The Office: Gay Witch Hunt, 3.01

269 comments

1. What a great episode. I feel so fulfilled. I’ll write more later. I have a paper to write.

2. wow, great episode. There are going to be twists.

3. WOO! First comment! Here’s my entry.

4. “Seriously, who put my calculator in jell-o?? If someone doesn’t tell me I”M GUNNA LOSE IT!!!!” Ahahaha, oh my gosh that scared me, lol.

5. (oops not first comment)

6. Hilarious! Jim needs to go back to Scranton though.

7. Oscar is supercool…..and Bob Vance is my new favorite person…and there is yet another Creedism for the books

8. That was such a great season opener!! Oh man. The gaydar, hahaha, now that’s a classic.

9. MY FAVORITE EPISODE SO FAR! Sooo hilarious!

10. FANTASTIC EPISODE! Rainn Wilson was on top of his game, from beginning to end.

    And did anyone notice how cinematic this episode looked? I’m pretty sure Ken Kwapis directed, so it’s not like a new guy stepped in and took it in a different direction, but even shots in the Scranton office looked a lot fresher and more filmic.

11. That was awesome!!!! I had to applaude after the episode. Amazing!

12. aww that was great, i actually cried…and man GO PAM!!!! she moved out. thats awesome. and i’m glad they really showed how much pam and jim miss each other…its great…so happy

13. OVERUNDER: 4.5 episodes until Jim’s back in Scranton

14. oh my goodness i love jim and pam even when theyre not toghether!

15. I love Jim’s new nickname….Big Tuna.

16. “It’s possible a man slipped in there”

17. I don’t know…did I like it? I’m glad that Pam dumped Roy, wow. But it was so saddening to see that Jim had left. And Ed Helms is funny, but he’s a little larger that life, a little kitschy, for a show that’s semi-realistic feeling. And what was with the flashback between Jim and Pam?? Can we have flashbacks in this show? I think I need to simmer a while before I know what I think of this episode…but, YAY!!! they’re back!!!!!!!!!

18. The best line ever: “You see kids, sometimes it pays to be gay.” -Oscar

19. Maybe Jim will take Oscar’s job while hes on vacation

20. that was amazing im not gonna lie for a moment i thought pam married roy, but thank god! and finally

    i wonder if he knows…

21. Man, this episode was really intense in terms of dealing with Michael’s insensitive behavior toward Oscar. My favorite line was definitely when Michael said he watched “Queer As F*ck”.

    As for the Jam storyline, they basically cut the baby in half. I knew Pam and Jim wouldn’t end up being together but I was surprised to see that Pam split up with Roy. One thing that was not made clear was whether or not Jim was aware of this–but how could he not be? I liked that Roy was trying to win her back, nice twist. He was definitely a lot thinner, that’s for sure.

    So a very good episode. I think the whole Pam/Roy/Jim storyline is going to be very tricky for the writers and I hope they do it right!

22. Fabulous. The exchange between Michael and Phyllis when she announced her engagement (‘kind of a surprise) was classic. Personally, I don’t love what they did with Pam and Jim. I wanted to see them in each others arms…oh well…in time hopefully. FYI…on Wikipedia last week, under John K, they said he was “rumored to be dating” Rashida Jones (the woman sitting behind him in his new setting). It doesn’t say that today….hmmmm.

23. That was fantastic. Loved the look Dwight had when Michael suggested that Angela might make love to another woman.

24. Things in Scranton/Stamford certainly are different this Fall. We’re seeing the show take a huge turn, in a good way. You can see a hole in Scranton that isn’t being filled, and you can certainly see why Stamford might be the only place in Dunder-Mifflin less suited to Jim than Scranton. :P

25. oh my gosh oh my gosh omy ghosh omhghogh omg. the episode went by so quick

26. Pretty good, although Michael was over the top tonight. I feel pretty certain at this point he should be fired.

27. very very good, great acting by roy in his talking head in the warehouse. ed helms was a great addition too!

28. A few thoughts:
    I liked how they obscured Roy’s left hand with the pencil jar/candy jar when he delivered the lunch to Pam and you couldn’t tell if he was wearing a wedding ring or not.

    Way to go Pam for getting her own apartment and taking art lessons. Follow your dreams! I wonder if it has a terrace with plants.

    The talking head with Rashida Jones making fun of how Jim looks at the camera was great.

    I agree, Rainn Wilson was superb in this episode.

29. argh! i’m in australia, so can’t watch!
    however, i’m reading all the comments etc, and the episode sounds amazing!

30. I am so so so happy. That episode was perfect.

31. Wow, hilarious. I loved Creed’s memories about the 60s and the last scene when Jim sent Dwight the “gaydar.”

    And Michael kissing Oscar?! Felt so voyeuristic and uncomfortable there… I think that’s what the directors were going for though!

    And I must admit I’m happy to see that Pam dumped Roy. But will he win her back?

32. I’m so glad to see that Pam and Roy didn’t marry either!! What a relief. Man, i can’t wait to see how Pam and Jim get together…that have to soon! :)

33. well, i hope that they downsize the stamford/scranton branches soon. this i the first episode without that Jim and Pam interaction and man am I missing it.

34. I had low expectations for the cliffhanger resolution and high expectations for the rest of the episode, but I was pleasantly surprised and thought it was almost perfect, with many hilarious moments. I wonder if Jim went to Australia and also if Jim knows that Pam didn’t get married. Wouldn’t she call and tell him or wouldn’t they at least stay in touch by email or something? If he knows I’d think he’d move back to Scranton pronto. Ok, I’m going to go watch it again.

35. does anyone know where i can find that mug shot of Roy.. its so funny

36. My hypothesis. Sometime during the season, near the end, probably, Stanford gets downsized somehow and they merge with Scranton, and Jim and the two other characters from Stanford will be at Scranton. So basically, they’ll follow the British version to an extent. I don’t know how i feel about the plot, but this episode was one of the funniest in a while.

37. Not totally great… I didn’t really like flashback (the content was fine… it just seemed a bit out of the format of the show)… also didn’t like when Rashida Jones complained that Jim looked at the camera and made his Jim-face too much… that seemed a bit too self-referential for the show to do.

    But I feel like it did pick up as it went, with the kiss being maybe a bit over done. Still… all the Jim and Pam (and Roy) stuff was pretty grounded… I am glad they didn’t give into what I can only assume would be pressure from NBC to make that the focus of the episode. And the show is set-up to go a lot of different places from here.

    The bottom-line is… aside from a few departures from the flow towards the begining… it was The Office and I am just so happy it is back.

38. Rainn was awesome, but it’s so sad that Jim transfered. He needs to come back!!!

39. Awesome episode!! I really like that Pam and Jim are apart for the time being. I love that Pam is becoming her own woman without a man in her life. I look forward to the longing that will most likely happen between those two.

    The best part for me was Roy’s mugshot. OMG I almost fell off my couch laughing. It was almost as good as Nick Noltes!

40. LOVED the look on Jim’s face when the guy started freaking out about the calculator in jello. I think he does his best acting when he doesn’t even have lines. :)

    This episode was great, but I do think that Michael definitely crossed a line that would get him fired in real life.

41. Very good episode. Worth the wait. The only thing that would have made my day better was a payoff for my 2000 refreshes on Angela’s MySpace. Oh well, you can’t win ’em all. Just ask Roy…

    Great episode

42. this is crazy…i did not think they could come back this season with such a good episode. it was prob one of the best i have ever seen. ed helms was hilarious…the big tuna nick name is priceless. the look on pam and ryan’s face when michael and oscar were about to kiss was worth the wait alone for this season to start.

43. Catbrains! Yes, that’s exactly what I thought about the flashback and Rashida’s comment! I’m so glad that someone thought what I thought!

44. I think my favorite scene was Jim sitting through the “HERO” sensitivity lecture with an empty chair next to him, obviously remembering the last time he was in the same situation – In season 1, when Pam put her head on his shoulder and fell asleep, and in spite of losing his biggest sale of the year, he said to the camera “It was a pretty good day”. That was perhaps the most “real” moment I have ever seen in a sitcom – to be so in love that just a tiny gesture by a girl can make your whole day. Still my all time favorite scene of the series. I can’t wait to see how they talk to each other now…

45. Angela’s bigotry toward Oscar and Oscar actually SHOVING her and then Dwight wanting to go after Oscar…

    I’ve never seen anything else like that on The Office. All funniness flew out the door and it was pure hostile tension. I still don’t know if I liked that moment at all…

46. I thought Kelly (I think that’s her name – Ryan’s ‘woman’) looked pregnant. Anyone else think that? On the NBC website, she’s not listed in the cast bios. I wonder if that’s a sign.

47. The only thing I thought was a little weird was that it looked like Pam was wearing too much makeup.

    Oh, and Nick is vexed!

48. Not my favorite episode, I must say. Not because of the lack of Jim-Pam content, but because it was more awkward and painful than funny. Reminded me a bit of Season 1. Next week can only get better, IMHO.

49. I loved the subtlety of Jim changing a little bit. He now brings in something besides ham sandwiches. Go Jim!

50. I’m glad they showed the second half of the scene from the cliff hanger. It explained what happened.

    So if Pam broke up with Roy anyway, why did Jim have to leave? Unless they are going out but noone mentioned it. Perhaps long distance.

51. SEMI LOVED IT.

    Scranton is lacking without Jim-enough said.

    Poor Pam-the girl clearly cries a lot (very puffy/red eyes)

    Not too crazy about the new characters.

52. What a great episode! I wish Jim would come back though….

53. Kim, buy it on iTunes tomorrow.

54. Wow yeah this episode was awesome, but also a little crazy! It seemed a little bit darker, you know, with the whole homophobic vibe and Pam looking miserable. Although I think what they’re doing with it is really good, creative.
    And yeah, Roy’s mug shot almost killed me. That was the greatest thing ever.
    I love the “gaydar” Jim sends Dwight!

55. I thought it was a good episode. I don’t know, they gay stuff was WAY too over the top. The Jim and Pam stuff was good though, really liked how that turned out.

56. Honestly, I was a little disappointed with how they handled the JAM thing. It all seemed to happen too fast. The overall episode was hilarious. I’ve been looking forward to Michael finding out Oscar was gay since The Secret. We knew it had to be good.

57. Well, most of what needs to be said about tonights episode has been said. Cringe-inducing kissing, and Meredith shows how quitting drinking during the week has been going…But two things bugged me:
    1. Why was Jan there for only 15 minutes? She drove out to see Michael just to warn him of the seriousness of the matter pertaining to outting Oscar? And then promptly left? (I understand it was really to get all the new people watching to get to see the characters)
    2. Did it seem as though the demise of DunderMifflin was looming even larger than has been hinted in the past? It seemed to me that it was no longer alluded to, but importantly stressed that DunderMifflin is not doing too well these days. So if the show goes downhill this year, there’s you excuse right up front of how it can end.

