Thu, 9 October 2008
It's only been two weeks, but it surely feels much longer than that since "Weight Loss" aired. From TV Guide: BUSINESS ETHICS | 10.09.2008 | 9/8c TV-PG Holly presides over a business-ethics meeting in the wake of Ryan's corporate scandal, but the seminar breaks into chaos when Michael allows the staffers to opine openly about workplace malfeasance. Elsewhere, Jim coerces Dwight to adhere to Dunder Mifflin's "time theft" policy. Don't forget to join us in the TWSS "Conference Room" after the show, and as always, leave your comments about the episode below.
Category:general
-- posted at: 11:32am EST
Comments[35]
|
-
I was expecting Jim\'s history of pranks to become an issue in an episode where they talk about time-theft, but they never really seemed to deal with it at all. Perhaps, it\'s because it would have felt like a repeat of \"Conflict Resolution,\" or they just didn\'t have enough time to introduce and resolve that plot in the twenty something minutes the show had. Phyllis\' deleted talking head about hitting something while on safari with Bob made me laugh uncontrollably.
-
I feel like TWSS Matt, Ian, and Kevin are my best friends, but I realised that you guys don\'t even know me. Well, now you know I exsist, I just wanted to let you guys know that I have been listening to you guys for what seems like forever. I guess I should put something that pertains to this episode to make this comment legit I loved this episode, it felt very season two to me, or at least the Jim/Dwight plotline did. Ok, now that is out of the way, I also wanted to tell you that my 18th birthday is this thursday on the 16th and I was hoping you guys could give that a little mention on this weeks episode of TWSS :D If not, I will not be heart broken.
-
I had mixed feelings about this episode. Holly\'s quote \"It\'s not a family, it\'s a workplace\" reminded me of \"The Carpet\" when Ed Truck said pretty much the same thing to Michael. I was for sure Michael was going to just be pissed for the rest of the episode, but ahh, Kendall. Way to awaken Michael\'s conscious. I think this episode had just the right amount of character\'s like Ryan and Creed. The Office\'s reaction to Jim\'s announcement was perfect. So to sum it up, I think this episode was adequate.
-
I think the writing so far this year is better than last year\'s. The whole spiral with Jan was over the top and obviously designed to garner sympathy for Michael. The writer\\\'s have succumbed to the character\\\'s main attribute: they desperately want to be liked. That\\\'s fine but they don\\\'t trust their viewers to enjoy the character on his own merits. Instead, they make a martyr out of him by turning Jan into a parody. At least in last week\\\'s episode we got to see a stubborn and somewhat petty side to him. This comes off as far more real. The Brittish version did not suffer from \\\"Hollywooding up the cast\\\" by making them more glamorous than actual office folk. Last season was more about style than good comedy. I keep watching because I remember the show was very funny once upon a time. And I see hints of it now and then. I just wish the writers would trust the viewers and not be so heavy handed. Just my .02 ------ The Thief of Joy
-
I actually liked that they didn\'t show the fight, but instead showed the fallout between them -- the aftermath, if you will. Seeing Michael throw away Holly\'s leftovers (how DARE he! I live for lunch leftovers!) and running to the copier just so he would make her wait for it was fantastic and unusual. I took it more as a different way to explore Michael\'s character than weak writing. WE already know what he does when he\'s angry. What about him dealing with the aftermath? However, I usually avoid confrontation at all costs, so maybe it\'s just my personality to prefer it this way . . .
-
I have no sympathy for Dwight. Some of my favorite scenes over the years are when Jim (and Pam) prank him. He can be a tremendous jerk. He and Angela, however, belong together. Obviously she has forgiven him else she would not be meeting him in the back rooms. They both have the hots for each other so get on with it. The writers need to end this farce of a relationship with Andy. It takes every ounce of guilt in Angela to begrudgingly be nice to Andy and to give him a very weak smile.
-
You know, oddly enough, for the most part, I kind of understand the logic of Dwight and why he does what he does. So him urinating in a bottle under his desk doesn\'t bother me too much. It\'s just him being freakishly efficient. The only bit of Dwight\'s behavior that I find totally disturbing is him knowing all the menstrual cycles of all the women in the office. Why he needs to know that, I have no idea.
-
Eh. I laughed once, when Michael and Holly entered the first conference with the headbands on. Maybe it\'s just me, but I thought the Jim/Dwight plot was boring and labored. Dare I say the Jim pranking Dwight angle is played out? Nothing really happened in this episode other than development of Micholly, and even that just seemed a little ho-hum, especially with the knowledge that Holly is only inked for four more shows. I thought the writers really missed an opportunity when Holly calls Micahel out at the business-romantic restaurant. Holly says, \"It\'s not a family, it\'s a workplace.\" The camera man zooms in as if Michael\'s world just collapsed, and then they cut to commercial. No red-faced, restrained blow-up from Michael? Then we get back from the commercial and we\'ve missed the entire fight. Instead, Michael explains how awkward the car ride back to office was. Seems to me a really awkward fight or at least restrained argument with Michael bumbling over his words could have been comedy gold, but the writers either didn\'t know how the two would fight, or they were scared of making the viewers take sides, which, if they chose Michael would\'ve hurt their chances of further playing up Holly\'s appeal through Michael\'s eyes. Thought it was weak. Show not tell. Show us that fight, it could\'ve been the funniest part of an otherwise bland episode.
-
Eric- I don\'t think Dwight\'s lack of growth doomed the episode, but I agree that it seems like kind of an odd decision by the writers. While I get that Dwight is on a real high right now, it would have been nice to see him have a moment of realization-- maybe to strike a balance between the very sympathetic Season 4 Dwight and the uber-cocky time-thief who\'s now strutting around the office. After all, not only is sleeping with Angela a violation of corporate and personal ethics, it\'s also an extremely unsustainable situation. Dwight can make cuckolding digs at Andy all he likes, but as things currently stand, Andy and Angela are still headed to the alter, and Dwight is the odd man out.
