The Zone

by **TheBaxter** on Mon Feb 02, 2009 12:13 pm

yeah, part of the joke is that everyone else who DOESN'T work in the office is portrayed realistically. if it was just michael reprimanding dwight after setting the fire, i could buy into it. but once they brought the corporate office into it, there's no way he wouldn't get fired. if EVERYONE in the show acts as incompetently or unrealistically as the regulars, the show stops making sense.

by **so sorry** on Fri Sep 18, 2009 1:02 pm

So anybody catch the SEason Premiere last night?

Pretty good episode. This show makes me smile, never really laugh. Good enough to put in my rotation...

by **Bloo** on Fri Sep 18, 2009 1:09 pm

I caught it, had some of the nicer dark elements along with the goofiness that I liked (i.e. everything with Stanley and the possibly affair and him going all Office Space on Micheal's car)

by **John-Locke** on Fri Oct 09, 2009 5:45 am

Last nights episode was hilarious, could have done without the cheesy dancing but otherwise it was an exceptionally funny episode.

The opening scene with the vomiting was genius, made me howl with laughter.

by **so sorry** on Fri Oct 09, 2009 7:20 am

John-Locke wrote:Last nights episode was hilarious, could have done without the cheesy dancing but otherwise it was an exceptionally funny episode.

The opening scene with the vomiting was genius, made me howl with laughter.

I missed the first 15 minutes or so, but yeah that was a good one. They are definetly setting Micheal up to start dating Pam's mom, right?

by **Bloo** on Fri Oct 09, 2009 9:10 am

the voimiting and Jim's toast were great, mainly because they both got right on the edge of being real awkward and uncomfortable.

The cheesy dancing was made up for with the wedding on the boat scenes and how it was all cut togather I thought

by **TheBaxter** on Sun Nov 15, 2009 11:40 am

last thursday's show was just depressing. barely funny at all. i know they want to be "topical" and all, having the recession affecting the company, but you know, it's supposed to be a comedy, and people who are REALLY losing their jobs probably don't want to have reality intrude on their funny shows.

it's official: community is now way funnier than the office (actually, that's been the case all season long, i'm just deciding to make it official now).

by **Snow Apple** on Tue Nov 17, 2009 5:44 am

I agree it pretty much sucked. My finger kept going for FWD and I had to remind myself I was supposed to be watching and enjoying.

by **thomasgaffney** on Fri Jan 22, 2010 1:55 am

Yay! A clip show. The last resort of lazy, unfunny, untalented writing.

A least this clip show had the graciousness to remind us how funny The Office used to be. Before it started sucking ass...

by **so sorry** on Fri Jan 22, 2010 9:32 am

thomasgaffney wrote:Yay! A clip show. The last resort of lazy, unfunny, untalented writing.

A least this clip show had the graciousness to remind us how funny The Office used to be. Before it started sucking ass...

I still love the Office, although at this point I may be just going thru the motions until its demise.

But yeah, starting off the new season with a clip show is r-tarded.

by **Bloo** on Fri Jan 22, 2010 9:55 am

I understand the reasoning behind doing a clip show, but when your premise is a reality show, that has to be a better way to demonstrate it then the way they did

Community is my go to comedy right now

by **TheBaxter** on Fri Jan 22, 2010 7:53 pm

i stopped watching once i realized it was a clip show. but yeah, come to think of it, clips of old shows would probably be funnier than a brand new show.

by **so sorry** on Tue Feb 16, 2010 4:10 pm

So this past episode had a real opportunity to do something fresh and new... In case you're interested, the new owner, played nicely by Cathy Bates, told Michael and Jim that only one of them could be a manager, and the other had to go back to sales.. So rather than inject some new idea into the show by having Michael go back to his roots as an incredible salesman, they coped out and had him go back to sales for like one afternoon, then he decided that it was too much trouble so he got his manager's job back.

