lilpuppychow2003 Reviews

The Office: Initiation (2006) Season 3, Episode 5

gets better on repeated viewings...

[8/10 · 25 September 2009]

This episode was not one of my favorites until I watched it a couple times after initial airing. I really appreciate, now, though.

The odd thing about Jim and Pam's relationship is that it has been most touching when they were far away. At one point Pam is speaking on the phone with Jim. She asks him was time it is there; Jim points out that they're in the same time zone. They realize how great the divide has felt since Jim left.

The pretzel storyline is well-executed. Many people really do look forward to a few things each year, reminding themselves again and again of little pleasures. I'm familiar with such a feeling.

Dwight has grown a bit more cartoonish over the years, but in this episode I see Dwight as I think he was meant to be--the odd, eccentric, yet intelligent follower of Michael's foolishness. Michael is shown as the almost amazingly inefficient boss who somehow lands great clients. I enjoy that contradiction.

All in all, a very well-rounded episode.

Community: Pilot (2009) Season 1, Episode 1

very cohesive initial effort...

[9/10 · 20 September 2009]

How exciting! A pilot that doesn't throw away the first episode methodically introducing characters but rather jumps into an amusing story that gives us credit for being able to figure it out a little. It reminded me a little of the tone of Arrested Development's pilot in the sense that we are injected into the environment in a less forced way. Actually, it might be the best comedy pilot I've seen since AD. Even the soundtrack evokes the spirit of that classic.

I admit that using such a strategy creates the desire for more story and background immediately, but we must be patient. I would definitely encourage people to watch the episode. For those who love 30 Rock and The Office, I'm almost certain you'll enjoy it. Even if you're not used to "no laugh track" comedies, this will be a great opportunity to open up to the genre. It keeps the show moving at a very pleasant, snappy clip.

Seinfeld: The Finale (1998) Season 9, Episode 22

a misunderstood conclusion to the series...

[8/10 · 16 April 2009]

Seinfeld was in part so enjoyable because the characters had no real responsibilities at all. There was a unique escapism in the humor and simplicity of their relationships. We were free to laugh at anything and everything because nothing mattered. The truth is that humans are not meant to live that way, though. It was a state of isolation.

As much as everyone enjoyed the lighthearted notion that Seinfeld had no specific point to make, the reality was that an undercurrent of social apathy was present throughout. The finale was all about reaping what they sowed. The wrath of the fan base that felt so slighted by the story was misplaced. In the entire series the characters contributed virtually nothing to society; they are the representation of a whole generation of single, aimless people who have no purpose or direction.

We would be naive to think that the ending wasn't obsessed over for years. I'm convinced that it was exactly the way the story was meant to finish. Brilliant.