Customer Reviews

The Office: Season Two

5 star:		(264)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

For new potential fans of "The Office," the DVD set of the break-out second season is a must-see. Start recording the third season now (premieres Sept. 21) and save those episodes, but don't watch them until you've watched the complete second season.

For devotees like myself, the DVD set is a just reward for loyal viewing. The show came into its own this year. I had watched fitfully until the stretch of episodes starting with "The Injury," "The Secret," and "The Carpet" hooked me for good. I am now going back to watch the whole season again and the shows hold up very well upon repeated viewing.

Strengths of the season: Steve Carell gets the award for Most Improved Characterization. It took about a dozen episodes (starting with 6 in the first season) for the show to settle on a tone for Carell's incompetent boss. For a while I wasn't sure what to make of him, which kept me from getting attached to the show. But this season he evolved from a mean jerk to a clueless, lonely man who really just wants everybody to be his friend. While the Michael Scott character still has plenty of totally inappropriate behavior and tons of cringe-worthy moments, his core of pathos and vulnerability humanizes him. I am even rooting for him to find love with Carol or Jan. As we saw this season, the fumbling results will surely be funny.

Now that Carell provides a solid anchor for the cast, the rest of the supporting actors can truly come into their own. From Rainn Wilson's complete dedication to the serious idiocy of office suck-up Dwight Schrute, to the smaller roles of wild-card Creed and eternally suffering temp Ryan, the ensemble has truly gelled.

And of course the slow-motion unfolding of Jim & Pam's romance provided the heart of the show throughout the season. Just about anyone over the age of 30 has been either Jim, Pam, or Roy at sometime in their life, and the bittersweet agony of the whole journey provided the summer's biggest cliffhanger. In my online poll to find the "Top Mom Crushes," both John Krasinski and Steve Carell have been nominated.

Finally, the DVD extras are truly great. The deleted scenes for each episode range from about 4 to 11 minutes and they are really funny. The discipline of 22 minutes works in the show's favor keep the stories tight, but the extra scenes are a worthy bonus for true fans.

This is a fantastic show, and a great DVD set. Even if you didn't watch the British version of the show (which I could never quite get into) give the American version of "The Office" a chance. What separates "The Office" from any other current "sitcom" is that much of the humor comes from what is left unsaid, rather than having a barrage of lame one-liners hitting viewers over the head. "The Office" is absurd, laugh-out-loud comedy with a heart--and if you are part of a couple, it's appointment TV that you can both love.

Warning: Some spoilers

Of all the half-hour comedy shows that I've ever seen, THE OFFICE is the one that I would have thought the least likely to be brilliant. The BBC original version of the show was a thing of genius. Trying to do an American version of it seemed to me to be akin to Andy Warhol doing a remake of Picasso's "Guernica." Watching the show in Season One I was astonished that it was not only not bad, but that it was in fact very good. Amazingly, in Season Two it became something utterly brilliant. Although I was a huge fan of the original show, I have to confess that the American show is every bit as good as the British original. It is the finest American adaptation of a British show since ALL IN THE FAMILY remade TIL DEATH DO US PART.

Two things make this a great show: the writing, which is persistently brilliant (though obviously aided by a great deal of improvisation on the set), and the cast, which is both talented and very deep. Steve Carrell at first was not completely at home in the role, failing to strike the right balance between an utter absurdity and being likable nonetheless. Ricky Gervais managed to get this perfect from the beginning and he was always someone viewers would find to be the world's biggest idiot while nonetheless inwardly rooting for things to work out for him. At first, Carrell was incredibly funny in the role, but he was not someone to feel much sympathy for. But as Season Two went on and some of his own insecurities were revealed, we came to understand that he was more aware of his own basic unlikability than his persistent bluster made clear. By the end of the season he was near perfect in the role and he fully deserved the Golden Globe he won. Nearly as many laughs were generated by his brown-nosing sycophant Dwight, played brilliantly by Rainn Wilson. But the heart of the show in Season Two was the obvious and endearing attraction between Pam (sweetly played by Jenna Fischer), who is engaged to marry a guy who works in the warehouse, and Jim Halpert (winningly played by Jon Krasinski). If the antics of Michael Scott dominated each individual episode, the non-romance between Jim and Pam dominated the season as a whole. The climax of the entire season comes in the final episode, when Jim confesses his love for Pam and they kiss, just before he transfers to the Stamford, Connecticut branch of the company. I have rarely seen so much anticipation over a summer for the start of a new season for a half-hour show as I did this one, with an army of fans of the show wondering how Pam and Jim would pick up in Season Three.