It was still amusing, especially the Phyllis flatulance bit, but overall i think they missed an opportunity here.

by **TheBaxter** on Tue Feb 16, 2010 4:25 pm

agreed. they didn't even really have michael go back to being a salesman, i mean, he didn't go out and make any sales calls or anything. it could have been like when he and pam tried to start their own company, and he was sort of being a salesman back then.

the show is still amusing at times, but none of the storylines really interest me. the only one that's slightly interesting is andy and the cute receptionist chick, and that's basically a rehash of the jim/pam thing.

by **so sorry** on Mon Jul 12, 2010 12:34 pm

So I read the mothersite's interview with Carrell (for his media blitz for Disposable Me), and there were a few blurbs regarding his impending departure from The Office.

Beaks: So where do things stand with your exit from THE OFFICE? How are things going to play out for Michael Scott?
Carell: I don't know. I have to talk to the executive producers to see how the next season will play out. It's my hope that it's done in sort of a subtle way. I don't want a big sort of fanfare or finish. The aspect of the show that I like the best is when it examines the minutiae of office life and the mundane qualities of this environment. People leave jobs for all sorts of reasons, so I don't think it needs to be some overly-dramatic or overly-written event. I think it could be very simple, the way his tenure at the office ends. That's what I would prefer.

Beaks: Maybe a melancholy exit?
Carell: Perhaps. But without putting too fine a point on it. Because I think that's life: there's an ebb and flow, and things change. Just don't get too heavy handed with it. That's what I would prefer.

This to me is puzzling. "It's my hope that it's done in sort of a subtle way." What the fuck? Does he even watch the show he's a star on? There is absolutely 100% NOTHING SUBTLE about anything Michael Scott does. ZERO. I don't even think the character of Michael Scott knows what the definition of subtle is. So what Carrell is saying really is that he just wants to go away without anyone noticing? I don't get what he's driving at here.... Micheal Scott already left the company once, and NOT IN A SUBTLE WAY ASSHOLE. Why would this time be any different.

Color me puzzled.

P.S. Baxter, you're probably the only other Zoner who watches the Office, so please respond!

by **RogueScribner** on Mon Jul 12, 2010 12:51 pm

I watch the show and while there's nothing subtle about Michael Scott (except for perhaps his occasional insight), I think what Carrell is driving at is that he doesn't want his exit off the show to be this big huge deal, but rather one of many things that happen next season. He doesn't want "A Very Special Episode" as a send off; he wants it to be more organic and layered than that. I can see what he means and I sorta agree. Life goes on; people come and go from jobs all the time. If the show is going to continue without Michael Scott (though I don't really think that it should), the focus should remain on the other characters and their tribulations leading through to the next season. Michael can still have a win or a loss as he exits, but it shouldn't be anything that requires a huge arc to build up to. Lay some seeds, and just have it happen. Keep it simple. It doesn't need to be a huge plot point. I think that's what he was driving at.

by **TheBaxter** on Mon Jul 12, 2010 1:34 pm

so sorry wrote:P.S. Baxter, you're probably the only other Zoner who watches the Office, so please respond!

i still watch it, but it's not so funny anymore. i'd rather see pam & jim go, but whatever - i think michael should end up joining a scientologist cult or something.

by **Fievel** on Mon Jul 12, 2010 1:57 pm

I wish the show would just focus on Creed. Every line he delivers just cuts through like a razor and gets me laughing until it hurts.
I guess if it just focused on him then his dialogue wouldn't be such a unique treat.

