THE OFFICE Season Premiere Recap: Weight Loss (Spoiler Alert!!)
September 25, 2008 by Kath Skerry
The following post and comments will most certainly contain spoiler for THE OFFICE. Honestly STAY AWAY!!!
I’m not sure it’s right to derive so much happiness from an hour of television, but when it’s THE OFFICE and it’s an episode like we got tonight, it just can’t be helped. Tonight’s Season 5 premiere had a little bit of everything I love about my very favorite show. And having it back was like hanging with an old friend. An old friend who is inappropriate and awkward as hell, but who has a lot of heart.
For the first time ever, the season premiere gave us a glimpse of what the Dunder Mifflinites were up to over the summer.
In an effort to improve employee health, DM Corporate launched a inter-branch weight loss competition. But Michael being Michael he took it just a bit too far…well, if you call employees passing out due to starvation a bit too far. What people will do for a few days off from work.
With the weight loss competition as the background, we got caught up with our favorite paper pushers.
Andy & Angela are still engaged and Mr. Bernard is doing all he can to get the wedding plans in motion. Angela on the other hand is just doing Dwight. Tsk…tsk. It seems that Dwight is the fix she needs to get through life with Andy. Angela’s doing all she can to push off this wedding, but she does have a soft spot for Andy and she does “like him”, so she seems a little torn. I’m still on Team Dwangela if that helps you at all, Angela. While we’re waiting to see which man Angela ends up with, I’m going to see if I can catch some practice session of ‘Here Comes Treble”. I’m sure their rendition of “Little Drummer Boy” will be quite a performance.
After the failed attempt at a proposal at Toby’s goodbye party, Jim and Pam decided to hold off on getting engaged until after she was done with school as they didn’t want to spend the first few months of their engagement apart. Aw. Pam headed off to Pratt leaving Jim behind in Scranton. In NYC Fancy New Beesly sure seems to be thriving. She’s an RA, she’s made new friends, and she seems like she’s really having fun. Of course, she is missing Jim. But I don’t know if she’s missing Jim as much as he’s missing her. If for no other reason than he’s stuck in Crazy Town with the co-workers while she’s off living the dream in NYC. But they’re making it work. Between the phone calls, IM and iChat these two certainly aren’t letting the long distance get to them.
Ryan Howard is back at Dunder Mifflin Scranton and he’s still a douche. Seems he got off easy (that’s what she said) and only got a slap on the wrist and some community service for his corporate misdeeds. Michael, who is still clearly smitten with the boy, insists that Ryan come back as a Temp to cover the phones while Pam is gone. A little leeway is given here as there is no way that DM Corporate would ever allow Ryan to work for the company again, but I’ll let it slide. And did I mention that Ryan is still a douche? I did? Ok good. Well, it’s the truth. He’s trying to make amends for his behavior last year like he’s in some kind of 12 step program. Jim ain’t buying it. Nor is Kelly who shoots down Ryan’s advances. Something tells me her willpower might not last too long, but for now she’s staying the course and staying with Darryl.
Michael is a changed man now that he is carefully following the Halpert Doctrine for Wooing Women. He’s being kind, respectful, considerate – pretty much not acting like himself at all…at least in front of Holly. It’s nice to see Michael reserved like this. And his jealousy over Holly’s date with the Yoga instructor was sweet. Personally, I can’t wait for the Jan/Holly showdown. Fireworks people!!
As for Holly Flax, I’m a big fan! Even after this one episode I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to pull for Michael and Jan again – knowing that there’s someone out there that could love Michael Scott unconditionally. I’m a little bummed that they killed the Holly/Kevin bit already, because that was some classic stuff. But at least the reveal was big and included someone finally screaming at Angela. It had me on the floor. It’s killing me to know that Amy Ryan is only around for a limited stint. She fits so seamlessly in with this show.
And lest you think I forgot, we must talk about Toby. Toby Flenderson has had it rough since moving to Costa Rica. The poor guy came across a faulty harness on a zip line which resulted in a broken back. Five weeks in a hospital and his only visitors have been the camera guys. It was good to see Toby though.
