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Writer: Mindy Kaling, Director: Ken Kwapis
Summary (NBC): Michael and Pam continue their tour of the branches with Michael taking a lesson from their visit to Utica. Dwight and Jim struggle to fulfill their new party planning duties with a grumpy staff. Second of two parts.
The Office Lecture Circuit Part 2 rating
In a poll conducted Feb. 12-16, Tallyheads rated this episode: 7.14/10
The Office Lecture Circuit Part 2 quotes
Kevin: I didn’t eat lunch. I didn’t eat all my lunch.
Angela: This company still doesn’t recognize cat maternity.
Meredith: I had my second kid just for the vacation.
Dwight: Juvie … nile. Detention center.
Dwight: If she’s old enough to get married, she’s old enough to follow the law.
Kelly: Like Thelma and Louise, but with, like, a boat.
Jim: How do you hate it? It’s a cake.
Jim: Birthday.
Dwight: Frosting.
Kelly: Those aren’t themes. There’s always a theme.
Phyllis: There’s always a theme.
Kevin: That one ugly cat is humping Princess Lady!
Meredith: Yeah, I know fixed; that ain’t fixed.
Michael: Good morning, Viet … Nashua!
Pam: Sales is like a box of chocolates. You never know which vendor you’re gonna get.
Kevin: I was looking at pictures of food on my computer.
Oscar: The psychological issues that go behind licking a cat are not things I want to go into. Also I’m pretty sure she coughed up a hairball.
Michael: I stole a sleeve of her sweater.
Pam: What? I’m not in love with her.
Jim: I’m not writing “horse hunt.”
Jim: So far, our ideal party consists of beer, fights to the death, cupcakes, blood pudding, blood, touch football, mating, charades, and yes, horse hunting.
Jim: Okay, stop. Forever stop that story. That’s disgusting, and it doesn’t count.
Dwight: You know what’s even cooler than triceratops? Every other dinosaur that ever existed.
Kelly: You don’t hear a theme. You see it. Why is there a chiclet on my cake?
Creed: Bonnie Hunt is on.
Dwight: We’re going to be eating cake at our desks. Let’s go.
Kelly: I’m too excited to sleep.
Michael: We should go apologize to Roy or something.
Michael: Too fat. Big fat fatty.
Icon provided by pessimistreader.
The Michael storyline continued to be great. It also provided one of the most awkward moments I’ve ever seen, but in a good way. The Kelly storyline was okay, but I feel like the office itself isn’t as fun when Michael isn’t around. The Angela subplot, I’m not sure why they added, since it wasn’t in part 1. Just seemed unnecessary when they already had two plots set in motion.
Did Holly’s “letter” remind anyone else of Jim’s letter in season 2? The one that never actually got delivered… but I think Pam sees some of herself in this situation and is trying to make it better. This could bite her back, though…
LOVE IT!
I really wish the stylists would pay better attention to Pam’s hair. I like that they’ve started curling it, but it is so flat from the top of her head to her ears and then it gets curly. They should at least put it up or something!
Also, does the length of Jim’s hair seem to be changing throughout the season or is that just me?
Holly! I loved you! I can’t believe she could do that…I don’t want to believe she did that.
But I have to say, I love the parallels between Pam comforting Michael and Jim comforting Dwight in the stairwell. It provided a great Jam moment of sorts even when they weren’t together.
re: Pam’s hair
I’ve actually heard them go into great detail about Pam’s hairstyles- trying to make “looks” for her that someone could do all by themselves, quick and easy, no frills. Her hair styles have always been… simple. On purpose. If it looked “great” then it wouldn’t look real- it’d look like 3 stylists did it.
Anyway, great episode- the Michael/AJ exchange was PAINFULLY awkward.
Michael calling out A.J. for dating Holly was incredibly awkward. I had to put it on mute.
Everyone on the show was awesome tonight. I was laughing from beginning to end. Pam was hilarious in this episode. She had some of the best lines. At some point when Angela was licking her cat, I was at some point expecting her to kiss her cat. I, like Oscar, am trying to get the image out of my head. I’m still not sure if I like part 1 or 2 more, but I am sure that both are in my top five this season; at least for now.
Best. Episode. All. Year!!! Absolutely awesome.
SeriouslyPamsHair: My hair is naturally curly just like Pam’s, and it naturally does just that…it’s flatter on top and then it gets curly. So it’s actually probably accurate to how Pam’s hair would be without her over-styling it!