Watching the show now makes me really appreciate with the original UK series did with its comparatively short existence. Michael Scott has done so much that in real life would get him fired, sued, arrested, etc. That aspect of the show has really worn out my enjoyment of the show. I only watched maybe 3 or 4 episodes this season and haven't watched any summer reruns and probably won't watch any episodes next fall. I guess if anything I'm bummed out that I'm not that interested anymore.

by **so sorry** on Mon Jul 12, 2010 3:05 pm

RogueScribner wrote:I watch the show and while there's nothing subtle about Michael Scott (except for perhaps his occasional insight), I think what Carrell is driving at is that he doesn't want his exit off the show to be this big huge deal, but rather one of many things that happen next season. He doesn't want "A Very Special Episode" as a send off; he wants it to be more organic and layered than that. I can see what he means and I sorta agree. Life goes on; people come and go from jobs all the time. If the show is going to continue without Michael Scott (though I don't really think that it should), the focus should remain on the other characters and their tribulations leading through to the next season. Michael can still have a win or a loss as he exits, but it shouldn't be anything that requires a huge arc to build up to. Lay some seeds, and just have it happen. Keep it simple. It doesn't need to be a huge plot point. I think that's what he was driving at.

I hear ya, but the fact remains that Michael Scott leaving will never be "just one of the things that happens next season" (for the show itself and for the characters in the show). Do they need to spend the season building it up? I guess not. And if that's what Carrell was driving at, then I can see his point. But I still maintain that Michael's departure will be/should be huge.

Fievel, I agree with your assessment of what a short-run series can give you: had the U.S. version of the Office run for only a few years I think it would have been looked back upon as a really fun yet emotional series. It used to be something that many many office workers could relate to. But taken a bit to the extreme (usually to the extreme uncomfortable level). But as the years went on the antics became a little to unreal, and to your point, would have resulted in some sueing, firings, deaths, etc.

I don't know, as I've said before, I still watch every episode, wether I find them funny or not. But I really think the idea of continuing this show without Michael(steve) is a disaster.

by **MacCready** on Sat Jul 17, 2010 9:12 am

Agreed. Smacks a bit of Aftermash, and we all know how that one ended.

by **Bob Samonkey** on Sat Jul 17, 2010 2:22 pm

Why would they even think of continuing?? Makes absolutely no sense to me. 90% of the uncomfortableness of the show is from Michael. And as that is what makes the show so funny it will more likely then not kill it...

by **TheBaxter** on Mon Jul 19, 2010 9:15 am

on another note, i've been rewatching the original UK office, and wow, it's so much better than this show ever was. the US office has been amusing and occasionally hilarious, at least up until recently. but (except for the occasional way-British reference that goes over my head) the UK office is just sublime.

by **Epsilon** on Tue Jul 20, 2010 4:21 am

THIS SHOW IS AMAZING!!!!!!! I Love Steve Carell! He is Hilarious!

SPAM. SPAM. SPAM. SPAM!
SPAM. SPAM. SPAM. SPAM!

Mod repackaged for processed meaty goodness - that only comes in a can.

Also, as a side note, how can this all powerful force of global communications monitoring use its means for knock off DVD pimping?!?!?

by **Tyrone_Shoelaces** on Wed Sep 01, 2010 11:51 pm

Harvey Keitel to replace Steve Carell?

by **TheBaxter** on Thu Sep 02, 2010 9:01 am

Tyrone_Shoelaces wrote:Harvey Keitel to replace Steve Carell?

holy shit, that would be amazing.
just as long as he doesn't show his wiener.

by **TheBaxter** on Fri Oct 08, 2010 12:51 pm

so i pretty much just watch this show out of habit now. not because it's funny or anything, because mostly, it isn't. outside of the cellphone ringing and balloons popping during the play, i don't think i really laughed at anything last night.

plus, if one more episode of this show begins with some kind of musical number, i may just have to go elvis presley on the television set.

by **so sorry** on Fri Oct 08, 2010 1:09 pm

TheBaxter wrote:so i pretty much just watch this show out of habit now. not because it's funny or anything, because mostly, it isn't. outside of the cellphone ringing and balloons popping during the play, i don't think i really laughed at anything last night.

plus, if one more episode of this show begins with some kind of musical number, i may just have to go elvis presley on the television set.

Agreed with all the musical shit this season. I guess they are jumping on the Glee shit. I can't stands it.

