Thu, 11 October 2007
What's that? Another party, you say? Oh, THE OFFICE, will you never learn? Season three was filled to the brim with party after party, and hopefully season four will keep things focused back where they belong-- at work! In any event, let's hope for a little Michael redemption this episode if at all possible.  From NBC.com: LAUNCH PARTY
9/8c TV14 10.11.2007 
THE
WORLDWIDE WEB - The Dunder Mifflin Infinity website is launching and
Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) is excited about going to
the big launch party in New York while Angela (Angela Kinsey) plans a
satellite party for the Scranton branch. Meanwhile, Dwight (Rainn
Wilson) competes against the website to see who can sell the most paper
in one day. John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, B.J. Novak, Melora Hardin,
Ed Helms, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Mindy
Kaling, Paul Lieberstein, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis Smith, Creed Bratton,
and Craig Robinson also star.
Category:general
-- posted at: 3:38pm EDT
Comments[50]
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I liked this episode better upon second watching, which surprised me. Awesome bits: Meredith asking Jim to sign her cast Pam\'s talking head about things being unpleasant between Dwight and Angela, who are both already prone to unpleasantness Andy not ever being sure if Jim is mocking him, and Jim confirming it Michael\'s way-too-tight purple shirt Michael and Jim discussing Green Eggs and Ham Jim not even bothering to finish making up an excuse to Michael about why he and Pam can\'t come over for dinner Friday (Why is Andy still sucking up to Dwight? And WTF is with Andy\'s pants? They make my brain hurt) \"It\'s like eating a hot circle of garbage\" -- that must be some seriously crappy pizza, because I wouldn\'t have expected Kevin to be that picky Angela\'s list of grievances including the fact that Kevin had Greek food for lunch again Jon Krasinski\'s delivery of almost every line he utters Dwight popping the balloon in order to intimidate the pizza kid Angela\'s reaction to Andy\'s delivery of the \"thing made of ice\", and Andy\'s confession that he stole it On second thought, I like the first rooftop scene with Jim and Pam Kelly mashing the pizza into Ryan\'s face on the TV screen Dwight yelling at the guy in the bathroom that he had 10 seconds left if he was going number one The pizza kid being utterly unintimidated by his \"kidnapping\" Michael\'s and Dwight\'s imitations of Ryan, which actually started out pretty good Overall, not bad. I still think regular-length episodes will be better though.
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Matt-- I understand your point about the excitement of the courtship and I more-or-less agree with what I think you\\\'re implying, which is that they have yet to replace that with something equally as exciting. But apart from the roof thing, what other major Jam scenes so far this season would you call \\\"recycled\\\"? Off the top of my head, I can\\\'t think of any. We saw them kissing in the car via a hidden camera, there was the brilliant double TH reveal, the estate sale side-trip, the Phyllis bee-yotch moment, the playful \\\"is the magic gone\\\" exchange, a fresh prank, etc. It strikes me that the issue here might be in the nature of courtship vs. real relationship building, and the differences between how those activities can be portrayed on screen in 1/2 hour increments. Courtship is characterized by a certain nervous and superficial enthusiasm, which seems like somehting that would be easy to show as a series of brief, sparkling moments. In comparison, real relationship building activates more complex feelings and occurs deep in the souls of the people involved. In my experience, it takes a long time and is based on an accumlation of quieter and more private shared experiences. I would think that those sorts of instances would be much harder to write and more difficult for the fans to relate to, especially given how short the show is and that we only see a new episode once a week. That\\\'s assuming, of course, that the writers want to do this Jam thing right...which it appears that they do...
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On the Angela \"short\" comments - another case of Michael projecting his frustration with Ryan onto someone else? (the pizza kid being his more obvious target) I can\'t recall if he started that on Angela before or after Kelly told him about Ryan being sensitive to it. Wouldn\\\'t that pizza kid have heard about the prom invites with the crude watermark? He could have totally caught Michael off guard by throwing that back at him.
