Why is it another repeat tomorrow?

Rob

The next first run episode is Sunday after the Super Bowl. That's why.

AH. At least they'll be something fun to watch on Sunday.

Rob

That was the most hilarious cold open I can remember...

Pregnant Karen next week!!!!

Open and the roast parts of it were awesome. The pirated movie plotline was really lame though and obv stunt casting to hope and get whatever fringe viewers of the game to stay tuned through Bob Costas' rants about the greatest Super Bowl ever to watch Jessica Alba, Jack Black and/or Cloris Leachman.

Overall, pretty good episode but after the open, it took a LONG time for it to really warm up. And I'd guess that was the final "test" of Jim & Pam. Are they building to ending the season with an antics wedding?

Definitely loved the cold open. I really liked the roast until it got too real but I thought the resolution to that with everyone more or less squaring everything away in the office later was a nice touch. I really like how they have used Jim & Pam this season and this was no exception. Any Stanley episode is okay with me and there were tons of great gags in this one.

I thought the roast would be a hell of a lot funnier than it was. Thought it would be ripe with comic possibilities, but instead we discover when the office tries to be funny, they are even worse at it than Michael. Though Andy's song ruled it. Seemed appropriate THAT was the moment that got Michael really upset.

And yeah, the Black-Leachman thing seemed like something you'd see on SNL, not The Office. Thought it was odd for Black to look directly at the camera during the last shot.

Good episode, I just don't think that's the one that would make non-viewers into converts.

Ok, so was the "bootleg movie" just advertisement for a real movie, or did they actually get Black, Leachman and Alba to film a fake movie for The Office?

I don't know, I found myself laughing quite a bit during the episode. I was cracking up at Michael thinking thirty five hundred dollars was five thousand three hundred dollars. I really liked the episode and was glad they didn't go the Boy Meets World route with Jim and Pam and her parent's separation.

Yeah, Michael was waaaaay too Homer Simpson-ish in this ep...although there's something to be said about the way he migrated over to David Wallace and the HR guy's side of the table, during the 2nd meeting with Dwight. I laughed at that.

My DVR cut out after the scene where Michael is sitting on the swing talking about a guy with a microscope or something. Can someone tell me what I missed?

*edit* Nevermind, found it online. Yikes that stuff with Jack Black was terrible.

edit, wrong thread.

...wrong thread?

Aside from the bootleg movie stuff, I loved this ep. That garbage took up less time (or at least seemed to take up less time) than the previous episode's pop culture deal with Hilary Swank, but I didn't like it closing out the episode. The Pam/Jim stuff ruled - those two being side characters works really well, and Dwight's safety officer gig finally leading to something after being briefly referenced in season 1 was awesome. Michael was a bit too silly in this episode, but considering that it was a post-game episode and they knew it would be seen by tons of new viewers, I'm pleasantly surprised at just how serious the ep was at times.

I love that they also referenced Michael taking a pic of Meredeth's boobs during the first Christmas party.

It was way over the top, and the movie stuff was garbage, but I laughed frequently.

Best ep of the season. The premier is the only one that comes close (though the Canada episode was awesome as well). The insanity in the opening had me rolling. The scene from the movie with Leachman on the stair lift made me lol, but other than that the movie was largely a waste of time. This was also the first time in a long time I felt happy for Jim and Pam rather than annoyed.

Andy and Dwight were amazing here as well. Andy causing the office to break out in song during the CPR exercise, Dwight explaining how to harvest organs... so much good stuff.

Does anyone want to explain Jim's joke from the roast to me? Totally went over my head, especially considering how offended Dwight was.

Nothing on tonight yet? Don't make me go to TWoP, guys!

IT IS YOUR BIRTHDAY and the undersized brown balloons had me rolling. I guess birthdays are a bleak affair in the Schrute family, as well.

I loved that Karen is pregnant and married, and hit it off with Pam. I know what that's like, thinking someone hates you, and they've just moved on and what you thought they were mad about means nothing.

Andy standing up to Stanley "Have you lost YOUR mind?" was great, but Andy is such a sad character.

OH GOD and Creed hooking up with Squeaky Fromme. I cannot believe that I forgot that. Maybe the best Creed moment ever.

IT IS YOUR BIRTHDAY.

That is all.

Sugar Boobs, Black Lady. LOL.

I'm pretty sure that it's been more than 9 months since the end of Season 3 and current Office timeline. Pam was in New York for most of the summer and early fall. They've celebrated Christmas. Even if the show was being told in January, all of Season 4 would have to be from like May-July or something. I don't see that happening. It's not Jim's baby. Besides all that, it's really dumb for a show that likes to tease every cliche and then goes the opposite way.

My theory still holds that Michael's getting fired to end Season 5.

Karen left during the summer of '07. Barrack is President now. That's plenty of time. Karen moves fast, too. She hadn't been with Jim for too long before she was all "Would you move to New York for me, because I totally would for you."

And actually, like 3 months had passed between Seasons 3 and 4 as Pam and Jim say that's how long they'd been together when the rest of the office finds out about their relationship. So yeah...no way is it Jim's. That was just a perfect scene for Michael to try and figure out things. And then he walked away adding things up in his head, still trying to figure out if it was Jim's kid. Oh, Agent Michael Scarn.

I thought the Andy subplot didn't have a good payoff for the immediate episode. "We lost the client"? Uh...alright? I thought that was going to be Stanley's high school daughter since Andy wasn't around in Season 2 when she came in for the day.

I wouldn't say they "hit it off". After the initial congrats, there was a whole lot of awkward silence between the 2 as Michael was speaking to the camera.

And it looks like Karen has a type - tall, lanky, dorks.

