At an early age, we begin to realize there is a distinct difference between girls and boys. They look different, they smell different, and they certainly act different.
As we get older, the differences grow, but it stops grossing us out, and starts intriguing us.
What does this have to do with The Office?
Thursday night, we learned some new differences between men and women.
The episode started after a parking lot flasher showed Phyllis the difference between an innie and an outie.
What happened next? Yes! Michael made insults and finger puppets, and Dwight raised the threat level to “midnight.”
Dwight tried to “save the cheerleader-save the world” by eating all bananas, stabbing bushes, and hanging posters of his own face. (Go Pam!) The only thing I enjoy more than Ineffective!Dwight is Ineffective!Dwight with a mustache. It was great to see Dwight and Andy (sorta) work together. We got a new side to Andy. For the first time, he was in on the joke. Dwight’s right, I think he might not be a total ass after all.
I enjoyed that Michael’s cringe-worthy conference room scene was not the climax (shush, you) of this episode, but instead a setup to see a different layer of Michael as well. His quest to boost “his girls” with a field trip, turned into tears in his lemonade, and binging on “calorie-free” frozen yogurt. The Michael I love.
He may be a lunatic, but he wants what we all want; someone to love who will love us back. And, like most women, he wants someone who won’t make him wear a dress, or treat him like hooker. Maybe there aren’t that many differences after all.
I loved that Pam told Michael he shouldn’t be with someone who doesn’t make him happy. You could say it’s “the pot calling the kettle black,” but I think it’s a sign she’s learning to do what makes her happy. Plus, I enjoy any time Pam reaches out to Michael. They have a sweet and completely demented relationship.
I feel a little movement from Pam. I get the impression she is fed up watching Karen date her boyfriend. She pulled a prank, and changed a tire by herself. Next up: breaking up a relationship! It’s natural order.
Despite the breakup, I don’t believe Michael and Jan are over. I think he does love her; he just wants to love a Jan who doesn’t scare the shit out of him. And, as much as I don’t understand why, I think Jan loves Michael. She reached out and gave him what he needed — if only for a moment — a moment just before she got dumped on voicemail.
While Michael was dishing with the girls, the boys were figuring out the ladies room. There’s a lot of girlie products — and Creed. It was interesting to hear the guys thought Jim and Karen were just hooking up. (Ryan is a dog.) Looks like Jim’s having a hard time convincing anyone Karen is the girl for him.
So here we are. Jim and Karen are at six months, and we are coming up on a year since Casino Night. With only two episodes left, Pam better get moving if she doesn’t want to mope around all summer.
It’s time for Beesly to put on Avril Lavigne’s “Girlfriend,” dance around her apartment like she is 14, and find some of the courage Michael wished on her.
Sadly, we probably have a better chance of seeing Michael do that.
We need a safe word.
—
Tori Weber is a Web Producer and writer for a television news station in Orlando, FL. Writing keeps her sane, and ice cream makes her happy. Dogs are good too. Visit her here.
ha! i loved it! i always enjoy tori’s review :]
Creed was great… I honestly and probably ignorantly thought “hanging brain” was just a term my cousin and my uncle made up. I almost fell of my couch laughing…
Tori-
Spot on, as always.
You didn’t offer any real opinion on how much you liked or disliked this episode (you seem to have liked it), but we’ve been on the same wavelength since at least “Safety Training”. So I will assume you liked it as much as I did. A very strong episode, IMHO, and heading in a good direction.
The next two weeks should be very interesting.
Hey loved this review! Pam better do something, and quick I am SOO sick of seeing Karen and Jim together. Ugh!!
haha!
Ditto everything.
Esp. the part about dancing around the apartment like a 14 year old girl.
I guess I’m the only one who likes Jim and Karen together. With their relationship there is no jackass always screwing things up for the other. Karen is not a Roy and she’s a nice, fun, and not to mention hot woman. I will not complain if her and Jim are together still next season.
I love her reviews
Hi Tori! Great review…I love reading it! As Hot Dog Fingers mentioned earlier, you touched on all the salient points of the episode. Thank you so much for taking the time to write it! ITA on Pam and Michael….they have such a sweet, weird relationship. I love the episode myself, and thought it was funny on its own while setting things up for the home stretch. Hope things work out for Jim and Pam :-)
i hope that pam finally gets courage as well! [from tanster: spoilerish stuff removed] did anyone else feel totally heartbroken when jan gotten the voicemail right after she came all the way up to see michael?
I think he does love her; he just wants to love a Jan who doesn’t scare the shit out of him.
I laughed out loud, and said “Totally!” My god, I feel like there is somebody out there who gets it. Thanks, Tori! I heart your reviews.
Nice recap & I like your insight, Tori, into the Bigger Questions, the themes that The Office Touches on: the need to love & be loved, to connect with someone. That’s what I’m talking about.
That’s why we need Jim and Pam to connect. But I was sad at your suspicion that Pam won’t be able to summon the courage she needs to move things along in that direction.
[from tanster: spoilerish stuff removed]
i really liked the recap, it summed up everything about this episode. Though, to me, this episode was one of the most funny and poetic. There was so much symbolism i caught, such as pam and the elevator scene. it was short but, very symbolic of what is to come in these last intense episodes of the season. another thing i caught was that, even though jim and pam didn’t seem to interact in this episode, they shared one thing: a funny dwight prank. Thats what makes them such a good couple, they are connected even when they don’t know it. Even jim’s coworkers seem to agree: a jam relationship is coming and here to stay.
#10 I agree, I laughed out loud when I read that too. Tori, you have a gift!
