By Dave Owen
We’re almost there. Just 40 more minutes of Michael Scott before he departs for the big wide world (or Colorado). It’s been an interesting journey but I’m going to save the real reminiscing for next week’s review, that’s when once again you’ll be subjected to my rose coloured view of a series simply because it’s done for the year, or, in this case, forever (for Michael that is). (Other examples of this phenomena: here and here.)
This episode was really great though. In fact early on it was the Dundies episode that actually sold me on the show, I’d seen one or two episodes from the first season and dismissed the show out of hand, being a huge fan of the Gervais/Merchant Office and refusing to accept any substitutes. A while later I was in the US and holed up in a cabin in the snowy mountains of Utah waiting to go to another day of Sundance I fired up my laptop and gave the show another chance… It was the Dundies episode and I laughed for 20 minutes straight. So while we’ve really only had one or two other mentions of the Dundies since their first episode five years ago it still seems a completely integral part of working at the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin.
The episode’s highlights all revolved around the actual office members though and once again Will Ferrell’s plot felt tacked on and a little unnecessary. I feel harsh even typing that as how do you really fill the shoes of a character who’s been at it for 7 seasons? It just really feels like every time he’s on screen we are missing out on Michael interacting with members of the cast we’d really genuinely like to see him interacting with and getting some final extra minutes of screen time. I’d kill for a scene between Michael and Phyllis, or Andy and Michael or hell even a bizarre scene between Creed and Michael and instead we’re spending time introducing a character we know is only going to be around for another couple of episodes. It’s not that I don’t like D’Angelo Vickers, and he’s clearly trying to tone down his Ferrell-ness in order to leave Michael in the spotlight… I just don’t know if it’s working.
Previous Episode: Training Day
Next Episode: Goodbye, Michael
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