Total Number of Ratings: 6
RECAP: 'The Office' Season 6, Episode 1
Thursday, September 17, 2009 11:22 PM
And we're back for the start of the 6th season of The Office on NBC. Can the show keep going, after being patterned on a show that only had 12 actual episodes? Can they do it without Stringer Bell or Beady Russell It's time to find out.
For those of you striving to catch up, at the end of the last season, all went back to normal in the office, but Pam and Jim are gonna have a baby.
The opening gag for the show is Dwight, Michael and Andy doing Parkour all around the offices of Dunder Mifflin, and outside. Jim points out that this was the big fad on the internet back in 2004 (which I somehow completely missed, apparently not without reason). They end up outside about to do some wildy stupid stunt, and of course, Andy is eager to please and he jumps through a refrigerator box, surely erupting an angry Bob Vance somewhere off camera.
It's the end of summer intern season, and we meet the Asian Kid, the Girl, and Young Matt Damon boy. The folks start gossiping that Eric and Megan (the white kids) are a a couple. Michael feels terribly left out and goes after the nerdy Asian Kid for details, when he finds out that the real story is that they saw Stanley makin' time with a lady who was not his old lady. Michael, who has no idea what things he should be happy or discreet about, or vice versa is tickled by the news, and goes around trying to tell everyone. His method for telling Kevin is to play Hangman, but it turns out Kevin is getting stupider, doubtless because it cracks the writers up. If the Simpsons are any indication, Kevin will be sub verbal in two seasons.
Michael confronts Stanley, ostensibly on his way to a "business meeting" in the parking lot, when Michael yells a bit from the Real World opening, which is his funniest line of the show. He gets in Stanley's car, and for some reason (plot must move forward) Stanley reverses 6 years of not saying anything to Michael, and admits to everything about his affair with his nurse. Michael agrees not to spread the rumor, which he already has of course.
The best part of this scene is when Stanley says "up in the club."
Back from commercial, Michael devises a rumor campaign, spreading other rumors to discredit the true story. Of course, the one he makes up, about Pam being pregnant is actually true, but no one knows, because Pam and Jim have apparently learned enough to know not to share with their co-worker whackos. Michael also starts the rumor that Andy is gay, and it turns out he might well be, in a classic bit of awkward Andy Bernardness, involving naming a character I hope we get to meet some day, named Broccoli Rob, a name right up there with Monkey Alan from Slough.
Andy tells us straight to camera that he's been through this before, tugging his tie the whole time, and then goes to ask the real gay guy's advice. He tells Oscar he'd probably make out with Brad Pitt without too much struggle. At one point in there he used the words "how hard" but I'm not sure if that was a joke. I don't think it was. Finally, he comes clean to Jim (he makes bad judgments) and Jim tells him to sample both genders sexually to be sure. Andy seems to consider it.
The whole office is together, and they're all refuting rumors, because apparently no one is embarrassed of direct confrontation in Scranton (and the plot has to move). It seems that Toby is NOT a virgin. The Creed moment comes when we learn that if he's not working towards a scuba expedition, there's no point in any of it. Classic and odd.
Among the rumors is the pregnancy one, and Andy says "baby tuna" which made me laugh.
Oh, Erin, the receptionist is apparently still a cast member, and as of yet has no role on the show.
Act 3 starts out with us learning that Dwight is very upset at the allegations flying about his manure supply. The office puts it together that Michael's behind it, and they corner him when he admits it, as we race to the end of the episode. The truth about Stanley threatens to come out, so Jim and pam selflessly come clean about their upcoming baby, and Kevin waxes on for a touch too long about Pam's relative breast size. Pam pulls out the ultrasound of the fetus, which looks much nicer than the one I got, and the truth is free. Also the truth about Stanley, because Michael is stupid.
Also, Creed moment #2: "Who's your OBGYN?"
In his office, Michael confesses to Pam and Jim that he's terribly hurt that he wasn't told about the baby, when Stanley's wife calls in, and we know Michael is going to blow it. Pam and Jim can't convince him not to pick up, but Jim hangs up the phone when Michael starts to stumble immediately.
