference with their meeting, I was in stitches. It’s the first time I can recall actual humor deriving from the side characters themselves, without any involvement from the three male leads.
Whatever gets you through the day
In fact, everything at the office was top notch. Stanley’s bluff at going to Utica (not sure why Karen agreed to go along with it, or if she didn’t know he never intended on leaving) had me wondering why he hadn’t pulled something similar before. It almost resulted in his boss and coworkers being arrested for theft and/or arson. It would’ve probably fast tracked him to regional manager of the Scranton Branch, since it effectively would eliminate all the competition.
Other highlights:
-The quick cut from Jim protesting the trip to Utica, to him dressing up as a factory worker explaining the lesser of two evils motivation.
-Dwight and Michael’s overly detailed radio call, and they’re contrasting advice for Jim after the industrial copier fell on them, then Michael pleading with him to take Karen to a hotel room, “Just lie on top of her and think of Stanley”.
-Michael’s fruitless attempt to convince Stanley to stay, and Stanley’s stoic repeating of the word, “money”.
-Michael, proving he can only be persuasive when selling paper, after berating the top salesman on the phone from Utica.
An enjoyable, chock full twenty-two minutes, and we feel like we’re forgetting plenty. If this is the quality of product that they continue to put out this season, then it will be the strongest yet. Of course, that’s not possible, since they can only have Jim and Pam apart from each other for so many episodes. Much like a politician, a sitcom still has to cater to its base to ring in the viewers and hopefully gather some new ones. We’re pleased with the result here, however, and its good to see the writers are still on top of their game, even if they decide to strike.
FNL and It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia recaps later today.
November 9th, 2007 at 10:28 am
[...] The Office: “Survivor Man” by Christopher Gabel We’re not saying that this episode of The Office was shorter than any other half hour episode that we’ve seen over the course of the series, but when we wait until halftime of the Pistons-Bulls game to watch it, fast forward through the commercials and the episode was over before the 3rd quarter started; well, it barely registered on the radar as something we did last night. Still, we can’t complain about perceived limitedness anymore. [...]