30 Rock and Parks and Recreation brought the emotions, and Parks and Rec, the Ron in painted shoes. Yes.
- 30 Rock: Next week's gonna be rough. I'm always surprised when 30 Rock pulls off something, dare I say, emotional, but by the end of "A Goon's Deed in a Weary World," a beautiful phrase, I was misty-eyed. Unlike another NBC sitcom, which I think (hope) is going to end with its main characters miserable, Tina Fey is checking off boxes next to all her creations to make sure everyone gets the happy ending they deserve. Jack has Kabletown, Kenneth is now the president of NBC (remember what Jack said years ago, "In five years, we'll be working for him, or dead by his hand"), Jenna and Tracy have their egos to keep them warm at night, and Treme fan Liz and Criss are now the proud owners of a Lil' Jenna and Lil' Tracy (and his lizard). I loved this episode, but I hated it, too. 30 Rock has spoiled us with seven years of great TV, and it's all coming to an end next Thursday. Even the thought of Ken greenlighting The David Alan Grier and Ms. Piggy Variety Show can't comfort me now.
- Parks and Recreation: I'm surprised it took this long for Parks to get around to the topic of sexism in politics, but I'm glad that once they did, they gave the writing duties to Harris "Phish Fan" Wittels, who's penned (typed? scrawled?) many of the show's best episodes, including "Road Trip" and "Dave Returns." He crafted some great lines for proud, spiteful trash collectors April and Leslie (biggest laugh of the night: "If I were 300 years older, councilmen..."), but also Ann Hanson, who's at her best when she's paired with Ron (second biggest laugh of the night: "I LOVE NOTHING."). “Women In Garbage” was a much smaller episode than last week's Indiana-spanning one, but it accomplished just as much. I mean, Ron Swanson said, "I love you" to Xena: Warrior Princess and Andy chugged a bag of Skittles. Now THAT'S plot development.
- The Office: THAT ENDING. I've spent so much time thinking about what the final season means for Dunder Mifflin as a whole that I haven't really stopped to consider the fate of its employees, especially Jim but ESPECIALLY Pam. Jenna Fischer was legit fantastic, Emmy-winning fantastic, during her final scene in “Customer Loyalty," when she broke down after her argument with Jim on the phone, and even knowing the camera crew would be revealed this episode, I was surprised as anyone at the context of how they appeared. When you break things down, it doesn't make much sense why Boom Mic Brian would stop the cameras from rolling now, and not when Michael drove his car into a lake or myriad other moments throughout the show's run, but I wasn't thinking about that while the scene was happening; I was as devastated as Pam (who, I will admit, ONLY HAD ONE JOB TO DO). Look, she and Jim kind of suck now, and have sucked since the wedding, one could argue, but for years, they were one of the best TV couples, and seeing them on the phone last night, cities away from one another, reminded me of season three's "Initiation," when Jim accidentally called Pam and they chatted for the first time since they kissed. In a show's final season, it's impossible not to think of how we got "here," and I kept coming back to that conversation, and all the years and episodes we've spent caring about them, and hoping they'd get together, and then, for some, hoping they'd break up. A part of me wants them to reconcile for nostalgia's sake, but another part hopes Pam ditches that asshole Jim, and hooks up with Creed or Boom Mic Brian. I'm not sure if that great's writing on The Office's part, or dreadful, but it's nice to care again.
And 1600 Penn *fart noise*
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WHAT?
The best moment (for me) from last night was Jerry and the little girls.
“Well hey girls…”
“No.”
“Ok .”
Like he was so used to being rejected by children he was just took it in stride. Classic Jerry!
That was also wonderful.
Everyone should be more like Jerry.
I love how Jerry is less and less fazed by people insulting him nowadays; just sort of smiling his way through it. Just hilarious, and kind of awesome.
He’s close to retirement, he mentions it in an episode multiple seasons back that he’s retiring in two years.
That was by far one of my favorite moments from that episode. I was DYING. He also has a hot wife and a huge penis so those things might also factor into why he’s still so positive when he’s just constantly rejected by everyone around him. Just sayin’.
I was on Jim’s side last night. Pam needs to suck it up, he’s in Philadelphia not fighting over in Afghanistan.
Parks & Rec was great, but my wife would have had a different reaction than Diane if our daughters cut their hair off.
Yeah I’m going to continue to be the sour beet in this patch. Pam’s scene may have been well acted, but it seemed completely out of place to me. Step away from it for a minute and it’s just a chick crying over a MINOR argument. But all of a sudden it’s “Woah dude, stop the cameras, this shit just got waaaaay serious.” Her freaking Dad didn’t die. Couples fight all the time. This just seemed like a ridiculous emotional gambit by the writers who are clearly out of laughs.
