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'The Office': The Jan who came to dinner
I've witnessed my share of uncomfortable dates (several of them firsthand), and I've been in social situations where I've been at a serious loss for words. But man oh man, thank goodness I've never been to dinner at Casa Scott/Levinson.
And yet, how good it is to have The Office back in all its squirmy glory.
(You know, in Spain they often don't even start spoilering until midnight.)
The script for Thursday's episode was pretty well finished before the strike, and maybe because of that it doesn't show any of the rust that's affected some of the other returning shows, comedies especially. And although it might have been nice to see a little bit more of the rest of the Dunder Mifflin crew in the first new episode in nearly five months, but that's a minor detail. This was some good, good stuff.
The pathology starts right from the top, as Michael runs a fake assignment from corporate just so he can catch Jim and Pam without an excuse and get them to come over for dinner. In its very odd way, it's kind of brilliant, which Jim acknowledges to the camera. And since Michael and Jan have six wine glasses, Andy and Angela get an invite too (much to Dwight's anguish; I liked the take of him crying to the camera more than the one of him running out of the room NBC showed in promos).
And oh yeah, it's every bit as bad as you might expect. I was a little worried, having watched a couple of preview clips and seen lots of commercials, that NBC was offering up all the best bits of the episode. But the dinner party was practically a bottomless pit of uncomfortable/hilarious moments. Let's run down a few of them, shall we?
Jan's continuous patronizing of Pam -- with Angela all too willing to help throw her under the bus -- leading up to the revelation that Michael had told Jan that he and Pam dated.- The sliding glass door story: Michael ran through it because he thought he heard an ice-cream truck, and also because was so clean that "it looked invisible." "Because before I lived here the glass was always covered in smudges," Jan replies. "Then I cleaned it, so I guess that makes me the devil." To which Michael spits back, laughing all the while (but not really), "You are, you are -- you're the devil I'm in hell."
- Michael's bed at the foot of the bed, his hand chairs in the garage, his teeny tiny plasma TV.
- Jan's repeated playing of ex-assistant Hunter's song ("You took my hand, you made me a man. That one night, you made everything right..."), the last of which leads up to the most hostile "That's what she said" in Office history.
- The way Jan and Michael tried to keep up a cheery facade -- I swear, there must have been more "babe"s in that episode than in half a season's worth of The Amazing Race.
Best of all, though? The fantastic reactions, both verbal and non-, from Jim and especially Pam. Their little showdown when he tries to bail for a flooded apartment -- "You wouldn't want to leave this party here all by itself, would you?" -- played fantastically (and Jim, dude -- you never leave someone behind in a case like that. That would have been a point-of-no-return moment for you and her) -- as did her whispered "Awesome!" when Dwight showed up with his former babysitter (that was Beth Grant, of No Country for Old Men, Jericho and about a million other things).
There are almost too many great little lines and looks and moments for me to list, but I'd like to point out just one more: During the little musical wrapup when Andy tries to kiss Angela and she smears her waffle cone on the car door. In the show's absence, I think I forgot what a completely frigid and closed-off character (see also her complete ignorance of Tom Cruise and Arnold Schwarzenegger during the party game) she is. Wise move to hide her pregnancy, Office team -- it'd just be too unbelievable.
Your turn, fellow Office lovers: How'd you like the show's return? Too squirmy, or just what you'd been hoping for? And what were your favorite moments from the dinner party?
Thank god this show is back... I was beginning to think the writers' strike had destroyed sitcoms. This was probably my favorite episode ever... wish I was there at the dinner party!
AC | Apr 10, 2008 8:48:06 PM | #Wow, was that the most uncomfortable dinner party ever or what? I love the part where Pam tell the camera that Jan is more likely to poison her because of Michael's lie. That was funny. Glad the Office is back.
LT | Apr 10, 2008 9:44:10 PM | #I dont get how anyone really enjoyed that episode! I thought it was probably one of the worst episodes for sure.
Wow...bummer...it was also shot in an weird film setting.
Anyone else agree that episode was terrible?
Trevor | Apr 10, 2008 11:50:45 PM | #As far as Season 4 episodes have gone, this one was one of the better ones. But in terms of the show as a whole, it was pretty average.
Corey | Apr 11, 2008 12:03:58 AM | #I thought the episode was great! I loved Michael trying to get his "rich friends" Andy and Jim to buy into Serenity by Jan and more than that I loved seeing Michael arguing with Jan. So often he's just trying to suck up to her or overwhelmed that she's with him it was great to finally see him stand up for himself and kind of realise he can do better.
And you've gotta love Jan trying to dance with a seated and non moving Jim.... you've just got to.
my husband and I anxiously waited for the return of the office and it didn't disappoint!! We laughed out loud the whole episode. Great come back. Love this show.