    Thats all. Excellent return to the airwaves.

    ‘I don’t care if you’re gay, straight, lesbian, or overweight; EVERYONE IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM!!’ (just one of the many, many gems from this episode with more to come as always…)

58. The writers did such a brilliant job and I think all of the plot changes are genious. Having Pam and Jim ,say, get married immediatley would have ruined the show. It’s the tension that makes there relationship interesting.

    I hope I win the episode :D

59. Woops, *their* : D

60. This was easily the most implausible, ridiculous, and unfocused plot i’ve ever seen on The Office. Needless to say, i’m counting down the hours until next week’s episode.

61. Just a great job…Michael’s line crossing went on for the entire 30 minutes…just very well done, what else is new…

62. It was dark, uncomfortable, even intentionally tense and unfunny at one point. The lack of any JAM moments (besides the implied ones) was tangible, and Michael was a little too over the top.

    And it was one of the best episodes ever.

    I need to watch it 10 more times.

63. another amazing episode. just keep them coming NBC. it’s nice to have the gang—or most of the gang-no Jim :( back on my tv…. :)

64. Please tell me there is a place for me to watch this episode. I’ve been waiting for months and I missed it. I can’t stop crying. Maybe I should just end it all. Help me por favor.

65. Matteo– You can get it tomorrow on iTunes!!

66. fairly disappointed, and not because of the pam-jim stuff. That does seem awkward with Jim in Stamford, but I can deal with that. The episode was too Michael/Oscar/Dwight centric. I would have loved to see more Toby, Phyllis, and Creed.

    One of my least favorite episodes of the series so far for alot of the reasons already stated.

67. oh my gosh…it was amazing! oh Pam so misses Jim….and what about that gaydar that Jim sent Dwight? Brilliant!!!

68. This is the only show to make me so creeped out and uncomfortable, but yearning to see more.
    Big Tuna needs to come back to Scranton!

69. Michael was more of a jerk in this episode than perhaps any other in Office history (yes, this includes the Christmas Party.) Harder to laugh at (since the episode focused long and hard on the staff’s reactions), but still hilarious.

70. ed helms flipping out at the jello calculator was awesome.

71. It felt kind of awkward with the shifts between Stanford and Scranton, but I liked this. I just hope they don’t reunite Pam and Jim right away. Jim and Pam trying to work out a long distance relationship might be worth watching.

72. i like how everything turned out with jim transferring and pam dumping roy, it seems the most realistic option. i wonder if jim had a good time in australia and is oscar gonna be absent for a few episodes now?

73. It feels like everyone has become hyper-aware of the fact that this is a scripted show, and instead of watching and following the story and spending time with these people, viewers are acting like critics . . . it just seems weird.

    also- there are like EIGHTEEN cast members now- JAM is a small component of that. besides, there could be stuff going on that the cameras don’t know about!

    let’s all just be proud of pam and happy for her. although jim seems awfully lonely. rashida’s comment (“he’s always looking at the camera like this”) was so great.

74. Great episode-although a bit sad that Jim and Pam are not in the same office. I loved Stanley’s talking head about the toaster he gave as a wedding gift to Roy and Pam.

75. danke schoen, I’m assuming I can do that on my computer as well?, since I’m the only person alive without an ipod
    thanks

76. OK, so I haven’t seen the episode, but I have to ask as an Australian… Any mention of Jim’s trip to Australia?

77. 1. Love Jim, even in a new office he still drives the show
    2. Ha, Michael kissed Oscar
    3. Pam’s character NEEDS Jim
    4. Dwight is still priceless
    5. Jim’s new coworkers did not grow on me at all…the new office needs to go, NO MERGER! Just bring Jim back!

    I liked it, I laughed outloud several times, and I NEED TO KNOW WHO PUT MY CALCULATOR IN JELLO NOW!

78. Agree with Catbrains (#44), RC (#58), and Nate (#72) who, for me, said it best with:

    “This was easily the most implausible, ridiculous, and unfocused plot i’ve ever seen on The Office. Needless to say, i’m counting down the hours until next week’s episode.”

79. Just a random thought, I enjoyed seeing the “Silent Bob” Jim again. We saw it first with the jinx epsiode, then today when he put the calculator in the jello and didn’t want to get noticed. I also like how Rachida called him out on his looks right away.

80. Hands down…..best episode yet!!!

    My favorite line: “I watch Queer as [explictive].” – Michael Scott

81. matteo matthias matticus, you’re one of two people alive without an ipod. Yes, you can download them to your computer.

82. chicken or fish?

    yes, it was a bit intense, but still laugh-out loud hilarious. There’s so many storylines to address, something’s got to give in any premiere episode; I think everything will work out swimmingly for the rest of the season…I for one can’t wait!

83. I missed it! How long have I been waiting!!!!!!!!!
    uGGH! I have to remember what time zone I’m in.
    All I hear is 8:30pm, same time as last year, but no it’s changed to 7:30pm. So I watched stupid Survivor instead, and I’m only watching it because I’m in a pool at “The Office”.
    Anyways, I just caught the end of the show with the gaydar! Dwight is so fricken hilarious. I need to see the episode. Thank god I can at least read what was said about the show.
    Can I see it on the net? Help?
    Disgruntled Office Fan.

84. The best part of the episode was the opening shot. Brillant work to show Ryan at Jim’s desk.

    The only thing I didn’t like about this was Roy realizing what he had lost. Seems totally out of character for him to own up to his mistakes.

    This episode was a bit over the top but hey, it’s the opener. I think it being the season opener explains much of what we saw tonight…

85. The Gay-Dar was such a gift for Pam! You know that Jim could picture the scene that would insue when he sent it to Dwight :)

86. When Kevin kept giggling like a little girl… I just lost it!

    Fantastic season premiere. Thank you NBC! …and OfficeTally!

87. I’m trying to find the deleted scenes for this episode on the nbc website, but that website is very user-unfriendly. Anyone have luck finding them? Are they up yet?

88. They’re only going up after the show airs on the west coast. Is that really at 11:30 at night?

89. Oh and one more thing… I liked Ed Helms but Rashida Jones’ character is really not working for me. Her character just felt flat to me. Maybe it’s just me.

90. I liked the show and loved how it appeared that Pam and Roy had been married but then we find out that they hadn’t. That was done very well. I hadn’t even thought about that possibility, that Pam would dump Roy but not be with Jim right away.

    The only gripe I have would have been the placing of the Jim-Pam flashback scene. I think the show should have started with that, then gone to the opening credits/music, then come back to Dwight clipping his nails with a “# months later” on the screen. It would have flowed better with the documentary setting.

    Dana

91. What made this episode so great was all the little things that make this show so great. The continuity with diversity day [Mr. Brown!] and the Jello. The fact that you are laughing at something when you know you shouldn’t be laughing [Michael kissing Oscar]. The words from one character being used as a voice over to convey the situation of another character [Michael talking about relationships with a shot of Jim and an empty chair]. Just great all around. So very good.

92. I don’t understand about the Jim/Australia thing. When did he say he was going there? Was this just s forum rumor I missed?

93. I loved the episode, didn’t like the flashbacks though..but I figure it must be done to show everyone what happened. I think next time they should just keep doing episodes all year :)

94. *****spoiler alert***

    what the heck is this!!!! i read this on the blog at nbc.com with greg daniels!!!!

    “next week’s episode

    Next week, we are following Michael and Dwight on a trip to the paper industry convention in Philadelphia where they will interact with Jim and the Stamford manager. Michael has some issues with Jim leaving, and Jim is trying to get news of certain individuals who work in Scranton. And Pam goes on a date with someone new.”

    a date with someone new???? Who?!!!

95. So basically, I laughed like a crazy person. And now I’m going to go nap for two hours then wake up and watch Conan. Stupid school getting in the way.

96. Near the end of season 2, Jim booked a non-refundable ticket to Australia to escape Pam’s wedding.

97. not the best episode. i guess i was just expecting way too much. ed helms was good though.

98. This may have been mentioned before, but who else picked up on the parody of the finale implicit in this episode? MICHAEL’S KISS with Oscar was an inside joke: a mockery of the finale. What a perfect idea! Everyone focused so much on the dramatic resolution to Jim-Pam’s kiss. BUT The Office is a comedy– Greg Daniels found the perfect way to resolve it comedically: with genius of Carell.

    I really enjoyed the episode with one exception: As much as I’m trying to convince myself that I liked it, I really found the flashback to the kiss to be out of place. I don’t have a problem with the flashback element, but the dialogue was awkward. Here’s my rationalization: they were caught up in the moment and just made awkward small talk (the whole drunk bit). But would Jim– after just confessing his love and crying– really just say “You’re really gonna marry him. Okay.”? Apparently.

    Otherwise– this was classic. I laughed so hard that I cried during the conference room scene with Oscar. Steve Carell deserves an Emmy for that scene alone.

    My other favorites: Pam turning to Ryan to laugh at Michael and his response (What?), Angela doesn’t like Will and Grace, Kevin’s laughing, Roy’s mug shot, Michael: I watch the L Word. I watch Queer as F***. Jan: That’s not the name of the show. Hysterical!
    Wow, what else? Ed Helms was brilliant– I can’t wait to see he and Dwight together. It will be the weird (Dwight) vs. the crazy. I’m guessing Jim will miss the odd Dwight.

    I loved Rashida Jones’ comment: Jim’s kinda strange. He keeps looking at the camera like this. Perfect– hilarious self-referencing of the show.

    Creed’s comment about sex in the mud! Toby in Michael’s office at the beginning: No, Michael, Oscar is gay. He is attracted to other men. No, he is an actual homosexual.

    The end was back to the show we like so much: the voice-over that isn’t about Jim and Pam BUT YOU KNOW THAT IT REALLY IS ABOUT JIM AND PAM. Perfect.

    The gaydar bit was over-the-top, sure. I’m sure some critics will say that, but it made me laugh hysterically, so I say why not?

    How would I rate it (Booze Cruize/Casino Night being a 10)? I’d give it a 8.5.

99. Three words…perfect episode! :)

100. Ahhh… I’m so glad to have my show back! But please bring jim back to scranton! I’m not sure how I feel about bringing in the new characters, yet. I suppose it will grow on me. I wasn’t expecting Pam to have dumped Roy. A pleasant surprise. Lots of hilarious moments tonight. Just get Jim back to Scranton, stat!

101. I, too was a bit creeped out while watching this episode. Loved it, but was a bit creeped. So many changes all at once. Except we still get what we expect from Michael. I’m just glad she’s not Pam Anderson. I don’t think I could deal with that.

