'The Office': Michael Scott's night out

Is it possible that Michael Scott (Steve Carell) is now the weakest part of "The Office"?  The same complaint has been lodged here in this column: that when it's at its zaniest, "The Office" is at its worst. Lately, there is almost nothing that Michael does that's not ridiculous.  In last night's episode alone he got gum stuck in his hair by crawling under a car, had his head massaged with peanut butter and left work early to go clubbing in New York with Ryan (B.J. Novak) and Dwight (Rainn Wilson) in order to find a one-night stand.  That list would seem like something out of a subpar slapstick sitcom, not a smart, reality-based comedy.  The most realistic thing Michael did in the episode? Admit that he had a hard time understanding the characters on "The Wire."  Frustratingly, Dwight also behaves as fatuously when he serves as Michael's sidekick.  There was Dwight, doing the massaging of the peanut butter into Michael's scalp at work, convinced a short man was a hobbit, singing Ryan a lullaby. It's just too silly to be funny.

Last night's episode of "The Office" undoubtedly had Jim-and-Pam fans squealing.  After joking with Pam (Jenna Fischer) about proposing to her, Jim (John Krasinski)  held up a diamond ring to the camera and indicated that he was serious: He purchased it a week after they began dating.

This will be an unpopular opinion, but perhaps a point of view other than "OMG! JAM 4-EVER" will be permitted.

Don't do it, Jim.

If someone watched "The Office" for the first time last night, he or she might not be that clear on why, in fact, the show is titled as such.  After all, other than for the first few minutes, the episode took place in Michael (Steve Carell) and Jan's (Melora Hardin) condo. However, for the rest of us, despite the "out-of-water" concept of the episode, it worked out largely as a satisfying take on the play "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" as Michael and Jan's interaction during their dinner party was funny, terrifying, sad and bizarre, just as with the lead couple in the Edward Albee classic, which presented a reality of a kind other than the dull office life we usually see in the show. 

With "The Office" returning tonight after a four-month layoff, here's a quick refresher so you don't feel like you're walking in late to a meeting.

Show: "The Office"

Location: Scranton, Pa.

Setting: Dunder-Mifflin paper company.

The players:

Regional manager of Dunder-Mifflin Scranton branch: Michael Scott (Steve Carell)

Sales rep (assistant to the regional manager): Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson)

Assistant regional manager: Jim Halpert (John Krasinski)

Receptionist: Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer)

Account supervisor: Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey)

Michael Scott's former boss, his current unemployed girlfriend: Jan Levinson (Melora Hardin)

Former intern, current VP of regional sales: Ryan Howard (BJ Novak)

Dunder-Mifflin sales: Andy Bernard (Ed Helms)

To recap:

-- Tonight's episode, "Dinner Party," centers around Michael Scott's season-long desire to have the recently-coupled Jim and Pam over for dinner. After three seasons of hinting at a relationship, Jim and Pam officially announced their relationship in the first episode of Season 4.

Throughout the season, Jim has dodged dinner invites by changing the subject or inviting Michael and his boss-turned-unemployed girlfriend Jan over for a meal on a night when he knows Michael is out of commission.

-- Michael, the clueless boss who ultimately means well, is obsessed with being friends with his employees.

-- Unlike past seasons of "The Office," early episodes of Season 4 have centered heavily on locations outside of the Scranton cubicles. Ambitious brown-noser Dwight Schrute, for instance, was revealed to own a bed & breakfast, and Michael spent one episode trying to prove to his current boss (and former intern), Ryan, that he could survive in the wild.

But the more inspired moments of the season continue to take place inside the Scranton office, such as when Jim faced a staff revolt by deciding to combine three birthday celebrations into one.

-- Michael and Jan have had a rocky past.

In the last episode aired by the writers strike, Michael was caught in the middle of Jan's suit against Dunder-Mifflin for wrongful termination. Michael says in a deposition that Jan believed her termination had something to do with her "twins," a.k.a., her recently enhanced breasts.

It's also revealed during the depo that Jan gave Michael a scathing performance review -- after they had started dating -- and had looked through Michael's diary. These storylines will likely pop up in the remainder of the season.

-- Dwight and Angela, who long had a "secret" relationship, split up early in Season 4.

The breakup happened shortly after Angela had asked Dwight to take care of her sick cat, Sprinkles. Rather than follow a lengthy medication procedure, Dwight killed the cat, justifying his actions thusly: "As a farmer, I know that when an animal is sick, sometimes the right thing to do is to put it out of its misery. With the electricity we're using to keep Meredith alive we could power a small fan for 2 days. You tell me what's unethical."

