Could this be better than the original? (The Office - An American Workplace: Season Two (DVD))

Member Name: northers

Product:	The Office - An American Workplace: Season Two (DVD)
Date:	23/03/09 (194 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great writing, acting and loads of laughs

Disadvantages: Some may be US-averse

The second season of the American office starts to expand its horizons as it continues to grow out of its veiled emulation of the ground-breaking British original. While the central tenets from the original are still in place (Michael as the dunderhead office manager, the Tim/Pam/Roy love triangle and Dwight the office loser), we see characters and storylines develop as the sitcom becomes a standout example of how America can take a British idea and improve upon it. I'm serious, I believe it is truly that good and that it will stand alongside The Office and, perhaps with its greater running time, eclipse our own home-grown version.

For the uninitiated (where have you been?) The Office is an American adaptation of the British TV series. Filmed in a mockumentary style, the program depicts the daily lives of a group of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of a large paper merchant, Dunder Mifflin. Most of the players are based on characters from the British version of The Office; their attitudes and perceptions have been tweaked a little to cater for the American audience. Steve Carell stars as Michael Scott, the David Brent equivalent, being Regional Manager of the Dunder Mifflin Scranton Branch. Michael is a lonely man, who plays the office comedian with a constant desire to ingratiate himself with his underlings and inevitably continually fails in the process. Rainn Wilson plays Dwight Schrute, the Assistant (to the) Regional Manager, being the American version of the hapless office loser, Gareth Keenan. John Krasinski portrays sales representative Jim Halpert, based upon Tim, and is wildly in love with Pam Beesly, the receptionist. Jim is unable to express his true feelings for Pam, in one of the central reflective storylines from the British version. Pam is shy and demure, but is often a willing accomplice with Jim in his pranks on Dwight. The viewer is left in no doubt that Pam also has feelings for Jim, but she is not as transparent, until her mother visits the office and asks Pam which one of the workers is Jim. Evidence indeed that she secretly holds a candle for her colleague. We are given many glimpses of Roy Anderson, Pam's fiance, and it is easy to come to the conclusion that she could do much better.

As the series gained in popularity in the US, NBC kept on commissioning extra episodes for the second series such that from an original run of six episodes, the series eventually, through numerous additions, grew to twenty two.

Early on in the series we see 'The Dundies' where Michael, in an effort to raise morale, arranges an office award event, only managing to upset most of his staff. We also start to see cracks in Pam and Roy's relationship, culminating in Pam kissing Jim while drunk. As Michael and Dwight sign off on a mortgage for Michael's apartment (on office time), the unofficial office olympics are held at the branch, with the fun and japery met with the usual mixed response for the other workers.

In a nod towards the British episode when the ugly spectre of redundancies surfaces, with Brent wearing a ridiculous ostrich costume during Comic Relief, so we have Michael forced to fire someone on Halloween. After avoiding the situation for too long, Michael rounds on Creed and attempts to fire him. Creed's persuasive personality forces the weak Michael to change his mind and he instead fires the hapless Devon. We are also treated to the cringing spectacle of Michael and Dwight having a karate fight at Dwight's dojo. Michael finally wins the fight which degenerates in to a hug-brawl as Dwight's Sensei and class of children look on, bemused. The two 'warriors' are cold to each other for the rest of the day until Michael promotes Dwight to Assistant Regional Manager. The look of sheer delight on Dwight's face as he hears the happy, if unofficial, news is cringeworthy to the extreme, expecially as Michael requests that he does not inform his colleagues.

As we reach the middle of the series we see Michael's 'relationship' with Jan develop as the two of them seal a deal with a client by using Michael's unorthodox tactics. A surveillance-type camera angle shows the two locked in a steamy embrace in the car park. This is a definite departure from the British original, but from this storyline the American Office reaches new heights in its abilty to make comedy that will have the viewer alternating between laughing out loud and watching behind a cushion.

Around Christmas time the office party turns sour when Michael changes the rules on the office Secret Santa as he attempts to win the iPod that he originally bought for Ryan. During a motivational cruise on a boat, Michael annoys the captain with his behaviour. Perhaps the most amusing scene of the whole series occurs on the boat as Dwight pesters the captain in to letting him steer the ship, only he is given the fake wheel in front of the bridge obviously reserved for children. The look on his face of steely determination and proud concentration is priceless. The Jim/Pam/Roy love triangle also becomes more complicated as the three players bounce off of each other.

The series continues as Jan comes to Scranton to lead a seminar for the women in the office, leading Michael to host his own seminar for the men. When he tries to organise the staff to join a union, Jan throws her corporate weight around and the threat of a lawsuit ends the uprising. At a meeting on Valentine's Day between branch managers and the company's new CFO, Michael reveals that he and Jan are in a relationship, much to her surprise and disgust. He duly saves both Jan's and his jobs when he tells the CFO that he was joking. The viewer is still not sure if it is all in his imagination at this stage. At the office, Phyllis' boyfriend sends her many gifts, all advertising his refrigeration company for the benefit of the TV cameras.

Dwight becomes nervous, having won an award requiring that he speaks at a salesman's convention. Jim assists his colleague by feeding him lines from speeches by Hitler and Mussolini. At the convention, Dwight goes AWOL leaving Michael duty-bound to entertain the crowd. Dwight does eventually walk to the stand and performs as if he were possessed, to wild acclaim from the audience. Seeing Stan tear a strip off of Ryan just because his daughter takes a shine to him on "Take Your Daughter to Work Day" provides an amusing diversion.

Michael plumbs new depths as he is excited over his birthday, but is unconcerned that the rest of the office is concerned about Kevin, and the imminent results from a skin cancer test. Michael shows a shocking side to his character whn he is completley ambivalent to Kevin finding the test is negative. Dwight is dismayed to have to supply a urine sample for Michael after the investigation that he launched after finding a joint in the car park may end up implicating his boss. Dismayed, Dwight resigns his post as a volunteer sheriff.

The series concludes with "Casino Night" where Michael inadvertently brings two dates, Jan, and Carol. This was after a mix up with Jan where she declined to come as his partner. Dwight dutifully spends the evening unsuccessfully attempting to keep the two dates from meeting. Jim reveals to Pam that he is leaving and that he is in love with her. They kiss, but Pam reminds him that she is with Roy.

The series won a number of awards, and it is no surprise. With a superb cast, many of them skilled improvisers, the storylines are witty and well developed with many a moment of sheer laugh-out-loud comedy. There are also a great deal of moments which make the viewer cringe; you almost feel embarrassed for the characters at times.

The jewell in the whole show has to be Steve Carell himself. In a performance that builds on Ricky Gervais' David Brent, we see a character of lower wit and greater ability to confound and frustrate. That the other characters are able to provide the viewer with numerous scenes of the best comedy that America can offer is a testament to the programme-makers' skills at scriptwritng and casting.

If anyone out there is wondering whether this version can come close to the original I would say check it out; while there are the same storylines running through the whole production, there are enough outlying storylines that set this program apart as a modern transatlantic triumph.

Summary: This could stand alone as a great modern comedy