Mr. Lamb.

Jim has finally had enough of Ryan trying to force him out of Dunder Mifflin and leaves an irreperable voicemail on his cell phone. Not ten minutes later we find out that Ryan has been arrested for fraud and a video of the police leading him from the office is already on YouTube ... come on. I don't watch The Office for the staunch realism, but that was as transparent a scriptwriter created deus ex machina as I've ever seen.

I think the show started to lose its way just a tad at the end of last season, and the hour-long episodes this season as noted, but at least it didn't drive itself into a ditch (like My Name Is Earl, which became unwatchable). They recovered nicely and that is with the strike which seems to have put more shows than just this one into a sort of haze. I still think there is too much going on for a mundane office in sleepy Pennsylvania, but hopefully they will get it figured out for next year.

I am still laughing about the Holly-Kevin interactions, though. Hilarious and what The Office does best, still does best.

I'll agree that Earl has gotten worse and worse since he got out of prison. But I think last nights episodes were actually funny for a change.

The author makes a great point: The original BBC show was simultaneously a comedy and tragedy which was central to its appeal (at least for me.) Despite some really great laughs, those episodes were somewhat painful to watch and that made them all the more compelling. That vibe is great over 2 six-episode series (the original UK run), but unsustainable over 20+ episodes per season like we have here in the US.

I actually thought this episode was great and touched on the combination of comedy and tragedy that the British version achieved. Michael's disappointment, Holly's disappointment, Pam's disappointment, Jim's disappointment, Dwight's disappointment (then not)... I haven't cared this much about a show's characters, other than Mad Men's, since Ross and Rachel were maybe going to get together. What I love about it is it has all the complexity of a soap opera but instead of its being acted straight and actors telling us how their characters feel, they have to show it on their faces and hide it from those around them. A lot like in real life. I think the acting and writing are brilliant to achieve that result. It's a tragedy wrapped in a comedy wrapped in a spoof. Genius.

The best part was Holly thinking Kevin was "special".

There were missteps, like the way the fraud was handled, but you had to know something was coming with his coke sniffing craptacular management style and I don't find it odd that it was on You Tube in minutes. Of course the NY office would send a link to the Scranton office. The phone call from Jim seemed out of character for him, but the one after Ryan got busted was in character.

There was sadness, you felt bad for Pam because she felt rejected, Jim becasue he planned a special moment and that douche Andy bogarted it. You feel bad for Michael that in his baby desperation he was going to subject himself to crazy Jan again instead of following through with Holly. I did like the little shocker at the end and I hope Andy gets crushed, I hate that guy, Dwight is much more sympathetic even when he is being a kiss ass weirdo.

Though I hope there is no spin off and I hope that Pam remains in the office, for once dammit I'd like to see someone try and freaking fail! The Office is a perfect show for that, most people who are receptionists aren't receptionists because they thought great job! They got it because whatever hopes and dreams they had were crushed.

I do agree that the hour long episods were a bad idea and yeah, Earl now sucks big time. Get rid of Alyssa Milano!

There were missteps, like the way the fraud was handled, but you had to know something was coming with his coke sniffing craptacular management style and I don't find it odd that it was on You Tube in minutes.

I didn't object to Ryan being arrested for fraud. It just irked me that this happened about ten minutes of screen time after Jim leaves him a phone message that would have certainly gotten him fired. This just seemed like an awfully conveeeeenient way for the writers to avoid the unavoidable confrontation they'd set up just moments earlier. Cop out.

Regarding what you said about receptionists becoming receptionists because their dreams died, I think it's interesting to note that before she landed the role of Pam, Jenna Fischer worked as a receptionist in various offices. So maybe not always...

You would get fired for that phone call? No wonder you're all whiny and sad. I had a boss once who wanted to BOX me (he was ex Navy boxing champion). I told him he was twice my size but I was half his age and if he wanted to get his ass kicked then come on. I've been hit on by men and women bosses, told once to kill myself, was once offered drugs by a boss. Once had a boss who day one said "You were hired over my objections, I don't like you and I will see to it you're fired".

The worst thing that ever happened to me was when I left an email to the HR department's web administrators telling them they're a bunch of lazy shitheads and if there's a god He will make it possible to fuck themselves with power tools. A little note goes into the file and "I'm ineligible for increases for 3 months. Big deal, they haven't given any increases in 5 years. And that was in the private sector. In public sector, anything short of coming to work naked, high and waving a deer rifle they won't do shit.