# The Office 11/13 (spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 13, 2008, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-11-13-spoilers/472627 "2008-11-13T23:49:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-11-13-spoilers/472627/61 "2008-11-14T21:18:44Z")
> [@mshar253](#): > > Last night I [checked the Wikipedia page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concierge) to make sure a concierge really _wasn’t_ a prostitute, and it says this: > > I guess that hotel also runs like that, with the concierge living at the there. Interesting tidbit about the concierge. I didn’t realize that. And Andy being gay? Imagine what that would do to Angela, considering how she feels about Oscar’s _lifestyle_. I don’t think they all stayed in the same room. DM sprung for three people to go when one was really necessary, and they bought Michael a Business Class ticket instead of making him fly coach. After all of that unnecessary expense, cramming them into one room wouldn’t have made much sense. ---
**Author:** ![ShadiRoxan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@ShadiRoxan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadiRoxan)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-11-13-spoilers/472627/62 "2008-11-14T21:28:15Z")
> [@corkboard](#): > > I don’t think they all stayed in the same room. DM sprung for three people to go when one was really necessary, and they bought Michael a Business Class ticket instead of making him fly coach. After all of that unnecessary expense, cramming them into one room wouldn’t have made much sense. It also sounded like Wallace was using this trip as a way to make it up to Michael for shipping Holly off. They probably had Michael in his own room and Oscar and Andy sharing a room. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-11-13-spoilers/472627/63 "2008-11-14T22:04:41Z")
> [@kingpengvin](#): > > Loved Ryan’s last line when he realized “for some reason I can’t do better than Kelly” > and the fact Kelly took that as a compliment… I’m really hoping that the Kelly/Ryan relationship ends with Kelly trapping him naked outside or in the office after one of their romps. 😉 Probally to much to hope for. [QUOTE=gigi] No way! It’s got to end up as a showdown at the wedding at Shrute Beet Farm!.. [/QUOTE] Agreed. We’ve just got to see the bizarro wedding Angela’s planned. Especially since Dwight how has a hand in planning it. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-11-13-spoilers/472627/64 "2008-11-15T01:50:18Z")
> [@mshar253](#): > > Also, on the topic of the concierge, I didn’t get the ongoing joke of Michael saying, “They had one (a concierge).” Did he think that was a code for prostitute, or something? That may be, but while watching the show I just thought this was another sign of what a rube Michael is. A hotel that has an actual CONCIERGE? Fan-cy! Remember how impressed he was about the idea of business class, and the old episode where it was revealed that the special pizza place he likes to visit whenever he’s in NYC is a Sbarro. It is possible that he had no idea what the word “concierge” actually meant, and when he found out the one at this hotel was a blonde woman who knew about the nightlife he wasn’t sure what to make of it all. > [@alphaboi867](#): > > Agreed. We’ve just got to see the bizarro wedding Angela’s planned. Especially since Dwight how has a hand in planning it. Anyone else think that maybe the wedding will go forward with Dwight as the groom? I’m thinking a last-minute, possibly at-the-altar confrontation between Angela and Andy, then Dwight steps in. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-11-13-spoilers/472627/65 "2008-11-15T02:07:31Z")
> [@Gus\_Gusterson](#): > > I thought it was clear that Pam finally realized that, while she has a bit of talent, she’s never going to make it as an artist. Every time we are shown her art someone pointedly states that it’s not very good. She failed a class, but that’s not what she was crying about. She was crying because she knew that her dream would never be fulfilled. Off screen, she probably remembered what _is_ fulfilling in her life. Next time we see her, she’s there with Jim. > > I trust the writers to not do what every other show would do - ruin the show by breaking up Pam and Jim. Their chemistry is one of the best things on the show. I think the writers are just having fun pushing against the conventions of a sitcom relationship. This is how I took it, too. She doesn’t seem to have any real talent–or as Oscar said, there’s no soul there. Nothing to make it interesting. She was absolutely right to take the class and see if she could make it as a graphic designer. But just because she took one semester of art school doesn’t mean that she has any real professional future. It’s sad, but it’s not the end of the world. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-11-13-spoilers/472627/66 "2008-11-15T03:39:18Z")