Also, this episode was so great! The Holly story-line was slightly painful at times, but I’m so glad they kept it open-ended for when Amy Ryan comes back (because we know it’s gonna happen!) Do we think that Pam made up the contents of the letter to make Michael feel better, or did it actually say Holly still had feelings for him?
I really liked this episode! Maybe not as much as part 1, but still great! I have to read that letter, hopefully Holly makes another appearance before the end of season 5!
Loved the Kelly plot, it was perfect. Keep the keys to your boat safe, Darryl!
Excellent episode. I love Pam/Michael. I’m glad she’s at least the one soul in the office who helps him through these things. Angela licking the cat? That was awkwardness, that completely threw me for a loop! And they need to pay a little more attention to the car scenes….outdoors…..Michael, overcoat, winter time in Scranton. I saw some passing palm trees, haha. I’m from Pennsylvania, we have none here! hahaha. Awesome episode though.
This episode was better than the first part, although where was Andy? I loved Pam trying to do Michael’s presentation. One question: did Pam actually read Holly’s letter or did she just give Michael good news to give him the same closure she had with Karen?
So great, we get to watch Michael be strung along from afar ad infinitum, unbeknownst to the stringer, who may or may not actually still care about him in the least at this point in time. Wonderful. Ugggghhhhh.
Sorry, I hate that Michael is in romantic limbo subject to the availability of Amy Ryan. She’s great, but not worth this endless and tiresome stall in lovelornland. Move Michael forward, please! He’s my favorite character, and I’m sick of him shmoopily spinning his wheels over this hit and run. No fun whatsoever.
LOVED it!! I felt so bad for Michael, but still couldn’t help but laugh at him (like when he was crawling out of the Nashua conference room) And the whole Dwight/Jim party planning!! What an amazing 3 episodes in a row :]
After watching tonite’s episode..this is just me 100% speculating, but wouldn’t it be AWESOME if Holly came back for the season finale!? I mean I just want Holly to come back period, but it would be a good and possibly even cliff-hangerish way to end the season.
Poor Michael… Pamela Gump was HILARIOUS! Jenna must do more accents/impressions! I like how Michael sat in the back seat, a la ‘Diwali.’ Pam had a positive mindset with the whole thing because of huge over-time pay and closure with Karen, she is really sympathetic towards Michael, she even encouraged him to skip the other lecture and get closure with Holly… But he’s still sitting in the back ;) Something about that had me snickering throughout parts 1 & 2. And after all the build-up of sympathy, by the end, it was still the same ole Michael, and we were left with the exasperation of Deadpan Pam ;)
Good to have some new Pam classics:
Gump
“I have a chain saw. Roooo…”
“What? I’m not in love with her.”
Pam totally read the letter to Michael. She loves gossip.
That was a really good episode! I say again, Ken Kwapis is a fantastic director and Mindy is just too cute!!! I LOVED hearing Pam’s side of the Jim/Karen relationship!
Jenna if you are reading this, submit Lecture Circuit parts I and II to Emmy voters. You will get what should have been yours two years ago.
I loved this episode! But omg…that Michael and AJ scene was so awkward. I couldn’t even watch it.
I would also like to know if Pam was telling Michael the truth or not. I would like to think she was, but who knows?
A nice wrap-up from last week’s ep. Although, I did prefer part 1; but part 2 had a more serious delivery, and the painful cluelessness of Michael Scott! It had sweet and emotional moments with Michael/Pam. And laugh-out-loud moments like Dwight waking up Kelly (should I say “Kelley”) and the whole Nashua staff staring at Michael and Pam out the window. A+
Another great episode. I still love the IT IS YOUR BIRTHDAY banner.
Part one was funnier. I loved the continuation of Dwight/Jim on party planning though. But WTH are they doing with Angela’s character? She’s just a joke now – something out of a cartoon. To think I complained it was over the top the week she pulled a cat out of a drawer at work – that was believable compared to this week. Literally coughing up hair balls?
True story: it took me 15 min. to watch the Nashua presentation segment of this episode. The cringe factor was almost unbearable.
This was one of the most surreal Office episodes that I can think of. Cat licking, the 1-hour nap gift etc. Great acting by Jenna Fischer. I was kind of hoping to see Holly again– her absence when most people were expecting otherwise was yet another curveball from this season.
