Office Meta: 6.17-18 The Delivery & 6.19 St. Patrick`s Day
My apologies all, for my impudence in not posting last week’s meta on time. IT WAS AN IMPORTANT EPISODE, CARLY, GEEZ WAY TO DROP THE BALL. I know. But here it is! And it is awesome. Also present in this post: meta for St. Patrick’s Day. ON ST PATRICK’S DAY. Isn’t that cute? I think it’s cute. I’ll try to get the rest of these in on time (and, uh, do the ones I missed last year. Oops? I said I’d do those at, what, Christmas?) even if I have to whip out my laptop at tech rehearsals. Even if I have to edit in between my scenes at the performance of my musical in two weeks. OK maybe not. It’s a musical: I like to sing along.
6.17-6.18: The Delivery
Expectations
I was concerned that I was going to cry. And cry I did. Not like Friday Night Lights tears, oh God no, but still, some misting. cashewdani
Cold Open
I thought the cold open was just perfect for the episode. Like, I knew things were going to get all sentimental and weepy so I appreciated the effort to make us laugh at Dwight.
"Also I've been noticing a gaping hole in my life. Sometimes I wake up cradling a gourd." Two things: a) I still have no idea what this means, after almost 16 hours thinking about it and b) only Dwight would happen to have a gourd near his person while he sleeps. touchthesoul
Andy/Erin
Andy, or should I say the baby formerly known as Walter Jr.? firthgal
FINALLY ANDY ASKS ERIN OUT! Apparently that torn scrotum mended because he finally had the balls to do it. But of course he has to make her cry first. OH, ANDY, YOU LOVABLE BUFFOON. fairandbright
Remember how all my favorite shippy scenes involve tears? Yeah, I'm that easy. Forget Casino Night, I want someone to ask me out after I break down in tears feeling stupid and attacked. I probably would have watched this scene twice if Erin hadn't done her bipolar snap back to smiling and made it impossible to feel sympathy for her. I'm still replaying it in my head, though, to savor the moment where Andy looks horrified and finally blurts out what he's been trying to say. rainbowstevie
Next up: ERIN/ANDY. Although I wouldn't be averse to an Oscar/Andy/Erin sandwich. This says much more about the writers of the show than it does about me. touchthesoul
Dwight/Angela
"Let's meet at 4 p.m. in our old meeting spot and bang it up." Why do I feel like this whole "business-deal" is the perfect summation of their relationship? OH RIGHT BECAUSE IT IS. touchthesoul
Dwight and Angela! Drafting baby contracts! I do not understand why everyone is hating on this subplot, because I thought it was marvellous. Out of the blue and ultra random, but marvelous. Angela said nothing! And it was the most gratifying silence ever! Frankly, I just adored the return of covert conversation in the break room with their backs to each other. I adored it so much I'm not even going to ask Angela if she knows that a baby conceived under non-marital contract is still a bastard. rainbowstevie
On another note, I don't know what to make of this whole Dwight and Angela thing. I just...don't want to think about it. I'm filing that away with the whole Pam's sister had sex with Dwight thing. Putting it in the box that I don't open ever. The nursing the other baby goes in there too. cashewdani
I firmly believe that Dwight and Angela were two of the writers of the Bible. Look at their favorite names! touchthesoul
Renovations
Dwight is just... the worst human being ever who isn't a terrorist or murderer. Seriously. My God. Breaking a window, destroying Jim and Pam's kitchen, sleeping in their bed with no underwear on, and about to screw Angela there. WOW. If they had a pet, he could have just euthanized it and his fuckery would have been complete. fairandbright
Dwight destroying their house (duh) -- but on the whole, that was much less stress-inducing than anything Dwight did at the wedding (including Isabelle! Ba-dum-tish). Although I don't want to hear that they have mold. Seriously. I am going to pop some Retcon and assume he was exaggerating the problem, because so help me God, if you do anything to permanently ruin Jim's childhood home... rainbowstevie
BABIES: A General Category with a Plethora of Subcategories
Yes, I'm posting about the fictional birth of a fictional baby of a fictional Scranton couple. Yes, I'm getting weepy. This is not weird at all. touchthesoul
Distractions
Fine, yes, I actually looked up the Burning Man 2009 dates just to make sure that Jim was joking about where the baby was conceived. You can never be too suspicious of this show. rainbowstevie