-- Seeing an opportunity to hit on a grieving Angela, Andy made his move. He brought Angela a new cat, a ploy Dwight had tried and failed. Angela finally accepted Andy's advances: "You may ask me out to dinner. Nothing fancy or foreign, no bars, no patios, no vegetables, and no seafood." A major plotline of Season 4 has been Dwight's grieving over Angela.

-- NBC has announced a spinoff to "The Office," which will debut after the Super Bowl in 2009. Details are scant.

-- Todd Martens

Photo courtesy NBC

The final evening of the "Office" convention kicked off with a VIP cocktail reception that I was not invited to, but that's OK: It gave me a chance to check out Farley's, one of the actual Scranton establishments mentioned on the show. It was a great place to grab a burger -- sort of like Bennigan's if Bennigan's was a knickknack-free independent restaurant and not a national chain. I also popped my head into the Bog, a bar not mentioned on the show but one where the night before cast members had whiled away the evening singing karaoke (not surprisingly, from what I hear, Craig Robinson, a.k.a. Darryl, was one of the main performers.) 

The sun finally came out this afternoon, probably willed out of hiding by the sheer star power of the cast of "The Office." 

I never did get to ask Angela Kinsey (Angela) what hair product she was using to keep her flaxen locks so immune to the humidity, unfortunately, but it was on my mind. 

The citizens of Scranton, Pa., and convention attendees have been deliriously anticipating any sightings of the actors, and were largely rewarded all day today. 

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Oscar Nunez (Oscar), Andy Buckley (David Wallace) and Craig Robinson (Darryl) took part in an improvised Dunder Mifflin stockholders meeting along with local actors. 

The event was held at the Mall at Steamtown; the good news for the cast members was that it was better attended than a Debbie Gibson concert. This wasn't so great for attendees, however, as it was nearly impossible to see and hear.

Oh, well: I got to check out Bon-Ton, which is a department store I'd never heard of that carried a great array of the cute hats that are so "in" this season. 

"I wish Dwight was here," sighed a young lady during "The Office" Olympics. It's unclear whether she meant Dwight Schrute, the character, or Rainn Wilson, the actor who plays him, as the coffee cup races, trash can H-O-R-S-E and other events going on around them would only be enhanced by a stern taskmaster, as there was entirely too much gaiety going on.

A chilly rain fell on Scranton nearly all day today, which would enhance the sometimes-desolate and drab Pennsylvania town we see as the setting for NBC's "The Office." But this is not TV! This is real life! And in real life, for this weekend at least, Scranton is anything but desolate as it hosts the first of possibly many "Office" conventions to come.

The festivities kicked off on the "Today" show with cuts to Al Roker broadcasting from the University of Scranton. Those gathered around him cheered more loudly than a high school volleyball team that had come all the way from Alabama, or than 10 lifelong friends who had traveled to the big city to celebrate their 50th birthdays. 

The throngs seemed delirious, not just about the national attention but also the absurd fun of the situation. Cast member Craig Robinson, who plays Darryl from the Dunder Mifflin warehouse, seemed completely tuned in to the brouhaha, whooping it up and egging on those in attendance. Sadly, I have yet to meet any of the cast members on my particular jaunt, but thus far the locals like to boast about which actors they've met, and a Scranton convention volunteer showed me some photos of Robinson cheerfully holding up her infant nephew, so obviously he seems like a good time.

Of all the characters on "The Office," none has undergone a more dramatic transformation than Jan Levenson, played by Melora Hardin.  When the show started, Jan was the exasperated straight man not only to Michael (Steve Carell) but to the entire Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin.  It was clear that she'd rather be dealing with any other group of people.  It wasn't long, however, before Jan made a more regular, self-destructive presence, giving in to her inexplicable attraction to Michael, eventually allowing their relationship to jeopardize her career and, finally, to end it, explosively.  Jan began the series as the epitome of rationality and control, but by the end of the third season she embodied complete surrender to impulse and emotion.  So what's going to happen now? 

The fourth season didn't start promisingly for Jan.  After being fired (or quitting, depending on your perspective) from her corporate job at Dunder Mifflin in New York, she moved in with Michael, but so far all viewers have seen is an unflattering portrait of her snoring on Michael's bed and her occasional visits to the Scranton office, in sweats, to visit and insult Ryan (B.J. Novak), who replaced her, and to make threats against Pam (Jenna Fischer), lest she consider making any moves on Jan's man.