I really enjoyed the episode, especially the Michael & Pam and Jim & Dwight pair-ups. I really had a problem with Angela licking her cat though. I thought that really crossed the believability line. How can her character come back from that and ever be taken even quasi-seriously?
I actually thought this episode was quite sub-par. Not the worst of the season, but still at the bottom.
It kills me that we don’t know what the letter said! I think it’s great that for Michael, “closure” is hearing that it’s not over.
My family keeps asking me how I’d like to celebrate my 50th birthday, I now have an answer………I’d like a chicklet on my cake please!
Thanks Mindy.
I thought it was a pretty good episode, but I did have one major problem with it.
Did anyone notice them looking from Michael’s back when he was looking at Holly’s desk. Then he noticed the file and all of the sudden the camera flipped and was filming him from the front instantaneously. That and the cat thing were really disturbing.
My favorite line of the show, possibly EVER, was when Kelly curls up under the conference room table to take her 1-hour nap and says, “I’m too excited to sleep.”
There’s a Disney commercial where a couple of kids are all pumped up about going to Disney and the little boy says the same thing in a really cute way. My cousin and I say “I’m too excited to sleep” whenever we’re excited about anything!
Wonder if that was an intentional reference to that commercial?!
I loved this episode! I really liked how Jim and Dwight bickered like an old married couple. The theme of the party was too funny, it worked out so great and the expressions from KELLEY were priceless. Pam/Michael were great, i like how she really tries to sympathize with him. It reminded me of the Michael/Pam scenes from Business School and the Diwali ep. ;)
Mindy Kaling did such a great job writing Part II, as well as Part I! What emotional ups and downs I experienced as I watched…huge sadness for Michael when he found out about AJ, a tender moment when he touched Holly’s sweater on her chair, and then I almost fell off of the couch when he cut off the sleeve!
I adored Kelly’s excitement over the nap (good choice, Kelly!) and Jim & Dwight’s continued bickering over party planning.
The funniest part of the Angela’s cat thing, for me, was Oscar’s reaction. He has done such outstanding work this season!
This episode was so fantastic that I had to instantly switch to officetally to share my enthusiasm with fellow tallyheads–and I usually never post!! What great acting, genuinely funny without anything over the top and unbelievable. “I’m too excited to sleep” and “Horse hunting” were hilarious. Thank you Mindy Kaling!!!!
It took me 15 minutes to get through the presentation as well – and Rob Heubel as AJ was great. Hope we see him again.
Part I was better but this wasn’t terrible. Pam had some really great lines, and it really reminded me of Booze Cruise when she told Michael that it wasn’t over with Holly (I mean, when Michael told Jim to not give up – and behold, it worked!)
Kelly was absolutely adorable – “You’re not supposed to hear a theme, you’re supposed to see it!” but I felt Angela’s character is becoming somewhat… loopy.
Where was Andy? After his storyline last week I thought we would see him some more.
Angela and her cats … wow. An okay episode. Question: Holly can date a co-worker in Nashua but she can’t date Michael?
I love “The Office” but I was disappointed by this episode. Lecture Circuit, Part I, was one of my favorite episodes. Part II fell completely flat for me.
Pam & Michael = fantastic. Jim & Dwight & Kell(e)y = adorable/hilarious. Angela = what was that? Writers, please explain what is happening with the up-tight Christian chick, asap.
Where was Andy? I liked everything but the Angela licking cats part. That felt forced and unrealistic, like something from a sketch comedy show. Jenna did some fantastic acting
Good episode! Didn’t think Pam necessarily told Michael the truth about the letter though. She wanted him to be happy and to stop being depressed, so we’ll see…
Only the office can make you laugh one second and get you a little teary eyed the next. I loved this episode and redeemed Pam for me in so many ways. The awkwardness between Michael and AJ brought me back to the good ‘ol days when every episode had you cringing and laughing at the same time. Michael and Pam are so sweet together and I think (as usual) that this episode really showed just how brilliant Steve Carell is as an actor. LOVED IT.
Ok, after this episode, they are totally setting up for Holly to make an appearance. If Holly could never come back again, I think they would have never brought up the Michael/Holly storyline anymore. I understand that Amy Ryan is really busy and can’t be on the show full time but they should at least have her in like the final season finale or something. That would be AMAZING!
“I was looking at pictures of food on my computer.” So Funny
Season 5 is an amazing Kevin season I Love it!!!!!!
“I am not writing down horse hunt!”
