my s and p keys are kind of broken, so if my words don't make sense, that may or may not be why

[elapses]

Then vs. now, Office finales have always been about the crescendo -- the emotional buildup in "Casino Night" and "the Job"(/"Beach Games") were both incredibly palpable -- not even just in the episodes themselves, but in the episodes leading up to them, and even, really, the entire seasons themselves. Tonight's episode was all about SHOCKING! TWISTS! which definitely made it riveting -- but not in the organic way I've come to expect from the Office. Season 4 was overall lacking in the kind of cohesion two and three had -- and I know the strike had a lot to do with that. The first half of the season was laced with the buildup to a Jim Halpert character arc -- which actually, in the last two weeks, had a weeeee bit of resolution (I know I cannot be the only one COMPLETELY DELIGHTED with Jim Halpert: that guy who actually cares about his job), and in the second half, they decided to take us on this Jim-and-Pam-getting-engaged ride. They've built it up, they've alluded to it weekly, and a good quarter of the first 44 minutes of this finale was more buildup -- and then.

I'm not... angry. I was frustrated, and now I'm just... disappointed. They didn't need to make this week about Jim and Pam, but they did make it about Jim and Pam. To give away the moment they'd built up to just... feels so false to me. Especially right before that three month separation -- this was their night, and I cannot belieeeeeve Andy and his engagement ring sitting the bottom of his wallet is what took that away from them.

BUT PAM AND ART SCHOOL!!!!! Oh Beesly, I'm super proud of you. And this was actually one of the funniest episodes of season 4, the Kevin plotline was pure brilliance. (Best line of the night goes to Oscar, though, on Ryan's beard. AHAHAHAHA, mannnnn. AND KELLY ON RYAN!!! Oh my god, is there anything not wonderful about Kelly Kapoor?)


But so that was season 4. And let's be honest: it was incredibly sub-par. There are plenty of excuses as to why -- the hourlongs were too much (which begs the question: why why why are we doing more to start off season 5?), the strike cut the Office off even faster than it cut off all of our other shows, they shouldn't've come back with only this many episodes left -- because really, this was what, six?? What can you do, creatively, with that?

But there's something lacking, artistically, as well. I've been watching my season 2 DVDs, and this Office 2008 is a different, different show from the Office 2006. Season 2 felt like a documentary about a bunch of people working in this crazy, crazy office, season 4 has felt a lot more like a television show about a bunch of characters who happen to work together. Remember the little touches, the conversations the cameras caught from outside the breakroom, the two-line scenes that were thrown in there that weren't working towards whatever the plot of the week was? It was so REAL.

I keep going back to Money. At the time it aired I really did enjoy it, but in retrospect, it stands out like a grand metaphor for everything that's been wrong with this season. Yes, ha ha ha, Jim and Pam spend a night away at Dwight's farm! Hilarious concept, sure, but it's so wrong for this show. I can't think of a reason for the filmmakers to need to tag along on a night like that, and I can't think of reason Jim and Pam would want them to.

Once upon a time, these characters all had such organic relationships with the cameras. You can see why Michael, Dwight, Jim, Pam, and Ryan are the five that stood out to them at first (uh this sentence is the one in which I put aside how they were the main five cast, of course they were the first five to stand out and pretend that the characters who work in this office are real people) in the beginning -- they were the ones most inclined to use the camera as a confessional. Michael and Dwight loved having someone so willing to listen to all those things they had to say, Ryan needed outside confirmation that he was not the only one who thought Dunder-Mifflin Scranton was the most crazy surreal place on the planet, but Jim and Pam each had this complicated, organic thing with the camera crew -- with the Jim faces and the grinny explanations of the prank-of-the-day and those shy, emotional talking head moments -- but there were other times when the cameras were intruding on their private moments. (One of the best things about last week's episode was how that kiss was so reminiscent of those old times! Pam's faaaaace when she looked at the camera after remembering it was there for the hug??? FAVORITE.)

ANYWAY, my point is this: why would that Jim and Pam want to take a bunch of cameramen along on their first night alone?? Shouldn't it be a relief for anyone who works in a Office where they're constantly being filmed to get away from that at 5:00?? Don't the cameramen want to go home and have lives outside of the insane people who work here??? So why was this season all about nights away/launch parties/driving up to Utica/camping trips/dinner parties/clubbing???

I am not totally crazy, I know this is a television show that is first and foremost about entertaining the people who watch it, but for all the gimmicky plotlines, this season was not actually that funny. And that old realism is what used to make this show so damn GREAT back in the day -- remember how during Jim's confession in Casino night, one of the cameras was shaking??? Presumably because whoever was holding it was OVERCOME?? I love those cameras so much more than I love the stalkery cameras of season 4 who like to take artistic shots of MICHAEL AND JAN'S FEET.