102. Lingering questions…

     Did Jim go to Australia?

     Does Jim know that Pam didn’t get married???? I’m thinking that he doesn’t know. If she broke it off only a few days before the wedding, Jim would have already transferred to Stamford. Could have been in Australia.

     Is Michael dating Carol?

     Why would Pam agree that she’s been wanting to kiss Jim for a long time, then be so quick to say she’s still going to marry Roy?

     Is it wrong that I actually felt some sympathy for Roy?

103. Uhm, I was NOT waiting 3 months for that. I’ll probably just download it somewhere. =]
     Anyway, about that calculator thing, I was flipping when Jim looked at the camera like, “No, don’t tell him I did that.” It was funny. I was kinda grossed out by Michael kissing Oscar. And I loved that Pam FLIPPED over Phyllis’ ring from Bob Vance!! It was cute! AND I LOVED LOVED LOVED WHEN ROY CAME IN && HE HAD HIS HOT BEARD!! haha. And when the camera zoomed in onto Pam’s finger, and it was BARE!! I was SOO HAPPY!

     That’s all. I rated it a 7. Not one of my favorites. The new girl only had 2 lines. haha. go me! i predicted that one!! =]

     Going to go watch the season 2 DVDs now. =]

104. And, yes, I definitely agree about the dialoge with Pam and Jim. It didn’t seem like Jim to just say Okay. Especially not that way. He seemed really okay with it. He was much more okay with it than I was. Strange.

105. I thought the show was really awesome. yeah it was a little bit over the top, but it was the opener. I thought it was hilarious how jim put the stapler in the jello,although I was kinda of waiting for Michael to pop out and go “you have to eat that” haha. Funny episode went by way too fast.

106. I love the Office and I was so excited for season 3 to start!! I really thought this was one of (if not the) funniest episodes yet! I laughed out loud pretty much the whole time!! It was hilarious!! I was a little disappointed with the Jim/Pam thing but glad there is still that chance something could happen!! Yay for season 3!! Let the laughs begin!! Hahaha!!

107. Great episode–lots of things to cover and lots of new people/places to introduce so it did seem a little bit cramped. Obviously, they couldn’t further the Jam plot too far–I know I’m definitely spoiled by being able to watch an entire season in one day and be able to see the storyline change a lot–from Dundies to Booze Cruise to Casino Night.

     I keep thinking about Pam calling off the wedding. I’m sure that when Jim left to go to Stamford, he probably “moved on” and is not talking to Pam so he probably doesn’t know that Pam isn’t married. From the comments from Greg Daniels, I’m sure that Jim catches up with Michael and Dwigt at the convention next week and finds out about Pam.

     Nevertheless, she DID choose Roy over Jim and, even though she didn’t get married, I’m sure that Jim is hurt and trying to move on and isn’t going to go running back to Pam. I’m sure that the writers will use that to complicate their relationship and add tons of tension this season. It’s a win-win-win. And yes, I can’t wait…when’s the season 3 DVD coming out?!!! I want to know everything now! :-)

     As usual, the Michael storyline is always uncomfortable…which is what makes the show so great. He’s so clueless and says/does all the wrong things. The funny thing is that he’s so offensive yet he tries so hard not to be and all the office staff really senses that. After Oscar flipped out on Michael in the conference room, I thought it was touching the way that Oscar tried to make him feel better.

     Anyway, another great show…need to let it sink in some more…

108. Jenna is so…so…there are no words.

109. OMJ!! So great!! Laughed my butt off!! And…oh…poor Jim and Pam! And a little poor Roy…I almost felt bad rooting for Jim and Pam. Almost!

110. Me && my friends call Rashida the comedian wh0re.
     well, you might know why. But I don’t like her character at ALL!! =[
     just boring. and not very fun. =[

111. What about Kelly and Ryan?? They didn’t show if they were still together or not. I know they were not exactly a cliffhanger couple, but Ryan was always trying to get out of the relationship.
     As much as I hate that Jim and Pam are not together, this is good for Pam. Plus, we’ll (eventually) get to see the courtship all over again.

112. I agree the flashback felt awkward and out of place. But it wasn’t Jim’s reactions that bothered me but Pam’s. Jim seemed almost defeated at that point so I kind of understood why he would simply walk away. he had tried everything. But Pam’s “We’re drunk” made me uncomfortable. No WAY could she chalk up a confession of love and a kiss to “I’ve had one too many” and something about that scene didn’t make it clear if she was trying to convince Jim that she didn’t know what she was doing or if she actually believed Jim was tipsy and acting irrationally. Oh and the transition was awkward as well. Since when do we fade into flashbacks?

113. My first gut reaction while watching was “What have they done to my Office?!?” But I also realize that after what happened in Casino Night, you just can’t go back to the way it was. It was odd seeing Ryan sitting at Jim’s desk. And I don’t know if I’m ready to embrace a second office crew. But I’m nowhere near ready to give up on the show. I know it’ll probably be at least a partial season arc, so I’ll try and be patient as it plays out.

     My two favorite moments were Creed’s line about “a man may have slipped in there somewhere” and Michael and Oscar’s kiss.

114. I honestly can’t ever remember ever fading into a flashback before. We usually have jump cuts but tonight we literally faded from Ryan’s face to the flashback which gave the moment a very “Previously on Days of Our Lives!” vibe.

115. Ed Helms’ reaction to the jello was priceless. Looks like Jim won’t be playing any more jokes on him.

116. Funny, funny, funny! And Awesome! Oh, and funny too. Did I say awesome? That kind of made me feel sorry for Roy though because Pam totally does not even seem at all in to him.

117. unbelievable to me how low of a rating this episode has right now (7.75). just because the Jim/Pam stuff is toned down all of you start to dislike the show- sad. this show won’t survive if it’s just about them- so we can’t reject every show that isn’t.

118. One flashback makes people angry…Officetally headline tonight. this was one of the best episodes, it was a classic. look beyond the flashback look at how Dwight attacked Oscar after touching Angela…he kicked like a sissy. Ironic moment wasn’t it. great, great episode.

119. GOB Bluth

     I don’t think that all the people that gave it a low rating did it because they didn’t like the Pam/Jim story line. As others have said before, Michael was just a bit too over the top, and I think that made it a bit unrealistic for some people.

     I thought the episode was good, but not great. Yeah, I was a bit let down by the Pam/Jim story line, but the writers have to keep the tension there. I think the reason I only give it a 6 or 7 was for the same reason I didn’t love “Conflict Resolution”. Too over the top.

120. I think GOB might be kinda right for some people at least.

     BTW, GOB is one of the best characters ever, period.

121. I’d like to see Jim put Ed Helm’s desk in the bathroom, lol.

122. That was the most unnerving episode I think The Office has ever produced, and the utter cringworthy feeling it elicited in me reminded me of the way I used to feel when I first started watching The Office back in Season 1. Not many light and breezy moments tonight — just intense, humorless, and palpably sad ones. I don’t know if I want to pour myself a stiff drink to numb the pain, or cry quietly into my pillow. Maybe a little of both.

     The Season 3 spoiler thread includes this:

     … we finally get to see the aftermath of a teary-eyed Jim confessing his love to Pam. “I don’t think it’s at all what people are expecting,” John Krasinski says of the aftermath, “but it is absolutely true to how something like this would actually go. It is real and honest and raw, and that’s what I love about it.”

     Raw. Yup, that’s the word.

123. I know for me it was a little hard to get into because as cheesy as this sounds, I was still reeling from the revelation that Jim doesn’t work there anymore and that Jim and Pam didn’t get together. And then before I can settle into that, I find out Pam and Roy broke up! So I think all that stuff overshadowed this episode, and that’s only because it’s coming off of such high anticipation. Regardless, it was a great premiere.

     I love they way they revealed that Ryan has Jim’s old desk, and also how they revealed that Pam is no longer engaged (and I liked the fact that we saw a softer side of Roy…makes him more than just a two dimensional jerk). Obviously Scranton is missing something without Jim and Jim is missing something without Scranton, but he’ll be back there soon enough I’m sure. I’m not quite sold on the new people yet, but it’s only been one episode. I also liked the little bit of continuity by having Mr. Brown from Season One’s Diversity Day back to give a seminar to the Stamford branch.

     And that Gaydar bit at the end? HILARIOUS. Funniest part of the whole episode, and with so many funny moments that’s saying something! Can’t wait for next week!

124. Darn Weather!! Just as Oscar says that he doesn’t feel like he can work there anymore and he heads to the door, our local news breaks in with some thunderstorm warning!! Now I have to wait until I download the episode to see what happens :(

     It’ll be interesting to see how they work Jim back into the Scranton Branch.

     Creed’s line about being with many women was great!!!!

125. Roy’s Mugshot…

     http://homepage.mac.com/asauers/.Pictures/roy_mugshot.jpg

     :)

126. GOOD THINGS:
     ed helms/jello bit
     everything dwight
     all the jim scenes in stamford
     roy’s acting
     gaydar at the end
     pam not getting married
     pam’s reactions to ryan not being jim

     NOT SO GOOD:
     anti-climatic jim/pam aftermath kiss
     rashida jones
     the entire story line in general. (it just wasn’t really important enough to be the subject of an entire episode)
     michael’s over-the-topness in general
     all the talking heads (prior, hardly any regulars got talking heads and now so many?)

     JUST MY OPINION – 7 out of 10

127. I think that people (including myself) are too into the whole jim/pam story instead of the priceless comedic moments throughout the show. This show is a comedy, and i think that part of the Americanization of it is this overglamorous relationship with Jim and Pam, which hooks more viewers, but possible for the wrong reasons. It’s great to find a mixture of comedy and drama(ish), but if one should overpower the other, it should be the comedy.

128. Adam, why does that mug shot remind me of Bill the Cat? :)

     Julia: I think you’re exactly right. I am WAY too wrapped up in JAM. And here I was, thinking I could be objective. :)

129. GOB Bluth,

     Hard as it may be to believe, I didn’t like the episode, and not because of the Jim-Pam interactions.

     GASP!

     The humor was forced, it was entirely over the top, and the interactions were painful — not in a good way. It’s as though Michael Scott suddenly became David Brent, and Steve Carell absolutely can not be put in the same class as Ricky Gervais.

     Jim’s overall unhappiness, even aside from the Pam situation, is something I find incredibly upsetting. I’ve watched the episode three times, and unlike in the past when I haven’t enjoyed an episode immensely at first, this one hasn’t gotten any better.

     There were some solid jokes, though, so I bumped it up to a 3.

     This supplants The Pilot as my least favorite episode.

