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The Office Season 3 Premiere.

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Link said:
What? The whole George Michael/Maeby storyline continued through the show's entire run.
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yeah...that was a bad example. i was thinking just Michael and Gob. I also forgot about Buster and Lucille2.

edit - but the relationships in arrested development are much different than jim and pam. in AD, they are a lot more comical and dont take themselves seriously. The Jim and Pam relationship does have a more "Friends(as in that awful show that ran on NBC)" tone.
 
I just have to chime in and echo ..... what a great episode. I really can't think of another episode of The Office I laughed as hard at...... great way to start off the third season.
 
But it's not like The Office only ever takes itself seriously when dealing with Jim/Pam. There have been serious bits about possible downsizing, the warehouse union, conflict resolution, etc. It's a comedy, no doubt, but there's no reason it can't be more than that too. The Office is doing fine at its own thing, there's no reason to mess with it by looking to other very different shows.
 
woodchuck said:
i dont want the pam/jim to drag out the storyline even more than it has. for me, id rather have pam/roy get married, move, and never appear on the show again. the office can start fresh from there.

i dont really like a comedy to get bogged down with relationship stuff. the thing that made Seinfeld so great was the lack of any emotional ties between the characters. Jerry had a new girlfriend every episode. susan died after 1 season. In arrested development, the relationship plots only lasted at max 3-4 episodes.
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I don't even think I'd like the show half as much without Pam. Roy I could do without, as I've said before, but even he is becoming a better character than he was early on. And Jenna Fishcher as Pam is just beyond great. The relationship stuff will always be there as this is not trying to be Seinfeld or anything else. It was trying to be the British Office for a few eps. and now it's its own show, but it has retained that dramatic element in the farce, which I think is what makes both the British and American Offices stand out from 99% of other shows. For one the actors have great chemistry, and it would be a shame to waste it. Secondly, I don't usually like relationship stuff in sitcoms because it feels forced, but imo both the Brit and American Office pull it off well because of great actors and solid writing. It just would not be "The Office" without it. It would be Scrubs or whatever in a paper company office. It's a very distinctive element of the show that many people have come to appreciate. The reason Seinfeld and other sitcoms didn't keep the relationships going is because they were just stupid setups to bounce jokes off of; or they did keep no-chemistry, no-depth relationships running forever like Friends. In The Office, it is the exact opposite.

Plus they are being smart with it and making the show that much more captivating. Rather than take the easy way out and just magically get Roy out of the picture and have Jim come back and everybody can have a good time again cracking jokes while Jim and Pam carry on a shallow, useless Seinfeld/whatever-like relationship, you instead have both Jim and Pam making tough decisions and both obviously suffering for it, which again makes the show captivating on another level. In the meanwhile, you still have constant hilarity. It's great for the show to work on multiple levels like that, because let's face it non-stop pure farce can only be funny for so long. It's what made the British series so great and it's cool to see the US series do it in a unique way.

Of course, some guys will just never be into it because they just want pure farce and that's it. That's fine, though a shame, and there's certainly no accounting for taste, but I think you'll find that most people really do enjoy that aspect.
 
If Pam left the show, I'd stop watching....

...okay, maybe not, but I would not enjoy it.

I have a feeling Jim will come back soon..

From TV.com:
Michael is in trouble once again as Jan busts him for declaring it's "Movie Monday" where everyone watches a movie and neglects work. Angela pushes Dwight to make a move on Michael's job while Pam and Jim find creative ways to waste time.
 
Dan said:
But it's not like The Office only ever takes itself seriously when dealing with Jim/Pam. There have been serious bits about possible downsizing, the warehouse union, conflict resolution, etc. It's a comedy, no doubt, but there's no reason it can't be more than that too. The Office is doing fine at its own thing, there's no reason to mess with it by looking to other very different shows.
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Yep. And even today, it was dealing with some serious stuff with the homosexual issue, and you felt a few tense moments in there, but then it comes back with the comedy. Even with the Pam/Jim stuff that was serious, once in a while, there would be some funny thrown in there. Like when Jim breaks up with that girl in Season 2 out of nowhere.
 
