Mose is played my Mike Schur, one of their Emmy-nominated writers.
One of the very best episodes in the history of the series. A great blend of sharp writing, funny-but-touching acting and intriguing character development.
I was laughing my ass off throughout the show.
Hated the episode but I’m assuming they’re setting up for some major plot developments this year. (More than we already have)
I think that the writers have made a mistake with Michael Scott. He’s a great salesman and an incompetent manager but in the two episodes that show him selling, he’s failed. He should have won back a few of the old clients with the gift baskets. Imagine the arc where Michael is successful as a telemarketer, well-liked by his co-workers, but can’t get over NOT being the boss and ends up blowing it in true Michael fashion.
And that is where I think this great series is starting to fail. They’re arcing the PB&J and the other relationships but not the real potential comedy gems like Dwight looking for a job, Michael as a telemarketer, Andy v. Dwight, or (my favorite) future Dwight faxing himself.
I for one liked it. A much-needed antidote to the Michael-as-clown stuff at the beginning of the season. We don’t need quite this much pathos every week, but I liked the blend of stupidity (Netflix, PowerPoint, “whomever”) with him being normal and likable (loved the movie review). His quitting was the perfect Michael moment - we admire him for never having quit anything before, and for taking his job so seriously, while also laughing at his inappropriately nervous and grave approach to quitting a job at the kind of place that obviously has a revolving door.
I also liked seeing Jan on the upswing (I hope). She’s gone from career meltdown to depression, to re-engaging with the world, albeit in a misguided way. But her reaction to Michael losing it was lovely.
I liked their final conversation, too:
Michael: But you’re not going to return your implants, right? [As if you could :P]
Jan: No, I know you like them.
M: Cause they look great.
J: Well they are kind of uncomfortable, and my nipples aren’t as sensitive . . .
M: But they’re really cute.
Once again, Rainn Wilson rocks. I have to think that they wrote about Dwight crying/moaning, and when Wilson demonstrated his take on it, everyone must have been on the floor.
I liked this episode, although it hasn’t been as funny as some other recent episodes. It reminded me of the first season, with the smaller emphasis on laugh-out-loud moments and a focus on some truly uncomfortable moments.
I love when Michael tells Ryan something like “let’s be realistic, it was unlikely I was going to figure this out anyway”.
While I’d have preferred the gift baskets win back a client or two, there’s no way Michael could be successful as a telemarketer.
Michael’s style is to wear a client down with his humanity and “I’m your buddy” style, finally convincing you that his way is the best way – after all, a friend wouldn’t steer you wrong. Telemarketing is about the quick sale and sticking to the script. In other words – no improv.
Michael Scott is Willy Loman if *Death of a Salesman * were a comedy. I’m sure someone else has had this thought before, but it’s never been more demonstrably true than in the last few episodes. Jan better hide the hose!
Last week almost had me swear off Thursday night TV.
This week was much better. I think I’ll be better able to take the show in half hour doses, but overall I enjoyed this week.
I just watched this and my favorite part by far was the american gothic creepy vibe coming from Schrute Farm.
Jim: Does Mose have a lot of nightmares?
Dwight: Oh yes…ever since…the storm.
amazing
That might be my favorite random line of the week.
The gift basket follow up calls should have worked. But I didn’t mind Michael blowing it as a telemarketer.
Part of Michael’s weird sales genius is this bond that he somehow or other forms with his clients. He talks to them in a way that only Michael would (remember the Fat Albert impression day) and they buy things. Telemarketing is the script, and of course Michael can’t and won’t stick to the script. That long conversation that his boss interrupted? That, eventually, would have led to a sale.
Exactly. When he was interrupted, he was talking to the other person about his/her kids. Michael’s gift as a saleman is that when he engages a prospective customer about family or personal issues, he never sounds insincere or hustling or calculating. When he’s on his game, the sale almost sounds like an afterthought during a conversation with a buddy. His secret to sounding sincerely interested in the customer is that he IS sincerely interested. If he’d been allowed to ignore the script and pursue his own sales style, he’d have been closing right and left.
The thing that excited me most about this episode was the appearance of Ranjit Chowdhry as Vikram. I’ve been enjoying this character actor for years, and I stood up and cheered when I saw him and heard his distinctive speech pattern.
I just found out that “William Charles Schneider” is the real Creed Bratton’s real name. Hah!
You know he was a heart surgeon back in India.
Odd that this episode is so polarizing. I also loved just about every minute of it.
“Darryl is the most complex man I have ever known…”
Did anyone notice that they never came up with the right answer to the whoever/whomever question?
What I really want is for you to know it so you can communicate it to the people here, to your clients, to whomever.
I don’t think “who(m)ever” here can stand alone as an object of “to” or as the indirect object of “communicate.” It has to be in a clause, such as –
– “to who(m)ever needs to know.” If this is the implied clause, then “who(m)ever” is the subject of the clause and “whoever” is correct.
However, if the implied clause is something like “to who(m)ever you are speaking with,” then “who(m)ever” is the object of “with,” and thus “whomever” is correct.
I thought he let it into the office around the corner from theirs?? Vance Refrigeration is right there??
Yes. When you get off the elevator, Dunder-Mifflin is to the right and Vance Refrigeration (at least the business office) is to the left.