The Office – Season 4, Episode 4 – Money

Let me first say this: Toby’s so cool – writing and directing this week’s episode. Well, it’s the final 1 hour episode of The Office and unfortunately I’m going to have to call the experiment a failure. As I said last week – the show just doesn’t work in hour increments. Again, 40 minutes would have been the optimal length for this episode. The whole Pam and Jim going to Dwight’s bed and breakfast had some funny moments but as with the pizza boy story last week, it could have been completely pulled out and the episode would have been much tighter.

Still, here’s what I learned from this week’s The Office:

The Office – Season 4, Episode 3 – Launch Party

Sorry that I’m late with my look at this week’s Office but as I learned from the opening minutes of the show, watching the DVD box try to go into the corner (something I admit I’ve found myself mesmerized with on my own DVD player), good things can come if you wait for it.

Here’s what I learned from this week’s The Office:

• I will never doubt Pam again. If she says she saw something, I’m going to believe her.
• I should start printing my presentations on colour paper instead of white so they won’t be so bland.
• The brainchild of my brainchild is my grandbrainchild. Cool.
• From now on I’m only going to attend parties with sushi and important people.
• If I ever need a good business cliche to be used in a presentation I will rewatch Ryan’s speech – (“apples to apples”, “flying at 30000 feet”, “don’t want to get into a beauty contest”, “convergence”, “going guerrilla”, “don’t want to reinvent the wheel”, “it is what it is”) – Awesome!!!

The Office – Season 4, Episode 2 – Dunder Mifflin Infinity

Pam still looks great, Ryan still started the fire and this show continues to be the anchor of my Thursday night viewing. The show starts with Toby exposing Pam and Jim (not quite the way he intended).  Toby was great this week and how much did you hate Ryan – even more than before (but in a good way).

If you didn’t see, our favourite Dunder Mifflin couples were on the cover of this week’s Entertainment Weekly.  3 covers in all.

Without further ado, here’s what I learned from this week’s The Office:

The Office – Season 4, Episode 1 – Fun Run

How great is it to finally sit down and watch a new episode of my favourite show. I’ll tell you how great by doing what I always do when I review The Office, share what I learned. So without further ado….

Here’s what I learned from this week’s The Office:

• If I buy milk for my wife, I might get credit for making breakfast.
• Don’t click on Internet offers for celebrity sex tapes.
• Beware office detectives who like to ask “Are you kidding me” or repeat what you say in the form of a question.
• The duties of the Chairman of the Party Planning Committee are extensive and far reaching so don’t volunteer if you aren’t prepared to make sacrifices.

The Office – What They Did on Their Summer Vacations

Are you missing The Office as much as I am? Over the summer I rewatched seasons 1 and large chunks of seasons 2 & 3. NBC has released a short video of what The Office folks did over the summer. I love the new Ryan. Definitely shades of things to come. Check it out. It will tide you over until the September 27th premiere.

The Office – Season 3, Episode 22 – Beach Games

Here’s what I’ve learned from this week’s The Office:

• Sometime you really just “gots to get your freak on” even if your uterus is contracting as the egg passes through.
• You shouldn’t swim in leather pants.
• We should all strive to have the indefinable qualities that let us be chicken heads.
• The ideal off-site is chock full of funtivities and management parables.
• You can’t go wrong making lists of pros and cons when making a hard decision.
• A good manager is hungry and can eat 54 1/2 hot dogs without mustard.
• 10 points = 1 gold star = 1 thumbs up; Please check your local bank branch for the most current conversion rates.

Not as many learnings this week but still a lot of moments to love in this episode. If I had to single one out (besides the obvious moment of Pam’s speech) it would be the Almost Famous-like bus sing-alongs with the entire cast. A great demonstration of what makes this great cast work.

Avi’s Episode Rating: A-

The Office – Season 3, Episode 21 – Women’s Appreciation

Here’s what I learned from this week’s super-sized The Office:

•  3 demerits = 1 citation; 5 citations = 1 violation; 4 violations = 1 verbal warning; 2 written warnings = 1 disciplinary review that goes to your immediate superior.  Who ever said you don’t need math to go into HR?
• Laughing about people behind their backs? They aren’t there so no harm, no foul!
• Foliage isn’t just about leaves.
• The cornerstone of our justice system to protect small and delicate people from local pervs: Better 1000 innocent men get locked up than 1 guilty man go free.
• An emergency task force can be a useful tool when it is given priority one over other emergency task forces.
• I have to agree with Dwight this week – Collectible action figures are not dolls.  Not that I’m being defensive or anything.
• Context is everything.  It makes the difference between a monster movie and a wonderful sight.
• I asked my wife if she’s more in tune with the moon and the tides – she didn’t know what I was talking about.  Sorry Dwight.
• I always thought my kids looked a little too flashy in their Gap Kids clothes.
• Just as all men suspected, the women’s washroom is NOT like the men’s.
• Sometimes saying “It’s not me, it’s you” can make all the difference.
• The Wizard of Oz is a great metaphor for life.