AstroLad said:
I don't even think I'd like the show half as much without Pam. Roy I could do without, as I've said before, but even he is becoming a better character than he was early on. And Jenna Fishcher as Pam is just beyond great. The relationship stuff will always be there as this is not trying to be Seinfeld or anything else. It was trying to be the British Office for a few eps. and now it's its own show, but it has retained that dramatic element in the farce, which I think is what makes both the British and American Offices stand out from 99% of other shows. For one the actors have great chemistry, and it would be a shame to waste it. Secondly, I don't usually like relationship stuff in sitcoms because it feels forced, but imo both the Brit and American Office pull it off well because of great actors and solid writing. It just would not be "The Office" without it. It would be Scrubs or whatever in a paper company office. It's a very distinctive element of the show that many people have come to appreciate. The reason Seinfeld and other sitcoms didn't keep the relationships going is because they were just stupid setups to bounce jokes off of; or they did keep no-chemistry, no-depth relationships running forever like Friends. In The Office, it is the exact opposite.

Plus they are being smart with it and making the show that much more captivating. Rather than take the easy way out and just magically get Roy out of the picture and have Jim come back and everybody can have a good time again cracking jokes while Jim and Pam carry on a shallow, useless Seinfeld/whatever-like relationship, you instead have both Jim and Pam making tough decisions and both obviously suffering for it, which again makes the show captivating on another level. In the meanwhile, you still have constant hilarity. It's great for the show to work on multiple levels like that, because let's face it non-stop pure farce can only be funny for so long. It's what made the British series so great and it's cool to see the US series do it in a unique way.

Of course, some guys will just never be into it because they just want pure farce and that's it. That's fine, though a shame, and there's certainly no accounting for taste, but I think you'll find that most people really do enjoy that aspect.
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Of course I enjoy it so far. It's worked well so far. Im just having some fears about future episodes.
 
I've personally always found the best comedies are the ones that can seamlessly mix in genuine, serious moments.
 
woodchuck said:
(as in that awful show that ran on NBC)
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Hey, hey, hey! Now you've gone to goddamn far.
mad.gif
 
Jasoco said:
If Pam left the show, I'd stop watching....

...okay, maybe not, but I would not enjoy it.

I have a feeling Jim will come back soon..

From TV.com:
Michael is in trouble once again as Jan busts him for declaring it's "Movie Monday" where everyone watches a movie and neglects work. Angela pushes Dwight to make a move on Michael's job while Pam and Jim find creative ways to waste time.
Click to expand...
I think you might be reading too much into that. The wording can imply many different things.
 
woodchuck said:
Of course I enjoy it so far. It's worked well so far. Im just having some fears about future episodes.
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I don't think The Office is going to turn to shit like Friends did (which was good in the early seasons, not as good as this though). But I can see where you're coming from.
 
So guys, which do you think is better,

UK office or US office

OR

The german one, or the french one?

just kidding, but

http://www.slate.com/id/2150015/?GT1=8592

I thought this article was quite an interesting read on why the office was changed for different countries instead of being straight translated/dubbed. I also didn't realise that the office had received the german/french treatment as well as American, not sure how involved RG was with the latter 2 though.

060920_TV_TheOffice.jpg


But, more subtly, the base-line mood of David Brent's workplace—resignation mingled with self-loathing—is unrecognizably alien to our (well, my) sensibility. In the American office, passivity mingles with rueful hopefulness: An American always believes there's something to look forward to. A Brit does not, and finds humor in that hopelessness.
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There needs to be Pam/Jim IM'ing or e-mailing. One of them has gotta break down sooner or later just so they can share the wacky antics that are going on in their respective offices.

