Office Meta 7.03, 7.04, 7.05, 7.06
The best time to get caught up on metas? When NaNoWriMo is starting, of course! Sorry for the delay kids.
7.03 Andy's Play
I can't even type it in small letters. MUSICAL THEATRE just means that much to me. So suffice to say I LOVED THIS MUSICAL THEATRE EPISODE. When I saw the cold open I was all, damn, they're ruining the premise in the cold open. It's just a one off thing.
BUT NO. IT IS THE A PLOT. THIS IS HOW YOU DO A COLD OPEN, PEOPLE. itmustbecarly
It's a pity I was so behind on this, because for something with "Andy" right in the title, that was spectacular in a surprising number of ways. rainbowstevie
"Kalinkclinkclinkclink"
WHY IS THIS SO FUNNY. I DON'T EVEN KNOW I'M JUST DYING FROM ANDY'S ONOMATOPOEIA WHAT IS THISS??!? itmustbecarly
But do you know what I loved most about this episode? DWIGHT'S PRIDE IN ANDY. Did you see his face? "Hey, I work with that guy! ...He sucks at sales." ♥ ♥ ♥ And then he had that same awed/proud look on his face in the end when he came back during Andy's performance at the end. DWIGHT TOTALLY CAN'T RESIST A GUY SINGING SHOW TUNES. firthgal
"Shh, if we don't listen to the overture we won't recognize the musical themes when they come back later"
Perfection. Also, true. THE OVERTURE ISN'T FOR TALKING OR FOR YOU TO JAUNTILY GO BACK TO YOUR SEATS PEOPLE. IT IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF YOUR MUSICAL JOURNEY. Dear Daryll: I love you for saying this. Dear Micheal: I love you for agreeing. Dear Charlie Grandy, you bamf you: thank you for this. So much. SO MUCH.
itmustbecarly
As much as I loathe Andy/Erin, Andy's heartbreak is kind of a beautiful thing to watch. Especially when he gets to end it on a happy singy note. I really loved how genuinely supportive everyone was of Andy tonight. HOW DID THAT EVEN HAPPEN? firthgal
Specifically: Adorably check-in call, adorably OMGWTFCECE mode upon hearing her in the theater, an awesomely rare sighting of angry!sarcasm!Jim and Pam right there on the mark (Team Parents vs. Incompetent Erin all the way!), "Well, we're never leaving the house again." // "Not TOGETHER!", and an even rarer sweet, quiet moment with just the two of them. *sigh* You see, this? Is why she show needs to survive as long as John & Jenna are willing and able to be part of it. rainbowstevie
Also, special mention for Erin/Gabe: "See you soup!" HOW ADORABLE ARE THOSE TWO? Just from a one-sided phone conversation they made me all giggly and fluttery at their perfectly understated coupleyness. I KIND OF LOVE THEM A LOT. firthgal
It just made me really happy to have everyone come out to watch the play. It feels like it's been ages since there was a real sense of camaraderie outside the office without anything particularly excruciating or cringe-worthy happening. I was giggling like crazy during the Endless Fall of the Wine Bottle/Balloon Shotgun/Crying Baby suite. I didn't even hate Andy bumbling through "I Try" while forcing me to listen to an endless montage set to his voice as much as I normally would have. rainbowstevie
7.04 Sex Ed
Micheal’s Blasts from the Pasts
Oh my God, Jan's sane again! JAN'S SANE. CHECK IT OUT. Pam might one day return to the... and she just started humming a commercial jingle about bacon. Which will not be the only time she breaks into random song this episode. So close.rainbowstevie
As for Michael/Holly, yeah, their manufactured perfectness for each other still bugs the crap out of me, but since this is Michael's last season, I'm totally okay with him drifting off into the sunset with a ladylove that is his exact copy, because, well, Michael is so damn narcissistic that it just works. And Holly is the only woman that has ever truly appreciated him, so... bring it on! firthgal
Is Astrid some kind of secret genius? How is she in school when she was born in the summer of 2008? Office, you're better than this. Not much better, given how confused you were about the concept of a 12-week art program, but I thought a little better. rainbowstevie
Jim and Pam, Erin and Gabe
Has anyone else noticed that Pam's hair is getting more straight every episode? Are we really supposed to believe that she started straightening her hair after she got married and had a baby? When her mornings are more busy than ever. I mean. Really. I don't straighten my slightly wavy hair now. When I'm sleep deprived due to screaming monkey children, my hair is going to be jacked up. chooseillusions
And I love that Gabe actually asked Andy for permission before he ever asked out Erin. And he was so polite about it that Andy couldn't say no! Oh, Gabe and Andy, they are my favorites. firthgal
DEAR KEVIN, JIM AND PAM'S BABY WAS NOT A MISTAKE. SHE WAS A BUNDLE OF JOY THAT KILLED THE HUMOR IN JIM AND PAM. PROVE ME WRONG. chooseillusions
Erin is so adorable perched on Gabe's desk. You know what? I would love her unabashedly if she just dated Gabe forever, and perhaps mysteriously lost her voice. Not to mention their adorably awkward handhold in the conference room.rainbowstevie
Sex Ed
I like that Andy thinks the office needs a sex ed class. And that the only reason he can't put a condom ON HIS PENIS IN THE OFFICE is because he's not feeling up to it. So to speak. chooseillusions
Winner Of All Lines: Kelly
Erin, on consequences of sex: Unplanned pregnancy.