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I\'ve watched \'Launch Party\' a couple of times now and I still don\'t like the kidnapping. I understand how it contributes to the plot, etc. but it\'s a bit too dark for my taste. I feel the same way about the Sprinkles murder in \'Fun Run\' too, and I would even go so far as to include Michael\'s turtle rage in \'DMI\' in that same category. There have been moments in previous seasons when this type of humor showed up (like the elderly uncle stepping into traffic in \'Phyllis\' Wedding\') but it wasn\'t a recurring thing like it has been so far in season 4. I hope it is just a way of trying to spice up the one-hour episodes, and that things will better once we\'re back to the 30-minute format. I like almost everything else about the new season, though. Others have already picked out the highlights of this particular episode, but I would like to add that I thought it was interesting to discover that Jim had withdrawn his name from consideration for the job at corporate.
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I wasn\'t a huge fan of the episode in general. But, i think it was a lot more even than the other two have been. The kidnapping plot hurt my heart, why didn\'t anyone just let him go? Why didn\'t michael just let him leave with the nasty pizza? Also, the pizza boy is lame if he\'s trying to smoke hemp (even if he thinks it\'s weed. Once you start to smoke it, it\'s pretty plain that it\'s not going to get you high). I also wasn\'t wholly impressed with the JAM scenes, but i have hope for future scenes. and I agree with elisabeth, why does ryan have to end every episode? I did like some stuff in the episode though, the DVD box (I\'ve done that before) was great, Stanley dancing, Phyllis standing up to Angela, the fleshing out of Angela\'s meanness (she was so good during this episode), and Andy singing ABBA\'s \"Take A Chance On Me\" was one of the two moments i laughed out loud. The other was \"easy, booster seat.\" What\'s with the short jokes all of a sudden? I don\'t think the kidnapping was worse than driving a car into the lake, though. I hope the return of half hour episodes in a few weeks help, I\'m definitely thinking hour longs stretch this type of comedy too thin. (random note, \"Take A Chance On Me\" just came on my itunes)
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Just started listening to the podcast, and so got led to this site... I thought this was a strong episode, and my favorite part was the awkward quiet time at the end of the show with Dwight and Michael. I also liked that the feelings about Ryan wasn\\\'t exclusive to Scranton. I think the one character that really needs growth is Jim. He keeps egging on Andy, even after he\\\'s had anger management classes, he keeps pranking Dwight without even using his ranking to keep him in check from using the bear horn, and he doesn\\\'t even try to reason with Michael to let go the kid. I wouldn\\\'t be sad if Pam broke up with him if Jim keeps acting like this.
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Martin! Glad to see you live! I always had the impression that Pam DID start working at Dunder Mifflin before Jim. I don\'t understand all the JAM hate. I actually really like the way the relationship is being presented. Of course I STILL haven\'t seen the whole episode, but I loved the rooftop scene. It was a nice throw back to a good memory for both of them, and quietly sharing the first moment they \"knew\" was really sweet, I thought. I\'m just grateful they\'re not throwing it in our faces every two seconds and that the show hasn\'t become the Jim and Pam show.
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Wow, for a minute there Dwight looked sort of sexy with his scruffy stubble...he looks less nerd-ish. Am I the only one who thinks that? And Angela - what a b*tch! Go Phyllis for standing up for yourself. Final thing I want to bring up, did Michael get his license revoked or something? After the last two episodes with him running over Merideth (and other \\\"speed bumps\\\") and driving into the lake, he just doesn\\\'t seem like he is avoiding driving in this episode. Instead, he\\\'s getting rides from both Jim and Dwight. I think if Jan were to go, she would be driving as well. What do you guys think??
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I didn\'t love it or hate it nearly as much as some others here. I thought it was head-and-shoulders above episode 2 if only because we saw more of the supporting players. LOVED the subtle Darryl pickup on Kelly. Sentences like that show why he is the MAN. I bet Darryl could get any girl he wanted; I know for damn sure he would put Ryan to shame in all the categories that matter. I actually think they\'ve gone too over the top too fast for Ryan. He\'s, what, 3 months into the job and he\'s the public face of corporate? A Scranton MBA can\'t be THAT special, can it? I hope the writers focus more going forward on Jim & Pam in the office than out of it; all the best stuff with them this season has been when they\'re in a work environment (except for the kiss in Pam\'s car). Looking forward to the podcast guys!
