The Gist: Michael has burnt his foot on his George Foreman grill, and Dwight has been acting strange ever since he crashed his car into a fence.
The Source of It’s Awesomeness: Michael Scott is like the friend in your group who only knows how uncool he is when his other friends tell him. The mockumentary style is a perfect format for Steve Carell to play an over the top character centered in realism. There are many cringe worthy moments in this episode, but the most uncomfortable is when Michael invites a wheelchair bound man to share his pain with the group. (How long does it take you to brush your teeth?) So everyone knows Michael’s jilted self-perception is a rare quality in lead characters, but the subtle romance between Jim and Pam is the great storytelling NBC was skeptical about at first. Before The Office, My Name is Earl and 30 Rock, NBC liked to bash a romance over your head and tell the audience where to laugh in typical three-camera formula. Even though The Office has not ended, the Jim and Pam dynamic is more appealing and better executed than anything Ross and Rachel ever did. This episode is a great chance to examine their relationship because Pam actually starts to like loopy Dwight despite him vomiting on his back windshield, and not being able to control his arms. We see how undeniably in love Jim is with Pam because he can handle her being engaged to Roy, but he can’t handle Dwight being friends with her. It’s always risky to turn a character upside down for an episode, but this time it was hugely satisfying and brought pleasure in a big way … and that’s what she said.
Best Lines:
Michael: (To Dwight on the way to the hospital) Stop it! Stop it or your fired!
Dwight: You can’t fire me, I don’t work in this van.
The Source of It’s Awesomeness: Michael Scott is like the friend in your group who only knows how uncool he is when his other friends tell him. The mockumentary style is a perfect format for Steve Carell to play an over the top character centered in realism. There are many cringe worthy moments in this episode, but the most uncomfortable is when Michael invites a wheelchair bound man to share his pain with the group. (How long does it take you to brush your teeth?) So everyone knows Michael’s jilted self-perception is a rare quality in lead characters, but the subtle romance between Jim and Pam is the great storytelling NBC was skeptical about at first. Before The Office, My Name is Earl and 30 Rock, NBC liked to bash a romance over your head and tell the audience where to laugh in typical three-camera formula. Even though The Office has not ended, the Jim and Pam dynamic is more appealing and better executed than anything Ross and Rachel ever did. This episode is a great chance to examine their relationship because Pam actually starts to like loopy Dwight despite him vomiting on his back windshield, and not being able to control his arms. We see how undeniably in love Jim is with Pam because he can handle her being engaged to Roy, but he can’t handle Dwight being friends with her. It’s always risky to turn a character upside down for an episode, but this time it was hugely satisfying and brought pleasure in a big way … and that’s what she said.
Best Lines:
Michael: (To Dwight on the way to the hospital) Stop it! Stop it or your fired!
Dwight: You can’t fire me, I don’t work in this van.
The Whole Truth: Phyllis Smith, who plays Phyllis, is a casting director who was given a part on the series because of the way she read with the actors auditioning for the leading roles.
2 comments:
Going to be a pain...and just be aware that when Dwight puked I laughed out loud and then when he crashed on the way out of the parking lot I guffawed again...but was this episode funnier than "Diversity Day"?
While "Diversity Day" was a great episode. The previous posters mention of Dwight's Crash made me laugh just remembering it. I can't think of any of those moments from "Diversity Day." Great choice!
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