130. agreed with everything you just said

131. First off, I’m a tad disappointed in the current rating. I think there were way too many Jam lovers out there banking on another wedding to happen. The writers handled it beautifully. Sure they aren’t together now, but no more Roy?! I honestly didn’t see that happening. There’s plenty of room for the triangle to go a number of ways…
     Poor, poor Oscar. That storyline was great too. And yes, maybe Michael was a little over the top, but c’mon, that’s his character. He is a ridiculous, ridiculous man! If you weren’t hysterically laughing at the kissing scene something is wrong with you.
     Jim’s new colleagues look like a great addition. When Rashida Jones’ character made the trademark “Jim face” I almost fell of the couch.
     All in all a great start. Its going to be a different kind of Office, but I am confident the writers know exactly what they are doing.
     And the gaydar… wonderful.

132. I feel relieved, happy, disappointed, hopeful, excited, and confused, all at once. Who knew a comedy could do such a thing? I think that is what truly makes The Office great.

     Anyways… I thought the JAM situation was handled well, but I do hope that the pining is not dragged out for too long this season (it runs the risk of becoming a downer, especially after all that momentum was built up last season). I loved the way John said his line after the kiss… just swoon. I also would like to see Jim return to Scranton sooner rather than later… though in the meantime I’m happy for Pam that she is striking out on her own and taking those art classes. I agree with Neil that Jim’s reaction to Pam’s decision after the kiss felt natural given that making Pam happy is his foremost goal.

     I think the uncomfortable feeling I felt during the episode was intentional on the part of the writers: they wanted us to sense the discord in the characters’ lives now that these changes have happened.

     There were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments though: Creed’s hippie days, Michael and Toby, the gaydar machine. Also, yay Phyllis! :)

     I was disappointed that we had less resolution than I expected (i.e. Australia, whether Jim knows about the wedding cancellation, etc.) but I suppose they have to mete these things out over the episodes. I also didn’t like Roy’s “I have to win her back” line, it just felt false (though David Denman is looking hot!).

     Do we really have to wait a week to find out more?!

133. We fade into flashbacks since we had a cliffhanger in the previous episode. The “documentary crew” would have more footage of that night, obviously.

     I think that Jim actually got to kiss Pam and make her happy was enough for him. Also knowing that she wanted to kiss him back was validating. Jim does not seem the kind of guy to actively take someone away. He respects other people’s decisions, especially Pam’s. He’s not surprised she decided to continue with the wedding (His reaction seemed more like “Okay, it’s your life, Pam.” rather than “Okay, I’d love you to marry him!”) because she’s sacrificed other things for Roy.

     Over the season, Jim and Pam will realize just how much they need each other by being apart. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

134. That was awesome. I’m going to feel sad about the whole Jim and Pam situation though.

135. I’m disappointed about JAM, but also happy that Pam isn’t married. I can’t believe that Pam said that comment about them being drunk however… I honestly thought it was a good episode, but that may be because I was so excited to see a new one. Man, I hope Jim does come back to Scranton. It was heartbreaking seeing how he and Pam missed each other.

136. ah man! when the episode aired i was forty minutes away from my house!!!! was i frustrated? hell yeah. but alas once i view the episode i felt happy about somethings and sad over others.

     LOVED
     -that pam and roy broke up
     -ed helms going nuts over his calculator in jello and jim’s reaction
     -rashinda jones’s jim impersonation (hilarioussss)
     -pam calling off the wedding and finally getting out on her own with getting her own place and taking art classes
     -dwight receiving the “gaydar”
     -oscar’s last talking head
     -the camera panning over to see ryan in jim’s place
     -pam’s expression after michal and oscar kissed
     -how pam and jim miss each other

     COULDN’T WARM UP TO/DISLIKED
     -the whole conference room scene
     -jim and pam not being in the same office anymore :(
     -the gay porn bit
     -michael overall in the episode
     -how some of the shots were filmed
     -jim being in stamford! NOOOO!

     i’m sure there are more moments but my mind is still reeling. overall though, on a scale of 1-10, i’d have to give it a 7.

137. o yeah. question: why was meredith eating angela’s hand saniter? i got a little lost then.

138. Tonight’s episode left me with so many questions:

     1. Does Roy know exactly why Pam got cold feet? Does he know about The Kiss?
     2. Is Carol ever going to realize what a wierdo Michael is? Will she care?
     3. What about the future of Ryan and Kelly?
     4. Is Andy gonna go postal every week?
     5. How on EARTH did they make Roy look so messed up in his mug shot? Please tell me Photoshop.
     6. When are Phyllis and Bob Vance of Vance Refrigeration gonna tie the knot? How did he propose? What about Dwangela? Are they next?
     7. Jan has more than enough reasons to fire Michael. Why hasn’t she?

     Favorite parts:
     The flashback to Casino Night and Michael’s kiss in the conference room scene. And watching Dwight try to emulate him.

     Tanster, thank you for all that you do to help the fans of this wonderful show. If The Office were a drug, you’d totally be my dealer. ;-)

139. Tanster, I really like the way you put it. It does remind me of the very first couple episodes of Season 1 where I was still getting a feel for the show. Will I go back to this one someday and laugh more? Hopefully. It sort of reminded me of Conflict Resolution, when everyone was at each other’s throats. Just a really, really bad day at the office.

     Roy’s “I gotta win her back” didn’t work for me (although I think David’s great). I’m not so hung up on the flashback. They can’t really do a “Previously…on The Office” at the beginning, so this felt a little more natural, from a documentary standpoint.

140. I, for one, welcome the new characters and opportunities for new story lines in the Stamford branch. I’m sure the show will make the most of them as it goes forward.

     I also thought this was one of the best episodes ever — 10 out of 10. I don’t understand others’ negative reactions. With all the hype surrounding this episode I was sure it was going to fall flat but instead it came through with a whole rainbow of flying colors. Bravo!

141. Ha, I’m glad you reminded me of the Angela quote about Will and Grace, because ironically enough, that’s the only reason I watch it!

142. Ok, I posted this at NA, but I’ll repeat it here for all you Office Tally folk:

     Well, after watching the episode twice already, I’ll throw in my two cents:

     I have to agree with all of you that this was a little disappointing- a lot like the Christmas morning let down after all the presents are unwrapped. I’ve been excited for four months, and now I still have to wait to see Jim and Pam together?

     That being said, I am so glad Pam broke it off with Roy and is going it alone–I think we called that one :)

     Ed Helms was fantastic, and I love that they brought back the Jello joke. I thought there was no way to do it again and still be funny.

     I love love love that Jim is still messing with Dwight from Stamford. Priceless.

     The whole gay thing/conference room situation seemed off to me. Something was definitely off with the timing, or maybe it’s just that Jim wasn’t there. It was a little over the top and not as funny as I had hoped.

     My friends and I have bets going about how many episodes it takes for Jim to come back to Scranton. My guess? 3.

     Questions left to be answered: Does Jim know that Pam didn’t go through with it? What happened with Michael and Carol? What is up with Jim’s new female coworker? What about Ryan and Kelly? How do I get more Ed Helms? Who invented liquid soap and why?

     So begins a new season….I’ll repeat what a friend said earlier this evening. I hope they don’t drag the Jim/Pam thing out so long so that by the time it does happen you don’t care anymore, or the focus of the show is on some other big drama. I hope next week feels more like a regular episode….this week felt way off to me. Either way, The Office is back, so my life is more or less fulfilled. It’s good to be back, my friends.

     P.S. The flashback WAS weird. But I am so glad I saw it, I would have freaked out if I didn’t know what happened.

143. Hand sanitizer is mostly alcohol. I never thought it would get that bad for Meredith. It was still pretty darn funny, though.

144. About Pam “being” drunk… she said it to fill the silence. Jim immediately insisted that he wasn’t drunk and then Pam said she wasn’t either. I loved how even in this horrible, wonderful moment, they could joke on the same wavelength (although I know he wasn’t joking). And what’s he going to do after that? Beg her to cancel her wedding? Any girl that cancels a wedding immediately after a kiss isn’t reliable. I’m glad she thought it over.

     The Queer as F comment was a riot. I thought it was weird that no one had noticed Phyllis’s ring already, though. Women just notice those things.

145. I loved this episode. I know some people are disappointed over the Jim/Pam outcome, but the bottom line is this show is still the funniest thing on TV.

     I think that Jim and Pam are secretly together. If they weren’t there probably would have been ONE interaction scene between them. I think they purposely made them have NO contact because it would have given it away. They can be dating but still really miss each other at work and during the week.

     I can’t wait for next week already!

146. oh man! i’ve never anticipated a season premiere this highly! i was a bit weirded out at some points, but i’m still so happy that the new season is finally here!

     what better way to kick off a new season than with dwight clipping his fingernails :p i loved the way he rushed out full on kicking to defend angela after oscar’s “attack.” also, jim seems extra hot in his new threads.

     p.s. i saw “mr. brown” on the daily show the other week, and now i see ed helms on the office, i love it!

147. the ‘exclusive deleted scenes’ are up on the nbc website. they should just cut out the commercials and keep these scenes, must watch!

148. There is also a two-minute recap on the website for ‘gay witch hunt’ for those who missed it

149. Before I say my comments… real quick, what does JAM stand for? Sorry for a noob question.

     Someone else mentioned that Pam and Jim might meet for the first time at Phyllis and Bob’s wedding. I think thats dead on.

     I don’t agree with the many people that think Michael was too over-the-top and disrespectful, I think its in line with his previous over-the-topness.

     I think it was an interesting choice to make this an Oscar-focused episode, which was until today a minor character with little character development. But it turns out to have been a decent choice.

     I rated the episode 8 out of 10. Which means excellent but not the best ever.

150. JAM = Jim + Pam

     :) Jennie

151. Thanks Jennie… I originally thought it meant Jim And Michael, but they don’t really have anything between them.

152. Sorry for the triple post, but I highly recommend everyone take a look at the deleted scenes on the official website. Jan is treating Michael like he’s on probation, there is info on Michael and the realtor’s relationship, and Meredith reveals who she’s had a pseudo-crush on.

153. Hi, You can download John & Jenna’s interview on The Today Show and John on Conan at 2forever.com

154. Oh, I’m so heartbroken! It will be a long season without them together. But Roy definitely looks more attractive now…

155. Wow, this episode was so, um, different? Can I describe it with that word? LOL! It was a very fall off the couch funny episode, when Dwight did his “crying” over Jim being gone, hilarious! But OMG!, freaking fell off my couch when Michael cried! “you’re ignorant, and small!”, can’t believe someone finally told him off! LOL! And can u believe that Jim & Pam never mentioned each other? You could tell they were thinking about each other all day, like when Michael said we’re all homos, and she turned to laugh, and Ryan was there. So sad. And at the end when Dwight used the “Gaydar” on Oscar, then it beeped when he put it on himself. Can’t believe Jim missed that. What was that, like a metal detector or something? Sorry for the long post, I’m just so freaking excited! Not the greatest episode, but totally awsome! :P

156. has anyone been able to buy it from itunes? Is the episode not up yet?

