A quick review of last night’s “The Office” coming up just as soon as I place an ad on Craigslist…
The comedy parts of “Paper Airplane” were so dire I’m not going to dwell on them at all, other than to again wish that Andy had just stayed on the boat forever, and that the show never does Ed Helms any favors when they hand him Michael Scott material.
Instead, I want to focus on the one part of the season that’s been consistently interesting, if not always pleasant: Jim and Pam hitting the first sustained bump in their relationship. It’s good to have them finally talking, even in strained, therapized language, since their reluctance to communicate (Jim by taking the job in secret, Pam by not objecting much sooner) caused this problem in the first place. And I thought John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer were both terrific in the final scene with the umbrella: Jim hanging onto Pam for dear life, terrified of losing her, and the gesture in turn reminding Pam how much they loved each other when they got married, which was enough for her to finally reciprocate the hug. I know some people thought the moment – and the flashback to “Niagara” – felt unearned, but it really worked for me, particularly at the end of another season 9 episode I watched more out of obligation than entertainment.
What did everybody else think? Did you laugh at Angela’s new apartment or Andy at the eyewash station? Did you buy the Jim and Pam hug, and/or Erin’s insanely competitive streak?