If only personal time machines had become a thing, I’d be able to go back to last year’s The Office Christmas special and add this caveat to my review: “If you thought this was bad, just wait until next year.” Wow.
Unfortunately last night’s The Office Christmas was that bad. Has the show really gone so far afield that Robert California and Erin could be major plot players? What happened to the characters we’ve come to know and love?
Dwight and Jim did have a story all their own, but I felt like it was a promise unfulfilled. After Pam’s replacement Cathy (Lindsey Broad) tells on them for their constant pranking and one-upmanship (Did we miss something? Is this happening solely off-camera now?), Andy threatens the pair’s bonuses. Which promised to make for either an awesome back-and-forth of taunting, or a fun episode with the two enemies being unnaturally kind to one another.
What actually happened was some weird mash-up of the two, and it was done so very poorly. Dwight bought Pam a $200 flower arrangement using Jim’s credit card; Dwight wrote on his car and on his forehead in an effort to frame Jim; Jim defaced a picture of CeCe to do the same to Dwight; Dwight planted his pet porcupine in his own desk. Ooooh! Did anyone get a kick out of any of that?
Then there was Erin, finding solace in a bottle after Andy brought his super serious secret girlfriend Jessica (Eleanor Seigler) to the holiday office party. I’m sure some of you enjoyed a drunk Erin, and I’m glad for that. But not me. The entire thing was boring … save for Andy’s concern that Erin and Jessica might be talking about something personal. “I hope you’re not talking about my penis.” I can’t believe he actually said that out loud!
Anything else worth mentioning? Let’s see:
The episode, however? Not good. What ever happened to the days when everyone would sit around exchanging gifts that they’d bought for one specific person but were being forced to trade around the room? And I know that didn’t disappear with Michael Scott, because he presided over plenty of stinker Christmas episodes. Well, I suppose there’s always next year. Because, if you thought this was bad….
Oh Aryeh, I totally disagree, friend! I was hooting and knee slapping the whole episode. It was fantastic. Your heart has grown cold to this show, and you make me sad :-(
*POST AUTHOR*
I don’t know … while it hasn’t returned to form, I think I’ve been more pleased with this season than not. I just felt the episode a let-down, not just as far as the standard the show has set for holiday episodes, but for an episode in general. Can’t say I laughed when I didn’t! :-)
I liked this episode too. I thought Jim was really funny without Pam looking over his shoulder.
And didn’t you love that bear hug between Kevin and Robert? Come on, it was great.
The thing I didn’t like about this episode was seeing Erin fall apart and Robert California acting all creepy with her. I thought he was going to do something that would amount to sexual harassment, and Andy would be in the difficult position of having witnessed his CEO do that to the girl he likes. Thank God they didn’t go there.
Robert giving off a creepy vibe around Erin early in the episode was what made the ending interesting…we felt uncomfortable because we were afraid he was going to take advantage of her, but in the end we find he was just being a friend. This vibe created tension, otherwise it would have been bland.
*POST AUTHOR*
Agreed. Kevin hugging Robert was funny. Thanks!
Were you depressed last evening effecting your ability to honestly evaluate the show? This was a really good episode of The Office. All of the characters had a moment to shine and the main stories were entertaining with plenty of laughs spread throughout. Definitely a fine episode that is among the best of Dunder Mifflin’s Christmas gatherings.
*POST AUTHOR*
Just because it didn’t agree with your experience doesn’t mean it wasn’t an honest evaluation. I honestly thought the episode was terrible … I had had a great day on Thursday! :-)