THE OFFICE: Business Trip
November 14, 2008 by Kath Skerry
I hate when I have crazy Fridays and I don’t have time to properly talk about THE OFFICE. But such is the case today. Sorry. Although I suppose today is as good a day as any not to talk about THE OFFICE in depth since last night’s ep wasn’t one of my favorites.
Whether or not you agree with me on last night’s show, I think true die hard OFFICE fans (or fans of any show for that matter) can agree that although a particular ep didn’t really hit home you can still really enjoy it. Right? That was the case for me last night. I didn’t find the episode particularly funny. I’m sure I laughed but I can’t remember when (feel free to refresh my memory on some of the funny parts). It certainly didn’t have great moments like last week’s episode. But I didn’t hate it.
I’m invested in the show enough and in the characters enough that I can appreciate and enjoy an episode which is more focused on character development than the funny. I thought the Jim and Pam scenes were cute. I enjoyed the Kelly and Ryan follies (until the end at least). And I loved drunk Oscar and drunk Andy. Hell, my heart strings were even pulled when Michael was ripping David Wallace a new one. But I missed the funny.
Give the choice I would take a laugh out loud funny episode of THE OFFICE over a plot driven ep any day. I felt last night they missed the boat on making me laugh. Half way through the episode I was waiting for it to be over so I could turn on 30 ROCK and just smile.
So that’s that. My quick and dirty take on THE OFFICE. What did YOU think of last night’s episode. Feel free to remind me of the funny.
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It’s funny; two weeks ago, I really liked the episode and you (and a lot of others) didn’t. Last week wasn’t one of my favorites, and you (and a lot of others) loved it. Now I really enjoyed this week’s, and it wasn’t one of your favorites. So strange.
I really liked this weeks episode. The Andy and Oscar scene at the bar I thought was one of the funniest this season!
last night’s was great. i laughed and enjoyed the story progression. not many shows can pull off both so well.
I really liked last night’s episode. When Ryan started doing push ups I almost cried I was laughing so hard. When Oscar was so giddy when they were drunk dialing, I laughed out loud. When Pam came back my heart got warm watching the two of them in the parking lot and then I couldn’t help but smile at Dwight’s copy needs.
I agree that if you weren’t a fan you might not have thought it was that funny, because there was less silly and more character heavy funny parts. But since I am in love with their characters I really enjoyed it! It seemed too short.
I really liked last nights episode, but last weeks was awesome. (Which I credit to Stephen Merchant) But the things I found quite funny were:
Michael putting a coat over Merediths head
Pratically everything Andy said “You will thank thee when they spank thee” “Beer me dos Long Island iced teas, s’il vous plaît. Bad decision in a glass. (truer words have never been spoken), “Get the whole nine ‘nards”
Ryan doing push-ups at Kelly’s desk
Kelly saying the text message was really well written
Dwight being at Angela’s when Andy called her made me squeal with delight 🙂
Michael being giddy about getting info from a conseirge
I’m am a little sad that Pam dropped out of design school, and I’m not sure I believe that she doesn’t like it and would rather be in Scranton as an admin asst. I think Jim would move to wherever Pam wants to go. But I’m just analyzing a fake relationship way to much 🙂
But overall I throughly enjoyed the episode.
Pam’s back and that makes me happy.
Episode was solid, but nothing special.
Bringing Oscar out was fantastic. I mean, he’s so subdued and quiet that I loved seeing him bond and drink with Andy.
But it was definitely a whirlwind episode. A lot happened! Though I’m sick of Michael’s drama–so what? But I was entirely thinking that once Andy was refreshed about his phone call, he’d remember that another guy was there! What a waste.
But I did enjoy it. Not as much as, say, last week. (I think it was last week.) But it was pretty good.
I had the exact same reaction after watching last night. I liked the plot developments and enjoyed the episode but didn’t think it was particularly funny. I am so glad that Pam is back though and smiled through that entire scene. The funniest parts for me were the scenes with Andy and Oscar.