Or they could down-size Jim's branch instead of Scranton and bring some of the people over. Ed Helms was pretty funny too, and I was worried he'd be too "Daily Show." I LOL'd at the overreaction to the practical joke. He realized he's not in Kansas anymore.

I love the UK Office, but the US one surpassed it in Season 2.
 
-=DoAvl=- said:
what an awesome episode! i loved it :D


and what da **** was up with meredith licking the hand cream? hahaha
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she was also the only one that was actually shocked when Oscar "officially" came out in the conference room (everyone else had already heard by then). :lol i think she's in desperate need of an intervention.

and Michaels constant subtle digs at Phyllis that seem to go undetected always bust me up. Those go back to season 1.
 
"You don't call retarded people 'retards.' It's bad taste. You call your friends 'retards' when they're acting retarded. And I consider Oscar a friend."

Also you know they're going to bring back the Gaydar at some point way later in the season.
 
-=DoAvl=- said:
what an awesome episode! i loved it :D


and what da **** was up with meredith licking the hand cream? hahaha
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Sanitizer is mostly alcohol. :)

I just watched the premiere again and laughed as hard as I did the first time. I really didn't think anything would touch Arrested Development's greatness, but The Office is fantastic in its own right. Every character adds to the show (the cast is just terrific), and the writing is superb.
and Michaels constant subtle digs at Phyllis that seem to go undetected always bust me up. Those go back to season 1.
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:lol Yeah, those are rather blatant I'd say. Remember the basketball episode?
<Pam> We need a cheerleading squad.
<Phyllis> I could be a cheerleader.
<Michael> Ugh, no!

... and a LOT more. I always feel bad for Phyllis' character. She's such a nice woman, but people are always stepping over her. It makes me feel all the more horrible when I laugh at the jokes at her expense.

Does anyone know if the Season 1 & 2 combined set that comes with the Dunder-Mifflin shirt is still available? I've checked Amazon and Best Buy, and neither have the item listed. Am I too late or is it not out yet? I would totally wear that shirt.
 
woodchuck said:
both are great but i think the US version exceeds it
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:lol yes, but I wonder if you are american (or work in an american office)

The whole point of the article was that each version, German French British and American are targeted at the office culture in said country which is why the humour works better depending on your country.
 
Great episode last night, except for the gay kiss. That was one of those really uncomfortable moments that this show has every once in a while.
 
With this episode The Office US took its last step to become nothing but an over the top comedy show. It's funny, but no more has it anything to do with the UK version. The characters are way too exaggerated to be considered real. The whole kiss scene while funny was totally unrealistic. Almost every scene is completely over the top with the characters acting in a purely comedic fashion. During the first season you could believe that some people would act that way but now it's like a freak show. Just a completely different concept to the now untouchably superior UK show.
 
woodchuck said:
i dont want the pam/jim to drag out the storyline even more than it has. for me, id rather have pam/roy get married, move, and never appear on the show again. the office can start fresh from there.

i dont really like a comedy to get bogged down with relationship stuff. the thing that made Seinfeld so great was the lack of any emotional ties between the characters. Jerry had a new girlfriend every episode. susan died after 1 season. In arrested development, the relationship plots only lasted at max 3-4 episodes.
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I don't agree completely but I hope they actually do something with the relationship this season. I can't take multiple more seasons of will they, won't they....Especially the way the show drags it out. Some shows could do it maybe but this one specifically just feels like a tease.
 
Dan said:
But it's not like The Office only ever takes itself seriously when dealing with Jim/Pam. There have been serious bits about possible downsizing, the warehouse union, conflict resolution, etc. It's a comedy, no doubt, but there's no reason it can't be more than that too. The Office is doing fine at its own thing, there's no reason to mess with it by looking to other very different shows.
Click to expand...

