"The Office" asks: Can you have a baby shower after the baby is born?
Of course you can. It's funnier that way.
You may (or may not) have noticed that I did not do an "Office" recap last week. This is because I found episode two of season five, "Business Ethics," boring. The only reason you are reading an "Office" recap now is because I did not find episode three, "Baby Shower," boring. I found it a little absurd, actually. Let me refresh your memory:
First of all, are you kidding me with that opening? Dwight with a watermelon baby bump screaming about his water breaking? I know this isn't your typical office atmosphere, but this is beyond cartoonish, even for Dunder Mifflin. Did anyone else gag watching Michael eat the baby/watermelon? Not out of disgust, but out of disappointment? The only thing that saved that scene was Dwight's sexy red underwear (think Angela bought it for him?).
It was a bad opening followed by two minutes of pure "that's what she said" genius, during which we got the following:
Dwight: "Growing up, I performed my own circumcisions."
Michael, to the Party Planning Committee: "Where's my golden shower?"
Michael: "Ass-turd."
Michael, to Phyllis as she blows up a balloon: "Pump it!"
Shortly after this, we get a phone conversation between Pam and Jim, during which Pam gets frustrated while telling Jim some inane story about the other losers living in her stupid dorm at Nerd School. Hey, Pam? No. You do not just hang up on My Boyfriend Jim Halpert™. Tripping on Jim Halpert like that gets you cut. Seriously.
So Jan finally arrives for the baby shower, and oh... she's already had the baby. Astird. I mean, Astrid. And apparently the baby is a Janis Joplin fan, but Jim, Oscar and everyone else with ears is not. Also not a fan? Michael, who wants to know why he was not invited to the baby's birth, even though, as Darryl points out, he is not the Baby Daddy (but not 'cuz he's white, 'cuz he's -- you know -- not the baby's daddy).
Friendly tip: don't let Dwight anywhere near your baby's stroller, because he will take it and do stupid and unfunny things to it. Also, he paid $1200 for a bomb shelter. On a beet farm. In Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Michael warns Holly that he'll be treating her "coldly" while Jan is around to pay respect to Jan's bloated feelings, but he takes it a little overboard when he tells Jan that Holly "smells like old tomatoes and dirt" -- even after he finds out Jan has not included him in Astird's birth. Still, with one simple hug (after Jan has left the building -- natch), Holly seems to forgive Michael and even agrees to go out with him, despite Jan requesting that he not date Holly. It would appear Michael is coming out of Jan's spell! And I want to pull for Holly and Michael, but Michael is just so... blech. How about Holly and poor, cuckolded Andy Bernard? Anyone?
Final scene: what do we think of Jim and Pam trying to connect via voicemail? Cute? Or a signal of the end? Will we see "Mad Men"'s Rich Sommer wooing Pam Beasly in future eps?
Watch a deleted scene from "Baby Shower" while you think about it (Toby shows up! Kevin maybe "does it" with Jan!):
Next week's episode: "Crime Aid," and hopefully a return to the consistent funny that was present in episode one of the season, "Weight Loss."
[Source: NBC]
Comments:
Heather, thanks for the recap. I was seeing Army of Darkness last night and completly forgot to set my dvr. Looks like I didn't miss much.
Posted by: Michael at October 17, 2008 10:23 AM
Yeah, that last scene was just a tad too poignant for me. From the absurdity of the first scene (though Jim's white board diagram was awesome) to the darkness of the last one was quite the ride.
I did find the butter on the watermelon kinda funny. "Those suckers are slippery."
Posted by: adam at October 17, 2008 10:45 AM
I enjoyed last night's episode, laughed throughout, especially at Dwight and the stroller.
And "It could be anybody's baby ... except for Michael's."
Posted by: Mike Oz at October 17, 2008 11:40 AM
One thing we never agree on, Mike Oz: episodes of "The Office." I thought the Dwight stroller schtick was so unfunny. Not as unfunny as the watermelon baby bump, but up there.
Posted by: Heather at October 17, 2008 11:46 AM
while scranton, pa. itself wouldn't be a target, it would be near a target, three mile island (TMI). so, if the terrorists lash out @ tmi, dwight will be safe in his shelter. you, and your bf halpert will be dead. remember that o snarky one.
i liked michael's monologue about babies, and how he concludes it would be a better screen play than serious suggestion.
one last thing, janis joplin not involved in this episode. jan sings 'son of a preacher man,' made famous by dusty springfield, which has been covered by many, just not joplin.
Posted by: ed at October 17, 2008 1:24 PM
and that nbc robinson crusoe looks terrrrrrrible (hear that with bill walton's voice). can't wait for them to stop promo'ing that.
Posted by: ed at October 17, 2008 1:26 PM
How are you harshing on the Business Ethics episode. This 48 seconds alone made the whole episode worthwhile. It was classic Jim and Dwight.
Posted by: adam at October 17, 2008 2:06 PM
Whoops. Good catch on Janis/Dusty, Ed. Another reason I shouldn't blog drunk anymore.
Adam, those 48 seconds were funny, but 48 seconds out of 22 minutes aren't worth my trouble blogging about it.
Posted by: Heather at October 17, 2008 3:41 PM
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