Rome and 24 had their (outstanding) premieres this week; Medium and My Name is Earl contributed solid, entertaining episodes; and Heroes and Battlestar Galactica are still on hiatus.
But once again The Office was my favorite. "The Return" (air date: 1/18) was funny, and Jammy, and filled with great character moments (Phyllis: "Dwight had a big personality and I have a big personality, and a lot of times, when two people like that get together, it can be explosive"), and it was more understated in its humor, which I like. There weren't a lot of laugh-out-loud moments (though I did love when Andy's phone rang in the ceiling), but there were a lot of little touches, little sight gags and character reactions that were quietly hilarious. It's what the show does best: creating comedy out of the real, and yet at the same time, mixing it with the absurd. Dialogue is key here: When Dwight asks Michael if the office party is for him (when it's clearly for Oscar's return), Michael doesn't simply lie and say "yes," he pauses ever so slightly, tries to appear cool and nonchalant (successfully, I might add) despite being about to lie, and answers in that not-as-funny-as-he-thinks-it-is reply, "Guilty." It's perfect Michael -- the word, the line, the acting by Steve Carell -- a totally absurd and ridiculous character, and yet so totally real -- I've known guys who talk like this. This week's episode was filled with these little moments of reality amidst the silliness. They're funny and painfully familiar at the same time.
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Ditto.
The Office is the only show I watch that I can count on to be so frakkin good week in and week out. It's rare that a show does that for me, yet The Office somehow manages it every time.
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