Whatdog dot gif

The Office's strength resides in the fact that it's funny despite the serious tone of the proceedings. It's an unending procession of trainwrecks and car accidents, the real strength of the show is in it's ability to ply the comedy from the disaster.
 
East Clintwood said:
With this episode The Office US took its last step to become nothing but an over the top comedy show. It's funny, but no more has it anything to do with the UK version. The characters are way too exaggerated to be considered real. The whole kiss scene while funny was totally unrealistic. Almost every scene is completely over the top with the characters acting in a purely comedic fashion. During the first season you could believe that some people would act that way but now it's like a freak show. Just a completely different concept to the now untouchably superior UK show.
Click to expand...

And thank god. They're essentially different products. I'm sure we all remember the early covers of British Office episodes. They were terrible. Like kareoke versions of fond memories. I agree that this episode was a little bold, sort of carictured, but the kiss was classic. Making a mountain of a molehill is Mike's specialty.
 
catfish said:
:lol yes, but I wonder if you are american (or work in an american office)

The whole point of the article was that each version, German French British and American are targeted at the office culture in said country which is why the humour works better depending on your country.
Click to expand...

i didn't read the article, but the observation stated in the article seems kind of obvious.
 
East Clintwood said:
With this episode The Office US took its last step to become nothing but an over the top comedy show. It's funny, but no more has it anything to do with the UK version. The characters are way too exaggerated to be considered real. The whole kiss scene while funny was totally unrealistic. Almost every scene is completely over the top with the characters acting in a purely comedic fashion. During the first season you could believe that some people would act that way but now it's like a freak show. Just a completely different concept to the now untouchably superior UK show.
Click to expand...


dude, i work in an office during the summer and on weekends when im not in school - you wouldn't believe some of the characters I work with (during the weekday) - THe US office isnt that far off, to be honest.
 
^ same here - When i worked in a more corporate environment at my old job - you wouldn't believe some of the people there. There was this one guy Scott Weiner - had a very similiar personality to Michael Scott. He was eventually laid off and we found out a year later he went on to become a hypnotist.
 
robot said:
^ same here - When i worked in a more corporate environment at my old job - you wouldn't believe some of the people there. There was this one guy Scott Weiner - was pretty similair to michael scott. He was eventually laid off and we found out a year later he went on to become a hypnotist.
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Like Ed Helms in this episode, there is a guy who I played a few pranks on, and though he knew I did it, he couldn't prove it and actually went ballistic, kicking his desk and slamming his keyboard drawer.

funny stuff for me.
 
Sapiens said:
Like Ed Helms in this episode, there is a guy who I played a few pranks on, and though he knew I did it, he couldn't prove it and actually went ballistic, kicking his desk and slamming his keyboard drawer.

funny stuff for me.
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When I was in highschool, the Latin Club would take a trip to Midevial Times every year. One year we found out that for 15$ you could get them to make the King announce it was someone's birthday. So, we took up a collection. There was this kid who was half-home schooled, half-public schooled and a real asshole. We paid them to announce that it was his 12th birthday, being that we were all around 18 at the time.

Sure enough, half-time rolls around, the King is rattaling off birthdays and anniversaries and then: "And congratulation to Chris Pescatore on his TWELFTH BIRTHDAY!". We're practically dying, but the joke is lost on the rest of the crowd. Chris, however, suddenly stands up and starts screaming: "It's not my birthday! It's not! I'm not 12! It's not my birthday!". When they try and present him with his birthday scroll, he tears it up and later rejects his free cake.

Fantastic.
 
GilloD said:
When I was in highschool, the Latin Club would take a trip to Midevial Times every year. One year we found out that for 15$ you could get them to make the King announce it was someone's birthday. So, we took up a collection. There was this kid who was half-home schooled, half-public schooled and a real asshole. We paid them to announce that it was his 12th birthday, being that we were all around 18 at the time.

