"gonna chase that feeling."
30 Day TV Meme: Day #6 - Favorite episode of your favorite t.v show
The Office, 222 - Casino Night
It’s a tie between The Dundies and Casino Night - I’ve seen Dundies get a lot of love so let me get into CN a little bit: this episode is so good, you guys.
My favourite thing about it is how structured it feels after watching it a few (hundred) times - there are dramatic arcs here, both ending after a season-long storyline, or within the episode itself, and it’s been written so purposefully (in a good way!). Like - I noticed this the other day - Michael’s “the hero always gets the girl” talking head is wedged between the carpark scene and the kiss, and obviously he’s talking about himself, but it does feel a lot like it’s leading up to that Jim/Pam kiss at the end - foreshadowing?
And rewatching this episode after watching something from S5 or S6 really emphasises another big change - the camera movement in this episode (in this season!) is so natural, like none of the characters and none of the cameramen know what exactly they're looking for - it's fluid, searching for something. There's something more deliberate in the later seasons, which both makes sense (they know what they're looking for at this point) and kind of ruins it. I like the jerk-and-sudden-focus thing they have going on here. And the main reason I'm even talking about this is that the camera motion in both the confession and the kiss scenes is perfect. The confession is filmed by a cameraman that goes in a slight circle to avoid being seen, ends up behind bushes, and as soon as Jim says "I'm in love with you", the camera jolts out of focus, then slides back in, as if the cameraman is caught off-guard. I love that tiny, tiny detail.
Plus there are throwaway lines in this that I adore - anything Creed says, Michael’s “I hate so much about the things that you choose to be” (which is one of my all-time favourite lines from anything), Toby’s weirdly content “I’m gonna chase that feeling”, Jim’s “every time I cough, he folds” and the way he just walks off-screen, Dwight’s “I don’t believe you, continue”. Tiny scenes, too - the Afghanistan conversation, Dwight and Angela playing craps, Creed shaking out the chips from his clothes to collect his refrigerator.
And agh, that confession! Sometimes I still watch that scene covering my face with my hands because looking straight at it for too long makes me want to cry. I don’t actually cry, I just feel like I’m going to. It’s wonderful. Everything about Jim/Pam in this episode is perfect - the coat rack trick, watching video tapes, her pulling him back when he tries to tell Kevin he’s hired, the poker game (all in! he folds! METAPHORS! maybe one of my favourite scenes ever (Day #9 material!)). It’s everything I love about them. And I’ve heard/read that Steve is the one who absolutely insisted that they kiss, and I’m so grateful to him for doing that, because it just fits. I’m generally grateful to him for writing this episode - I’m fairly certain this is one of my favourite season finales ever.
Runners-Up: The Dundies, Beach Games, Drug Testing, Christmas Party, The Initiation, The Injury, Booze Cruise. (This is a short list!)
-- rachu
Day 01 - A show that should have never been canceled
Day 02 - A show that you wish more people were watching
Day 03 - Your favorite new show (aired this TV season)
Day 04 - Your favorite show ever
Day 05 - A show you hate
Day 06 - Favorite episode of your favorite TV show
Day 07 - Least favorite episode of your favorite TV show
Day 08 - A show everyone should watch
Day 09 - Best scene ever
Day 10 - A show you thought you wouldn't like but ended up loving
Day 11 - A show that disappointed you
Day 12 - An episode you've watched more than 5 times
Day 13 - Favorite childhood show
Day 14 - Favorite male character
Day 15 - Favorite female character
Day 16 - Your guilty pleasure show
Day 17 - Favorite mini series
Day 18 - Favorite title sequence
Day 19 - Best TV show cast
Day 20 - Favorite kiss
Day 21 - Favorite ship
Day 22 - Favorite series finale
Day 23 - Most annoying character
Day 24 - Best quote
Day 25 - A show you plan on watching (old or new)
Day 26 - OMG WTF? Season finale
Day 27 - Best pilot episode
Day 28 - First TV show obsession
Day 29 - Current TV show obsession
Day 30 - Saddest character death
The Office, 222 - Casino Night
It’s a tie between The Dundies and Casino Night - I’ve seen Dundies get a lot of love so let me get into CN a little bit: this episode is so good, you guys.