157. I agree, there was something different “looking” about the episode. I loved when Dwight was doing the fake boo-hoo’s and Oscar struggling not to kiss Michael. My favorite is “I stop caring a long time ago” Creed!

158. Not sure if this has been posted yet (don’t really feel like reading them all), but is anyone else confused by the timing of everything?

     I remember reading somewhere that the episodes are supposed to take place in real time (show was aired in September so it’s September for the people on the show). Well, if that’s true, how would Pam still have 5 weeks worth of leftover food (fish or chicken) from her wedding if it was scheduled for June?

     Maybe I’m missing something here and maybe I’m looking into this WAY too much, but just an observation.

159. Great show! This should be another hilarious season of The Office!

160. OMG!!! as if the JAM kiss wasn’t enough, we got to watch the OSCAL kiss too!!! (i felt like Keven!)

161. I really think that the offices will merge and Jim will be flirting with the other girl they showed briefly in the episode last night and with Pam. And Pam will be torn between a better Roy and Jim….but they will not drag out the romance! I thought last nights episode was brilliant, although VERY awkward to watch at times. It’s going to be a great season!

162. why isn’t the episode up on iTunes yet? Anyone have any insight on that? thanks!

163. Does anybody else really wanna see the bloopers from Michael and Oscar’s “moment” in the conference room? I can just imagine how hysterical that must have been for them and everyone because I couldn’t stop laughing just watching the akwardness.

164. Did any see the deleted scenes from this episode? They were pretty good, much more Office-like than some of the final cut. I have a feeling this would have been a better episode had they broken down the plots of Jim transfering and just resolved everything from the finale. Oscar coming out would have worked better as another episode, it was rushed and over the top. But there were always good parts and I’m ready for next week.

165. Matt — she has five weeks of food left because they would have bought food for everyone attending the wedding. Depending on the size of the wedding, that could provide lunches for a long time!

166. I’m so surprised to read some of the comments here. I think this was hands down the funniest, coolest episode yet! Whats up with you people??? ( :

167. It was definitely weird NOT having Jim in the office – it totally changed the “energy” and “feel” of watching those scenes. I REALLY didn’t like how they “reshot” the last scene of Casino Night.

     It was a funny episode it was just weird – especially when they panned to Jim’s desk and there was Ryan.

     Dwights crying was hilarious!!!

168. I just rewatched it. Best line in the entire episode. “I’m sorry I called you faggotty!”

169. i watched most of season 2 dvd up until 8:30 — great way to kill time in anticipation.

     “It’s possible that a man slipped in.”

170. I loved that this episode made me REALLY want to watch next week’s episode. (As if that was an option.)

     Favorite moment: The call back to diversity day, and the cute looks by Jim and Pam to where the other should be. So cute!

     Funniest moment: Dwight’s smirk about imagining Angela with another woman.

171. Talk about ironic! Check out this story about Diane Sawyer interviewing Clay Aiken:

     http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,215159,00.html

     The quote that popped out at me was:
     “Coming out is a very personal, private decision that needs to be made by the individual.”

     Isn’t that almost word for word what Jan told Michael last night??

172. I dont think its weird that Jim went to the other branch. you gotta change things up once and a while. You have to run out of ideas at some point, of the same people in the same office. I bet Jim will be back very soon though…

173. I missed it last night ( i had to go to a wake) and my stupid husband recorded the wrong channel!!!!! I’ve been checking itunes since 8 in the morning and its still not up!!! I’m freaking DYING!! does anyone know why its not up on itunes yet?

174. Does anyone know when they will put the season premiere on iTunes? I haven’t seen it yet, and I didn’t know if they weren’t going to put it on there.

175. My guesses:
     Roy doesn’t know about the kiss. What will happen when he finds out? (not too many people seem to be discussing this aspect)

     Jim doesn’t know that Pam is not married? Will this change his attitude and employment?

     So glad that the show hasn’t wimped out because of its early time slot- a bleeped out word! 2 male-male kisses!

     Thursday is my favorite day of the week. OfficeTally keeps me going through the rest of the week.

176. I liked this episode but here was my big problem with it…

     It was just too mean spirited. Very similar to the tone of the first season. The show had a real heart and soul in Season 2 and it seemed to be gone last night. Maybe because there was no Pam and Jim interaction.

     Plus, it was too hectic. This felt more like an episode of ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT than THE OFFICE. Now, I loved AR but that show had a very different tone and style and it just doesn’t quite work on this show.

     So OFFICE producers, if you are reading this: bring back the awkward pauses! That’s an order!

177. that’s a good point jill. does roy know about everything? does jim know that they didn’t get married. absolutely no interaction between pam and jim.

     and i thought they said that everything wiould be sumed up in the first episode. all the questions would be answered. i think not.

178. Pam and Roy might have 5 weeks of food, but that doesn’t mean that they’d eat it every single day…that’d get old!

179. Wow, I love reading comments; can I have you guys over next week to watch “The Convention” at my place?

     I think most people’s opinions have been expressed very well and overlapped many times. The episode was so anticipated, it did feel like a movie, or at least bigger than regular 30 minute TV event. After winning an Emmy, in really its first full season, well a lot was probably expected from viewers and critics alike. The writers seemed to try and pull out all of the stops and with the deleted scenes, really touched on all story lines that came to a climax last year and in the season finale.

     Obviously the Jim and Pam angle will never die, but hopefully it will be more or a Sam and Diane angle for NBC then Rachel and Ross. Sexual tension is a dormat of all comedies, but let’s see in a few years what “The Office” can spin their version into. There are like 4 other love/relationships going too to look at such as Kelly/Ryan, Dwight/Angela, Bob/Phyllis, and Michael/Jan. I am sure Jim will have something going down in Stamford as well, unless Ed Helms/Carbon Copy of the Jerk in Wedding Crashers gets in the way. Hmmmm.

     Playing off the drama at the end of last year with the Oscar kiss and Phyllis getting engaged was classic stuff too. The bit players are possibly now getting bigger roles and focused story lines which are great to see, especially in an ensemble cast.

     You could tell the writers also wanted to get almost every character in this episode which possibly made it a tad rough for many to watch and keep us with. It was very fast paced, and flipping from Scranton to Stamford will take time to get used to. I am sure more and more story lines will overlap, maybe even as soon as next week. Wink Wink!

     Even Mr. Brown, real life supervising producer Larry Wilmore, made a return appearance in “Gay Witch Hunt” which at multiple times was such a mirrored episode to the first one “Diversity Day,” which mirrored the BBC version. Crazy De-Ja-Vu!

     What else, well Creed had another classic line; he is very Newman-esque.

     This episode really reminded me of Waiting for Guffman, not that the others have not already, but the head shots of Stanley and Angela really are getting lengthier and you could see a good story being told by them as well in such a short window. I think that is so important when you only have about 23 minutes an episode and you want a few underlying themes to touch on through the season and during an episode. And that photo of Roy, well mug shots never get old!

     It is tough to say if this was the best episode or worst, blah blah. I think the popularity of the show is making critics out of more and more of us, and causing us to expect brilliance every week. It’s a new season, and changes are obviously taking place, with new story lines developing. Let’s not be too harsh because we all know this show is the best thing on TV and now it is like comparing Seinfeld episodes. They all were great, but against each other some appeared superior.

     This is the best show on television since Seinfeld, and one day could be remembered right on par for its comedy, acting, and creative way a show is produced.

180. Yeah, I’m waiting on itunes too. but love reading all of the comments from people. I ususally post in tbe nbc forum but it was out of control with mean and nasty comments from first time posters. Office tally is a much nicer fan site I must say! I think I found a cool place to interact with fellow fans.

181. I don’t know if it’s been posted in the past 200 comments, but I loved the mini-cliffhanger once the show continued after the first commercial break: that Pam didn’t get married! Before the break, all we knew was that Pam decided to still marry Roy despite “the kiss.” We all assumed that she was a “wife” until the first scene following commercials. After the break Roy delivered lunch and we got to see Pam’s “ringless” finger. Nice unexpected touch of bonus suspense!

182. Well, I’m thrilled that it’s back, but I have to agree with some of the comments made here about how the tone of the show feels different. I think there are a lot of possibilities for Ed Helms’ character, but if he plays it that way every week, things will get old REAL fast. And the same goes for much of the Scranton branch. It seems like the writers (at least for this episode) have turned them all into caricatures of their former selves. I mean, Michael really should have been fired (or at least threatened with termination) for everything that went on that day. And I get that Angela is homophobic, but it just felt a little pushed for me. I’m hoping that this was just a case of the writers trying to introduce new viewers to all the characters in as concise a way as possible, but really, that isn’t what the show has been about. They’re normally so good at taking their time with everything, and avoiding “over the top” moments unless they’re really crucial. But this episode had a lot of those moments (Helms’ trashcan kick, Oscar’s Angela push, the kiss…) and it detracts from the semi-realism the show has worked so hard to cultivate.
     But still, I love the show and can’t wait til next week!

183. Has anyone mentioned the part where Meridith licked her palm full of hand sanitizer?! LMFAO.

184. Okay, I have mixed feelings about this episode. First off, Pam & Jim. If Pam left Roy, why WOULDN’T she be with Jim, especially considering that she basically admitted to him that she also has feelings for him? The cat’s out of the bag, you know? And Pam’s free now, so what’s to stop her from being with Jim? Or… is there supposed to be an implication that Jim & Pam are having a discreet long-distance relationship or something, and the directors/writers are just not letting on yet?

     Secondly, Michael. His actions/stupid words are becoming SO outrageous that it’s beginning to seem ridiculous and unnatural that he wouldn’t be fired. Obviously, in any office in real life, he would’ve been fired by about, oh, episode 3 season 1. And come on, they give Oscar a 3-month paid vacation but don’t fire the person who put the company in legal jeopardy? It just gets hard to “buy” at times.

     I can’t help but think about the British version, in which David Brent is fired at a very logical point, before he goes way over the edge. The beautiful thing about the British version was that it WAS so true to life, and nothing was artificially delayed for the sake of having a long-running hit sitcom. It had its two seasons and a special, and though we all would’ve liked to see more, it’s perfect as a body of work and to have done any more with it would’ve compromised they way it all hung together so well. Now, obviously, that’s not the way it’s going to go with the American version… because the longer it gets ratings, the longer it will be on the air, that’s how things go with American TV. Michael is a buffoon by nature, but it will be disappointing if things get to such an inane point that the show starts to lose its similarity to real life, and we’re watching these office people roll their eyes at a complete cartoon character every week. I hope it doesn’t degenerate to that point, and I have faith in the brilliant writers given the output so far, but in all honesty, how far can they take things before it becomes just absurd?

