Two Paper Companies Are Better Than One In The Office: Season Five

This past Christmas, my brothers got my parents and me hooked on NBC's workplace sit-com The Office. We breezed through four seasons in a few months before playing catch-up with the fifth season online. It's the only season of which we saw some of the episodes as they aired. With 23 episodes, it's nearly twice as long as the strike-shortened fourth season, and although affable salesman Jim (John Krasinski) and sunny receptionist Pam (Jenna Fischer) are officially a couple and nothing comes along to threaten their relationship much, all sorts of other entanglements are happening around them.

In the beginning, the big question on the Jim and Pam front is when Jim will pop the question, since it's obvious he's been burning to do so for a long time and is simply waiting for the right moment. The inevitable engagement scene comes early in the season and is surprisingly underplayed, considering how much buildup was behind it. They're also forced to endure long-distance romance while Pam takes art classes in New York, though this doesn't last long.

Meanwhile, preppy warbler Andy (Ed Helms) remains engaged to prissy accountant Angela (Angela Kinsey), but he as he eagerly makes wedding arrangements, she has covert meetings with her old flame, the relentlessly eccentric Dwight (Rainn Wilson). Clueless boss Michael Scott (Steve Carell) finally gets his shot at true love with the new public relations person, the daffy Holly (Amy Ryan), but his life takes a turn for the worse when David Wallace (Andy Buckley) from corporate get wind of their romance, which breaks company policy.

The most surprising story arc of the fifth season involves Michael's rash decision to leave Dunder Mifflin after David hires the no-nonsense Charles (Idris Elba) as an intermediary between himself and Michael. Dunder-headed Michael has no idea how to get along in the world outside of his cozy position, and he seems likely to flounder, especially when he announces that he will be starting up his own rival paper company. However, Pam demonstrates initiative and loyalty by offering to join him in his new venture, and it isn't long before Michael tracks down former know-it-all intern Ryan (B. J. Novak), now working in a bowling alley, and convinces him to join the team. The three of them have an interesting dynamic, with Pam the go-getter who keeps the project from unraveling and Ryan the useless tagalong. Back at the office, Angela and flirtatious Kelly (Mindy Kaling) compete for the favor of the nonplussed Charles, and Dwight struggles to retain his clients in the face of the sudden threat from Michael.

Dwight is the most outlandish character in a show full of kooks, so many of the season's most memorable scenes belong to him. Crime Aid has him emulating Jud Fry in an amusing parody of Oklahoma!'s auction scene. In Moroccan Christmas, he brings to mind the Tickle-Me-Elmo and Furby crazes as he stocks up on the year's "it" toy and charges his officemates exorbitant rates for their children's satisfaction. Prince Family Paper is Dwight at his most infuriating, undermining Michael's soft-hearted decision not to use the information gathered on a Mom and Pop paper company during an undercover mission against them, as is Stress Relief, in which Dwight goes so overboard on creating a realistic fire alarm that Stanley (Leslie David Baker) has a heart attack.

My very favorite Dwight moment of the season occurs in conjunction with Andy in The Michael Scott Paper Company, in which the two, caught up in rivalry with each other even as they try to nourish a friendship, throw together a guitar-banjo rendition of John Denver's Take Me Home, Country Roads that is more like Dueling Banjos. It was a sublime surprise for this John Denver fan - particularly as they happen to be singing for the benefit of a character named Erin - followed by a disagreeable jolt when wet blanket Toby (Paul Lieberstein) cut the concert short.

We watched part of this season out of order, and it didn't really make much of a difference. It's best to watch episodes of The Office is the proper sequence, but it isn't critical to one's enjoyment or understanding. The shake-ups that occur in the fifth season are entertaining, and several developments in the final episode set us up for excitement in the sixth, which is already upon us. I can hardly wait!

The Office's Shortened Fourth Season Doesn't Fall Short

My brother was home from college for spring break a couple of weeks ago, which gave us the chance to watch the last of the four seasons of the NBC muckumentary sit-com The Office, which he got on DVD for Christmas. While it was considerably longer than the teensy first season, thanks to the strike, the fourth season spanned a mere 14 episodes, making it pretty easy to get through in a week.

The Office spent three seasons getting salesman Jim (John Krasinski) and receptionist Pam (Jenna Fischer) together. After all that romantic tension, the season four premiere finds them a couple. Thus, season four marks a fundamental change in the show, much like season eight of Frasier, in which Niles and Daphne finally get together. While Frasier's lovebirds still must clear several hurdles at that point, over the course of the season, nothing really comes along to threaten Jim and Pam's relationship. For them, it's a season of bliss.

