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The Office Season 7

post #1 of 331
9/24/10 at 8:20am
Thread Starter 
I don't think the rest of episode lived up to the goofy enthusiasm of the opening. And it seems kind of odd that they'd spend so much time getting Andy and Erin together last season only to have Gabe steal her away off-screen over the summer. Probably the least of the three NBC comedies I watched last night (with 30 Rock and Community ahead of it in that order).
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post #2 of 331
9/24/10 at 9:40am
Coming into the evening, I had the highest anticipation for Community, and it didn't disappoint. Loved it. Can't believe they can still cram so many laughs into every few handfuls of seconds. But I was just absolutely devastated by 30 Rock, which was on fire.

So maybe that dynamite first hour had my expectations too high, but you said it really well, Richard -- the enthusiasm of the opening promised a reinvigoration that I didn't quite get out of the rest of the episode. (Any time Jenna Fischer does vibrant, I'm a goner. Whew.) And not only did they pair off Erin and Gabe off-screen, but they also just kind of dropped it after a brief mention at the beginning.

I'll always have a huge fondness for the show, but I'd love to see it get a really strong second wind this season.
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post #3 of 331
9/24/10 at 9:48am
Gabe and Erin? Have they covered all possible combinations and permutations of intra-office romances yet? I was souring on The Office last season, and again last night it was easily eclipsed by Community and 30 Rock.
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post #4 of 331
9/24/10 at 10:23am
Thread Starter 
I think this was better than most of last season's episodes, but it still has that treading water feeling that makes me wish they'd just ended it with Jim and Pam getting married.
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post #5 of 331
9/24/10 at 10:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Dickson View Post
I think this was better than most of last season's episodes, but it still has that treading water feeling that makes me wish they'd just ended it with Jim and Pam getting married.
Dickson, I agree with you 100%. The old girl can't hold a candle to 30 Rock or, especially, Community, but she still has some legs under her. I'm okay with the show continuing after the PBJ wedding, but they're fools if they slog on after Carrell's departure... which reminds me: I loved Michael's "I'll be on 'em like moss on a Mississippi tree stump" and Jo's reaction. Kathy Bates is really good on this.
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post #6 of 331
9/24/10 at 10:32am
I thought the highlight was Michael constantly doing the wand-into-bird trick
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post #7 of 331
9/24/10 at 10:33am
Last night's episode was worth it for that fun opening bit, and this:

"Everywhere I look it's Betty White this and Betty White that. Finally a kid who's not talking about Betty White. Of course I follow him."
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post #8 of 331
9/24/10 at 10:48am
The opening was magic, yeah. And Carrel stole it with the pigeon. Rest of the episode was ok. Had a few moments.
But this show doesn't have a chance against Community.
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post #9 of 331
9/24/10 at 10:52am
Thread Starter 
My favorite Creed line was him marveling at the battle of minds during the staff meeting.
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post #10 of 331
9/24/10 at 12:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Dickson View Post
And it seems kind of odd that they'd spend so much time getting Andy and Erin together last season only to have Gabe steal her away off-screen over the summer.
That was so weird. Hate the decision, and it reeks of "Let's shake this up but not waste any screen time setting it up or nothin'"
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post #11 of 331
9/24/10 at 12:52pm


I don't know what's better, the bird or Jim's dancing
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post #12 of 331
9/24/10 at 12:53pm
I really hated the Gabe and Erin thing. Really hated it. It added absolutely nothing to the episode and without any kind of proper set-up, any follow-up on throughout the season (because of course there's going to be more emphasis on it as the season progresses) is going to feel really limp. The opening got me, and little bits here and there in between worked, but man what a disjointed premiere.
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post #13 of 331
9/24/10 at 12:55pm
Thread Starter 
Pam and Erin were just adorable in that opening. Jenna Fischer looks like she's lost a little weight.
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post #14 of 331
9/24/10 at 3:19pm
Fun opening. Then... snooooooooooore.
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post #15 of 331
9/24/10 at 3:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Dickson View Post
Jenna Fischer looks like she's lost a little weight.

Not up top. She seemed...fuller then normal.
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post #16 of 331
9/24/10 at 3:35pm
Thread Starter 
It was the first shot of her face in the opening, she looked a little leaner. Not skeletal and certainly not in a bad way.
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post #17 of 331
9/24/10 at 3:42pm
Possibly because of the wide-angle lens of that opening shot?
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post #18 of 331
9/24/10 at 7:20pm
Thread Starter 
I also loved the nephew saying his two favorite films were Citizen Kane and Boondock Saints.
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post #19 of 331
9/24/10 at 7:45pm
Wasn't that the same kid who was trying to get an A because of all the "horrors" he experienced from the plane crash in Breaking Bad?

EDIT: Ah, never mind! He's the not-Clark Duke friend from Kick Ass! That's where I remember him from!
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post #20 of 331
9/24/10 at 8:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Dickson View Post
I also loved the nephew saying his two favorite films were Citizen Kane and Boondock Saints.
That was my first real chuckle. I loved the opening, and love to see Jenna let loose. I guess my favorite part of the episode was also Jenna trying to get back at Dwigt and it backfiring just a bit.

