“Job Fair”
May 8th, 2008
Earlier today, a feature I worked on with David Chen at Always Watching went live about how Michael Scott can often be a schizophrenic character, but that in many ways these many facets develop into an integral part of the series. When Michael is able to be a little bit of everything, who doesn’t fall into a single stereotype that overwhelms the episode.
Theere was no overwhelming The Office on this night, however – the show has been firing on all cylinders since returning from the strike, and it all came together for the second fantastic episode in a row. The show shows great touch in balancing three storylines, each with connections to recurring storylines but also with some solid forward momentum.
When you combine Ed Helms’ physical comedy, Rainn Wilson’s tattletale psychology, and Michael Scott in an environment where there are impressionable youths, the inevitable result is a great half hour of television, and perhaps the best of the show’s season.
I don’t know if there is another show on television (Perhaps other than the one that directly follows it) that is capable of combining subtle character moments and references with the very definition of broad physical and cringe-worthy comedy. There was a lot flying around this episode, but it was the little things that hit the mark best.
Dwight’s storyline was so simple it almost evaporated into thin air: Dwight and Angela have been at odds for a while, but having them be the only stalwarts who stick around in the office was a perfect way to resolve their issues. It took very little screentime and yet really tied off some of the nice moments we’ve seen as of late. All it took was a “Bless You” and a “Thank You” and the thaw begins.
Similarly, Jim’s storyline wasn’t as much funny as it was personal. On probation due to Ryan’s anger at his decision to go above his head, Jim is desperate to land an important client, and really too desperate. He is in fear for his job, and for his future with Pam, and placing this on the golf course is a great way to get the point across without having him lose all self-respect. Standing in front of his car was admittedly a tad bit embarassing, but it felt earned considering his struggles on the course.
And it feels right for him to be struggling, as it hearkens back to his earlier struggles to fit in with the office and now to balance his personal and work lives. I like seeing Jim a little out of sorts, which considering the spoilers for the finale should prove beneficial. Combine with the surprisingly straight-forward coda featuring Pam looking into graphic design and learning that she might need to head to the big city, and you’ve got the potential for an organic roadblock in their relationship as Jim wants stability in Scranton and Pam has bigger plans.
But all of this was perfectly balanced by some great broad comedy, first through Andy Bernard and his ridiculously blistered hands. It’s this year’s Sumo, a chance for Ed Helms to make us laugh through his inability to act like a normal person. Driving a golf cart into a sand trap is extremely simple, struggling to pick up a beer bottle extremely broad, but it was consistently funny and made me laugh on a consistent basis. This is something that the show is great at, so it should certainly do it more often.
This is especially true when combined with our titular storyline, a great “Michael out of Office” tale of awkward humour, and a perfect justification to today’s article. He was certainly cringe-worthy with his speech to the entire floor, certainly idiotic in his insistence on having a single sheet of paper, certainly unlikable in rejecting poor Justin, but also sweet (If misguided) in thinking great of Pam without ever saying it to her face. It showed every single side of his character in just twenty minutes, and the important thing: it was all funny.
Everything was clicking, whether it was Michael’s description of Daryl (“This is Daryl Philbin, isn’t he big?”) or my personal favourite: the following response from Pam to Michael’s insistence that he had not ordered her to bring only one sheet of paper:
“I asked ‘are you sure?’ and you said ‘Pam Pam Pam’ and then you sneezed in my tea and then you said ‘don’t worry, it’s just allergies.’ Do you remember that?”
It was perfect because later Michael actually did say “Pam Pam Pam Pam,” a great intra-episode callback that helped tie it all together. Combine with Michael’s great episode-ending speech wherein he tears apart H&R Block, but stops short at the Air Force, and you have an episode that features a side of his character that is at the end of the day only one thing – funny.
And what more could we ask for? We’ve got multiple pieces moving for the finale, some hilarious humour, and an episode that I am watching over again as soon as physically possible.
Cultural Observations
- I love the subtle note that they nicknamed Angela “Pumpkin,” a call out to her pregnancy (Congrats, Angela Kinsey, on the healthy baby!)
- Kevin making money off the golf game was a nice call to his character, and I expected more time to be spent with it, but the episode was pretty jam-packed as it was.
- Loved how we built to Pam’s art coda through her visit to the Art Room, and her irrational hope that her old project was still on the wall. So subtle, so fantastic.
- Totally forgot to mention the most awkward moment: Michael standing right over Jim and Pam whispering “Yeah, kiss her, kiss her good.” So fantastic.
Cultural Learnings 