Sam's Review: The Office: "New Leads"

Last night’s episode of The Office was a perfect example of how things go awry on the once great show. It usually stems from Michael acting unrealistically stupid, insane or inconsiderate. Without a doubt Michael needs to be one or all of these things in any given week. But in order to believe him as a character (with a job, mind you) he needs to reign it in at some point. Last night, Michael’s stupidity was more frustrating rather than amusing as he got the new leads in and in order to quell a warring office between sales and everyone else, Michael gave the leads to anyone who had absolutely no need for them.

For the most part, the episode was trying to pull the laughs out of the disconnect between the two sides of the office. The warring co-workers were forced to intermingle awkwardly in attempts to get their leads. Like Stanley had to sit and listen to the always bickering Ryan and Kelly and Andy of course gravitated to Erin’s desk in search of leads. This gag was the best of the night and also it was indicative of the best thing the show has going for it-Andy and Erin. The two remain hopelessly incompetent about how to move their relationship forward. In the funniest scene of the night Erin plays the “hotter-colder” game in getting Andy to try to find the leads. As Andy moves closer to her (and her breasts) she keeps saying hotter. Ed Helms displays the perfect combination of terrified and excited, until Erin reveals they were under the mat on her desk. As always she has no idea what a tease she has been.

Since the best moment of the night lasted approximately a minute and didn’t really have anything to do with the plot of the episode, it was a failed show. Michael and Dwight go to the dump where they hope to find a lead that’s been thrown away by Toby (aka The Office’s Jerry). The scene was a miss as was the rest of the storyline where Michael’s gross incompetence was not funny, but just frustrating. Hopefully, with the departure of the general Sabre story arc with Kathy Bates leaving, The
Office can try to find its footing.

C-

Notes:

-Andy and Erin kiss……in the dump. I’ll take what I can get with these two since they have conisistantly been the most interesting part of the show lately.

-Good idea that peace was made (everything’s back to normal!) in the office after sales staff offered food, when they were really going in to offer a piece of their commission.

-“I’m sick of your uppity attitude….Jim.”

-“You couldn’t handle my undivided attention.”