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Everyone was anticipating last night’s return of The Office (and 30 Rock), after the five month writers strike hiatus. Well, fuck you guys. That’s not me saying that, that’s The Office saying that. Last night’s return was one of the most tortuous, painful episodes ever. And also one of the best.
Here, let me take you to obvious school: the major difference between the U.S. and U.K. version of the show, is that where the U.K. worked hard to increase the tension, the U.S. version (which, admittedly, has already made, like, log10 more episodes, so chapeau to them) has stayed much closer to the comfortable line of traditional sitcom humor (that line is demarcated in powdered sugar.) But last night the show came much closer to the Ricky Gervais style of cringegaze humor. And it did so by actually humanizing the buffoonery of Michael Scott et al, in the way that humans are really sad and miserable and ugly but also trying their best and just wishing people liked them. Except for Jim and Pam, who are cute and perfect (see: boring) and want nothing to do with reality. They should go to jail.
Here is just one of the night’s proudly abusive (to your heart) moments, which still doesn’t even include Jan’s scented candle making operation, the bedside video camera, or Michael’s soft teeth.
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Killer episode, babe. I was rolling at “soft teeth,” the plasma, the camera, and Andy’s sweater.
I LOVE THIS TV!
Good luck trying to pay me back $200.
I think Michael sleeping on the bench at the foot of the bed because Jan has “space” issues was one the greatest thing’s ever on that series.
Jan’s comment about Pam’s wine was priceless: “Ohh, thank you, this will be good to cook with.”
Best.
The exponential increase in excruciating awkwardness throughout an episode is why I fell in love with the UK Office, and last night’s had me on opium-tipped pins and needles, chortling the whole time. Bestestest.
Cringegaze … this is the new mumblecore?
oak-y afterbirth !
Was I the only person who hated this episode?
The thing I like about the American Office is that it DOESN’T try to ape the humor of the British one — and, instead, is its own animal. This episode, I felt, was just one schtick with different variants (uncomfortable, belittling), accompanied by the self-referrential “can you believe this!?” faces of Jim and Pam into the camera. To me, there was no progression – comedic or otherwise.
Not to mention that all of it was just so hard to swallow (sleeping at the bottom of the bed, for instance) – even by the flimsy standards of reality that any comedy starts off with.
log 10 = 1
Burn.
I thought it was absolutely HYSTERICAL. Glad to have them back.
LOOOOOOOOVED this episode. Thank god its back. I like the more cringe-worthy episodes….though do like the US version better