Maybe they should have stuck a fork in it, but I'm going to be sorry to see these characters go.
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post #21 of 331
9/24/10 at 8:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Syd View Post
Wasn't that the same kid who was trying to get an A because of all the "horrors" he experienced from the plane crash in Breaking Bad?

EDIT: Ah, never mind! He's the not-Clark Duke friend from Kick Ass! That's where I remember him from!
I thought he looked familiar. I did like Andy going to his relaxing place. "Look there is a whale, and its eating Gabe."
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post #22 of 331
9/24/10 at 8:57pm
I can only assume that the Gabe/Andy/Erin thing is building up to something, it would be really insane to spend a whole season building a relationship between two characters and then totally dismiss it like that. And there was that anger management bit where Andy was trying to repress how pissed off he was. Something will come of this! Mark my words! And it will be funny.

I liked it overall, the show is definitely slowing down but considering this is most likely the last season I'm okay with that. It has more of a feeling of revisiting goofy old friends than treading any new ground and that's just fine with me considering all the other great shows out now that are doing new things.
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post #23 of 331
9/24/10 at 9:03pm
Yeah, I'm still not sure the show needs to keep going, but my crush on Fischer rages on unabated, so I'll take pretty much whatever they dish out as long as they dish it.

How cute was she when Jim came to check on the elevator?

"...Also, there's pee on the floor."
"Of course there is."

Krasinski gets taken for granted a lot, because they've always had trouble breaking new ground with the character and because he makes it look so effortless, but he really is a phenomenally funny straight man.
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post #24 of 331
9/24/10 at 9:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Schwartz View Post
Yeah, I'm still not sure the show needs to keep going, but my crush on Fischer rages on unabated, so I'll take pretty much whatever they dish out as long as they dish it.

How cute was she when Jim came to check on the elevator?

"...Also, there's pee on the floor."
"Of course there is."

Krasinski gets taken for granted a lot, because they've always had trouble breaking new ground with the character and because he makes it look so effortless, but he really is a phenomenally funny straight man.
"I was just going to put on couple keys a day until Christmas and then his pants would have fallen down. A little gift to me, but..."

"It was really funny."

"Well, it would have been."
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post #25 of 331
9/25/10 at 12:50am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Dickson View Post
I also loved the nephew saying his two favorite films were Citizen Kane and Boondock Saints.
That was the point where I really wanted to feed that kid his teeth.
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post #26 of 331
10/8/10 at 12:20am
That was a very good episode.
It's been a while.
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post #27 of 331
10/8/10 at 12:30am
The Gabe and Erin bullshit is so retarded. Manufactured bullshit to create a new Jim and Pam situation when nobody wants a new Jim and Pam situation. Meanwhile, the Jim and Pam as parents storyline continues to be cliche and predictable as all hell.
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post #28 of 331
10/8/10 at 1:29am
Creed again won the episode with him dictating the review over the phone.
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post #29 of 331
10/8/10 at 2:12am
This show has long outlived the conceit of being a documentary. They do the shaky handheld and zooms all the time, but it makes no sense that there's a camera crew following them to a play, and standing there recording people watching it. Besides that though it had some good moments, but I they should have decided to end the show with Carell leaving.
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post #30 of 331
10/8/10 at 1:22pm
An Ed Helms-centric episode is okay by me, but Mike's comment really makes me wish that they'd just do away with the documentary aspect. At the very least, knock that shit off outside the office itself.
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post #31 of 331
10/8/10 at 3:06pm
I can see how people are frustrated by the film crew aspect, but I don't let it bug me. Anymore, I just see it as a the style it's filmed in and hardly even consider the fact that a crew is there anymore. Like Modern Family.

In the end, I would much rather it be filmed like this than on a stage in front of an audience with a laugh track. It's the only thing about How I Met Your Mother that truly grates at me.
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post #32 of 331
10/8/10 at 3:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Raspberry Leper View Post
Not up top. She seemed...fuller then normal.
Seconded. Not to be a pig, but it seemed really noticable to me. edit: Is she pregnant IRL or something?
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post #33 of 331
10/8/10 at 3:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by wd40 View Post
I can see how people are frustrated by the film crew aspect, but I don't let it bug me. Anymore, I just see it as a the style it's filmed in and hardly even consider the fact that a crew is there anymore. Like Modern Family.

In the end, I would much rather it be filmed like this than on a stage in front of an audience with a laugh track. It's the only thing about How I Met Your Mother that truly grates at me.
The problem is that it becomes a storytelling crutch. In the season premiere instead of using good writing to show Andy is upset, he just says it.