> [@pepperlandgirl](#): > > This is how I took it, too. She doesn’t seem to have any real talent–or as Oscar said, there’s no soul there. Nothing to make it interesting. She was absolutely right to take the class and see if she could make it as a graphic designer. But just because she took one semester of art school doesn’t mean that she has any real professional future. It’s sad, but it’s not the end of the world. It’s not clear to me what we’re meant to think about Pam’s artistic abilities. Back in season three, her paintings at the art show were pretty good in a technical sense – they looked like the objects and places they were supposed to look like – but there wasn’t anything exciting, original, or creative about them. “Motel art”, as Oscar’s boyfriend said. It was also the boyfriend who said they showed no courage or honesty, and Oscar agreed that these weren’t Pam’s strong suits. Since then we’ve seen Pam become braver and more honest in her daily life. Maybe her art has likewise improved? I don’t think we’ve seen any of her work this season. (I have terrible television reception so I’m not sure – I’ve missed other things like Darryl’s happy walk this week. ☹ ) She was apparently doing well in all her classes but the computer-related one, and her classmate seemed to think she had real talent. Of course, he may have just been saying that to flatter her. But even if she is talented at drawing and painting, if Pam can’t handle the computer stuff then she’s not going to make it as a graphic artist. Unless it was just sour grapes, she also seems to have realized that graphic design isn’t as fun as she’d expected. She may have thought that being a professional artist was going to mean getting paid to what she already liked to do, and found out that it’s a lot harder and involves performing tasks that she finds tedious. Jim’s brothers may actually have been right – she was trying to make a career out of something that could really only ever be a hobby for her. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Frink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Mr.Frink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Frink)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-11-13-spoilers/472627/67 "2008-11-15T09:43:44Z")
> [@mshar253](#): > > Last night I [checked the Wikipedia page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concierge) to make sure a concierge really _wasn’t_ a prostitute, and it says this: > > I guess that hotel also runs like that, with the concierge living at the there. You’re confusing two different types of concierges. The wikipedia article starts with the French definition (which is like a janitor/handyman)…it goes on to state: > [@](#): > > In 19th century and early 20th century apartment buildings, particularly in Paris, the concierge often had a small apartment on the ground floor and was able to monitor all comings and goings. However, such settings are now extremely rare; most concierges in small or middle-sized buildings have been replaced by the part-time services of door-staff. In North America, a concierge is a member of a hotel staff. From the same Wikipedia article you quoted from: > [@](#): > > In hotels, a concierge assists guests with various tasks like making restaurant reservations, arranging for spa services, recommending nightclubs, finding escorts, procurement of tickets to special events and assisting with various travel arrangements and tours of interesting places to visit. In upscale establishments, a concierge is often expected to “achieve the impossible”, dealing with any request a guest may have, no matter how strange, relying on an extensive list of personal contacts with various local merchants and service providers. This is the type of concierge depicted in the show. As others have mentioned–most likely she could finagle a free hotel room that night, especially if she’s working the next morning. A common perk in the hotel industry for high-valued employees. Speaking as a former concierge myself… ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-11-13-spoilers/472627/68 "2008-11-15T16:59:52Z")
> [@Gus\_Gusterson](#): > > I trust the writers to not do what every other show would do - ruin the show by breaking up Pam and Jim. Their chemistry is one of the best things on the show. I think the writers are just having fun pushing against the conventions of a sitcom relationship. I agree, especially about the chemistry. It amazes me that they were a couple in real life and that even though they’re not together, they **act** very much like they’re in love. Both of them were simply glowing in this week’s reunion. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-11-13-spoilers/472627/69 "2008-11-15T17:06:20Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > It amazes me that they were a couple in real life What? Krazynski and Fischer were a couple? Fischer left her husband for a co-worker? That’s cheezy. ---
**Author:** ![kasuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@kasuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kasuo)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-11-13-spoilers/472627/70 "2008-11-15T17:09:28Z")
And clichéd. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-11-13-spoilers/472627/71 "2008-11-15T17:09:48Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > That may be, but while watching the show I just thought this was another sign of what a rube Michael is. A hotel that has an actual CONCIERGE? Fan-cy! Remember how impressed he was about the idea of business class, and the old episode where it was revealed that the special pizza place he likes to visit whenever he’s in NYC is a Sbarro. > > It is possible that he had no idea what the word “concierge” actually meant, and when he found out the one at this hotel was a blonde woman who knew about the nightlife he wasn’t sure what to make of it all. I think all this is true, but I think he _also/_ was confusing “concierge” with “concubine,” which might explain the geisha reference. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-11-13-spoilers/472627/72 "2008-11-15T17:16:01Z")
