Was it wrong of me to keep rewinding and playing Pam NAILING Meredith with the football?

Michael watching the Wire is pretty awesome.

Jim always screws up when Michael is away.

Well, really, Jim has screwed up consistently this year. He's been outsmarted by Michael and Dwight numerous times and anytime he tries to take the reigns at Scranton it blows up in his face.

Ryan's corporate speak was awesome, especially the "two (holds up 2 fingers) point oh (puts up fist)".

Don't forget he was humiliated on the "Panty-raid" to Karen's branch.
Pam & Jim were completely made to look "less than perfect."

Creed got the security guard's name right...no one else was close.

Was Ryan on coke or speed?

Toby's answer to being embarrassed is to LEAP OVER A 10 FT. FENCE AND QUIT!

That was the ultimate as well. Such a good episode. I love Michael being a jerk and making everyone uncomfortable, however, when he actually succeeds, it's even better. However, I'm starting to dig Jim & Pam failing just as much. Also, Michael was right about Toby!

I initially thought he was on X (given how happy he was to see Michael and Dwight), but given the way he was rubbing his nose I am thinking it is coke.

Or more to the point I think is that Michael and Toby both had the same problem, horniness/loneliness...but Toby bottled it up for three years because he was afraid of acting like an ass, and Michael stupid, and clumsy as he was, attempted to do something about it immediately.

Toby fails because he never learned the lessons of his teenage years, which is that silently suffering doesn't win you anything but a few sympathetic glances. Michael Scott, as incompetent as he is, is actually more suited to function in the world because he is utterly unafraid of looking like a fool when he has to.

They're like the two competing sides of the male ego/drive. One utterly, outwardly consumed with desire and self-unaware and the other turns out to be equally consumed with desire but paralyzed by insecurity and self-consciousness. In the end they both fail constantly but, ironically given how he has always tried not to offend anyone, Toby ends up being "the creepy guy."


....aaaand that's one more "normal" character who's now a bigger freak than Michael.


Kelly was so perfect last night. I love how little time they give her when Ryan shows up...it's never a big deal, just one or two lines from the background.

"Any more questions?"
"I have one...How DARE you?"

I love that. It's one of the most frequently asked questions, and one that absolutely cannot be answered. Has anyone but Groucho Marx ever had an answer to "How DARE you?"

Episode featured the very rare swing and a miss from Creed, although his line wasn't really meant to be very funny. Also, John Krasinski is a really bad actor. None of his lines even seemed remotely close to how a normal person would react to a situation from Michael talking to him about Meredith, to him revealing his "plan", and when he was trying to make Spanish stereotypes it just came off as him clearly reading off a script.

Toby, Ryan's back and forth with Stanley, Dwight spilling the drink and Dwight saying "fire hazard" when Michael described how crowded the club was were the only real laughs in the episode.

I liked how vulnerable and wounded Jim and Pam looked during this ep, the stuff with Toby was a surprise, but not completely shocking given his long crush on Pam. Very creepy stuff with him, and it made me interested in seeing what they do with the character. Ryan becoming a drug addict is certainly a departure from his temp days, but it fits in with his character living it up in NY.

It was nice to see Dwight have some good fortune this season. Jim becoming Michael Jr. again with the stereotyping was sad - hopefully they work towards Jim trying to improve his situation in life to prevent becoming Michael, or perhaps he'll realize that that isn't the worst fate in the world and just try harder to not be an ass next season.

To me it was kinda weird that when Toby started rubbing Pam, Jim just sat there with his eyes bugging out instead of actually doing something or saying something. There was another scene like that earlier in the year where a server in the bar was starting to hit on Pam and Jim kinda got freaked and put his arm around her quickly but still didn't actually say or do anything. We could always end up seeing a surprise Roy return where Jim is put in a position where he has to stand up for Pam and doesn't come through...

Rob

The worst part wasn't the rubbing...it was that one free finger. It was excruciating focusing on Toby's hand and that one finger...then it started doing a little scritchy-scratch thing....That was horrifying but I couldn't look away. It was like watching someone slowly drink a glass of bleach. It was perfect. I wonder many times they rehearsed that grope?

Not many? Seriously, I've heard that almost all the reactions are scripted very thoroughly, but you guys look way too deep in examining some things like the show is Lost. I think this is one of those things.

I... heard from a friend... that speed is generally snorted as well, but I suspect Ryan was supposed to be on coke and doing a damn good job of portraying it. Coke is and will always be the hip upscale party drug, so I'm sure that's what they were going for.