My favourite thing about it is how structured it feels after watching it a few (hundred) times - there are dramatic arcs here, both ending after a season-long storyline, or within the episode itself, and it’s been written so purposefully (in a good way!). Like - I noticed this the other day - Michael’s “the hero always gets the girl” talking head is wedged between the carpark scene and the kiss, and obviously he’s talking about himself, but it does feel a lot like it’s leading up to that Jim/Pam kiss at the end - foreshadowing?
And rewatching this episode after watching something from S5 or S6 really emphasises another big change - the camera movement in this episode (in this season!) is so natural, like none of the characters and none of the cameramen know what exactly they're looking for - it's fluid, searching for something. There's something more deliberate in the later seasons, which both makes sense (they know what they're looking for at this point) and kind of ruins it. I like the jerk-and-sudden-focus thing they have going on here. And the main reason I'm even talking about this is that the camera motion in both the confession and the kiss scenes is perfect. The confession is filmed by a cameraman that goes in a slight circle to avoid being seen, ends up behind bushes, and as soon as Jim says "I'm in love with you", the camera jolts out of focus, then slides back in, as if the cameraman is caught off-guard. I love that tiny, tiny detail.
Plus there are throwaway lines in this that I adore - anything Creed says, Michael’s “I hate so much about the things that you choose to be” (which is one of my all-time favourite lines from anything), Toby’s weirdly content “I’m gonna chase that feeling”, Jim’s “every time I cough, he folds” and the way he just walks off-screen, Dwight’s “I don’t believe you, continue”. Tiny scenes, too - the Afghanistan conversation, Dwight and Angela playing craps, Creed shaking out the chips from his clothes to collect his refrigerator.
And agh, that confession! Sometimes I still watch that scene covering my face with my hands because looking straight at it for too long makes me want to cry. I don’t actually cry, I just feel like I’m going to. It’s wonderful. Everything about Jim/Pam in this episode is perfect - the coat rack trick, watching video tapes, her pulling him back when he tries to tell Kevin he’s hired, the poker game (all in! he folds! METAPHORS! maybe one of my favourite scenes ever (Day #9 material!)). It’s everything I love about them. And I’ve heard/read that Steve is the one who absolutely insisted that they kiss, and I’m so grateful to him for doing that, because it just fits. I’m generally grateful to him for writing this episode - I’m fairly certain this is one of my favourite season finales ever.
Runners-Up: The Dundies, Beach Games, Drug Testing, Christmas Party, The Initiation, The Injury, Booze Cruise. (This is a short list!)
-- rachu
Day 01 - A show that should have never been canceled
Day 02 - A show that you wish more people were watching
Day 03 - Your favorite new show (aired this TV season)
Day 04 - Your favorite show ever
Day 05 - A show you hate
Day 06 - Favorite episode of your favorite TV show
Day 07 - Least favorite episode of your favorite TV show
Day 08 - A show everyone should watch
Day 09 - Best scene ever
Day 10 - A show you thought you wouldn't like but ended up loving
Day 11 - A show that disappointed you
Day 12 - An episode you've watched more than 5 times
Day 13 - Favorite childhood show
Day 14 - Favorite male character
Day 15 - Favorite female character
Day 16 - Your guilty pleasure show
Day 17 - Favorite mini series
Day 18 - Favorite title sequence
Day 19 - Best TV show cast
Day 20 - Favorite kiss
Day 21 - Favorite ship
Day 22 - Favorite series finale
Day 23 - Most annoying character
Day 24 - Best quote
Day 25 - A show you plan on watching (old or new)
Day 26 - OMG WTF? Season finale
Day 27 - Best pilot episode
Day 28 - First TV show obsession
Day 29 - Current TV show obsession
Day 30 - Saddest character death