I thought this episode was mediocre, as have been most of the last 20 or so. Also, I don’t see how anyone in this thread could have any doubt that Mike banged the concierge. They put it right out there and there wasn’t any subtlety to decode. He left her room after banging her. There was no doubt. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-11-13-spoilers/472627/73 "2008-11-15T17:45:08Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > What? Krazynski and Fischer were a couple? Fischer left her husband for a co-worker? That’s cheezy. I might be wrong about that. I heard this all over the place when the show first started, but I should have checked before posting because now I can’t find anything that confirms it. Color me embarrassed at spreading gossip. :o ---
**Author:** ![Soapbox\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Soapbox\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soapbox_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-11-13-spoilers/472627/74 "2008-11-15T17:52:54Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > I heard this all over the place when the show first started I’m pretty sure Jenna _just recently_ divorced her husband. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-11-13-spoilers/472627/75 "2008-11-15T18:07:14Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > I might be wrong about that. I heard this all over the place when the show first started, but I should have checked before posting because now I can’t find anything that confirms it. Color me embarrassed at spreading gossip. :o Jenna Fischer married James Gunn in 2000, several years before she was even cast on _The Office_. They separated in 2007 and have since divorced. You may be misremembering speculation as to whether there was a real romance behind Fischer and Krasinski’s great on-screen chemistry. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-11-13-spoilers/472627/76 "2008-11-15T18:30:47Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > You may be misremembering speculation as to whether there was a real romance behind Fischer and Krasinski’s great on-screen chemistry. What I heard (or made up out of thin air) was that they dated years ago, before the show started. I’ve watched the show all this time thinking they used to be a couple and wondering if they were uncomfortable with each other on the set. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-11-13-spoilers/472627/77 "2008-11-15T18:34:21Z")
Speaking of real couples, though – the woman who played, Carol, Michael’s real estate agent who he briefly dated, was played by Steve Carrell’s real life wife, [Nancy Walls](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Walls). ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-11-13-spoilers/472627/78 "2008-11-15T18:43:47Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > Also, I don’t see how anyone in this thread could have any doubt that Mike banged the concierge. They put it right out there and there wasn’t any subtlety to decode. He left her room after banging her. There was no doubt. The only reason it seems suspect is that Michael has just so seldomly had any success with women, and celebrates what little he does have. Look at how _excited_ he was just a few episodes ago when he slept with Holly (twice!). I just find it out of character that he’d be so dejected after sleeping with a woman he considered exotic. He should have been bouncing off the walls. I do think that they did it, but I think the shot could have been handled better. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-11-13-spoilers/472627/79 "2008-11-15T19:02:09Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > What I heard (or made up out of thin air) was that they dated years ago, before the show started. I’ve watched the show all this time thinking they used to be a couple and wondering if they were uncomfortable with each other on the set. I think you’re confusing their (nonexistent) relationship with that of [John Krasinski and Rashida Jones](http://www.officetally.com/rashida-jones-us-weekly) prior to the character of Karen appearing on the show. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-11-13-spoilers/472627/80 "2008-11-15T19:05:07Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > The only reason it seems suspect is that Michael has just so seldomly had any success with women, and celebrates what little he does have. Look at how _excited_ he was just a few episodes ago when he slept with Holly (twice!). I just find it out of character that he’d be so dejected after sleeping with a woman he considered exotic. He should have been bouncing off the walls. > > I do think that they did it, but I think the shot could have been handled better. I think he was full of self-loathing and angry about the situation. He didn’t want to sleep with some strange girl, he wanted to sleep with Holly. He probably didn’t want to just sleep with her–Michael forms emotional attachments with people. He probably thought this woman really liked him. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-11-13-spoilers/472627.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-11-13-spoilers/472627.md?page=5)