ac68

This is in competition to be my favorite episode of the series. It has everything -- Jim/Pam pining, Jim/Dwight pranking, Michael's idiocy, Michael's heart. And they manage to do it all in a new way. Ultimately I don't think Jim's move to Stamford was the best storyline, and it introduced us to Andy, which is a crime that can never be forgiven. But it allowed for interesting interactions between Jim and Pam. That scene where Jim remembers the first diversity training and Pam resting her head on his shoulder... so touching.

It's also crazy that this came out in 2006. So much has changed in just over 10 years when it comes to gay rights. I'd expect the content to age poorly since it's such a developing issue but I think this episode will hold up for a long time. And Michael's behavior was not entirely uncommon back then-- hopefully now more of a time capsule.

It's not hyperbole to say that for a lot of people the ending is a classic moment of television-- the first kiss of an iconic pairing. For that I give the episode lots of points. However, the rest of the episode is just not that funny. The Jan/Carol stuff takes up way too much time and the office worker gags are limited. It's a solid episode, but one of the weaker Office season finales, I think.

Also, the cutest part of the Jim/Pam scene actually takes place in the next episode, Gay Witch Hunt.

I just finished the first season and was completely blown away by this show. The show goes to some incredibly dark places, but it is grounded by the fact that the whole story unfolds in one small Yorkshire town. That setting also raises the stakes, because the viewer knows that sooner or later characters are going to come into contact with one another. It makes all of the dark moments so much more darker, as they're taking place in a quiet, scenic village.

The acting and writing is incredible, and adds depth to all the characters. I would compare it to Breaking Bad, not in subject matter, but in the feeling of dread and inevitability. If you're in the mood for something incredibly tense, I highly recommend this show.

I watched this show out of curiosity as someone taking a law class right now and actually found it pretty interesting. I always liked the character of Diane on The Good Wife and it's neat to see a very different type of law firm than the one on the Good Wife-- I'm honestly more invested in the success of the firm.

In a way, this reminds me of The West Wing. It's that same kind of fast paced, jargon-y, liberal comfort food. Rose Leslie's bad American accent is really distracting and I'm not all that into some of the random story lines but it's a great show to lean back and relax with on a Sunday night.

CBS has produced a very well-made drama that isn't necessarily groundbreaking but uses previous formulas and tropes in a captivating way.