IT Nick: WHY ARE YOU HERE? It's so bizarre. It's like that episode of How I Met Your Mother, where it turns out Doug the Bartender was supposedly lurking in the background of every classic scene, and you just didn't notice. I half expect them to flash back to Casino Night and show Nick sneaking out the door during the kiss. rainbowstevie
KELLY IS ME. OMG. I cannot tell you how many times I've flip-flopped on the idea of actually giving birth to a child, even though I eventually want children. I've gone so far as to say that I will only have a kid if I can have a C-section. AT LEAST THEY CAN NUMB YOU UP FOR THAT SHIT. touchthesoul
This entire plotline, which seemed like a possible recipe for disaster? Perfect. I love the 5,204 contraction moments. I love that Jim is calm and collected and on board with the whole waiting plan until the 7-minute mark, and then it's the faltering, "...are you serious?" followed by the slow yet certain path to pacing and hair-tearing. But we'll get to that. And to emphasize this fact, Jim will now read aloud from a stack of baby books: "5-7 minutes. 5-7 minutes. 6 minutes: different! But not really. 5-7 minutes." Of note - I love the book-flipping montage, but the only New Parents Baby Book I could find on Google was published in the 80's, apparently without revised editions. That's just mean, props department. I was hoping for an authentic reading experience. rainbowstevie
I'm getting really sick of Kelly's moronic devotion to Ryan. Did anyone watch the new webisodes that were released today? He's such a jackass in them. And Kelly just takes it! Girl, you need to learn how to respect yourself! *snap snap*fairandbright
All of the "distractions" were golden. Not least because they led to frazzled!Jim finally leaping out of his chair, denouncing the whole business, and then popping back for one last awesomely passive-aggressive smile and, "By the way? Hate that you're helping her with this right now." I may have applauded when I saw that in the preview? Because while it turns out that I'm actually on Pam's side as far as not leaving too early, his frustration is not unlike what my frustration with her has been in the past, and it's nice to hear it voiced. rainbowstevie
I have no idea what Erin was saying. Like, at all. I adore her anyway. touchthesoul
Re: the whole not-leaving thing--I love Pam and all, but girlfriend was way irrational. Like, delaying the hospital trip can be very very dangerous for both the mother and the child. I guess this was the show's way of going all "nudge, nudge, wink, wink" at the crappy health care system, but I don't know if that was such a good thing to show. That said, I did enjoy some of the scenes that came about as a result of this crazy behavior. PAMELA HALPERT, THAT IS STRIKE 1. touchthesoul
Birth
My favorite part of the ep? The bit where Escort Dwight stopped to point out to Michael where he found the dead dear the other day. AND MICHAEL WAS TOTALLY INTERESTED! Oh man, it is scary how much they remind me of my parents. Is it any wonder that I ship them so fiercely? firthgal
Just...JIM'S FACE!!, just the look on his face and realizing he was having a daughter, I'm not even blaming my period for this. It was just FEELINGS!! Something about a dad loving his daughter, got to tell you, gets me A LOT!! And then, when he was there for her and telling her that they could do this, even though they were both scared. YEP, GOT ME AGAIN!! Maybe I just want a man to tell me everything is going to be okay. I don't care how that sounds.cashewdani
Naming
Cecelia Marie Halpert!!!!! Awwwww! Cecelia's a beautiful name, but Marie is overused as a middle name. I think that's the name parents give their kids when they can't think of anything. fairandbright
AND CECILIA MARIE!! I can maybe even get over that I feel you have an old lady name because YOU ARE SUPER ADORABLE AND HAVE LITTLE HANDS AND YOU'RE JUST A BABY AND I DON'T WANT ONE OF YOU OF MY OWN YET, BUT I'D LIKE TO HOLD YOU FOR A LITTLE WHILE!! Call me, we'll set something up. cashewdani
Oaky After Birth
The snarky nurses on this show are THE BEST. I mean, I adore that Pam is so bound and determined to breastfeed, but I also see where a bunch of new parents spouting book rhetoric all the time with no firsthand experience would get old, fast. rainbowstevie
I knew the moment exhausted Jim reached for that baby in between the beds that it wasn't theirs. Actually, I knew the moment that other couple was wheeled in that the babies might get switched. But Jesus, why was not!Cecelia's crib pushed so far towards them? fairandbright
