In the season premiere of The Office, rumors about the summer interns lead to Michael discovering a new way to be the center of attention: gossip. Unfortunately, not everything he says is true. And the things that are true are the most damaging. The gossip-mongering leads to a big reveal for the Dunder Mifflinites, including one who begins an earnest examination of his sexuality.
How many of you work in an office? And I'm not talking a two-hour lunch, half-day Fridays dot-com. No, I'm talking a tried-and-true, honest-to-goodness, American-as-apple-pie office?
Well, if you do, as I have recently had the (mis)fortune of experiencing, you'll know why my LOLs morphed into ROFLs within the first 5 seconds of this week's premiere; Michael and his ragtag team of male dolts are "gizmo-ing" around the office, which basically involves destructively jumping on office furniture in an effort to get across the room. The shortest distance between two points surely is not a straight line for these guys. It's so not acceptable office behavior, which makes it oh-so right!
Reckless walking eventually gave way to confusion and then deceit (and then hilarity, which is always the case with this show). Simply stated, Michael uncovers the naughty truth about one of his employees, and he spills the beans to anyone and everyone who will listen.
Spoiler alert...
Stanley is cheating on his wife. Shocking, yet predictable in a way, at least to me. You see, I'm from a small Midwest town where, at least for overweight, middle-aged men who sell paper products under fluorescent lighting, cheating is sort of a way of life, a right of passage. In no way am I condoning it; actually, I find it kind of cowardly in a sad way. So, is this turn of events an edge-of-your-seat Stanley shocker? Not so much. In fact, I found the revelation to be overtly passé for such a progressive show.
Moving on, Michael can't keep his trap shut, and his loose lips really let loose. Everyone eventually finds out about Stanley. So, in order to cover his tracks and revalidate Stanley's supposed honor, Michael does the antithesis of what any too-fast talker would do: He makes up lies about everyone in the office! (Ergo, the episode title.)
Some rumors turn out to be true, others are 3423987234798% off the mark. But across the board, they make for comedic merriment. A highlight is the "Andy is gay!" rumor. Well, more entertaining than the rumor itself (which has, admittedly, been done to death already) is Andy's reaction: Is he gay? He isn't really sure... until Michael tells him that he is not, in fact, a homosexual.
So, my personal opinions on tonight's Office fare...if you care:
1. Good episode. Not great, but good. A few belly laughs, and then a few "punny eye rolls" A nice 22.5 minute Thursday night treat, but no season premiere in this self-proclaimed Office expert's estimation.
2. It's nice that Pam and Jim finally admitted their pregnancy. But we all knew that was coming, didn't we?
3. Meredith and the deodorant in the bathroom? Genius! Utter and disturbing genius!
Oh, Scranton, Pa., how twisted and simple your office dwellers must be. I think that, and yet my stomach is turning right now. You see, I've just recently begun working in a cube, and it hurts. I can see how people begin to do crazy things.
It's kind of like Survivor Island. You watch on from the comfort of your couch and think: "I'd do it this way!" "I'd never say that!" "Man, that wouldn't bug me for one second if I was on that show." Well, let me tell you, you have no idea how you'd react if you were put in that situation. I mean, just the thought of gossiping non-stop about my co-workers, spreading rumors, inventing eccentricities and drumming up back stories puts a wicked, twisted smile on my face.
But before I leave, do me a favor. Think about your office, those you work with, and that one person who annoys you most. And now write something about them, right here and right now. Jot down a little rumor. After all, it's anonymous. A little lie never hurt anyone, did it?
Just ask Stanley.
P.S.: Alexandra in accounting used to "date" the VP of marketing. How else do you think she got that flat-screen computer monitor?
What did you think of the premiere?
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In the season premiere of The Office, rumors about the summer interns lead to Michael discovering a new way to be the center of attention: gossip. Unfortunately, not everything he says is true. And the things that are true are the most damaging. The gossip-mongering leads to a big reveal for the Dunder Mifflinites, including one who begins an earnest examination of his sexuality.
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