"I think she's feeling threatened by everybody right now," Hardin says about her character.  "Jan's used to being the boss.  I think she's still comfortable in that position and wants to keep a sense of that, her own sanity, but really has very little to hang on to in that regard."

With so much focus on Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam’s (Jenna Fischer) relationship and Michael’s (Steve Carell) antics so far this season, it was nice during last night’s “The Office” to see a few changes in the way the characters typically interact. Of course, there was still some obligatory Michael ridiculousness as he held an obnoxious pizza delivery boy hostage, and some unnecessary Jim and Pam bonding time on the office roof, but otherwise, the new interactions were welcome.   

For once, for instance, we got to see Stanley (Leslie David Baker) smiling and having a good time as he danced in his seat to the music on the new Dunder-Mifflin website. He stopped and became dour again as soon as Phyllis (Phyllis Smith) pointed it out to him, but maybe we’ll see a happy Stanley again come pretzel day. 

For a show that originally plumbed for laughs the doldrums that make up the average American office, a lot is going on at "The Office's" Dunder Mifflin.  Romances, rabies,  car accidents, nudity, fun runs: Judging from the fourth season's premiere, it seems like the show is heading into a new direction that focuses on tumultuous relationships and what they tend to call "situational comedy."

The writers had a lot of material to work with from the season finale: Ryan (B.J. Novak) went from being Michael's (Steve Carell) "protege" to being his boss; Jim (John Krasinski) apparently dumped Karen (Rashida Jones) in New York and began a relationship with longtime crush Pam (Jenna Fischer); and Michael's girlfriend, Jan (Melora Hardin), underwent a complete emotional breakdown, surrendering all the control that had defined her in previous seasons. 

Since the BBC version of "The Office" lasted only two seasons, the third and fourth seasons of the U.S. incarnation were and are going to be definitive in terms of determining where the show will go.  In many ways, this premiere purposefully demonstrated that the series is going to head in new directions, obviously with the displacement of Ryan and, yes, the romance between Pam and Jim (go ahead and take your victory lap, JAM-ers, while you can).  But in larger ways, too, the writers seem to be attempting to evolve the show.  For instance, the premiere opened not at or even near the office but in Michael's home.  Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and Angela's (Angela Kinsey) relationship, while still secret to the office, is now public to the cameras.  And perhaps most unusual, the faux "fourth wall" was broken down as the cameramen showed Pam and Jim footage of a secret rendezvous, forcing them to admit their relationship.  Very infrequently have the cameras in the U.S. version of "The Office" been acknowledged -- it's about high time they did, because perhaps the most unrealistic part of the show is not Michael's increasingly ridiculous behavior but that the characters never seem to mention the footage of them that apparently is being aired somewhere, or questioning where it is going.

Now that was a season finale.  Maybe too much of a season finale!  “The Office" packed so much story in one hour it was hard to remember if the show was a comedy or a drama.

"The Office" seems to do well when it shakes itself out if its typical element, when combinations of characters are formed that aren’t usually and things are filmed off-site.  With an episode that involved Jim (John Krasinski), Karen (Rashida Jones) and Michael (Steve Carell) all heading to New York for a job interview that would mean one of them was moving away from Scranton, permanently, the mere getting out of the office -- and in that combination – promised an interesting setup.

For fans of "The Office," the controversy that's been teasing viewers all season has been Pam v. Karen: The Battle for Jim. However, after the matter having been built to a head earlier this season (with Jim admitting to Karen that he still had feelings for Pam, the situation deflated some. Karen (Rashida Jones) and Jim (John Krasinski) talked. Pam (Jenna Fischer) got back with Roy (David Denman). The matter became a more minor plot point.

However, this week, it seemed, the situation would finally find some resolution. The previous episode found us with Roy, Pam's ex-fiancee and now ex-boyfriend, declaring "I'm gonna kill Jim Halpert," after Pam admitted to him that she kissed Jim. Yes! Face-to-face action. Drama! Would viewers get some satisfaction?

'The Office': Fools rush in

Last night's episode of "The Office" undoubtedly had Jim-and-Pam fans squealing.  After joking with Pam (Jenna Fischer) about proposing to her, Jim (John Krasinski)  held up a diamond ring to the camera and indicated that he was serious: He purchased it a week after they began dating.

This will be an unpopular opinion, but perhaps a point of view other than "OMG! JAM 4-EVER" will be permitted.

Don't do it, Jim.