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Favorite part of the episode: when Jim, leaving for the NY \"party\" goes over to tell Pam about Dwight\'s Staples leads, and Michael is murmuring in the background, \"I luuurve you, Pam\" and the like. Seriously. That is some kind o\' awesome right there. I don\'t know...I really liked the episode, but I agree that we may be getting too much of a good thing in hour-long episodes. BTW, thanks, Matt & Kevin, for the love in the last comment section. That was nice of you guys! After spending way too much on a particularly bitter Office forum, it is lovely to be here where everyone can write what they want. Even Martin. Just kidding, Martin. Don\'t hurt me. : )
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Sadly, I missed most of the episode due to unforseen circumstances (grrrrrrr) but what I did see I really liked -- except the kidnapping thing. I mean, in theory I liked it, it\'s just the sort of thing Michael would do, but I agree with -- er, somebody up there who I can\'t find now -- who said that Michael should have realized it was kidnapping when Jim said it was. Or at least SHORTLY thereafter. I did, however, love most of everything else I saw. As for the prank on Dwight, I feel confident he wouldn\'t have worked nearly as hard as he did had he not honestly believed the computer would destroy him. Well, o.k. maybe he would have, but it just gave him one more reason to work that much harder, and he won. Plus Pam made the computer recognize him as the superior being so win-win-win. Um, what else. Oh Kevin, I totally agree about Andy. His hitting on Angela was awesome, and I\'ve got to say that his song was amazing. I\'m sure Angela would have had a more positive response had the WHOLE office not been there watching. But really, ABBA in the style of barbershop? Incredible. (Sorry if this is rambly/inchoherent, I didn\'t get much sleep this week . . .)
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First off, I Love the TWSS PodCast... beats the crap out of the other that love-starved giggle-fest that poses for info-tainment... but I digress. This episode was... weird. Strange mood all the way through, some genuinely funny moment, of course, but nothing too special, I\'m afraid. Do we think that the hour long format is hurting the show these first couple of episodes? Would they have better airing back to back 30 minutes episodes, rather than one \"mega-sode\" with too much fluff. I\'m not sure if there can be such a thing as a \"bad\" Office episode... I\'d put the worst ep. up against almost anything else out there right now on network TV, but still... have the writers been a little TOO out there so far this season? Just wondering...
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I can\'t believe I\'m wanting less \"The Office,\" but I\'ll be relieved when it goes back to just a half hour in a few weeks. I haven\'t had as strong feelings about these first three episodes as some of you, but I don\'t think the hour-long format is showing \"The Office\" to its best advantage. I would have like better Jim and Pam moments in this episode. The rooftop stuff wasn\'t satisfying. Their contradicting talking heads in the cold open were the best interaction between them the whole show. My theory for why Michael has gone so far over the top these last two episodes is that he has to behave in an extra wrong way in response to Ryan\'s blatent prickery or else we all just end up completely sympathizing with Michael for feeling mistreated, and then one of the main focuses of the show is gone. I\'m not saying it\'s working well -- I didn\'t like the \"kidnapping\" or the driving into the lake -- but it\'s a possible explanation. There was too much junk in this episode -- do we really need to hear Angela griping about the difficulties of planning a party again? But I loved the cold open and the prank on Dwight, esp how Pam felt for him at the end and had the computer concede.
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While this was the best Season 4 episode so far, it\'s still a far cry from the genius of Seasons 1 and 2. Little glimpses of brilliance here and there, but I will be happy when the show returns to a half hour format. It\'s never a good sign when you\'re watching a episode thinking \"that could have easily have been cut\". It\'s always better to leave them wanting more. And while I love that Pam and Jim are together, they are now absolutely boring. I really hated the kidnapping thing. I thought it was too ridiculous, even for Michael Scott. And in the end, it was resolved in an unsatisfying way which really wasn\'t all that funny. But what made it worse was its questionable taste. I am definitely not one who gets easily offended, but with all of the terrible high school tragedies of the last several years, I think we can find something better to joke about other than kidnapping teenagers.
