The Office: Final Season |OT| It's better to burn out than it is to rust
- Thread starter DrEvil
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Hobbestetrician
Member
Could Jim have been more communicative about buying the house or this job? Of course, but he is the only person who has ever wanted to do something nice for Pam and enhance her life. And she has fought him at every step. She knew Roy was wrong for her but went along with it for awhile because it was easy. She had a (supposed) passion for art and graphic design but quit at the first sign of hardship, despite Jim's complete backing. She currently has a shit (made-up) job where she is surrounded by people she has spent years rolling her eyes at and passive-aggressively showing complete disdain for so Jim tries to do something about it, while also trying to do the same for himself, and she fights him at every step for...reasons.
I have not really been a fan of Jim's character for awhile as he wasn't exactly in the position to be the smug douche he could be, he never really earned anything good that happened to him at Dunder-Mifflin (he kept slacking upwards because David Wallace liked him or something) but dammit if Pam isn't putting me on his side. Karen at least pushed Jim to actually do something with his life.
But I guess Pam and Jim lost me a long time ago. When Pam was at art school and they were pining for each other and how two hours apart was like one of them was on the Moon my partner and I were living further apart, for a much longer period of time, under much more difficult circumstances so I took a little offense to the show telling me that their bond was stronger than ours because they just had to see each other.
So that is why that storyline pisses me off much more than the Andy/Stanley garbage we got tonight, too.
That's a pretty solid summary of why Pam is the worst.
dead souls
Member
Awful episode. The Stanley plot was completely over the top and unbelievable even for this show.
Hobbestetrician
Member
I am reminded of Season 3 when Pam puts up some of her drawings at the art show. Oscar and Gil (not knowing Pam could hear them) are looking at her drawings and Gil comments that it lacks courage and is, at best, 'motel art' while Oscar basically confirms that is Pam in a nutshell. The only person impressed by her drawings was Michael Scott (though Roy says he likes it too but only because he thinks he needs to say it) and that should really have told her everything.
I thought it was funny, but it definitely was over the top.
Then again, we're long past "The Office is going over the top" since they've already gone overboard multiple times.
toddhunter
Member
Compared to the "all let Dwight throw dirt in their faces" scene of a couple of episodes ago, the whole drug Stanley and roll him down the stairs wrapped...
Yeah ok it is still pretty fucking stupid. I can imagine the meeting at the start of the series.
"Ok we will create some fake drama between Jim and Pam so our finale can have a happy ending"
"And what else do we do?"
"Dunno, just random goofy shit that makes no sense and contradicts the previous seasons in stupid ways"
"Sounds awesome!"
D
Diggeh
Unconfirmed Member
The whole point of this episode was to do the Stanley skit. Hey guys, it's funny when an overweight man, ESPECIALLY grumpy Stanley, is tranquilized! Huzzah!
This show now -- you just kind of have to sit back and let it wash over you. There's not much use to thinking about it since it's clear no one writing for it is. But man some of the stuff they do is so contradictory to the reality of the show ... you really have to try hard not to think.
The Jim and Pam parts were stupid. They had just ended the whole Brian thing last week and the episode ended on what seemed like a high note with Pam wanting a tape of the show and being happy with Jim. Then this week they go back to the drama between them. They are just setting it up for one big conclusion at the finale. I swear I will hunt the writers down if they end the series with a Jim and Pam cliffhanger.
I liked the Stanley bit, the acting stuff with Andy didn't do anything for me.
I liked the Stanley bit, the acting stuff with Andy didn't do anything for me.
DigitalRicket
Member
I couldn't agree more. I'm an Office fiend. I've seen every episode of Seasons 1 - 6 and I know them by heart. But anything beyond that... gawd... I don't know what happened but the show just went off a cliff. Outside of the couple of episodes in season 7 where the Michael Scott farewell was wrapping up there was nothing of substance there.
Seeing last week's episode where Kevin said that he thought they were just an experiment and that's why people were following them around with cameras for all these years sorta broke the camel's back for me. I mean, I still remember in season 2 where you find out that Kevin is a musician and also competed in the world series of poker. The dude is not an idiot, but you wouldn't be able to tell that from the last few seasons where the writers have reserved him as literally "the Office idiot".
Sigh...
I just want the show to be over. One of the highest highs for me was Michael's final words that he simply mouthed after taking his mic off.
