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The Office - season 2
Season 2 of The Office just came out this week.
If anything it is funnier and more painful to watch than the first!
Don Kackman
Friday, April 30, 2004
Weird, I saw it a few months ago. Are the accents British or American?
I think 2nd season's evil and near-unwatchable (I mean this in a good way), but I kind of like it less than the 1st season. It cranked up the squirm factor to 11, but was a little more polished and confident.. I think their hand was heavier. A farce.
That's not a bad thing, I see the 1st season as more innocent, and the 2nd where they started going all-out, using devices to mess with the audience's heads. A fitting final season. So I can fully understand people liking 2nd season more. I know I'm not being specific, but I really don't want to spoil the shows for anyone.
There's also the two-part xmas special after the 2nd season, if anyone doesn't know...
Tayssir John Gabbour
Friday, April 30, 2004
The first one really sucked and I am not planning to waste my time on the second one.
If you like to watch something funny, go rent "The Office Space."
People go on and on about "The Office being the best show ever" simply because a) BBC produced it b) It's British and frankly that's very lame way of determining whether a show is good or not.
Jason
Friday, April 30, 2004
Well, why not explain what you don't like about it?
The reason people like the show is that it's not a sitcom; sitcoms seem hard to do well, and not everyone likes them. (Though there are quality ones.) The Office is willing to show dull and depressing things. Also the writers had an advantage because it's limited to 6 shows/season -- 22 episode behemoths tend to have garbage episodes, especially when there's a story arc.
The nice thing about TV now is people are starting to make shows that not everyone will like -- but those who do, will like them a lot. If they're quality. The humor has shards of glass in it, so it doesn't go down easy. Your belief that it sucks doesn't mean everyone will agree.
Tayssir John Gabbour
Friday, April 30, 2004
So you are saying only intellectually gifted folks can "down" this show?
This reminds me of discussion I had with bunch of folkds regarding Andre Tarkovski's movies.
It's a lame show because there's no theme, no meat no nothing. What's so good about this show anyway? Dayveed oh sorry David being a typical moron?
Jason
Friday, April 30, 2004
It's not the best show ever, though probably one of the best to come out in the last three or four years on either British or American TV. The satire is spot on.
Incidentally, in my opinion an even better program in that genre is "People like us". You will probably have to search for the DVDs though because it was almost unknown, even in the UK.
Stephen Jones
Friday, April 30, 2004
Where did I say anything about the intellectually gifted? Sounds like a debating tactic to make me sound pretentious. The closest thing I said was that sitcoms are difficult to make well. And that not everyone will agree on something, just as I like seafood but not everyone does.
I might think David Lynch movies are uninteresting, but I like (what I think is) his influence on tv shows. I think The Office is at least an attempt to evolve tv.
If you like plot, you might not like The Office. No interesting puzzles.
But I think the creators made interesting decisions. The intro song was one, this sorta weird '80s opening. Then comes the spicy pepper-like humor -- hard to digest for me, because I personally cringe when people are embarrassed, and I think the art value is it lets me explore that. TV shows don't normally make me feel this. I also think many of the encounters are very well done -- like the episode 4 class given by the consultant, where the acting was very convincing. When whatshisface said he was just too bored and the consultant agreed, the acting and dialogue were low-key. Not a big scene like in most shows.
I agree with Stephen though that it's not my favorite show.. maybe it's "better" than my favorite, but the british sitcom "Black Books" is more made for me; I wouldn't mind working in a bookstore, and I like the cynical views. Now you should consider watching HBO's "The Wire," it's got plot and is pretty rich. Few episodes too per year, which is good for story arcs.
Tayssir John Gabbour
Friday, April 30, 2004
Still didn't tell what was so great about it.
After watching it the first episode I got bored to death.
In North America, people dig British and sometimes Australian accents so basically you can thrive in whatever crap you throw at them.
I repeat again. There wasn't a single episode that I can honestly say it had something noble or entertaining at least.
Jason
Friday, April 30, 2004
You're asking me for a grand narrative, and the show isn't so modernist. Sorry, I'll never be able to convince you, and I'm not in any position where I feel I must. However, I like talking about it.