Not so much for their office mates, however. Toby (Paul Lieberstein), the human resources representative so reviled by off-his-rocker boss Michael (Steve Carell), always got along well with Jim before, but now he bitterly views him as a romantic rival. Jan (Melora Hardin), Michael's former boss, moves in with him, but their relationship continues to deteriorate as she displays increasingly erratic behavior. Eccentric farm boy Dwight (Rainn Wilson) repulses Angela (Angela Kinsey) when he mercy-kills her cat instead of administering her complex treatments; dorky Andy (Ed Helms) wins her over with a dramatic romantic gesture, but she finds she can't stop thinking about Dwight.

Kelly (Mindy Kaling) is miserable because her boyfriend Ryan (B. J. Novak) dumped her and ran off to be a corporate bigwig. While he loves being able to lord his power over his old officemates, Ryan soon discovers that life in the fast lane has its downsides. Grumpy Stanley (Leslie David Baker) flirts with the idea of transferring to Utica and befuddles Michael with an aggressive show of insubordination. Meredith (Kate Flannery) starts off the season in traction when Michael accidentally runs her down with his car, and lethargic Kevin (Brian Baumgartner) finishes the season flattered by the considerate attention of Holly (Amy Ryan), a new addition to the office, not realizing that she thinks he is mentally challenged.

Although the season is abbreviated, there is still plenty of fun packed into it. Highlights include a fierce salesmanship battle between Dwight and Dunder Mifflin Infinity, the company's just-set-up website; the employees' creative efforts to put together a more interesting television commercial than the one proposed by corporate; Michael's attempt to prove that he can survive in the wild; Ryan's hyperactive antics when Michael and Dwight visit him in New York; Kevin and Andy confronting the other office park bosses about one company's encroachment into Dunder Mifflin's parking lot; and Phyllis (Phyllis Smith) finally getting her big break as head of the party planning committee, leading to the most spectacular going away party the branch has ever seen. Of course, some of the funniest moments still stem from the characters' straight-into-the-camera confessionals.

Obviously, the writers' strike affected the course of this season, but I'm not sure to what extent. The only plot development that feels really rushed is Andy's courtship of Angela, and that seems to be largely a reflection of his overbearing personality. Ironically enough, the season's biggest weakness is probably the unfettered happiness of Jim and Pam; though it's what most viewers were rooting for and it's wonderful to see them so content, that tension drove a lot of the show's comedic conflict. Still, season four is a solidly entertaining chapter in Dunder Mifflin's ongoing saga of silliness.

The Office's Third Season Brings a Breaking - and Re-forming - of the Fellowship

Anytime you have a show with a large cast, there's the potential for some fracturing as various characters move in different directions. In The Office, the NBC comedy about a pack of quirky office drones working for the Scranton branch of fictional paper company Dunder-Mifflin, the third season is marked by this sense of disconnectedness. The first third of the season alternates between Scranton and Stamford, the branch to which lovable everyman Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) has relocated. Though a branch merger eventually brings him back to Scranton, it's in the company of several new characters, and it takes most of the season for the Scranton branch to settle back into its old groove. While the shake-up isn't necessarily a bad thing, it does facilitate the most awkward moments yet in the series.

Probably more than in any season, Jim is the focal point here, as the camera follows him to Stamford (where one co-worker hilariously mocks his habit of gazing meaningfully into the camera and slowly shrugging). While the position and the pay are better there, his main reason for going was to avoid the heartache of working with his best friend, engaged receptionist Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer), to whom he bared his soul without receiving the response he had hoped for. Meanwhile, Pam, belatedly admitting that her feelings for Jim are strong enough to keep her from the altar, has called off her wedding to the insensitive, incompatible Roy Anderson (David Denman) and is missing Jim terribly. Roy, who spends the first half of the season meek and disheveled, becomes much more likable in his chastened state, though his brutish side comes roaring back when he discovers the true reason Pam broke off the engagement.