But I tell you the story line that annoys me the most: Andy and Erin. Get it over with already for Jeebus's sake. And what was with the first episode's "what did you do this summer?" shit????
Did the Office all of a sudden become a school, with a three month break? Stupid.

And unbeknowst to me until last night: Angela is a butterface. When she put on those tight jeans? Yum. Didn't realize that actress had such a nice body beneath Angela's nun-garb.

by **so sorry** on Fri Nov 12, 2010 3:32 pm

Loved this last episode based solely on the deconstruction of what a "gleek" is. Hysterical.

by **Pacino86845** on Fri Nov 12, 2010 8:05 pm

Season 7 is weak, WEAK I say!

And why does every episode have to have some sort of musical/dance element, it's like they've been trying to attract some of the Glee crowd... oh wait-

by **TheBaxter** on Sun Nov 14, 2010 7:25 pm

Pacino86845 wrote:Season 7 is weak, WEAK I say!

And why does every episode have to have some sort of musical/dance element, it's like they've been trying to attract some of the Glee crowd... oh wait-

i haven't seen last week's episode yet, but i told someone recently that if they start off another show with a song-and-dance routine, i was going to have to quit watching. maybe that's a blessing in disguise.

by **so sorry** on Mon Dec 13, 2010 2:04 pm

So Holly returns to Scranton last week. Good episode, and a bit of return to form for Michael: incredibly ackward moment(s) when the love of his life rejects him in front of his whole office, followed by his childish retort (dumping garbage on that woody doll). Solid show, hope they can keep it up (please no more musicals).

by **TheBaxter** on Mon Dec 13, 2010 2:30 pm

i havent watched it yet but its still on my dvr. i've been finding it harder and harder to force myself to watch the show, so i hope you're right.
on the other hand, community had another amazing episode. which reminds me...

by **so sorry** on Mon Dec 13, 2010 3:30 pm

TheBaxter wrote:i havent watched it yet but its still on my dvr. i've been finding it harder and harder to force myself to watch the show, so i hope you're right.

Bump it to the top of your que (sp?)... I though it was a strong episode.

by **Pacino86845** on Fri Jan 28, 2011 10:04 am

At long last, David Brent met Michael Scott... but if you blinked then you would've missed the all-too-brief cameo. I think it is viewable on NBC's website (and other venues), however.

Still, The Office has been utterly dreadful this season, when it should be so much more epic, considering: that Michael will be leaving and Holly's back!

by **Bloo** on Fri Jan 28, 2011 11:43 am

yeah I marked out when David showed up and met Micheal Scott, but it kind of reminded me in the waning days of the Drew Carey show when they'd throw random shit in the cold open for no reason. I'm not asking for a full ep to be devoted to David Brent but it would have been nice to know why the hell he was at Dunder-Mifflin

by **so sorry** on Fri Jan 28, 2011 2:41 pm

Read somewhere that Will Ferrel will be a guest star on The Office for a few episodes. I'd say he's playing a guy who jumps a shark, but apparently they've done that bit already.

by **TheBaxter** on Fri Jan 28, 2011 2:51 pm

DAVID BRENT!

a sign of desperation on this show, or what? either way, it was a welcome sight, but should've been longer (that's what she said) and funnier.

by **TheBaxter** on Mon Feb 07, 2011 4:10 pm

i've been pretty down on this show, but last week's episode was quite good. the rooftop moment with michael and whatshername was even kinda touching. sadly, it also points out how little this show will have going for it when carell leaves. but at least it looks like they're setting up a fitting exit for him.

by **so sorry** on Mon Feb 07, 2011 4:27 pm

TheBaxter wrote:i've been pretty down on this show, but last week's episode was quite good. the rooftop moment with michael and whatshername was even kinda touching. sadly, it also points out how little this show will have going for it when carell leaves. but at least it looks like they're setting up a fitting exit for him.