I still wish that Jim and Pam's wedding was the final episode. There would be no over-arching storyline that explained the camera crew (is Parks and Recreation going to explain the camera crew thing too?). We wouldn't need to wonder about the future of Dunder Mifflin. Everyone's lives would continue as they always did where they had an eccentric boss who interrupted their workflow but somehow also was this sales genius.
toddhunter
Member
Works for me.
I'd also have settled for "Dinner Party" to be the end. Michael gets a bit of a dose of reality and you can imagine him breaking up with Jan or turning his life around. Jim and Pam end with a perfect moment in the car and are clearly going to be happy together forever.
And all the other characters we don't know about which is appropriate because all their stories are pointless and shit.
D
Diggeh
Unconfirmed Member
I choose to suffer through The Office first. That way Parks and Community are that much more enjoyable and I don't end the evening watching Seasons 1-4 again to wipe the stink from my mind.
...Come to think of it, I haven't watched Season 5 in a while...
Hmm.
...Come to think of it, I haven't watched Season 5 in a while...
Hmm.
Yeah, pretty much. Which is a testament to the low, low, low quality of the show now. If I'm not doing something else while I'm watching, I find something to actively hate in just about every moment of program.
Killing_Joke
Member
Well that was a complete waste of an episode. Didn't laugh once. Dwight's story has gone no where since the cancellation. All the B characters are still doing nothing. Andy will never be funny and spent WAY too much time on him. The Jim/Pam shit just got more stupid.
Oh no he bought me a house and has a chance to have a sucessful business without my permission. What a horrible husband for making me move 2 hours away!
Oh no he bought me a house and has a chance to have a sucessful business without my permission. What a horrible husband for making me move 2 hours away!
This is what makes Pam's position so ridiculous. Its not like Jim said "Im buying a house out in the country and Im gonna raise sheep to sell wool. We're moving to South Carolina!"
The show has in the past few years been pretty misogynistic in the way it paints women as selfish and utterly useless. Pam since failing at art school, then failing at a bunch more stuff is a classic example. But now the treatment of women on the show is beyond even that.
toddhunter
Member
He'll sell his stake in the now successful company and come back to Scranton to take the job. It'll either be the manager, or he'll buy into the company from David Wallace.
They'll then find some land and build a house together with a loft and art studio next door to Brian. Unfortunately he'll pick the tap design himself and Pam will be quite rightly very upset.
Season ends.
LAUGHTREY
Modesty becomes a woman
That's also how you know this sub-plot is shoe horned in and/or badly written. They should've put something a bit more substantial for motivation behind this if they really wanted to add drama to the mix.
bigDdestruction
Member
dear god, they just wont let it end will they? Enough with these breaks, just get on with it. What do we have, 4 episodes left?
Season 1-3 are amazing. Season 4 is good but you can the tell the show was going downhill at that point. Season 5 and onwards suck.
Link
The Autumn Wind
To be fair, Angela totally had it coming.
toddhunter
Member
Sure did.
From :
To :
So fucking stupid. But it was worth shitting on the past of the show for the massive laugh...right? Because you know, fat guy who can't make it up a flight of stairs.
My thoughts exactly.
toddhunter
Member
Only one thing to do at times like this:
Sigh. Only a few more episodes...we can get there, we can do it.
Sigh. Only a few more episodes...we can get there, we can do it.
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
Pam: Nag, no real discernable talents or ambition besides motherhood, pretty rude to the people around her, relationships with Jim and Roy
Angela: Ice queen, ambitious social climber and Stepford wife, exceedingly rude to the people around her, punished for staying by her man, relationships with Dwight and Andy
Phyllis: Sex addict, no ambition or talent, not very nice to the people around her, married to Bob Vance
Meredith: Drunk, sex addict, has a crush on Jim
Erin: Mental health issues, limited intellect, but friendly, falls for Andy and Gabe and New Jim
Nellie v1: Manipulative shrew, rude to the people around her, universally hated
Nellie v2: Doesn't seem to do anything, falls for Toby
Kelly: Ditz, no ambition except securing a boy, inconsiderate to the people around her, ends up with Ryan and Darryl
Every woman that's been a main cast member has been primarily defined by their lack of personal ambition. The women universally either don't have any ambition, or in Angela's case think that they need a man to realize their ambition.
Flashback to S1/2, when Jan holds the conference to identify women who might be leadership material, and asks all the women in the office what their goal in life is--at least at that point Pam had an urge to do something more.
Meanwhile about half the male characters are competitive, ambitious, talented, driven, etc. :/
Link
The Autumn Wind
Really? I don't think the men are painted much better than the women.