That was the funniest line in a long, long time. I haven’t had a good guffaw like that since season two. Well done.
Oh boy, that was INSANE! What an episode.
I think Pam has Stockholm syndrome. But she set a record for adorableness.
It’s clear that this AJ is a rebound, just like Karen was to Jim. That was heart-breaking seeing Michael’s reaction when he was told of Holly’s new relationship. And there’s gotta be more to that letter than that; there just has to be! Great setup though, for whenever Holly does come back.
Highlights:
-Michael & Pam – loved the final scene where they were talking about Tony
-Kevin claiming to be looking at pictures of food on his computer
-Creed: “For $7000 I can get you a kid.” HAHA!
-Dwight naming frosting as a theme
-Pam’s impression of Michael’s Forrest Gump impression
Only thing I didn’t like was Angela & the cats, seemed out of place & just strange.
Yep – I gotta agree with PAMJIM above – Pam’s fill-in presentation was the episode’s highlight.
“FRECKLES, PENGUIN, K.D. LANG”
“I have a chainsaw. VVVRRRMMMMMM”
One of the worst episodes ever. Seriously Angela licking her cat? Not even Angela is that crazy. And a drama queen like Kelly is satisfied with a nap? Right. Jim is hard to watch anymore he is such a wimp and Dwight needs to shut it. Horrible writing the only realistic thing in the whole episode was Michael’s pain.
Question: Who was that a picture of on Holly’s wallpaper?
This was a great episode. I love the Michael/Pam dynamic…I hope we get to see more of this!
I don’t know if anyone commented on this last week, but why have they gone back to the old credits? I liked the new ones! I mean, I know there is probably no hard feelings amongst the cast, but if I was a regular on The Office (my greatest wish come true) I might be a little offended that I didn’t make the cut. Especially since they left BJ Novak in even though he hasn’t been in it for weeks. (Not that BJ should be taken out!)
I’m one of the biggest fans of The Office, but I must say that this one was a bit of a boring episode — quite possibly one of the weakest in series history. Am I the only one thinking this? Angela’s story was really bizarre and not funny, and Michael’s/Pam’s story was Ok but not hillarious. But oh well… this season is a good one.
Wow, disappointing. The Angela storyline was horrible. Felt very forced and sitcomy.
Part 1 was one of the best of the season, and Part 2 would have been a worthy follow-up if it hadn’t been for the cat licking. I cringed and felt disappointed. It felt so broad and forced and unrealistic, just like driving into the lake and “where are the turtles?!!”.
Except for that one minute, though, the ep. was fantastic. Chainsaw Pam was great, and her Gump impression is still making me smile. I also really liked Dwight’s answer to Kelly asking what the theme was: “Frosting”. Ha!
#34 – BlueYogurtLid – Hey, you’re right! Why is it okay for Holly to date A.J. at work and not Michael? And it’s not like it’s a secret – the receptionist in Nashua told Michael to talk to A.J. – he’s her boyfriend.
Good catch! If the writers answer questions through this episode, bring that up.
i absolutely disliked this episode. poorly written and the jokes were stale. i love the office but season five is a complete letdown.
Sorry, but this was the worst episode of the season yet – 2009 was off to such a good start. Jim/Dwight just acted like jerks…versus last week being hysterical. Nothing about Michael/Pam’s storyline this time was funny. Angela’s cat scene was just over the top and forced. Bleh. I’ll brush this one of my shoulder and forget it ever happened.
I agree with Stapler. Kelly’s line ‘I’m too excited to sleep.’ made me laugh for a long long time. Mindy Kaling is a fantastic writer!
Excellent show – not as good as part one but looks like season 5 is finally hitting its stride.
I loved the interaction between Dwight and Jim again. Those scenes were my favorite. I loved Pam’s sweetness cause we haven’t seen that from her in a long time. I liked the episode but I really wonder just exactly what the “Dear Michael” letter said…hmmm…
Best Scenes: Michael talking to Holly’s boyfriend
Kelley’s nap present
Michael and Dwight both did nice acting in this episode.
Angela has not made a desirable transition from Season One to today. I can’t imagine how much deeper the writers are going to have her fall from grace.
Everyone else and most scenes were lackluster. I gave the episode a 6.
Not that Angela was necessarily “normal,” but she wasn’t as crazy as the Michaels or Dwights or Creeds of the office.