So that’s about it. You’re now caught up with the latest of the Dunder Mifflin family. It was a really funny epis…what? huh? I missed something? What are you talking about? Hmmm. Oh right…
Sweet heavens above JIM AND PAM ARE ENGAGED!!! Man, I have to tell you that I did NOT see that coming. And even as I was watching it happen I still thought I was being punked. The writers took a lot of care to deceive the viewers. They planted small moments of doubt throughout to make it seem that Jim and Pam were in for some bumps in the road (which of course they still might be, but it’s all different now that they’re ENGAGED! – sorry I just like writing that).
It was great to see Richard Sommer (MAD MEN) guesting as Pam’s friend. It was a nice bait & switch they pulled with character as they tried to perhaps make it seem that Pam had found a pseudo-Jim replacement at Pratt. It all worked very well to throw us off guard for when the big moment finally did happen.
And about the proposal – it gave me the warm fuzzy feelings of “Casino Night” (ok well at least the better parts of “Casino Night”). It was a huge Jim & Pam moment that came out of no where and no one expected it. The show of the two of them standing face to face unaware of the cameras watching them. And even Pam’s “what are you doing?” was oddly reminiscent. I don’t know if it was planned, but it was appreciated all the same.
And a lot of the credit for the surprise factor has to go to Jenna Fischer and John Krasinski for pulling off some truly fantastic feats of acting as of late, not only on the show but on the red carpet and other interviews leading up to tonight’s big reveal. John Krasinski especially has been doing nothing but planting doubt in people’s minds as to the status of Jim & Pam this season. So much so that I was starting to get worried that a proposal may never happened. But it did. And Jim fulfilled on his promise…he totally kicked her ass (and mine). And that kiss? Damn! And by that I mean DAY-UM!!
How brilliant was it for Jim to propose on a whim, in the rain, at the Exit 17 rest stop? Even being spoiled about a momentous Jim & Pam moment that was filmed in the rain, it didn’t hit me that he was going to propose until he was down on one knee. I didn’t expect it to happen tonight. And Jenna Fischer’s reaction was so fantastic that it almost seemed like she didn’t know it was coming either. Oh the tears running down my face and the ‘Oh my God’ coming out of my mouth. The show ended just about an hour ago and I’ve probably watched that scene at least 15 times already. JIM AND PAM ARE ENGAGED!! And you know what? After all that we the viewers have been through, what Jim and Pam have gone through, and even what Roy and Pam went through, the writers aren’t going to mess this up. Sigh. It happened.
The proposal took this episode of THE OFFICE off the charts, but even without the big moment it was a fantastic hour of TV. What can I say, I’m smitten with this show.
Forgive me, but I have to go watch again. Two quick items and then I’m going to leave you with a few of my favorite moments and I’ll leave you share the many, many others.
Two more quick things: What was up with Meredith’s face? It seems that once again Kate Flannery’s scenes were cut? Why make he go through all the makeup up just to cut her. So wrong. And didn’t anyone else notice a continuity errors with Michael’s goatee? Sometimes it was there, soemtimes it wasn’t. But at times it was definitely wrong.
- Dwight spraying the left over food with bug spray so no one could eat it. Not even the people living in the shelter with Creed. That big spray really got a lot of screen time this ep. Is it a member of SAG?
- “Hold it in your mouth if you can’t swallow” – The great ‘that’s what she said’ line ever and the newly reformed Michael doesn’t even say anything.
- Anything and everything having to do with Kelly Kapoor. Kelly’s had some fantastic talking heads in her time, but tonight when she was commenting about how amazing she would look in her bikini – it’s got to be right up there with the best Kelly moments ever.’
- “What up 212?”
- “Beer me five” – A nice little nod to the tried & true OFFICE fans. Thanks writers…that was dawesome!
- “A thousand year church in the continental United States. A rainbow. A 24-hour Vet on call” – all the essentials for a perfect wedding.
- “I swallowed a tape worm last night…”
- “I never really processed 9/11” -HA!!
- Exit 17…where the soda exploded. A special place.
- “I just…I can’t wait”
….and discuss.
OMG!!!! Can’t wait for your recap! I heart the office!!!
yes yes yes! finally! i don’t care what happens now at least they gave us that!!
OH. MY. GOD. i’m still crying. oh my god. FINALLY.