Great episode.  The pervert poster was brilliant – one of the best pranks in the history of The Office, as good as future Dwight sending himself faxes.  Michael was excellent starting off as his usual ass-ish self but by the end making us sympathize with him.  I’m going to miss this show over the summer.

Avi’s Episode Rating: A

The Office – Season 3, Episode 20 – Product Recall

Here’s what I learned from this week’s The Office:

•  Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery unless except when it’s identity theft.
•  A day can be bananas – b-a-n-a-n-a-s.
•  You can’t let threat level midnight eliminate the need for a “that’s what she said”.
•  If OJ had only contacted the media before he entered the Bronco he could have controlled the story.
•  Tomorrow I’m going to wake up, shout “I’m not a loser” and give myself a round of applause.
•  There is a risk that when you ask someone about music in the car they may start singing.
• “Beer me” is equally effective at dinner and in prayer.
•  It is unlikely a part-time frozen yogurt chef is also a guidance counsellor.
•  It is possible for every client to be the most important client even the unimportant ones.
•  Dwight grew up on an interesting farm.
•  Devotion to one’s job can mean fighting a SWAT team.

Overall a pretty good episode.  Some definite laugh out loud moments and as you can see above some great learnings to take back to your office tomorrow.

Avi’s Episode Rating: B+

The Office – Season 3, Episode 19 – Safety Training

Not my favourite episode this season but as with all Office episodes there’s something to learn.

Here’s what I learned from this week’s The Office:

• Nothing says “I have a new attitude” like giving yourself a new name.
• 3 years of shunning can be an appropriate punishment for misbehavers of all ages
• It is not a good idea to try and set up a joke with the punchline “How’s it hanging”, particularly when it involves a ladder.
• Between eye strain, carpal tunnel syndrome and circulation issues working in an office can be a dangerous place.  It’s nothing a 1/2 hour break every hour won’t cure though.
• There is a connection between vomiting and boredom.
• Depression can be scarier than a bailer especially when you use visual aids and props
• If anyone give you 10,000 to 1 odds on anything, you take it
• Jumping on a bouncy castle is the opposite of safety
• You can bet money on anything.

Avi’s Episode Rating: B

The Office – Season 3, Episode 18 – The Negotiation

It’s been a long 6 weeks without my favourite comedy and without my favourite show to blog about. So without further ado, here’s what I learned from this week’s The Office:

• If people laugh at you for carrying pepper spray, one day you may have the last laugh
• Sometimes there are days where I feel gruntled. Yeppers, there are some days.
• Citizens don’t get gifts for being citizens and the only true heroes in this world take off their glasses and put on their capes when the commissioner calls. Also Hiro from Heroes and Bono. They’re pretty good too.
• You can learn everything you ever wanted to know about anything from wikipedia. How could it not be true if anyone can write what they want!
• I’ve always wanted to have a dominant physical presence. I just didn’t realize all I had to do was lean back in my chair.
• Italians don’t wear pockets.
• In a choice between many long discussions about feelings or getting a punch thrown at you, it really is a pick ’em.
• You can’t put a price tag on a $100 gas card.
• Despite Dwight’s assertion that Han Solo didn’t shoot down the Deathstar for a beer I think they’re saving that scene for the 35th anniversary extra special, super deluxe collector’s edition set.
• Negotiation is an art. Wikipedia can teach you to get to a win-win-win scenario.

Great episode – loved the negotiating scenes. Also, like all great Office episodes this one had some good heartwarming moments too where we finally get to see an actual real conversation between Jan and Michael. I admit I also felt bad this week for Roy. He’s a great character and I hope we get to see him again. Speaking of great characters, I also want to welcome back Andy who graduated from anger management class on time. Quite an accomplishment.

Welcome back The Office.

Avi’s Episode Rating: A-