Ok, maybe I'm trippin, but haven't they already done a "forgot about your birthday" episode? Wasn't it Kelly that time too? I know damn well I've seen a similar plot. But other than that, I'm looking forward to Pam and Michael's roadtrip.

That's what I gathered when Pam was awkwardly looking at those pictures. That Karen really digs the tall nerds.

Similar plots: they did a surprise party for Meredith to curb talk about downsizing in "The Alliance". Jim tried to consolidate all the birthday parties into one for "Survivorman" (my pick for perhaps worst episode of the series). I don't think there has been any more than that. Wait, I think they did one in Season 2 when Kevin thought he might have skin cancer and they went to the ice rink so Michael could skate.

The day of the fake party for Meredith was Ryan's actual birthday.

The plot you're thinking of is Kelly had a party that Jim didn't go to, so Jim missed out on getting a mug with his face on it that Kelly gave everyone.

Yeah, and I really think that's a quality plot that they managed to bring back once, and hopefully they'll add to it again. I'm holding out hope that Jim forgets to send her a "Save the Date" for their wedding, so Pam is forced to make Kelly a bridesmaid to make up for it.

THAT's the one! Didn't Dwight miss out on that one too? Or just choose not to go?

I think he chose not to go, but Jim said he'd be there and never came, which was why he was in her doghouse.

The Jim/Dwight talking heads scene was my favorite.

When is Ryan coming back from Thailand?

Rob

Never. Also, don't expect him to write many more shows, if any at all.

Did I miss something? He get caught smoking dope?

Rob

Movie career.

They really should just take him off the credits then. I enjoyed that Super Bowl intro where the whole cast got face time. Seems wrong when a character who hasn't been on in months gets fifth billing.

Good episode, but after all the hour-longs, I felt a little gypped seeing a "to be continued." Had a total Seinfeld moment: "Oh, no! They're not going to resolve this in time!"

I think Andy has become my favorite character. His brief sadness when Stanley told them they weren't friends and Andy whined "But we are!!!" and it was enough to make Stanley feel bad was a great little moment.

Is Creed the only character never to have had a subplot?

Creed had a subplot in the season three episode "Product Recall" He's responsible for paper being shipped out with an offensive watermark because he didn't do his quality assurance job, and he shifts the blame to someone at the paper mill who gets fired instead.

Good call. Part of me loves Creed so much that I wish he had more plots revolve around him, but then I think that maybe I love him so much BECAUSE I only get him in small doses.

There's no time for any Creed subplots. The man lives under his desk 3 days a week and lives with me in Toronto the other 4 days. He has no time for office drama.

Rob

Surprised that we haven't talked about this:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=yKd5FkeRcpE

Thoughts? Not that there is much to go on besides a premise and a short intro to Amy Poehler's character, but this will hopefully be a good spring/summer replacement to the antics of Lazy Scranton. I have a feeling Poehler is going to be playing a lot of Fairchild Van Waldenberg in this, but that could be good if they get a good group of secondary characters around her.

Plus, Rashida Jones!

I am all for this.

Loved pretty much everything about tonight's episode. Really good Andy episode and Dwight/Jim working together is pretty much always gold.

I'm so stoked for Poehler's new series. My friends and I were laughing our asses off at that fact that it's set in fictional Pawnee, IN.

As for Creed subplots, there was also the one from season 2 where Jan was making Michael fire someone, and he chose Creed, and Creed talked him out of it. Creed telling Michael "We can get through this, Michael!" was awesome, and it lead to Creed basically getting another person fired. So that makes, what, 2 people now?

Has he ever steered you wrong, Jim?

Creed also played a significant role in helping Dwight catch the bat in season three leading to one of my favorite Creed lines of all time

Kelly: No, Creed! Don't hurt that baby bat it probably has a family somewhere!

Creed: Animals can't feel pain.

I echo the need for more Creed. I loved the episode last year when he died his hair black.

Michael: "Why do we as a society hate old people so much?"

Creed: "Because they're lame!"

From the same episode:

"Are you listening to what he's saying? Retraining, new system, youth. I'm telling you, this kid is the grim reaper. You deal with this, or you, me, Sammy, Phyllis, the chick you hit with a car...we're goners."

I still think my favorite Creed moment is either when he quickly agrees that Jim's assessment of his Season 2 Christmas gift is on the money OR when he's so easily distracted by Pam coming over to the fax machine in "Safety Training" that they're able to switch an apple with a potato. Not even him eating said potato as much as that:

Pam: Hey, Creed.
Creed (looks up with surprise): HEY!

I still love Creed excitedly asking Jim to go throw stuff off of the quarry with him.

Dwight and Jim bickering like an old married couple was awesome - and I loved how half-assed Dwight was with the party planning. Karen and Pam being friendly again was nice, and I hope they flesh out the Karen/Dan relationship more. Andy was really awesome again - showing just enough heart while also showing that a very small part of the original Andy character is still in him. Michael making Pam carry all of his luggage (with a Canadian flag sticker on it) was funny. This was another really awesome episode for the season, and nixed the bad memories of that dreadful Prince Family Paper one. I do wish the writers would allow Michael to not be a total joke during a presentation to others, but here it at least worked at hastening Pam and Karen talking, so it served a point for the story.

Kelly: "I swallowed a tape worm last night. It's going to grow up to three feet inside of me, and then it eats all of my food so that I don't get fat. And then after three months, I take some medicine, and then I pass it. Creed sold it to me. It's from Mexico."
Creed: "That wasn't a tapeworm. "

And his usage of the phrase "cool beans" in it only ups the ante.

I just realized that Creed probably told Jim to just walk up to Pam and "show her who's the boss" on Casino Night. I wonder what Jim's reaction to being told that it worked on Squeaky Fromme would be.

Creed's vivid and accurate retelling of Roy's attack on Jim is another gem.