I know I’ve seen that bar manager in something else. Was she ever on The Sopranos?
Nevermind… She is Amy Pietz, who I just recently saw on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” in the excellent “Denise Handicapped” episode.
I recignized her from Caroline in the City.
I can’t believe that they didn’t have to call an ambulance for Stanley after he did the push-ups.
Same. I was sure he was going to have a heart attack.
Great episode. I hope we see more of Amy Pietz. Whoever’s in charge of casting for the show has done a great job this year. I have to check IMDB almost every episode.
Exactly. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I actually thought it was a little irresponsible of them to show that scene and not have it play out that way. How could they possibly not realize that’s what we’d be thinking? So instead of laughing at Stanley’s sweaty victory, we’re all (or at least the people who’ve been watching since the beginning are) holding our breath waiting for him to collapse or something. Weird.
Having said that, I find it interesting that my opinion of each episode tends to go the opposite of whatever the board’s majority is. I thought the last few episodes were great and people here hated them, and I was sure this one would be criticized but it’s a thread full of love. Not sure what that says about me…
Didn’t he already have a heart attack in one episode? There is no way they would all cheer him on like that.
And who was watching the new baby? They made no reference to that except the stupid Kevin lactating jokes. P & J were acting like a childless couple without a care in the world.
And why in the name of anything, would Pam try to fix her normal friend up with Michael?
And what does Darryl do all day in that office? What is his job now?
This is the basic problem with this show now. They treat the viewers like idiots. They waste all that great comedic talent with completely unrealistic scenarios.
When I got done watching this episode I knew someone would ask this question. They got a babysitter. Or one of their parents did it. Obvious they didn’t just leave their kid home alone, but the writers are avoiding going down the sitcom route of making everything about the baby.
Watching through all the seasons on syndication, as much as Jim and Pam would try and deny it, Michael is obviously their friend. And Michael was actually being perfectly fine until he became Date Mike.
Yea, when I watch The Office, I’m always kinda wishing they had fewer jokes and more of a focus on Darryl’s exact job description and whether Jim and Pam managed to get one of their parents to watch the baby, or hired a babysitter instead.
The Office stretches credulity sometimes, but its seems pretty bizarre to complain that they don’t stop to explain every piece of trivia in the characters lives.
Actually, I was wondering if that was supposed to be the whole point: they made it look so obviously like Stanley was about to kill himself for a lousy half-day off, and when he just shrugged it off, the joke was on the viewer.
Hmm, interesting point. If that is what they were going for I think they could have made it bigger, like a big shrug, and then a smile and wink at the camera or something. The way it played out just made it seem like he staggered off.
really interesting how some think subtlety is the key to humor, and others want a grander, more overt gesture. i thought nearly everyone would be in agreeance that the stanley pushup bit as it is was the funniest incarnation - sans heartattack or wink.
those would be… cliche?
1.My point is how UNrealistic it seemed because I would imagine that was the VERY FIRST night both were away from their 2 month old and there was no mention or Pam on her phone checking or leaving earlier than the others like a couple in real life would have. Like I said before, the writers treat the audience like idiots.
2.Yeah, it was funny when that happened, but they both know what a fucking idiot he can be, so Pam would never try to fix him up with a friend. At least in that way.
Like I said before…blah blah blah like idiots.
I don’t know–I’ve got 4 kids, and by 2 months the response of Pam when Jim called to tell her about the happy hour was VERY realistic vis a vis my wife’s reaction–i.e. “GET ME OUT OF HERE! I NEED TO SEE ADULTS!!!”
(also–don’t forget that Michael’s last love interest was Pam’s mom. Pam’s quite motivated to get Michael paired up.)
I thought the Stanley pushup thing was absolutely perfect as is. That man was so desperate for a day off that he’d put himself through hell and be damned if any heart attack was going to stop him! The look on his face when he stood up was perfect. It was almost as if he was having a heart attack and just willed himself to be okay by sheer desire to go home. Awesome.
I thought it was a very good episode, and I don’t think that the last season or two have been any less hilarious.
i rant on the Office on the regular, and rather thoroughly too - especially on the unbelievability (check post 8 for just one example). however i thought that your 1st point ranks pretty low on the believability priority list. clearly a babysitter was hired, and clearly pam is superstoked to get away from the baby after 50-some days of constant babycare. a phone call to the babysitter would have been about 15 seconds of needless realism that doesn’t really bring anything new to the table. it’d be like having a 15 second clip of a bouncer checking ID’s, or a 15 second clip of people trying to find parking. getting a sitter and checking in once or twice, imo, can be pretty easily inferred.
Point 2 is considerably more salient. Though pam is a good person and would really like to see michael happy, offering up one of her friends to Michael seems out of character especially given the fact that Michael dated her mom. Pam knows better than anyone Michael needs a weirdo just like he does (in Holly) and her friend was certainly not as quirky as holly. That, along with the fact that she’s babystressed and just wants to hang out with people makes it an odd move that she invites her friend. I figure she would much rather spend the night hanging out with Toby and Oscar than play matchmaker for Michael.
It was lazy writing in that the writers obviously wanted to pull a bait/switch on michael’s love interest and needed an excuse to introduce girl 1 before introducing girl 2 - the manager. I thought it would have been a lot more believable if the girl was one of Erin’s friends, invited along so as to not make it seem that she and Andy were there together exclusively. or something to that effect.
Actually, I’m all for subtlety in most cases. I just felt this particular joke needed a little more prodding. Maybe a wink would have been too much, but it just seemed to me to be in poor taste to establish that a character has a heart problem, then have him do 25 push-ups and make us wonder if he’s going to keel over. And this is coming from a diehard Office fan who rarely has a complaint about any episode.
But then again I was eating at the same time, so maybe I missed something, I dunno.
The only problem I had with Stanley’s pushups is that the sales staff shouldn’t want to go home early. If anything, they should want to stay later. Leaving early goes against everything they’ve done this season empasizing how much more money the sales staff can make on commission.
I was thinking that. I wondered if Stanley could work from home.