Kelly: Like Jim and Pam, whaaaat?
And as much has her immature taunting itself amuses me (amusement: the way in which I keep my May 2009 rage balloon from flaring up over the memory of how Pam was a pregnant bride), I mostly like how this launches them both into defensive and slightly offended mode. With awesomely identical poses:
Pick your caption:
BITCH PLEASE. // (OH) HELL NO. // OH NO SHE DIDN'T.
(Darryl: Word.)
rainbowstevie
Section in which I save the best for last
Is it weird that through the whole ep I was convinced that it was Dwight who gave Michael the lip herpes? I'm sorry, clearly my mind is in the gutter, but wouldn't the irony have been delicious? Anywho.firthgal
7.05 The Sting
This week's The Office was weird because I should dislike it - it's absurd, unbelievable, and therefore mostly unlike the subtle, softer, sweeter nature of the humour that I loved this show for - but it's also ridiculously funny. I had to pause to laugh because I was laughing too hard, and oh my god, when's the last time that happened with this show?falulatonks
I'm summing Andy's entire B-plot up with NO MORE SINGING. If I have to hire the father from Monty Python and the Holy Grail to come in and shut this down, so help me I will.rainbowstevie
The Office was... well, it made me laugh, but it was one of those eps that really wasn't that memorable yet still gave me joy simply because I am addicted to spending time with all these characters. I think this is why I will never give up The Office, even when Steve Carell leaves. I love these nutjobs too much to leave them. ESPECIALLY ANDY AND HIS SEXY FALSETTO VOICE. Oh gosh, his face when he realized that he, Darryl, and Kevin were just jamming together like friends! Oh, I love him. firthgal
Dwight was REALLY FUNNY again (!!! oh god, his penis museum joke surprised me and made me choke on air) falulatonks
Dwight: Go tell her we're here. You're good with receptionists.
--Jim's laugh is fake. Mine is real. rainbowstevie
My favorite thing about Pam is the idea that she's only ever been with two guys and wound up engaged to both, thus allowing me to completely respect her life choices re: romance. Now she's only batting .500, because I've decided to also (most unfairly) deduct points for the blind date Kelly forced her into. rainbowstevie
Basically - Mindy Kaling, thank you for this episode, a lot. (And I get why this is ridiculous, coming from you - The Injury is incredibly funny, but it's also the most over-the-top episode from S2. And I'm not insulting you for it!) falulatonks
7.06 Costume Contest
Cold Open, by rainbowstevie
Speaking of cold opens, that was one of the best in a long time. "Is there no limit to what Stanley won't notice?" Not really, unless it might involve him staying at work for five extra minutes. BEST. THING. EVER. A small part of me wants to believe he actually did notice early on, and decided to screw with them for the rest of the day just to see how far they'd go.
I love how, just in case the cold open wasn't already amazing enough, they threw in a pony to seal the deal.
Costumes by firthgal and rainbowstevie
ANDY'S HALLOWEEN COSTUME ASDHJKLFHJASDH;KLJ!!!! As if I couldn't love that boy more than I already do. Is it sad that I knew what his costume was long before the explanation?firthgal
Dwight as the Scranton Strangler amused me, but -- you have GOT to deliver on this one day, show. Someone we know must die. I watch too many crime shows for this not to happen. rainbowstevie
And I love Michael for being my lame comedy soulmate, because he was FREAKING MACGRUBER, OMG I LOVE HIM. I am disappointed that he never said, "Let's go pound some Cunth," though. WHAT UP, MICHAEL SCOTT? Gabe was super adorable, but sadly not as epic as Dean Pelton's take on Lady Gaga. firthgal
Jim and Pam, by rainbowstevie
Still sorely disappointed in the extreme lack of kissing lately, but will allow a substitution for Jim's "Who doesn't call a dork like that back?" I love moments like that, which look ridiculously inadequate written down, but which in practice are full of Jim feigning nonchalance while actually bursting at the seams with pride.
Meanwhile, I still want to know how they met and who asked who out. And exactly what the camera crew was doing in 2006 when they failed to get all up in her grill, considering she chose to go out with a tall and gangly paper salesman, INTERESTING.