Although THE OFFICE started off fine in its first season, it got better and better throughout Season Two. Because it has already run for more episodes than the British original, it is beginning to exploit one advantage it has over it: the ability to develop more fully minor characters. In the second half of the season especially a number of characters who initially just took up space became known entities, such as Kelly, the Indian girl who is fixated on getting married and immediately having babies on the one hand and doing this with her coworker Ryan on the other. Or Creed, about whom we learn more and more odd details as the season goes along, culminating in the season finale where he informs us that he likes to steal things. (Creed, by the way, is played by Creed Bratton, who was a rock star in the sixties as lead guitarist for the famous group the Grassroots, which had a string of huge hits including "Midnight Confession" and "Let's Live for Today.") As we get to know the various members of the office and pick up on the intricate interplay between the various personalities, the show becomes more and more irresistible.

THE OFFICE follows a trend in the best American television comedy to move away from the situation comedies that has long dominated our comedy. Most shows have been shot in front of a live studio audience, filmed with three or more cameras, performing each scene more than once in order to have alternate takes for the final version. But wonderfully innovative shows like MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, and SCRUBS has abandoned the situation comedy format and opted for a more realistic format. Like ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, THE OFFICE takes on a documentary style, shooting the film on hand held video, which not only gives the show a more spontaneous feel, but avoids the expensive camera and lighting set ups that adds a lot of time to shooting. I think this is a great trend and I personally would love to see the live audience situation comedy disappear entirely.

With the unfortunate demise of ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (I still haven't recovered from that shock of its disappearance), THE OFFICE becomes the finest and most innovative comedy on American television (its only rival for the title being SCRUBS). There are still a few diehard fans of the BBC series that won't give this one a try. They should. It not only does great honor to the British show, it has become an absolutely wonderful show in its own right.

When "The Office" first appeared on NBC the show used many of the basic plots for the brief first season. In comparison to the British inspiration these shows were good but it's clear that the series hadn't found its own voice yet. That can't be said of the glorious, hilarious second season which actually surpasses its inspiration. Steve Carell can sell things with such sincerity and plays the role of Michael so perfectly straight that his deadpan approach fits the series like a glove.

An excellent transfer from Universal "The Office" looks marvelous in this transfer. The show is shot in HD video so there aren't any analog problems that crop up. Audio sounds terrific as well the box says it's 5.1 but it sounded like a 5.0 mix to me although the surround speakers are used well for ambient sound keep in mind this is a dialogue driven show like most sitcoms.

We have bloopers, parodies of the "The More You Know" commercial spots that NBC periodically runs on topics such as not eating black jellybeans, meteors, using the word smell in everyday conversation, taping sex (and forgetting to erase it). "Steve on Steve" faces himself in interview for both "The Office" and "The 40 Year Old Virgin". It's pretty clever. The "Olympic Promos" are pretty funny as well. We also get on 10 episodes featuring a variety of cast and crew. I only had time to listen to a couple of them and both were amusing at the very least. The two I had time to listen to for this review were "Drug Testing" and "Casino Night" two of my favorites from this season (they also happen to be the last two episodes of the season as well). Unfortunately Steve Carell doesn't appear on either one of these commentary tracks (as producer/writer Greg Daniels jokingly notes on "Casino Night" which Carell wrote, "he's too busy working on his movie career". In fact he doesn't appear on any of the tracks as he was in the midst of shooting a film.

Disc three features "The Faces of Scranton" the short film that Michael made for one episode. It's amusing. Back on disc four we have the webisodes are pretty amusing as well but they lack a play all feature so you have to go back to the special features menu to play them individually. It's odd that this was forgotten but a minor annoyance. There are also two hours of deleted scenes throughout the set. Interestingly a couple of cast members write as well as appear in the series which probably accounts for the fact that it found its own creative and comedic voice surpassing the original British series during its second season. The deleted scenes usually follow each episode and can be played individually.

A dry, hilarious sitcom about the misadventures in the workplace, "The Office" came into its own during its second season departing from the British inspiration. The show managed to find its own voice and tone with the appealing writing of Daniels, Carell and cast member B. J. Novak among others. The extras are terrific and, with the exception of some minor issues such as the deleted scenes not being presented in enhanced 16X9 mode (which means they're letterboxed for those who have widescreen TVs) and the lack of a "play all" feature for the webisodes this is a pretty terrific set. The first season only consisted of six episodes so fans of the show will be in heaven with this set. Every one of the episodes from the "The Dundies" to the faux award show to the episode on "Sexual Harassment" to "Casino Night" there are no misfires during season two. This is a gem of a set well worth picking up for fans of the show. I would suggest renting though for those folks who haven't watched the show to see if the dry humor of the series will appeal to you.