If someone watched "The Office" for the first time last night, he or she might not be that clear on why, in fact, the show is titled as such.  After all, other than for the first few minutes, the episode took place in Michael (Steve Carell) and Jan's (Melora Hardin) condo. However, for the rest of us, despite the "out-of-water" concept of the episode, it worked out largely as a satisfying take on the play "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" as Michael and Jan's interaction during their dinner party was funny, terrifying, sad and bizarre, just as with the lead couple in the Edward Albee classic, which presented a reality of a kind other than the dull office life we usually see in the show. 

With "The Office" returning tonight after a four-month layoff, here's a quick refresher so you don't feel like you're walking in late to a meeting.

Show: "The Office"

Location: Scranton, Pa.

Setting: Dunder-Mifflin paper company.

The players:

Regional manager of Dunder-Mifflin Scranton branch: Michael Scott (Steve Carell)

Sales rep (assistant to the regional manager): Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson)

Assistant regional manager: Jim Halpert (John Krasinski)

Receptionist: Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer)

Account supervisor: Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey)

Michael Scott's former boss, his current unemployed girlfriend: Jan Levinson (Melora Hardin)

Former intern, current VP of regional sales: Ryan Howard (BJ Novak)

Dunder-Mifflin sales: Andy Bernard (Ed Helms)

To recap:

-- Tonight's episode, "Dinner Party," centers around Michael Scott's season-long desire to have the recently-coupled Jim and Pam over for dinner. After three seasons of hinting at a relationship, Jim and Pam officially announced their relationship in the first episode of Season 4.

Throughout the season, Jim has dodged dinner invites by changing the subject or inviting Michael and his boss-turned-unemployed girlfriend Jan over for a meal on a night when he knows Michael is out of commission.

-- Michael, the clueless boss who ultimately means well, is obsessed with being friends with his employees.

-- Unlike past seasons of "The Office," early episodes of Season 4 have centered heavily on locations outside of the Scranton cubicles. Ambitious brown-noser Dwight Schrute, for instance, was revealed to own a bed & breakfast, and Michael spent one episode trying to prove to his current boss (and former intern), Ryan, that he could survive in the wild.

But the more inspired moments of the season continue to take place inside the Scranton office, such as when Jim faced a staff revolt by deciding to combine three birthday celebrations into one.

-- Michael and Jan have had a rocky past.

In the last episode aired by the writers strike, Michael was caught in the middle of Jan's suit against Dunder-Mifflin for wrongful termination. Michael says in a deposition that Jan believed her termination had something to do with her "twins," a.k.a., her recently enhanced breasts.

It's also revealed during the depo that Jan gave Michael a scathing performance review -- after they had started dating -- and had looked through Michael's diary. These storylines will likely pop up in the remainder of the season.

-- Dwight and Angela, who long had a "secret" relationship, split up early in Season 4.

The breakup happened shortly after Angela had asked Dwight to take care of her sick cat, Sprinkles. Rather than follow a lengthy medication procedure, Dwight killed the cat, justifying his actions thusly: "As a farmer, I know that when an animal is sick, sometimes the right thing to do is to put it out of its misery. With the electricity we're using to keep Meredith alive we could power a small fan for 2 days. You tell me what's unethical."

-- Seeing an opportunity to hit on a grieving Angela, Andy made his move. He brought Angela a new cat, a ploy Dwight had tried and failed. Angela finally accepted Andy's advances: "You may ask me out to dinner. Nothing fancy or foreign, no bars, no patios, no vegetables, and no seafood." A major plotline of Season 4 has been Dwight's grieving over Angela.

-- NBC has announced a spinoff to "The Office," which will debut after the Super Bowl in 2009. Details are scant.

-- Todd Martens

Photo courtesy NBC

The final evening of the "Office" convention kicked off with a VIP cocktail reception that I was not invited to, but that's OK: It gave me a chance to check out Farley's, one of the actual Scranton establishments mentioned on the show. It was a great place to grab a burger -- sort of like Bennigan's if Bennigan's was a knickknack-free independent restaurant and not a national chain. I also popped my head into the Bog, a bar not mentioned on the show but one where the night before cast members had whiled away the evening singing karaoke (not surprisingly, from what I hear, Craig Robinson, a.k.a. Darryl, was one of the main performers.) 

The sun finally came out this afternoon, probably willed out of hiding by the sheer star power of the cast of "The Office." 

I never did get to ask Angela Kinsey (Angela) what hair product she was using to keep her flaxen locks so immune to the humidity, unfortunately, but it was on my mind. 

The citizens of Scranton, Pa., and convention attendees have been deliriously anticipating any sightings of the actors, and were largely rewarded all day today. 

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Oscar Nunez (Oscar), Andy Buckley (David Wallace) and Craig Robinson (Darryl) took part in an improvised Dunder Mifflin stockholders meeting along with local actors. 

