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

[elapses.livejournal.com]

The engagement thing should have never been brought up.
I keep thinking about this! Remember how in the first post-strike interviews Jenna (I think? John too, maybe?) was talking about how they didn't expect to do anything else with Jim and Pam because there were only six episodes, but once they got their scripts there was a curveball. The thing is, they didn't need to do anything with Jim and Pam. They could've focused on Dwight/Angela/Andy if this is how they wanted to finish it off. We didn't ask for engagement buildup, we didn't need it. They could've sprinkled a couple of random Jim/Pam moments in there and it would've been FINE, but they did it and the way they chose to do it is just... such a damn cop out. I mean, he had the ring in his hand, Carrie! He paid for that damn carnival, and that moment meant relatively SO LITTLE to Andy. AND ANGELA IS HITTING DWIGHT ON THE SIDE, I just, damn it.

The weird thing is, there was a lot to love about this episode. I really, honestly enjoyed the first 45 minutes of it. Had it been anything but the season finale it would have easily been one of the best of the season, but as is, it was all emotional cop outs when finales should be about... I don't know. More than this.

[silverstars.livejournal.com]

John said it just a few days ago! He was talking about how they weren't expecting all of these developments in the final six. If they had pulled it off that would be one thing, but nooooooo. They so did not pull it off. Am I even lame for being disappointed with the Dwight/Angela thing? I feel like they've wrecked what I used to love about Angela. I mean, cheating on Andy? Not that she was ever really in love with him or anything, but still! She accepted his proposal! Her uptight nature in regards to her morals was one of her trademark character traits...WHAT HAPPENED? I really hate that she's been reduced to having sex in the office with someone who is not her boyfriend.

I usually get less annoyed as time goes on, but I'm getting more pissed off as the hours pass. This is like Phyllis' Wedding, except we don't have a good ten episodes left to rectify the mess. This felt more like a February sweeps episode and probably would have been fine as such.

They just really messed things up this season.

[elapses.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm so with you on Dwight/Angela. It threw salt on the very very open Andy-stealing-Jim's-thunder-so-damn-CASUALLY wound because they took something that would have MEANT SOMETHING away and replaced it with something that meant nothing. And YEAH, total character destruction for Angela, what the hell is up with that? It feels like everything in this finale was built up for the shock factor, at the expense of character? Ugh.

This felt more like a February sweeps episode and probably would have been fine as such.
SERIOUSLY. Had this happened in February, I might've even liked it? Midseason disappointments are so much more okay, and there was a lot about this episode that did work (Kevin! Kelly!), but the fact that there is NO MORE, and there isn't another chance for three months, I just, god damn it, WHY?

[lunapluvia.livejournal.com]

I just wanted to jump and agree with this whole conversation. You said what I've been thinking. And just - it's so frustrating and sad and disappointing and angering...

[elapses.livejournal.com]

it's so frustrating and sad and disappointing and angering
I KNOW, I feel such a cocktail of things right now, and the damn thing aired hours ago. I'm so upset, Amy! Why why why why why?

[lunapluvia.livejournal.com]

I DON'T KNOOOOOOW ALEX, but it's just... so much. TOO MUCH. They're making me think too much about future [but reading through some comments, I'm starting to calm down a little]. I JUST - IT FELT LIKE THERE WAS SO MUCH RIDING ON THIS NIGHT, Y'KNOW? AND THEN IT DIES AND SOME COUPLE WHO CAN BARELY STAND EACH OTHER GET ENGAGED INSTEAD?

Twisty is a word for it. There are others.

[elapses.livejournal.com]

IT WAS THE PERFECT ENGAGEMENT SCENARIO FOR JIM AND PAM. Like, I can't get over the fact that that moment -- their perfect moment -- is just GONE. What the hell, world.

Others indeed.

[silverstars.livejournal.com]

they took something that would have MEANT SOMETHING away and replaced it with something that meant nothing.
yesssssssssssssssss.

I would have even been more okay with this if it had been Dwight proposing to Angela. SIDE NOTE: HOW COME I CAN COME UP WITH LIKE 5 MILLION SCENARIOS THAT WOULD HAVE MADE THIS MORE TOLERABLE BUT THE WRITERS TOOK THIS ROUTE?

Angela is just a big fat question mark for me right now. She's always been a bitch, but it's always been based on the fact that she disagrees with everyone who doesn't share her morals. But lately she's just been so intentionally cruel. Like, her comment to Phyllis at the end of the episode about the party was so incredibly vindictive. Struck me as odd. And having sex in the office? What happened to the woman who wouldn't even face Dwight in the break room when they were talking for fear of being caught.

I feel like there's going to be an announcement tomorrow like, BELATED APRIL FOOLS! The real season finale is next Thursday at 9pm. Tune in!

[elapses.livejournal.com]

SIDE NOTE: HOW COME I CAN COME UP WITH LIKE 5 MILLION SCENARIOS THAT WOULD HAVE MADE THIS MORE TOLERABLE BUT THE WRITERS TOOK THIS ROUTE?
OBVIOUSLY THEY JUST WANTED TO BE MEAN TO US. (Uh, my feelings on this have come to a point where I'm pretty sure the next comment you see from me will involve the words "meanies" or "buttheads".) Seriously, absolutely EVERYTHING seems more tolerable than... this. I mean, jesus, if Pam was disappointed in Jim for an actual reason it would have been more okay! But he was going to and he didn't get to and GOD DAMN IT.

You know, what they did with Angela it kind of reminds me of Jan's character assassination in "the Job". Plowing through storylines without thinking about the characters they have? I mean, why did Angela say "okay" to Andy? And what the hell is this Dwight thing? It's so ridiculously unAngela. UGH, WORLD.

[silverstars.livejournal.com]

Oh man, Jan is all over the place. I don't get what they're trying to do with her. I mean, she seemed normal and responsible tonight. And I was pretty sure she'd show up pregnant from spoilers I'd read, but I thought it would be Michael's kid (still holding out hope that it might be) and I thought she'd still be totally nuts. (I do believe I'm the only one, but I am super excited to see pregnant Jan and expectant father Michael.)

Just...MAN, WRITERS. I know they're all writing season five episodes right now so I feel like I should channel some RETURN TO FORM vibes or something.

[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.