I'm going to use this review as a forum to say Thank You to NBC for this absolute jewel of a show, and for finally giving your audience intelligent, introspective humor. Thank you to the ingenious writers for finding a style that manages to be engaging and smart while it's being silly. And thank you to every single one of these fantastic actors, who honestly make me believe they're in Scranton, PA, trudging through another day at Dunder-Mifflin as we speak. I didn't discover The Office until about midway through the second season, and I'm so glad I did. It feels so good to have 30 minutes of belly laughs every week at "The Office".

I could simply repeat what everyone has thus far said: amazing show, amazing acting, and completely hilarious. However, what sets the show apart from other hilarious sitcoms (Arrested Development, another drop dead eye-tearingly funny show, comes to mind) is the moments of actual, genuine emotion that slip through all the awkward humor. This show is the absolute king of sucker punching you with heartfelt moments when you least expect them. Everyone talks about Pam and Jim (more on that later), but Steve Carrell's Michael Scott is actually the master at this. Every time you think they are going to push him totally over the edge into cartoon buffonery, he comes back with something you don't expect. The first thing that comes to mind is the "Dundies" episode, where Michael is getting heckled by some frat boy drunks at the Chili's bar. You go from laughing at his ridiculous so called "comedy" to totally feeling crushed for the guy, and kind of guilty for making fun of him in the first place. Of course, what review would be complete without Pam and Jim, everyone's favorite unrequited love. All I'm going to say is this: many viewers have gotten used to anti climactic endings, unanswered questions, and big moments that never come (coughcoughLostcoughcough)....BUT if you haven't seen this season, just stick with it, because the last (and now legendary) "Casino Night" episode has one of the most well-earned (and truly suspenseful) payoffs I've seen in the last 5 years of watching TV.

NBC's The Office deservedly won the Emmy for Best Comedy Series for 2006. This mockumentary presents the everyday goings-on at the Scranton branch of Dunder-Mifflin Paper Company Inc. The interactions that are captured among the employees are hilariously cringe-inducing as Regional Manager Michael Scott, wonderfully portrayed by Steve Carell, pines for EVERYONE'S adoration while attempting to incorporate political correctness and social consciousness into the workplace. One problem: he is clueless to the fact that he basks in ignorance and narrow-mindedness. Strangely enough, he is also warm-hearted and sensitive. See the "Halloween" episode where he struggles with the task of laying off an employee or the "Take Your Daughter To Work Day" episode where it's obvious that he's a natural with kids. The deleted scenes on the DVD set are so outstanding that the producers should have integrated them back into the episodes instead of tagging at the end. They are not to be neglected.

All of the characters (from Corporate Executive Jan Levinson to the warehouse guys) are written and portrayed in multidimensional fashion so viewers are interested in the subplots and background interactions in each episode. It is this specific season that we witness further development of the relationships of Jim & Pam, Dwight & Angela, Ryan & Kelly, Michael & Jan, and Oscar & ??. What does the future hold? Who knows? But it keeps me glued to the tube every Thursday night.

By the way, how in the hell was Rainn Wilson overlooked for his brilliant portrayal of office brown-noser Dwight Schrute by the television Academy for an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series?? Anybody?

Like a lot of people, when I heard NBC was going to make an American version of the classic British comedy "The Office", I just hoped it would go away quickly without a lot of fuss (especially after the smoking ruin that was the idiotic attempt with "Coupling", another great British show.) Imagine my surprise when this "The Office" turned out to be great, with some tweaks that make it quintessentially American. The British version, while hilarious, is also unremittingly bleak and cruel, with only the slimmest margin of hope. It would probably be impossible to tune in week after week to an exact replica (there are only around 12 episodes of the original after all, so those office workers got put out of their misery pretty quickly.) The producer of the new series, Greg Daniels, worked on the funny King of the Hill - The Complete First Season and brought that series' compassion, guarded optimism, and skewed humanity with him, and it's a perfect fit here. I'm still a little amazed that a show with such an unusual fake-documentary format, complex characters, and smart writing has turned into a hit. But I was also shocked when "Seinfeld" found its audience, so I should just be grateful.

The excellence of Steve Carell shouldn't be overlooked in our rush to embrace Jim/Pam. In Michael Scott he has created one of television's most remarkable jerks, right up there with Archie Bunker. Ricky Gervais' original boss, David Brent, is his equal in neediness and obnoxiousness, but the crucial difference is that Michael has a conscience and a dim awareness that there are other people in the world. So we see those excruciating scenes when he says something unforgivable, but he knows it (this is really true in the episode "The Fight" on this DVD set, where both Michael and Jim realize they have taken things too far.) We know guys like this; maybe we are guys like this.

