THE OFFICE - US Version
 

Come on! This can't be the first thread about The Office... I'm sure it isn't. Anyway, it's a new one and I wanna start talking about it.

Season 3 started tonight, after having left us all with our mouths gaping open at the end of Season 2, after Jim and Pam kissed.

Well, a few of many questions were answered tonight... Along with a few laughs along the way. Overall a pretty good episode. Just like LOST, season three is a crucial season. Especially for The Office because of its winning best comedy at the Emmys.

So Office fans... your thoughts...?

I love this show! I enjoyed the british ones I occasionally downloaded, but this one is damn funny. Got my wife into it as well. I also think they have handled Jim and Pam very nicely, and made them believable. This show's power is to really make you uncomfortable.

I haven't had a chance to see the season premiere yet...

When I first checked out the American version I had trouble watching. It was far too imitative and I thought "what's the point?" Well...I persevered and I'm now a big fan. I'd say the turning point that got me hooked was when "Ryan started the fiiii-yuurrr!!!!!"

The general rule, I feel, is that British series' generally are pound for pound much higher quality than American shows. In the British version we get 6 episodes and in the U.S. we get 20 +. While I still feel the British Office is the essential comedy of the decade, the U.S. version is giving us a chance to see an alternate universe where the adventure continues. Steve Carrell is brilliant, and they've been keeping it at a very high standard.

I missed the first ten minutes and I'm so pissed. :|

Otherwise, it looks like there off to another great season. That scene at the end when they're all in the boardroom so Michael can share his views on Homosexuality was damn funny.

Yeah, it was a great episode. Classic "Michael Scott sensitivity training session goes horrifically awry because he's the single least sensitive human being that has ever existed" story.

There were some other really clever things too. Their lives went on while we took summer break. The cameras weren't around, apparently, so there was some recapping of what happened over the summer (Spoiler: Jim moved to Stamford, Pam called off the wedding, etc). Really clever way of putting reality into the show, having the show itself be a character.

I don't know about where we are with Jim and Pam. I was pretty sure that the end of last season was a shark-jump. They're still playing it, though--Pam reflexively turning to Ryan to share an in-joke that she would have shared with Jim, for instance. I don't see how they can keep Jim out of Scranton for more than a few episodes.

Jim will be back in Scranton soon. He hates it in Stanford, and the office in Scranton isn't the same without him.

I thought the premiere was fantastic

Jim? OH, you mean Big Tuna!

Does anyone know where I can get a gaydar?

Sharper Image.

OH...sorry, they're sold out.

I'll try Brookstone.

Apparently the character from the Stamford branch who went psycho when Jim put his calculator in Jello, he's signed on for 10 episodes. That either means that Jim stays in Stamford for ten eps OR the two branches merge, which could be interesting...

I'm so glad to find that this show has a following here. I became an addict just watching the season 2 repeats over the summer. This show is classic.

I should also mention that I think I'm in love with Pam.

If we're going to start confessing these things here, then I'll admit that I may have a slight crush on Pam too.

After the 3rd season premier, my wife apologized to me for not liking the show from the beginning.

heh

I probably should have watched season 1 and 2 before jumping into season 3, but I am hooked on the show. I think the show is funny.

Pam seems a bit shy and goofy, but I like that, she seems friendly.

I just watched all of season 2 over the last couple weeks, and I just finished watching the first 2 eps from this season. This show is wonderful... I can't get enough of Jim and Pam.

Man, the writers know how to pull on your heartstrings. I hardly consider this show a comedy (even though it's hilarious), and see it has a romance between Jim and Pam. :p


And nothing has made me squirm in my seat more than seeing Michael kiss someone. Man or woman, either way, it's horrifying.

My girlfriend got me into this show a couple of weeks ago. I've watched all of seasons 1 and 2 and just watched the first 2 episodes of season 3 on youtube. I have to say that the season premiere of season 3 is probably the funniest episide of any show I've ever seen on television. I had tears coming out I was laughing so hard, sitting here by myself. This show is pure genius, so much further ahead in terms of quality and entertainment than any of the other shows on TV. I hate TV in general, but The Office is simply a great show.

Oh, and Jim being at Stanford has actually added some slightly needed change to the show, and I personally like it. I could barely catch my breath laughing so hard at the jello scene when the guy started going apeshit.

I hope they extend Jim's being at Stanford for teh whole season because Jim + Stanford is funny and uncomfortable, which the show pretty much thrives on.

I just read that the scene where Michael and Oscar kiss was completely improvised BTW. It wasn't on the script and Steve Carrell made it up on the fly. The looks of horror and anticipation on the casts' faces waiting to see if they kissed is completely real. They said it was incredibly hard to hold in their laughter to see if they could get it on film, and they did. :thumbsup:

I'm just finishing season 2. this is a great show! hopefully it keeps going for years! (as long as its good).
it's refreshing to have a comedy without a laugh track.
and the jello joke is classic. when the dude kicks the garbage after that, the look on jim is hilarious!

OK. Now I have a crush on the woman in Stanford. I'm so fickle. :rolleyes:

Go Jim!

Any last words?

aw, come on rb, how could you not be smitten by the exploding paper clip grenade?

A) I was quoting the girl, and
2) Pam, dude! In her hot new outfit! Getting ogled by Creed, for god's sake! And:
iii) Okay, it was kind of a sweet moment with the paperclips. But:
D) Pam, dude!

What, I can't have two crushes? Aren't you the Polyamorist? :D

When we inevitibly see them in the same room, having a duel of oh, so cutely repressed emotions, I just might explode.

... then someone from the warehouse comes in and steals her away.

Yes, that would make me commit suicide.

