Thu, 14 May 2009
From NBC.com:
COMPANY PICNIC | 05.14.09 | 9/8c PT | TV-PG
SEASON
FINALE - THE SCRANTON OFFICE REPRESENTS AT THE COMPANY PICNIC - OSCAR
NOMINEE AMY RYAN ("Gone Baby Gone") AND IDRIS ELBA ("The Wire") GUEST
STAR - It's the annual Dunder Mifflin company picnic and Michael
(Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) and Holly (guest star Amy Ryan) are
reunited, and Michael has some big plans for her. Meanwhile, the office
competes in the picnic's volleyball tournament. Rainn Wilson, John
Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Ed Helms, Leslie David Baker, Brian
Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Mindy Kaling, Angela Kinsey, Phyllis Smith,
Oscar Nunez, Creed Bratton, Paul Lieberstein and B.J. Novak also star.
--------- Well, here were are once again for yet another season finale. What a long, strange trip season five has been-- it feels like we've had about 4-5 "mini-arcs" worth of plot twists this year, and hopefully most of them will come together in COMPANY PICNIC. The MSPC plotline really made me forget about Holly, so will the magic still be there tonight? Will Charles Miner finally receive that karmic payback we never got during BROKE? Are they going to be able to tell a satisfying season finale story in a meager 21 minutes? As always, leave your comments below, and join Kevin and me in the TWSS Chatroom during and after the episode airs. *BONUS FUN FACT: Did you know that some people believe the word "picnic" has a racist etymology, and have actually protested its use? Check out the entry at Snopes.com (it's not true) for the straight dope!
Category:general
-- posted at: 8:45am EST
Comments[41]
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Very flat episode overall (for me) in an extremely up and down season. Funny that I\'ve never thought about the different writers over the seasons. Each season, the different episodes seemed to fit together despite the different writers. This year it felt they like writing for different shows. (Erika) I would have preferred to have Jim break Charles nose with a volleyball spike. I did buy the \"pregnancy reactions\" (Outside Food). Given Jim and Pam\'s long-simmering attraction and love . Having a baby is a pretty natural next step and extreme moment of joy for people in love. Having been married 35 years - finding out we were expecting were two of our greatest moments over the years. I agree that it would have made more sense if the plot had shown they had been trying for a while.
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(Kek) We like Holly because she seems a perfect fit for Michael. We enjoy the humor when characters are with the wrong person (Michael and Jan - who was obviously conflicted by her physical attraction to him; Andy and Angela) but we want everyone to wind up with their soul mate. Everyone deserves some happiness in that area of their life - eventually.
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I definitely think this is a \"jump the shark\" episode. But it\'s interesting (and Matt, I am surprised that you didn\' mention this)that Michael talked about how Pam doesn\'t see things through...Art School, Roy (obviously a joke), but when you think about the MSPC, she was ready to quit a few days into that and then she finally gets a decent job and then BOOM now she\'s pregnant!
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I\'m on the fence with this episode. There were certainly moments I enjoyed but also quite a few that were a little, well dull. I feel like I\'m in the minority when it comes it Dwight\'s friend, and I was not a fan of those scenes. It was frustrating for me to see this new character thrown in and have such a large role. Perhaps it would have been better if this was a longer episode. But Dwight\'s stall tactics were fantastic and had me laughing out loud. Overall, it was a decent episode, but it felt more like a series finale than a season finale.
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Kaiser Soje - In regards to the college graduate as a receptionist thing, it happens. I graduated with a degree in biology and worked as a secretary for a couple years after graduation. Goals change, life happens and sometimes you find yourself in job because it\'s comfortable rather than rewarding. Oh, and thanks for your insight about the Korean bus a few weeks back. I watched that episode again and enjoyed it much more after reading your comments.