I have to agree with JTRO, and I Vastly prefer Daryl killing peoples fish to these fights.
You’d think for being a vice principal she’d be able to raise better behaved children. I guess it’s a cobbler’s son doesn’t have shoes thing.
Jesus JTRO, why so emotional? It’s not the 7th yet.
Eh, Pam needs to suck it up, but when you leave the spouse with the kid(s) solo, you need to cut them some slack.
As for Diane, yeah, my wife would’ve gone apeshit on that.
They weren’t involved in a relationship-ending fight, it was fairly small, but it was amplified for Pam by the fact that she went into the conversation with such high expectations that were not only deflated, but shat upon. I thought that was an excellent scene, and very realistic.
i have that argument with my wife atleast once a week. anytime i try to explain to her how to properly use anything she gets this resentment like i’m talking down to her and says yea yea yea i know how to use it and then BAM, she drops the ball. and i take the tone jim took last night.
and my wife doesnt ever cry about it, at least to my knowledge.
and boom mic Brian was all too pleased to lend a shoulder. dwight should’ve caught him and throttled him justifiably. only dwight can lend that kind of friendly shoulder to pam.
You have to keep in mind that Pam has to take care of multiple small children, work a full time job, and she doesn’t seem to get to see her husband all that much. It’s been fairly obvious throughout the season that Jim hasn’t really considered her feelings about everything, and while he says he’s doing it for the family, he already has a good, stable (at least comparatively) job. If he succeeds in Philly Pam has to find a new job (which isn’t a guarantee) and quit a job she loves and move away from her family and friends. So yeah, things kind of suck for Pam.
aGreed! Hi-Oh!
Jim is being a dick. The job is much more personal to him than simply providing for his family. And if he wanted to see his daughter do that spin move so bad he should have been there.
I would have thought that they would introduce the documentary crew by showing Jim that they had taped the recital for him.
Maybe they were only filming Pam…? I dunno, STOP ANALYZING, START EMOTING.
I couldn’t believe the “You didn’t get any footage?!” was such a part of the fight. If the doc crew wanted to show footage of the recital they could (see: Fun Run). Even though they have gotten involved, intentionally an not, with the action of the office in the past and we’ve heard them off screen, this seemed like a really strange catalyst to get them on screen.
I got the impression that Brian has a thing for Pam. I’m really, REALLY hoping I’m wrong and that they haven’t persisted with the documentary because one of the production guys has a crush on her.
That being said, I’m optimistic and incredibly excited for where this can lead in the coming weeks.
@JoshK, don’t get me wrong I thought her performance was fantastic.
Thought the same thing, Quattro. If it were just a contained episode then the crew showing the recital gives it a nice happy ending, but since they’re obviously going somewhere with this, it’s only the first part of the end.
i think a good ending for the office would be if jim and pam were trapped in a glass box that was slowly filling with water and then after 25 minutes they drown.
It might be better as a 1 hour finale.
But who would take care of Ceci? Oh that’s right: who cares?
Hmm didn’t realize I had that much Dwight in me…
Jim and Pam face the same fate as Jin and Sun, I’m for it.
It’s nice to see Pam and Jim act like a real couple with real problems who fight, but at the same time I <3 Pam so much that I wanted to grab Jim and shake him really hard and scream in his face, "STOP BEING A DICK TO YOUR WIFE SHE'S DOING HER BEST."
All I can say is that if this show ends with Jim and Pam splitting up, I'm going to "Eternal Sunshine" that shows entire 9 year run from my memory, because FUCK THAT.
Meh, no way that happens.
I thought that ending on The Office was amazing. I really didn’t think the show would follow down that path that Jim and Pam were the stable couple everyone thinks. It was an emotional end for sure but remember this is a comedy, you have to keep us laughing here. But now i believe that the final episode will be the crew re-interviewing everyone from Dunder Mifflin after 5 years. And Jim and Pam will have separated but got back together. Best line of the night came from Creed: After Nellie suggests that Erin flirt with Creed, “Yeah, let’s see where this goes.” And that smile.
Also, I first thought Boom Mic Brian was Adam Levine…
That was a classic Creed moment.
He’s the guy from the Charles Schwab commercials.
Thank you, Quattro. Driving me crazy.
I also thought Boom Mic Brian was Adam Levine and for a split second thought, “Wow, really NBC? We had to make one of the doc crew a Voice judge.” Aaand then I realized it was clearly not him.