Sure enough, half-time rolls around, the King is rattaling off birthdays and anniversaries and then: "And congratulation to Chris Pescatore on his TWELFTH BIRTHDAY!". We're practically dying, but the joke is lost on the rest of the crowd. Chris, however, suddenly stands up and starts screaming: "It's not my birthday! It's not! I'm not 12! It's not my birthday!". When they try and present him with his birthday scroll, he tears it up and later rejects his free cake.

Fantastic.
Click to expand...

:lol :lol :lol I totally picture that guy looking just like Dwight?

"My Birthday? FALSE"
300px-Office_pauldrinkwater.jpg
 
East Clintwood said:
With this episode The Office US took its last step to become nothing but an over the top comedy show. It's funny, but no more has it anything to do with the UK version. The characters are way too exaggerated to be considered real. The whole kiss scene while funny was totally unrealistic. Almost every scene is completely over the top with the characters acting in a purely comedic fashion. During the first season you could believe that some people would act that way but now it's like a freak show. Just a completely different concept to the now untouchably superior UK show.
Click to expand...
umm.. really.. while my office isn't like this all the time or every day, there isn't a single thing that happens on the show outside the realm of possibility.

I used to think just like you towards the end of last season. seriously, I hated Michael because of how ridiculous and unrealistic he was. everyone else was fine, but michael was just over the top.

then I flew out and met a new regional manager and let me tell you. seriously, let me tell you. I met michael scott in the real world. this manager almost had us MISS OUR $800 EACH PLANE FLIGHT BACK because he was searching for the exploding dell laptop on google. it almost cost the company probably upwards of $4000 just so he could find the video and show it to us. he completely goes against what corporate says, and doesn't communicate stuff from corporate to his subordinates. it is michael scott in the real world.

my point in this is that while michael is ridiculous, a) don't for a second think his character is impossible, because I have met him, and b) taking that into account I have to imagine he is based on what writers have come across in their experiences also.

Michael Scott is real, and I pray no one else reading this ever has to come across his character in real life. It is frustrating and dangerous. The good news is I finally get WHY his character is supposed to be funny on the show. Because there really are people out there that are THAT ignorant, as hard as it is to believe.
 
tralfazz said:
When Roy brings Pam the food they show that she has no ring and she details the fact that she called it off last minute. Then Roy talks about how his life has spiraled and then we get one of the greatest mug shots of ALL TIME.
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roymugshotgn1.jpg


:lol
 
Jim's Female Co-Worker's "Jim" Face was fantastic, and there were just so many laugh-out-loud moments in this episode. Fantastic drama as well, just great all around.

vlcsnap430256rs5.png
 
Memles said:
Jim's Female Co-Worker's "Jim" Face was fantastic, and there were just so many laugh-out-loud moments in this episode. Fantastic drama as well, just great all around.

vlcsnap430256rs5.png
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That was classic. "What is that?". Who is she played by, though? She looke so familar to me
 
I also loved the dig back to season 1(?) with diversity day. H-E-R-O and whatnot.

"Seems corporate thinks we need an emergency diversity day thanks to some things that went down at Scranton.." (or something like that) :lol
 
GilloD said:
That was classic. "What is that?". Who is she played by, though? She looke so familar to me
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Yeah it's weird, she looks really familiar.
 
Ninja Scooter said:
i think she's Quincy Jones' daughter. I forget her name. She was in Boston Public though, and a few sketches on Chappelle Show.
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Was she the "hot" English student who had sex with a teacher?
 
Question for fans of NBC's HD shows.

How comparable are the DVD's quality to the HD versions of the show?

I'm expecting it to look a bit less as good, but really, is there a real alternative? Not until they put out TV shows on Blu-HD-DVD-Ray or something.

The Office I'm not afraid of, it's the My Name is Earl DVD's I'm afraid of. Will they still show those cool "HD Rocks!" Easter Eggs?

Also, pet peeve, but how can they get away with charging $20 for a 6 episode first season? I mean seriously. :lol
 
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