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annakovsky) wrote2007-10-19 12:38 pm
annakovsky) wrote2007-10-19 12:38 pm
Entry tags:
The Office reaction post
Yuletide letter to come! But first, obvs, my show.
Loved it. Loved it so much I am still on an Office high. Loved it so much that last night when it ended I hit the button on the TiVo remote that puts it right back to the beginning so I could watch it over again immediately. Loved it so much that if I start all-caps'ing I will never stop, so I am going to attempt to talk about this episode like a sane person might, were I a sane person. HOKAY. Let's gird up our loins.
1) First of all, a personal note. For the past, um, year,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kyrafic and I have been writing a fic we call the Mosepocalypse, as a reward for honey_wheeler for writing the most ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
office_romances flashfic... a year ago. We're speedy. As you might guess from its working title, it's an Office apocalypse fic told from the perspective of Mose. (Lucky honey-wheeler, I know - who wouldn't want that?) So anyway, when the promo for this episode came on during 30 Rock, Kyra and I looked at each other and were like, "Oh God, the Mosepocalypse is going to get so jossed." BUT IT DID NOT. And holy crap, every single thing that took place on the farm filled my soul with delight. When you've spent a year thinking about what that farm is like, and how everyone would fit, and how the farm would work in an apocalyptic scenario, and about Jim and Pam (and everyone else) doing things like putting manure on the beet fields, and you've written Mose kind of as a retarded 7 year old, AND THEN YOU SEE YOUR DREAMS BECOME REALITY? It's heady, you guys. And it was way more delightful than I could ever have imagined. The America, Irrigation and Night-Time rooms?? (Hee, and Pam immediately going for the best one.) Mose's manure fight?? Beet wine? The goose walk?? THE BEDTIME STORIES?? (Okay, also, how good is Dwight's Voldemort voice? And also, Mose standing in the corner wedged behind the grandfather clock saying, "But you promised..." when Dwight says no bedtime story? MY HEART.) (Hokay, sane person, sane person, I'm trying, I'm trying.)
Michael Schur is also some kind of comic genius as Mose. His RUN. His rocking and staring! Him in the outhouse! Mose has had bad dreams ever since the storm! (Haha, did a storm kill their parents?? Food for thought.) Also, Dwight's professional B&B owner voice? HILARIOUS. Also, how Dwight always gets trapped in his own rules, so that in this instance, he has to be polite to Jim and Pam because they're customers? Hahahahahaha.
[1a: A Digression on Timeline - So okay, we checked this out. The timeline has to be that Jim and Pam go to Schrute Farms the same night the cameras follow Michael to his job, after the day at work where they found out about Dwight's B&B, and then the next morning, with Ryan and the presentation, is the day after they spent the night there. This is because of Kevin's band's show and when it took place. So this means: a) Jim and Pam went to the farm on a worknight, like lunatics. b) At five pm, Jim and Pam left work, went home, changed, drove over to Schrute Farms, checked in, went to their room, watched a table-making demonstration, made beet wine, toured the fields and the barn, helped spread manure on the beet fields, AND ALL BEFORE THE SUN SET. In fall. Wow, I had no idea that Schrute Farms existed in a magical dimension, exempt from the rules of time and space, though in retrospect maybe that's not surprising. Haha, okay, digression ended.]
2) Segue from Schrute Farms (haha, check out that link, this SHOW) to Mr. Dwight Schrute - oh my GOD, him holding Angela's figurine and moaning??? You guys, when my parents' dog sleeps, in his dreams he moans and howls in this unearthly way sometimes, and I swear Dwight sounded exactly like that. Also, Jim going to comfort him, both that night and in the stairwell the next day??? MY HEART. First, how much more do I like Jim when he's being genuine and caring about someone besides himself and Pam? Second, THE PURE LOVE OF JIM AND DWIGHT AND THEIR COMPLEX RELATIONSHIP, YOU GUYS. Third, when Dwight reaches out his arm but Jim's not there anymore? MY HEART AGAIN. Fourth, Dwight going back to normal and being kind of obnoxious and the ruler thing that's a callback to, like, the pilot? DELIGHTFUL. (There was a TON of continuity in this episode. Everything on the farm, Dwight's Dundies on the mantle, Dwight's continued use of the stairwell of emotion, Michael's love for Meryl Streep, Stanley and red wine, Threat Level Midnight, Jan being overly litigious with her family, Darryl's kid - CONTINUITY WITH DELETED SCENES, EVEN, GUYS, SERIOUSLY.) And fifth, hahahahaha, Jim's sad speech about how sad he was in season 2 was hilariously lame in the delightful way that is the real essence of his character. I mean, food lost its taste, Jim? Was that while you were lying on your bed in the dark listening to "Chasing Cars" over and over, or some other time? Also, that was so over the top that for a second I thought he was about to start convincing Dwight he was a vampire or something again. Oh, Jim.
