What was the question?
Jun. 14th, 2007 04:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lily_handmaiden
I found this on the Office livejournal community, so...
Okay, so, the first thing I did after getting home from England, aside from sleep, was watch the three episodes of The Office I'd missed while I was abroad-- "Women's Appreciation," "Beach Games," and "The Job." And, and, and, OHMIGOD. Jim and Pam! Pam! And Jim! Squeeeeee!
I ought to say something about the series finale of Gilmore Girls, too, and I am sad that it's over and relieved that it's over at the same time. It seemed a little rushed, and as my mom pointed out, it was nowhere near the quality that the show deserves, really... but it was good. And it was sentimental. I especially liked it when Rory told Lorelai, "You've already given me everything I need." For more on this finale, read the excellet recap on Television Without Pity. That pretty much puts it perfectly. I did watch the last episode with my Mommy, which was good.
Now, about The Office. SPOILERS, obviously.
Okay, so I've really enjoyed the evolution of the Facy New version of Miss Pam Beesly this season. I love how much care the writers have taken with Pam's character especially, completely apart from the Pam/Jim relationship. They have really considered her as a character apart from Jim, which is excellent, and kind of rare in a half-hour comedy show. And this is why Pam and Jim's relationship could and, I believe, will work on the show, incidentally. They have not let the relationship define the characters. But Pam had already become my new hero when, in "Cocktails," she pointed out that the bartender had gotten her order wrong. I can't do that! And the evolution has just been continuing and building, right up through "Women's Appreciation." Great episode, and I love little touches like, "I wish for Pam, courage; for Angela, a heart; and for Kelly, a brain."
And then came Beach Games. And I am so glad, by the way, that I got to watch Beach Games and The Job back to back, because they work together so well-- sometimes TV episodes are like poetry, or they seem that way to me. Beautifully interweaving everything and building and working off of a theme. The Gilmore Girls episode "Raincoats and Recipes" was like that for me, even though I didn't like one of the plotlines at all. And "Casino Night" was like that. Of course, "Casino Night" and an episode of Joan of Arcadia called "Jump" are my standards for Perfect TV Episodes. I don't think "Beach Games" and "The Job," were quite perfect, but they were poetry.
I don't know quite how I feel about the OMG Jan So Crazy plot yet, I'll have to see how that pans out. The last minute flip with Ryan getting the job was amazing because they had gone to such lengths to make us believe, and we were all so sure, that it was going to be Karen. But I'm not here to talk about those plotlines, ladies and gentlemen. No, you know perfectly well what I'm here to talk about.
I'm going to start by talking about Miss Beesly's coal walk. It was a physical act that represented the letting down of all barriers and all inhibitions and it was AWESOME. Did I mention that she is my heroine? Totally, totally is. Also, I just have to say that I love how this conversation totally recaps the relationship dynamics of the entire season. Pam is finally ready to speak, fully aware that she's probably only going to get hurt:
PAM: I'm gonna do it. And I fully expect to burn my feet and go to the hospital. That's the right spirit when doing a coal walk, right?
MICHAEL: No. No, not you, Pam. You have to keep score.
PAM: I'd like to try it.
MICHAEL: Pointless.
PAM: But I'm not kidding, I really wanna do it. [And look out world, because Ol' Pammy is getting what she wants. And don't call her Pammy.]
MICHAEL: (gibberish). Okay? This is about guts. It takes guts to be a regional manager. Jim, you're up.
JIM: Nope.
MICHAEL: Ju-- why not? Come on.
JIM: Oh, 'cause I don't wanna get my feet burned. [Not again, anyway.]
