The Office - Casino Night

Cafe Society
21

I thought that they handled the Jim and Pam story very well - it was a wonderful shock for Jim to just come out with his love for Pam, and Pam’s confusion and difficulty with how to respond rung very true. It is more satisfying than the storyline in the original office. However, in the original series, Tim goes into an office with Dawn to tell her his feelings and takes off his mike. The cameraman waits outside, so we have only silence and can’t see very well what is happening. He comes back and goes to his desk, and after a moment, puts his mike back on to say “She said no, by the way.” That bit was very well done.

I have to confess, it is much easier to believe Jim’s feelings for Pam in this version of the office. Not only have they shown more warm moments between the two in the NBC version (apart from jointly tormenting Gareth/Dwight), but (and I feel bad admitting this) Pam is just more attractive than Dawn was. I mean, I had a really hard time with her huge forehead. Sorry, Dawn!

But - I thought the rest of the finale episode was pretty … meh. Lots of little laughs - Michael’s hip lingo and handshakes, “dropping a deuce,” Creed’s saying “I’ve never owned a refrigerator before” - all amusing, but nothing that had me holding my stomach or pausing the DVR like most episodes.

22

We don’t get network television, so I had to walk over to my local nun’s house (oh, no joke) to watch this and tape it for my roommates. My heart was POUNDING when Jim told Pam he loved her. That was so perfect! And the tears! Just break my heart, John K. That was beautiful.

And then the horrifying moment when I thought Pam had called Roy and not her mom! And then, oh, the kiss! It was all I could do not to squeal out loud.

Then I yanked the tape out of the VCR, said goodnight to Sister, and all but floated home, grinning and laughing, like I was the one who had just been kissed. What other show is capable of making one feel like that?? Just…ohhh.
Oh, yeah, and Creed. What was the line – “I really like stealing things”? AWESOME.

23

[QUOTE=Hentor the Barbarian]
Michael’s hip lingo and handshakes
[/QUOTE]

Oh, I forgot that part! The warehouse manager teaching him all sorts of fake crap to really mess with him…“I even came up with a handshake”

Man I wish I had seen Jim’s tears :frowning:

24

[QUOTE=AerynSun]
I adore this show.

When Jim met Pam outside, and was getting ready to say something, my mind was already filling in the “I might be leaving” speech - I actually gasped when he said, “I’m in love with you.”
[/QUOTE]

That was deliberate; if she turned him down, he could go to Stamford and not have the awkwardness of working with her every day. Since she didn’t, we’ll have to wait to find out what happens. Does she cancel the wedding? Does he still go to Stamford?

25

I’m pissed that I didn’t know the episode was starting at 9:20 instead of 9:30, so I missed the first 10 minutes.

Great finale. The scene with the warehouse manager was good with Dwight there for “protection”.

26

[QUOTE=AerynSun]
I actually gasped when he said, “I’m in love with you.” AAAAAHHHH!
[/QUOTE]

I did, too. It’s rare for me to get so emotionally wrapped up in a show, but I certainly was here.

I was very afraid that Jim was going to end up with Jan, as they were both feeling badly about putting themselves out there.

It was so well done that when Jim went back in to kiss Pam, the thought actually crossed my mind, I want someone to love me like that. Then I remembered that my husband was right next to me. :smack: That says nothing about my husband and everything about how well-crafted I found the Jim/Pam storyline, over time and last night in particular.

27

This is weird. My wife and I haven’t watched any TV for a couple of months now. Yesterday we watched the Office–which we thought was a great show when we used to watch it before–and when the whole Jim/Pam thing came to a head, we were both kind of cringing, dissappointed at how cliche everything seemed to be.

Then when Jim walked in and kissed Pam in a later scene, we were both of a mindset something like “That’s just wrong–she said no, dude.”

Maybe its just because we haven’t been following the show. But the whole thing seemed kind of lame to us.

Are we alone in thinking the show is great, but that the Jim/Pam romance is silly?

Anyone?

-FrL-

28

[QUOTE=Frylock]
This is weird. My wife and I haven’t watched any TV for a couple of months now. Yesterday we watched the Office–which we thought was a great show when we used to watch it before–and when the whole Jim/Pam thing came to a head, we were both kind of cringing, dissappointed at how cliche everything seemed to be.

Then when Jim walked in and kissed Pam in a later scene, we were both of a mindset something like “That’s just wrong–she said no, dude.”

Maybe its just because we haven’t been following the show. But the whole thing seemed kind of lame to us.

Are we alone in thinking the show is great, but that the Jim/Pam romance is silly?

Anyone?

-FrL-
[/QUOTE]

Well, you might not be alone, but I disagree. If you’d have seen the more episodes, you’d have appreciated the build-up more. Plus, you put two young attractive people, with lots in common, into an office together for 9 hours a day, five days a week, this kind of shit is bound to happen. In fact it happens every day. Lots of “forbidden” flirting, but never explicit. The flirting between Pam and Jim was always so subtle-- like in real life-- where it left both parties to always wonder at the end of the day if it was all just in their head. The flirting rarely got to the point where it became obvious to both parties what was really going on; on the rare occasion where something did cross the line (Jim at the dojo, ferinstance), their relationship became a little painful to watch.

While I think the finale was very well done, I think they could’ve actually drawn out the sexual tension for one more season. They could’ve had Pam delay the wedding for some random reason, leaving Jim to wonder even more if he had a shot. But then it may have fallen into more of a cliche sitcom Ross/Rachel kind of thing.

