Whatcha Bleedin' Watchin'?

[Dr. Insomniac]

Seasons 2 and 3 are the only good seasons though. Everything after becomes too wacky and focused on Jim and Pam instead of being a decent mockumentary.

[Avaitor]

I hear that 4 and 5 are still strong, but I dunno, I'll at least consider it.

[LumRanmaYasha]

I personally think the strongest seasons of The Office are seasons 2,3, and 5, the latter of which is my favorite season in the show. 4 is okay, but there are too many frickin hour long episodes, that feel quite dragged out and boring at parts, so I like it less than the others but it's still pretty good. 6 and 7 are mixed bags but there are quite a number of really great episodes in them, but season 8 and for the most part 9 were terrible and I almost ended up dropping the series various times because they really did get pretty bad (there is some good in them, but the awful shit outweighted it considerably for me). I will say the series finale is one of the most satisfying and sentimental things ever and possible one of my favorite episodes from the show, so at least the series ended on a good note. If you haven't checked it out yet I'd say it's worth it, although I personally prefer Parks and Recreation to it most of the time.

Seasons 2 and 3 are the only good seasons though. Everything after becomes too wacky and focused on Jim and Pam instead of being a decent mockumentary.

That's because it stops trying to be a outright mockumentary and  ends up focusing on the characters and their relationships more. Jim and Pam's storyline is honestly the heart of the show...but I do agree that at times it feels like it's being shoved down your throat, especially in season 6, and then it devolves terribly in 8 and 9 but ends up all right for the finale. Honestly, if you don't care for the Jim and Pam relationship at all, then it's pretty hard to enjoy the show, since so much of the story is focused on it, more than any other aspect in the show.

[Avaitor]

Oh yeah, and in less than 24 hours, I watched the least 6 episodes of The Wire season 4. Hot damn, that was a great experience.

Sadly, I don't have enough to buy season 5 yet, so that'll have to wait for a little. I know that it isn't as good as the other four, but that won't stop me at all. I'm really excited to see Nick Sobotka's appearance this season, though.

[Avaitor]

Almost done with the first episode of Hannibal and yeah, I think I made a good call.

[No-Personality]

I actually love the 40-minute episodes!! Remember that the season is at least 6-8 episodes shorter than the others too.

The hardest thing to deal with about the show for the first 5.5 seasons (midway through season 6) is Michael Scott. I am a normal person, so therefore I want to see someone beat the crap out of him most of the time. I should make a list of his Worst moments. As in, if this were a real situation, the moments where if you saw someone doing that in your presence, you would have no choice but to start screaming, "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU???!!!?!?!?!" And for whatever reason, on this show, nobody ever does. Only maybe two people ever did.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Michael Scott was the most important character in the show...

While he got really irritating at parts, he was essential to making the series actually work, because he was in all honestly the series' funniest character, and, most of the time, it's most sympathetic. There were times where he got incredibly annoying, stupid, and unlikeable, but the shows best seasons were in part because the writers used his character in highly effective ways that complemented the developing Jim/Pam relationship, Dwight's wackiness, and Ryan's...uh, presence.

If you don't like Michael Scott in any capacity, it's pretty hard to enjoy The Office. At least that's how I see it. 

[No-Personality]

I know good TV when I see it but Michael Scott is not likable. There is no question about it. He was so intensely focused on being the center of attention at all times that he goes way beyond being annoying. He is sick in the head. I admit I really get into watching tv, I react to what characters do as though I were there myself. And, if I had been in the same room as he was when he got pissy that he couldn't be Santa then went back into his office, dressed as Jesus, and came back out... I would be so angry, I don't know that I wouldn't get right in his face and start yelling at him. Tell me why would anyone sympathize with him and not Phyllis in that situation? Michael wanted to be Santa just to get attention, Phyllis wanted it for the longest time. He abused her and she sat there and took it. He didn't get his way and puts up the biggest shit-fit and almost ruined the entire night for Phyllis and Andy! And how about the episode where he tried to ruin Secret Santa just because he didn't like Phyllis's gift? And he started it by buying Ryan that $400 I-pod, causing everyone to try taking the tea pot (which was just for Pam) and the I-pod.

I enjoyed the show because it was smart. But people telling me Michael was supposed to be likable / sympathetic is downright crazy. It's a little sad that underneath his radical, peerless desperate acts to get attention is a giant lonely vulnerable child. And sometimes his selfishness benefits others and he somehow pulls out an adult gesture. But it is so incredibly rare.

You mentioned Dwight... I prefer not to talk about him. The show has some legitimately offensive moments related to his character. Especially the episode where he fights Pam on changes to the building. Which of course is in the 7th season (maybe the 8th) but almost always they show him as a mastermind who plays everyone down to the last detail. So no matter how intelligent they are and how hard they fight sometimes just to get him the fuck off their back, he wins in the end. And then he fucking smiles at the camera in that triumphant way like a rapist might when they're got everyone fooled into thinking the person they're stalking is imagining things. That makes me want to kick someone. Very hard.

[Nel_Annette]

Avaitor, I say watch seasons 2-5. Or 4. 2 and 3 are fantastic. 4 is alright. 5 made me quit the show. I think the only thing I liked after that was the cold open where someone (Dwight?) warns of an urgent situation and everyone flips their shit until he reveals it was a drill, and then someone falls out of the ceiling.

Only episodes I've seen since have made me glad I jumped ship when I did, and when I caught a season 8 episode I was annoyed by the sheer fact that I didn't even know who half the cast was anymore. Bunch of new peeps I've never seen. 

[Avaitor]

I'll probably add The Office to my list, but it won't be too high up on my list for now. Among a potential second chance for Arrested Development, I'm also planning to go through Twin Peaks, Battlestar Galactica, a full run of the Dick Van Dyke Show (cause why not?), and a couple of British shows that I forgot.

As well as The West Wing, which I'll probably start up in a few days.

[Grave]

Just finished watching Dark Knight Rises. It's good, but I'd say it's probably the weakest of the Batman films by Nolan. I guess it's because of characters like this John Blake character and this other cop that had a chin like Dent (sorta) had me wondering who're these characters suppose to be considering they had fair amount of screen time. Catwoman wasn't really winning many points with me either, although she was decent. Then again I just find Dark Knight to be that good and hard to top in terms of hero movies.

I've also been trying to watch WWE. My goodness this stuff is awful to watch now.

[Avaitor]

NP, I know you've recently watched all of Jem. I have to say, this made me chuckle.

[No-Personality]

So many funny things about that gag.

[Lord Il]

NP, I know you've recently watched all of Jem. I have to say, this made me chuckle.

Is that a clever edit someone made, or was that actually done like that in the episode?
Either way it's damn amusing. =)

I remember watching Jem after school. That wasn't exactly yesterday by any means. 

[Avaitor]

Just finished season 1 of ER, and it's easily one of the best first seasons I've seen. Everything just fell into place so well so fast.

I'm just annoyed that my copy of season 1 has a faulty bonus disc side. Ah well, at least I also found season 2 for pretty cheap.