I am over the moon!
That was so great!! Was not expecting that at all. I love this show 😀
Literally cannot stop crying!
I switched over from Grey’s Anatomy just in time to see Jim and Pam in the rain, and the Big Moment! I started bouncing in my chair and cheering. Yay for Jim and Pam!
THANK GOD. I want to be invited to the wedding/be Pam.
that was amazing-great ensemble episode!
The return of Ryan—karma baby.
That was the absolute, most amazing proposal ever….way to go Office writers, for giving us such a perfect moment!!!
I had heard the spoiler about the rain, but it wasn’t until I saw him approaching that I thought OMG. I can’t believe it. Guys, they’ve already put Pam through the wringer with Roy. This is it. Mr & Mrs Halpert.
Kudos to John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer – not only for that scene but for doing such an amazing job at deceiving us all as of late with their talk about questioning the engagement and what not.
I have to go watch again (not the engagement scene which I’ve already watched 5 times), but the whole episode – which was dawesome by the way!!
But seriously…I AM LOVING TONIGHT!!
I was smiling like such a fool! Still am! I’m so excited. It’s like he proposed to me.
Okay I need a life.
I always visit this site, but never post anything. But I have to say that was totally unexpected!! That was one of the best premieres ever. What a great episode!! And it still would have been great even without the Jim and Pam stuff. (Yeah I said stuff, I’m a guy. I can’t help it.)
I cannot stop smiling! They’re engaged! Engaged! I literally screamed when Jim got down on his knee. I feel like Kelly right now…”Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God….”
ALL I can say is that John Krasinski is such a liar. He had me soo fooled on the engagement status. But he is a beautiful liar because tonight was amazing! I squeeled so loud that i didnt even hear exactly what he said!
ALL I can say is that John Krasinski is such a liar. He had me soo fooled on the engagement status on all his pre-season interviews . But he is a beautiful liar because tonight was amazing! I squeeled so loud that i didnt even hear exactly what he said!
I’m so glad I watched the cast interviews, b/c I was so much more surprised tonight with the engagement! Imagine that JKras tricking all of us! It was sooooo worth it! The Office is back! The Office is back! … and awesome!!
that was easily one of the best season premieres. and such a great proposal! totally unexpected, and what an awesome kiss!! and in the rain. what i certainly won’t forget is that huuuuuggggeee smile jim had on his face when he came in from the rain. and a wet john krasinski? me likey!
OMG!!! Ok, so that was the best Pam/Jim kiss ever!! What a moment! What a sweet, wonderful, romantic, perfect moment.
I am so happy!!!! What an amazing episode! Pam and Jim in the rain, the kiss, the “I can’t wait.”
There were, of course, other great moments besides the proposal:
Michael trying so hard to be a good friend instead of following his instincts of “lover first, then friend.”
Andy telling Angela that “Here Comes Treble” will be the wedding band, collectively be his best man, and stay with them for 3 weeks.
Kelly saying that she will be so gorgeous when she is done starving herself.
Oscar and Holly’s exchange about being gay/being a lesbian.
Kevin saying, “Wait…do you think I’m retarded?”
Ryan: “I don’t need a judge to tell me to keep my community clean.” Jim: “But he did, right?”
I love The Office and I am so glad that it is back!
OH MY GOD! It was A-MAZING! Everything about it was amazing…I agree, the office was back. I dare say I enjoyed that single episode more than 90% of Season 4. Jim and Pam…my heart can’t handle the awesomeness. I love Holly. Toby in the Hospital? Haha…but I have to say the funniest single line that actually had me laughing so hard I cried: “I never really processed 9/11”-LOL, so ridiculously great.
Welcome back The Office, we missed you 🙂
Just want to drop a note in here to say I am ridiculously happy right now. Thank you Gene and Lee!
So is Angela prego? did you noticed her face when andy asked everyone on the scale who was gaining weight? and she kept covering and holding her tummy?? would it be really that simple to get it all out in the open? and hurray for phylis the party planning committee head
Agree 100 percent with you on this episode Kath! It was wonderful and I’m glad they did surprise us with the proposal this first episode back! It will make the possible bumps in the road ahead for JAM more bearable knowing that they’ll still end up together!