7.03 Andy's Play
I can't even type it in small letters. MUSICAL THEATRE just means that much to me. So suffice to say I LOVED THIS MUSICAL THEATRE EPISODE. When I saw the cold open I was all, damn, they're ruining the premise in the cold open. It's just a one off thing.
BUT NO. IT IS THE A PLOT. THIS IS HOW YOU DO A COLD OPEN, PEOPLE. itmustbecarly
It's a pity I was so behind on this, because for something with "Andy" right in the title, that was spectacular in a surprising number of ways. rainbowstevie
"Kalinkclinkclinkclink"
WHY IS THIS SO FUNNY. I DON'T EVEN KNOW I'M JUST DYING FROM ANDY'S ONOMATOPOEIA WHAT IS THISS??!? itmustbecarly
But do you know what I loved most about this episode? DWIGHT'S PRIDE IN ANDY. Did you see his face? "Hey, I work with that guy! ...He sucks at sales." ♥ ♥ ♥ And then he had that same awed/proud look on his face in the end when he came back during Andy's performance at the end. DWIGHT TOTALLY CAN'T RESIST A GUY SINGING SHOW TUNES. firthgal
"Shh, if we don't listen to the overture we won't recognize the musical themes when they come back later"
Perfection. Also, true. THE OVERTURE ISN'T FOR TALKING OR FOR YOU TO JAUNTILY GO BACK TO YOUR SEATS PEOPLE. IT IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF YOUR MUSICAL JOURNEY. Dear Daryll: I love you for saying this. Dear Micheal: I love you for agreeing. Dear Charlie Grandy, you bamf you: thank you for this. So much. SO MUCH.
itmustbecarly
As much as I loathe Andy/Erin, Andy's heartbreak is kind of a beautiful thing to watch. Especially when he gets to end it on a happy singy note. I really loved how genuinely supportive everyone was of Andy tonight. HOW DID THAT EVEN HAPPEN? firthgal
Specifically: Adorably check-in call, adorably OMGWTFCECE mode upon hearing her in the theater, an awesomely rare sighting of angry!sarcasm!Jim and Pam right there on the mark (Team Parents vs. Incompetent Erin all the way!), "Well, we're never leaving the house again." // "Not TOGETHER!", and an even rarer sweet, quiet moment with just the two of them. *sigh* You see, this? Is why she show needs to survive as long as John & Jenna are willing and able to be part of it. rainbowstevie
Also, special mention for Erin/Gabe: "See you soup!" HOW ADORABLE ARE THOSE TWO? Just from a one-sided phone conversation they made me all giggly and fluttery at their perfectly understated coupleyness. I KIND OF LOVE THEM A LOT. firthgal
It just made me really happy to have everyone come out to watch the play. It feels like it's been ages since there was a real sense of camaraderie outside the office without anything particularly excruciating or cringe-worthy happening. I was giggling like crazy during the Endless Fall of the Wine Bottle/Balloon Shotgun/Crying Baby suite. I didn't even hate Andy bumbling through "I Try" while forcing me to listen to an endless montage set to his voice as much as I normally would have. rainbowstevie
7.04 Sex Ed
Micheal’s Blasts from the Pasts
Oh my God, Jan's sane again! JAN'S SANE. CHECK IT OUT. Pam might one day return to the... and she just started humming a commercial jingle about bacon. Which will not be the only time she breaks into random song this episode. So close.rainbowstevie
As for Michael/Holly, yeah, their manufactured perfectness for each other still bugs the crap out of me, but since this is Michael's last season, I'm totally okay with him drifting off into the sunset with a ladylove that is his exact copy, because, well, Michael is so damn narcissistic that it just works. And Holly is the only woman that has ever truly appreciated him, so... bring it on! firthgal
Is Astrid some kind of secret genius? How is she in school when she was born in the summer of 2008? Office, you're better than this. Not much better, given how confused you were about the concept of a 12-week art program, but I thought a little better. rainbowstevie
Jim and Pam, Erin and Gabe
Has anyone else noticed that Pam's hair is getting more straight every episode? Are we really supposed to believe that she started straightening her hair after she got married and had a baby? When her mornings are more busy than ever. I mean. Really. I don't straighten my slightly wavy hair now. When I'm sleep deprived due to screaming monkey children, my hair is going to be jacked up. chooseillusions
And I love that Gabe actually asked Andy for permission before he ever asked out Erin. And he was so polite about it that Andy couldn't say no! Oh, Gabe and Andy, they are my favorites. firthgal
DEAR KEVIN, JIM AND PAM'S BABY WAS NOT A MISTAKE. SHE WAS A BUNDLE OF JOY THAT KILLED THE HUMOR IN JIM AND PAM. PROVE ME WRONG. chooseillusions
Erin is so adorable perched on Gabe's desk. You know what? I would love her unabashedly if she just dated Gabe forever, and perhaps mysteriously lost her voice. Not to mention their adorably awkward handhold in the conference room.rainbowstevie
Sex Ed
I like that Andy thinks the office needs a sex ed class. And that the only reason he can't put a condom ON HIS PENIS IN THE OFFICE is because he's not feeling up to it. So to speak. chooseillusions
Winner Of All Lines: Kelly
Erin, on consequences of sex: Unplanned pregnancy.
