THE OFFICE: Lecture Circuit (Part II)
February 12, 2009 by Kath Skerry
I’ve got a chainsaw, some mini Snickers and I know my movie quotes. Kids, I’m giving up the blog to hit the lecture circuit. Hell, if Michael Scott can do it than so can I. Then again, Michael Scott has been a bit of a train wreck, hasn’t he? Isn’t he always?
Tonight’s conclusion to “Lecture Circuit” didn’t have me on the floor as much as some moments from last week’s episode, but I was laughing…and crying and cringing and wanting to be Kelly Kapoor (and lusting after Jim Halpert) – all the elements that make up a great episode of THE OFFICE.
Bravo to Jenna Fischer who carried most of the episode on her back. Fancy New Beesly knows how to handle Michael Scott better than anyone else and she is the only reason he kept it together in Nashua. And seeing that he didn’t really hold it together all that well, I can’t help but imagine what he would have done if Pam weren’t there. But Pam could not have been more adorable. Seriously, I wanted to shoot her, stuff her and put her of my shelf. Adorable!
Pam Beesly – Public Speaker
I was genuinely sad for Michael that he didn’t get to see Holly while in Nashua, but thrilled that the writers kept the storyline open for the return of Amy Ryan’s Holly Flax. I did find the reading of a letter a bit strange. I didn’t have an issue with him stealing it – I would have done the same thing (what, it had his name on it…and it was left on her desktop – who does that?). But it seemed a little odd that Pam told Michael that Holly still had feelings for him. It’s been months – how does Pam know that Holly didn’t write that letter the day she arrived in Nashua? Maybe her feelings have changed. Has Pam unwittingly set Michael up for a huge fall? I hope not. Holly and Michael were meant to be. Now if we can just get rid of that boyfriend of hers. Stay strong, Michael.
Back at Dunder Mifflin Scranton, the Party Planning Boyz continued to fail at every turn in planning Kelly’s birthday bash…until they didn’t. I hope that Pam doesn’t let Jim within 50-feet of their wedding planning. He’ll ruin the whole thing. Dwight I would expect this from, but Jim? I loved seeing Jim so overwhelmed and flustered. With all that goes on in that office Jim always manages to keep his cool, but now he can’t seem to pull off a small birthday fete without bursting a blood vessel. The interplay between Jim and Dwight was spot on. I could watch these two bicker like an old married couple every week.
Jim & Dwight’s Perfect Party
And Angela? I think we were watching Angela Martin, but I couldn’t be sure. See the writers have diluted Angela Martin so much that I’m never sure which version of her we are going to get. Me, I prefer the old school Angela – a uncompromising and unforgiving woman who was set in her ways and who was led by her strict morals and values. I fear that that version of Angela Martin is gone forever. Not to say I didn’t find this Angela enjoyable, it’s just not the same. This new Angela sleeps around, cheats on her fiance, buys $7,000 cats and then licks them. I think they took Angela to a new place tonight and I’m not sure they will ever be able to bring her back. That’s sad. (And the coughing up of the hair balls? Really? No one questioned that in the writers room?)
Kelly “I’m too excited to sleep” Kapoor continues to be awesome! You gotta love that Mindy Kaling had no problem writing character into the central plot of one of her own episodes. Who knows Kelly (or is it Kelley) better than Mindy? I love Kelly. We just need to get her a man, agreed? Kelly’s at her best when she’s all clingly and neurotic…and psycho.
“Lecture Circuit” will stay on the DVR for a little while as I think it’s one of those eps that will only get funnier with multiple viewings (with exception of the hair ball which will never be funny).
Meanwhile, I’m going to sit back and wait for Amy Ryan’s schedule to clear.
Favorite moments, quotes, and other delightful tidbits from last night’s episode…
Many Happy Returns
- “$7,000? I could get you a kid for that”
- “There office is only accessible by cross country skis. Ayo.”
- “Good morning Vietnashua”
- “Blazer, Freckles, Penguin, k.d. Lang, Holly’s boyfriend.”
- “I have a chainsaw. Neeee. Cutting down the competition.”
- “So far, our ideal party consists of beer, fights to the death, cupcakes, blood pudding, blood, touch football, mating, charades and yes, horse hunting”
- “I’m too excited to sleep.”
- “Bonnie Hunt is on.”
- “We should go apologize to Roy or something.”
- “Jabba the Hut. Pizza the Hut. Fat guys like pizza. Pepperoni pizza. Pepperoni Tony.”