And I totally love Holly Flax/Amy Ryan! As much as I do want Toby back someday, I really want Amy on the show past her few episodes left. I am definitely a Michael/Holly fan – and I totally cannot wait for the Jan/Holly smackdown either!
YIPPEE!!! Just like someone else commented, I was smiling like Jim proposed to me. I
WOW!! Way to go writers for an awesomely out-of-nowhere proposal! Sooooo happy right now! And I think this proves that the writers really are listening to what the fans want, because so many of us were upset last year at the non-proposal. Wow, what a great episode.
I do have to rant about something though: The proposal would have been even more surprising if Michael Ausiello at EW hadn’t been beating us all over the head with his spoiler that something “momentous” was going to happen in the rain for JAM. As soon as I saw the rain, I knew they were either going to break-up or get engaged. Someone really needs to put a lid on that guy, because his spoilers really spoil! [end of rant]
Otherwise, great ep! And here’s hoping Amy Ryan sticks around for more than 6 episodes – she’s awesome!
Damn. I shouldn’t have read this.
I can’t say you didn’t warn me though.
Damn, i’m annoyed at myself for spoiling myself. Graaag. I’ll never learn.
Best season premiere since “The Dundies”.
I found the iChat talking head really funny for some reason.
Poor Andy Bernard. You’re a doofus, but you deserve so much better.
Stanley with the black panther olympic pose for losing 7 pounds, hilarious.
Oh Michael Scott, taking Jim’s advise to the extreme and blowing the perfect opportunity to go to a concert with Holly. So clueless, but such a good heart. Never change Michael, never change.
I love that the documentarian asked Angela how she sleeps at night.
Seriously, best show on television and its not close. After tonight i’m optimistic we might have season 2 level quality this season. Don’t get me wrong i’ve loved every season, but season 2 is the gold standard as far as i’m concerned.
Also, no cold open. When’s the last time that’s happened? Early season 2 i wanna say.
OMG!! This episode was absolutely perfect. It really was like having an awkward, socially inept old friend back. 🙂
This episode blew my mind. BLEW my mind. When it got to the Michael Klump scene I was thinking to myself ” oh man this episode has been sooo good I don’t want it to end”. From Kelly passing out, Angela being a hussy, and Andy being freaking adorable, it was all so much. But it wasn’t over! We got a cute Jam IM, and then the mother of all scenes! I was completely exhausted, but in a good way, when it was over. I don’t think we’ve had an episode this good since S.2.
i am speechless and only disappointed that I was too tired to watch it again tonight. Can’t wait for it.
Lala…I totally agree! I hate to be a downer on these comments but i need someone to comfort me! As soon as I saw the rain beating down on the wheel of the truck outside the warehouse, I knew Jim was gonna propose. So I feel like I didn’t get the surprise I wanted. But I’m still so glad I got to witness it!
all is right again in the world of tv. loved everything about it. The not said, “That’s what she said,” was awesome.
It was perfect! Perfect! Hilarious stuff. I do agree that Ryan being able to work for DM again is a streatch, even through a temp agency, but it was still good stuff. Especially watching him try to regain some sort status among people that he treated like crap. I loved when Jim called him out about the court ordered community service and when Kevin dubbed him “fire-ed guy”. All the other moments in the show were awesome. I may have to blog about it on myspace just to fully express my joy! YAY FOR JIM AND PAM!!!
I liked the fact that Toby was watching the Entourage “Hug it out, bitch” scene in Spanish in the hospital.
Hmmm….Charlie has picked on something interesting with Angela…. Remember when she said to Michael, “My doctor says I should be gaining weight…” Hmmmm….
And what WAS up with Meredith’s face? A story line that they didn’t have time for, or just Meredith weirdness that won’t be explained.
I have to say that as soon as Jim got out of the car, instead of driving up closer to Pam to pick her up and get her out of the rain, I knew something was up. And he walked toward her without saying anything, while she talked… It reminded me a lot of Casino Night, when he silently strides towards her (to embrace her) after she’s been on the phone with her mom…. 🙂 Wheee!