3) Michael's second job BROKE MY HEART. Man, so many storylines were so emotionally moving this week, I couldn't even deal. Also, I loved loved loved how in a different context, when he's not the boss, Michael is actually popular and people laugh at his jokes and want to go out for drinks with him. (I love when you can see how he got promoted.) Also, Hobo Michael Rides the Rails! And I love, love, love, LOVE that they finally explained Jan's relationship with Michael and what she did at the end of season 3 adequately. Everything she did totally made sense, and was vaguely rational, and seriously, I didn't really think that Michael and Jan's relationship could be genuinely emotionally resonant in a non-train-wrecky way, but I was about to cry when she said all that to him. Also, that shot just of their feet? Gorgeous. (Paul Lieberstein both wrote AND directed this episode! OMG GOOD JOB PAUL. ARE YOU IN NEED OF A WIFE, YOUNG MAN?) Jan Levinson, on the upswing!
On the subject of Michael's financial problems, it always kills me when the accountants take care of him, and Oscar's patient, patient explanation (and haha, this scary black bar represents things you've bought that no one would ever, ever need) was hilarious and awesome.
4) Kelly/DARRYL, ftw! Darryl's so complicated. He always says exactly what he's thinking. What kind of game is that? Also, "You need to access your uncrazy side" may be the quote of the week. Hahahahahahahaha. And my GOD, Ryan's FACE when Kelly makes out with Darryl was AMAZING. And Darryl saying he gets excited now whenever he sees that little dude? a) Hahahaha, and b) HAHA, Ryan/Darryl, FANTASTIC.
5) Pam/Toby = grammar OTP y/y?
6) Kevin and Scrantonicity 2? Hahahaha. I love how Kevin clearly has this very drama-filled life going on outside the office that you only get glimpses of. "I would appreciate some space on this." His fervor when he says he's not with Scrantonicity anymore? Heeeeeeeeeeeeee. And then no one goes to his show! Uh, at least they neglect everyone, not just Pam? Aww, poor Kevin.
7) ANDY, ANGELA AND THE RETURN OF GARBAGE. Poor Dwight, seriously. And haha, Andy's stance when he's at Pam's desk, his argument that punching the wall qualifies him to date Angela, and "I couldn't do that to Dwight. Or Angela. Or Andy." Hahahahaha. Oh, Pam, and your newly brightly colored shirts of joy and your pretty hair of happiness.
(I could say more things, many more things, but this is already way too tl;dr, I know.)
IN CONCLUSION, <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 SHOW.
Loved it. Loved it so much I am still on an Office high. Loved it so much that last night when it ended I hit the button on the TiVo remote that puts it right back to the beginning so I could watch it over again immediately. Loved it so much that if I start all-caps'ing I will never stop, so I am going to attempt to talk about this episode like a sane person might, were I a sane person. HOKAY. Let's gird up our loins.
1) First of all, a personal note. For the past, um, year,
kyrafic and I have been writing a fic we call the Mosepocalypse, as a reward for honey_wheeler for writing the most office_romances flashfic... a year ago. We're speedy. As you might guess from its working title, it's an Office apocalypse fic told from the perspective of Mose. (Lucky honey-wheeler, I know - who wouldn't want that?) So anyway, when the promo for this episode came on during 30 Rock, Kyra and I looked at each other and were like, "Oh God, the Mosepocalypse is going to get so jossed." BUT IT DID NOT. And holy crap, every single thing that took place on the farm filled my soul with delight. When you've spent a year thinking about what that farm is like, and how everyone would fit, and how the farm would work in an apocalyptic scenario, and about Jim and Pam (and everyone else) doing things like putting manure on the beet fields, and you've written Mose kind of as a retarded 7 year old, AND THEN YOU SEE YOUR DREAMS BECOME REALITY? It's heady, you guys. And it was way more delightful than I could ever have imagined. The America, Irrigation and Night-Time rooms?? (Hee, and Pam immediately going for the best one.) Mose's manure fight?? Beet wine? The goose walk?? THE BEDTIME STORIES?? (Okay, also, how good is Dwight's Voldemort voice? And also, Mose standing in the corner wedged behind the grandfather clock saying, "But you promised..." when Dwight says no bedtime story? MY HEART.) (Hokay, sane person, sane person, I'm trying, I'm trying.)Michael Schur is also some kind of comic genius as Mose. His RUN. His rocking and staring! Him in the outhouse! Mose has had bad dreams ever since the storm! (Haha, did a storm kill their parents?? Food for thought.) Also, Dwight's professional B&B owner voice? HILARIOUS. Also, how Dwight always gets trapped in his own rules, so that in this instance, he has to be polite to Jim and Pam because they're customers? Hahahahahaha.