The event was held at the Mall at Steamtown; the good news for the cast members was that it was better attended than a Debbie Gibson concert. This wasn't so great for attendees, however, as it was nearly impossible to see and hear.

Oh, well: I got to check out Bon-Ton, which is a department store I'd never heard of that carried a great array of the cute hats that are so "in" this season. 

"I wish Dwight was here," sighed a young lady during "The Office" Olympics. It's unclear whether she meant Dwight Schrute, the character, or Rainn Wilson, the actor who plays him, as the coffee cup races, trash can H-O-R-S-E and other events going on around them would only be enhanced by a stern taskmaster, as there was entirely too much gaiety going on.

A chilly rain fell on Scranton nearly all day today, which would enhance the sometimes-desolate and drab Pennsylvania town we see as the setting for NBC's "The Office." But this is not TV! This is real life! And in real life, for this weekend at least, Scranton is anything but desolate as it hosts the first of possibly many "Office" conventions to come.

The festivities kicked off on the "Today" show with cuts to Al Roker broadcasting from the University of Scranton. Those gathered around him cheered more loudly than a high school volleyball team that had come all the way from Alabama, or than 10 lifelong friends who had traveled to the big city to celebrate their 50th birthdays. 

The throngs seemed delirious, not just about the national attention but also the absurd fun of the situation. Cast member Craig Robinson, who plays Darryl from the Dunder Mifflin warehouse, seemed completely tuned in to the brouhaha, whooping it up and egging on those in attendance. Sadly, I have yet to meet any of the cast members on my particular jaunt, but thus far the locals like to boast about which actors they've met, and a Scranton convention volunteer showed me some photos of Robinson cheerfully holding up her infant nephew, so obviously he seems like a good time.

Of all the characters on "The Office," none has undergone a more dramatic transformation than Jan Levenson, played by Melora Hardin.  When the show started, Jan was the exasperated straight man not only to Michael (Steve Carell) but to the entire Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin.  It was clear that she'd rather be dealing with any other group of people.  It wasn't long, however, before Jan made a more regular, self-destructive presence, giving in to her inexplicable attraction to Michael, eventually allowing their relationship to jeopardize her career and, finally, to end it, explosively.  Jan began the series as the epitome of rationality and control, but by the end of the third season she embodied complete surrender to impulse and emotion.  So what's going to happen now? 

The fourth season didn't start promisingly for Jan.  After being fired (or quitting, depending on your perspective) from her corporate job at Dunder Mifflin in New York, she moved in with Michael, but so far all viewers have seen is an unflattering portrait of her snoring on Michael's bed and her occasional visits to the Scranton office, in sweats, to visit and insult Ryan (B.J. Novak), who replaced her, and to make threats against Pam (Jenna Fischer), lest she consider making any moves on Jan's man.

"I think she's feeling threatened by everybody right now," Hardin says about her character.  "Jan's used to being the boss.  I think she's still comfortable in that position and wants to keep a sense of that, her own sanity, but really has very little to hang on to in that regard."

With so much focus on Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam’s (Jenna Fischer) relationship and Michael’s (Steve Carell) antics so far this season, it was nice during last night’s “The Office” to see a few changes in the way the characters typically interact. Of course, there was still some obligatory Michael ridiculousness as he held an obnoxious pizza delivery boy hostage, and some unnecessary Jim and Pam bonding time on the office roof, but otherwise, the new interactions were welcome.   

For once, for instance, we got to see Stanley (Leslie David Baker) smiling and having a good time as he danced in his seat to the music on the new Dunder-Mifflin website. He stopped and became dour again as soon as Phyllis (Phyllis Smith) pointed it out to him, but maybe we’ll see a happy Stanley again come pretzel day. 

For a show that originally plumbed for laughs the doldrums that make up the average American office, a lot is going on at "The Office's" Dunder Mifflin.  Romances, rabies,  car accidents, nudity, fun runs: Judging from the fourth season's premiere, it seems like the show is heading into a new direction that focuses on tumultuous relationships and what they tend to call "situational comedy."

The writers had a lot of material to work with from the season finale: Ryan (B.J. Novak) went from being Michael's (Steve Carell) "protege" to being his boss; Jim (John Krasinski) apparently dumped Karen (Rashida Jones) in New York and began a relationship with longtime crush Pam (Jenna Fischer); and Michael's girlfriend, Jan (Melora Hardin), underwent a complete emotional breakdown, surrendering all the control that had defined her in previous seasons. 

