The Office
“Chair Model”
April 17, 2008
The majority of this episode was a little slow after “Dinner Party.” Honestly, I was half asleep when my girlfriend turned on her recorded version of this episode, and while I giggled a bit throughout the episode, I didn’t fully wake up until the Jim pulled a f***ing ring out of his pocket. I’m not usually a “shipper.” I don’t get in to who’s going to hook up, break up, etc., on the shows I watch because I think those aspects tend to take over good shows and ruin them. However, when it comes to Jim and Pam, I’m a sucker.
This episode begins with a cute talking head with both Jim and Pam explaining how the parking lot had been taken over by some construction workers doing work for one of the other five businesses in the office park. Kevin and Andy are particularly upset about this because it means they have to walk further to get to the office. To be honest, I’m a little sad at how. I like Andy. I like Kevin. But, I think I prefer them in small doses. It could have been more amusing to bring together “The Five Families,” and though B.J. Novak says quite a bit of that story ended up on the cutting room floor, I wonder if they really wrote anything better than what they aired.
Meanwhile, Michael is in love with the model in an office supplies magazine, and he forces his employees to find him a woman of her caliber to date. This leads to some pretty amusing antics, as Kevin recommends calling “Wendy,” a “hot and juicy redhead.” All Michael gets out of that is a frosty and a baked potato. No one seems to be taking Michael seriously in his quest to get hurt again. To make matters worse, Dwight does some research and finds out the chair model is…dead. Of course, Pam feels bad for him and sets him up with her landlord. This leads to a blind date worthy of a UK Office episode. Michael Scott will never be David Brent, but the awkwardness, the rudeness…The writers were channeling the original series on this one: “I enjoyed this conversation. It was very nice. It was like talking to the sweet, old lady on the bus.”
And this all leads to…Jim having a ring for Pam! And a fake-out proposal. I knew something big would happen in this episode, but I didn’t think they’d pull out all the stops so quickly. That’s why I love this show…No more beating around the bush! Jim + Pam 4eva. Jim Halpert, I will tie your shoes any day.
Through all my excitement over the Jim/Pam story, I have to say the best part of the episode was the tag at the end, with Dwight and Michael butchering the words to “The Day the Music Died.” I wish we had a music video of this. Next week’s episode seems promising, as Michael and Dwight surprise Ryan in NYC at the clubs…Has anyone else seen the promo of Ryan hugging Michael? How could that not be a good episode?
And, Michael has the line of the night:
“I am not going to be the one who got away.”