I hope, though, this doesn’t end in a happily-ever-after kind of way for Jim and Pam. While it was exciting to watch the two of them take things to the next step, I think it would be interesting to watch them move into the next two stages of most office romances: 1) the excitement of a new relationship, trying to keep things a secret from your co-workers, even though everyone knows what’s going on and are constantly gossiping about it; and then 2) tension arrising, things falling apart, trying to keep things a secret from your co-workers, even though everyone knows what’s going on and are constantly gossiping about it.

I think each of those stages could be fodder for an entire season.

Happy

29

Was I the only one who laughed out loud at Michael’s Abraham Lincoln joke: “I want to go to the theatre like I need a hole in my head.”

Also, the warehouse manager telling Michael that he wouldn’t allow the fire breathing magician (or something like that) in a warehouse full of paper. And Michael looking at him like “Why?”

30

[QUOTE=Happy Lendervedder]

  1. the excitement of a new relationship, trying to keep things a secret from your co-workers, even though everyone knows what’s going on and are constantly gossiping about it.
    [/QUOTE]

Aren’t they already using Dwight/Angela to mine this territory?

Put me squarely in the camp that loves the way they’re handling the Jim/Pam relationship.

31

Oh, and I loved Jim’s “tell” during poker.

“It’s interesting…everytime I cough, Dwight folds.”

32

[QUOTE=Mahaloth]
Creed’s experience at the soup kitchen.
[/QUOTE]

I missed this - what was it?

33

[QUOTE=Frylock]
Are we alone in thinking the show is great, but that the Jim/Pam romance is silly?
[/QUOTE]
In the minority, at least. :stuck_out_tongue:

For my part, I didn’t much care for the American adaptation at the beginning (mostly because it took me a while to warm up to Steve Carrell’s take on the whole thing,) but what drew me in was how they developed the relationship between Jim and Pam. The tension has been agonizing and attractive.

I dunno, something about the relationship stuff seems an order of magnitude more realistic and compelling than I would ordinarily expect from a television show – especially a short comedy. Really, it’s what ties the whole package together; there are plenty of laughs along the way, but I doubt that the random wackiness would keep me coming back in its own.

Ha! Roy and boyo with the Police cover-band. “Did Pam approve?” “Who cares? I’m in charge of the music. You rock, dude!”

Class.

34

When they were talking about which charity to donate to, someone mentioned a local soup kitchen, and Creed commented that they served great split pea soup. :slight_smile:

35

[QUOTE=AuntiePam]
When they were talking about which charity to donate to, someone mentioned a local soup kitchen, and Creed commented that they served great split pea soup. :slight_smile:
[/QUOTE]

“On Thursdays”

:smiley:

The Jim and Pam stuff has been background all season, but if you really think about it, the whole SHOW is background. Everything that happens isn’t some big sitcom contrivance - it’s these daily events just strung together. And I think they’ve handled Pam and Jim beautifully - in the real world, they wouldn’t be on each other 8 hours a day, flirting madly, whatever - it’d be little moments here and there, just like we’ve gotten. But they’ve done it so well that it’s built to this maddening moment last night - it’s a HUGE payoff, but again - in the scheme of things, it’s probably not such a big moment to anyone but Pam, Jim, and the audience (and eventually Roy).

Kelly’s Kobe Bryan talking head cracked me up, too - “I love Kobe Bryant! He bought his wife the biggest diamond ring! There’s no way he could’ve done it. Well, maybe he did.” :smiley: . Ranks up with the “Omigod, Princess Diana’s funeral was the saddest I’ve ever seen. Well, that, and my sister’s.” (A few minutes of Kelly every week go a VERY long way.)

E.

36

[QUOTE=Elza B]
(A few minutes of Kelly every week go a VERY long way.)
[/QUOTE]

What was the drink that Ryan ordered for Kelly? All I remember is that it had 7 Maraschino(sp?) cherries.

(Even when she’s not in a scene she gets a chuckle… :slight_smile: )

37

[QUOTE=NOTAR]
What was the drink that Ryan ordered for Kelly? All I remember is that it had 7 Maraschino(sp?) cherries.

(Even when she’s not in a scene she gets a chuckle… :slight_smile: )
[/QUOTE]

I think it was a Chino? A 7 & 7 with a sugar rim blended?

I gagged hearing Ryan order that…

E.

38

[QUOTE=NOTAR]
What was the drink that Ryan ordered for Kelly? All I remember is that it had 7 Maraschino(sp?) cherries.
[/QUOTE]
A 7&7 with 8 maraschino cherries, sugar on the rim, blended if possible.

Yeah.

I don’t think of myself as Kelly - but I like sugar, I love maraschino cherries that have been sitting in alcohol; I want that drink. I wouldn’t order it - but I want one. (And I loved that Jim said exactly what I was thinking)

39

What was the name of that one wedding band? Something like “With This Band I Thee Rock”? Great stuff.

Another great scene not mentioned - when Dwight is trying his telekinesis on the bobble head doll, you can just barely make out Stanley in the background, out-of-focus, looking at him like he’s crazy.

Oh, and Pam on the phone: “It’s still me. I like to give himn a trial run before putting calls through…”

40

I’m not surprised, but I am relieved that they managed to avoid the HUGE cliche I saw coming.

On a normal show, Jan and Jim would have had a depressed hookup that Michael and Pam would have stumbled into.

Phew!

Go Creed! Insane bastard.

Poor Toby. He has to be one of the most depressing characters in anything, ever.

-Joe