I liked the episode, but that might be because I think they have done too many episodes outside the office this season. I think Michael asking for names from his employees is actually on character because he thinks of these people as his friends first and as their boss second. So, I see nothing unusual or wacky about him asking them to give him names.
Kind of a funny story, before I had proposed to my wife, she had given me one of her rings to go get sized. So I had this ring, and she knew at some point I would ask her. But I waited until I could get the ring, and she was getting anxious. So we were at the movies waiting in line to get popcorn when I remembered I had the ring she had given me in my coat. So I reached into my coat and said, “I have something for you.” and pulled out the ring. Welll, she thought I was pulling out the engagement ring and proposing there in line, which I wasn’t. And I wasn’t trying to fool her or anything, it was just a misunderstanding. When she realized it wasn’t the engagement ring she was super-pissed.
The parking situation was the sort of nonsense that people really do obsess over at work. There were some earlier episodes that managed to do the same thing, like the one about Pretzel Day, or Jim’s mistaken attempt at eliminating the individual birthday cakes. If the writers handle such plots well, they can keep the show relevant and fresh. The Jim-Pam romance, on the other hand, could completely derail the show unless it’s handled well. (When most shows put couples together after having unresolved romantic tension, it’s usually a sign of the end.)
We’re beginning to see Jim’s faults from Pam’s perspective. In “Local Ad”, for example Pam decides to stay late and work on the CGI logo. Jim urges Pam to blow it off, saying that the logo is already good enough for a local ad. Pam replies that “it isn’t good enough for me.” and stays late after all. You’d figure that Jim would know that doing a good job on the logo would be important to Pam.
We keep seeing moments of Jim being kind of a dick or being a little too immature; Pam disapproves but doesn’t say anything, and Jim remains oblivious to the faux pas. I could have sworn that Pam shot Jim a scolding look this episode when he expressed incredulity at Michael getting so worked up over news of the chair model’s death.
Jim, of course, still sees Pam as totally perfect. He’s got the ring, he’s gonna propose, and he can’t see a thing through those rose-colored glasses he’s wearing.
The closer we get to Jim’s actual proposal, the bigger that rift is gonna get. When he does pop the question, Jim’s gonna get hurt bad.
Are you thinking of when Dwight is comforting Michael when he learns of the chairmodel’s death, and Jim says, “But you never even met her!” Dwight tells Jim not to be so hurtful, and Pam gives Jim a look that says, “I actually agree with Dwight-- STFU!” I think Jim felt that he was injecting a note of reality to deflate Michael’s histrionics, but it did come off as a bit mean. And futile-- Jim should know better by now.
If you watch the deleted scene on nbc.com - you see that Michael has been staying at Schrute Farms for 6 weeks since the dinner party; he let Jan stay in the condo, but she has now moved to Scottsdale.
Phyllis had the line of the episode. After Andy realizes that he forgot his cell phone in the car she tells him something like, “Be sure to call to let us know that you’re ok when you get there.”
This goes right along with my prediction of how the show will end, which is: Michael leaves (quits/get fired). Jim gets promoted to Michael’s job and decides the time is right to propose, get married and settle down. Meanwhile, Pam is accepted to Premier New York City Art School. Faced with the dilemma, she teeters on the brink for two/three episodes but opts for the Big Apple. Exit Pam. Jim becomes Michael. THE END
I can’t remember what Michael said, somehting about it being a nice time, but extrememly poorly put, and the landlady replied, “That was incredibly rude.”
No lines for Toby but he had a great reaction shot when Michael announced to the office that he needed to “get laid.” It cuts to Toby and he has that “here we go w/ another HR nightmare” look on his face.
Everyone has a different interpretation of her reaction, I guess. I took it as “don’t even bother, rationality won’t help here”
I liked Oscar’s reaction to “friends that trust you because they know you’d never touch them… due to your condition”
The “Oscar Meyer wiener lover” bit hit me so hard I had to pause the DVR so I could laugh uncontrollably for the next several minutes.
What made it so funny, to me anyway, was that “Oscar Meyer wiener” is just the sort of thing someone like Michael (or Andy!) would call someone named Oscar on occasion. When he hit “Oscar Mey-” I was totally expecting “er wiener” to follow, but the “lover” was totally unexpected and the context with Oscar being gay, along with the face Oscar was making, that just made it incredibly hilarious.
At least the first time it was hilarious. After composing myself, I jumped back in the recording to watch it again, and now that I was expecting it, it lacked the punch it had the first time. Oh well.
Is anyone else really afraid of what might happen once Creed winds up with his third chair? :eek:
