Office Recap, "Stress Relief"

Did you hear about the two drums and cymbal that fell off a cliff?
Buh-dum-chhh!

Thank you, I'll be here all week. This Very Special Episode of The Office had the exciting privilege of being an introduction for many viewers. It's an interesting conundrum for the writers because they have to provide enough explanatory behavior for newcomers and still give enough original material for the devoted watchers. I'm pleased to say that this was one of the better episodes in a long while. In fact, it was boss.

Dwight has a tendency to be overly safety-concious and militant, so when his colleagues didn't take his fire safety class seriously, he had no choice but to force them to learn the hard way. Some lighter fluid in a trash can and blocked doors led to total chaos. The scene (which culminated in Stanley having a heart attack) bordered on the level of "utterly zany" which includes other sitcom scenes like Lucy on a chocolate box assembly line. Personally, I didn't laugh that much, but it was a good, albeit non-traditional way to introduce the characters and how they behave. Angela throws her office-cat in the ceiling, Kevin breaks in to the vending machine, etc.

*Theme song plus a modified opening! I hope it sticks around.*

Michael and Dwigh travel all the way up to New York to meet with David Wallace and the DM lawyer. Instead of really listening to their reprimand, the Scranton Boys argue over semantics ("take heeded of?"). In the car, Dwight confesses that he's planning an awesome bomb scare that'll put them all in place. Realistically, Michael knows that what happened with the fire and Stanley was not ideal for an office setting, because an office is not for dying. An office is where dreams come true.

Rose is a certified CPR trainer and she also doesn't know what to do if someone dies. Michael's used the Glengarry Glen Ross "Always Be Closing" line before, as opposed to Airways Breathing Circulation, so that was a good callback. As expected, the CPR training doesn't go as planned. 20 seconds is too long for Kevin and even though Stanley is supposed to be taking it easy in his wheelchair, Michael still forced him to resuscitate the armless, legless dummy. My first truly LOL-moment of the episode was when Rose asked Michael to pump to the tune of "Stayin' Alive" and he busts out with "At first I was afraid, I was petrified..." Andy picks up the slack and Kelly starts to dance--both of those moments were perfectly in-character. Stabbing the dummy is the most sensible thing in Dwight's mind and then he cuts off the face and it's super creepy. I didn't think it was possible for things to fall apart more at this point, but they do.

Seriously? $5300 for one of those CPR dummies? Someone's getting rich off of that industry. Michael attempts to relax the crew in an empty conference using meditation and relaxation techniques. I didn't really laugh a whole lot during this scene and there's a lot left to cover, so I'm gonna move on, mmkay? (Wait, I laughed during "Don't touch his thing! That's what he said. 'Cause of gay." But just then.)

The biggest issue I have with tv events like this is that the networks feel the need to interject random guest stars to gain viewership. And if there's one image I wish I could erase from my brain, it's Jack Black making out with Cloris Leachman shudder Jessica Alba was only on-screen for, like, 4 seconds tops. Lame. The whole pirated-movie idea lacked focus and creativity. The best/worst part of Mrs. Albert Hannaday was the laughably awful soundtrack. Basically, Jim and Pam use Andy to watch movies before they hit the theaters...the punishment fits the crime.Andy sobs at the tale of a love that defies age and he also gets really bummed that he's not as good of a critic as JAM. However, he'd make a great food critic or art critic. This muffin is bad. This painting is bad. Not so difficult, is it?

The best way to feel better about yourself is to get all of your workers together and have them make fun of you, right? Knowing how the roast was going to end didn't make it any less enjoyable to watch. Let's start with the fact that Michael thinks YouTube is produced by someone who's actually named YouTube. Also, he became a boss because that's what people used to call stuff that was totally rad, like shoulder pads or perms. Now it just means "jerk-in-charge."