     That said, there were still plenty of choice moments in this episode and I was definitely laughing out loud. Favorite moments: the woman in the Stanford office imitating Jim’s looks at the camera, and Dwight fake crying about Jim leaving.

     Anyway, I’ll keep watching (and dl’ing the episodes off of iTunes) but it will be interesting to see how the writers deal with some of the challenges of maintaining the believability of the show.

185. I laughed so many times during this episode. I know parts of it were a bit uncomfortable (e.g. the scene in the conference room where Michael tries to kiss Oscar – I’m surprised Toby, who after all is the HR rep, didn’t say anything.) – but I think it made it all part of a great episode. And for people who don’t think it’s realistic (maybe not in the context it was in) – how many times do we have to hug coworkers or neighbors that we’d rather not? (Remember Seinfeld when Jerry stopped kissing people hello?). Again, not the same thing but there are bits and pieces that ring true.

     Parts that I liked:

     -where Pam looks up to Jim’s old desk and sees Ryan. Reminds me of an earlier episode (forgot which one) where Pam goes on vacation and Ryan the temp has to be the receptionist. And Jim continuously looks up at the reception desk out of habit and it starts to creep Ryan out.

     – Stanley talks about the toaster – hilarious as always. Well, now he can give the toaster to Phyllis as a wedding gift!

     – Pam looking over to Ryan during the conference room scene and him asking “what?”

     – The exchange between Michael and Toby at the beginning where Toby is trying to tell Michael that Oscar is really gay.

     – The gaydar scene at the end

186. Well, I thought it was incredible. That is my first reaction. I gave it a 9. Better-er analysis after lunch.

     Remember: It is a documentary. It is supposed to portray real life. Not what grabs ratings.
     J

187. I think the tone of the show was meant to be different than what we are used to. I think the writers are trying to show that the Scranton branch doesn’t work as well without Jim. Even Dwight, who dislikes Jim, can’t go one episode without interacting with him in some way or another. Not to mention Jim needs the people at the Scranton branch which is proven when his antics don’t seem to go over well in his new office. It would have been fake if the show was exactly like it was before because Jim being transferred was a major change and since he was such a major personality in the Scranton office his absence would clearly change the dynamics of that environment. I think the writers did a great job showing this. I’m sure the tone will go back to more of what we are used to once Jim moves back to Scranton but until then I think the writers went in the right direction.

188. In short, well said Kerry.
     J

189. I think this was a rather bland episode. Watching the deleted scenes, most of them are better than what was in the actual episode. It feels like a different show, not like the first season at all, and way different from the stride the 2nd season had accomplished. However, I do think that the filming style has improved, and seems a bit more cinematica and more colorful. If I had the choice, I would have opened the episode with Pam and Jim’s flashback and then cut to Dwight’s fingernail clipping escapades with a “3 month later” time card…seeing as how not everyone understands how much time has passed unless they are avid fans. I wish that they would not have cast Rashida, but I’m fine with the other choices. Melora and Jenna looked just as beautiful as always, and Roy seems like a much more developed character now. At least now I’ll be able to watch him without hating him. Michael went too far last night, and now I think that Jan is going to make his life a living hell after what he did to her on casino night. I give it 4-5 episodes before they have some kind of a branch takeover, and they merge the branches under Josh Porter’s control. I’m also glad that Oscar will be gone for a few episodes since I have always found his character and acting kind of bland compared to others. I’m hoping to see more Michael/Toby interaction…they have some of my most favorite moments together. However, the most obvious problem is that there is no interaction between Pam, Dwight and Jim. The writers are trying to hard to be funny and smart, instead of just staying with what worked. I will give them props for showing some courage, but I am already missing the flow of Season 2. I’m hoping that all will be improved by the next episode…and I have a feeling that it will.
     Now, if only they would put up the episode on Itunes! I’m guessing it will be a few days before it shows up, since it’s the start of a new season, and they have to get the graphic work and new URL up and running. Oh well…I’m just glad that I recorded it to DVD.

190. they have had flahsbacks before…michael in his jeans comes to mind…..

191. I agree that this episode had funny parts, had uncomfortable parts, looks different, feels different, etc. etc. But it had everyting that makes this show what it is. One highly anticipated and thus scrutinized premiere is too small a sample to judge how the rest of the season will go. I’m sure that the S2 DVD buyers all had an idea of which shows on each disk they wanted to see again first, and which you could have waited on.

192. Hilarious. I was a little worried that 30 minutes was going to be too short but they packed so much in. A great start to the season and I hope they keep it up.

193. Michael’s interactions with Oscar qualify as some serious sexual harassment.

     There’s plenty of sex discrimination, race discrimination and harassment that take place on this show. But Toby was RIGHT THERE for Michael forcing an underling to kiss him. He should have stepped in.

     This episode….well, it hurt. It hurt to watch and not in an exorcising of collective demons sort of way.

     I look forward to next week. This was my least favorite episode by far.

194. I must say though that the way Michael said, “That’s what she said. Or he said.” like it was a great social stride really cracked me up. “There’s Oscar’s roommate, Gil. Wonder if he knows…”

     Even with the mixed feelings, it was still a funny show.

195. I agree with you, True Question. I thought this episode was really good and very necessary. I trust the writers and I can’t wait to see what we’re in for this season.

196. I loved this episode. Dwight did the funniest things ever. I loved the fake crying while saying I miss jim so much and then saying FALSE I do not miss jim and then him trying to kick oscard after he pushes angela.

     PLEASE GIVE ME THE ITUNES EPISODE!!!

     [email protected]

197. Heres how I’m gonna do this. I’m going to do a (hopefully) brief rundown of how I feel about every plotline that this episode involved at all. Wheather they are a continuation of last season, something new that will probably be recurring this season, or something probably confined to this episode, it will be mentioned.

     NOTE: I noticed another guy who comments as J. I can be identified by two major things: I liked this episode (the other J did not), and I have signed my, erm, letter at the bottom of every post I’ve ever made on this site.

     Oscar coming out: Well, we all knew it would happen eventually. Was this the way it should have happened? Probably not. But, it made for some hilarious comedy. Oscar got a vacation out of it, and Gil and him should have a fun time in Sodom. I mean Europe. I hope Gil starts showing up more often. I think the writers will have to kind of have to keep this plotline on the DL for a little bit, but they’re completely allowed to mention it every once in a while.

     Michael’s over-the-top-ness: As a fan of Curb Your Enthusiasm, I’m pretty used to comedy so over the top its offensive. I found Michael hilarious through the entire episode. The kiss was, well, kinda crazy. But I enjoyed the humor in it. Him crying was unbelieveable. Honestly though, I think one of the best Michael moments through the entire show was at the very end when he said “There’s Oscar’s roommate Gil. I wonder if he knows?”

     Dwight being Dwight: Dwight is amazing. I hate the character, but he is so funny. The crying over Jim thing was awesome. And, the Gaydar. Priceless. Clipping his nails was amusing, too.

     Jim/Dwight Dynamic: One really can’t live without the other. Without Dwight, who’s Jim gonna pester? Without Jim, who’s Dwight gonna complain about? They hate each other, but their personalities clashing is what makes each of their days interesting. Like Kerry said, maybe the writers purposely made the scenes in Scranton kind of gloomy to show how effed-up everything is without Jim.

     Phyllis/Bob Vance: Yay! I’m happy. It will make for a good episode. Will Scrantonicity play the wedding?

     Ryan the FULL TIME EMPLOYEE: Temp no more! I knew it would happen eventually. That was a great way to do it. I mean, he had been temping at the same place for a year now. He really couldn’t have been a temp the entire series.

     Ryan/Kelly: Wasn’t mentioned. Probably still going on. Really could care less.

     Dwangela: Obviously still on, judging by the way Dwight attacked Oscar after he shoved Angela. She gave him a look. I liked that scene. I’m sure it will be further explored in later episodes. (Hint: Look at the synopsis for “The Coup”)

     THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS CONSIDER THE DELETED SCENES ON NBC.COM/THEOFFICE CANON.

     Michael/Jan: Over. And that’s that. However, she ain’t giving up yet. And I honestly don’t think Michael’s necessarily done with it yet.

     Michael’s Job Security: Why is everyone going crazy about how Jan hasn’t fired him. Yes, I agree he deserves it. But, 1, Steve Carrell is too important to that show. 2. JAN’S IN LOVE WITH HIM!!! I know that may come as news to many, but that’s how it is![/sarcasm]. Firing someone is not a good way to get them to love you back.

     Michael/Carol: Well, they’ve seen each other 7 times now. I think she sees the Michael I see, which is a sensitive guy who’s really trying to do his best, rather, is doing his best, but was never taught how to do well socially. We’ll see her used in fun ways again.

     END COMMENTS USING DELETED SCENES.

     A couple more random notes:
     Creed: I love him. Everything about him.

     Merideth: Wow. Girl needs some liquor. Stop eating hand sanitizer! Oh, and, possibly the best single line of the episode: “Why do all the good looking single men turn out to be gay?!”

     Stanley: Sorry about the toaster. Just hope Ryan doesn’t start a fire with it.

     And now, onto Stamford. Then JAM.

     Stamford Set: Layed out much better, prettier and probably more efficiently than Scranton. There’s a window and everything.

     Andy (Ed Helms): I don’t like the character. That said, I think it’s a great character. I have issues with the character himself. I think he’s going to be great for the show.

     Rashida Jones: I think the character can go somewhere. She simply stated Jim doesn’t fit in, and that Jim interacts with the camera more than the rest of them. I don’t see how you people can already condemn her.

     The new characters as a whole: I think they each have a true purpose. Josh Porter’s (regional manager, DM Stamford) is to remind Jim how little he misses Michael. Andy’s is to remind Jim that, as much as he hated Dwight, he was much more fun to play pranks on. Rasida Jones’ is to remind Jim of the girl who used to work next to him. I think the rest of the crew in Stamford won’t really talk.

     On Jim Moving: He thought that the wedding was going to happen. And, he had to get out. He was offered a promotion. He took it. I don’t think he knows that Pam is single. I don’t think he knows anything. I do think he went to Australia. I think that he left Scranton about a week before the wedding, moved to Stamford, found a place to live, set up, and left for Australia. Came back, started working. Is still working. And, as a side note, he wears a jacket now. Much like when Tim on the BBC version got promoted.

     Big Tuna: Shoulda stayed with Turkey and Cheese, man. Or a chicken breast, hold the chicken.

     On bringing Jim back: The Stamford branch will be shut down. This will bring Jim (along with Andy and Rashida) back to Scranton. It is there where all the magic will happen.
     I don’t think this will happen, but my mother made an interesting prediction: Michael will mess up again, and Oscar will demand a transfer. Jim will switch with him. Problem with theory: 1, I don’t think they can just transfer him back like that. 2, They don’t actually work in the same department.

