The Office: The Meeting

Filed under: Recaps & Reviews

When there are well developed characters, and a simple plotline, the joke writes itself. Such is the case in the opening of this week's episode of The Office, as Michael called Oscar into his office for a meeting. Regular viewers can already tell that Michael is going to offend Oscar's sexuality, by just watching the two men together. Sometimes it's the predictability, and the amazing delivery that make the joke so hilarious. It is difficult to imagine that Michael could be so ignorant, in thinking that Oscar could easily participate in such an uncomfortable dialogue.

It is this same lack of social skills that has led Michael to be looking inside from the outside for all his life. As with most cases, it is also his tendency to rectify this scenario, which only causes a bigger rift between himself and others, eventually leading to the most heated conflict between him and Jim ever on the series. Even with Jim at his most angry, asking Michael, "So instead you screw me?" somehow Michael was able to completely detach himself to reply with his most infamous one-liner. It is this unpredictability, that makes the joke good. It simulatenously shows Michael's disregard for others, and his lack of impulse control. This is especially evident, in Michael's desire to not be left out, as he convinced Andy to put him under the cheese cart. Similar to the fluffy fingers gag, the writers deliberately don't deliver on it, for no other reason than to create restraint, maintain unpredictability, and above all, allow the viewers' imagination to fill in the storyline.

It is in the partially told storylines that made this episode very different from the others. Only a limited perspective is shown, leading to curiosity for the viewers, and for the characters of each other. In an unusual pairing, Dwight and Toby teamed up, to create some good slapstick chemistry, that also showed Toby's less tame side. Not since the Prison Mike sketch, has there been such a harsh line ever delivered by anybody on the show, and it's good that it's coming from somebody besides Michael. The writers are making good use of the minor characters, which fill the episode with interesting secondary storylines.

Tags: The Office, The Meeting, Michael Scott, Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Rainn Wilson, Ed Helms, season 6, sitcom

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Original Comments Posted (3)

heroesgirl314 says...

Dwight and Toby were great in this episode- it's strange tosee soft spokenToby actually raise his voice, lol.

Oct 1, 2009 6:33am

BigGame says...

I thought this episode was great as well dwight is still as funny as always and toby and the rest of the gang were up to the same ol tricks. It is a great show and one I like to watch every week. Steve Carell is so funny in this show and also in the 40 year old virgin he was priceless.

Oct 2, 2009 7:53pm

LisaBella says...

Michael showed a different side of himself in this episode. He is usually extremely self-centred and doesn't care what how hisactions affect his staff. When his boss offered to let Jim go and keep Michael as the only manager, he declined. He preferred to be co-manager with Jim than to have Jim fired. Michael has a heart.

Oct 7, 2009 3:36pm

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