LOVED the proposal obviously, but this was one of the worst episodes ever, funny-wise!! I laughed ONE time, when Kelly was being interviewed while on the liquid diet and she had dark circles and looked crazy. If Kelly was the only funny part, it was bad because I usually can’t stand her. I just worry that if people just started watching last night, they won’t stick around since it wasn’t as funny as usual.
Can we start a petition of viewers who want Amy Ryan to stay on the show? Seriously, they need to make her a regular.
So glad you mentioned Meredith’s face. What was that about? I hope we get to see it in deleted scenes. Phyllis Vance was priceless in this episode.
My favorite Michael line: “Her butt refuses to quit.”
Beware the “preudo-Jim replacement at Pratt”! I don’t like the threat this dude poses…ring or no ring. That’s not a shot at “Pam”. I just think it’s a foreshadowing of nasty times to come.
Great recap of the premiere!
What’s the deal with Meredith’s face? I know you mentioned it but what did I miss? Can we assume she got drunk in Cozumel and passed out?
Stanley is my new favorite. I thought he would have been the biggest slacker on this health initiative (working crossword puzzles on the scale and such). Instead, he took it very serious. That guy rocks. I loved the little leg lifts under his desk. Awesomeness.
I think Angela’s love triangle is a little out of character. She seems so proper all of the time. I guess that’s the humor in it. I actually feel bad for Andy. How is that possible?
Charlie (post #22) is absolutely correct! Angela is expecting Dwight’s child. At least, that’s what I thought when they gained weight on the freight scale. This season is going to blow the roof off of network TV.
KATH!!! HOw happy are you?? and…hello, one of my fave parts was Andy singing “ELLA, ELLA” to Ang…..ELA…
I LOVE HIM! undervalued on that show. Must just be b/c I like the singing….
The goatee appearance/disappearance wasn’t a continuity error. Michael grew the goatee because he saw that Ryan had one. Ryan asked him if he grew it after he helped him move. Then, Ryan shaved his, so Michael did too. Then, they showed a brief flash of Dwight looking bummed because he was growing a goatee.
That was such a great episode! I loved every minute of it especially the unexpected proposal. I agree that it was totally reminiscent of season 2. I have to watch it again online because I only watched it once last night.
Loved this episode! I was so bummed last season when the proposal didn’t work out. I was so prepared for them to drag out the whole proposal thing for a while with everything John and Jenna said in the interviews which made it so much more awesome!!! This show is one the best discoveries I have ever made!
Also loved the little hump bunnies Dwight and Angela. She is such a bad girl!!
Erin. It was a continuity error. He had the goatee. Then he was eating with Jim and someone else (can’t remember) and he didn’t have it and then he had it again, then he didn’t have it at the scale.
Great episode. I have avoided all spoilers so I was very surprised by the engagement but very happy. It was really romantic too, even at a rest area exit!
Meridith’s face was scary. It looked like she had some serious chemical peel. By the end of the epidsode it was normal though.
I hate Ryan. Telling Kelly she was beautiful just to get back into their good graces…ick. I loved how she blew him off though!
I felt really bad for Toby.
Dwight seriously needs anger managment training or something, kicking the cheesecake!
I really enjoyed the episode last night. So glad The Office is back. I personally think that Dwight was the one that was gaining all the weight. His belly looked much bigger than usual in the shot that showed him being stood up by Angela. Also, I loved Kelly in this episode. The talking head about her cleanse diet was great. Oh yeah, and the whole proposal thing was great. I wasn’t really expecting it like I was in ‘Goodbye Toby’ when it didn’t actually happen.
Loved Pam’s talking head–just sitting the laptop on the chair instead of on the table.
Michael tearing up the tickets instead of buying them and then asking Holly to the concert. So funny.
Jim running in all wet with a huge “just engaged” smile on his face but saying nothing.
Kelly’s affirmation from the staff and Ryan
Such a great episode. I loved everything about it. The proposal was the cherry on top. It was so authentic and romantic, perfect for JAM.
A few other moments I liked that no one mentioned:
The whole scam that Dwight pulled on Phyllis, making her walk 5 miles back to the office. When she complained that he left her in a bad part of town and he commented, “Aren’t you glad I took your purse?”; that was classic Dwight. I really like how Phyllis is taking charge these days, calling David Wallace to report Dwight and taking over the party planning committee.
