Pre-strike: Although I never get tired of Michael Scott’s shenanigans, “The Deposition” was probably one of the most revealing episodes of Steve Carell’s character that we’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing. You got a sense of why Dunder Mifflin has kept the boss on board for so long, despite his constant mess-ups and tirades. It’s hard to develop characters in a half-hour sitcom format, but The Office was moving along the relationships between Jim and Pam, Michael and Jan and Andy/Dwight and Angela quite well. B.J. Novak’s revamped and power-tripping Ryan was a hilarious addition, as was Kelly’s attempts at jealousy through Darryl.
Post-strike: Although the show is called The Office, post-strike the writers have been branching out — viewers were treated to a visit to the Scott residence, Ryan’s apartment, a New York nightclub and the security desk, to name a few. Although this trend was invoked pre-strike with the Survivorman episode, “Dunder Mifflin Infinity,” when we met some of the branch’s clients, and “Branch Wars,” which saw Karen’s return, the out-of-office visits were getting lengthier and more complex. A nice change to keep the storylines fresh, but veering off-track from the original context of the show.
Character Development: For months avid Office fans awaited the long-anticipated “Dinner Party” episode merely because it had been hinted at for so long. Who could resist the thought of a post-deposition Michael-Jan hosted party? Thankfully, the episode didn’t fail to impress as there were as many laughs as there were under-the-breath insults between the rocky couple. Unfortunately what was missing was the secondary storyline — supporting characters like Meredith, Kevin, Oscar and Kelly were hardly in the episode at all. As the show continues into May sweeps, the supporting characters have been picking up slack, with a memorable scene by a recently-dumped Kevin and a Spanish-speaking Oscar. While Toby has been underutilized as of late, storyline dictates that will change. But the real question is, will we see more of Darryl? In the May 1 episode, he taught Michael how to deal with an angry gang member by using ‘fluffy fingers.’
Cliffhangers/Wrap Up: As we approach the final episode, all eyes will be on Toby, as he is apparently moving to Costa Rica. Will this transpire or will it be something he said in an embarrassed state after rubbing Pam’s knee in front of the entire crew? Will Pam and Jim get engaged and satisfy viewers or will their storyline plummet as a result? Finally, will Dwight and Angela ever reunite? Show execs have hinted that they will be playing with time in upcoming episodes… a titillating thought that still has me hoping for a pregnant Angela to surface.
Overall Grade:
