Man, I thought last night's episode was awful. This show has become a shell of its former self. I can't believe they're going to keep going after Steve Carrell leaves. Very sad.
I saw most of the premier and nothing since. They've changed the opening to allow the characters to look less beaten down bedraggled. The beginning of the first episode, the music video, seemed to me to be their statement that any last vestiges of the uncomfortable comedy of the early series is being abandoned for a more standard sit com. It's sad to see, but not hard to understand. The British original was a finite series and far more downbeat which sort of captures the whole English living-in-quiet-desperation thing. The American version can maintain that for awhile, but we don't generally feel as trapped. In the opening year, you know Jim doesn't need to stay here, but his love of Pam holds him. That love story, maybe the best I've ever seen on TV in terms of feeling real, was the soul of the show. Resolve that romance, which you eventually have to do, and then what do you have? What holds the grimness of that work setting together? Michael assumes more of gravitational role and he must be made more palatable. He's now sort of an oafish, well-meaning jerk. Pam and Jim aren't as interesting anymore having married and had a child. They overplayed the dumb cuteness of the new receptionist and Andy. The relationship with Dwight and Angela is just weird and totally unbelievable. When I see the early episodes in repeat, I still react strongly to them. Now, the show is just a fluffy visual reminder of what was a great two seasons followed by some pretty good stuff for awhile after that. Do we know who may replace Carrell? My guess is the corporate guy.
They are talking about it to gauge viability, but I don't imagine they are going to kill themselves to keep it going. The fact is, they've never had killer ratings and they've been tailing off for a while now. Actually, that's the problem with NBC's thursday night is that they are loaded with critical successes with limited audiences and they don't have a single super big draw on the schedule... I can't image that they thought Outsourced was going to be that show for them. Right now they need to shuffle the deck, put The Office in at 7p (up against Big Bang) followed by Community, Outsourced at 8p anchored by 30 Rock. The Office is their best chance to steal audience from CBS, as the elder statesman on the roster, and it is a no lose proposition anyway as it is likely gone after this season. Community, in its 2nd season, is still growing audience and needs to be protected against BBT. The only chance Outsourced gets eyeballs is if it is bookended by decent shows. Frankly, I think they need to cut their losses on Outsourced, but I don't know what they'd plug into the slot otherwise.
Wow, I thought last night's episode was one of the best of the past few seasons. Plenty of laughs all throughout. Creed had two excellent lines as always.
although not what it was 3 years ago, i still get one or two moments i enjoy per episode. Last night: Creed phoning in his review of the play. friggin' hilarious. --30 Rock, which was great last year, has started off very poorly this year. Last night's episode: blah.
I think Portia de Rossi should replace Carrell's character. Last night had some funny lines but the gathering at the end annoyed me. Outsourced is trying to make a sitcom off the movie of the same name but it is not working. The movie was short enough to make fun of some of the different culture stereotypes and have a love story.
outsourced doesn't appeal to me. how long can you make jokes about Indians before it gets boring? maybe they'll just outsource to a different country every season and make jokes on different races
pam is just too annoying to watch. show is such a disappointment these days. can they please kill pam and/or jum?
The shark was jumped somewhere between the "Pam is pregnant" season finally, and the I-can't-believe-they-actually-did-this-to-us clip show.
Gervais must cringe every time he sees an episode, then he cashes his producer's check and feels better. Jump the shark moments include Michael's being a huge *** at Phyllis' wedding (no human would ever act like that) and the most ridiculous of all, Kevin wearing the tissue boxes as shoes to Jim and Pam's wedding. But years before that, I knew we were headed downhill when Michael drove the car into the lake, because the GPS told him to. Give me a fookin' break. Krasinski's mugging now literally pisses me off (he needs to watch Martin Freeman's "Tim" to see how it's done), and don't get me started on the caricature that is Dwight. I've said it before here: I've met many people like Gareth in the BBC original (self-important weasels with delusions of grandeur). I've never met anyone like Dwight, because there are no real people like Dwight. But I still watch the show, and find pockets of amusement.
Haven't watched last week's episode yet, but maybe I won't now. Last season had a few bright spots but was largely uninteresting.
While it's true that The Office continues its run on what I can only assume to be diesel fumes, it's still better than any **** reality show that they could throw in its place. We need more shows like Community that break down the 4th wall. I think they gave it a try with Outsourced, but that has been pretty bad so far.
When people want to dismiss a TV show but have no idea how why, they just say it's contrived. They have no idea what the word contrived means, but it sounds good so they use. Like clockwork.
Contrived is not a meaningless term just because you disagree that certain shows' plots are too contrived.
Its supposed to be over the top and farcical. Its not a documentary. The fact that you dont get that is puzzling. The fact that you dont get it and yet still watch (and *****) seven seasons later tells me that you love to hate on stuff.....and you fit right in here at the Cactus Cafe.
You jumped to quite a few conclusions yourself about the seven seasons of a show that you watched the first two episodes of. Its not trying to be plausible or real.