I liked the pyramid scheme one from two weeks ago. The Nard Dog cracks me up.

by **Ribbons** on Fri Mar 04, 2011 8:21 pm

I have been on a US Office binge this past week. I'd never really watched the show regularly, even though I've seen a couple episodes here and there, so I figured I should finally look into what all the fuss was about. Seasons 1-3 are truly great television (that's what I limited myself to for now since 7 seasons = a shitload of episodes). It's changed since then, which is to be expected. Probably not for the better, but you really have to watch it develop in order to fully appreciate it, I guess.

And now, quotes!

Doc Holliday wrote:From what I've heard I think I'd still like the Werner Hogg version because David Brent strikes me as the "smaller man" of the two - and I liked that...that he could've been more at one point in his career - but settled for WH and now the chance has gone forever. Sounds like the tone in the US one was a little lighter?

Dunder-Mifflin is definitely a cheerier office than Wernham-Hogg. Even though awkward humor is still the bread and butter of the show, the tone is lighter and the characters are more "cartoonish," I guess, in a way that makes them less uncomfortable to watch. But there are still moments of bleakness that would feel right at home in either version. The one that really got to me was the episode in season 3 where Michael informs his employees that the Scranton branch has closed -- prematurely, as it turns out. Most of the characters are actually happy with this news and take it harder when they learn that they get to keep their jobs. Toby Flenderson, the human resources guy, tells a story to the camera about how he was planning to take his severance pay and move to Costa Rica, and you can see the soul leave his body as he realizes he won't actually be able to do any of those things until he's 65. Brutal stuff. I also really liked the episode that Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant wrote for season 3, "The Convict," which was like a comedic No Exit. Basically Michael (predictably) outs the new employee as a former convict, and when the guy surprisingly seems pretty cool about it and makes some comments to suggest that prison was actually less depressing than Dunder-Mifflin, Michael locks all his employees in the conference room until they take it back. That sounds pretty messed up, but they wrote all the characters well and didn't try to force their style on the show or anything, so props.

Cpt Kirks 2pay wrote:The US Office got really slagged off or it was a flop when it was released wasn't it? One or both of the two.

Yeah, it was. People seem to forget that now, since its popularity took off like a rocket in season 2 and especially season 3, the success of which is probably responsible for the nine bajillion Office shows around the world. But the first 6 episodes, which were actually a mid-season replacement, did not go over well and the series almost wasn't picked up. It wasn't terrible like Coupling, but the main criticism was that it was a pale imitation of the UK version, which it definitely borrowed heavily from at the beginning. Michael Scott especially was much more David Brent-like. He's still an incompetent boss, but his biggest flaw now is that he's like a child in an adult's body, whereas Brent was a preening, self-conscious camera hog. There are still vestiges of its Slough roots, especially in some of the character types, but it really has morphed into its own creature.

ZombieZoneSolutions wrote:Basically, yeah, Roy is a jerk, but how is he holding her back? She's holding herself back.

Am I the only one who gets this? Is my point of view too cold?

Even though ZZS had a lot of strange things to say about love being a four-letter word before he dropped the mic and peaced out, I can see where he's coming from with this. Partially because I have the benefit of hindsight and know that Roy never became that bad of a guy (in fact he gets a lot of nice post-relationship moments with Pam in season 3). They were wrong for each other, but Pam ended up having a lot more baggage about her career than a dumb fiancee. Which is one of the things I like about the show as it stands right now. Most of the conflict comes from people having to decide what to do with their own lives.

Flumm wrote:The documentary feel seemed to really lapse away, as if it wasn't an intrinsic part of teh story-telling, making things feel a little more sitcom like, and the gratitious zooming in and over-reactions of characters to each other along with this, or because of it, just made it awkward for me to watch. At least not quite in the way that they intended, I think.

