Quick Take: The Office, "Garden Party"
"Mr. Jim Halpert!" - Dwight (repeatedly)
Review: The Office, "Garden Party"
(S0804) For the first time since Steve Carell left the show, I found myself wondering how different it would be if Michael was still around. I couldn't help but think how much funnier the garden party would be if Michael Scott had thrown it. Andy (Ed Helms) is certainly an able boss, but the dynamic of the office is so different. Andy can be reasoned with and is aware of his shortcomings which makes it easier for his managees to do things their way instead of trying so hard not to hurt his feelings. This was the first episode that made me miss Michael Scott.
I love Ed Helms but I am starting to tire of the sad sack routine. In the past Andy has been cuckolded, cock blocked and humiliated by various employees of Dunder-Mifflin. Now it seems that he can't even get respect from his own family. I understand how tough it must be having a brother with a voice like an angel and parents that have both met space aliens but he's got a lot to be proud of.
Don't get me wrong, there were a lot of things I loved about this episode. Erin's (Ellie Kemper) hat, Kevin's (Brian Baumgartner) rug, Jim's (John Krasinski) prank and of course, Mose (Greg Daniels) were all super funny, proving that even a sub par episode of The Office is better than most sitcoms on TV today.
One last observation, that baby playing Cece is super cute. I would love to see more of her on the show if only to see Kevin having a serious conversation with her.
More often than not these days I sit through an episode of The Office without laughing and/or being terribly interested in the story's development. Unfortunately I'm finding Andy to be less interesting now that we're seeing more of him, and yet I think it was time for Michael to sail off into the sunset himself.