Kelly: Like Jim and Pam, whaaaat?
And as much has her immature taunting itself amuses me (amusement: the way in which I keep my May 2009 rage balloon from flaring up over the memory of how Pam was a pregnant bride), I mostly like how this launches them both into defensive and slightly offended mode. With awesomely identical poses:
Pick your caption:
BITCH PLEASE. // (OH) HELL NO. // OH NO SHE DIDN'T.
(Darryl: Word.)
rainbowstevie
Section in which I save the best for last
Is it weird that through the whole ep I was convinced that it was Dwight who gave Michael the lip herpes? I'm sorry, clearly my mind is in the gutter, but wouldn't the irony have been delicious? Anywho.firthgal
7.05 The Sting
This week's The Office was weird because I should dislike it - it's absurd, unbelievable, and therefore mostly unlike the subtle, softer, sweeter nature of the humour that I loved this show for - but it's also ridiculously funny. I had to pause to laugh because I was laughing too hard, and oh my god, when's the last time that happened with this show?falulatonks
I'm summing Andy's entire B-plot up with NO MORE SINGING. If I have to hire the father from Monty Python and the Holy Grail to come in and shut this down, so help me I will.rainbowstevie
The Office was... well, it made me laugh, but it was one of those eps that really wasn't that memorable yet still gave me joy simply because I am addicted to spending time with all these characters. I think this is why I will never give up The Office, even when Steve Carell leaves. I love these nutjobs too much to leave them. ESPECIALLY ANDY AND HIS SEXY FALSETTO VOICE. Oh gosh, his face when he realized that he, Darryl, and Kevin were just jamming together like friends! Oh, I love him. firthgal
Dwight was REALLY FUNNY again (!!! oh god, his penis museum joke surprised me and made me choke on air) falulatonks
Dwight: Go tell her we're here. You're good with receptionists.
--Jim's laugh is fake. Mine is real. rainbowstevie
My favorite thing about Pam is the idea that she's only ever been with two guys and wound up engaged to both, thus allowing me to completely respect her life choices re: romance. Now she's only batting .500, because I've decided to also (most unfairly) deduct points for the blind date Kelly forced her into. rainbowstevie
Basically - Mindy Kaling, thank you for this episode, a lot. (And I get why this is ridiculous, coming from you - The Injury is incredibly funny, but it's also the most over-the-top episode from S2. And I'm not insulting you for it!) falulatonks
7.06 Costume Contest
Cold Open, by rainbowstevie
Speaking of cold opens, that was one of the best in a long time. "Is there no limit to what Stanley won't notice?" Not really, unless it might involve him staying at work for five extra minutes. BEST. THING. EVER. A small part of me wants to believe he actually did notice early on, and decided to screw with them for the rest of the day just to see how far they'd go.
I love how, just in case the cold open wasn't already amazing enough, they threw in a pony to seal the deal.
Costumes by firthgal and rainbowstevie
ANDY'S HALLOWEEN COSTUME ASDHJKLFHJASDH;KLJ!!!! As if I couldn't love that boy more than I already do. Is it sad that I knew what his costume was long before the explanation?firthgal
Dwight as the Scranton Strangler amused me, but -- you have GOT to deliver on this one day, show. Someone we know must die. I watch too many crime shows for this not to happen. rainbowstevie
And I love Michael for being my lame comedy soulmate, because he was FREAKING MACGRUBER, OMG I LOVE HIM. I am disappointed that he never said, "Let's go pound some Cunth," though. WHAT UP, MICHAEL SCOTT? Gabe was super adorable, but sadly not as epic as Dean Pelton's take on Lady Gaga. firthgal
Jim and Pam, by rainbowstevie
Still sorely disappointed in the extreme lack of kissing lately, but will allow a substitution for Jim's "Who doesn't call a dork like that back?" I love moments like that, which look ridiculously inadequate written down, but which in practice are full of Jim feigning nonchalance while actually bursting at the seams with pride.
Meanwhile, I still want to know how they met and who asked who out. And exactly what the camera crew was doing in 2006 when they failed to get all up in her grill, considering she chose to go out with a tall and gangly paper salesman, INTERESTING.