Now she is. WOW! Now…she is. HILARIOUS! I love how Angela’s character has grown. We saw such a change in Pam over Season 3, and this season feels like Angela’s big change. Perhaps she’ll do a coal walk and profess her love to….OH MY GOSH! Andy or Dwight!?
Not again….
Oh my gosh, I almost forgot!!!!
Who thinks that Pam was lying to Michael? There’s a big debate here…
On one hand, she knew how much Michael needed closure, and how good it felt for her.
On the other hand, she may have just wanted to read the letter herself just to make sure it didn’t say anything bad and upset him more.
Loved this one…not as good as part one, IMO, but I still loved it. The Nashua “Lecture” was so awkward it was almost unbearable. The Jim/Dwight part was still brilliant, and the Angela part was simultaneously the funniest and most disturbing thing I’ve seen in a while.
Finally! Lecture Circuit had the kind of sweet twisted laughs and epicly silly Michael pathos that characterized The Office in the early years. Nothing seemed forced or mean. I hated the roast a couple of episodes ago, thought it seemed to have come from some other show, and I thought it showed a little desperation. So yay Lecture Circuit.
Loved. It. Best of the season so far as far as I’m concerned!
I thought it was so funny when Kelly took a nap. So weird…
I thought this episode was so awesome! Pam is so sweet with Michael, Jim and Dwight are hilarious! One minute I was busting out laughing, and the next, I was near tears! The actors on this show are fabulous.
The only thing I disliked were those commercial breaks! I can’t wait to watch this episode again!
Who is this Angela character??? Where did she come from??? She used to HATE interacting with her co-workers.. now she’s showing them her cats? Geez, that one came out of left field. I like that they are showing a lot more of the “support” characters (LOVE Meredith !!), but it seemed to me that Angela’s personality was totally different. Didn’t enjoy this ep so much. Too disjointed. Loved the first part, but this one fell short for me.
The first part was pleasure, this week it was all pain. I love the office because of the painful moments. This was a great office episode!!
At first, I also thought Pam was lying to Michael. If it was true, I feel certain that would have been revealed in a talking head.
Best line from Creed: “Bonnie Hunt’s on.”
Of course, being a Dwight lover, the description of his birth was incredible.
I liked the episode but they might as well just write off Angela’s character. They’ve run out of ideas with her.
Good riddance to bad rubbish, Holly Flax. Enough with this drama. Bring back the craziness of Lan Jevinson!
Pam killed it in this episode. She was great! Who is dissing her hairdo? She is ultra cute with the curls, Back off Jenna Yo! Seriously… take it back.
ah, you just can’t lose when you have the Dwight/Jim dynamic. I love them together. Although it was a little shocking to hear Jim actually yell. I guess it’s hard to maintain any equanimity when the idea of horse hunting is pitched to you.
I was also happy to see Kelly’s birthday work out. my birthday is in eight days, and as awesome as turning 21 will be, i might rather have a bunch of barely inflated brown balloons and a banner that reads IT IS YOUR BIRTHDAY. I’m going to have to make some calls.
#34 and 52 – maybe it’s not okay for MICHAEL to date Holly. All David Wallace knows is that the last time Michael dated a Dunder Mifflin employee, it ended up being very bad for the company. Yeah, Jan had some crazy issues all her own, but she seemed normal to Wallace until she started dating Michael. Preventing something like that from happening again could be a reason why he nixed Michael and Holly’s relationship.
#52 – Stapler,
The reason it was a problem for Holly to date Michael but not AJ is that Holly was Michael’s subordinate in Scranton, but Holly and AJ are on different reporting lines. Generally it’s impermissable to date a subordinate because it creates conflicts of interest.
This was an interesting episode, every so often they throw a heavier story arc based one at us and this was it (with the Michael/Holly thing).
Angela’s story was OK, but not exactly in character for her. Of course, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen her excited, but this time it just felt strange. But not a horrible B story.
Line of the night goes to Kelly: “I’m too excited to sleep”. Amazing.
#67, youandmelikethis. What is up with Angela? TMI.
I too wish this Holly nonsense would just stop. Please let it go already. I hate this holding pattern with woobified Michael looking wistfully into the distance as we wait for Amy Ryan to maybe return or not.
And yes, I miss the Lady Levenson too (although I don’t miss her craziness, just her). Even if she and Michael aren’t “together”, that spark they had is missed.
I love The Office… but this was the first episode of the show that I really did not like. The Angela story was ridiculous. What happened to the wittiness and the subtlety?
