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One of the best new comedies on television, The Office chronicles the inner-workings of the fictional Pennsylvania paper company Dunder-Mifflin. The name itself sort of alludes to a bureaucratic labyrinth administered by dunderheads, and in reality, it is. Unfortunately, what makes The Office so outrageously funny is the frightening ability of its millions of viewers to relate to the onscreen happenings. Dunder-Mifflin is mis-managed by the politically-incorrect, borderline lunatic Michael Scott (Steve Carell). Deploying his twisted logic as the basis of company policy, substituting worn out clichés for real leadership, and offering an endless array of ever ridiculous group activities to “increase morale,” he fosters a white collar environment that makes the comic strip world of Dilbert seem desirable in contrast.
Carell, one of Hollywood’s hottest stars, shines in the role of the crazed and eccentric office manager, and his talents are well complimented by Rainn Wilson in the role of Michael’s butt-kissing, rule-Nazi sycophant, Dwight Schrute. Dwight’s over-the-top antics regularly conflict with the rest of the office, particularly co-worker and desk neighbor Jim Halpert (John Krasinski). An unspoken office crush between Jim and Pam Beesley (Jenna Fischer) makes for an interesting and recurring subplot. The two epitomize the rest of the Dunder-Mifflin employees who convey themselves as logical, well-reasoned, and normal individuals; normal people trapped in a bizarro world where bumbling idiots like Michael and Dwight preside over their work week. Similar in theme to the hilarious feature film Office Space, the show provides viewers with a much more excitable Bill Lumbergh lording over an army of Peter Gibbons-like worker bees. For creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, who first experienced success with the concept in the United Kingdom, it’s a surefire recipe for pure, unadulterated laughter.
The Office (Season 2) DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere “The Dundies” in which the annual staff awards, “The Dundies,” are handed out by Michael. Michael struggles with the event due to some corporate complaints about his past handling of the event, while still managing to offend each and every one of his fellow employees. Following a fight with Roy, Pam gets hammered and the spends the evening joking around with Jim. The two end up kissing before Pam catches a ride home with another coworker… Other episodes include “Christmas Party” in which Michael screws up the office Christmas party with another one of his erratic decisions, and “Conflict Resolution” in which Michael’s efforts to improve relations within the office result in a worse situation.
Below is a list of episodes included on The Office (Season 2) DVD:
Episode 7 (The Dundies) Air Date: 09-20-2005
Episode 8 (Sexual Harassment) Air Date: 09-27-2005
Episode 9 (Office Olympics) Air Date: 10-04-2005
Episode 10 (The Fire) Air Date: 10-11-2005
Episode 11 (Halloween) Air Date: 10-18-2005
Episode 12 (The Fight) Air Date: 11-01-2005
Episode 13 (The Client) Air Date: 11-08-2005
Episode 14 (Performance Review) Air Date: 11-15-2005
Episode 15 (Email Surveillance) Air Date: 11-22-2005
Episode 16 (Christmas Party) Air Date: 12-06-2005
Episode 17 (Booze Cruise) Air Date: 01-05-2006
Episode 18 (The Injury) Air Date: 01-12-2006
Episode 19 (The Secret) Air Date: 01-19-2006
Episode 20 (The Carpet) Air Date: 01-26-2006
Episode 21 (Boys and Girls) Air Date: 02-02-2006
Episode 22 (Valentine’s Day) Air Date: 02-09-2006
Episode 23 (Dwight’s Speech) Air Date: 03-02-2006
Episode 24 (Take Your Daughter to Work Day) Air Date: 03-16-2006
Episode 25 (Michael’s Birthday) Air Date: 03-30-2006
Episode 26 (Drug Testing) Air Date: 04-27-2006
Episode 27 (Conflict Resolution) Air Date: 05-04-2006
Episode 28 (Casino Night) Air Date: 05-11-2006
About the author:
Britt Gillette is author of
The DVD Report
, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one.
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