New favorite part: Pam + male lactation specialist = Jim's own private hell. TOO GLORIOUS FOR WORDS. And apparently this guy is Jenna's real-life fiance, so the juxtaposition between fiction & reality here is too fabulous for me to wrap my brain around. rainbowstevie
This episode was such a freakishly accurate portrayal of what it's like in those first few days after the baby is born, but the show managed to capture it in such an engaging way that I was totally wrapped up in the story and waiting for their "we're finally being parents" moment to click for them, and then the show totally took the rug out from under me when Jim and Pam realized that IT WASN'T THEIR BABY. OMG! So, so brilliant to take this lovely, sappy moment of rightness and totally besmirch it with the fact that THEY'VE NEVER BEEN MORE WRONG IN THEIR LIVES. Oh, show. You got me. That was awesome. And kind of cruel. But then Jim and Pam got their moment at the end, and that was lovely. firthgal
Can I just say, my shriveled-up little heart was bursting to the seams while watching Jim and Pam navigate their first night of parenthood? Because it's just so gratifying and awesome to see the culmination of all the "Not a bad day"s and "Hi. Hi"s and the tears and the looks and the angst and the happiness. I honestly don't say this much, but they make me believe in love. touchthesoul
6.19 St. Patrick`s Day
A-Story, aka Jo’s Last Day
Michael means well. He always means well, but he always screws everything up by trying way too hard. He goes overboard and it freaks people out and he doesn't realize this because he is SO socially stunted that he can't read the signs, and OH how my heart aches for him. firthgal
I thought it was pretty cool that Darryl made an amazing suggestion about shipping efficiency, and was taken seriously. In fact, it was so logical and realistic that I'm not quite sure how it happened on this show. And then, as a freebie, they even acknowledged that Jim's old office exists? I like that. rainbowstevie
Andy/Erin (and some other ships too...)
HOLD ON, LET ME JUST GET MY FLAILING OUT OF THE WAY FIRST: ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN V ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! fairandbright
I did flail when Erin kissed Andy on the cheek, because of Andy/Ed, because you know what he did? HE CLOSED HIS EYES! HE WAS SAVOURING IT! I love him so much, you guys. That second made me want to tackle him for a big, long hug. falulatonks
I totally ship Erin with her foster brother, by the way. OMG, I CAN SHIP HER WITH ANYBODY BUT ANDY, APPARENTLY. firthgal
Andy, much like Erin and Kelly and Ryan are doing what they can, but there's so much else for them to compete with. Things like megadesks and tickets to Tallahassee. cashewdani
MEGADESK
Dwight became drunk on the power of Mega Desk. I have to say, I probably would too. fairandbright
The Jim-Dwight storyline was awesome, awesome, awesome. I miss that equal crazy a lot - it's been a while tsince Jim's had to fight back instead of saying "I will write your face up!" or something. falulatonks
That said, the Halpert family things were far and away the highlights of the episode, and my heart soared over Erin calling Jim "Dad" (boy, that looks weird written out), both sweet phone calls home, and the fact that all the Dwight needling in the world couldn't hide the fact that he is so, so happy about being a father. ALSO: new baby picture on the desk. Dying of Teh Qte, BRB. rainbowstevie
So...who knew that I would then miss the JAM baby when it wasn't around? That one picture of her in the all green outfit was I think my highlight. Just...BABY! cashewdani
Afterparty
You know, I've felt the strangest sense of calm for the past few years. No matter how positive or negative things were at any given time, there was always this mysterious aura of bliss and peace floating over the series. I now know that feeling was called NO PACKER. Aside from him, though, I loved everything about the gang at the bar. Just an amazing sense of camaraderie and fun that I haven't felt in a while. rainbowstevie
6.17-6.18: The Delivery
Expectations
I was concerned that I was going to cry. And cry I did. Not like Friday Night Lights tears, oh God no, but still, some misting. cashewdani
Cold Open
I thought the cold open was just perfect for the episode. Like, I knew things were going to get all sentimental and weepy so I appreciated the effort to make us laugh at Dwight.