Good review...I like that you appreciate all the little hilarious details of this show =]
courtknee | Apr 11, 2008 6:13:21 AM | #The only way i can see anybody not loving that is if they haven't been around couples who have a fight or make it awkward. I have several times and that was so funny I almost couldn't take it. Great job funny funny stuff "you are the devil, im in hell, burning" brilliant
doeboi214 | Apr 11, 2008 6:13:21 AM | #Hello? How could no one mention the very expensive ($200) plasma TV? LOL
Bill | Apr 11, 2008 6:34:29 AM | #Okay, thanks for the recap because I just realized I missed something. Are you saying that Hunter's song was implying that Jan made him a man? For some reason, I thought it was implying that Hunter was "made a man" by another man. I don't know how I mixed that up.
sac | Apr 11, 2008 6:52:48 AM | #It was pretty good but not what the cast said it would be in all the interviews. It had some good moments but I like The Office to be in the office with everyone involved. I don't like to concentrate too much people's outside lives. I don't think Andy said two words all night. The show is at it's best centered around work.
CT | Apr 11, 2008 7:20:53 AM | #I think what made this episode fantastic, and if you watched the BBC series, it really was able to capture the awkwardness. I think why some people will not like this episode was because it was so painful, they did such a good job with the dinner party that I found myself uncomfortable. It had that voyeuristic feel to it and that is just pure genius.
Kendra | Apr 11, 2008 7:30:32 AM | #Just squirmy enough.
I now must return to by burnin-- I mean flooded workplace and my $200 plasma screen and my chair that I do really fit in.
pakopako | Apr 11, 2008 7:31:02 AM | #Oh, and Andy did get a few lines in here and there. The usual sycophantic praise to Michael and something.. uh about Pam and tuna. And then there was Angela.
And I like how Jan also looked straight into the camera when making a point during her blow-up with Michael. (And the touching moment at the end when she tried to repair the broken Dudley)
pakopako | Apr 11, 2008 7:34:01 AM | #I loved it. OMG. Loved it. The Angelia comment at the dinner table to Dwight about not wanting his beets anywhere near her mouth that got me.
Ray | Apr 11, 2008 7:34:40 AM | #Great to have the show back but I think some amount of credit needs to be given to The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which elevated the disastrous dinner party to high art.
Biggest laugh for me was Angela's waffle cone smear.
Andy | Apr 11, 2008 7:47:19 AM | #that was my first time watching this show and i got to say, i could not stop laughing. the plasma tv finished me!wow can't wait for another episode
la_mant00 | Apr 11, 2008 8:32:16 AM | #"Sometimes I just stand here and watch TV for hours"
Bill | Apr 11, 2008 8:32:43 AM | #Well, as a huge "The Office" fan, I have to say I was a bit disappointed. I guess I don't like the direction they are taking the Jan character...also, being the first new episode in forever it certainly would have been nice to set it at the office. This episode would have been better a few weeks after the return...
Disa | Apr 11, 2008 8:39:42 AM | #Some funny stuff, but overall not a "classic." The Office does better when it stays "close" to the office and work-related issues. There's nothing funny about NON-STOP meanness between couples.
Rico | Apr 11, 2008 8:41:30 AM | #Trevor, I totally agree. I thought it was the worst episode ever. So did my coworkers who also love the show. I'm shocked so many people liked it. I coudn't believe we waited three months for THAT! A few chuckles and WAY over-the-top, even for The Office. I hope next week is much, much better.
Jeff | Apr 11, 2008 8:55:07 AM | #I enjoyed the episode, LOVED the beets comment to Dwight by Angela. I do not really like what they're doing/have done to Jan's character either, but it's done now - no going back. I much prefer her being mostly normal outwardly with the occasional comments that lets you in on the fact that she may be a bit bat-shit crazy underneath or at least has control issues. Loved Dwight showing up with the wine glasses..."you said he couldn't come cause we only had 6 glasses and he wasn't in a couple...well he brought glasses and he with a um person."
no-idol | Apr 11, 2008 9:06:40 AM | #Another funny part was at the end with the Police. They already knew who Dwight was. Dwight "I'll handle this". Police Officers response "Not now Dwight."
Very funny!!
Jim: How do you and Dwight know each other?
Date: I was his babysitter.
Jim: And now you're dating?
Dwight: It's purely carnal and that's all you need to know.
Jim: Can I get your email because I have so many questions I want to ask you?
Date: Email?
hilarious!!!
Me | Apr 11, 2008 9:31:54 AM | #I enjoyed the episode thoroughly, but it felt a little like watching The Break-Up. It captured a very unfunny part of a couple's life and tried to make it funny. The Office succeeded where The Break-Up really didn't. Michael and Jan are the most frightening couple.
Jen | Apr 11, 2008 10:30:05 AM | #How could anyone NOT love this episode? Watch it again and notice every detail. It's masterful comedy in every way, shape and form. Brilliant, hilarious, over-the-top....oh man, keep it coming, guys!
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