Grid Effect

After a four week hiatus, The Office returned last night with a bang, I guess. It maintains a high level of comedy, which is what the series was initially created for; but if you scour the TWoP message boards, Jim’s attitude towards Pam after Roy attacked him dominates the discussion. (Apparently, him being less than cordial towards the woman who’s ex-fiance tried to kill him as a result of her “confession” is unacceptable on these here internets).

Ultimately, I am going to either get over it or stop watching the series altogether (which isn’t an option), but I just cannot believe the writers actually went the Friends route, at least for the time being. I mentioned the TWoP message boards, if you look at the tone to the Friends discussion and compare it to that of The Office discussion, they’re pretty much the identical. But the series has such potential and already established a laudatory reputation as the best sitcom on network television, it is still appointment television.

I just think season three has taken a plunge from season two. It is too late now, but a better alternative would have been to stretch out Jim’s crush on Pam He never levels with her, she marries Roy and is miserable, then they have the “Casino Night” episode in the finale for the penultimate season, and leave the final season to work everything out. Obviously, if this were the case, Jim and Pam wouldn’t dominate every other episode like they currently do, and I would be perfectly fine with that. It would simply be another running joke like Kelly annoying Ryan, Creed’s kleptomania and Bob Vance.

This all isn’t to say that last nights episode didn’t have its finer points. Michael wearing a womens suit was priceless. The way he described acquiring it made him sound like he was at a Salvation Army, “There was a box of clothes and everyone was just grabbing for them”, followed by the revelation of his diminutive salary was an apt loose connection. I also enjoyed Stanley’s reaction to the news, “He’s still overpaid”. (Speaking of which, when the branches merged and Darryl being head of the warehouse and Michael being the Branch manager, wouldn’t both of them had received raises as a result? I have no idea what the corporate structure is in scenarios like this.)

Angela and Dwight received a lot of camera time last night as well. Dwight, entirely too proud to have “saved” Jim from Roy in not accepting any compensation for his efforts and Angela firghteningly aroused by her boyfriend unsuspectingly macing another guy was a welcomed angle to all the Jim/Pam/Roy melodrama.

Noteworthy highlights:

-Jim now has visual evidence of Dwight and Angela, I guess I was wrong here, but I was under the impression everyone was conciously aware they might have had a relationship but was either indifferent or replused so didn’t broach it; and Pam knew definitively.

-”I accidentally cross-dressed” -Michael

-Kelly’s ongoing inane celebrity worship

-Dwight modeling his weapons while Jim narrates

-Toby’s description of Michael’s negotiation with Jan for a salary increase

Again, not the worst and not the best episode; simply more of the same in terms of dramatic plot points and some desperately needed comic relief.

I was ging to do a full post on last night’s South Park, but then I realized it wasn’t that entertaining so I decided to lump it in with this. I just really do not have anything to comment on. Look, Parker and Stone are mocking religion yet again. Its funny, probably more interesting just to see how they actually connect the Easter Bunny and other Easter traditions to actual Catholicism. But otherwise I wasn’t really interested, my roommate who is a diehard fan of the show received a call from his girlfriend and usually demands I pause the show while he takes the phone call and rushes her off, simply walked upstairs at the twenty minute mark.

There was nothing offensive about it, I guess it was controversial in a way (though calling South Park controversial is a bit redundant) so someone is bound to be upset with its content, which almost seems to take precedent over actual comedy. I mean, Kyle (who’s Jewish) murdered Jesus Christ at his insistence, only under the promise that Cartman would never catch wind of it. Which is funny, but the same joke has been made hundreds of other times on this series, just with varying delivery.

I think there is two more new episodes left in this opening to the elventh season, hopefully they resemble the premiere, the sophomore episode and even “The Snuke” more so than what we saw on Wednesday.