I just, damn it, I want so badly to love this show. I do love this show. It's been phenomenal in the past. I hope this season was an abberation a la West Wing season 5, and not the beginning of the end.

Did anyone click that SCARY SPOILER CUT in 206_bones today? IS SOMEONE DYING??? DO YOU KNOW WHO??? Don't tell me! Ohmygoddddd I cannot believe I resisted clicking it.

Comments

[leucocrystal]

LOL don't even! Have you SEEN my latest post? Good god, how I don't flock everything out of sheer embarrassment is beyond me. I think it's merely force of habit that keeps everything public at this point.

I barely did, you're right. At the beginning of the season there were a few new shows that I sort of had a passing interest in (Chuck and Pushing Daisies come to mind), but... I just couldn't care, y'know? Neither interested me enough to really even try. I got hit over the head by the awesome of cable shows, and just couldn't be arsed to give the networks a minute of my time. Maybe this year will be better, but I kind of doubt it.

Haha, it's hard to imagine. Thing is, they tried SO, SO hard to apply the Ross + Rachel! model to Jim and Pam (and don't even get me started on how much I hate Friends), and it... totally does not work.

[elapses.livejournal.com]

She did seem normal and responsible, but the sperm bank thing was just so CRUEL. I mean, I guess I kind of get not wanting to produce a child that is genetically related to Michael Scott, but... god. I hope it's actually his too. But even if it is, WHY TELL HIM THAT?

But it was a weird twist to have in there after all this "Jan doesn't want kids!" stuff. I just... I don't know. They've TOTALLY messed her up. I miss old Jan! It was so delightful to watch how upset she was with herself for kind of actually being attracted to Michael Scott.

You know, once upon a time I TRUSTED THAT WRITER'S ROOM.

[elapses.livejournal.com]

You know, I used to have everything public back in days of yore, but I... caught my parents reading my journal?? More than once? There's nothing worse than that to a sixteen-year-old girl.

I can't remember, did you end up even trying them? I honestly enjoyed Pushing Daisies more than both of your cable shows, but that's just me. I mean, Breaking Bad really wasn't my thing at all.

NBC, you mean?

[silverstars.livejournal.com]

oh, hi, this is me being nosy and just noticing your comment, but what did you think of Jim in the last few episodes (the last two in particular)? i know you haven't been his biggest fan and i personally have never been on the 'jim is lame' bandwagon, but i thought he really stepped it up in the last two eps. i'm always curious to hear differing opinions when they come from people who are mature and insightful about them.

[modernthirst.livejournal.com]

Yeah - I thought he was fine. It just seemed like such obvious SEE! SEE! JIM IS EVOLVING! plotting. But what can you really do about that, you have to have him suck it up sometime. I think it was probably a result of having such few episodes to develop him in. Since it seemed like earlier in the season they were starting a slow arc where he would come into his own more? Maybe?

But I don't care as much about his personality development as I do about the fact that he is a GIRL. A LARGE GIRL. This episode he totally re-lamified. Or I thought he did, with that realization that he and Pam had a lot of moments in the office, thus, PROPOSAL AT THE OFFICE. I have to be honest, I'm really hoping that when the proposal eventually happens it will be off screen, because I feel weird about it happening in the office (him "realizing" he should do it there because they had so many of their little moments there felt so...like they had to think of a logical reason for him to do it so that they could have the proposal onscreen for the tv show). I JUST FEEL LIKE I AM BEING CONSTANTLY HIT OVER THE HEAD WITH JIM AND PAM. I like subtle jim/pam. I would rather hear about things happening than see them.

But then I don't really care! I mean, if you ask me obviously I am capable of talking about it, but at the end of the day it's really a Whatever's Cool situation for me.

Also, I am a total hypocrite, because I am complaining about proposals but I spend A LOT of time designing how I want them to go for my own favorite ships. (but then again mine aren't the subject of a documentary)

(also I haven't slept for about 50 hours now, keep in mind.)

[leucocrystal]

Oh man, that IS terrible. Fortunately, my mother is so computer/Internet stupid, she couldn't find my LJ if I told her specifically where to look. Small miracles.

I did, but neither hooked me. I guess I've sort of... lost patience with the usual sitcoms lately? Whoever it was who said that Pushing Daisies was pushing whimsy down people's throats sort of struck a chord with me, LOL. Too much and trying too hard for my taste. And there wasn't anything unique enough about Chuck for me to care to set it apart from the rest, if that makes sense. Nothing that placed it a cut above "just another sitcom," I guess.

