Another "The Office (US)" thread...

[Ninot]

I wonder if Oscar's roomate knows. hmm.

[OzzyKP]

Originally posted by Aeson
I thought the UK version had more consistant laughs. Some of the stuff in the American version is better at times, but some of it's really flat too. It may just be because it's run longer. More chance of good and bad. But I think it's Ricky Gervais vs Steve Carell. For me Steve Carell always comes off as either extremely funny, or extremely lame (and I don't mean "lame" in the good way...)

I will say... Dwight is clearly better in the American version than the UK version.

Yea, Carrell gets on my nerves. But so did Gervais, and that's the point. *shrug*

One thing that, I hope, can be said uncontested about the American version is the tenderness of it. It isn't always just laugh-out-loud funny, there are some very touching, real moments in it. They are almost as much of a draw as the comedy. I don't remember anything of the sort in the British version.

[Aeson]

Originally posted by OzzyKP
One thing that, I hope, can be said uncontested about the American version is the tenderness of it. It isn't always just laugh-out-loud funny, there are some very touching, real moments in it. They are almost as much of a draw as the comedy. I don't remember anything of the sort in the British version.

I won't contest that, but it's a negative in my book. Mushy has it's place... just not in The Office!

I hate how the relationship angles are starting to take over the show especially. Michael/Jan sucks and always has. (Jan sucks.) The good "relationships" are X/Kelly and Dwight/Angela, because they're so disfunctional and aren't front and center so much. I hope they end the Jim/Pam thing soon.

Imagine if Seinfeld had run it's entire length with Jerry dating Elaine... ugh.

[b etor]

but elaine is so annoying! pam is not.

[Imran Siddiqui]

It's far better to have Jim/Pam together early than to have the whole "will they or won't they" crap that plagues so many sitcoms.

And Jan sucking makes the Michael/Jan relationship so much better.

[Aeson]

No... Jan doesn't suck in the good way that adds to a show. Jan sucks as a character, almost like every bit she's in might as well be dead air.

[Imran Siddiqui]

But you are wrong .

Jan's sucking adds a great deal to the show. Michael's huddling up with "his girls" about Jan, deciding to break up, then staying on after seeing her breast surgery was one of the most brilliant parts of the show.

[Aeson]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
But you are wrong .

Jan's sucking adds a great deal to the show. Michael's huddling up with "his girls" about Jan, deciding to break up, then staying on after seeing her breast surgery was one of the most brilliant parts of the show.

That could work with an interesting character too. Meaning, that the character could still suck, but in a way that doesn't make me lose interest in the show every time she's on the screen for more than 5 seconds. The value of Michael's reactions to Jan != Jan.

[Imran Siddiqui]

[q=Aeson]The value of Michael's reactions to Jan != Jan.[/q]

Of course they are equal. Jan's only purpose in the show is to serve as a something for Michael to react to.

[Aeson]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Jan's only purpose in the show is to serve as a something for Michael to react to.

And that is the problem...

[Imran Siddiqui]

No, that's a good thing .

I'd rather not have Jan be someone that interacts with everyone else. She should just be a device for showing Michael's inherent loneliness and need to be loved. Plenty of characters in sitcoms throughout history that exist for one purpose. That is Jan's.

[Ninot]

For me, Jan is one of the most interesting parts of the show, long term.

She goes from a very competent and real character in season 1 to what is now basically a trailer trash house wife in season 4. I think it's brilliant.

[Aeson]

Who said anything about her interacting with everyone else? She already does that far too much (meaning... at all).

There are other ways to show Michael's inherent loneliness and need to be loved. Hell... it shows up with his interaction with just about everyone. Don't need a bland character who adds nothing in their own right taking up screen time.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Ninot
For me, Jan is one of the most interesting parts of the show, long term.

She goes from a very competent and real character in season 1 to what is now basically a trailer trash house wife in season 4. I think it's brilliant.

That's also really nice about Jan, and how it reacts with Michael. Especially seeing how Jan's career kind of nose dives as her relationship with Michael gets more and more serious. And now as she's hit rock bottom, it appears that Michael is even more into her, as she needs him.

I do think Michael would lose a bit of his humanity without Jan around. I think episodes with Jan tend to make Michael seem more grounded (which is sometimes needed after eps that show him utterly crazy).

[Ninot]

"Jan made me breakfast this morning. Well, she bought the milk. It's soy!"