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
Jim has always been characterized as someone capable of better than what he had at Scranton, and right from Office Olympics we learn that when he chooses to apply himself he's a natural leader and very enthusiastic--and now he has his startup. Darryl takes leadership training and tries to become manager. Andy tries to become manager and does. Dwight tries to become manager and buys the building. Michael took pride in being a manager. Ryan becomes a corporate executive and then tries his stupid startup bullshit. Oscar is the only one at the office who appears to actually take pride in the quality of his work.
Admittedly Kevin and Creed appear to have mental handicaps and Stanley and Toby are both perennial sad sacks--although then again Toby is at least an author(!) and Stanley apparently a stud whose sexual adventures are portrayed positively.
spindoctor
Member
Yea I sort of get that feeling too. It's becoming very hard to remember a time when this show was good. In fact, the only episode in the last 4 or 5 years that I can still actually remember is the wedding.
VeryGooster
Banned
I just watched last night's thinking one of the writers is sitting in an office, or his or her bedroom, and writing the first, final, and shooting scripts of a Weekend at Bernie's remake.
I feel like they're trying way too hard with this Pam and Jim marital issue(s) now. Plus, Scranton to Philly is about a two-hour drive, with Allentown in between. What.
I feel like they're trying way too hard with this Pam and Jim marital issue(s) now. Plus, Scranton to Philly is about a two-hour drive, with Allentown in between. What.
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
Goodbye Michael is basically the best possible way they could have sent the character off. "Special Projects" in S8, which is the first episode in the Florida arc, is pretty good. Niagara (the wedding episode) is good enough. Not a whole lot else really comes to mind for me post-Michael Scott Paper Company
My top episodes would probably be:
Casino Night (Season 2)
The Dundies (Season 2)
Office Olympics (Season 2)
Beach Games (Season 3)
The Job (Season 3)
Booze Cruise (Season 2)
Dwight's Speech (Season 2)
Christmas Party (Season 2)
The Fire (Season 2)
Conflict Resolution (Season 2)
With my also-rans maybe being something like: The Convict (Season 3), Ben Franklin (Season 3), Cocktails (Season 3), Dinner Party (Season 4), Weight Loss (Season 5)
toddhunter
Member
Very solid list. I'll shout at Basketball in season 1 too.
My favorites are every single episode from season 2 and 3. I can easily interchange all of them.
spindoctor
Member
Yea Michael's send off was okay. Although I do believe that the ship had started sinking a year or two before even he left.
This episode was already on my bad side right from the opening sequence with Stanley and the stairs. I REMEMBER SEASON 5 NBC! HE WALKED THOSE STAIRS NONPROBLEM FOR EXERCISE!
And yes, if I recall, the series started going downhill at season 6, about 1.5 seasons before Michael left. I remember season 6 was the last time I ever saw Facebook status updates regarding the show.
On the bright side the parks n rec episode was one of the funniest I've seen (jumps to the thread).
And yes, if I recall, the series started going downhill at season 6, about 1.5 seasons before Michael left. I remember season 6 was the last time I ever saw Facebook status updates regarding the show.
On the bright side the parks n rec episode was one of the funniest I've seen (jumps to the thread).
NotTheGuyYouKill
Member
Does Kevin have Alzheimer's? It's the only explanation.
And Pam is just the worst. My God.
And Pam is just the worst. My God.
vatstep
This poster pulses with an appeal so broad the typical restraints of our societies fall by the wayside.
I remembered the stair climbing from the weight loss episode too, but I really don't see the big deal. Why is it hard to believe that Stanley is older and in worse shape now? People get lazy and stop exercising all the time.
Davey Cakes
Member
I actually thought Season 5 was pretty funny, other than the lull in the middle of it. First ten episodes especially were enjoyable to me.
The show became a guilty pleasure (at best) starting in Season 6 though. The direction of the plot was off-putting to me, and the show started garnered way less laughs. I still think that S6 is arguably the worst season overall but maybe that's because I haven't watched it since it aired.
So yeah, in my opinion, first five seasons were mostly good to great in terms of overall entertainment, while the last four seasons are bad to acceptable. The Office doesn't torture me with its badness to the point where I have to stop watching it, but I don't actively look forward to it like I do with, say, Parks and Rec.
This last episode was actually so ridiculous with the Stanley plot that I just had to laugh at it. Sorry. It's not "good" but sometimes "ridiculous" is just enough to get me to chuckle.
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