Anyway, I know Jim and Pam will have their moment, but I definitely wouldn't mind Jim getting a little action on the side until then. Hell, that's the least he deserves.

And Pam was smoking hot.

"Go back to your desk, Creed."
"In a minute."

You know, they could play this a couple of different ways.

1) Jim gets some Standford lovin', leading to an awkward reunion with Pam when he returns.

2) Jim unwittingly becomes the Standford "Pam" to the woman's "Jim". In other words, they become fast friends, but he's oblivious to her advances, or at least willfully blind because of his latent feelings for Scranton Pam.

In other Pam news, UK Pam has a bit part in Ugly Betty. She plays the host of a Fashion News TV show.

/Pam, Pam, Pam, eggs and Pam

Fair enough. :eek:

You know, if TV shows incorporated polyamory, it would end a lot of drama right there. Imagine if the whole "love triangle" plot were abolished! What would Meg Ryan do with herself? :lol:

Okay, I gotta admit, I like the new girl.

Also--it was great how Pam got the whole office playing along with her, giving movie plots during the grief counselling session. Used to be just Jim and her playing those games.

I thought yesterdays episode was one of the funniest episodes I've ever seen. When Dwight was stuffing the bird into the can I just about wet myself.

Hey Folks,
I started this thread almost a month ago, and this is my first time back on TFP since. That's crazy, and wrong, for so many reasons.
Anyway, since then I've spent a SICK amount of time at the following webpages
www.officetally.com
www.theofficeforum.net
www.northernattack.com
www.nbc.com/theoffice
www.givemebacktheremote.com or something like that,

plus, all the Office casts myspace pages, and a lot of time at YouTube watching anything Office related.

I have a disease. I know. But I love it.

My favourite episode so far was The Coup, followed closely by last weeks Grief Counselling. Dwight was classic in the Coup, and Pam was at her best in GC. I was pretty skeptical about season 3 after the first two eps, but I'm back and in full force. The Initiation looks good, and word around the Water Cooler is that Jim and Pam finally talk in that episode. Time will tell.

So I"m glad this thread is still going. I'll try to get back in and keep the chatter up.

And in closing...there is such a thing as good grief...just ask Charlie Brown.

The Branch is closing tonight on the Office. Jenna Fischer who plays Pam says its the best episode of the whole show. SHould be good. Hope you're all watching!!!!

jim and the other girl are getting merged to scranton! AkWARD!!! next week should be awesome! it's too bad the other dude didnt go too. he woulda made a funny team with dwight!

And you know what? Other Girl (does she have a name?) is the ONLY person who is actually willing to admit feelings. Her "I don't think he's into me. But I'm into him." scene made me like her a whole lot. Imagine. Somebody who's not playing a secret-crush game!

Okay, AND Jim is getting the "second in charge" position in Scranton--making him, what, Assistant Regional Manager? What's Dwight going to do about that?.

So let me get this straight, Jim's going to be Assistant Regional Manager possibly and Dwight will still be the Assistant to the Assistant Regional Manager, that's going to make for some good story lines.

I can't believe I missed the episode, to the torrents away.

her name is Karen

Karen Fillipelli, to be exact.

I thought it (Branch Closing) was a pretty good show. Lot's of good plot to chew on. I'm so anxious to see the Jim/Pam meet up. It is going to be so good.

I'm not sure how I feel about Karen. I do feel that Jim and Pam should be together and I'm not sure how I feel about a plot line that puts another woman in the way. It's too cliched. Too predictable. Let's hope the writers come up with something original.

I so love this show, It was inevitable that the branches would merge eventually but I was expecting that more as a season finale type event and they would stretch out the two offices untill the end of the year.

I agree Daoust... the love triangle between Jim, Pam, and Karen doesn't seem like too much fun. I liked the idea of Jim hanging out with her while working in the other branch, but now they're all coming together before anything really happened between Jim and Karen. I was also expecting the other branch storyline to last longer... So yea, hopefully they come up with something interesting.

It depends how much character they invest in Karen, and how far they let Jim "move on" from Pam.

If Karen is left purely as "the other woman", then yes, it will be cliche, but if she's allowed some extra dimension and can earn our symphathies, not too mention Jim's, we're in for a treat. We haven't seen enough of her to know for sure, but I think the scene where she's covertly dumping her tequila shots in the trash from a couple of episodes ago bodes well.

Additionally, how far has Jim "moved on"? Sure he still has feelings for Pam, but if he's pragmatic and has closed the door on her, (hardened his heart even) we're in for some fine tuned dramedy.

Shut out for the time being, is Pam strong enough to resist her ex's renewed affections?

I tell ya, if the daytime soaps could create something as sophistacted as the Office...

The Merger has become my number 2 favourite Office episode of the series, solely on the back of Pam Beesley. Her acting in that episode was fantastic. The parallel stories of Michael and Pam, how they both had such high expectations for the day, and how they both came crashing down so hard, it just made for great television....

And the look Pam gives the camera when she sees Karen rubbing Jims back in the parking lot....just heartbreaking! Great episode.

I'm not expecting too much on the Jim/Pam/Karen front for a while. I mean, there'll be nods to that whole love triangle, but I don't expect any earth shaking stuff to happen till the next set of sweeps. Am I wrong?

The way Andy is best friends with Michael is one of the funniest additions to The Office in any episode. I was laughing really hard everytime Michael and Andy thought the same joke was funny and when they were singing in The Merger.

I'm glad they added Karen to the picture because the Pam/Jim thing can't go on forever unscathed.

Yea, I gotta agree with the Andy sentiment. I love the role they've got him playing. Not only is his interaction with Michael great, but it's fantastic to see that Dwight now has someone who is actually competing with him in the same idiotic headgames he thinks he's a part of. Good stuff.