| THE OFFICE Season Two |
 2005 - USAStarring: Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, B.J. Novak, Phyllis Smith, Brian Baumgartner, Angela Kinsey, Oscar Nunez - Reviewed by Linda
I've heard that some people don't like The Office because it is "mean" and makes them uncomfortable. But hasn't everyone worked with people like cluelessly inappropriate boss Michael Scott (Steve Carell)? Or had an annoying co-worker like Dwight (Rainn Wilson) who constantly sucks up to the boss, strutting around with self-importance, while people look at him blankly and slowly turn back to their work? And I never thought it would seem like a minor miracle to have "normal" people portrayed on TV: you know, women over 40, like Phyllis and Meredith, or a portly older African-American gentleman named Stanley who is not from the 'hood, nor can play basketball, much to the bafflement of Michael. This show is so completely deadpan that awkward silences are only filled by the shuffling of paper or a distant phone ringing. Season Two shows The Office improving on its debut season as the actors, especially Steve Carell, get comfortable in their roles. The friendly flirting between Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer) continues, with increasingly awkward and tense moments (as Pam is still engaged to one of the warehouse guys), reaching an end-of-season Moment that I won't give away. "The Temp" Ryan (B.J. Novak) gets a larger role as the unwilling favorite of Michael, who almost seems to have a crush on the younger guy. And Dwight continues his ass-kissing ways, and maybe even gets a little bit of office action of his own. Episode themes include Office Olympics, Michael's tryst with one of HIS bosses, a booze cruise disguised as a morale event, the dreaded employee reviews, a fire alarm, and Michael procrastinating on signing a bunch of paperwork, all due on the same day (which Pam delightedly dubs "the perfect storm"). Unlike the first season, we are treated to a full 22 episodes in Season Two. When movies or shows release DVDs with deleted scenes included, you can usually tell immediately why they were cut—simply put, they usually suck. But the deleted scenes in The Office - Season Two—included with every episode—are freakin' great. The extra scenes run from a couple minutes to up to 13 minutes, like an extended remix of the show. None of them are throwaway, and many, you might guess, probably weren't quite appropriate for the uptight folks at the networks. Good stuff, I tell ya. I could only imagine if all shows had material as good as this on the cutting room floor... but I know they don't, which is why The Office is a cut above the rest. |
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Thank goodness this struggling new show was given a shot and renewed by NBC, because The Office is the freshest and funniest sitcom on network TV. Sometimes I'm shocked that they continue to get away with having such a well-written show on TV that thinks outside the box: There's no studio audience, no laugh track, and a documentary-style vibe where the characters check in for interviews in front of the camera. If only reality TV was actually this funny!