We look outside as Michael explains that all ended well, and Stanley is beating up Michael's Sebring (what happened to the PT Cruiser?) with a tire iron. It's delightfully cathartic for many reasons, and no doubt a banner day for actor Leslie David Baker.
The end bit after the credits bring us back to the interns, and we learn that Young Matt Damon looks like Alan Thicke.
It wasn't the best episode of all time, but we got 2 prime Creed Moments, and the destruction of a Sebring. In Scranton time, it's 5 months until the baby is born, and the show becomes terrible, by the standards of all other sitcoms when the kid arrives.
I really liked this episode but just like everyone else I am a little scared to see where this baby situation is going. I actually have enjoyed the show all the way through and I thought that the introduction of Charles and the dynamic between him and the office was really well done last season, I hope to see more of that character in a limited role, such as in the season finale with the volleyball game.
I think your first question is very appropriate. I'm not sure it can go on like this. Michael's act is getting so ridiculous that I find my willingness to suspend disbelief is almost over. He should have been fired numerous times and probably gone to jail in some instances. No reasonable human would endure these antics. It's soooo frustrating.
The formula bores me. Michael does something stupid and then makes matters worse. Oh, Pam and Jim save the day.
Love me some Creed and the supporting cast is great, but I will say what keeps me watching despite my ire is little moments of intimacy. At the end when Pam smiles at Jim taping the picture, I was touched. That's part of this show's attraction, human moments amid absurdity.
Also, and this was surprising, "Parks and Recreation" was much tighter and funnier than "The Office." That's rare.
I have confidence that The Office will be able to transcend the "kid-wreck" you speak of in your final paragraph. Even mediocre episodes of The Office are better than most shows on TV. The ensemble cast of characters are so great that I'm not even waiting for one particular character to come on screen and the gems that come out of Creed's mouth are always a delightful surprise! Did he say, "If I can't scuba, what was the point of all this?" All this? Is Creed talking about life? And who knew he liked to scuba? Not only that...why oh why would he need to know who Pam's OB-GYN is? Gotta love the Creed...but I love it even more that I forget about him and then he's back with a one-liner that his character doesn't even consider a one-liner. Genius show.
It was a solid opener, the Creed moments were definitely the high points. I enjoyed Andy's "am I gay?" situation, but after a few minutes it dragged.
Am I the only one that felt they could have kept the interns for a few episodes and have some fun with them?
It seems like it would be immeasurably hard to recap a funny, entertaining show in a funny, entertaining way, so I have to hand it to you. You've enhanced my enjoyment of the show.
I have been a much, much harsher judge of the show ever since the time Michael drove into a lake because GPS told him to, but this episode made me feel like my time was well invested. As sad as it is to reflect upon, this was another of those episodes that made me think, "My God, I have worked for that boss in that office."
My favorite thing about Creed is that he's playing a fictionalized version of himself. His real name is Creed; he was the guitarist for the Grass Roots.
It occurred to me that it might be easier to be funny recapping a drama than a comedy. But it was too late.
"I'm so happy you're eating again."
"Me too!"
That made me laugh hard. I enjoyed this one more than most of last season's episodes. I think the show went too far off the reservation last season.
When the episode opened up with them yelling "Parkour," I was thinking "isn't that the crazy French free-running thing?" Sure enough. I laughed quite a bit when it cut to them in the picture you have above. Creed's scuba-diving and "baby tuna" had me going too.
I thought it was a solid season opener. Can't wait for David Wallace to show up. Love that guy.
Respond
I don't know why there's such worry that a baby will ruin the show. Sure, we'll get some focus on it, but Stanley has a teenage daughter and it doesn't mean this is a Disney Channel teen sitcom. Granted, he's not a main character, but my point is that the show is called "The Office" not "Pam & Jim"; the kid's not gonna be shoved down our throats. It's a workplace comedy that occasionally glances at the at home lives of the characters.
Plus! Imagine, if you will, the interactions Creed could have with an infant.