-
This episode left me feeling a little unsatisfied, however I think it will grow on me after a few more views (TWSS). I certainly went through a full set of emotions- from laughing at Michael tackling Jim, to vomiting in my mouth at Dwight urinating in a bottle. I was creeped out by Dwight\'s smirk at being \'unethical\', and swooning at Michael and Holly\'s cute little glances at the end meeting. And oddly enough, felt a bit of pride at Michael standing up for himself and his \'family.\' As for Kath and Kim... well, they certainly gave the characters more sweetness and redemptive qualities, just as they did with The Office. And just like the beginning of the Office, the plotlines are near identical with less edge. But it wasn\'t horrible, I\'d be interested to hear what the US viewers thought of it.
-
At the end of the Jim/Dwight plotline, when Jim says “Maybe you’re not completely ethical after all”, this was the chance the episode had to save itself. If Dwight had looked even slightly ashamed instead of giving that creepy smirk to the camera, he would have totally regained my sympathy. Instead, the weird grossness just continues.
-
First impressions... No bears, No beats, and finally Battlestar Galactica!!! I did like the episode but it did lack secondary plot strength. There is great chemistry with Amy Ryan and Steve Carell!!! I liked the character development that Michael was having to learn to back up Holly and compromise to do the right thing. The surprise was that HR corporate threw Holly under the bus for a Hammer mill discount. Ryan\'s rerpentance was shallow and we could all see through it as Kevin comes full circle from Fire Guy to Fired Guy and now Hired guy! I love where Michael threw away Holly\'s leftovers from lunch after the comment \"work is not a family\" I love that Michael stuck to his sentimental but heartfelt belief that \"yes, it is a family\". I also liked him flaking out and threatening to kill them to get in the conference room and complete the ethics training. Holly is the one that looks somewhat idealistic and Michael more real in his loyalty almost to a fault. It was good to see corporate take his side after what happened in the deposition episode.... IMOP Dwight was still doing Angela and Andy needs to find out!!!(20 minuted wasted)How could have jim missed her buttoning up!
-
Hey Matt After the breakneck speed of \"Weight Loss\", \"Business Ethics\" may have slowed down in pacing, but not in story, character and theme. The dilemmas of Michael, Holly and Meredith brought out both the comedic and dramatic strengths of not only their characters, but the series in general. The Dwight/Jim plotline fits perfectly with my \"Yosemetie Sam\" theory, which made it all the more enjoyable. It was awesome to see Dwight confess without implicating himself. I know some people would have wanted to see more of the engagement plotline, but the cold open was all we really needed.
-
Man, what a hilarious episode. Definitely had a season 2 vibe. Can\\\'t wait to rewatch and catch all those funny Jim lines. Way to go Michael, at least you didn\\\'t end the episode with the equivalent of ripping up Counting Crows tickets! He might woo Holly yet...
-
Loved it! Amy Ryan + Steve Carell = comic gold. And also, great chemistry. Matt are you glad to finally see Meredith get a plot line? As a long time listener of the podcast, I thought of you when she was finally getting some air time. Please come be a regular, Amy Ryan!
-
Cute episode, though I sorely missed the presence of a significant B-plot. Jim timing Dwight was funny (though I wonder why Dwight didn\'t just report Jim for his own time-wasting activities) but I thought that plot might actually make a point about something-- ala Jim sticking to Pam\'s jinx in \"Drug Testing.\" (The BSG scene was awesome, though.) But I was glad we saw Holly exposed to Michael\'s \"business\" side. So far they\'ve only really been interacting on a personal level, and it seems that while their personalities may be eerily compatible, their ideas of professional behavior are quite different. I wonder what Ms. Flax thinks of her \"best friend in the office\" now. And also, chalk up another point to David Wallace. It turns out his dislike of Kendall is entirely warranted, and not just a corporate-Toby situation.
-
Yes Meredith is a cartoon character but it is good to see the other people in the office and it was even better when corprate actually let her still sleep with the paper mill guy. But do you think that the office is actually refering to the economy and all of the money possibly being lost. although its not like Dunder Miflind is already lossing money especally from the scranton branck. Dwight and Jim not includid. The first confrence room scene i think was the best part of the episode. Hey what would we do with out a musical enterence from no one other than michel. The cold open was good with the Roy refference. The takel from mike was great. For the second confrence room scene Michel almost losing it again was great but the strong point was probably the first half. \"If you dont get in there now I will kill all of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!\"
-
Not about tonight\'s episode, but check out this awesome interview the AV Club did with Oscar Nunez to hear about his history being obscene on game shows. http://www.avclub.com/content/interview/oscar_nunez
-
So are you excited? Very excited? Extremely excited?... Ok just very, that\'s cool. Well I am extremely excited about The Office tonight because the stupid VP debate delayed my fix. But all shall be forgiven, NBC, despite the fact that you could have easily bumped My Name Is Earl off the schedule and played The Office instead and made a lot of people happy, because now we are back on track. I wonder what Jim is going to coerce Dwight to do...
-
Haha, as always, level-headed Matt. On the matter of plot progression versus general hilarity, I hope that the writers take their time on season 5. I know they had to squish all the plot from season 4 into the few episodes they had left after the strike, but God willing we\'ll get a full season this year and we can get back to the regular-paced, equal parts laugh- and plot-filled episodes.
Adding comments is not available at this time.
![[Valid RSS]](http://static.flickr.com/81/247458026_2d6cc2cec1_o.png "Validate my RSS feed")