This is something I've noticed too. More specifically, going back to season 1 I noticed that the show seemed a lot more like a documentary than the episodes I'm used to seeing. Really, there's no reason for them to keep filming this tiny paper branch, and they get reaction shots and angles that they'd be very unlikely to get if this were real. I guess I'm okay with it, but the thought does creep into your head every once in a while. One of the things I like is when they interact with the camera crew, like when Pam grabbed one and shook it after she won a Dundy. I read somewhere that in the Office universe, the documentary about Dunder-Mifflin (or whatever it's supposed to be) hasn't come out yet. I think it would be kind of a cool way to end the series with a "retrospective," with fake interviews interspersed with actual footage. It probably won't go out like that, but I like the idea.

*

One other thing: despite the cartoonish elements of the show, one thing they do better than the UK Office is occasionally show people doing their jobs. In both cases the boring line of work is secondary to the characters, but it's fun to watch Michael or Dwight, who sometimes seem too stupid to even exist, kill at a paper sale. There was a season 3 episode called "Traveling Salesmen" that was devoted to actually watching the office work (in groups of two), and I really liked it.

by **Pacino86845** on Fri Mar 04, 2011 11:41 pm

I never liked the first season because it was such a weak imitation of the British original... with seasons 2 & 3 though they find their footing and actually put out some great television, these are by far the series-best seasons. Seasons 4 and 5 were decent followups though, some good stuff in there as well. Season 6 is mostly weak IMO, but it kinda redeems itself by the end. Season 7 is pure horrorshow putrid crap.

by **Ribbons** on Sat Mar 05, 2011 6:41 am

Pacino86845 wrote:Seasons 4 and 5 were decent followups though, some good stuff in there as well. Season 6 is mostly weak IMO, but it kinda redeems itself by the end. Season 7 is pure horrorshow putrid crap.

Eep!

by **Bloo** on Thu Apr 07, 2011 12:21 pm

Ray Romano and James Spader to join Ricky Gervais in Office Finale

http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/04/05/offic ... es-spader/

I would love it if they had Romano somehow reference WNYX (from Newsradio) it'd be a joke that NO ONE would get but I would love

by **TheBaxter** on Thu Apr 07, 2011 12:47 pm

i would love it if james spader somehow referenced 'Secretary'... especially with that cute new receptionist girl in the maggie gyllenhaal role.

by **Bloo** on Thu Apr 07, 2011 12:58 pm

TheBaxter wrote:i would love it if james spader somehow referenced 'Secretary'... especially with that cute new receptionist girl in the maggie gyllenhaal role.

that'd be funny as hell

by **Bob Samonkey** on Thu Apr 07, 2011 2:25 pm

TheBaxter wrote:i would love it if james spader somehow referenced 'Secretary'... especially with that cute new receptionist girl in the maggie gyllenhaal role.

I say make her and Pam have a Secretary off if we are going that route...

by **TheBaxter** on Thu Apr 07, 2011 5:57 pm

Bob Poopflingius Maximus wrote:
TheBaxter wrote:i would love it if james spader somehow referenced 'Secretary'... especially with that cute new receptionist girl in the maggie gyllenhaal role.

I say make her and Pam have a Secretary off if we are going that route...

pam's married with children now.

actually, if anyone was going to go the secretary route with him, it would be angela. it's always the repressed, strait-laced chicks who are into that shit.

by **Bob Samonkey** on Thu Apr 07, 2011 6:43 pm

Since when does married with children stop you from being kinky?? All that dose is place time management on it...

by **TheBaxter** on Fri Apr 08, 2011 9:23 am

Bob Poopflingius Maximus wrote:Since when does married with children stop you from being kinky?? All that dose is place time management on it...

hopefully it stops you from being kinky with people who are not your husband/wife.

by **Bob Samonkey** on Fri Apr 08, 2011 12:22 pm

TheBaxter wrote:
Bob Poopflingius Maximus wrote:Since when does married with children stop you from being kinky?? All that dose is place time management on it...

hopefully it stops you from being kinky with people who are not your husband/wife.

Obviously But as long as Jim is consenting... You know they are not married in real life right...? :evil: