The Office – “The Chairmodel”

“The Chairmodel”

April 17th, 2008

On its surface, and in its synopsis, “The Chairmodel” was about Michael Scott overcoming an offscreen breakup with Jan by pining over a model he finds in a catalogue. On the surface, his immediate attempt to get the entire office to set him up seems like the typical office scenario: Michael makes a fool of himself multiple times, we all laugh, Dwight plays along, and then Michael comes to a false epiphany that is just so twisted it hurts. It’s a formula that works, and it was nice to return to this type of strong structure that is indicative of the latter fall episodes.

But, leaving the episode, is anyone really thinking about Michael? After Pam’s landlord was given reason to hate Pam forever, the real story kicked in: Pam pondered moving, Pam tested the waters for moving in with Jim and that she wouldn’t do it if she was engaged, and then Jim did it: he said it was coming. An engagement, he said, was going to happen – Pam played along, but her face right afterwards showed some trepidation. And then Jim, in a talking head, says he wasn’t kidding, pops out a ring, and then saying the most twisted thing of the entire episode:

“I bought it a week after we started dating”

Which may be the most compelling argument ever that Michael and Dwight might not be the dumbest people on this show after all.

I guess I’d refer to Jim’s decision as the epitome of a mindfrak, a decision so simultaneously sweet and creepy as all get out that the Elder McNutt has coined the term “sweepy” to reflect it. Ultimately, I would emphasize the “eepy” in this instance, as either one of two things are at play: a contrived way to drive a wedge into this relationship, or a contrived way to play to the shippers in a way that will drive a wedge into my brain.

I really don’t know where the show is going with this, or particularly that revelation: if it was for the shippers, then apparently I am fairly far outside of that demographic. I was actually really enjoying seeing Pam and Jim working together as part of the Office response to Michael’s antics much as we saw last week. Pam’s chiding look after Jim tried to point out how Michael’s grieving was ridiculous was perfect, and a sign of a great comic pairing for the series. I liked that their relationship wasn’t the focus of the show’s drama, that they were able to play to the benefit of the show around them.

And there was a pretty great show around them this week, from the return of the supporting cast’s talking heads (I’ll talk about one of those below) to the chance for Andy and Kevin to step up to the plate in a weak but inoffensive C-Plot. It felt like the show was back on solid ground, which is not to say that last week’s episode was good but rather disconnected from the tradition of the series.

But yet I’m left, mostly, with the insane reality of Jim buying an engagement ring a week into their relationship. Am I seriously supposed to think this romantic, that they are so meant for each other that he knew after a week that she was the one? That the show would treat this relationship in this fashion either indicates their unwillingness to introduce conflict in their relationship, or their plan to pull the rug out from everything by having Pam refuse and for the series’ central couple to be placed in convenient conflict at season’s end.

I don’t know which is entirely worse, but I’m personally at a point where I’d rather we stabilize with the solid comic potential we have now before looking to a game-breaking or game-changing shift in a relationship. And perhaps I’m overreacting, but even though he’s been in love with her for years now I just don’t buy it.

Cultural Observations

• Talking Head of the Week (Paraphrased): “When Pam gets Michael’s chair, I get hers. Then I’ll have two chairs – only one more to go.” Oh how I’ve missed you, Creed Bratton.
• I’ve been disappointed not to see Darryl recently, he was gaining a nice role in the series recently and now he’s disappeared (Along with Kelly! Although I’m guessing the relative absence of Toby, Ryan AND Kelly is due to their need to finish these scripts as quickly as possible – but explain Darryl, Daniels.)
• While I’m always very quick to criticize the series for portraying Michael as too stupid, I thought his idiocy nicely walked the line between his usual self-centered nature and his post-Jan struggles. Also, props to the show for the great deadpan on Dwight’s discovery of her tragic death, and eventually that it was the model he needed to make peace with as opposed to Jan.