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It was a GOOD season finale, not GREAT. For me, that bar is set pretty damn high because I feel that Casino Night was not only the best Office finale, but the best finale on any show in a LONG time (if ever). I liked the company picnic and all the rivalry and competitiveness because I\'ve been there, both at work and at family gatherings. I\'m not sure why everyone LOVES the Holly character so much....two seconds into her first appearance, I turn to my wife and say \"I had forgotten what a dork she was.\"
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Not the best season finale, but enjoyable nonetheless. I\'m all for any scene that Jim & Dwight actually collaborate on something. The Dwim hug was all too hilarious (especially with Oscar\'s comment). I can\'t help to feel an awwww moment for Michael. Maybe he and Holly will finally be together for the series finale. I have mixed feelings about the pregnancy announcement. But one thing the scene did was show off the facial acting by Jenna and John. We\'ve known that both have incredibly expressive faces, from Jim\'s mugging for the camera, and Pam\'s unforgettable moment from \"The Job.\" The final moment for \"Company Picnic\" showed such an intense mixture of different feelings for both Pam and Jim, that I have nothing but admiration for the two actors.
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The ending was great!! Too many people here want to see their cheese ball hollywood ending...Michael\'s rejection wasn\'t random at all it\'s a representation of his character. Of course he didn\'t deserve to get Holly, but he was never about what he deserved. Angela got hers even though she is a christian, she couldn\'t escape her past which is obviously a reformed slut. Some people need to go beyond surface value of things...I was sooooo pissed at all the people who didn\'t appreciate the Sopranos ending...IT WAS PERFECT! Fans say that they didn\'t get it weren\'t really fans at all same goes with The Office! The ending is perfect and just like the ending of the Sopranos I smiled at every step of the way because I recognized the meaning behind the little details. So go be upset and boycott the show that\'s already over and sell your dvds just because you didn\'t get what YOU want! Would you repaint or \"touch up\" the Mona Lisa? I\'ll truly miss The Office! It\'s been fun.
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I rejoiced at the news of Jim and Pam having a mini-Halpert. I don\'t see how this is a jump the shark situation. There are about three women I know at work currently on maternity leave. One friend of mine is pregnant. Pregnancies happen. What I don\'t get is how Pam is suddenly a Volleyball champ when it was only one year ago in \"Job Fair\" while entering her old school gym she said she always skipped PE. Someone who is so good at VB is not a person who skips PE, especially if they were sooo good. Enough of making Pam some super human, perfect, always has to be right kind of perso. And when she listed all the schools where she aced volleyball, I didn\'t need the Liz Lemon imitation when she got to the \"colleeege\" part. When character continuity falls by the wayside, that\'s jumping some sharks to me. But I wrote in my blog about how impressed I continue to be by Carell and Ryan. They were heartbreaking and simply wonderful.
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Having just watched the finale, I don\'t care if it was a good idea to go this way with Jim and Pam and I don\'t care if sharks were jumped. Some excellent acting expressed great joy from characters I care about. And it was awesome. This episode again cemented for me what makes The Office so special: the characters. The romantic in me sees how far Jim and Pam have come and, well, i\'m happy.
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BEST OFFICE EPISODE EVER!!!!!! =] i absolutely loved every second of it. the volleyball game and dight stalling was comic gold. i was a little dissappointed when nothig really happened with michael and holly though. the jim/pam pregnancy thing is amazing. ive been rooting for this couple since day one and i think that next season will work out great with the pregnancy. i think itll be funny to see how people react to pam and her having mood swings and weird cravings and the delivery will bring in huge audiences. the moment jim and pam found out with brilliant. it was adorable, sweet, romantic, amazing.. everything i could ask for. please dont be to harsh on this episode matt! it was wonderful and im counting down the months til next season!!!!!! =D
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Good solid episode and tremendously realistic approach on the Michael/Holly situation. Actually I like her character so much I\'d be happy if she was Michael\'s off screen girlfriend. Amy Ryan doesn\'t even need to be on the show regularly. All I need is a few nods to her character throughout next season, like Michael talking to her on the phone, or Michael telling the co-workers about something he had done with her during the weekend.