I did offer you a drama which does have plot and nobility, and that's HBO's "The Wire." Their new season will be pushed back to (I believe) January, since one of their writers died. It will take them time to bring new writers in, and they're taking their time.
I am from the US, and I understand how people perceive the brits.. nothing I can do about that, it's fucked up and I'm sure there's some pretentiousness at work, but that always happens. To good things and bad.
Tayssir John Gabbour
Friday, April 30, 2004
Incidentally, if you got bored to death, that was probably an intended result. The Office will do that to some people; at the heart it's about really pathetic themes. At least 1st season. So you're not wrong in disliking it for that reason.
Not all art wants to win everyone's heart. Think Andy Kaufmann.
Tayssir John Gabbour
Friday, April 30, 2004
Dude you are comparing Andy Kaufmann with some lame British comedy?
BAD analogy, real bad. Disturbingly bad.
Jason
Friday, April 30, 2004
<shrug> If you think so. Why don't you explain to me what Andy Kaufmann means to you? I'm pretty much just having you remind me of comedians and tv shows while I take breaks from my little project. It's occasionally frustrating that, like an inexperienced engineer, you don't provide evidence for your assertions, so I occasionally have to draw these answers out of you to continue the argument. But you are consistent.
Incidentally, to the OP, is this ok with you? I'd wonder if I'm misusing your thread, but I guess you didn't ask a question.
Tayssir John Gabbour
Saturday, May 1, 2004
Jason, if you think Kaufman was some great visionary, then I suggest you and Tayssir should just agree to disagree - your tastes are at right angles to each other.
What I personally object to is your putting some kind of value judgement on this - that there's something "wrong" with Tayssir liking The Office (which has won at least 13 awards), while to you Kaufman (nominated for two Emmys for playing Latka) is some kind of Picasso...
I'm wondering if The Office is like Dilbert - if you haven't had a lot of experience in business then it's too "over the top" to be funny, while those of us in the trenches recognize there really are people out there like that.
My favorite quote from the Training episode: "I thought I'd never say this, but I want to hear more from Gareth"
Philo
Philo
Saturday, May 1, 2004
"Still didn't tell what was so great about it."
I do not get arguing tactics like this especially when it comes to discussing things over the Internet. So what if you didn't like it. Are we supposed to convince you to like that? Is that our goal? Do people have to prove why they like something for it to be valid to you? Or is any discenting opinion wrong?
And so what if you didn't like it? Big deal. Not everyone likes everything. Move on.
Matt
Saturday, May 1, 2004
"My favorite quote from the Training episode: "I thought I'd never say this, but I want to hear more from Gareth""
heh. Every time I think of "invetigation in process" I crack up.
Matt
Saturday, May 1, 2004
"Those of us in the trenches recognize there really are people out there like that. "
Dude you make me laugh.
[Disclaimer I don't work for Microsoft]
Jason
Saturday, May 1, 2004
Yeah, that scene from the training episode was brilliant. The one where they all go to the disco is fantastic as well, when you see Gareth speeding away in a motorcycle-sidecar combo, the look on his face is... indescribable.
Monday, May 3, 2004
>>It's a lame show because there's no theme, no meat no nothing.
Jason, what you fail to notice here is, that is the point of the show. The genius in the writing of Ricky Gervais is, he managed to script a show that tackled, the mind-numbingly boring subject of a paper merchant in Slogh, and make it funny.
Yes, every single character in the show is excruciatingly boring. Yes you want to twat Gareth for being the worlds biggest looser, and yes you want to scream at the fact David Brent is in a position of authority. We can all feel Tim’s pain as he realises he wasted, and his life and career are heading nowhere rapidly.
The reason the Office is so successful is because there is an element in each of the characters that we can all associate to somebody we work with past and present.
But like the guy in the IBM adds – “you don’t get it” – which is fine – but your missing out.
PS: For all you Yank’s if you havn’t got the crimbo special yet – it’s a cracker. Brings the whole show off to an excellent conclusion.
pete h
Wednesday, May 5, 2004
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