Since the BBC version of "The Office" lasted only two seasons, the third and fourth seasons of the U.S. incarnation were and are going to be definitive in terms of determining where the show will go.  In many ways, this premiere purposefully demonstrated that the series is going to head in new directions, obviously with the displacement of Ryan and, yes, the romance between Pam and Jim (go ahead and take your victory lap, JAM-ers, while you can).  But in larger ways, too, the writers seem to be attempting to evolve the show.  For instance, the premiere opened not at or even near the office but in Michael's home.  Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and Angela's (Angela Kinsey) relationship, while still secret to the office, is now public to the cameras.  And perhaps most unusual, the faux "fourth wall" was broken down as the cameramen showed Pam and Jim footage of a secret rendezvous, forcing them to admit their relationship.  Very infrequently have the cameras in the U.S. version of "The Office" been acknowledged -- it's about high time they did, because perhaps the most unrealistic part of the show is not Michael's increasingly ridiculous behavior but that the characters never seem to mention the footage of them that apparently is being aired somewhere, or questioning where it is going.

Now that was a season finale.  Maybe too much of a season finale!  “The Office" packed so much story in one hour it was hard to remember if the show was a comedy or a drama.

"The Office" seems to do well when it shakes itself out if its typical element, when combinations of characters are formed that aren’t usually and things are filmed off-site.  With an episode that involved Jim (John Krasinski), Karen (Rashida Jones) and Michael (Steve Carell) all heading to New York for a job interview that would mean one of them was moving away from Scranton, permanently, the mere getting out of the office -- and in that combination – promised an interesting setup.

For fans of "The Office," the controversy that's been teasing viewers all season has been Pam v. Karen: The Battle for Jim. However, after the matter having been built to a head earlier this season (with Jim admitting to Karen that he still had feelings for Pam, the situation deflated some. Karen (Rashida Jones) and Jim (John Krasinski) talked. Pam (Jenna Fischer) got back with Roy (David Denman). The matter became a more minor plot point.

However, this week, it seemed, the situation would finally find some resolution. The previous episode found us with Roy, Pam's ex-fiancee and now ex-boyfriend, declaring "I'm gonna kill Jim Halpert," after Pam admitted to him that she kissed Jim. Yes! Face-to-face action. Drama! Would viewers get some satisfaction?

"The Office": You burn it, you buy it

If someone watched "The Office" for the first time last night, he or she might not be that clear on why, in fact, the show is titled as such.  After all, other than for the first few minutes, the episode took place in Michael (Steve Carell) and Jan's (Melora Hardin) condo. However, for the rest of us, despite the "out-of-water" concept of the episode, it worked out largely as a satisfying take on the play "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" as Michael and Jan's interaction during their dinner party was funny, terrifying, sad and bizarre, just as with the lead couple in the Edward Albee classic, which presented a reality of a kind other than the dull office life we usually see in the show. 

With "The Office" returning tonight after a four-month layoff, here's a quick refresher so you don't feel like you're walking in late to a meeting.

Show: "The Office"

Location: Scranton, Pa.

Setting: Dunder-Mifflin paper company.

The players:

Regional manager of Dunder-Mifflin Scranton branch: Michael Scott (Steve Carell)

Sales rep (assistant to the regional manager): Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson)

Assistant regional manager: Jim Halpert (John Krasinski)

Receptionist: Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer)

Account supervisor: Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey)

Michael Scott's former boss, his current unemployed girlfriend: Jan Levinson (Melora Hardin)

Former intern, current VP of regional sales: Ryan Howard (BJ Novak)

Dunder-Mifflin sales: Andy Bernard (Ed Helms)

To recap:

-- Tonight's episode, "Dinner Party," centers around Michael Scott's season-long desire to have the recently-coupled Jim and Pam over for dinner. After three seasons of hinting at a relationship, Jim and Pam officially announced their relationship in the first episode of Season 4.

Throughout the season, Jim has dodged dinner invites by changing the subject or inviting Michael and his boss-turned-unemployed girlfriend Jan over for a meal on a night when he knows Michael is out of commission.

-- Michael, the clueless boss who ultimately means well, is obsessed with being friends with his employees.

-- Unlike past seasons of "The Office," early episodes of Season 4 have centered heavily on locations outside of the Scranton cubicles. Ambitious brown-noser Dwight Schrute, for instance, was revealed to own a bed & breakfast, and Michael spent one episode trying to prove to his current boss (and former intern), Ryan, that he could survive in the wild.

But the more inspired moments of the season continue to take place inside the Scranton office, such as when Jim faced a staff revolt by deciding to combine three birthday celebrations into one.