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I really liked this episode, but I still can\'t figure why they stuck those 2 goofy episodes in between \"Michael Scott Paper\" & The finale. It would have been much better holding those 2 non essential stories till next season. I was kind of surprised by the pregnacy, didn\'t see it coming. I wish Jim had spiked the ball in Miners face, but much like real life that doesn\'t happen. Dwights friend was a real ass, the kind of guy you feel like slapping around! I did enjoy Michael spilling the beans about the closure, classic Scott. All in all, I liked it as an episode, but not a finale
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I\'m still so conflicted. I don\'t know what to think about this episode, half a day later. I don\'t know where this is going to take the central theme and plot of The Office with a JAM baby, but I think I still trust the writers to make it work. I guess I feel like this season has just been all over the place, in so many weird directions. And maybe it\'s because I have my own new baby to deal with and haven\'t been as into the show this season, but I just feel unsure at this point. I can definitely say that I hope The Office hasn\'t jumped the shark. I think there\'s a lot of life left in the show. I\'m looking forward to your analysis, Matt and Kevin!
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This was a good episode, but it felt like the buildup to a finale rather than a finale episode itself. I almost thought that Holly would come interrupt the last Michael talking head like Jim did during \"the Job\". I was fine with how that ended, but again, it was way too short. Why not spend time exploring other possibilities at a picnic? Other office members could have shined a bit, but instead, they dragged the volleyball thing out too long. I realize that was just to set up the pregnancy plot. Which then brings us to the low point. It is a cheap plot cliche to bring on a baby, but I\'d rather just have them elope or something. Also, they had BETTER NOT have them elope over the summer or have a surprise summer wedding before Pam starts showing! We already got robbed of their entire early relationship, & have seen precious little of their dating/engagement relationship. To rob us of any wedding would be pathetic. It doesn\'t have to be grand or a season finale, but we don\'t need a summer flashback.
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Amanda: Your parents were not characters in a TV comedy. It\'s wonderful news for Pam and Jim? So what? Comedy and drama are not about \"wonderful.\" It\'s not funny. Non funny stuff should happen off screen, not in a major season-ending reveal. I would have been perfectly happy if the next season had started with Pam and Jim already married and Pam already pregnant without any on-screen discovery shot.
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Wow. This was not good. Pregnancy? Really? Jump that shark, writers. Jump. That. Shark. The play was fun, but Michael should have gotten fired on the spot for revealing confidential information. Of course it\'s extremely stupid of David W. would tell someone like Michael anything confidential. And how long did all these companies have to drive to get to this picnic site? I had great hope for the finale with the volleyball tournament, but I much rather have seen Pam break Minor\'s nose. I\'ve recently been watching seasons 2 and 3 over again, and I have to admit that the magic is gone. Sad...
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Are you kidding me? A freaking Jam baby? I\'ve never been too invested in this couple but they don\'t bother me too much. However if I have to watch Jim deal with crazy hormonal Pam\'s pickle cravings it\'s going to seriously affect my enjoyment of the show. That aside, it was an ok episode, I guess. I actually enjoyed how they handled the Michael/Holly storyling. Also loved Jim & Dwight being semi-friendly. I\'m game for Dwight and Angela to get back together, they used to make me laugh, but lord I hope that is the last we see of Dwight\'s friend. One Dwight is more than enough. I really wanted Charles to get knocked out, preferably by Jim, but I guess if he wasn\'t such a bully we wouldn\'t have the final reveal. What a shame that would have been.
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It was obvious after the nurse asked Pam about possibly being pregnant...but I am curious how they can spin it so it isn\'t pregnancy. It just seems too predictable. I did like the tender moments between Jim and Pam after the news. My husband thought Dwight set up his best friend to say those nasty things to Angela so Dwight could rescue her from it. Either way, looked like it worked! Oh, loved how Michael and Holly dropped the bomb on the Buffalo branch...CLASSIC!!!