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I\'m surprised nobody has mentioned one of the funniest parts of the show--Michael driving to the VIP party on the web? I think it was a great touch, especially after last week when Michael made it clear that he didn\'t understand technology. I know a lot of people complain about the prank on Dwight, but it\'s true that he called it on himself. He was going a little bit over the top in his effort to win Angela back, and I think it was about time the computer added some competition to the mix. I don\'t even want to talk about the pizza boy kidnapping. I thought it was a way over the top, even for Michael. And I guess I do have a lot of negatives about the episode, I just thought the parts that were good were hilariously good, and I guess that made up for the absurdity.
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These episodes are really getting back to the awkwardness that comprised a lot of the UK version of the show. Personally, I have no major beef with this episode. I know that the kidnapping plot was pretty dumb, but I bought it to a point. Once Jim told Michael that this was kidnapping, a light should have gone off in Michael\\\'s head. Instead, that light took about an hour to flicker on. If Michael was going to suddenly realize that what he had done was kidnapping, why did that happen so long after Jim flat out told him it was kidnapping? The scene where the pizza kid was talking back to Michael, and Michael was trying to preach to him about proper sales techniques was just brilliant TV as far as I\\\'m concerned.
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Great episode (although it seems that michael can\\\'t take it any farther than just killing someone). More importantly the cold open was amazing. I do that all the time at school, especially in my film classes. There were maybe 15 people in the room when that came on and everyone agreed that they do that, and let out a big cheer when it happened. That was the perfect example of how broad can still be hilarious.
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I actually liked the prank they pulled on Dwight this time. I especially liked it since they were contemplating not pulling one on him because of his broken heart, but Dwight ruined it because of the airhorn, which did get annoying. And for like half a second Dwight thought that it was Jim, but then bought the \"What is a Jim?\" line. And then the very end when Pam consoled him within the prank to make the bittersweet a little sweeter. I actually think this is the best prank on Dwight since the Jim as Dwight as Jim prank. Not mean spirited at all.
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ditto on the ryan overkill. And I think with the kidnapping... we need to think more small town, than big city. Dwight and the kid new each other... and the kid even got his own talking head. I\\\'m sure he thought it was obnoxious, but not life-threatening in anyway. Maybe Kevin (or Meredith) even offered him a beer to keep him appeased.
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I loved this week\'s episode. The beginning scene with the DVD box cracked me up; I\'m ridiculously sick of Ryan--how many times must they tell us he\'s an ass? The Pam and Jim scene on the roof was a little cheesy and a bit too sitcom-ish and not very much like The Office, but that\'s okay I guess. I was super glad to FINALLY see a prank! I was dissapointed Dwight triumphed over the computer.
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I\'m still thinking we are going to see an Angela, Roy, Dwight triangle this season. Angela asking Pam if she knew of any single guys is a great start. But, the apparent success of Andy\'s three part harmonies might just throw a fourth angle in the mix. Is there such a thing as a love square?
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Matt, to me, driving into a completely avoidable lake is more absurd than the kidnapping. I have an easier time accepting that Michael was redirecting his angry with Ryan on the delivery boy, than Michael believing that the GPS was going to get him through the lake somehow. Both are absurd, but I was really disappointed with the lake bit. I agree with you about the roof date, though.
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not my favorite, i liked last week better. of course i still enjoyed it. meredith\'s cast, stanley dancing...to tell you the truth i don\'t remember what else but i know there was more. michael\'s \"it\'s gonna get all stupid up in here\" and ---oh! michael saying \"f***\" on live webcam!! that was the best part. and i agree...that thing with ryan at the end was useless and stupid. we get it, he\'s a dick. and the ending was dumb, i liked them mocking ryan but then they just sat there for what seemed like forever. i think the writer\'s half assed it this week. did anyone else miss \"garbage\"? :(
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so i thought this episode was an improvement on last week. im glad they played the angle they did with dwight. i was really starting to not like him after killing angela\'s cat. but he was just so sad and pathetic it was hard not to feel bad for him. and all the andy/ angela predictions appeared to be alarmingly true. the song was hard to watch.
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also this episode LOOKS SO AWESOME! im not sure how u could possibly have a party based on a website launching but then again ANGELA CAN MAKE A PARTY ABOUT ANYTHING \"OSCAR: maybe you should have me riding in on a donkey\" also prediction the blackberry guy from the convention will show up!!
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