A Few of My Favourite Things(plucking daisy petals): I love the show... I adore the show... I love the show... I adore the show... I love the show... I adore the show!! Yes, Pushing Daisies continues to be my big love of the fall 2007 TV season. This week's highlights all involved a pigeon that Ned accidentally brings back to life. From Olive and Vivian singing They Might Be Giants' "Birdhouse in your Soul" in the backseat of the old car Lily was driving to Lily putting a new wing on the bird using a bejeweller, to the crazy fake bird that was flying in the sky, the whole bird storyline reached the sublime this week. Chuck and Ned dancing at the end in their beekeeper suits... who knew that a lack of touching could be so darned romantic??
This week's The Office was also hilarious. Fave moments:
- Michael using the word "urban" as a synonym for African-American (Phyllis is a less-urban Aunt Jemima)
- Jim saying people think Dunder-Mifflin sells mufflers, muffins, or mittens
- Jim's Second Life avatar: "Philly Jim" as Pam called him, and the fact he's not the Jim we know, which led a friend of mine to comment that we really don't know Jim at all, come to think of it...
- Kevin doing his Kool-Aid Man face
- Andy unable to figure out the ad for "Break me off a piece of that Kit Kat Bar." (Best line is when he comes up with applesauce, and the look on Jim's face.)
- Meredith saying she's not used to so many people being around when making videos
- Dwight's happiness at hearing that Angela said, "Oh, D," when making out with Andy (and Andy thought it was Dee for An-Dee).
- Pam clearing Michael's phone lines: "Beep beep beep beep! Okay, clear."
- Darryl's jingle, and how good it was: "Dunder-Mifflin, the people person paper people!"
Of course, all of that led up to the brilliant commercial that Michael had done. The writers on the show could have gone for the low comedy on this one, and just made it the worst commercial ever. But instead they let him make something that on the surface appeared to be a pretty effective commercial, with paper being used everywhere, until the entire thing is undercut by the final words: "Dunder Mifflin: Limitless paper, in a paperless world." And then you realize the futility of it all -- all of the things you saw paper being used for in the ad have been replaced by the Internet, or in the case of the Dwight/Phyllis scene, SPEECH. ;) I LOVED that he cast Stanley as the criminal by the side of the road, and then it cuts to the guy having a job at Dunder-Mifflin, causing viewers to wonder just what kind of person is being hired at DM. Or that the one artist in the company actually uses computers to make her art, and not paper. It was genius. (Did anyone else think the actual Dunder-Mifflin ad sucked?)
The last two weeks have turned Dwight into a seriously sad character. Last week when Jim found him moaning in his room I almost cried myself, it was so sad. This week watching him watching his second life self flying through the streets was heartbreaking. (Though the fact he's the same person in both lives is hilarious.) I was so happy to see him smile again.
Just a quick note that the Lost contest has been extended to November 5. I've only received a few entries, and a lot of emails from people saying they already bought it. So I'll extend it, and if I don't get more entries I'll postpone it until Lost is actually coming back. :) Thanks to those who have entered so far!
Ellen and Kristin's duet was the thing I had to stay up for and watch again. And then watch again On Demand.
ReplyDeleteI hope they both sing some more. :)
The They Might Be Giants sequence, I think, made this entire crappy week more than bearable. I do so love that song, and hearing Kristin Chenoweth singing it made it somehow even better. Can we hope for a future episode in which they debate the merits of Istabul versus Constantinople? I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteAnd how amazing was it that Michael's ad actually blew the actual D-M one out of the water? That's just good writing. Give us the unexpected. Especially considering that Pam's graphic was actually, you know, so amazing.
Fly, Dwight, fly!
Colleen: I so agree... that was the BEST sequence. I'm so glad the writers took advantage of the singers in the cast.
ReplyDeleteChris: Ha! I can see it now:
ReplyDeleteVivian: But why did Constantinople get the works?
Lily: That's nobody's business but the Turks, Viv.
I had entirely forgotten about that song's existence (birdhouse) and was so glad to hear it again...in such a perfect way. Lurve.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite part of the Office may have been when Michael says Ryan's being a little bitch again not knowing that Ryan's on the call too. Or Second Second Life.
I found your blog via The Tailsection, and as I've been doing everywhere I can on the internet, I beg you to watch "Life." Its not getting any good or bad press, but everyone who mentions it, loves it.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering if someone on "The Office" might upload the Michael commercial to "YouTube" and end up with such a following and an increase in paper purchasing that Ryan gets the boot. I thought the graphic at the end was cool, too. Way to go, Pam!
ReplyDeleteLoved both "The Office" and "Pushing Daisies." PD is so good every week, my husband and I both think it is like watching a short movie every week. The quality of the writing and the cast is that good. What a special show. You only get a show like this once a decade.