Cali and Breaking Bad swept me off my feet, I will admit it. Knowing that they're not for everyone, it made me really happy to discover it wasn't just me who felt that way about either show.

And yeah, NBC is following in FOX's footsteps, trying to apply the formula. Too bad it really doesn't work.

[coast.livejournal.com]

I'm kinda sad that you just STOPPED texting back right when the good part came up! WTF MAN. That's okay though, cos I fell asleep like, five minutes after. ;)

Good to see your thoughts-- I've always attributed the not-so-strong episodes to a format error. The Office, as a concept, is not a 4 season series, especially when each season contains upwards of 20-some odd episodes. The original series did beautifully with shorter seasons and only a few of them. While The Office US is a different animal that has spun into a sitcom in its own right, I do think the premise remains. I'm a little scared for a S5 show, because while there are some fairly interesting threads (wanting to know what happens with Jim and Pam, for instance), on a whole I don't know that they're capable of keeping the show going without resorting to the things they did post strike, like recycling the same, tired jokes.

If next year goes like this year does, I have a feeling I may (begrudgingly) jump ship.

[lovecycle.livejournal.com]

Fuck shit damn.
I need to see that.
Screw choir. I'm gonna be an astronaut.

[tenacious-err.livejournal.com]

THANK YOU.

I've been feeling about the same way lately, although I mostly just felt like the show was really sinking below the quality level it use to have instead of having all these good, concrete reasons for thinking that. I miss the show when it used to still be a little underdog show instead of this big well-known comedy that's everywhere. At this point I don't even really feel like watching it next season because I miss the old humor and the old plotlines so much, but I probably will just because I have a hard time leaving shows lol. I don't know. Hopefully next season will be better rather than worse.

...I read some spoilers, from my flist. I'd recommend not reading fox's press release for next season as it is very spoilery. I won't tell you, lol, but yes. I KNOW SOMETHING YOU DON'T KNOW.

[elapses.livejournal.com]

HEY, I SENT YOU AN ":O" FOR THE LAST BIG REVELATION.

The funny thing about US television is that it's all about profitability -- as long as the show is making money, they'll keep it on air, with no thought to quality. (HELLO, ER?) I do think they could've stretched the concept, though. Coulda, woulda, shoulda.

I don't think I caaaaaaaaaan :(

[elapses.livejournal.com]

Ugh, you do need to see it. I need a good whine.

[elapses.livejournal.com]

I miss the show when it used to still be a little underdog show instead of this big well-known comedy that's everywhere.
I KNOW, RIGHT??? They were so damn good when they were fighting for themselves rather than just... I don't even know. I don't know! I'm really kind of sad that this season was so incredibly meh. There weren't even really any incredible highlights.

OH GOD, I want to like, ask you a million questions about who is dying (ohmygod) but I also really really don't want to knowwwww. So I won't. GOD, TELEVISION IS STRESSFUL.

[conifranoh.livejournal.com]

I just watched the finally and I agree with almost everything you said.

I think this season has lost a lot of what made it "real"...and they kept insisting on having episodes that didn't take place in the office, which didn't really work.

I also agree the hour long episodes. I think the writers are used to the half-hour format, so the extended turns out a little awkward. I do think that extended episodes work for finales, though.

Well,in the end, to me...at least, "bad" episodes of The Office are better than a lot of other stuff on TV. I do hope they go back a bit to the old formula next season.

[praedial.livejournal.com]

sighhhhhh

[praedial.livejournal.com]

p.s. TV MAKES ME SICK.



love you!

[elapses.livejournal.com]

COMIC GEEK

[superskittles76.livejournal.com]

Exactly.

[praedial.livejournal.com]

THAT WAS LOW.

P.S. I am 99.9% sure that I am uploading your sim to MTS2.

[book-babe.livejournal.com]

when did your layout get so prettyyyyyy? i love it a lot.

also it pains me not to read this or like half my flist because i am so far behind on all tv ever. the end.

okay scratch that i just read this and i'm sort of in love with everything you've said and i so badly need to catch up on the office it almost hurts me.

[elapses.livejournal.com]

um, if they don't love her, i may be upset.

[elapses.livejournal.com]

a week ago? something?

awwww. summer's almost here! how far behind on the office are you?

god, i'm super boring lately. I CANNOT EVEN LEAVE INTERESTING REPLIES TO COMMENTS.

[praedial.livejournal.com]

well if they don't accept her, it's only because they have 293492384 other "Other" sims. not because you aren't pretty!

[elapses.livejournal.com]

:(

[elapses.livejournal.com]

stephanie, what was the awesome furniture site you linked me to? i forgot to bookmark :(

[praedial.livejournal.com]

um um http://sims2.simcredibledesigns.com/ ?