What do you get when you take Steve Carell, slap on a goatee and stick him into an exaggerated fat suit? Believe it or not, the season premiere of NBC's hit comedy "The Office." On Thursday night, the series about the impractical workplace of a paper-selling company began its fifth season with a bang: a special, hour-long episode that pulled at the heartstrings and evoked uncontrollable laughter. Adapted from a British television series of the same name, the "mockumentary"-styled "The Office" boasts an abundance of talented writers, as well as the unique depth of the ensemble.
At the helm of the office is the Regional Manager of the Scranton, Penn. branch of Dunder-Mifflin paper company, Michael Scott (played by Carell), whose sheer cluelessness leads to inappropriate shenanigans and awkward situations. Former Tufts student Rainn Wilson plays Michael's imitative sidekick, Assistant to the Regional Manager Dwight Shrute, a power-hungry, sycophantic beet farmer and weapons specialist who sports horn-rimmed glasses and a parted hairdo. Yet, all thoughts of Wilson being forever typecast went entirely out the window with his recent roles as a lonely, perverted loser in "My Super Ex-Girlfriend" (2006) and a washed-up drummer in "The Rocker" (2008).
The season premiere opens with a wildly inane premise that only the Dunder-Mifflin corporate superiors could think up: a weight loss competition among the branches with the winners receiving several extra vacation days. Instead of achieving its objective to promote healthy habits, the competition ends up causing Customer Services Representative Kelly Kapoor (Mindy Kaling) to become anorexic and attempt to ingest a tapeworm, while Dwight suggests that the three heaviest employees get liposuction.
Despite all of the frenzied attempts to shed poundage, "The Office" maintains its dichotomy by dedicating the other half of the storyline to exploring the relationship between Sales Representative Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) and Receptionist Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer). Since the first season, the two have exuded onscreen chemistry, but only recently have they become involved in the steamy relationship everyone had been anticipating. In the final episode of the fourth season, goofy, guy-next-door Jim was on the verge of popping the question, but his efforts were thwarted by Regional Director in Charge of Sales Andy Bernard (Ed Helms), who beat Jim to the punch and became engaged to Accounting Supervisor Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey).
Amy Ryan shines in her return as Holly Flax, the human resources representative who is looking more and more like Michael's soul mate, after entering the series in the final episode of last season, replacing the eternally-depressed Toby Flenderson (Paul Lieberstein).
The absurd storyline of the first episode does little to undermine the feelings of happiness and satisfaction that swell in the hearts of the committed viewers of "The Office." As a result of the episode-ending shocker, the excitement has mounted immensely for the subsequent episodes of the fifth season. Yet, gimmicks aside, the fact of the matter is that this episode was decent at best, and clearly did not reach the bar set by previous episodes in the show's four-year legacy.
In order for an episode of "The Office" to achieve the uncontrollable laughter it seeks, awkward humor must be evident throughout. Most episodes feature awkward humor sparked by Carell and his warped, often politically-incorrect sense of humor. Carell, however, was mainly overshadowed by the blossoming and decaying of relationships between his office colleagues. Where was the good, old-fashioned, bigoted, family fun we all know, love and expect?
In addition to the dearth of Carell, the episode stayed away from the sure-fire humor associated with pranks between Jim, Pam and Dwight. Doesn't anyone remember the glory days when Dwight dyed his hair blonde in order to disguise his appearance and observe the other branches during a rumored period of downsizing? Hopefully the following episodes of the fifth season will realize their potential and live up to expectations by balancing the distinctive humor of the show with the relationships known to diehard fans as simply "Jam" and "Dwangela."