"Also I've been noticing a gaping hole in my life. Sometimes I wake up cradling a gourd." Two things: a) I still have no idea what this means, after almost 16 hours thinking about it and b) only Dwight would happen to have a gourd near his person while he sleeps. touchthesoul
Andy/Erin
Andy, or should I say the baby formerly known as Walter Jr.? firthgal
FINALLY ANDY ASKS ERIN OUT! Apparently that torn scrotum mended because he finally had the balls to do it. But of course he has to make her cry first. OH, ANDY, YOU LOVABLE BUFFOON. fairandbright
Remember how all my favorite shippy scenes involve tears? Yeah, I'm that easy. Forget Casino Night, I want someone to ask me out after I break down in tears feeling stupid and attacked. I probably would have watched this scene twice if Erin hadn't done her bipolar snap back to smiling and made it impossible to feel sympathy for her. I'm still replaying it in my head, though, to savor the moment where Andy looks horrified and finally blurts out what he's been trying to say. rainbowstevie
Next up: ERIN/ANDY. Although I wouldn't be averse to an Oscar/Andy/Erin sandwich. This says much more about the writers of the show than it does about me. touchthesoul
Dwight/Angela
"Let's meet at 4 p.m. in our old meeting spot and bang it up." Why do I feel like this whole "business-deal" is the perfect summation of their relationship? OH RIGHT BECAUSE IT IS. touchthesoul
Dwight and Angela! Drafting baby contracts! I do not understand why everyone is hating on this subplot, because I thought it was marvellous. Out of the blue and ultra random, but marvelous. Angela said nothing! And it was the most gratifying silence ever! Frankly, I just adored the return of covert conversation in the break room with their backs to each other. I adored it so much I'm not even going to ask Angela if she knows that a baby conceived under non-marital contract is still a bastard. rainbowstevie
On another note, I don't know what to make of this whole Dwight and Angela thing. I just...don't want to think about it. I'm filing that away with the whole Pam's sister had sex with Dwight thing. Putting it in the box that I don't open ever. The nursing the other baby goes in there too. cashewdani
I firmly believe that Dwight and Angela were two of the writers of the Bible. Look at their favorite names! touchthesoul
Renovations
Dwight is just... the worst human being ever who isn't a terrorist or murderer. Seriously. My God. Breaking a window, destroying Jim and Pam's kitchen, sleeping in their bed with no underwear on, and about to screw Angela there. WOW. If they had a pet, he could have just euthanized it and his fuckery would have been complete. fairandbright
Dwight destroying their house (duh) -- but on the whole, that was much less stress-inducing than anything Dwight did at the wedding (including Isabelle! Ba-dum-tish). Although I don't want to hear that they have mold. Seriously. I am going to pop some Retcon and assume he was exaggerating the problem, because so help me God, if you do anything to permanently ruin Jim's childhood home... rainbowstevie
BABIES: A General Category with a Plethora of Subcategories
Yes, I'm posting about the fictional birth of a fictional baby of a fictional Scranton couple. Yes, I'm getting weepy. This is not weird at all. touchthesoul
Distractions
Fine, yes, I actually looked up the Burning Man 2009 dates just to make sure that Jim was joking about where the baby was conceived. You can never be too suspicious of this show. rainbowstevie
IT Nick: WHY ARE YOU HERE? It's so bizarre. It's like that episode of How I Met Your Mother, where it turns out Doug the Bartender was supposedly lurking in the background of every classic scene, and you just didn't notice. I half expect them to flash back to Casino Night and show Nick sneaking out the door during the kiss. rainbowstevie
KELLY IS ME. OMG. I cannot tell you how many times I've flip-flopped on the idea of actually giving birth to a child, even though I eventually want children. I've gone so far as to say that I will only have a kid if I can have a C-section. AT LEAST THEY CAN NUMB YOU UP FOR THAT SHIT. touchthesoul
