Welcome to a new Sitcom Tuesday! This week, I’m continuing my coverage of The Office (2005-2013, NBC), which is currently available on DVD/Blu-ray and Peacock. Please note that for these posts, I watched and will be considering the regular version of the show that presently appears on cable and online — with 204 half-hour episodes total.

The Office stars STEVE CARELL as Michael Scott, RAINN WILSON as Dwight K. Schrute, JOHN KRASINSKI as Jim Halpert, JENNA FISCHER as Pam Beesly, and B.J. NOVAK as Ryan Howard. See more of the regular ensemble cast here.

Season Four continues The Office’s expected trajectory, as the series’ novelty of premise continues to dwindle but its understanding of the characters continues to rise. By now, the show must do more to generate fresh ideas that satisfy the low-concept workplace setup and/or high-concept mockumentary design — meaning, it often employs bigger, bolder, sillier notions (see: Michael hits Meredith with his car; Michael drives a car into a lake; Michael plays Survivor in the woods). These don’t all work, especially when they mistake ridiculous for awkward, presuming broad comedy is the same as premise-affirming cringe comedy. However, the show knows itself and its characters better in Four, and there’s more of a shine on the ensemble, both as a collective for adding laughs, and as individual members — sometimes in ideas they inspire (that’s the ideal!) — as Jim and Pam’s pairing gives scripts a break from last year’s artificial roadblocks and frees up space to explore more peripheral players, like in the love triangle between Dwight, Angela, and Andy: an arc that previews the kind of soapy, rom-com material the rest of the series will more regularly offer, and with a version of Andy that’s now diluted, registering as sort of a weaker, off-shade Michael. Speaking of Michael, it’s still very much his show in Four (its best entries all center his rich character), and as both this more prominent ensemble and the looser, sillier style of storytelling are trends that only accelerate throughout the remainder of the run — with Five committing to these shifts — this year feels like a transition point between two distinct eras, unable to represent either at its finest, despite having many classics of its own… Meanwhile, Four is also unique because it was saddled with both a three-month hiatus induced by the 2007-2008 WGA strike and a network order of five hour-long episodes that had to be designed to play both as singular broadcasts and split showings for syndication. Those two-parters (which is how I adjudicate them) encourage bigger ideas that often aren’t the best for character or premise, and while this season eventually manages some top-tier samples, most of them indeed come post-strike, when the show can return to simpler, half-hour scenarios that are better able to evoke cringe comedy, usually with Michael at the fore. In those samples, The Office proves that it’s still in terrific shape, capable of peak-comparable excellence.

 

01) Episode 55: “Fun Run (II)” (Aired: 09/27/07)

Michael hosts a fun run to raise awareness for rabies.

Written by Greg Daniels | Directed by Greg Daniels

Season Four’s two-part premiere is the first of four consecutive hours that were broadcast at the year’s top, and as noted, their longer running times tend to enable bigger, broader ideas that are less directly tied to character and/or premise. In fact, all my concerns expressed above about Four are glaringly evident in “Fun Run.” It starts with a gaudy notion that’s neither awkward nor uncomfortable, but simply big and surprising, as Michael hits Meredith with his car and, after taking her to the hospital, learns she has rabies. That’s essentially amusing… but it’s not motivated by specifics about Michael, and it doesn’t engage the exact type of cringe humor that corroborates the full situation. Then, the primary centerpiece of Part II — the more unique half hour, with more pay-offs — has the entire staff participating in a fun run… another gaudy idea that stems from Part I’s initial narrative setup, whose bigness is accentuated when stretched out in this manner…. Accordingly, you can already see how Four is shifting, and how these double-length entries accelerate the trend towards situation-subjugating hijinks… And yet, I’d miss this two-parter if it wasn’t represented on my list, for the outrageous Dwight/Angela subplot — he kills her cat — is connected to his bold characterization, and the reveal of Jim/Pam’s official romance uses the mockumentary framing, which is barely getting played up anymore. So, ultimately, this ends up being a highlight of the season — and a window into its ethos.

02) Episode 60: “Money (I)” (Aired: 10/18/07)

Michael gets a night job to help pay for Jan’s condo renovation bills.