Of course, if at the end of this season it's shown that Michael was the one behind the documentary crew staying on for that long (for instance promising to pay them himself), it becomes a phenomenal joke. Plus it would be a perfect out from the fauxdoc format.
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post #34 of 331
10/8/10 at 5:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jcassady View Post

Of course, if at the end of this season it's shown that Michael was the one behind the documentary crew staying on for that long (for instance promising to pay them himself), it becomes a phenomenal joke. Plus it would be a perfect out from the fauxdoc format.
And a perfect out for the series, as far as I'm concerned. I'm still half-expecting NBC to announce in the spring that the show is over.
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post #35 of 331
10/9/10 at 5:28am
Yeah, the whole Andy/Gabe thing is beyond retarded. It's like a complete redo of last season. If there's an ongoing romance plot this year, why the hell isn't it Michael's?

But Ed Helms centric Sweeney Todd episodes are always hilarious, and I thought it was really funny that they had him playing the male ingenue. So, a win this week.
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post #36 of 331
10/9/10 at 10:05am
Thread Starter 
That whole sequence starting with Andy's iPhone going off in his pocket was one of the most uncomfortably awkward things they've ever done. "I killed it! Because I am a murderer! Like you, Sweeney Todd! Although my character doesn't know that yet! But he suspects it! All those razors!"
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post #37 of 331
10/9/10 at 12:53pm
Quote:
And a perfect out for the series, as far as I'm concerned. I'm still half-expecting NBC to announce in the spring that the show is over.
That would happen if execs thought like the fans. But they don't. They will squeeze everything they can out of the show. Plus, NBC has had a rocky couple of years and this is one their top watched shows. There is no way this will get canned after this season. Additionally, they have been discussing a successor to Michael since the summer. They wouldn't make such a big deal of that if they had any intention in canceling it.
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post #38 of 331
10/9/10 at 4:58pm
The show won't get canceled, if only because doing so would be laying off half of NBC. Seriously, there's like 14 different producer/co-producer/executive producer credits at the top of every show.

The wine bottle was greatness, but my favorite moment was "It's like The Hurt Locker!"
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post #39 of 331
10/9/10 at 10:06pm
My favorite line of this episode was Daryl. "Shhh. If we don't listen to the overture we won't recognize the musical themes when they come back later."
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post #40 of 331
10/9/10 at 11:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Schwartz View Post
The show won't get canceled, if only because doing so would be laying off half of NBC. Seriously, there's like 14 different producer/co-producer/executive producer credits at the top of every show.

The wine bottle was greatness, but my favorite moment was "It's like The Hurt Locker!"
I was partial to Kelly asking the time, Ryan giving an exasperated sigh as he pulls out his iPad and turns it on and showing her a clock.
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post #41 of 331
10/10/10 at 11:21pm
I thought after a couple of "off" episodes this season, this episode was very funny. I especially lost it with the empty bottle rolling down the theater, followed by the balloons floating up, followed by the lights popping them, followed by the sound of a crying baby, to the reveal of Erin standing at the back of the theater holding Jim & Pam's baby.
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post #42 of 331
10/15/10 at 7:48pm
That opening with Dwight and the day laborers was beyond creepy. I guess the writers gave up on trying to humanize Dwight and decided to make him a total prick.

And just find a way to get rid of Erin and Gabe; those characters are beyond useless.
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post #43 of 331
10/15/10 at 7:54pm
I get the sinking feeling they are trying to reposition Ed Helms as the new "lead" of the show. That was a very "Michael-like" episode for Andy with him running the conference on VD and then throwing a tantrum.
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post #44 of 331
10/15/10 at 9:13pm
And last episode's singing.

After the Hangover and the sequel, he will be the biggest star on the show. By far.

Lame episode.
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post #45 of 331
10/15/10 at 9:55pm
Am I the only one who thinks Carell is trying really hard not to phone it in, but just can't help it? The writing has pretty much failed everyone since Daniels left, but it's really, really terrible now.
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post #46 of 331
10/16/10 at 1:09am
The show is on fuuuuumes! But I loved anything involving Holly. So just having her voice be involved in the episode made Michael's High Fidelity adventures kinda touching. Basically the little monologue the episode gives him disguised as a message to Holly. Characters spouting EXACTLY how they feel!
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post #47 of 331
10/17/10 at 11:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blvd View Post
Am I the only one who thinks Carell is trying really hard not to phone it in, but just can't help it? The writing has pretty much failed everyone since Daniels left, but it's really, really terrible now.
I had that thought too.

I did enjoy going through all of Michael's exes in this episode though, herpes is always funny!
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post #48 of 331
10/18/10 at 7:13am
Daniels left? I always thought he was still on The Office while Michael Schur ran Parks
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post #49 of 331
10/18/10 at 10:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ratty View Post
I get the sinking feeling they are trying to reposition Ed Helms as the new "lead" of the show. That was a very "Michael-like" episode for Andy with him running the conference on VD and then throwing a tantrum.
Plus it was written and directed by Paul "Toby" Lieberstein the show runner. All but a lock that they are pushing Helms forward.
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post #50 of 331
10/21/10 at 11:42pm
I've been not enjoying the show for a while now, but that was a very good episode.
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