     And, finally:
     Pam/Roy: Well, Pam called off the wedding. Yes, she needed to be out of the relationship. But I think it was much more than the Jim kiss that caused it. The Kiss was just the culmination of everything bad that Roy had done to her. And, she needed to be alone for a while.

     The New Roy: I’m excited. He hit rock bottom with a DUI, and really seems to have turned his life around. Lost weight, grew a beard. He really wants her back, and I think he’s willing to work for it this time around.

     JAM: I am so glad the season didn’t start with them going out. They don’t immediately need to be going out. Pam needed to be out of her relationship, and did not want to start one immediately. It will happen in due time. Just watch.

     Its going to be a great season. Thanks Tanster.
     Love!
     J

198. Jim took the job in Stamford before Pam got cold feet. He can’t just quit his promoted position for someone who rejected him to marry Roy. Pam is also never sure about going with her feelings. The graphic arts internship? Breaking up with Roy earlier? All doubts in Pam’s mind. These are all very real people choices to me. We don’t know yet if Jim and Pam have talked since. We don’t even know if Jim knows that Pam broke off the wedding. It’s way to early to judge the decisions of this show.

     I’ll agree with Michael’s job. He really is putting Scranton in danger with his actions and I think Jan knows he’s solely responsible. However, wait until “The Coup” episode airs in a couple of weeks. I believe Michael’s job will be in danger… with hilarious results. :)

     Again, IMHO, great season premiere. No let-downs for me.

199. Best episode since Diversity Day!

200. When is it coming out on iTunes?!?!?!? I missed it on NBC!

201. its up on itunes. i just bought it. but i think you can only buy the season pass. its $29.99

202. I think too much time has been spent looking at this show with a critical eye. Like most of the people who comment here, I have seen every other episode 10 times at least, so it is hard for me to judge new episodes until I have viewed them a number of times.
     That said- I am on my fourth viewing and I am liking the episode more each time. The deleted scenes on NBC.com do add a lot, and highlight again how this show could (and should) be the first hour long sitcom. It feels so squished in 21 minutes.

     C’mon people, let’s start converting the masses- the show can not go the way of ‘Arrested Development”!

203. re: iTunes… there’s a link to buy in the individual episode for $1.99 as well.

204. its not up on my iTunes! What the heck! Anyone else having this problem???

205. ally, try restarting your itunes, then go to the homepage of the music store. there’s a rotating ad at the top of the page for season 3.

206. thanks kim, I did, and I now see the link for the season pass, but no individual episode….hmmmm

207. Wow. Edgier, more adult, a much harder show than usual. And it was great. I thought Michael’s kiss scene was a little too much “Piling on,” but it was a great start to he season.
     Why doesn’t NBC put Earl and this in the 9p hour? It seems totally backwards to have these two shows followed by a game show. They should put “Deal or No Deal” in the 8p slot.

208. it’s on itunes now!!!!

209. PeteB

     Probably because the 9P hour is both CSI on CBS and Grey’s Anatomy on ABC.

     Our poor little office might do well against them, but probably not as well as it will do here.

     Thats my thoughts, anyways.

210. The individual episodes are at the very bottom in their own little scroll section.

211. This episode was frickin hilarious…..I am so glad its back on. GO OFFICE!!!!

212. Anyone have the quote from Michael to Oscar about taking him to lunch one day and they can talk about how Oscar “does it”? That was excellent

213. Best episode ever, almost, but very happy it’s back on.

214. Okay, so last night I was all bummed out about this episode, but then I thought all day about it, and now I like it! Especially the Jim and Pam part. If Jim doesn’t know that Pam didn’t marry Roy, then I’ll like it even more.

215. I think the office is by far the best televison show in the history of televison….Why, you may ask? Cause I work in an office….And I’m certian the Dwight character was developed after the creator somehow ran into my co-worker Michael. Sorry Michael. (Michael’s a green belt)

216. Its good to see this episode climb up to an 8 average.
     J

217. i was looking back at some of screen caps from yesterday night’s show and found it strangely bizzare that during one scene, jim was sitting next to a woman who dressed almost identically like pam.

     http://get-a-cookie.com/caps/displayimage.php?album=21&pos=24

     just a thought.

218. I didn’t post last night because I wanted to relish in the afterglow of my own experience with the Office but I see now that perhaps that was the wrong idea. Will there be a free episode contest like this every week? (!)

     The episode was definitely one of the funniest ever. That conference room scene, my jaw was on the floor on about 3 or 4 different occassions.
     And she broke it off with Roy?!! Independent Pam, Yes!
     Rashida immitating Jim was great. Do we know her character’s name yet? (The Office still isn’t up on her imdb profile!)
     And Jim’s looks to the camera were awesome. I loved the one after hearing about problems at the Scranton branch and the one after Ed Helm’s says he’s going to lose his mind. His face went from “Ha, this is going to be so good” to “I fear for my life.”
     Hilarious, shocking, sweet, and an all around great episode.

219. I thought a bit over the top, but all in all it was good. I waited all summer to find out what happened to JAM and I don’t feel I did get my answer last night. I know what happened to RAM and I am happy about it.

220. I liked this episode, but it wholly lacked subtleness.

     The entire time, I kept thinking, “Okay, we get the gay thing already. Drop it.”

221. This episode was so funny that I lost part of my voice from laughing so hard. The scene in the conference room had me literally hiding behind my jacket. Steve is the best.

222. I didn’t find Rashida’s immitation funny. If Ryan did it, it would have been funnt, I don’t like the new people…yet.

223. Tanster-

     You should totally put the 1st part to Jim’s “Gaydar” quote:

     “What’s ‘gaydar?’ Oh, *gaydar.*”

     I love that line. So Jim.

224. on the episode rankings, the ratings are pretty much proportional to the Jim/Pam content in the episode. pretty telling of how people are looking for a drama in this comedy. go watch Grey’s Anatomy- I want more comedy (ala Gay Witch Hunt) rather than Jim/Pam drama

225. fadeinyou, I noticed that same thing, the woman next to him looked similiar to Pam… strange!

226. it was pretty good, i just miss Jim being at Scranton!

227. I thought the season opener lacked the formula which made all of the others a smashing success. The gay thing went on WAY too long. Taking Jim out of the office would be like relocating Kramer to another apartment building, instead of Jerry’s next door neighbor. Thank goodness Seinfeld had better sense. Don’t mess with a good thing Office!

228. i loved the gaydar scenes!

229. Jim won’t be gone forever. Even Kramer moved to LA for a few episodes. I like how things are all askew right now on the Office. It does feel a bit wierd, but the wierdness will start to feel normal soon, or the regular normalness will come back. I have total confidence in the writers.

230. Yeah, they need to bring Jim back to Scranton, its just not the same :(

231. This was one of the funniest episodes BUT…..the one thing that upset me is the Jim situation of course…..I miss the Pam/Jim/Dwight connection. I hope the writers know what they are doing because I am not liking that part of it…..Steve cannot carry every episode like he did for this one. And Ryan its time to get more funny..the last 2 season you temp character was perfect but now you have Jim’s job so its time to take it to a higher level.

232. Wanted to sit on it a day before posting…

     I enjoyed it. I kind of cringe when I think of Carrell kissing Oscar, but only in that the scene was so forced. Of course, I laughed my tookus off.

     I think I liked how it set everything up for the future. If JAM was permanent, I think we would be happy, but bored. Good shows have to have conflict in them.

     If you watch carefully, you really see Pam’s last look, and you just feel so bad for her. When she was sort of clueless about Jim, she was so happy. Now, with the bite of the apple, so to speak, she’s sort of miserable.

233. You guys think that eventually Jim goes after Pam or Pam goes after Jim?

234. Okay I’ve watched the episode three times now because I was hoping that it was just my anticpation of the new season that led to my dissapointment in it and that I would find it a lot funnier later. There are some really great jokes in here and it is funny, but it’s defintely lacking somehow. First of all it seemed too short and I think that was for 2 reasons; 1. They spent too much time on the gay thing but not enough time on the parts of the gay thing that were just funny and 2. They had to explain to much background with Jim moving branches, Pam not marrying Roy, the end of the kiss from The Casino, etc.

     I have high hopes for the next episodes. I am hoping because they had to set up so much background on this season opener that it will be increasingly better. That said though, I think Jim being away from the Scranton branch really makes it lose some of what is great about the show. I just watched Halloween and The Fight and I realized that Jim’s interaction with Dwight and Michael is a huge part of what makes it so great – yes, they did interact in a distant way here, but it’s not the same.

     I do miss Jim and Pam being together – some here have commented that the show is rated lower due to the absence of any good JAM moments, but I disagree. It’s just not as funny when Jim and Pam aren’t together when Michael and Dwight are being ridiculous, it is their reaction and interplay with them that we relate to – without that, it just doesn’t work as well, and that’s what you’re seeing being reflected in the rating.

     I also think for the first time that I have come to the conclusion that if Pam and Jim get together it will not ruin the show. I really worried about that, because as much as I would love them to get together, I thought losing the sexual tension would hurt the show. Now I don’t. Yes, that was part of what made the show interesting, but now we have NONE of that anyway. They may think about each other, and we are uncertain of their future, but under the current conditions of the show, there is no tension at all. Ultimatelly the show is a comedy, it’s a hilarious, laugh out loud, comedy when it’s done right and Jim and Pam being together are not going to ruin that.

     I rated this a seven and honestly, when I look through all the episode synopsis’ and think about it, I liked this only slightly better than the pilot. My favorite episode is The Injury, which is 10 for me.

235. Dwight’s opening “cry” scene made me fall off my chair laughing!

236. was a great episode that gave me lots of giggles, but i was still expecting for a more interesting season premier. I think i kept my hopes up too high.

     cant wait for the 2nd epi next Thursday though.

     p.s. – im still sad that jim left the scraton branch..but i have a feeeling he’ll be coming back sooner or later. but who knows.

237. Did anyone else notice that the Hot chick that Ed Helms character pointed out to Jim in the begining of the episode is Ben Stiller’s wife? She was in Dodgeball and Zoolander. I wonder if she is a cast member?? anybody know??

238. that wasn’t ben stiller’s wife. Ben stiller’s wife is Christine Taylor and that wasn’t Christine taylor lol

239. i’ve been reading a lot of your guys comments and its really frustrating that most of you didn’t like it because it didn’t focus on Jim and Pam. The show can’t always focus on them!!!! Even if there are throngs of fans who would love them to, it can’t always be about them. This epidsode was hillirous! And it proved that it can have heart without tons of “jam” moments. Like i said before, the show is called The Office, not Jam!!!!!!!