The shot of Pam actually doing it is awesome-- her looks to the camera and everything. And I fully believe that her speech is worth reprinting in full, even though it's all over the internet elsewhere: "Hey! I want to say something! I've been trying to be mor honest lately, and I just need to say a few things. I did the coal walk! Just, I did it. Michael, you couldn't even do that. Maybe I should be your boss. Wow, I feel really good right now. Why didn't any of you come to my art show? I invited all of you. That really sucked. It's like sometimes some of you act like I don't even exist. Jim, I called off my wedding because of you. And now we're not even friends. And things are just, like, weird between us and that sucks. And I miss you. You were my best friend before you went to Stamford. And I really miss you. I shouldn't have been with Roy. And there were a lot of reasons to call off my wedding, but the truth is I didn't care about any of those reasons until I met you. And now you're with someone else. And that's fine. It's-- whatever, that's not what I'm-- I'm not-- Okay, my feet really hurt. The thing that I'm just trying to say to you, Jim... and to everyone else in the circle, I guess... is that I miss having fun with you. Just you, not everyone in the circle. Okay. I am gonna go walk in the water now. Yeah. It's a good day."
LOVE. I love how she addressed her issues with everybody, not just with Jim. I like how it isn't "I love you," it's "I miss you." I've felt like saying that to so many people so many times. I love how the reality of what she's doing catches up with her about two thirds of the way through. I love the line, "there were a lot of reasons to call off my wedding, but the truth is I didn't care about any of those reasons until I met you." It reminds me of a line from the new Jane Eyre where Jane is talking to St.John about Rochester, and St. John is all, you can't say that he created you, for goodness sake, and Jane says something to the effect of, "No, I've always known who I was. But he was the first one to recognize me." I think that is absolutely the case with Pam and Jim, and it's one of the reasons I love their relationship so much. They get each other. Karen had been trying to change Jim-- she didn't really get him at all, she didn't get what was important to him, but Pam did.
I was even more proud in the next episode when Pam reveals that she's not one bit sorry for her confession. She didn't even blush when Stanley said he'd never heard her talk so much, which I do when people say things like that to me. She has found peace with herself. She undertakes her first full-scale solo prank on Dwight, and is an awesome Secret Assistant to the Regional Manager. It's done as a sort of tribute to Jim, but it's also done for Pam herself. Meanwhile, Jim's mental wheels have been set in motion by the simple sentence, "Well, I wish you would." He knows that Pam's always been on his level. He misses old Jim, tooo. And things start to remind him of her, everywhere. And then there is the yogurt lid medal and the note-- I loved that the medal was attached to it, so much. And the knowledge that she wants what's best for him. I doubt he even finished that interview, or at least he didn't pay attention to the rest of it.
And it's all set against that wonderful, wonderful talking head from Pam. The whole end of the episode parallels the end of the Boffice, really, in great ways. There is the Peaceful Talking Head, there is the Note of Faith, there is the Inscrutable Car Ride, and then there is the Unexpected Return. But before I get to that, they cut back to the Beach (in a move very similar to what was used in the first episode of the season) at the perfect moment, filling in Jim' s thoughts visually. Where does he see himself in ten years? Standing next to Pam. That way of tying the episodes together is what makes it poetic. That and the denouement. I love when this show suddenly, forcefully reminds you of their documentary format by breaking into it and disrupting its usual flow like this:
PAM: I haven't heard anything. But I bet Jim got the job. I mean, why wouldn't he? He's totally qualified and smart, everyone loves him... And if he never comes back again... that's okay. We're friends. And I'm sure we'll stay friends. We just-- we never got the timing right. You know? I shot him down, and then he did the same to me, and... But you know what? It's okay. I am totally fine. Everything is gonna be totally...
JIM: Pam. Sorry. Um... are you free for dinner tonight?
PAM: Yes.
JIM: All right. Then... it's a date.
PAM: ... I'm sorry, what was the question?
And her face... her face just lights up. Jenna Fischer, I can't say this enough, is incredible. I mean, I challenge you to watch her face all lit up like a Christmas tree in this scene and not grin like an idiot. We haven't seen Pam this happy all year. And suddenly she has everything-- everything she had almost convinced herself she'd never have, everything she'd almost convinced herself she could life with out-- her life can finally start. It's beautiful.