[1a: A Digression on Timeline - So okay, we checked this out. The timeline has to be that Jim and Pam go to Schrute Farms the same night the cameras follow Michael to his job, after the day at work where they found out about Dwight's B&B, and then the next morning, with Ryan and the presentation, is the day after they spent the night there. This is because of Kevin's band's show and when it took place. So this means: a) Jim and Pam went to the farm on a worknight, like lunatics. b) At five pm, Jim and Pam left work, went home, changed, drove over to Schrute Farms, checked in, went to their room, watched a table-making demonstration, made beet wine, toured the fields and the barn, helped spread manure on the beet fields, AND ALL BEFORE THE SUN SET. In fall. Wow, I had no idea that Schrute Farms existed in a magical dimension, exempt from the rules of time and space, though in retrospect maybe that's not surprising. Haha, okay, digression ended.]
2) Segue from Schrute Farms (haha, check out that link, this SHOW) to Mr. Dwight Schrute - oh my GOD, him holding Angela's figurine and moaning??? You guys, when my parents' dog sleeps, in his dreams he moans and howls in this unearthly way sometimes, and I swear Dwight sounded exactly like that. Also, Jim going to comfort him, both that night and in the stairwell the next day??? MY HEART. First, how much more do I like Jim when he's being genuine and caring about someone besides himself and Pam? Second, THE PURE LOVE OF JIM AND DWIGHT AND THEIR COMPLEX RELATIONSHIP, YOU GUYS. Third, when Dwight reaches out his arm but Jim's not there anymore? MY HEART AGAIN. Fourth, Dwight going back to normal and being kind of obnoxious and the ruler thing that's a callback to, like, the pilot? DELIGHTFUL. (There was a TON of continuity in this episode. Everything on the farm, Dwight's Dundies on the mantle, Dwight's continued use of the stairwell of emotion, Michael's love for Meryl Streep, Stanley and red wine, Threat Level Midnight, Jan being overly litigious with her family, Darryl's kid - CONTINUITY WITH DELETED SCENES, EVEN, GUYS, SERIOUSLY.) And fifth, hahahahaha, Jim's sad speech about how sad he was in season 2 was hilariously lame in the delightful way that is the real essence of his character. I mean, food lost its taste, Jim? Was that while you were lying on your bed in the dark listening to "Chasing Cars" over and over, or some other time? Also, that was so over the top that for a second I thought he was about to start convincing Dwight he was a vampire or something again. Oh, Jim.
3) Michael's second job BROKE MY HEART. Man, so many storylines were so emotionally moving this week, I couldn't even deal. Also, I loved loved loved how in a different context, when he's not the boss, Michael is actually popular and people laugh at his jokes and want to go out for drinks with him. (I love when you can see how he got promoted.) Also, Hobo Michael Rides the Rails! And I love, love, love, LOVE that they finally explained Jan's relationship with Michael and what she did at the end of season 3 adequately. Everything she did totally made sense, and was vaguely rational, and seriously, I didn't really think that Michael and Jan's relationship could be genuinely emotionally resonant in a non-train-wrecky way, but I was about to cry when she said all that to him. Also, that shot just of their feet? Gorgeous. (Paul Lieberstein both wrote AND directed this episode! OMG GOOD JOB PAUL. ARE YOU IN NEED OF A WIFE, YOUNG MAN?) Jan Levinson, on the upswing!
On the subject of Michael's financial problems, it always kills me when the accountants take care of him, and Oscar's patient, patient explanation (and haha, this scary black bar represents things you've bought that no one would ever, ever need) was hilarious and awesome.
4) Kelly/DARRYL, ftw! Darryl's so complicated. He always says exactly what he's thinking. What kind of game is that? Also, "You need to access your uncrazy side" may be the quote of the week. Hahahahahahahaha. And my GOD, Ryan's FACE when Kelly makes out with Darryl was AMAZING. And Darryl saying he gets excited now whenever he sees that little dude? a) Hahahaha, and b) HAHA, Ryan/Darryl, FANTASTIC.
5) Pam/Toby = grammar OTP y/y?
6) Kevin and Scrantonicity 2? Hahahaha. I love how Kevin clearly has this very drama-filled life going on outside the office that you only get glimpses of. "I would appreciate some space on this." His fervor when he says he's not with Scrantonicity anymore? Heeeeeeeeeeeeee. And then no one goes to his show! Uh, at least they neglect everyone, not just Pam? Aww, poor Kevin.
7) ANDY, ANGELA AND THE RETURN OF GARBAGE. Poor Dwight, seriously. And haha, Andy's stance when he's at Pam's desk, his argument that punching the wall qualifies him to date Angela, and "I couldn't do that to Dwight. Or Angela. Or Andy." Hahahahaha. Oh, Pam, and your newly brightly colored shirts of joy and your pretty hair of happiness.
(I could say more things, many more things, but this is already way too tl;dr, I know.)
IN CONCLUSION, <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 SHOW.