Written by Paul Lieberstein | Directed by Paul Lieberstein

This is the fourth of the four consecutive hour-long broadcasts that originally opened the fourth season, and it’s easily the best of that lot, for it simply focuses more on character. Indeed, what I like most about “Money” — and why I’m featuring both parts — is that it’s a fresh exploration of Michael, as he has to take a night job to help manage all of Jan’s spending. It’s an omen for their forthcoming split and an opportunity to observe him in discomfort for a change (as he’s usually the one making others uncomfortable). Also, the story sets up a delightful scene at the end of Part I where a tired, unprepared Michael tries to wing a PowerPoint presentation on PowerPoint in front of Ryan, the ex temp who’s now his boss — a fun reversal of ensemble dynamics that early Four gets to play. Part I is the best of these Ryan-as-Michael’s-boss outings, capably setting up an even funnier Part II for Steve Carell. (Oh, and the subplot with Jim and Pam at Dwight’s farm is amusing and good for character as well — more below.)

03) Episode 61: “Money (II)” (Aired: 10/18/07)

Michael declares bankruptcy after being forced to give up his second job.

Written by Paul Lieberstein | Directed by Paul Lieberstein

Part II of “Money” is best remembered for the hilarious moment where Michael Scott screams, “I declare bankruptcy!” It’s his literal attempt to declare bankruptcy amidst financial woes, as Ryan has forced Michael to give up his second job as a telemarketer. Michael then seeks financial advice from his staff, which is a naturally funny narrative setup by itself but also has the dramatic purpose of building momentum for Michael’s forthcoming split from Jan (Melora Hardin), and this episode therefore manages to balance humor and heart in its exploration of him, showcasing the tone that will really come to define The Office in its late Michael era, as it continues to shed the cynical cringe that’s part of its British DNA for the earnest sentimentality beckoned by its rom-com leanings. Also, I appreciate the subplot, where Jim and Pam try to cheer up Dwight (who’s moping over his breakup with Angela while Andy pursues her) — that’s a good use of their characters in relation to each other, and it intentionally deepens their bonds.

04) Episode 65: “The Deposition” (Aired: 11/15/07)

Michael is deposed as a witness in Jan’s lawsuit against Dunder Mifflin.

Written by Lester Lewis | Directed by Julian Farino

The final offering produced before the writer’s strike, this is the best from that initial stretch, putting Michael Scott in a tough scenario that plays with both his character and his relationship with Jan, as the arc about her suing the company for wrongful termination comes to a climax when he, her boyfriend, is deposed on her behalf, pitting him between his loyalty to her and his loyalty to his job. That’s cringey enough, due to the natural awkwardness of having to publicly choose either his personal relationship or his professional one, but with testimony about how his boss David really feels about him, it’s quite uncomfortable — Michael getting confronted with others’ perception of him is a splash of cold water that forces his vulnerability and emphasizes the mockumentary framing, with different levels of self-awareness that the presence of cameras both reveals and creates. Here, Michael painfully learns how he’s perceived… and he still chooses to tell the truth and stand by his company, setting the stage for the classic entry that will follow. So, this is a great showcase for Michael, bringing his romance with Jan to a crucible in a story that encapsulates the very things that make him, and this show, special.

05) Episode 66: “Dinner Party” (Aired: 04/10/08)

Michael and Jan host a couples’ dinner party at their renovated condo.

Written by Gene Stupnitsky & Lee Eisenberg | Directed by Paul Feig

My choice for this season’s Most Valuable Episode (MVE), “Dinner Party” is a sublime installment that delivers some of the most potent cringe comedy of the entire series, as both the cameras and the top-line characters are invited to Michael and Jan’s condo for a dinner party where they’re subjected to a Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf-ian display of dysfunction that centers them while accentuating the premise via this specific humor and how it reinforces the unique attributes of the mockumentary format. For starters, the simple idea of a dinner party is a classic sitcom setup, taking us outside the show’s usual workplace to a more private, intimate space, but with a self-contained quality that matches the low-concept aspect of the premise and emphasizes the promised accessibility of a faux documentary — with characters whose personal bonds have been building so much that it makes sense for Michael/Jan, Jim/Pam, Angela/Andy, and a doubly jealous Dwight, who crashes the party with his former babysitter, to share a dinner. The discomfort experienced by those in the sequence — primarily Jim and Pam, who serve as proxies for the audience (because of how “normal” and Everyman they seem in comparison) — mirrors the discomfort we feel as viewers, as the basic social embarrassment of Michael and Jan’s unpleasant unraveling is magnified by the presence of cameras, which reveals, contorts, and heightens their reactions, for they’re unable to perform happiness not only for their friends, but for the “show” as well. Two layers of a public veneer are thus breached — that’s how bad their relationship is — and it’s shown to us in a manner that’s individually reflective of The Office and its low-concept rom-com mockumentary package, exacerbating these characters’ efforts to obscure feelings as they get spotlighted instead, with dramatic tension based on how their personalities exist in relation to each other, and big laughs that come from the sheer awkwardness of seeing these people behave in ways they don’t intend and/or can’t control. That may sound like typical sitcom fodder on the surface, but The Office‘s through-obvious-cameras framing makes us disquieted voyeurs and its characters simultaneously willing and unwilling subjects — and that increases the yuks and angst tenfold, in a way that only this series, with this situation and these regulars, could do. An all-time classic.

