The Office: Final Season |OT| It's better to burn out than it is to rust
- Thread starter DrEvil
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toddhunter
Member
I still expect better, because previously the show was amazing, subtle and clever. The "are you being served" style they go for now might still be funny on occasions, but it isn't why I watch it.
True, but compared to most other shows, its still pretty funny. Its not what it used to be, but people make it sound like its unwatchably awful or something now.
toddhunter
Member
Yeah fair enough. I did re-watch the show before the series started and seasons 7 and 8 hold up much better on the second viewing. Once the expectations are gone it is much easier to just enjoy it for what it is.
I imagine season 9 will be much the same when it is done, if not a little better.
this stuff happens to pretty much every show. you can look back at seasons 5 and 6 of the simpsons and find reviews declaring the series having steeply fallen from graces, which is absurd to think of these days.
hell, even season 3 of the office had a pretty loud base of people declaring the series was on a downhill slope, although now it's commonly lumped in with season 2 as being especially remarkable.
FantasticMrFoxdie
Mumber
Pretty good episode. I'm surprised there wasn't a Paper Airplane contest earlier in the series. It would have been much better situation in the Michael Scott days.
Link
The Autumn Wind
Her consciousness was still in 2009 until Jim was able to pull her back by being her constant.
Hurr Hurr
Grinchy
Banned
He had the audacity to try to make a future for his family with a job a whole 2 hours away instead of relying on the idea that he can make a living as a salesman at a paper company for the next 4 decades. Can you imagine if Pam had to move 2 hours away from her amazing made up career? Of course Pam is upset at Jim for working his ass off to keep the money flowing in while she has to take the trash out herself.
You don't just get over that kind of pain easily.
DigitalRicket
Member
So should we start throwing down our predictions for how things will wrap up?
Here are my thoughts:
Jim will give up on Athlead to be with Pam and his family.
Darryl will leave Dunder Mifflin and work at Athlead full-time and move into the corporate world like he's always wanted.
With Andy getting discovered as a singer / actor and leaving the office there will be a need for a Regional Manager again. Jim will take over that position realizing that this is who he is... Not a sports marketing guy, but the boss of a small paper company with people who can truly call his friends and literally (Pam) his family.
The Office has always primarily been about Pam and Jim's relationship coming to fruition despite the challenges that were in their way, with Michael and Dwight causing comical distractions along the way. The show comes full circle where Jim realized that all he's ever wanted is right here in small-town Scranton. He had the chance to work his way up the corporate ladder and be more than a paper salesman, but he decided that he wanted Pam more than that. He left Karen and skipped out on New York for her. He will understand that his family is more important than his own ambitions since he already has everything he's ever wanted.
With talk of a wedding being in the final episode, I want... I MEAN REALLY WANT to believe that this is Michael's wedding to Holly, but who knows... by the way they've been handling this season it won't be a surprise that it'll actually be Dwight and Angela getting married.
Here are my thoughts:
Jim will give up on Athlead to be with Pam and his family.
Darryl will leave Dunder Mifflin and work at Athlead full-time and move into the corporate world like he's always wanted.
With Andy getting discovered as a singer / actor and leaving the office there will be a need for a Regional Manager again. Jim will take over that position realizing that this is who he is... Not a sports marketing guy, but the boss of a small paper company with people who can truly call his friends and literally (Pam) his family.
The Office has always primarily been about Pam and Jim's relationship coming to fruition despite the challenges that were in their way, with Michael and Dwight causing comical distractions along the way. The show comes full circle where Jim realized that all he's ever wanted is right here in small-town Scranton. He had the chance to work his way up the corporate ladder and be more than a paper salesman, but he decided that he wanted Pam more than that. He left Karen and skipped out on New York for her. He will understand that his family is more important than his own ambitions since he already has everything he's ever wanted.
With talk of a wedding being in the final episode, I want... I MEAN REALLY WANT to believe that this is Michael's wedding to Holly, but who knows... by the way they've been handling this season it won't be a surprise that it'll actually be Dwight and Angela getting married.
How cute of them trying to pass Nellie off as hot in this episode. They could have her out there topless with them just hanging out and she still wouldn't do much for me. Not with that mannish horseface or whatever you would call it.
I also can't believe that there are only three episodes left. Even with the drop in quality I'll miss it a great deal. It'll be weird not having a new episode of The Office, good or bad, anymore on Thursday nights. I'm glad that the new season of AD starts the following week that this ends. That is pretty good timing for me. Then again I'll have the new season of AD watched in no time so that wont last either.
I enjoyed this latest episode for what it was. They are setting things up and this episode seemed to start to properly set the stage for most of the major storylines. I really hope they go out strong and not with a whimper.
I also can't believe that there are only three episodes left. Even with the drop in quality I'll miss it a great deal. It'll be weird not having a new episode of The Office, good or bad, anymore on Thursday nights. I'm glad that the new season of AD starts the following week that this ends. That is pretty good timing for me. Then again I'll have the new season of AD watched in no time so that wont last either.