I actually think that Pam’s hair looked better in Season 4. It made her look younger and less tired. Anyways, this episode was ok. Not as great as previous ones though. Season 2 was the best, in my opinion.
Oops, forgot this: Holly leaves the office for three days and her computer isn’t password protected? Come on!
And Oscar tilts his head at one point during Angela’s, erm, cat grooming. Just what was she cleaning at that moment…?
I really liked this episode. It wasn’t as great as last week’s, and I would have rather seen this as a super sized episode rather than a two parter – but it was a nice wrap up to what they started in episode one. (The “Previously on The Office” cold open was soooo weird to me. Definitely a first for this show).
Love the continuing Jim/Dwight Bitch Festival, and Michael/Pam together was lovely, especially with the zinger that Holly has boyfriend and it’s a guy right there in the Nashua office.
I don’t know why, but my favorite line last night (besides Pam saying, “What? I’m not in love with her”, was Dwight, fed up with Jim’s grumpiness telling Jim (paraphrasing), “Do you talk to Pam that way? It’s a wonder she doesn’t want to shoot herself in the face.”
Angela and the cats/licking? Could have done without that.
I don’t know about this episode… I thought the Angela storyline was way over the top, especially considering this is a show known for being funny because it’s well, under the top. I loved Pam in this episode but thought it was far fetched that Holly left a personal letter (if it really was a letter) to Michael on her desktop.
Any time I have been less than thrilled with an episode, there’s always at least one storyline that I loved, which was the Jim/Dwight one this time. To me, those two can do no wrong :-)
[from tanster: please keep comments specific to this episode. thanks!]
I really dislike what’s happened to Angela. We already have Michael and Dwight as our “caricature” characters, and the writers have done a great job of keeping everyone else real (albeit, quirky) until now. I miss the old Angela and the old Andy.
With that being said, I loved the rest of this episode. Jim & Dwight getting stressed out over party planning, Pam back to her old self (finally) and showing compassion for Michael…great stuff. And Oscar and Kevin’s reactions to Angela were funny, the cat licking thing was just too weird.
I do hope we eventually get to find out what that letter was about. Of course, I’m still hoping we someday get to see what Jim wrote in that darn Christmas card.
The new side of Angela I definitely could have gone without. Disgusting. Loved Pam and Jim on this episode, but how about some Jam moments? She could have at least called him, or vice versa.
I found myself really glued to this episode because of Michael looking for and hoping to run into Holly. In fact, I would have been completely content with the whole episode devoted to this plot. Whatever Holly’s letter to Michael said, I think Pam really provided Michael the emotional support he needed at the time. The birthday party segments were cute as well. I am just glad that the birthday parties in my office run a little smoother!
Jim/Dwight & Pam/Michael were great in these two episodes, but I want ‘Office Olympics’ JAM to return, and stay. They can have that same magical chemistry as a couple.
#71 – Technically Holly was never Michael’s subordinate. Both Toby and Holly, as HR reps, work for corporate and don’t fall under the umbrella of Michael’s authority, hence why Toby has never been fired. I agree with the notion that Michael and Holly were separated based on the history Michael has had with dating other employees — case in point being Jan, and we all know what happened there…
I really liked this. The “Dear Michael” document was so realistic. How do the writers think of this stuff?? And also, I think they had the logo of my school on Michael’s trunk. Paul Lieberstein went there so it’s possible. So cool!
See now I love this side of Angela….I thought it was one of her best episodes….it had me laughing so hard (the whole nanny cam thing)….It was just a very sweet show too…I really thought we were gonna see Holly….I miss her!!!
Part 1: Hilarious, surprising, BBC-esque, best episode since Moroccan Christmas.
Part 2: Dull, uninspired, predictable, far-fetched, worst episode since Customer Survey.
The Season 5 roller-coaster rolls on…
LOVED IT! These last three episodes have felt SO MUCH MORE like The Office. Characters came out of their recent caricaturizations, again felt like real people, it felt like a documentary. GREAT GREAT job!
And I really liked Angela! I disagree with JKfan that Dwight and Michael had been the only caricatured ones. Until these last couple episodes it seemed like Angela had ceased to be a real person. She was the extremely religious person who didn’t like fun, laughter, or color. And that’s all the jokes came from. This was a great way to get some good laughs from her that didn’t depend on those things.