Next week on THE OFFICE…
Perhaps the single worst episode of THE OFFICE ever…”Baby Shower”. Oh no, I hope they’re not showing this episode to set up the return of Jan. Hey OFFICE writers – she hasn’t been missed!!
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I liked this episode a lot but I am not sure everyone will. I thought it was funny but really sweet too. You warned us that we probably wouldn’t see Holly but I was still hoping we would. I will be back later to check out your update.
This wasn’t my favorite episode but I thought the Jim and Dwight stuff was funny. Michael was too pathetic for me. I loved the part when Dwight hit Kelly on the ass.
I loved the gum being on the cake and the choice of a one hour nap or one hour TV and then Kelly being too excited to sleep. I was hoping to see Holly too but I think it still worked well. Michael cutting her sweater to take it with him, just wow. And poor Pam trying to pick up the pieces for him by overtaking the lecture but still doing it the Michael Scott way was great. Angela licking the cat, disgusting! And the coughing up a hair ball was just too gross. I’m not surprised that she has a nanny-cam there for her cats. Not a mind-blowing episode but not horrible.
I think Pam lied to Michael to help him dig out of his grave. She deleted the document so only she and Holly know it’s true content.
I agree with everything you said GMMR – fun episode, but not one of the best. Although the party planning stuff was awesome. And I loved that Jim couldn’t remember how to spell Kelly’s name. And yeah, I totally agree with what you said about Angela Martin. I really miss the dour, never-smiling, strict Angela Martin of the past. It was funny that she never smiled, and was all buttoned up. Now we have whore Angela who is smiling like a crazy person and licking cats.
Ok sorry, I have to rant for a moment: Seriously, what true cat owner would be stupid enough to lick a cat? Even casual cat owners know that ONLY cats have the special tongue and saliva that allows them to actually clean themselves with their tongue. Humans do not have this ability, obviously. In fact, being covered in human saliva would be considered “unclean” by a cat, and make them want to lick themselves to clean it off. Cats are super-fastidious about foreign substances on them, and will even try to clean themselves if they have water on them. Again, a real cat owner would know this, especially one who subscribes to cat magazines and has multiple cats. (And yes, I own a cat, and no, I have never licked her *shudder*).
So are they just trying to make Angela unhinged and totally crazy now? What’s the deal?
This week and last totally redeemed the show for me — if you discount all of the Angela stuff, which has gone way off the cliff. And I used to adore her character. But the birthday stuff — especially Jim & Dwight teaming up — and Pam and Michael — all gold.
Any time Jim and Dwight and left to have to work together for something is a good bet for an episode. I loved Jim’s natural history museum story and Dwight’s take on the best dinosaur.
Not my favorite episode, but i found it enjoyable.
I think they are rerunning Baby Shower because they reran Weight Loss and Business Ethics during the previous break and Baby Shower is next on the list. I’d guess the week after will be Crime Aid.
I agree though that Baby Shower is the worst Office episode ever and its not really close.
I watched both episodes back-to-back and I thought it should have followed the Super Bowl instead of the other episode. It was my favorite episode in the last couple of seasons (even though Jim and Pam were never together). Steve C. continues to hit it out of the park, but I really enjoyed the Dwight/Jim storyline as well. They are so great together. I laughed out loud every time I saw those pathetic balloons. And seriously, is Kelly not the most misspelled name there is? Kelly, Kellie, Kelli, Kelley.
Loved Jim’s comments to Dwight when he was yelling at Kelly at her desk about her past. “Next time you get the cake and I’ll yell at the birthday girl.”
I think NBC had Karen and Pam make up so that America won’t hate on Rashida Jones and will tune in to her new show that now has a NAME (yea). It looks funny to me and now I will tune in since Karen is married and having a baby. You know that you feel the same way. It’s the same reason why I don’t like the girl on Grey’s Anatomy. She screwed over Sydney & Vaughn on Alias. She’s dead to me!
I actually liked the cat stuff!!! It was so over the top I had to laugh. and I just loved Oscar’s talking head after the hair ball. Jim and Dwight are just to amazing for words when they are together. I would LOVE to be on set with John and Rainn are doing scenes together! I totally agree with chris about how Pam lied about Holly still having feelings for Michael…so hopefully this will mean Holly’s return and some weird moments between all of them!!! 🙂
Great episode. Definitely one of my favorites this season.