I enjoyed this latest episode for what it was. They are setting things up and this episode seemed to start to properly set the stage for most of the major storylines. I really hope they go out strong and not with a whimper.
It would be a slap to the face honestly.
Catalix
And on the sixth day the LORD David Bowie created man and woman in His image. And he saw that it was good. On the seventh day the LORD created videogames so that He might take the bloody day off for once.
I was just about to post the same thing.
Pam's the worst. Just because she blew her shot at pursuing her dream career, doesn't mean she has to hold Jim back as well. It's especially bad since Jim being successful will benefit the entire family in the long run. How selfish and shortsighted can she possibly get?
Ugh, this storyline is really putting me off. I really don't want to hate Pam Beasly, goddamit! I'm just wondering if the writers can make this little diversion worth it by the final episode.
It's the whole 2 hours distance thing that pisses me off the most. They aren't even a whole state away.
RadioHeadAche
Member
I didn't know Jim and Pam had a greenscreen wedding.
toddhunter
Member
It does help support the theory that Pam died at the end of season 5. Going to be a brutal finale when it finally hits Jim.
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
Season Two, Episode 15:
ayup.
ayup.
Grinchy
Banned
hahaha I'm loving the past season quotes. Keep them coming!
This is one of the best:
I suppose one could argue that people do naturally change. Things I said almost a decade ago might not reflect the way I feel today. I don't really know how to argue against that point but I still think it's wrong. The show's writing has just gone completely downhill.
This is one of the best:
Sane Pam said:
I suppose one could argue that people do naturally change. Things I said almost a decade ago might not reflect the way I feel today. I don't really know how to argue against that point but I still think it's wrong. The show's writing has just gone completely downhill.
I was thinking the same exact thing. I feel like the whole episode would've been purely about that in a rather big way. They used to be good at making something so mundane the focal point.
What on earth are you talking about with all these quotes?
spookyfish
Gold Member
Yep. I'm just watching it to finish the series. I have most of the seasons on DVD, and I even rewatch them occasionally. Save the finale -- if it's a good one -- I see no reason to watch any of this or last season's episodes again.
Love that line.
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
Rewatching Season 3, and Phyllis' Wedding is much worse than I remembered. The Jim-Pam-Roy stuff is actually pretty good (Probably Roy's best performance of the series, actually), and there's good supporting work from Kevin in his wedding band, Creed stealing wedding gifts, Toby's date catching the bouquet, the cold open with Jim going Pavlov on Dwight, Dwight and Angela...
But Michael--the fart humour when he is in the room with Phyllis, the failure at rolling Phyllis' father up the aisle, interrupting the priest, the awful awkward wedding toast, the receiving line, Dwight kicking out the Alzheimer's grandfather, Michael sitting outside with him, the post-credits scene with the wedding cake. It's one of the worst examples of Michael-as-Homer. His performance in Diwali is cringeworthy but in keeping with his character, but in Phyllis' Wedding it's just shrill. I think I'd re-edit the episode to excise virtually all of it.
Season 3 is interesting. The characterizations are still pretty consistent, a lot of the scenarios are pretty good, in general I think the branch merging and romantic plots work fairly well (although Michael-Jan probably gets more time than it deserves, reflecting Steve Carell's rising star I guess?). I'd say the only thing that doesn't work is Dwight's weird attempted coup and then exile to Staples and then return and Andy's bizarre sycophantism. By contrast, I think Season 2 has basically no weak arcs. Still the average per-episode quality is quite high.
But Michael--the fart humour when he is in the room with Phyllis, the failure at rolling Phyllis' father up the aisle, interrupting the priest, the awful awkward wedding toast, the receiving line, Dwight kicking out the Alzheimer's grandfather, Michael sitting outside with him, the post-credits scene with the wedding cake. It's one of the worst examples of Michael-as-Homer. His performance in Diwali is cringeworthy but in keeping with his character, but in Phyllis' Wedding it's just shrill. I think I'd re-edit the episode to excise virtually all of it.
Season 3 is interesting. The characterizations are still pretty consistent, a lot of the scenarios are pretty good, in general I think the branch merging and romantic plots work fairly well (although Michael-Jan probably gets more time than it deserves, reflecting Steve Carell's rising star I guess?). I'd say the only thing that doesn't work is Dwight's weird attempted coup and then exile to Staples and then return and Andy's bizarre sycophantism. By contrast, I think Season 2 has basically no weak arcs. Still the average per-episode quality is quite high.
I have to disagree. The humor there was awkward, no doubt about it. It's also not one of my favorite episodes from that season, but it's was still awkward in a funny way, unlike an episode like Scott's Tots which is awkward in all the wrong ways. I felt it was in line with his character, and his need for attention and affection, yet trying far too hard to get it.