-jlowe

I'm sure you would have written something much better...

-jlowe

I think this was just a case where he was so shocked that it was Toby of all people doing it that he was stunned into inaction.

Toby feeling up your girl....Incredulity really is the natural response.

I'm kinda hoping Toby just shows up to work next Thursday as if nothing happened. That'd be the most awkward episode ever and it'd be awesome.

Rob

As insanely idiotic as that response is to almost every situation, I can't even see an argument for writing it here. I really want to understand your reasoning. Are you saying that I think I could've written something that would have warranted thorough examination, unlike the scene with Toby and Pam?

No, we're saying "get the fuck out of the house every so often".

FTW!!!

Let's see:

Kevx301
Joined: September 17, 2005
650 posts

Josh Man
Joined: September 12, 2005
4,137 Posts

You don't subscribe to your own advice?

And it's DEEP, too!

(Also, I'm not the one who a) claims to watch 30 TV series per week b) acts like a borderline sociopath and c) passes off fucktard trollery as something that's never been done before. Trust me, it's been done)

*sigh* Not sure why I'm replying, but, um, I don't have as many posts as Josh, but I have a full time career and do the primary of my posting while at work, I find time to work out, work on my artwork, work on my video projects, have a fiancee, go on vacations, go running, golf, play tennis, bowl, go to Cubs games, read, and somewhere in all of that, I find time to watch maybe 1, 2 hours at the most of TV each day. In all of that, I found the time to post as much as I have.

You supposedly sit in your dorm and watch something like 25 different TV shows, admitting to never going out because you would rather be by yourself than hang out with friends and talk about nothing. In addition, you've admitted to being a better writer than most other paid writers. I'm not saying my life is better or Josh's is better, but just because you've lurked a ton in your time here rather than posting, doesn't make you any more active of a person than Josh. A lot of people here have incredibly deep lives, but have found the time to post as they please since, say, 2005. Just because your post count is 650, doesn't erase the countless numbers of hours you sit and do nothing.

This will all go over your head and I'm likely wasting my time. I also apologize for further derailing things. I've also tried to commit to not subscribing to the most ignorant trolling I've ever seen from you, but when you're going to come out and talk as if you live a more active life since your post count isn't at 4,000 some odd posts, you deserve to be called out on it.

I didn't say I was better than any writers, I've said that I think my work is good enough to be on TV. It would take time and experience to produce a critically-acclaimed show, but I think I'm good enough to be on par with some of the ones that don't get that much praise, since I'm only one person. But I think with some of my ideas, plus with other writers and producers working with me, my work would get better and I could one day reach that point. You guys interpreted me as saying that I'm God's gift to writing, when I never did.

I don't sit in my dorm all day either. We don't have a TV, so I have to watch the shows the next day on the internet. 35 might seem like a lot, but it really isn't. It's probably around 23-25 hours of TV. Working out is probably about 4-5 hours a week. Classes take up 15 hours a week. Sleeping is about 45 hours a week. Studying is about 5 hours. That's a total of 95 out of 168, leaving 73 hours to be with friends, go on the computer, play video games or do whatever. I have plenty of time in to have fun and live life.

Your argument is that you have only found the time to watch 1-2 hours a day of TV. You're basically saying that TV is something completely irrelevant and nothing more than a waste of time. If I enjoy it there's no reason why I can't make it a priority. You're basically trying to impose your theory on me that TV is worthless, when it's a hobby I happen to enjoy.

I'd also like to know how your "artwork" is any different than my writing. Your argument is so ridiculous. I don't like to collect rocks or stamps, but if it makes people happy I'm not gonna tell them that it's a waste of their time.

I liked this past week's episode the most out of this run. Everything seemed to flow well. I try not to overanalyze anything. I say good riddance to Toby though.

I must be one of the few people who likes Toby. I love his style of humor where he almost sarcastically responds to questions in a disappointed voice.

I was reading tv.com and they pointed out some logic flaws from this episode. Why would the security guard lock up if there were still plenty of cars in the parking lot? And Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration, would've had a key since he owns a place in the building, so Phyllis could've called him.

I liked Toby until this season where he kind of started trying to put a wedge between Jim and Pam. But, the first three season he had a lot of funny moments. I just didn't love his character direction in season four.

