Scott's Tots
My god, Andy was so different. It was only version 2.0, not 4.0 that we are up to now (Andy is the Mitt Romney of the Office. Perhaps it was the long con to get people to vote for Obama?!) Also, I've kind of forgotten that Jim was co-manager. That sure went... nowhere, especially with his current frustrations with work. Also, remember when David Wallace really liked and trusted Jim? If Jim is frustrated, maybe he could have gone to David Wallace? Maybe they could have done something bigger, more final, with that whole thing? He wanted a higher job in the company, as indicated by co-manager and his applying to the job in New York, so why not now and instead of the stupid "sports bar" nonsense?
Michael always wanted kids; he wanted to have a baby with Jan and others. I think in some way Scott's Tots is the ultimate conclusion of that arc for him. He's so desperate for children, he adopts the future of an entire classroom. But, it doesn't quite work out because we see the messy results. It is a fine idea, but seeing it play out, it is just uncomfortable, and by this point in the series, all the way into the middle of the sixth season, they can't return to the aborted first season's awkwardness. It also doesn't help that there are racial undertones.
At home, the Dwight scheming is more mean spirited than funny. Compare his "winning" over Jim with the snowball fight, and Jim's 'Nam-style freakout. I'm not saying that was a great payoff, but it at least was laid in humor. And then, the easy, logical out for Jim, which he should have thought of, is just to say "listen, there was obviously a mistake. I can't be in the running for employee of the month, and neither can Pam". This is one of those situations where there is an easy fix, but no one does it.
Dwight's impersonations of other office members when calling Wallace are kind of fun and spot-on.
I guess part of this problem is that it came right in the middle of an awful string of lousy episodes. Mafia was bad. Murder had a lot of fun (Pam is a hoot in it). But then there's Koi Pond, Double Date, Shareholder's Meeting, and the beginning of the Sabre nonsense.
Even after Dwight's scheming, Wallace still likes Jim. Since the (one episode) return of Wallace, I wish the building of Jim and Pam's departure was something involving Wallace. It just ignores the history of the show.
I don't know if I consider this the worst episode, but it is a bad episode. I'll try to rematch some of the other crappers people listed and give thoughts.
The Banker
The entire cold open was just a monologue from Michael. I can't remember the last time they did a simple opening like that. Michael really could hold a show all by himself. Could they do a cold opening with just Jim, or Dwight? I don't know. Since Michael's departure, has the show ever done a cold opening be just a monologue?
And, Pam is still a salesperson in the series. Why? She took on the other job within the Office to get more money (I forget the position, but it was basically "secretary"). She is a bad salesperson as indicated numerous times. Why is she still doing it? She wasn't happy doing it. Yet, Jim gets to feel frustrated. Maybe because they already wasted the Pam art school arc?
Yeah, the episode is a clip show, but it is at least a clip show in the vain of the great Simpsons April Fools clip show. Perhaps the biggest problem is a lot of these great moments don't work out of context. Meridith getting hit by the car isn't really funny, but the entire episode is. Andy punching the wall was never funny, and going back to the first season where Michael acts like a stereotypical Indian women and gets slapped still isn't funny either.
I made it 10 minutes into the episode before stopping. There's no real point to commenting on a clip show. It is like arguing about what fast food hamburger is better; crap is crap, and it doesn't matter who's crap is slightly better.
On to Mafia...
Mafia:
I love the Toby/Michael interactions, and I think Toby is the only character batting 1000 on the show, so the cold opening where Toby just knows when to walk out works for me.
The salesman, from Dumb and Dumber, isn't ever funny. I don't get him. I don't get his humor, just as I don't get Ed Helms (he's never been funny, in anything: Cedar Rapids, the Hangover, The Office... he skipped the part where he is funny and went right into bland milquetoast Steve Carrel in "Dan in Real Life").
And then, there's a big leap from Dwight and Andy that the guy is in the Mafia. What? Why? And without Jim and Pam, the office must rely on the lesser character. Only Oscar holds down the fort (since Toby is "checked out". Another great Toby gag). But, then there's also this thought; Oscar is the only other sane character in the office other than Jim and Pam: why are't they better friends?
I know this episode came before Scott's Tots where I said this was Andy 2.0, but it really is Andy 2.5, where he's still nice, but also a Dwight clone. Remember when Andy was Dwight Jr.?
Showing up at the meeting with the insurance guy as an auto mechanic? Andy, that isn't funny. Bringing a roach motel from the bathroom to the table? Not funny, Dwight. Having Jim and Pam's credit card stolen? Uhh... why is this funny? Even the credit card lady makes no sense.
The Michael "gabagool" thing is kind of funny. As is Kevin thinking Oscar would love jail.
Cutting out Jim's advice to Michael is dumb.
Where they expecting Oscar to become more famous? Making him a sane character just seemed like the potential to have him rise in the office. Instead, we get the stupid gay Senator jokes. Excuse me, "state senator".
I think the two Toby jokes were the only times I laughed. I smiled at the gabagool line, as well as the Kevin/Oscar jail joke. What a boring episode. What a bland episode. What a waste of an episode. So far, out of the ones mentioned, this is the worst.
(And, considering all of the episodes listed so far are from the sixth season, is this the worst season? I think so).
Dinner party:
Silly, goofy, Michael Scott opening where she finally outsmarts Jim. It is such a classic Michael opening. I love it.
Oh yeah, the Andy/Angela relationship....
Sigh.
More than any other episode, this feels the most like a "documentary" episode. The insult of Jan "this will make a great cooking wine" is nicely subtle for those that no nothing of wine. The "babe" stuff is also wonderfully grating. I think if there is any real ugliness to this episode, it is the character reversal of Jan's character.
Michael sleeping on the tiny bench in front of the bed is a bad joke. No excuse for that lame joke.
Jan hitting on Jim is great, and Jan's jealousness of Pam is great. If anything it shows the utter incompetence of Jan outside of her career in corporate culture, which then explains her normal attitude in the later episode where Michael thinks he has a STD and contacts anyone.
Jim looked YOUNG. And, "oaky afterbirth" is such a great joke.
I understand why people could hate this episode; is this the first episode where they took everyone out of the office for the entire show? Also, Michael/Jan are amped up to 11, while everyone else is at a 7. But, the craziness of the breakup, after four seasons, sort of works. If anything, it makes the STD episode worse considering their history. What was that episode? MAybe that was the worst (probably not).
Pam is so adorable. I love her. I love how everyone is kind of ganging up on her. Even Jim tries to ditch her.
I think this episode mixes the uncomfortable and goofiness of the Office just fine. Even the Saint Pauli Girl is a great touch.
And even the ending is somewhat sweet with Jim/Pam. It is just an underlining of how much they are meant for each other. I love it.