Seems that Jim’s gone from cocky to insufferable smug prick – last nights ending pushing it over the edge.
Also I enjoyed Phylis’s self-aware realization about Pete being a pretty cool guy, and Andy being a jerk leaving Erin behind for some damn boat ride.
This season has really exceeded in making once-likable characters into ones you despise.
shit man, I’d just say Jim grew up a bit. Being a married dad with a stressful job makes you a bit of a dick. No way around it.
I can see that.
When she asked Boom Mic Brian what she was doing wrong in my head I did say “Well, you failed to use the video camera feature on an incredibly easy-to-use iPhone.”
Of course there is this brewing resentment in Pam as he first kept the company him being a part of the company a secret, then the amount he invested in it. So, it wasn’t just the fight but Jim’s not really someone you root for in the show these days.
Why couldn’t they have pulled the trigger with Arrogant Awesome Jim earlier in the season just to show the progression of his character from season 1 until now. I’m hoping that Nellie will deduce that Toby was the Scranton Strangler all along when she realizes that he’s just a bit too touchy feely with her neck.
And every episode of Parks and Rec should have a scene with Ron Swanson slamming back a glass of scotch.
I caught The Office for the first time in a while, and I’ve got to say, that was a damn fine episode of TV. No, it’s not the same, but that was good.
Same here. This is the first one I’ve seen in a while.
So, uh, Jim started a new company, Andy’s on Gilligan’s Island, and Meredith has cancer?
It was nice for The Office to actually write a “realistic” couples argument, rather than some bizarre one (dinner party episode, anyone?).
Yea, that argument was pretty spot on.
The dinner party has to be the funniest episode of The Office ever, at least the american one.
The way Pam said “Yup” was heartbreaking. It’s the “yup” that you say when you don’t want the other person to know that you’re crying. She did it perfectly.
Only episode I’ve seen this season and it was pretty good.
I have heard that “Yep” before and i’ll tell you, it made me cringe.
I really want to see Tracy and Jenna’s interracial twin movie now, it’s about time Hollywood combined Presidential and Christmas comedy.
Watching those gifs of Pam and Brian more, they have to have some deeper connection. Not saying they’re having an affair, but maybe are related, or have known each other since before this whole thing started. Something there points to more than “this is a really hard moment for you, i’m sorry.”
In the Office universe they’ve been following them around for nine years, you get close to people in that setting.
30 Rock has been the best last season of a comedy since Scrubs. Just a great way to go out. Kudos to Tina Fey for sticking the landing.
Not the first half. The second half has been awesome.
Yeah the 1st half of the season stunk but it’s going out strong
Wait, you’re using Scrubs as a shining example of how to end a comedy sitcom?
@SatanBigsby Go watch season 8 and tell me I’m wrong, I’ll wait. If you’re referring to Scrubs: Med School then I’ll point you to the fact it was a spinoff and put my fingers in my ears and say “la-la-la-la” until you go away.
glad you clarified the winston university version of scrubs wasn’t what you referred too.
Bram is totally happening, long distance relationship family woes etc. its happening which would be awesome because it started with them liking each other and the series should end with them falling apart.
If the Office ends with Pam and Jim breaking up then Greg Daniels (and whoever else is running this season) has nuts the size of Saturn.
i would applaud them to end it that way. I would say maybe the show isnt that bad and the cycle is complete. Jim and pam: “Will they”, “They Did!” “Okay” “Boring old couple” “Background couple with family no one cares about” “Career path growing in different directions” “The split”
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it would be bad. But can you really see NBC not putting up a fight about that? I would have a lot more respect for the Office if they did that but I see it going the safer route and teasing the breakup.
There isn’t a chance in hell of this happening. The Office is way too smarmy for anything like this.
They already sort of played that angle last season by building up to a giant WILL JIM HAVE AN AFFAIR story that went absolutely fucking nowhere and then they banished Kathy the Whore to wherever they have Gabe and Andy hidden away.
@JTRO I could see it happening on a cable series, but a LOT of shows go out on happy endings. Seinfeld is the only major comedy I can think of that hasn’t.
@Stacey Yeah, but Greg Daniels is running things this year. And they wouldn’t be doing an affair, just characters growing apart. But I agree, it ain’t happening.
NBC has said they don’t want to do the whole “high brow comedy” so they will not end their relationship on a low note. People will get the happy ending that “low brow humour” deserves.
@stacey it’s more like the “will Pam cheat on Roy with Jim” from season 2. Jim was very clearly not gonna cheat.
