High: Creative!Micheal

Noteworthy: Dunder Muffler? Dunder Mittens? "Oh, D", Hey Kool-Aid! Oscar the Fashion Designer. "Ryan's being a little bitch...Hey there, Big Guy!" Sing-a-longs. Sports-writing, guitar-slinging Philly Jim angst over First Life artistic Pam. Micheal's Director Cut including Redemption!Stanley, "...has a second chance....to score" (nod to PB & J) and Dunder Mifflin: Unlimited Paper in a Paperless World.

"nailed it!"

Speaking of Dwight's second Second Life, it showed good perception on Jim's behalf to notice how withdrawn Dwight is becoming, even after their little talk. He even created a character himself so he could keep tabs on him (or so he says. I just think Jim is kinda geeky too). However, I noticed that when he tried to include Pam, she laughed and didn't take it too seriously. Then she said she was going to stay and work late when she was Jim's ride home. How do you forget THAT? I think this could become somewhat of a contention between them. Pam has her art and animation to focus on and Jim has...well, Jim has Pam. It was a subtle shift but I think Pam is growing and Jim might start feeling a bit left behind.Ï

The Office does a 2nd Life episode the night after CSI New York did a 2nd Life episode? The alleged best comedy on TV "right now" is borrowing ideas from the third best CSI show?

Oh, and "ThE Smallville Discussion ... is over at the NBC Bee Movie JuNiors talkback". Geez, a one sentence post with two typos - I must really be worried about my opthamologists appointment.

And of course the Office has to do just as much product placement, but the fact that they just roll over and do it (how many storylines have prominently featured Staples over the years?) without the irony that 30 Rock uses bothers me a little. Maybe I shouldn't take it as lack of integrity--it's a show, it's a business, we get to watch it for free, etc.

But really, how much did the Second Life plotline add to last night's show? Okay, there were one or two laughs--shots of a realistic looking Dwight flying up into space were amusing, and Pam ribbing Jim about getting too into using it to observe Dwight was cute. It wasn't as bad as the episode about the new Staples shredder, where the joke was that the Staples shredder efficiently does its job of shredding anything. And it served Dwight's character right now in that it emphasized his loneliness and isolation.

But I don't think for a minute that what happened *wasn't* that the studio guys called up the writers and said, "Hey, you need to write an episode in which Second Life is featured prominently, on screen for no less than three minutes and mentioned in dialogue no fewer than ten times."

And to the poster above who speculated that this might be signs of cracks in the Jim/Pam relationship: I think the fact that, as a couple, they're not joined at the hip and don't have to be together every second, and that they can tease each other without having to say, "Oh darling, you're perfect" over and over, is a sign of strength, not weakness.

My guess is that the writers know how tedious it would be to give us any more serious Jim/Pam drama, and have acknowledged that by making Dwight/Angela/Andy and Michael/Jan and Kelly/Ryan/Daryl the new romantic tension points.

Did anyone catch what Dwight's Second Life character's last name was?

Second, tension and awkwardness is pretty much the shows bread and butter. The entire of the premise of the show is different personalities trying to work together in a tiny space. Hook-ups, break-ups, rivalries...it's all going to happen just for the basic reason that they are in contact all the time. It is the times that they all get together and rally (teamwork!) that off set the expected work releated situations and give us our "Awww" moments.

I agree with Biz_Jerry in saying that a season long angsty break up would suck shit. Dwanglea and Micheal-Jan are going to have it cornered this season.

And mcraig, stop watching TV altogether if product placing is going to make your asshole pucker so fucking bad. Everyone has gotten used to it except guys who like to bitch about it.î