The Office kicked off its fifth season with an hour-long episode, “Weight Loss,” the first of what will be 28 shows from now through the spring, and also the first of months of Office parties in apartments everywhere. Mine was complete with a small gathering of friends, despite the rain in New York, ample popcorn, and a three-quarters empty baby-keg on a shelf in the ‘fridge.
Who worked late, who is sick – all of this doesn’t matter. We watched it commercial-free on the DVR shortly after 9 ET (which, yes, does take away inter-segment discussion time), and the verdict of four – it was “OK.”
The premier ran short on momentum at one point about half-way through, but made up for it with Jim’s proposal to Pam in the rain, on the median of a gas station along the highway between New York and Scranton. It was a great, romantic scene that came out of nowhere, with none of the teasing of last season’s late episodes, and it was perhaps the series’ most heart-felt bit ever aired.
After a corporate weight-loss contest is announced, the Scranton Dunder Mifflin team vows to lose the most combined weight of all other competing branches. Their dieting regimens are extreme. Dwight steps into volunteer sheriff mode, busting diet cheaters, vandalizing the lunchroom vending machine, and even kicking Stanley’s birthday cake at him. At the same time, Pam leaves for design school at Pratt Institute, and a new, short-lived, receptionist is introduced.
Ryan, fired from his New York job, comes back through a temp agency at Michael’s request; Dwight continues his dalliance with Angela, who pages him for multiple booty-calls in a deserted shipping area in between accepting and rejecting fiancé Andy’s affections.
Last night’s season premier was part housekeeping, tying up loose ends, and part breaking new ground with the engagement and the ridiculous, health-hazardous weekly weigh-ins. It was evenly balanced, bringing all of last season’s drama back up to speed, but it wasn’t perfect.
Why is Meredith’s face infected and looking terrible at the first weigh-in? Phyllis catches Angela and Dwight shagging late-night and presumably blackmails Angela into surrendering the position of head of the party planning crew. Does anyone else know about it?
Also, necessary props go to Tom who, even in his infirm state, recognized that, at one point during a lunchroom discussion, Michael’s goatee is gone and reappears in a later scene.
The season looks promising; there won’t be any more hour-long shows (really, two 30-minute episodes pasted together most times) to fill the first few weeks, like last season. But, die-hard Office fans will continue to have the highest expectations after, granted the mid-season writer’s strike, a disappointing season four.