With Pam all at once available, we start off season three thinking that Jim ought to come running back to Scranton so he and Pam can live happily ever after. But the show doesn't let us off that easily. First, Jim has to get settled into his new environment, where he thrives at his job but misses the laid-back atmosphere of the Scranton branch. We are introduced to several co-workers, most notably Andy and Karen. Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) is Stamford's version of Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson), and his aggressive streak and active attempts to make a nuisance of himself make Jim actually appreciate his geeky former nemesis. There's an air of affection in the way he continues to pester Dwight from afar, and we're rewarded with one of the funniest scenes of the season when the gullible beet farmer reacts to a fax sent by "Future Dwight". Karen Filippelli (Rashida Jones) is a driven young businesswoman who slowly but surely succumbs to Jim's charms, creating great tension when she is one of the employees who joins Jim in Scranton after the Stamford branch closes.

For everybody rooting for a Jim and Pam romance, Karen is not a particularly welcome addition here. She's now standing in the way of their happy reunion, and her interference is more galling than Roy's since it probably wouldn't be an issue if Jim had just stuck around Scranton instead of running away from his problems. While Karen has some pleasant qualities, she carries herself with a very icy air. There's definitely a sense that she, like hot-shot young temp Ryan Howard (B. J. Novak), thinks she's above most of her co-workers - including new boss Michael Scott (Steve Carell), who is as clueless as ever.

Initially, boot-licking Andy is pretty obnoxious, and when he connives to dethrone Dwight, it suddenly becomes apparent that despite all his irritating qualities, Dwight is actually a pretty great guy to have around. After a stint in anger management, however, this hammy uber-WASP, a Cornell grad who is excessively fond of singing a cappella, becomes much more endearing. Though he and Dwight have very different personalities, their tendency to be over-the-top makes them play off each other wonderfully. Especially amusing is the extensive interview of Andy that Dwight conducts when he believes that management of the Scranton branch will soon fall to him and he'll need a second-in-command. (Highlight for this LOST fan? Dwight: What is the DHARMA Initiative? Andy: It is the center of all energy on Earth. Dwight: Wrong! It is a corporation run by aliens. In a DVD set packed with deleted scenes, this kooky conversation from the last episode of the season is my absolute favorite.)

With so much focus on Jim, Pam and the newbies, some of the supporting characters take more of a backseat, but there's still plenty for them to do here, particularly in the terrific Beach Games, in which Michael uses a team-building field trip to determine which of his underlings is most qualified to serve as his successor. Throughout the season, H.R. Eeyore Toby Flenderson (Paul Lieberstein) resignedly bears the abuse Michael heaps on him, and hints of his attraction to Pam become stronger. Lovably cranky Stanley Hudson (Leslie David Baker) shows surprising enthusiasm for Pretzel Day, while Phyllis Lapin (Phyllis Smith) must fret over whether the wedding of her dreams will be compromised by the overzealous Michael.

Creed Bratton (Creed Bratton) candidly reveals more unsavory tidbits about himself, and chatty Kelly smothers the reluctant Ryan in their less-than-blissful relationship. Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nunez) spends a good chunk of the season missing as he enjoys a vacation compliments of the company, attempting to smooth over an unintentional slight by Michael regarding his orientation. Petite, severe Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey) continues her unlikely affair with Dwight, while fellow accountant Kevin Malone (Brian Baumgartner) finds his non-office-related relationship on the rocks. Meredith Palmer (Kate Flannery) has a close encounter with a bat in a bizarre but quite touching episode directed by Joss Whedon of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog; Michael's buttoned-up corporate love interest, Jan Levinson (Melora Hardin), demonstrates that she doesn't quite have her act together; and warehouse king Daryll Philbin (Craig Robinson) gives Michael some pointers about negotiating a higher salary.

There are 23 episodes in this DVD set, several of which are forty minutes long instead of twenty, all of which include deleted scenes. Aside from those always-amusing gems from the scrap heap, my favorite extra this time around is the music video Lazy Scranton, a parody of Saturday Night Live's Narnia-touting Lazy Sunday that Michael and Dwight prepare as a welcome to the Stamford gang. Given the fractured nature of this third season, I wouldn't recommend starting here, but if you've breezed through seasons one and two, number three will not disappoint.