-- Michael and Jan have had a rocky past.

In the last episode aired by the writers strike, Michael was caught in the middle of Jan's suit against Dunder-Mifflin for wrongful termination. Michael says in a deposition that Jan believed her termination had something to do with her "twins," a.k.a., her recently enhanced breasts.

It's also revealed during the depo that Jan gave Michael a scathing performance review -- after they had started dating -- and had looked through Michael's diary. These storylines will likely pop up in the remainder of the season.

-- Dwight and Angela, who long had a "secret" relationship, split up early in Season 4.

The breakup happened shortly after Angela had asked Dwight to take care of her sick cat, Sprinkles. Rather than follow a lengthy medication procedure, Dwight killed the cat, justifying his actions thusly: "As a farmer, I know that when an animal is sick, sometimes the right thing to do is to put it out of its misery. With the electricity we're using to keep Meredith alive we could power a small fan for 2 days. You tell me what's unethical."

-- Seeing an opportunity to hit on a grieving Angela, Andy made his move. He brought Angela a new cat, a ploy Dwight had tried and failed. Angela finally accepted Andy's advances: "You may ask me out to dinner. Nothing fancy or foreign, no bars, no patios, no vegetables, and no seafood." A major plotline of Season 4 has been Dwight's grieving over Angela.

-- NBC has announced a spinoff to "The Office," which will debut after the Super Bowl in 2009. Details are scant.

-- Todd Martens

Photo courtesy NBC

The final evening of the "Office" convention kicked off with a VIP cocktail reception that I was not invited to, but that's OK: It gave me a chance to check out Farley's, one of the actual Scranton establishments mentioned on the show. It was a great place to grab a burger -- sort of like Bennigan's if Bennigan's was a knickknack-free independent restaurant and not a national chain. I also popped my head into the Bog, a bar not mentioned on the show but one where the night before cast members had whiled away the evening singing karaoke (not surprisingly, from what I hear, Craig Robinson, a.k.a. Darryl, was one of the main performers.) 

The sun finally came out this afternoon, probably willed out of hiding by the sheer star power of the cast of "The Office." 

I never did get to ask Angela Kinsey (Angela) what hair product she was using to keep her flaxen locks so immune to the humidity, unfortunately, but it was on my mind. 

The citizens of Scranton, Pa., and convention attendees have been deliriously anticipating any sightings of the actors, and were largely rewarded all day today. 

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Oscar Nunez (Oscar), Andy Buckley (David Wallace) and Craig Robinson (Darryl) took part in an improvised Dunder Mifflin stockholders meeting along with local actors. 

The event was held at the Mall at Steamtown; the good news for the cast members was that it was better attended than a Debbie Gibson concert. This wasn't so great for attendees, however, as it was nearly impossible to see and hear.

Oh, well: I got to check out Bon-Ton, which is a department store I'd never heard of that carried a great array of the cute hats that are so "in" this season. 

"I wish Dwight was here," sighed a young lady during "The Office" Olympics. It's unclear whether she meant Dwight Schrute, the character, or Rainn Wilson, the actor who plays him, as the coffee cup races, trash can H-O-R-S-E and other events going on around them would only be enhanced by a stern taskmaster, as there was entirely too much gaiety going on.

A chilly rain fell on Scranton nearly all day today, which would enhance the sometimes-desolate and drab Pennsylvania town we see as the setting for NBC's "The Office." But this is not TV! This is real life! And in real life, for this weekend at least, Scranton is anything but desolate as it hosts the first of possibly many "Office" conventions to come.

The festivities kicked off on the "Today" show with cuts to Al Roker broadcasting from the University of Scranton. Those gathered around him cheered more loudly than a high school volleyball team that had come all the way from Alabama, or than 10 lifelong friends who had traveled to the big city to celebrate their 50th birthdays. 

The throngs seemed delirious, not just about the national attention but also the absurd fun of the situation. Cast member Craig Robinson, who plays Darryl from the Dunder Mifflin warehouse, seemed completely tuned in to the brouhaha, whooping it up and egging on those in attendance. Sadly, I have yet to meet any of the cast members on my particular jaunt, but thus far the locals like to boast about which actors they've met, and a Scranton convention volunteer showed me some photos of Robinson cheerfully holding up her infant nephew, so obviously he seems like a good time.