06) Episode 67: “Chair Model” (Aired: 04/17/08)

Michael tries to move on after his breakup with Jan.

Written by B.J. Novak | Directed by Jeffrey Blitz

Following the all-time classic above is a tall order, and this underrated excursion naturally seems quiet in comparison. But it’s another great showcase for Michael, who is now single again and still desperately looking for love — a yearning that’s explored through his temporary obsession with a beautiful chair model he sees in a photograph. As Dwight works to track her down, there’s a hilarious scene where Michael, in his quest for love, goes on a blind date with Pam’s landlady and is obviously unenthused by the woman’s appearance — which he can’t hide. It’s precisely the kind of cringey, awkward moment that speaks to what the show promises to reflect through its mockumentary lens, and with an outrageous character whose childlike qualities also enable a vulnerability that’s fully on display, this outing is a strong one for its central characterization and the specific, premised sensibilities The Office is uniquely poised to provide.

07) Episode 69: “Did I Stutter?” (Aired: 05/01/08)

Michael doesn’t know how to react to Stanley’s insubordination.

Written by Brent Forrester & Justin Spitzer | Directed by Randall Einhorn

After many episodes this season with major centerpieces outside the office, I appreciate this one for returning to a workplace-centric design that reinforces the low-concept premise, and with stories that explore the characters in direct relation to each other. This is a particularly smart showing for Stanley — one of his best — as he finally gets fed up with Michael and delivers the eponymous, “Did I stutter?” It’s a cringey moment not just because it’s simply uncomfortable to experience serious tension like that in a professional environment, but also because, by now, we know Michael Scott so much that we know his desire to be loved will make this especially unpleasant for him, as in addition to his typically awkward, boundary-crossing, self-aware-lacking behavior, this is a conflict that will exacerbate his insecurities. And so we cringe… This renders it another textbook example of what The Office is primed to offer, only now we can see how individual characters and relationships — including peripheral ensemble members like Stanley — can better support the ideas, elevating them both comedically and situationally.

08) Episode 71: “Goodbye, Toby (I)” (Aired: 05/15/08)

Michael immediately falls in love with Toby’s replacement.

Written by Jennifer Celotta & Paul Lieberstein | Directed by Paul Feig

Season Four’s hour-long finale notably introduces Amy Ryan as the new HR representative Holly, replacing Toby. We’ll talk more about her next week, but she’s automatically set up to be Michael’s new love interest — the exact opposite of Jan, whose self-seriousness contrasted against Michael. Holly and Michael and more naturally compatible — she’s warmer and more willing to be goofy like he is, thereby creating an entirely different comedic dynamic that can be freshly explored within story. In fact, their potential is evident from the start, as he falls head over heels for her right away, leading to a wonderful moment that says so much while saying so little — as Michael imitates Yoda and Holly follows suit. What a match! Additionally, there are some hilarious gags as Holly is falsely made to believe that Kevin has special needs — a cringey subplot that again plays with varying levels of self-awareness, something that’s only magnified in the voyeuristic mockumentary format… Now, I’m only spotlighting Part I, which is funnier than the more narratively-minded Part II (which has to set up next season’s big arcs), but Part II does boast a great scene where Michael has to give Toby his exit interview in the presence of Holly, which means that he has to curb his childish disdain for Toby and try to treat him politely, so this is another instance where I’m technically celebrating two entries in only one slot.

 

Other notable episodes that merit mention include: the corresponding other halves of both “Fun Run” and “Goodbye, Toby,” which could have been highlighted above with their partners, along with “Night Out,” which is a fun showing for Michael, Dwight, and Ryan that also boasts a solid ensemble subplot. I’ll also take this space to cite: “Local Ad,” an amiable ensemble entry where Michael produces his own ad video featuring the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin, “Branch Wars,” which attempts to give some closure to Jim and Karen, and both halves of “Launch Party,” the second of which claims the bold but quintessentially Season Four notion of Michael holding a pizza delivery kid hostage in the conference room — it’s a bigger comic idea, and it’s, frankly, less realistic or well-motivated than what the series is used to offering, but it’s also a sign of what it’ll be more willing to indulge in the years ahead…

 

*** The MVE Award for the Best Episode from Season Four of The Office goes to…

“Dinner Party”

 

 

Come back next week for Season Five! And stay tuned tomorrow for a new Wildcard!