And I don't think there were many people watching that who weren't convinced, at least for a minute, that this is going to be the show that breaks the Relationship Curse. I am still convinced. All they need to do is bring Jim back, completely back, and not make it too dramatic. When Jim Halpert asked out Pam Beesly... we could see how the show was going to go on., with the main characters in a relationship, and not suck. I have faith.
And, of course, they now have added incentive to make Jim and Pam happy: they don't want to break Jenna Fischer's heart, especially after she's just broken her back. I found out about that later in the day from Michael. I'm pretty sure breaking her back in four places is the first thing Jenna has ever done that is not adorable; it's just scary. I'm so glad she's recovering and is going to be okay. Poor Jenna. I would shower her with Emmys if I could, but all I have power to do is tell you now that she is a lock for the Erin Award for Best Supporting Actress in an Anything.
And then came Beach Games. And I am so glad, by the way, that I got to watch Beach Games and The Job back to back, because they work together so well-- sometimes TV episodes are like poetry, or they seem that way to me. Beautifully interweaving everything and building and working off of a theme. The Gilmore Girls episode "Raincoats and Recipes" was like that for me, even though I didn't like one of the plotlines at all. And "Casino Night" was like that. Of course, "Casino Night" and an episode of Joan of Arcadia called "Jump" are my standards for Perfect TV Episodes. I don't think "Beach Games" and "The Job," were quite perfect, but they were poetry.
I don't know quite how I feel about the OMG Jan So Crazy plot yet, I'll have to see how that pans out. The last minute flip with Ryan getting the job was amazing because they had gone to such lengths to make us believe, and we were all so sure, that it was going to be Karen. But I'm not here to talk about those plotlines, ladies and gentlemen. No, you know perfectly well what I'm here to talk about.
I'm going to start by talking about Miss Beesly's coal walk. It was a physical act that represented the letting down of all barriers and all inhibitions and it was AWESOME. Did I mention that she is my heroine? Totally, totally is. Also, I just have to say that I love how this conversation totally recaps the relationship dynamics of the entire season. Pam is finally ready to speak, fully aware that she's probably only going to get hurt:
PAM: I'm gonna do it. And I fully expect to burn my feet and go to the hospital. That's the right spirit when doing a coal walk, right?
MICHAEL: No. No, not you, Pam. You have to keep score.
PAM: I'd like to try it.
MICHAEL: Pointless.
PAM: But I'm not kidding, I really wanna do it. [And look out world, because Ol' Pammy is getting what she wants. And don't call her Pammy.]
MICHAEL: (gibberish). Okay? This is about guts. It takes guts to be a regional manager. Jim, you're up.
JIM: Nope.
MICHAEL: Ju-- why not? Come on.
JIM: Oh, 'cause I don't wanna get my feet burned. [Not again, anyway.]
The shot of Pam actually doing it is awesome-- her looks to the camera and everything. And I fully believe that her speech is worth reprinting in full, even though it's all over the internet elsewhere: "Hey! I want to say something! I've been trying to be mor honest lately, and I just need to say a few things. I did the coal walk! Just, I did it. Michael, you couldn't even do that. Maybe I should be your boss. Wow, I feel really good right now. Why didn't any of you come to my art show? I invited all of you. That really sucked. It's like sometimes some of you act like I don't even exist. Jim, I called off my wedding because of you. And now we're not even friends. And things are just, like, weird between us and that sucks. And I miss you. You were my best friend before you went to Stamford. And I really miss you. I shouldn't have been with Roy. And there were a lot of reasons to call off my wedding, but the truth is I didn't care about any of those reasons until I met you. And now you're with someone else. And that's fine. It's-- whatever, that's not what I'm-- I'm not-- Okay, my feet really hurt. The thing that I'm just trying to say to you, Jim... and to everyone else in the circle, I guess... is that I miss having fun with you. Just you, not everyone in the circle. Okay. I am gonna go walk in the water now. Yeah. It's a good day."