Loved the review!! Orlando needs to host a season finale party!!! Or are we the only 2 fans here?
I think this is one of Tori’s best episode reviews yet. Insightful and funny at the same time. Love the comment about Jim having a hard time convincing anyone that Karen is the right girl for him…I felt that there was something more in that scene but didn’t get what that was exactly until Tori pointed it out. Thanks!
I enjoy any time Pam reaches out to Michael. They have a sweet and completely demented relationship.
I feel the same way. Nice review.
“I get the impression she is fed up watching Karen date her boyfriend… Next up: breaking up a relationship! It’s natural order.”
Hahahahahaha!!! That is the best line I’ve read about the office all freaking year!! Tori, you are fan-freakin-tastic.
Tori, great review. Like Pam-casso #15, I felt there was a little more to the scene of Jim trying to tell everyone that things between he and Karen were serious, but until I read your review, I couldn’t seem to put my finger on it. I decided to go back and re-watch the entire episode and pay close attention to the subtleties, especially in scenes involving Jim and/or Karen. Maybe I read too much into things, but I beleive that “Women’s Appreciaiton” did a lot more to shed some light on the condition of Jim and Karen relationship than it may appear at first glance.
I also especially loved your comment that “like most women, [Michael] wants someone who won’t make him wear a dress, or treat him like hooker. After reading this, I realized that this episode really depicted Jan as being in a sterotypical male role of the hormonally-charged sexual deviant deviant of the relationship, while Michael assumed the stereotypical female role of someone who simply wants to be loved and treated with respect (and also who wants to cuddle after sex).
By the way, I in no way intended any of the above-comments to sound sexist. Like I said, I simply thought it was funny how Michael and Jan seemed to be reversed with regard to their stereotypical gender roles, and that’s why the scenes when he was with his “girls” worked so well.
Am I the only one who loves Drew? He cracks me up! I think that the old, obnoxious Andy is gone (although probably not for good…) and that Drew is just getting to be really fun. I am going to enjoy watching him. Until he inevitably has a melt down and Andy returns. :)
I think this was the best review yet.
Saw what this episode was all about.
I was wondering whether it would be cool to request that folks refrain from describing the promo for the new episode in the comments thread? It’s just I think some might wish to remain spoiler-free and not know anything about it. So sorry for being anal, and many thanks!
bales, you are completely right. No spoilerish Beach Games discussion on this post, folks; go here instead.
Thanks for the reminder!
Am I the only one who thinks that, despite a lack of face to face interaction, Jim and Pam have recently been “sort of” flirting through their pranks? I can’t help but notice that Jim pulled off the Jim/Dwight switch right in front of her. Also, Pam knew that her own stunt this week would be noticed. I think the pranks may help remind Jim of who he actually enjoys being with.
Also, is it possible that the guys in the office thought that Karen and Jim were just hooking up because the shamefully complete lack of anything remotely resembling emotional intimacy between the two of them. I mean, even when alone in a deserted elevator, they looked pretty damn frigid. Sorry Karen…You’re nice, but you’re messing with destiny and it’s simply gone far enough. The more she plays dumb about the whole situation, the less likeable she is. Besides, one day Jim will realize that you two are only together because you took advantage of him while he was drunk and will dump your creepy ass.
I totally agree to Pam needing to listen to ‘Girlfriend’ over and over. If there’s karaoke at the beach party, maybe she should do that song….
Thank you for all of the nice comments. I’m happy you enjoyed the review! I enjoy writing them.
Beautiful review, Tori! Wow. That was…wow.
Great review!
I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. There were so many, many good lines. Is Michael prophetic? I hope so! I hope his wish of courage will bring out the full-blown FancyNewBeesly for all to see!
This episode was hilarious! Michael telling Toby to show his penis made me wet my pants! I think Pam needs to get on Jim soon! I hope the season finale is eventful!
I thought that another telling part of this episode was the difference in the advice that Pam and Karen gave to Michael…Pam told him that maybe he and Jan just weren’t meant to be together while Karen said that sometimes relationships have rough patches and you just have to work through them. I think that they are both referring to another relationship…Jim and Karen’s. And I think that Jim’s appreciation for Pam’s prank was definitely a good sign!
Re #30: I think Pam was genuinely trying to help Michael with his Jan issues, as best she could, based on her own experiences. Pam has always looked out for Michael, and I thought that was a really heartfelt moment in the foodcourt between the two of them. I think Karen was trying to help Michael too, based on her experiences with Jim. I mean, we all see life through the lenses of our own experiences. It’s just a bit sad that Michael’s relationship with Jan hit a little too close to home for both Pam and Karen.
I actually did not enjoy this episode. It did not have the same office humor that i have fallen in love with. I felt it to be embarassing and gross, and I have no idea how that stuff can be shown on television. I did not find it funny at all, just vulgar. I hope that the “normal” office humor comes back soon!
Lovely and accurate review. You should write for other websites, too. ;)
I agree with Kim. This episode was gross. I couldn’t get through the whole thing. I’m SUPER disappointed.
To address the comments of Kim and Rebecca, you both are failing to see what makes this show good in the first place: it’s no fantasy. Michael, as many fans will agree, has a somewhat distorted perception of reality and he doesn’t make the best decisions. His relationship with Jan just might depict so many REAL people out there, not necessarily those who watch the show, but it’s worth something. The truth is that these characters would not be portrayed for who they truly are if everything was made PG. If you can’t take this level of controvercy there are plenty of mildly amusing sitcoms elsewhere on television.