Grid Effect

Probably their worst effort to date. And we’re going to keep this pithy because it’s late, we’re tired and do not have much constructive to say. Basically, when it starts to feel like every episode ends with some heartwarming note about everyone’s favorite onscreen couple. I accept the fact that it attracts a certain audience that doesn’t consist of me, but I can only stand so many warm embraces before I no longer feel like I’m watching a comedy.

The entire “Jim Buys His Parents House” subplot is too sitcom-y for my liking. And all the faux-tension coming from Pam about whether she will or won’t like the most recent swoon-worthy act of boyfriendness from Jim. This is the type of thing I was worried when they got the two of them together at the end of the third season. It hasn’t overran the series by any means, but if they’re going to insist on concluding every episode with some pivotal moment in an otherwise well design onscreen romance, then they’re going to have to counter it with a good inter-office plot.

This was one of those episodes that left me wondering how MIchael keeps his job, and that is never a good thing. The series does seem to exist in a vacuum (at least partially), but it also likes to maintain some realism. You can’t have an employer attempting to frame, of all employees, the HR rep and expect me to believe that he can still keep his job. Additionally, it didn’t setup many comedic moments beyond Michael screaming at Toby in the cold open and Rainn Wilson made the most out of every episode he was in.

Other notes:

-What was the point of bringing Ryan back, other than to give BJ Novak some quota met in his contract?

-The post-credits scene with Dwight describing his perfect crime was a comedic gem and a rare ray of light in an episode of despair.

-The Scream 2 analogy from Michael was as twisted and tangled as every other analogy he’s ever used, but using the sequel to Scream was just random enough to make it exceptional. “I learned a lot from that movie”.

This isn’t quite the “Tree Trippers” episode of Entourage that we detested so much, but it is damn close in what’s otherwise been a great season. Disappointing work from Mindy Kaling, who I don’t recall ever scripting a bad episode. Seems a little late in the series to consider it a learning curve, but we’ll give her the benefit of the doubt that the show has sort of backed her into a corner with the Jim-Pam screed, we don’t know what to say about the Michael-Toby feud.

Sunny recap coming later today or early tomorrow, depending on how drunk I get and/or how early I go to sleep.