Angela is such a hussy. If we didn’t know she was nursing her new baby in real life, we’d think she had a breast augmentation.
Jan certainly hasn’t changed, bursting into the office demanding that Ronnie make her a hundred copies on canary yellow and making Michael rub her feet.
Dwight emptying the vending machine of all the fattening sweets and replacing them with fruits and vegies that no one will buy the entire summer, then spraying the inside of the machine with bug spray to get rid of the fruit flies.
Stanley, Stanley, Stanley. Good for you for taking the wellness initiative seriously and trying to loose weight for yourself, not extra vacation days. Loosing extra weight will help get your diabetes under control as well. You wouldn’t even have any of your own birthday cake, even though it was your favorite NY style cheesecake, the generic one.
I like that this hour managed to showcase all the characters, except of course for Meredith. I’m hoping a deleted scene tells us what was up with her face, but I’m finding all the speculation about it very amusing. Poor Mer, she’s always getting hit by a car or bitten by a bat or something.
omg, that kiss was PERFECT.
i watched it 2x. it was just so sweet!
Fantastic episode! I’m a little sad I was spoiled for the engagement, though. DirecTV decided to quit working 20 minutes into it and didn’t come back until ER was on! I went to post a message about it on a message board and as I scrolled down (trying not to read), the very first thing said was “Jim proposed”. So that sort of sucked.
Can we get Amy Ryan to stay?!
Doesn’t Pam have just a few weeks left at Pratt? I thought we sped through the whole summer in the premiere, and she left about a week into it, no? I totally think the pseudo-Jim was a one-night-only red herring because they just needed to get us (and they got me) with the proposal, but also they wouldn’t expect us to believe some guy Pam was going to school with for another four weeks would come between her and Jim. No way. I think Jim and Pam are going to be solid; I trust the writers to make any engagement-related conflict superficial (i.e., Michael interfering with wedding plans, as he is prone to doing). We trust you, writers! And by the way, um, I know it’s not really The Office’s style, but can we have a Very Special two-hour wedding special? I need to see their ceremony and reception uncut, start to finish. Thanks.
This ep hit all aspects of a top-notch episode–scenes that are hilarious in their own right, payoffs for loyal viewers in the form of nods to previous seasons, and a Jim and Pam pivotal moment. My husband watches for the humor alone, and I watch for 50% humor and 50% JAM, and we both loved this season premiere.
I loved loved loved this episode. I was so suprised by the proposal. I am so glad I avoided most spoilers. I was actually ok with them not getting engaged last season, because I knew it would happen eventually. This was a great way to do it. I think it was totally Jim and Pam. It wasn’t some huge thing, just an unexpected, suprising, sweet, sincere moment. I loved it. And that kiss was AMAZING!
I think this was one of the best 1 hr episodes to date. There were so many great moments. Everything Kelly was amazing. I loved that they brought the douche Ryan back, although it is a little unbelievable. Phyllis’ moment was hilarious. She kills me everytime she gets sad or angry. She rocked it. There were so many great moments that everyone has mentioned so I won’t get into them all, but I just thought this was a great episode. It made me even more excited for the season.
As some of you mentioned, I totally think Angela is pregnant. I think that would be hilarious. And it has to be Dwights because according to Andy he is working on his abs for the first time Angela will see him naked. Well unless they’ve done it fully clothed (which knowing Angela is very possible.)
I squealed like a twelve year old girl at a Jonas Brothers concert when Jim got down on one knee in the rain at that rest stop. I was totally not expecting that on the first episode of the season, but I think the writers gave us the best premiere ever! I didn’t even think about the connection between “What are you doing?” from this episode to Casino Night until I read this summary, but that was a brilliant little nod to that fan favorite episode. Weight Loss is now a close second. All I can say is I can’t wait for the next episode and I totally want to get proposed to in the rain!
P.S. Thank you for posting that picture of the proposal. I’ve been looking for it forever, but couldn’t find it. It is so my new desktop background!
RYAN’S LIST! That was hilarious!
And like the color green, I think Angela is whorish…..
Thanks for the great recap – it is wonderful to be back, and dayum did I miss my favorite show. Seems better than ever, to me.