Angela’s behavior was a little nuts but not all that far out of character for her. She has always been passionate about her cats, and she still has a broken heart over Andy/Dwight. So her going over the top does not make her “cartoonish” in my opinion, considering she has been through emotional trauma of being dumped by both her fiance and her lover!
Jim and Dwight are so hilarious on the party planning committee. Everytime I think of ‘So far, our ideal party consists of beer, fights to the death, cupcakes, blood pudding, blood, touch football, mating, charades, and yes- horse hunting’ I crack up. Fights to the death? That is so golden.
And birthday themes: Birthday. Frosting.
Love it!
I thought it was a bit disappointing after last week, though really I thought that the last great episode was ‘Prince Family Paper’ (one that many people didn’t like). Mostly it was the awkwardness of some of the humor… I didn’t really like that much in season 2, and I really don’t like it that much now. I was also pretty disappointed not to see Holly in this ep, and that Kelly’s juvenile detention storyline didn’t go anywhere. However, some of the Jim-Dwight stuff WAS pretty funny, so the episode wasn’t a total loss… though the Office never is a total loss any way. :)
I liked this one. The web cam thing was funny and disturbing. Pam and Michael were great together. I was happy to see Pam step up and try the lecture thing. Michael continued to make me cringe with his inappropiate obsession with Holly. I agree Angela was too happy and weird. The web cam thing was funny though.
I really liked part 2. I thought the Angela plot (even the cat cleaning) was funny. This $7000 cat is her pride and joy and a replacement for Dwandy, so she is going to do what it takes to care for her. Plus, she has always blurred the line between cats and humans, thinking that cats are a little more human than they are and she is a little more cat than she is. Plus, I guess I like it when the show takes risks. From the opening scenes of “Diversity Day,” they have shown that they are willing to take risks.
#47—That was Ed Grimley, a character Martin Short did on Saturday Night Live on Holly’s computer.
Hi! I wonder if anyone can explain what’s funny with Creed’s “Bonnie Hunt” line? Since I’m from Sweden I haven’t heard of the show before and looked it up on Wiki, and it seemed to be an ordinary talk show. Would it be the same thing if he had said “Oprah’s on”?
Bonnie Hunt has a relatively obscure talk show. It is strange that Creed would know what time it comes on. Also just weird that he likes it or watches it regularly. Loved it, and the line about buying a child for 7,000 dollars was crazy!
I thought Angela licking the cat was funny. I know a lot of people who have dogs who are really into dog behavior and making sure that their dogs know which human is the alpha dog, etc. I have tasted my cat’s food on occasion. I figure that there are a lot of food options out there, and I should buy her food that tastes the least disgusting. I don’t lick it out of her bowl, but a lot of people think it is weird that I have tried it at all. I can imagine that Angela is hissing at her cats and licking her cats in order to enforce some kind of weird social hierarchy. It is just an exaggeration of how crazy people are about their pets. Certainly many things on the office are an exaggeration of things that happen in real life. I concur with Matt Bennett. Dwight is like no human I know.
I think that Angela’s behaviour can be explained by the fact that beneath her icy cold persona she must be feeling the effects of a double break-up.
She has suddenly lost the attention (if you know what I mean) from both Dwight and Andy at once, so she’s trying to cope and adjust by suddenly behaving extra nice and sociable (that scene in the kitchen seemed really weird for her), and she’s devoting all her energies, material and psychological, towards her cats, hiding one in the office, buying a new one etc. Hence the strange cat-licking thing.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the producers developed a storyline where she has a complete breakdown or is shown to be under some kind of medication etc. A Jan-like shift in personality shouldn’t be discarded either. Finally, perhaps there is a very important social message behind Angela’s sudden shift in behaviour: determined, worker, intense, good worker, hard worker, terrific alpha males are not easily forgotten.
Now, I understand the reaction to Angela licking her cat. I’m with you. However, I don’t see much difference (gross-wise, not weird-wise) in that or when people kiss their dogs on the mouth. Do you know what dogs eat and sniff? I’m just saying…..
I know someone who uses cats to fill an obvious emotional void in her life. It’s disturbing and nonsensical at times. It really puts this week’s Angela plotline into perspective for me. I thought it was great. C’mon, Angela’s always been bizarre.
Jim, Dwight, and Kelly are magic together! I thoroughly enjoyed this two-parter- plus I think it’s nice to have episodes without Jim/Pam interaction because it makes me appreciate it more.