They gather in the warehouse and Dwight tells them to sign-in, even though the list is technically his statment of regret. ("I state my regret.") The roast kicks off which tiny Miss Angela, who usually doesn't like to make people laugh.
Angela: You know you're Michael Scott if...
Kelly: "Here's a list of people I'd make out with before Michael Scott: A turtle, Kevin, Lord Voldemort. Happy birthday, Michael!"
Meredith: He drives her to drink. Harsh.
Oscar: Something in Spanish. Apparently it means something along the lines of "You give me an ulcer because every day I have to come to work for you. For you!"
Toby: Not allowed, because he's not a friend. I'd have LOVED to see what Toby Flenderson would have to say about Michael at a roast, so I'm kinda sad about that.
Jim: Michael Scott-isms. "Don't cut off your nose to spider face."
Dwight: He gets mad at everyone for insulting Michael and then turns the tables and busts him for having no friends, family, or land.
Pam: Makes fun of his "thing" and then says if it were an iPod, it'd be a shuffle. (Ha!)
Darryl: If they're family, how come Michael doesn't know the name of the other black warehouse guy? (It's Michael, by the way.)
Andy: Sings his own version of "What I Like Hate About You" and it rocks, but I'm automatically partial to All Things Andy.

When Michael gets up to defend himself, he can't handle the surprisingly light insults and trips over the snare drum, effectively becoming his own punchline. I can't wait to re-watch this scene because there were some great jokes and reactions.

The next day opens with a Michael-less office and they're more concerned than usual given the events of the previous day. (Random trivia: I always notice the color of Pam's sweater because it's how I keep track of the different days in the office.) Dwight's TH revels that he's concerned Michael got impaled by a icicle since he always stands right underneath them. What? It's a valid concern. In truth, Michael's actually at the park tossing whole slices of bread at non-existant pigeons who apparently flew west for the winter. His spaceman analogy pretty much lost me, but I don't think it was supposed to make sense.

Comedy writing has never been Michael's strong point (Exhibit A: The Dundies) and yet, his hapless insults are trite and lame that by the end everyone's laughing. For an episode with a high cringe-factor, this scene was a good release of tension for both the characters and the audience. I also resolve to start using the phrase "Boom! Roasted." whenever I insult someone. ("Andy, Cornell called and they think you suck. And you're gayer than Oscar.")

After Pam came back from New York, it seems like the writers have made a conscious effort to have as little Jim and Pam interaction as possible. Okay, I understand that not every single episode can have cutesy moments between the two. I actually prefer it that way. Yet there are still fans out there (*cough*) who used to thrive on looking for any hint of interaction or affection during an episode and I miss that. What's impressive is that even after one and a half seasons of Jim and Pam dating, they still manage to be ridiculously perfect for each other. The JAM conflict in Stress Relief hinged on the fact that Pam's parents were going through a rough patch. Pam's dad stayed with the couple and she even tried to have Jim talk to Mr. Beesly with less-than-successful results. Sounds like they'll be going through a divorce and like most kids of divorces, Pam wonders if her and Jim will make it work. Her anger at Jim dissipates when she learns exactly what Jim told him....about how much he loves Pam and how he knows that she's the right girl for him. If it were anyone else but Jim and Pam, it might come across as cheesy or something, but just knowing what those two have been through makes it deeply sentimential. (Cue collective "squee!" from the fangirls.)

While Jim and Pam are certainly the glue that holds things together, it's easy to forget that Michael Scott is the heart of The Office. His fragile ego and ploys for attention can be grating, but he loves his work so much. It really is a dream come true for him because these people are, in fact, his family. And for all his missteps, they like him back for the most part. Steve Carell's portrayal is so human and flawed that as a viewer, it's hard not to love him as well. And while we might not have as many problems as Michael, I believe that everyone has acted like a Michael at some point in there lives and we can relate to his desire to be loved and admired.

Final Verdict: Great episode that can only get better with a re-watch.  I'm surprised at the number of lukewarm reviews I've come across when the early response was so positive. While it lacked the subtlety of the first season, I loved how it brought each character's relationship to Michael Scott to the forefront, not to mention a particularly sweet moment with Jim and Pam.

Was it the first time for any of you? Did you think it was an adequate introduction to the show? And for long-time fans, how did you feel about it?