I loved it! Creepy-creed being, well, creepy. Kevin slapping Jim’s tushie. Stanley’s “heh-heh.” All the Andy and Oscar moments were hilarious. Andy had so many funny lines. Darryl struttn’ away like a free man. I even laughed at Pam’s trying to convince Jim she didn’t come back for him and he just was not buying it, and then Dwight interrupts the kiss. There were so many heart-felt and sad moments, too, but isn’t that The Office? We got some LOL moments, cringe-worthy moments, sweetness, and a little sadness mixed in with the strange. And, now, Pam is back! She and Jim will be pranking Dwight in no time. We got to see Michael still longing for Holly, which was missing last week. Kelly loving on Ryan and Ryan totally hating it because he got what he wanted and it wasn’t what he wanted. lol Loved it…
I think I agree with you this week- not a favorite episode. The whole episode felt strange to me- I can’t figure out why. I haven’t even watched it a second time yet. Maybe I’ll like it better if I do…..
There were some parts of the episode I found funny. Like Andy and Oscar at the bar and Michael in the cold open, but it wasn’t my favorite episode. My favorite thing was probably that Pam came back to Scranton, hopefully she stays and doesn’t decide to go back to New York. It seems like she has been out of the office for so long. Overall the episode was just OK for me.
30 Rock wasn’t that funny either.
Drunk Oscar was my favorite! “Call her! No Don’t” and when he spins around in the chair and is giggling like a school girl – I was cracking up for that scene! “Why won’t you do Andy?”. That scene made the episode for me!
Really GMMR? Wow, I thought last night’s episode was hysterical! From the cold open with Michael throwing his jacket over Meredith’s face and declaring that now she is beautiful, to the staff being way too creepily happy for Jim, to Michael randomly getting hit by the beverage cart, to the Concierge as Geisha connection (and the fact that she ended up fulfilling her Geisha duties), to the fact that Darryl was soooo happy to get rid of Kelly, to Michael finally telling off David Wallace, to the wonderfully sweet and much longed for JAM reunion…. I enjoyed all of it. Especially the staff’s creepy happiness for Jim – Stanley’s “heh heh” and Creed giving Jim a backrub was GOLD to me.
I laughed out loud & clapped so many times last night that I actually missed some things that I didn’t catch until another viewing. Loved SO MUCH of Andy…”engaging wings” & “WMFL (wing man for life) being just 2 of my fave lines. I was actually thrown off a bit every time they showed the concierge because I love RENO 911 & I kept seeing Clemmy, the character that actress plays. Oh well… and I think loving the JAM scenes goes without saying.
Kath…. Watch it again. I thought it was solid! Andy and Oscar were great, loved Jam, and giddy over Dwight being at Angela’s. All in all…pretty funny! Hope you are havin a blast.
OK, so this ep was not the best of all time. But I’ll come right out and say it…all I want in this life is for Jim Halpert to look at me the way he did while Pam was rambling on and on…(even when Dwight’s interrupting, Jim never took his eyes off Pam’s face, *sigh*)–oh, and to kiss me, of course! Now I am cracking even myself up with the ridiculous amounts of schoolgirly-ness here.
AMAZING. Lovedd Ryans pushups haha – the whole episode was great though. Everything everyone else has said I totally and absolutely agree with 😀
This season is turning out to be a ripper
For me this season is such an improvement on Season 4. So far only one – slightly – dud episode (“Employee Transfer”) and even that wasn’t as bad as quite a few episodes from S4 .
And Kath – “Half way through the episode I was waiting for it to be over so I could turn on 30 ROCK and just smile.”??? Now I love me some 30 Rock but that comment is just sacrilege young lady 🙂
Seriously watch it again – I think you’ll enjoy it much more the second go around.
I agree! Ok to watch, but not a favorite, and not very laugh out loud funny. I pretty much only laughed at Micheal’s “International” talking head (pancakes…man of mystery) and at Dwight’s critique of Pam’s painting of the office. Although, I didn’t enjoy 30 Rock as much this week either. The Night Court thing made me cringe, and not in a good way!
My new fave couple is Oscar and andy – their scenes made it for me. I liked this ep a lot. I knew just totally knew Pam was going to be there waiting for Jim and was not disappointed. Does this reverse the curse of the parking lot of doom? I want them back together in Scranton selfish person that I am.
Give it another try, Kath!
I agree it wasn’t as funny as Customer Survey, but I’m okay with that since that ep was a total classic. I thought Business Trip was a solid episode with laugh out loud moments as well as heavier stuff (Michael vs. David Wallace, Jim and Pam). And of course I swooooned over the final Jam scene… what a great job by JK there. Wow.
I love JAM, but I was upset Pam came back. What was the point of all that time and energy she spent at school? They would have made it work, she should have stuck it out and “come home the right way”! Be a strong woman Pam, Jim supports you!