peacefrog-35822

This is yet another of many episodes in which Michael Scott behaves like a bratty little 8 year old. He could never be a real branch manager of a real company. It's ironic how the show is in the form of a documentary but it shows an extremely unrealistic workplace, starting around season 3 and getting completely ridiculous by season 9.

The Will Ferrell character is one of the worst characters not only ever conjured up by the writers of "The Office," but also in the history of sitcoms, right up there with Andy Bernard. This is the first Will Ferrell character I've seen that doesn't run around in just his underwear briefs, which seems to be kind of a fetish for Ferrell.

Michael says "Toby is HR and he works for corporate." But Michael is a branch manager and thus also works for corporate. And also Michael's irrational grudge against Toby is never explained over the course of the entire series.

Michael Scott is a total weasel. How else can you describe a boss who stabbed his employee/best work friend in the back by trying to blame him for his own idea when he thought it failed and it blows up in Michael's face when it's a success, then tries to reclaim credit? Michael had a stroke when Dwight went to Jan behind his back to try to take Michael's job. But Michael is just as guilty of the same kind of betrayal. And after all is said and done, Michael remains completely clueless about his disgusting behavior, just like he never learns anything from experience throughout the entire series. A very childish mentality.

It bothers me throughout the series that Jim can't pronounce "Dwight," always calling him "Duh-white." And the constant references to co-workers in the workplace as a "family" are nauseating.

The last 3 seasons of "The Office" were so inferior to the first 6. The absence of Michael Scott is a big part of that. So many characters get away with actions that would get them immediately fired from a real job in a real workplace. The best part of this episode is when the work bus stops to pick up Creed, who was ditching work and unaware that the bus stopping for him was Dunder Mifflin on wheels. But one thing the show always did well was to portray the infantile mentality of the majority of American workers. Jim's stunt backfired on him so he goes crying to Andy (one of the most heinous characters in the history of American sitcoms). If Jim spent as much time being productive instead of constantly concocting his juvenile pranks and stunts (many of which would get him fired from a real job) maybe he wouldn't be stuck in his crappy copier paper sales job.

The drum solo at the end by the guy playing the sports anchorman is seriously one of the best I've ever seen. And Jim denying that Kathy is hot is ridiculous, the story line seems contrived.

When Stanley and Ryan are driving back from their sales call I can see them driving past Krua Thai, a Thai restaurant on Sherman Way in North Hollywood CA in the San Fernando Valley where the Office was filmed.

Natalie always drives Monk around in her own car. So why would she need to drive anyone else's car? Stupid gimmick. They get old after enough episodes. The show was way better with Sharona.

She really doesn't look at all like Trudy. But Sharona really looks like Penny from Big Bang Theory.

Hothead Amaro can't control his temper. He can't be objective, or professional. He's like a new version of Elliott Stabler. His wife got out just in time before he would have started beating her.

The song "Born to be Wild" is played but it's not the original song by Steppenwolf, it's a cover version by some anonymous band.

Once again, Monk suffers from a "phobia" that only exists in this episode of "Monk." How could Monk have had sex with Trudy if he couldn't even handle his own nudity? Did they have some kind of weird "platonic marriage?" The performances of Diedrick Bader and Alfred Molina rescue this episode from being as worthless as the Santa Claus episode.

The show never really explains why Michael has such an aggressive grudge against Toby. As the series goes on Michael displays some very petty and vindictive behavior towards Toby and I'm always left to wonder why. One of the failures of the writers. However the series does portray pretty accurately the childish, petty and vindictive attitudes of what seems like a majority of American workers, from my experience.

The scene where Michael drives the car into the lake is one of the dumbest scenes ever in the history of American sitcoms. Normally I wouldn't expect writing this stupid from "The Office" writers. More like something you would expect from the writers of "Three's Company."

Dunder Mifflin's warehouse only receives and ships paper, which is already packaged. They wouldn't have a "packaging" department, which would exist in a factory that produces products. Just shipping and receiving. So the mix up between "Packer" and "packaging" is a real stretch, a contrivance to set up the mistake in email. Lazy writing.

The idea that Monk wouldn't recognize alcohol in his supposed alcohol-free wine is totally ridiculous. A real person would notice on the first sip.

I'm glad Monk changed the theme song. The original sounds like the theme song to a PBS cooking show. Randy Newman's song lyrics describe Monk perfectly and it's more interesting musically.