240. Some of the show felt like it was testing the viewers in my opinion. They put out an episode that pushed the envelope and if you left wanting to see more then you passed. If not then tune into Two and a Half Men.

241. I just rewatched the episode this morning and stumbled upon a little gem I hadn’t noticed in the original broadcast. Did anyone else see Kelly during the Conference room scene where Michael and Oscar have that special moment? I don’t think i’ve ever laughed so hard!!! Immediately after the horribly awkward kiss the camera pans the rest of the room and we see all the characters with their heads down, looking completely mortified… Except for Kelly, who is grinning widely and clapping like a crazy person! It was like she was deeply touched by the love between Michael and Oscar. I love this show so much!!!

242. As far as the Jim/Pam scenario, they handled it ok, but if they keep Jim away from Scranton too long, it will come back to haunt them.

     Go back and watch all the previous episodes, and notice how integral Jim is to the humor of the show. Whether it’s with Dwight, Pam, Michael, or whomever, a LOT of the humor seemed to revolve around Jim. Even in the premiere, Jim was the source of the “Gaydar” joke.

     They should have let the Jim/Pam tension play out for a while, but now that they’ve chosen to fast-forward the situation, let’s hope they don’t completely mess the show up by turning it into a “Dra-medy”.

     I’m not saying it should be the JAM show (I just fell victim to your terminology), but I just feel that Jim needs to be more prevalent in the grand sheme of things.

243. I think the writers did a good job with the Jim/Pam situation. Most shows end when the two people you want to get together get together, but Jim and Pam got together…without really being together.

     As for the rest of the episode i thought it was hilarious. One of the funniest I’ve seen! I felt so bad when Michael was crying though…

244. I wish I had enjoyed this seasons innaugural episode, but I was very disapointed with the writers on this one. The cliffhanger of Jim and Pam didn’t feel resolved, only veiled, and the entire rest of the episode was emotionally violent. There was little room for humor among the chaos and the “insider feel” we had on the characters is all but gone. Everyone was outed in this episode and I feel like there’s not a ton of mystery left to the plot line.

     May The Office rest in peace.

245. I felt bad for Michael, and then I hated myself for feeling bad for him…which is my usual string of emotions when it comes to Michael. All of the stuff he pulled with Oscar, and he’s totally unprofessional and insensitive, and yet I still feel bad for him when Oscar yells at him in the conference room?

     Only Michael Scott could wring that type of emotion from me.

246. does anyone have stills form this episode?

247. I’m really surprised that everyone either hated or loved the season premiere. I wasn’t that impressed with it but my mom, on the other hand, LOVED it. I’m not disappointed with the story or anything, just didn’t like how they tried to cram so many things into 22 minutes. Regardless, I’m PUMPED for the next episode!

     p.s. if you’ve been living in a cave for the past few months and you haven’t seen Little Miss Sunshine, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? I just saw it again and it’s beyond amazing.

248. I just did something interesting. I watched Casino Night and Gay Witch Hunt back to back. And, you know what, after watching it again, GWH is really just another great episode of the Office. Special in its own way. Solid as a rock. Thats what she said.
     J

249. I don’t think I am saying it was suppose to be bad, I think I am saying that it was better than MOST TV, just not up to it’s usual standards. I basically agree with Metalidoom33, it is much more dependent on Jim than I imagined it would be – don’t misunderstand, this is a GREAT ensemble and everyone provides something fabulous to the mix, but this episode made me realize how much the interplay between Jim/Michael/Dwight and to an extent Pam/Jim/Michael/Dwight. Obviously it wouldn’t work if Michael was gone or Dwight was gone or if Pam was gone either. So in essence I am saying that the dynamic is off, and I am hoping they figure out a way to resolve the issue quickly.

     I think it’s elitist to assume that those of us who do like the JAM stuff only like the show for that reason. We love the show because it’s so incredibly funny and well done and well written, etc. But this episode was not up to par. Yes it was funny, but it would have been so much funnier if Jim were in the Scranton office and Ed Helms is okay – but he’s no replacement for the interaction with Dwight. Rashida was…annoying and I’m not sure why she needed a talking head at all.

     I await with eager anticipation episode two – but I am afraid that the writers may be slightly misguided for the first part of this season because they might only just now be figuring out that they’ve made a mistake. Those of us who did not like this episode as much as most of the rest of the office episodes are saying that we want the quality of the show to stay where it has been. They’ve spoiled us by being excellent and that’s what we’ve come to expect.

250. Wow — the whole Michael/Oscar kiss was IMPROVISED. Incredible!

     Read about it in Jenna’s latest blog.

251. I was looking over some of the comments about the first show, and agree with alot of them. It just does not seem the same with Jim in the other office, but I think that he will be coming back to Scranton. I hope that Oscar does not leave the show [he said about going on a 3 month vacation]I would really miss him. The gaydar thing was just what Dwight needed, I am glad that he thinks he and Oscar are the same. That is just what he deserved. I am glad that Phyllis and Bob are engaged, I don’t understand the way Angela feels about Oscar. I even felt bad for Roy, even though last season he was more of a jerk. I guess he realizes what he has lost, and he said that he is going to try to win her back. But I still hope that Pam and Jim get back together. All the actors on this show are great, but I didn’t care for the new office that Jim is now working. It just isn’t the same without Jim in Scranton but I believe the writers of the show will get him back. Looking forward to Thursday……Helen

252. I personally loved this episode. I think everyone needs to realize that if the writers resolved every issue and answered every question in one episode, there really wouldn’t be a show. We live in an attention defecit disorder society and it’s hard to be patient these days, but i really think that if we just hang tight, things are gonna get really good!

     What do you think…..Scranto/Stamford downsizing merger to bring Jim back? A la the British version?

253. Oh yeah. Its gonna be downsizing. Its always been inevitable. Jim will move back to Scranton, and Andy and Rashida Jones (who needs a character name) will come with him. Maybe even Josh Porter, too.

     BTW, I actually really liked Rashida Jones’ one talking head. I think she’ll be a fun character to watch develop, as will Andy be.
     J

254. This episode on my first watch was very intense. Now that I’ve had a good 10 viewings I feel prepared to state my opinion.

     The episode was great.

     The writers did an excellent job handling the task at hand. That task was explaining where “The Office” is ~5 months after this kiss. They did just that while allowing the story to expand and have more depth. A few of the dynamics are different but the plot and characters we’ve all come to love are all here. Characters have grown since we last saw them, Jim with his tuna sandwich and Pam with the move on to her own place, but at heart they remain the same people. Had the show just completed the JAM relationship build up there would be no office for us to watch and enjoy. They would have gotten together and both grown to their potential, Pam would go to art school and do what she loves and Jim would actually apply himself doing something he enjoys. All of you doubting this episode need to understand where the story has been and where it needs to go before claiming the show is dead and leaving it behind.

     Now that I’m done bashing the people afraid of change I have a few quick viewing questions, did Kelly look pregnant? When she walks on camera to talk to Oscar, it could be the shirt, she looks like she has a belly. I doubt something that “big” would have been left out of this episode but perhaps.

255. gosh..if only the producers of the show would read this–

     BRING JIM BACK TO SCRATON! it seriously is not the same :(

256. Big Tuna, I thought Kelly looked preggers too!

257. I’m really surprised by some of the negative reaction to GWH. I really loved it – I laughed through the whole thing and I even really enjoyed the changes. It was kind of exciting to see a new dynamic and a new location with new people. I’m as big a JAM fan as anyone, but they can’t be rushed together or there wouldn’t be much of a story, would there?

     Ed Helms is pure fantasticness – I’m so excited about his character. I also really enjoyed Rashida Jones’ talking head – it was fun to see someone not impressed with Jim’s trademark moves that we all love to watch. My biggest laugh (and there were many) was probably Roy’s DUI mugshot. My god that was good. I was so relieved to see the fallout from “the kiss” in May – i.e. Pam not getting married. The dialogue immediately after the kiss? Heartbreaking.

     Yes this episode was uncomfortable, edgy, and at points just mean. But this is why we love this show people. It is not Everybody Loves Raymond (can I get an amen for that?). They take risks and we as an audience are better for it. Do you really want a show that ignores the realities of life and in which everything is neatly forgiven and forgotten in the last five minutes? I don’t. I prefer to squeal with uncomfortable delight while Michael inches slowly towards Oscar’s face. I like that I felt SO badly for Michael once Oscar launched into his tirade, even though he totally deserved it.

     I’m prepared to go where the writers take us – I trust that I’ll enjoy the ride. Haven’t been disappointed yet.

258. well, agent michael scarn, i think the reason ryan stayed on is because he is one of the 5 main characters and one of the better writers on the show

259. Reruns make me cranky >:(

260. Carly wrote:

     “well, agent michael scarn, i think the reason ryan stayed on is because he is one of the 5 main characters and one of the better writers on the show”

     Yeah I see what ur saying Carly. I think BJ is a very funny writer. And he’s considered a “main” character. I actually like the Ryan character and would like to see some more screen time for Ryan. But unlike the other characters I think the show would survive if Ryan was written off the show. Ryan could easily be written off realistically and BJ could still be a writer for the show. Anyway I’m sure they will explain more in depth why Ryan stayed eventually. It will probably have something to do with Kelly, although he will hate to admit it.

261. uch. repeat on my birthday. a bad sign.

262. I. Miss. JAM! Tears.

263. I just wanted to comment on how most people think season 3 is a dissapointment so far.

     I was looking at the highest rated episodes, sitting atop 1 and 2 are “Casino Night” and “Dundies”. Both episodes involvings the only JAM kisses of the show. Even 3.Christmas Party and 4.Booze Cruise both have significat JAM moments. Down way at the bottom is 31.The Carpet, which has no physical JAM interaction at all. Therefore, i think most viewers here rate the shows based on JAM.

     In Season 3 since JAM is not physical together anymore, most of the viewers are going :( :( :( .

     just my 2 cents.

264. OMG! do u relize that there is only like 2 minutes until the 1st season 3 rerun. SQUEE!

265. AHHH! I can’t believe its on! :P No one cares do u? Maybe I should go to the chat room for this. LOL!

266. I love the part where Michael and Jan are in the conference room and Michael brings up the possibility of Oscar and Angela having a gay affair, only to be told by Jan that that would be impossible. It’s a perfect example of the Michael-Jan awkwardness that I love!

267. I just realized the same guy (Mr. Brown) who does the speech on the Diversity Day episode is the same guy in this one doing to same speech at Stamford! I never noticed that before.

268. Oscar is supercool…..and Bob Vance is my new favorite person…and there is yet another Creedism for the books

269. My biggest laugh was probably Roy’s DUI mugshot. OMG that was so good. I still LOL’ed