This entire plotline, which seemed like a possible recipe for disaster? Perfect. I love the 5,204 contraction moments. I love that Jim is calm and collected and on board with the whole waiting plan until the 7-minute mark, and then it's the faltering, "...are you serious?" followed by the slow yet certain path to pacing and hair-tearing. But we'll get to that. And to emphasize this fact, Jim will now read aloud from a stack of baby books: "5-7 minutes. 5-7 minutes. 6 minutes: different! But not really. 5-7 minutes." Of note - I love the book-flipping montage, but the only New Parents Baby Book I could find on Google was published in the 80's, apparently without revised editions. That's just mean, props department. I was hoping for an authentic reading experience. rainbowstevie
I'm getting really sick of Kelly's moronic devotion to Ryan. Did anyone watch the new webisodes that were released today? He's such a jackass in them. And Kelly just takes it! Girl, you need to learn how to respect yourself! *snap snap*fairandbright
All of the "distractions" were golden. Not least because they led to frazzled!Jim finally leaping out of his chair, denouncing the whole business, and then popping back for one last awesomely passive-aggressive smile and, "By the way? Hate that you're helping her with this right now." I may have applauded when I saw that in the preview? Because while it turns out that I'm actually on Pam's side as far as not leaving too early, his frustration is not unlike what my frustration with her has been in the past, and it's nice to hear it voiced. rainbowstevie
I have no idea what Erin was saying. Like, at all. I adore her anyway. touchthesoul
Re: the whole not-leaving thing--I love Pam and all, but girlfriend was way irrational. Like, delaying the hospital trip can be very very dangerous for both the mother and the child. I guess this was the show's way of going all "nudge, nudge, wink, wink" at the crappy health care system, but I don't know if that was such a good thing to show. That said, I did enjoy some of the scenes that came about as a result of this crazy behavior. PAMELA HALPERT, THAT IS STRIKE 1. touchthesoul
Birth
My favorite part of the ep? The bit where Escort Dwight stopped to point out to Michael where he found the dead dear the other day. AND MICHAEL WAS TOTALLY INTERESTED! Oh man, it is scary how much they remind me of my parents. Is it any wonder that I ship them so fiercely? firthgal
Just...JIM'S FACE!!, just the look on his face and realizing he was having a daughter, I'm not even blaming my period for this. It was just FEELINGS!! Something about a dad loving his daughter, got to tell you, gets me A LOT!! And then, when he was there for her and telling her that they could do this, even though they were both scared. YEP, GOT ME AGAIN!! Maybe I just want a man to tell me everything is going to be okay. I don't care how that sounds.cashewdani
Naming
Cecelia Marie Halpert!!!!! Awwwww! Cecelia's a beautiful name, but Marie is overused as a middle name. I think that's the name parents give their kids when they can't think of anything. fairandbright
AND CECILIA MARIE!! I can maybe even get over that I feel you have an old lady name because YOU ARE SUPER ADORABLE AND HAVE LITTLE HANDS AND YOU'RE JUST A BABY AND I DON'T WANT ONE OF YOU OF MY OWN YET, BUT I'D LIKE TO HOLD YOU FOR A LITTLE WHILE!! Call me, we'll set something up. cashewdani
Oaky After Birth
The snarky nurses on this show are THE BEST. I mean, I adore that Pam is so bound and determined to breastfeed, but I also see where a bunch of new parents spouting book rhetoric all the time with no firsthand experience would get old, fast. rainbowstevie
I knew the moment exhausted Jim reached for that baby in between the beds that it wasn't theirs. Actually, I knew the moment that other couple was wheeled in that the babies might get switched. But Jesus, why was not!Cecelia's crib pushed so far towards them? fairandbright
