Office Watch: Coming Back the Wrong Way
Spoilers for The Office coming up after the jump:
Last night was all about walks of shame: Michael slinking off from his tryst with the hotel concierge ("the Winnipeg version of a geisha," played by Reno 911!'s Wendi McLendon-Covey), Ryan slinking back to Kelly (to the apparent happiness of Darryl), Andy realizing his horrible mistake in drunk-dialing Angela and Pam returning from New York after washing out of art school.
This last was tough to figure out, as Pam showed up, beaming, saying that she came back not because of Jim but because she decided that she hated graphic design and missed Scranton. Should we believe her? It would contradict much of what The Office has set up regarding Pam and her interests outside the reception desk. Part of me worries, as Alan Sepinwall writes, that the writers are just conveniently changing her character to suit the story. Another part of me worries that they haven't, and that someday we'll see the repercussions of this, as she realizes she gave up on her dream to come back to Jim. (Or, alternatively, that she used Jim as a convenient excuse to ignore the fact that she wasn't good enough to achieve her dream.)
Michael, meanwhile, continues looking for love in all the wrong provinces. As has happened before, the saddest part of his story was not getting his heart broken by the lovely Manitoban, or his owning up to his anger at David Wallace's transferring Holly; it was his ability, again and again, to rationalize others' treatment of him (as he did over and over with Jan) and go back to his status quo. Michael's final, self-deceptive monologue, about "respect" being the reason he stayed at the company—that being probably the one thing he hasn't got from Dunder-Mifflin, and didn't get from Jan—was quintessential Michael.
As for Andy and Angela, let's follow up on Oscar's question: what does Andy see in Angela? And more important, what does she see in him? Their relationship has always been a kind of puzzle to me, since it seems to be mainly about each of them willing themselves to want to be with the other one. What's waiting for Andy at the end of that long plane ride? And with B. J. Novak possibly leaving The Office, will Kelly be happy for long?
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1
Interesting...I took Pam's declarations of "not doing it for you" as sarcastic. I thought she was just teasing Jim by saying that. Hmm.
Also, the best scene of the night was drunk Oscar and Andy. Really funny!
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2
Was I the only one who thought Michael's sales pitch was a subtle nod to mad men? He gave his speech, pulled it out of his real life, all i could think was Don Draper! Don Draper!
I really enjoy the way andy is become a much more sympathetic and well rounded character. The stuff with he and Oscar was really sweet. -
3
I think Andy and Angela's relationship is about him wanting to be with anything, and she just seems to like being unhappy. The creepy baby jazz poster is the only time I can remember her even smiling. They're so wrong together that this drunk dialing thing needed to happen but I don't think it will split them up. They're too funny, the show needs them.
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4
I'm glad the art school diversion is over as I was getting fed up with the whole, "in 50 years you'll look back and regret not finishing art school" motivation. The fact is that if art school had caused permanent damage to her and Jim's relationship, I'm pretty sure she would have regretted that much more in 50 years. I do worry that the longer this show is on the air, the less it becomes about work and the more it becomes about relationships. I think that is a mistake. I don't think anyone wants another friends where all the characters are dating each other and having each others children.
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5
I understood Pam's declaration the same way that Packsox did.
And I may have misunderstood this: but Pam only hated graphic design (one of her many classes) so I don't think she has given up on her dream of being an artist-she just won't be a graphic designer.
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6
I loved the interaction between Andy and Oscar. Just like a few episodes back when Darryl had more play time, Oscar got an episode to a.) show he's single again, and b.) really get some actual lines to spread his wings a little bit.
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The drunk dial from Andy was hilarious, especially when you hear, "Who is it, Monkey?" over the phone. I can't remember if Andy made mention of the other voice on the line, but the important thing is that either can he. -
7
I agree with packsox and obama--I thought Pam was clearly being sarcastic/teasing. I also interpreted it as Pam giving up on graphic design, not art altogether. Of course, the writers have certainly led us to believe she's not a very good artist--as Dwight reminded us.
Loved Andy/Oscar in the bar. It really struck me when Andy said that he had to travel however many miles to get to know someone who sits 20 feet away from him. I used to travel for work, and that is so true. Unfortunately, you don't always like the person once you get to know him/her!
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8
I was pleasantly surprised, then delighted, by the Andy/Oscar interactions. This show just kills me: I watch it for the laughs and the occasional squirm but frequently find it very touching. This was one of those episodes!
(though for me the ultimate wasn't a romantic one, it was there Jim and Dwight had to go out together on a sales call...some TREMENDOUS laughs...and then they closed a sale with a really neat tactic, showing they could really work together. That ruled)
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