Also, Cathy went away because she was Pam’s temp while on maternity leave. Pam came back, Cathy goes back to the temp agency. And Gabe will be back this year, because he’s the Scranton Strangler, I’m just sure of it.
I thought Kathy (Cathy?) was the assistant Will Ferrel hired when we was boss for all of two minutes. Or was that how Erin started? Shit if I can remember.
D’Angelo (Will Ferrel) hired Jordan (who also had a crush on Jim) and she disappeared when D’Angelo had his breakdown because she was his personal assistant.
Charles Minor hired Erin (who was at first called “Kelly”) as receptionist when Pam joined Michael Scott Paper company. She stuck around because Pam came back as a “salesman”.
I can’t wait till they show the full documentary they’ve been filming at DM. I’m convinced Creed is an eccentric millionaire and the doc is only going to be about himself.
Christ, that would be good.
Somewhat relevant: Creed Bratton is playing a show in Philadelphia in March!
More people throwing milkshakes at Dwight please.
Wait, that thing is supposed to be a peacock?
holy shit. that was awesome. Cuz I totally think WE COMEDY everytime I see that logo/phrase.
NBC needs to publish a bathroom book of 30 Rock-isms. There are just too many amazing jokes and lines. If you could memorize several dozen you’d have a smooth and insane line for every akward situation.
I fully endorse this idea.
I watched The Office last night for the first time in over a year. It’s depressing how terrible it is. I watched only to see how we would be introduced to the documentary crew. AS IF the audience is supposed to believe Kelly Kapoor never would have mentioned hot boom mic brian? OK.
i personally loved that ending. it may be a small stakes argument for couples who always fight, but they clearly don’t and they’ve done a good job of showing the strain on her end and it was a believable moment to me and one of the more powerful non-comedy moments they’ve done in years.
Agree because really the stakes have never been higher for the two of them.
I am going to miss the further adventures of Liz Lemon more than I thought. They are killing it in the final season. Hopefully her giant deal with NBC will get us something similar to this in the future, and give me a non-Parks reason to watch.
It’s impossible to believe the Office will end in a good, fulfilling way. I can’t help think it should’ve ended when Michael left, that’s the best “ending” the show can have.
Yeah, Michael Scott leaving would have been the perfect ending, but of course nothing can end when it should. Instead some shows die a slow, painful death.
They aren’t going to break Jim and Pam up. What I think will happen is that Jim is going to give up on Athlead, and head back to Scranon full time, probably taking over as Manager. He’s going to settle, because in real life people don’t become rich sports marketing execs overnight. The guy who was always too call for Dunder Mifflin will commit to it long term because it’s what’s good for his family. That, or Creed/Toby is going to kill everyone.
Always thought it was likely they’d call back to a conversation Jim and Michael had seasons ago. Jim said something about not being there in 10 years, and Michael responded “That’s what I said”.
Though Toby killing everyone is even more likely.
I had to watch Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory after Archer last night, that’s how good that homage was.
I gave 1600 Penn a shot last night. You know, it seems like that premise could be good for a lot of laughs, but they sure ain’t finding any. How about more focus on President Pullman and less on pregnant daughter, obnoxious fat cliche son, and Jenna Elfman?
The Office’s ending was a bit jarring. Sure, it was acted really well, no doubt. But to reveal the crew after all this time was kinda like breaking the 4th wall. The 5th wall, actually(if such a thing exists) because they’ve interacted with the doc crew before. But last night, it was like worlds colliding. All in all, one of the very best moments the show has had in the last few years. Oh yeah, last nights P&R was by far the best this season.
And with that, I’ve earned a Nard Dog badge. Totally not missing that guy, but I wish the Office would stop trying to ship Erin and Pete as the new Jim & Pam. Its annoying and extremely forced. Erin should just hook up with Creed and see where that goes.
I have to say, that was an incredibly strong night of comedy. Could you imagine if Community had been on as well? I can only hope that nights like this make NBC (and other networks) appreciate when they have a good thing and to just let it go on.
Anyone else hoping for Pam to bang the boom mic guy and send Jim the tape? “I CAN USE A VIDEO CAMERA NOW, BITCH!!!”
god damn i’m still pissed i watched the whole episode for the damn “reveal” of the the camera crew. for shame!
As a born and raised Houstonian, nothing made me laugh harder than, Criss saying, “I want to paint a mural of Houston for the kids, but I’m terrible at drawing swamp humidity”
That ending of The Office was great. If Jenna Fischer does not get nominated for an Emmy i will write a strongly worded comment about it here. Seriously.
wait Andy is still alive?!