102, Far Away-
“I have tasted my cat’s food on occasion.”
You do realize everyone can read what you write, yes?
;)
Pretty funny episode I guess. Not as good as last weeks. I still love The Office and wouldn’t miss an episode for the world, but I think the point where the show started getting worse was when other people in the office besides Michael, Dwight, Jim, and Pam had plot lines. I love all the characters, but I really think the those four should be the main characters like it had started out being. Maybe Andy too, because he’s a good main character. That doesn’t mean I don’t want any other people having lines or anything; they always have, and I love it, but not full on plots and what-not. It just gets too confusing with 12 or 13 main characters. In my opinion, of course.
I really liked this episode, especially of course the party planning and the actual party. I do think Pam was lying to Michael (look at her eyes, she feels sorry for him). And Angela is clearly losing her mind, which is pretty funny/interesting/ pathetic. Kevin and Oscar’s reactions to her behavior were great.
How do you come back from Angela licking her cat?
I watched the episode 3 times, and now I really like it. The whole Angela thing was weird, at first, but it really makes sense now. She’s slowly going crazy after being dumped by two guys, she’s slowly turning into that crazy cat lady that never married, and like post 103 said, she can’t handle a relationship with a human but can with cat. Also, that deleted scene with the “Finer Things” club was great.
I’m sorry if this has already been said (there are a lot of comments!), but when Pam says, “It’s not over,” the first thing I thought was that Holly is pregnant. Wouldn’t that be crazy? It would be his, not like with Jan’s baby. He would be so happy! Maybe I’m just dreaming…
Really thought this 2 parter was great!
Jenna was amazing. It was cool to see her have so much screen time!
Steve Carrel was great too, he really made me feel for Michael.
That look on his face when he was outside crying to Pam was perfect, as was his face when he saw the Ed Grimley wallpaper on Holly’s computer.
I’m hoping for a Holly comeback in the season finale.
I did not care as much for this episode as the first one but man I can not get enough of this show.
Really liked this episode. At first I questioned why Holly could openly date AJ, but I have explained it away by assuming it’s not her dating people at the office that is a problem, it is David Wallace finding out about it. And there’s not any reason to assume Wallace is keeping close enough tabs on Nashua branch to know about the Holly – AJ situation.
I love the parallel between Pam comforting Michael and Jim comforting Dwight last season.
Except while Dwight understood what Jim was doing for him, Michael–quite expectedly–didn’t get it. “Please Pam, I’m going through a thing right now.”
As for Angela and her cats? Hilarious, and unfortunately not that far off from reality; people are weird about their pets. I used to work with a woman who referred to her dog as “the baby.” I though she had a kid until someone told me the real deal.
96. Bob Vance:
i feel the same way about angela and the cats as i did about michael driving into the lake and dwight setting the office on fire. take weird over the top people, place them under stress and they will act out in even weirder more over the top ways. we are supposed to relate to jim and pam, not dwight and angela. jim and pam observe the bizarre antics of the other characters along with us. and when was angela ever nice or sweet or normal?
I don’t think that Angela was a “different person” in this episode. Yeah, she was friendlier to her co-workers than normal, but she gets like that when she gets excited about her cats. Remember she offered Pam one of her cats when Sprinkles had babies? She was glowing. The woman LOVES her cats.
I really liked this episode, and reading everyone’s insights on it gave me some perspective on it. I loved that Pam was in it a lot, but it wasn’t a JAM plot line. Pam doing the presentation and Angela with her cats… priceless.
My only question is, did Jim seem a little out of character to anyone else? It seemed like he was more annoyed with Dwight than usual, instead of being slightly annoyed and resolving to play a prank to get back at him. Could this be leading to something, or am I just overanalyzing?
if holly had to leave scranton because she was dating michael, why is she allowed to have an open office relationship in nashua?
Gee, do I sense some score bias due to a lack of a certain actress whose names rhymes with Shmamy Shmyan on the show?
This episode, while not as good as stress relief or the first installment of the two-parter was certainly NOT in the bottom third of episodes. Middle of the pack at worst.
iluvlax-
if you rewatch the episode crime aid, michael and holly get caught in their romance by david.
It’s simple. she learned through michael and now she can have fun with this new guy w/o getting caught.
That’s how life goes, lol! You learn from one, move onto the next.
This episode was pretty good, in my top 15. I liked it slightly better than the first part because of Dwight-Jim, Michael-Pam stories.