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I didn\'t buy the pregnancy reactions from either Jim or Pam. It just felt like a couple of actors looking for some sort of \"excited\" \"happy\" \"emotion.\" Since they are both still young, not even married yet, money is short, Pam is only just launching a new career in sales, and we have no prior indication they were eager to start a family immediately (unless I missed it), it seems odd that their reaction is supposed to be unabashed \"look what we did!\" happiness. Oh well. The ending soured me on what was otherwise an adequate episode with some great highlights. I was all geared up for the ending to a rollercoaster season being something that brought the whole office together like, yes, the disco party, but I know that other viewers like that Jim and Pam are the heart of the show. What can I say, I was jazzed enough in the middle of the episode to rush to nbc,com and see if I could get one of those New York Corporate black t-shirts. Because I am easy that way.
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Not my favorite season finale. This was especially disappointing since I enjoyed \"Good bye Toby\" so much! I was pretty upset that it was only a half hour. That definitely made it feel like a regular episode. And I suppose they left it open ended with Holly due to issues with the actress. Augh, so little was resolved! The ending was sweet but a bit confusing. Pam is obviously pregnant, but it\'s weird that they\'d react so happily! Especially since Pam made that statement a while back saying \"I can\'t live with you unless we\'re engaged.\" But having a baby out of wedlock is A OK! :P I guess they\'re just...really optimistic since they almost got married the other day.
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I was hoping for more of the volleyball game. And what about Charles. The season finale seems like it could have been a few episodes after Holly leaving because it has nothing to do with recent plots like MSPC or Charles. And I\'m not liking the way Pam us going with the whole pregnancy thing. I did enjoy warning Holly and Michael though. And Dwight and Angela were good too. :)
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Was it pregnancy? Its pretty obvious, but it seemed kinda predictable. Doesn\'t ever \'drama\' have some pregnancy or marriage or cheating at the end of a season? Come one office!! Oh well, it was interesting other wise. Seemed too brief though for the season finale.
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I liked this episode. Even though there have been comments about not missing Holly, I completely remembered why I loved her so much. Her and Michael are so cute! I\'m glad they didn\'t get together though, it would\'ve been too predictable. As far as the Jim/Pam pregnancy, I think it\'s a good move. I didn\'t expect it, and I\'m glad that they gave something interesting to them. I was getting bored. As far as the Dwight best friend stuff, I thought it was amusing, but kind of out of nowhere. Overall I thought it was a good episode, but not a spectacular finale.
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I really enjoyed this episode right up until Pam went in for her x-ray. As soon as the nurse said \\\"no chance you might be pregnant\\\" it was clear what ending we were going to get. There\\\'s just nothing fresh or original left to do with pregnancy. It\\\'s all been done many, many times before. On the upside, the Michael/Holly story was a winner.
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Bummed there were no game changing twists between Michael and Holly or Charles and Jim. But I loved the sketch, the games, Dwights friend (played by James Urbanik aka Henry Fool aka Dr. Venture from THE VENTURE BROS.), and the wordless reveal at the end of the ep. I guess were so used to major twists in the finale that even this seems tame in comparison.
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im glad Pam is pregnant. I like her, but shes too boring. The point of these reality shows, especially the Office, is all the drama. Jan is way more dramatic and crazy. her coming back will make the show a little more interesting, which really, is whats its supposed to be about. a stupid, dramatic, crazy show. which i happen to like. lol
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Here\'s the only thing that makes sense to me - Pam didn\'t think she could get pregnant for some odd medical reason, so when she got the news they were both instantly happy. Or they\'ve been trying even though they\'re not married. I just can\'t see how that wonderfully gushy reaction would come otherwise. Shock and silence and realization yes, instant happiness no. This way if/when the pregnancy doesn\'t work out they have something for the couple to \'work on\' for next season. Loved the cold open, loved Dwight\'s friend, loved Toby and Kendall... Too much time on Holly & Michael.
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Matt, I hope you haven\'t flatlined on us. Is this baby no.2 for The Office? Dear God, I hope not. LOL I enjoyed the episode. It was no Goodbye, Toby or Casino Night, but it was ok. I wish it had been an hour episode. I loved Dwight\'s best friend. One fiance + one lover = whore. Yikes!
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