The Office continues to be the funniest and freshest comedy on television right now.
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There's always a sense of trepidation when a remake is announced. Why tread on hallowed ground? Fans had every right to worry when NBC decided to do their own version of the British hit series, "The Office." The peacock network already failed twice with their remakes of "Men Behaving Badly" and "Coupling." Without any reason to believe that the third time would be the charm, NBC surprised a lot of people by giving them one of the funniest shows in years.
"The Office" is shot in a documentary style with talking head interviews sprinkled throughout the show. Think "The Real World", but in the workplace and much, much more entertaining. The show is set in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of Dunder-Mifflin, a paper manufacturer. The boss is Regional Manager Michael Scott (Steve Carell) who is, to put it bluntly, an ass. But, he's an ass in a different way from Bill Lumbergh of "Office Space" fame. Michael won't make come in on weekends; however, he will most likely make fun of your appearance, weight, or ethnicity. All in a vain attempt to ensure that he is always the center of attention and liked by everyone.
Also slaving away at the office is Jim Halpert (John Krasinski), the mild-mannered salesman who survives the daily grind by pulling pranks on the nebbish Dwight (Rainn Wilson). Dwight may be the only other person people hate more than Michael. He is even more annoying, a huge suck-up, and possesses no social skills whatsoever. Rounding out the main cast is Pam (Jenna Fischer), the receptionist who has to put up with Michael's bewildering behavior. The show takes a cue from "The Simpsons" by filling out the office with an incredibly strong supporting cast. Not surprisingly, the executive producer of "The Office" is Greg Daniels, a former writer/producer for "The Simpsons" and "King of the Hill." Some of the background characters include: Ryan (B.J. Novak), a temp promoted to full-time who usually gets finagled into performing degrading tasks for the boss; Angela (Angela Kinsey), the ultra-religious and uptight head of accounting; Stanley (Leslie David Baker), the always serious sales rep; and the bubbly, air-headed Kelly, played by writer Mindy Kaling.
Season 2 left off with some dangling plot threads, the biggest being the will-they or won´t-they relationship of Pam and Jim. When last we left, Pam´s wedding with Roy (David Denman) drew closer and closer as Jim finally confessed his feelings for her. It was all for naught as Pam shot Jim down and he took a promotion to the branch in Stamford, Connecticut. But, the Stamford branch was shut down and merged with Scranton, bringing Jim back into the presence of Pam who has broken off her engagement to Roy. Just as it seems Pam may reciprocate her feelings for Jim, their romance hits a snag when Jim falls for Karen (Rashida Jones), one of his co-workers from Stamford. Also joining the cast is another Stamford transplant, Andy Bernard, hilariously played by former "Daily Show" correspondent, Ed Helms. Andy´s obnoxious behavior and terrible jokes make him fast friends with Michael. It also puts him in direct competition for Dwight as they attempt to outdo each other in butt kissing.
Jim and Pam aren´t the only ones who have been struck by Cupid´s arrows. Dwight and Angela continue to keep their office romance on the down low, while Jan steps up her relationship with Michael, despite her better judgment. Plus, Phyllis finally gets married to Bob Vance (Robert R. Shafter) of Vance Refridgeration.
Season 3 also saw some well-known talent lend their hand to the show as it hits new levels of popularity. Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the creators of the original British version, write an episode dealing with an employee who is an ex-convict. Harold Ramis ("Groundhog Day", "Stripes") directs several episodes this season, while Joss Whedon ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer") and JJ Abrams ("Alias", "Lost", "Mission: Impossible III") step behind the lens for one episode each.
The episodes included in this set are as follows:
-Disc 1-
"Gay Witch Hunt" – When Oscar´s homosexuality comes out, Michael does his hardest to make him feel comfortable. That goes about as well as can be expected.
"The Convention" – Michael & Dwight head off to Philadelphia for a product convention with the other branches while Pam gets ready for her first date since her breakup.
"The Coup" – Dwight meets with Jan in an attempt to assume control of the office. When Michael finds out, in true Michael logic, he puts Dwight in charge. Meanwhile, Jim struggles with his co-workers in a game of Call of Duty.
"Grief Counseling" – Michael´s old boss passes away and he feels his employees aren´t appropriately grieving his loss.
"Initiation" – Dwight takes Ryan on his first sales call with a slight detour to the Schrute family beet farm.
"Diwali" – Kelly takes the office to a Hindi Diwali celebration as Jim stays late with his co-workers consolidating order forms and doing shots.
"Branch Closing" – When the board decides to shut down the Scranton branch, everyone makes plans for their post-Dunder-Mifflin lives. That is, until the Stanford manager makes plans of his own.
-Disc 2-
"The Merger" – Michael tries his best to make the new people from Stanford welcome in their new environment.
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