The Office - Its Never Boring

An amazing aspect of The Office is its ability to take the same dull characters in the same dull place and continue to come up with story lines that don't stray too far out of the ordinary.

When a show has been on this long it is easy for writers to get caught in the trap of the spectacular and unbelievable. It happens. Its easy. Make the plot twists or comedic hi jinx so ridiculous as to not create boredom among the fan base. The Office avoids this because they make the mundane seem ridiculous in such a believable fashion that we rarely every feel the idea of "this could never happen!"

Tonight's double episode brought this into light when Jim played the fool with Dwight as the antagonist. Making Jim play soccer against Charles (Stringer Bell) Miner won major points for Dwight in their on going battle (where Dwight is the clear loser). Watching Jim squirm was tough for everyone in the room. (my living room)

It's tough to not feel bad for Pam but is also , at the same time, tough to totally sympathize with her. She recognizes her rash decision as a mistake (hammered home with stark clarity by a bleach blond Ryan doing his best Generation-X Spicoli impersonation. A pseudo-stoner for the information age without all the likability.) I don't know if I feel bad for Pam because her decision was made by a feeling of inadequacy and boredom but at the same time I understand it. It couldn't be worse than what she was already doing. I do want her to succeed though! That makes me feel better to say that.

Finally, the Dwight and Andy friendship is something I could get very used to (blood to the penis references aside). A girl could have come between them but their reconciliation in the form of a John Denver duet brought home what I I know is so great about The Office. Even when it seems ridiculous it isn't. This could happen right? I believe it..

Comments

Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia - The Gang Exploits the Mortgage Crisis

This summer Mrs. Channelup was dying to see "The Nightman Cometh," Its Always Sunny's broadway-esque rendition of the Charlie's season 3 ending play. I balked, but now regret it to some degree. The gang would have probably made a fairly hilarious spectacle. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is like Curb Your Enthusiasm for the young, drunk and stupid crowd. I mean this is the best possible sense. The formula of Ridiculous premise + inane ranting dialogue + actors and actresses that can pull it off = comedy fucking gold. There aren't many funnier shows on television. Consider tonight's season premiere where Dee strives to become a surrogate mother strictly for the cash and residual benefits while the rest of the gang exploits a family foreclosing on their home. Does any other show make so much light of two topics more unfunny? That the gang is too stupid to pull either ploy off makes the show that much better. I always wonder how much of Its Alwa...

Parks and Recreation - The Stakeout

Leslie is such a active member of the the Pawnee landscape that she literally has started a community garden in the vacant pit. Can you blame someone for growing pot in said garden? I cannot. The Stakeout was an interesting episode for Parks and Recreation . I liked it for a couple of reasons. for starters, it featured considerably less Leslie Knope. This is a positive move considering the writer's seeming over reliance on her character. Tonight's episode spread the wealth in such a way that I didn't feel The Stakeout was about any particular character but instead about the cast as a whole. It was about everyone and no one all at once. Mark and Ann's date, Tom's idiocy in the name of racial profiling, Ron's hernia, and Andy's decent into the literal pit of hell. I liked The Stakeout for it uniformity. A couple of other notes on the episode. It isnt easy making a guy just sitting totally still and doing nothing funny. Damned if Ken Tremendous and the...

The Listener - I'm an Adult - Review

Toby Logan has telepathy and he chooses to use it for good?!!! I am sick of these moral fundamentalists who insist on using their powers for the greater well being. Give me one day of telepathy and I would be able to retire away to an island. What does Toby do? He becomes a Toronto paramedic. What a waste and a perfectly awesome super power. Forgive me for being skeptical about The Listener when I read it was : A: A Canadian television show B: Made in Canada C: Produced by our neighbors to the North Hmm, maybe I just have something against Canada. Its good to talk these things out. The Listener (according to trusty old reliable, accurate and all knowing Wikipedia) has had a pretty nice run in Canada and a few other countries so it isn't technically a new show. NBC picked it up for a summer run. The idea that it has had enough success elsewhere to warrant a new airing in The States was enough to start changing my tune. Toby's telepathy is a secret from those close to h...

Channelup

Search This Blog