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
Season 4: The double episodes are way, way, way too long and there's not near enough material to fill any of them.
That being said, I noticed that in the episode where Dwight gets hooked on Second Life, Jim's character in Second Life is a sports writer in Philadelphia. Pam discovers this and says "I want to see more of Philly Jim. I want Philly Jim."
That being said, I noticed that in the episode where Dwight gets hooked on Second Life, Jim's character in Second Life is a sports writer in Philadelphia. Pam discovers this and says "I want to see more of Philly Jim. I want Philly Jim."
Zoe
Member
Oh that's just too much, I can't take it :lol
BFIB
Member
Holy shit.
Shadow2222
Member
Wow.
Maybe I'm hoping for too much from the writers, but if they have any sense on continuity and contingency, in the final episode or whichever one shows them watching the documentary, Pam will see herself having said these things which will make her completely change her mind about the Philly situation.
Maybe I'm hoping for too much from the writers, but if they have any sense on continuity and contingency, in the final episode or whichever one shows them watching the documentary, Pam will see herself having said these things which will make her completely change her mind about the Philly situation.
After which it will be too late as Jim will have quit Athlead, he'll make a desperate attempt to get back in for some dramatic tension, but the company will have sold for a billion bucks without him. Crushed, Jim settles back into life at DM, looking like PB&J Are about to divorce, when all of a sudden Darryl, feeling bad, gives them a few million dollars for helping him get his start at a new career in philly.
Credits roll, everyone's happy. The end.
if they do this.. or something close to this... well, NBC, send me a PM. Apparently I can write sitcoms.
That's a nice thought, but realistically (is that too much to ask any more?) if she is not thinking like that now, then she won't even acknowledge those sentiments, or relate to them anymore. She definitely does need to be refreshed concerning what drew her to him in the first place. And Jim needs to stop being an ass (even though the writers forced him down this path). All he would have to do is beg her to stay on track, to invite her into the plans/bigger picture stuff, and especially to negotiate with her; give and take.
/real talk.
But really, all I really wanted from the show was a resolution to Michael's personality disorder/relationship problems. We got that from this terrific series. However, I think we've witnessed more evidence that main characters simply aren't as interesting after they've gotten together. The resolution of the will-they-won't-they story is the end of a three-plus act story arc. Showrunners/bible writers need to have a concept of the future obstacles, climaxes and low points, incorporating it into at least a general/vague/outline of an overall arc prior to committing to a nine-ten year production - otherwise, there simply cannot be a foundation (for the audience) to accept and be invested in their new challenges.
Hahaha WOW.
spookyfish
Gold Member
Shoot. That's better writing than 90 percent of this season ...
Ignatz Mouse
Banned
They had a plan after getting them together-- they went through a series (literally one every episode for a season) of "fake" trials of their relationship which all ended anticlimaticially. It was a meta-joke that I am convinced almost everybody missed. The standard sitcom dynamic is that after a long will-they-or-won't-they, the couple gets together then had a series of fairly routine and trite conflicts, and then "cools off" and either breaks up or takes time off before getting back together. For the season they got together, they would tease some sort of conflict and then by the end of the episode instead of blowing up they would rise above. It was a subtle joke, and I think it drove a lot of people crazy.
Then it was over, and they sorta faded into the background for a while, until they decided to get married, then they switched to pregnancy/kid humor (which is for a different subset of people than will-they-or-won't-they).
And now they finally succumbed to the trite "having issues" plot. I sure hope the payoff is Pam watching the show and seeing all these things and deciding to go to Philly.
ElectricBlanketFire
Member
I'm stealing this observation and posting it as my own on Facebook.
XANDER CAGE
Member
The exact moment where The Office dies is when Michael drives his car into a lake because a GPS told him too.
Ignatz Mouse
Banned
That was incredibly bad. Cool camera work, though.
Mind = blown
You know, I loved the hour long season 4 episodes, but that one particular moment I disliked because of how ridiculous it was.
I guess I never saw it that way. The entire episode he had been lobbying hard to prove how vital the human connection, the human touch, was to good business.
Knowing he had a documentary crew with him and, as it's near the end he's had about enough of people thinking he's "old fashioned", he makes a point by following the GPS to the letter and driving right into the lake. He's just so angry and frustrated he wanted to prove a point that machines are not these magical perfect devices people in the office were acting like.
To be honest, I have felt frustrated enough with things I'll do the wrong thing just to prove a point. Never driving a car into a lake, but still. I could sympathize.
With dwight getting his own spin-off I doubt he will marry someone, at least in The Office. They will have some kind of dating in his show
But that spin-off was cancelled WELL before the show stopped filming.
I was not aware of that fact. I thought that was why they brought in Dwight's siblings, and introduced a love interest >__>
Grinchy
Banned
I just finished watching Delocated, and they did a fake reunion show as the last episode. So it's weird to read this as if it were some new concept.
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