1) That all depends on the security guard to be honest. I do work at a lot of commercial businesses, and I dated a security guard at a Motorola campus for a while. From what I have seen and from what she told me there are plenty of times where the lot will still be full of a good number of cars because some people work through the night or work late and then sleep in their offices until morning. Other times the lot will be full of cars and the security guard really doesn't have to worry about it, I know she has locked the gate at one Moto campus more than a few times when there were still people inside because unless they called her to tell her that they were in there it wasn't her responsibility to go and see if there were still people in their offices.

2) That depends on the office building. There are plenty of multiple businesses office buildings where none of the owners have a key to the place, but rather their underlings do because usually the owner is not the first one to arrive in the morning or the last one to leave at night.

Which is why Dwight had both keys.

"If I die, you'll have been dead for weeks."

1) If my memory is correct, Michael, Dwight and Pam only spent the night at the office once. You'd think the guard would at least pop his head in and ask if the guys were pulling an all-nighter. Although, I guess you can refute that with their conversation about forgetting to tip him, so he'd just say it's time for me to go home, fuck them.

2) This one I don't agree with. With Bob's ego, that man is definitely in possession of a key.

I think your opportunity to impress us all has just arrived. You claim to be a great writer so why don't you tell us what you'd write in a situation like this. You're told the setup for the storyline and they just need you to write how the charachters end up getting locked in the building. Go.

Rob

Just put Kev on "ignore" and move on with your lives. I did months ago and this board is a thousand times less annoying.

LOL on so many levels'. You left out going to strip clubs!

ultimoDANK

Not sure how that one slipped.

I just finished watching the commentary for "Performance Review" from season 2's DVD, and found it interesting that the stuff from "Chairmodel" with Pam trying to get Michael's chair, and having him look through catalogs was planned for "Performance Review", but cut from the episode.

I too, would like to see Pam topless.
Other than that, it was kind of a "ho-hum" episode. Acceptable TV, but not side-splittingly hilarious.
Seemed like a lot of character building towards the next episode...

The cold open, I didn't laugh at it at all, and that has NEVER happened before.

i second the motion of pam topless.

Somethings up with Pam giving Jim those weird looks. I guess Toby was forgiven by all for rubbing Pam's leg last week... Ryans not very likeable lately.

I have a feeling that the Ryan/Jim thing is going to be the big twist that gets in the way of Jim and Pam moving forward. I wonder if Jim isn't going to be fired or promoted or something just before or after he proposes. I was really expecting a slow build toward trouble between Jim and Pam, but they seem to be preparing a sudden hip-check from Ryan somehow.

I don't think the Ryan/Jim thing will be any big twist, Ryan is most likely going to be demoted back down to Scranton and become the new office villain.

Dwight's negotation actics when buying the car were classic.

"3, 2, 1. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Do It!"

Andy trying to keep his cool and take some time to think it over only to be totally overwhelmed by Dwight was great.

"Daryl....tell the truth. Were you ever in a gang?"

*Sigh* "I was"

"I knew it. Which one? Crips or bloods?"

"Both. Latin Kings too. Also The Warriors"

DARYL4LIFE. FLUFFY FINGAHS.

I thought this showed some good growth for Michael's character. It seems like he was finally able to accept the fact that Stanley doesn't like him and respond accordingly and appropriately.

Dwight's emergency chart was awesome.

Don't forget the Newsies.

When Michael saw Stanley leave the office to go to the bathroom, I was disappointed that he didn't try to tickle him under the stall or something...Fluffy fingers!

Also, my wife loves the Jim character, but is starting to get ticked that he never stands-up for Pam when people disrespect her or blatantly hit on her...

ML

Dwight flipping the car to impress Angela was my favorite part of the episode. I totally expected Michael to start tickling Stanley when he ordered everyone out of the office. I guess even Michael isn't that stupid. The last Michael talking head was really fucking funny as well. It started as a Rodney Dangerfield impression and became a downward spiral of comedy until he finally just blatantly rips off Seinfeld. I was dying.

ultimoDANK

Since I'm in a good mood today, there's no point in being a jackass and posting a negative review of the episode, when you all know I feel that way. I just want to say one thing about Ryan's character. It just seems like his character fluctuates every single week. One week he's a good guy, then he tries to be a good guy, then he blatantly hates Scranton, then he loves Scranton, then he loves Scranton but hates Michael, then he doesn't mind Michael, then he tries to be a boss, then he jokes around, and in this episode he tried to be a boss, but in a friendly way again. There's just too much jumping around in my opinion, and Ryan's not funny enough where you could just say that it doesn't matter as long as he keeps dropping one-liners.