This show has the most amazing cast: in Dwight Schrute, Rainn Wilson has created a pop culture icon (and a far more nuanced character than his British counterpart, the hideous Gareth.) John Krasinski is charismatic as Jim, but he also lets us see Jim's callowness and immaturity. And what else can one say about Jenna Fischer, the queen of the nerds, as Pam? She is both glowing and dejected as the mousy receptionist who doesn't realize how wonderful she is. As someone wrote, when she's around Jim "she shines like a Christmas tree." Which makes the season finale, "Casino Night", and the first few episodes of Season 3, all the more crushing. Watching the self-destructiveness of others is always heartbreaking.

Someone once said that life is made up of humiliation and loss, so those are the materials we have to use in order to make something of it. That's a rather desolate assessment, but not entirely untrue, I think. It's a good description of the modus operandi of Season 2 of "The Office" as well. You will laugh hard and get your heart broken at the same time.

SHOW:
Brilliant Emmy Award winning show. A much different direction than the first season, and very successful. Laugh out loud funny meets wit in this hilarious comedy with excellent writing. The top notch cast not only succeeds at delivering their lines, but adding their own personality with hilarious improv.

DVD:
Brilliant transfer. Crips, clean, good color balance, great blacks. Looks fantastic on HDTV. TONS!! of deleted scenes (over 2 hours worth) and commentary for each episode. That doesn't include bonus features. Upgraded from 2.0 to Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound this sounds just as good as it looks.

Why are you still reading this review instead of ordering it?

The above quote may seem childish in writing but seeing it performed by Rainn Wilson as Dwight K. Schrute is simply comedic gold. While the first season of "The Office" had some very good moments, the second season is when it became the best show on TV. From "The Dundees", where boss and politically incorrect boob Michael Scott butchers songs trying to be a real award show (while failing miserbly at it) to "Casino Night" where, finding out he has two dates for the night, proclaims he's "going to drop a deuce on everyone", "The Office is laugh out loud funny, something you don't get to see much of in todays generic sitcom situations (Two and a Half Men).

The writing and cast are top notch. Steve Carrell (who should win an Emmy as Michael Scott) is the ringleader of the shenanigans. John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer and of course Rainn Wilson are the biggest elements to an ensemble cast that is unmatched on TV today. Highlights of the show include:

"Halloween", with Michael needing to fire someone by the end of the day and the problems he has firing anyone.

"Christmas Party" where the gift exchange goes horribly wrong because of Michael's stupidity (Buying a $300 Ipod for a $25 maximum exchange), then wondering if 15 bottles of vodka is enough to get 20 people drunk. Classic.

"Booze Cruise", another disaster for Michael. Trying to give a motavational speech while doing "the worm" is something to behold.

Along with Michael's falures and embarrassments as well as the office staffs professional and personal lives, we get to see the budding relationship between Pam (Fischer) and Jim (Krasinski), who flirt while knowing there is no way they can be together, since she is engaged to Roy who works in the warehouse. But as we see by the last show, "Casino Night", things may take a different turn for these two.

In the end, "The Office" has the one thing that is missing in many of todays comedies: a heart. When Michael, who's single and has no kids, shows a video of himself as a youngster on a kids show, young Michael proclaims that his wish is to "have a wife, 100 kids and 100 friends, so no one can say no to being my friend". It's hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time.

...and well on its way to ranking amongst the best of all time. The Office is a smart (and dry) comedy that offers something different. The cast is all exceptional, particular Raine Wilson and Steve Carell as Dwight and Michael respectively. The cast expertly portrays a parody of office life in a way that leaves you rolling on the floor laughing with each episode.

Unlike Season 1, which was an overpriced single disc with just 6 episodes, this collection represents not only the first full season of the show, but also the episodes where it begins to hit its stride. And unlike so many of the box sets out there, the bonus features on this one are actually worth watching, especially the deleted scenes that accompany each episode (about 5 extra minutes on each episode!). No watered down content in these -- the deleted scenes are just as funny as any of the jokes in the episode.

My one beef actually goes back to the special features. I wish that there was a way to watch the full extended version of an episode with the extra scenes included so that you could see them in their full context. The added jokes ring well as long as you watch the deleted scenes immediately after watching the corresponding episode, but it's not the kind of thing where you can sit back and just watch all the deleted scenes for an evening. They lose some of their impact as standalone segments.