The Office Starts Out Strong and Leaves This M*A*S*H Fan Smiling

For some time now, I've been bemoaning the lack of decent sit-coms on the air. The Simpsons is still consistently funny, but it's also been on the air for twenty years. A couple months ago, I would have said that the only recent sit-coms that really tickle my funny bone are Everybody Hates Chris and Flight of the Conchords, neither of which is on one of the major networks. Happily, I've now found another sit-com that is genuinely funny. I've been aware of The Office ever since it came out, but the snatches I caught of it didn't reel me in, and I wasn't so sure a corporate comedy was my kind of show. But my brother received the first four seasons on DVD for Christmas, so immersion was inevitable. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

The Office was originally a Brit-com, and like most, it had short seasons. I don't know if the mere six episodes in the American version are an intentional reflection of that or if the show just happened to start when the season was almost over, but it makes getting through the first season incredibly easy. I watched all six episodes in one sitting; it only takes about two hours, closer to three if you watch all of the deleted scenes (which I recommend). It's the perfect way to plunge into the show, and the DVD doesn't cost any more than a typical movie.

The Office follows the day to day business of the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of a paper company called Dunder Mifflin. Mostly, it's funny business; rarely do we see these people actually working. My first impression of The Office was that it mirrors the comic strip Dilbert, with a bunch of people stuck in meaningless jobs who, on the rare occasion that they actually have an opportunity to accomplish something, are invariably thwarted by their brainless boss. Cult classic Office Space also comes to mind. What I didn't expect was that I would find myself drawing comparisons to my all-time favorite sit-com, M*A*S*H.

In M*A*S*H, the residents of the 4077th use laughter as a means of dealing with the horrors of war. Their problem is not a lack of purpose; they do incredibly important work but wish they didn't have to. In The Office, laughter combats utter tedium, which can, in its own way, be almost as soul-crushing as a war zone. Both shows poke fun at corporate red tape; I even have a Valentine's Day card which has company clerk Radar saying, "I have the forms to order the forms to apply to be your Valentine." Forms are always flying around at Dunder Mifflin, and usually they seem pretty ridiculous.

What's even more ridiculous, however, is the way boss Michael Scott (Steve Carell) reacts to them. He goes to absurd lengths to avoid them, and it falls to his underlings to force him to pay attention to these mind-numbing tasks. Michael reminds me very much of Colonel Henry Blake, the leader of the 4077th during the show's early years, which tended to be more silly than somber. While Blake is a perfectly competent surgeon, he's pretty hopeless as a leader, and his laid-back attitude makes it all the easier for troublemakers like Hawkeye and Trapper to pull the wool over his eyes as they engage in their shenanigans. Like him, Michael has enough skill in one particular area - sales - that his rise to management doesn't seem wholly implausible. He is a kind, decent man who is so determined to have his employees' friendship that he has a hard time commanding their respect. Unlike the colonel, he's always undermining his branch's productivity by interrupting his workers with pointless activities and awkward attempts at humor. Michael, as likable as he is, has an astonishing lack of understanding when it comes to appropriate conduct and terminology, and he has a habit of offending the very people to whom he tries to endear himself. He's more off-the-wall than Colonel Blake, the sort of guy who seems too ludicrous to be real, but Carell has the comedic chops to keep us laughing our heads off instead spending all of our time wondering why this guy is still in charge.

Just as M*A*S*H has Hawkeye and Trapper serving as the resident practical jokers, The Office has salesman Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) and receptionist Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer), who are practically inseparable during this season and always cooking up new schemes with which to aggravate Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson), whose rigid, antagonistic streak is reminiscent of weasely Frank, Hawkeye's preferred target. Dwight, like Frank, aspires to a loftier position and is always trying to assign more power to his role than he has actually been given. His quirks are even more bizarre than Michael's, and Wilson's deadpan delivery of consistently outlandish lines makes Dwight the character most likely to cause me to squirt milk out of my nose.

These four are the most important characters in an office full of unique individuals. There's Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey), whose uptight attempts to exert control over her fellow office-dwellers recall Margaret Houlihan. The comparison is even more striking in the second season when she embarks upon a covert relationship with Dwight. Wunderkind temp Ryan Howard (B. J. Novak), like boyish Radar, is more competent than his boss - though he's nowhere near as lovable as Radar is. Sturdy saleslady Phyllis Lapin (Phyllis Smith), like the Chinese-Hawaiian Nurse Kellye, is a quiet positive force in the office, a kind woman who's always there but rarely gets noticed. I could probably continue, but you get the idea.

Do I think The Office consciously borrows from M*A*S*H? Probably not. But if this mockumentary, which develops its characters as often through their asides to the camera as through the scenes carrying the action (a device M*A*S*H uses on occasion), inspires such reflections from me, it's because I find it worthy of the comparison. I should have given The Office a shot sooner. Now, if I could just convince Alan Alda to put in a guest appearance...