New favorite part: Pam + male lactation specialist = Jim's own private hell. TOO GLORIOUS FOR WORDS. And apparently this guy is Jenna's real-life fiance, so the juxtaposition between fiction & reality here is too fabulous for me to wrap my brain around. rainbowstevie
This episode was such a freakishly accurate portrayal of what it's like in those first few days after the baby is born, but the show managed to capture it in such an engaging way that I was totally wrapped up in the story and waiting for their "we're finally being parents" moment to click for them, and then the show totally took the rug out from under me when Jim and Pam realized that IT WASN'T THEIR BABY. OMG! So, so brilliant to take this lovely, sappy moment of rightness and totally besmirch it with the fact that THEY'VE NEVER BEEN MORE WRONG IN THEIR LIVES. Oh, show. You got me. That was awesome. And kind of cruel. But then Jim and Pam got their moment at the end, and that was lovely. firthgal
Can I just say, my shriveled-up little heart was bursting to the seams while watching Jim and Pam navigate their first night of parenthood? Because it's just so gratifying and awesome to see the culmination of all the "Not a bad day"s and "Hi. Hi"s and the tears and the looks and the angst and the happiness. I honestly don't say this much, but they make me believe in love. touchthesoul
6.19 St. Patrick`s Day
A-Story, aka Jo’s Last Day
Michael means well. He always means well, but he always screws everything up by trying way too hard. He goes overboard and it freaks people out and he doesn't realize this because he is SO socially stunted that he can't read the signs, and OH how my heart aches for him. firthgal
I thought it was pretty cool that Darryl made an amazing suggestion about shipping efficiency, and was taken seriously. In fact, it was so logical and realistic that I'm not quite sure how it happened on this show. And then, as a freebie, they even acknowledged that Jim's old office exists? I like that. rainbowstevie
Andy/Erin (and some other ships too...)
HOLD ON, LET ME JUST GET MY FLAILING OUT OF THE WAY FIRST: ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN V ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN ANDY/ERIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! fairandbright
I did flail when Erin kissed Andy on the cheek, because of Andy/Ed, because you know what he did? HE CLOSED HIS EYES! HE WAS SAVOURING IT! I love him so much, you guys. That second made me want to tackle him for a big, long hug. falulatonks
I totally ship Erin with her foster brother, by the way. OMG, I CAN SHIP HER WITH ANYBODY BUT ANDY, APPARENTLY. firthgal
Andy, much like Erin and Kelly and Ryan are doing what they can, but there's so much else for them to compete with. Things like megadesks and tickets to Tallahassee. cashewdani
MEGADESK
Dwight became drunk on the power of Mega Desk. I have to say, I probably would too. fairandbright
The Jim-Dwight storyline was awesome, awesome, awesome. I miss that equal crazy a lot - it's been a while tsince Jim's had to fight back instead of saying "I will write your face up!" or something. falulatonks
That said, the Halpert family things were far and away the highlights of the episode, and my heart soared over Erin calling Jim "Dad" (boy, that looks weird written out), both sweet phone calls home, and the fact that all the Dwight needling in the world couldn't hide the fact that he is so, so happy about being a father. ALSO: new baby picture on the desk. Dying of Teh Qte, BRB. rainbowstevie
So...who knew that I would then miss the JAM baby when it wasn't around? That one picture of her in the all green outfit was I think my highlight. Just...BABY! cashewdani
Afterparty
You know, I've felt the strangest sense of calm for the past few years. No matter how positive or negative things were at any given time, there was always this mysterious aura of bliss and peace floating over the series. I now know that feeling was called NO PACKER. Aside from him, though, I loved everything about the gang at the bar. Just an amazing sense of camaraderie and fun that I haven't felt in a while. rainbowstevie