The Office: Rockabye Scranton
November 14, 2009 by Alyssa Martino
Filed under Television
Is it me, or has The Office become one of the most consistently unexciting shows on television? I hate to say it–especially as a long-time devotee–but I’m losing interest quickly. The plots feel contrived, and the characters seem either too tried or over-the-top to be relatable.
And yet I am still semi-amused: I laugh at the antics of Rainn Wilson; I fawn over John Krasinski; and I cringe every time Steve Carrell crosses the line of social acceptability. So what exactly has changed? How can I laugh, and still feel dissatisfied at 9:30pm on Thursday evenings? Why and how has the show–a first of its kind in mockery and dry humor–become suddenly DULL?
The answer is: I have no freakin’ clue!
I feel like I am in an incomprehensible relationship with this show! We’re about to break up, but I can’t for the life of me figure out why. While I can speculate (Pam is crazed with hormones, married life is too constricting, etc.), I simply can’t pinpoint why we just aren’t getting along. Maybe it’s time to just go our separate ways…
But no. I’m still holding on, like a desperate, angst-ridden teenager. Sigh. Will Dunder-Mifflen break my heart? Or will they merely break the bank?
Speaking of money…apparently, the show’s infamous paper company is about to declare that they have none. Yup, that’s right. According to David Wallace and the Wall Street Journal, it’s likely that Dunder-Mifflen will be bankrupt by the end of the year.
This week’s episode centers around the anticipation of this downfall. The officemates pay $1.99 to read the Journal online, and suddenly, things begin to unravel. As a coping mechanism of sorts, Michael decides to bring out the games to distract his employees. But first, he wallows in his office to some Shawn Mullins.
Michael, believing that games distract people from stressful situations, whips out “Belles, Bourbon and Bullets,” which is “a murder mystery dinner party game.” The best part is probably the role-playing, in which Angela is dismayed as ”VooDoo Mama JuJu” and Michael boasts that he is the town man slut.
When someone questions if this might be their last day at Dunder-Mifflen, a light goes off for Andy: he should finally ask out Erin. He does, but it is unclear whether or not they are in character due to their Southern accents. She accepts, but Andy worries he has asked out “naughty Nelly,” not the sweetly awkward receptionist. Somehow, both end up thinking that the other does not want to go on the real date–in reality, both were ecstatic. Has the ‘Nard dog blown his chances?
Meanwhile, Jim tries to keep busy despite his apprehension about the company. Specifically, he and Pam worry about the state of their life if both become unemployed with a baby on the way. When David Wallace calls, Michael stays in 
character, refusing to stray from the murder in Savannah fantasy. Jim takes the call and learns that while nothing is final, the odds aren’t good for DM. When he exits his office, looking anxious, he omits this knowledge, saying there is no news yet. Well, there is one piece of vital information–there’s been another murder in Savannah, he confesses, finally realizing the benefits of Michael’s game.
The episode concludes with Michael, Andy and Dwight in a draw with their finger guns in the conference room. Neither will pull back or admit defeat. The camera pulls back to reveal that Pam too has become part of their antics. Jim rolls his eye at the camera (typical).
It was nice to see Jim, as a co-manager, finally understand where Michael has been coming from all these years–utilizing ridiculous ploys to connect with and motivate his employees. At the same time, he maintained a solid enough margin of skepticism to keep in charachter. As I said earlier, I’m on a tightrope of interest and disengagement. The episode had its moments, but did not restore the show to its former glory. Regardless, one of the better episodes since the wedding.
Season 6, Episode 9: Murder (Originally aired November 12, 2009)
For more on The Office, click here.
Thursdays, 9/8C on NBC
Photographs courtesy of NBC, Trae Patton
I totally agree with you, about being on the verge of an Office breakup. I was a devoted fan around S2-3, but now I find myself tuning in simply out of loyalty and not because I think it’s “must-see” television. I think the main problem for me may be that they strayed so far from the original format in the past two seasons that the return to the original format has been jarring for me, and boring. The problem isn’t that these episodes are funny – they definitely are – it’s just that I can’t help feeling like I’ve already seen everything before, or that the episodes would seem better to me if they were in Season 2 or 3 of the show.
That’s my two cents about it! Just wanted to let you know that you are not alone in your Office disillusionment.