LOVE. I love how she addressed her issues with everybody, not just with Jim. I like how it isn't "I love you," it's "I miss you." I've felt like saying that to so many people so many times. I love how the reality of what she's doing catches up with her about two thirds of the way through. I love the line, "there were a lot of reasons to call off my wedding, but the truth is I didn't care about any of those reasons until I met you." It reminds me of a line from the new Jane Eyre where Jane is talking to St.John about Rochester, and St. John is all, you can't say that he created you, for goodness sake, and Jane says something to the effect of, "No, I've always known who I was. But he was the first one to recognize me." I think that is absolutely the case with Pam and Jim, and it's one of the reasons I love their relationship so much. They get each other. Karen had been trying to change Jim-- she didn't really get him at all, she didn't get what was important to him, but Pam did.
I was even more proud in the next episode when Pam reveals that she's not one bit sorry for her confession. She didn't even blush when Stanley said he'd never heard her talk so much, which I do when people say things like that to me. She has found peace with herself. She undertakes her first full-scale solo prank on Dwight, and is an awesome Secret Assistant to the Regional Manager. It's done as a sort of tribute to Jim, but it's also done for Pam herself. Meanwhile, Jim's mental wheels have been set in motion by the simple sentence, "Well, I wish you would." He knows that Pam's always been on his level. He misses old Jim, tooo. And things start to remind him of her, everywhere. And then there is the yogurt lid medal and the note-- I loved that the medal was attached to it, so much. And the knowledge that she wants what's best for him. I doubt he even finished that interview, or at least he didn't pay attention to the rest of it.
And it's all set against that wonderful, wonderful talking head from Pam. The whole end of the episode parallels the end of the Boffice, really, in great ways. There is the Peaceful Talking Head, there is the Note of Faith, there is the Inscrutable Car Ride, and then there is the Unexpected Return. But before I get to that, they cut back to the Beach (in a move very similar to what was used in the first episode of the season) at the perfect moment, filling in Jim' s thoughts visually. Where does he see himself in ten years? Standing next to Pam. That way of tying the episodes together is what makes it poetic. That and the denouement. I love when this show suddenly, forcefully reminds you of their documentary format by breaking into it and disrupting its usual flow like this:
PAM: I haven't heard anything. But I bet Jim got the job. I mean, why wouldn't he? He's totally qualified and smart, everyone loves him... And if he never comes back again... that's okay. We're friends. And I'm sure we'll stay friends. We just-- we never got the timing right. You know? I shot him down, and then he did the same to me, and... But you know what? It's okay. I am totally fine. Everything is gonna be totally...
JIM: Pam. Sorry. Um... are you free for dinner tonight?
PAM: Yes.
JIM: All right. Then... it's a date.
PAM: ... I'm sorry, what was the question?
And her face... her face just lights up. Jenna Fischer, I can't say this enough, is incredible. I mean, I challenge you to watch her face all lit up like a Christmas tree in this scene and not grin like an idiot. We haven't seen Pam this happy all year. And suddenly she has everything-- everything she had almost convinced herself she'd never have, everything she'd almost convinced herself she could life with out-- her life can finally start. It's beautiful.
And I don't think there were many people watching that who weren't convinced, at least for a minute, that this is going to be the show that breaks the Relationship Curse. I am still convinced. All they need to do is bring Jim back, completely back, and not make it too dramatic. When Jim Halpert asked out Pam Beesly... we could see how the show was going to go on., with the main characters in a relationship, and not suck. I have faith.
And, of course, they now have added incentive to make Jim and Pam happy: they don't want to break Jenna Fischer's heart, especially after she's just broken her back. I found out about that later in the day from Michael. I'm pretty sure breaking her back in four places is the first thing Jenna has ever done that is not adorable; it's just scary. I'm so glad she's recovering and is going to be okay. Poor Jenna. I would shower her with Emmys if I could, but all I have power to do is tell you now that she is a lock for the Erin Award for Best Supporting Actress in an Anything.
Also, I make for you the icons.