Of all the characters on "The Office," none has undergone a more dramatic transformation than Jan Levenson, played by Melora Hardin.  When the show started, Jan was the exasperated straight man not only to Michael (Steve Carell) but to the entire Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin.  It was clear that she'd rather be dealing with any other group of people.  It wasn't long, however, before Jan made a more regular, self-destructive presence, giving in to her inexplicable attraction to Michael, eventually allowing their relationship to jeopardize her career and, finally, to end it, explosively.  Jan began the series as the epitome of rationality and control, but by the end of the third season she embodied complete surrender to impulse and emotion.  So what's going to happen now? 

The fourth season didn't start promisingly for Jan.  After being fired (or quitting, depending on your perspective) from her corporate job at Dunder Mifflin in New York, she moved in with Michael, but so far all viewers have seen is an unflattering portrait of her snoring on Michael's bed and her occasional visits to the Scranton office, in sweats, to visit and insult Ryan (B.J. Novak), who replaced her, and to make threats against Pam (Jenna Fischer), lest she consider making any moves on Jan's man.

"I think she's feeling threatened by everybody right now," Hardin says about her character.  "Jan's used to being the boss.  I think she's still comfortable in that position and wants to keep a sense of that, her own sanity, but really has very little to hang on to in that regard."

With so much focus on Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam’s (Jenna Fischer) relationship and Michael’s (Steve Carell) antics so far this season, it was nice during last night’s “The Office” to see a few changes in the way the characters typically interact. Of course, there was still some obligatory Michael ridiculousness as he held an obnoxious pizza delivery boy hostage, and some unnecessary Jim and Pam bonding time on the office roof, but otherwise, the new interactions were welcome.   

For once, for instance, we got to see Stanley (Leslie David Baker) smiling and having a good time as he danced in his seat to the music on the new Dunder-Mifflin website. He stopped and became dour again as soon as Phyllis (Phyllis Smith) pointed it out to him, but maybe we’ll see a happy Stanley again come pretzel day. 

For a show that originally plumbed for laughs the doldrums that make up the average American office, a lot is going on at "The Office's" Dunder Mifflin.  Romances, rabies,  car accidents, nudity, fun runs: Judging from the fourth season's premiere, it seems like the show is heading into a new direction that focuses on tumultuous relationships and what they tend to call "situational comedy."

The writers had a lot of material to work with from the season finale: Ryan (B.J. Novak) went from being Michael's (Steve Carell) "protege" to being his boss; Jim (John Krasinski) apparently dumped Karen (Rashida Jones) in New York and began a relationship with longtime crush Pam (Jenna Fischer); and Michael's girlfriend, Jan (Melora Hardin), underwent a complete emotional breakdown, surrendering all the control that had defined her in previous seasons. 

Since the BBC version of "The Office" lasted only two seasons, the third and fourth seasons of the U.S. incarnation were and are going to be definitive in terms of determining where the show will go.  In many ways, this premiere purposefully demonstrated that the series is going to head in new directions, obviously with the displacement of Ryan and, yes, the romance between Pam and Jim (go ahead and take your victory lap, JAM-ers, while you can).  But in larger ways, too, the writers seem to be attempting to evolve the show.  For instance, the premiere opened not at or even near the office but in Michael's home.  Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and Angela's (Angela Kinsey) relationship, while still secret to the office, is now public to the cameras.  And perhaps most unusual, the faux "fourth wall" was broken down as the cameramen showed Pam and Jim footage of a secret rendezvous, forcing them to admit their relationship.  Very infrequently have the cameras in the U.S. version of "The Office" been acknowledged -- it's about high time they did, because perhaps the most unrealistic part of the show is not Michael's increasingly ridiculous behavior but that the characters never seem to mention the footage of them that apparently is being aired somewhere, or questioning where it is going.

Now that was a season finale.  Maybe too much of a season finale!  “The Office" packed so much story in one hour it was hard to remember if the show was a comedy or a drama.

"The Office" seems to do well when it shakes itself out if its typical element, when combinations of characters are formed that aren’t usually and things are filmed off-site.  With an episode that involved Jim (John Krasinski), Karen (Rashida Jones) and Michael (Steve Carell) all heading to New York for a job interview that would mean one of them was moving away from Scranton, permanently, the mere getting out of the office -- and in that combination – promised an interesting setup.

For fans of "The Office," the controversy that's been teasing viewers all season has been Pam v. Karen: The Battle for Jim. However, after the matter having been built to a head earlier this season (with Jim admitting to Karen that he still had feelings for Pam, the situation deflated some. Karen (Rashida Jones) and Jim (John Krasinski) talked. Pam (Jenna Fischer) got back with Roy (David Denman). The matter became a more minor plot point.

However, this week, it seemed, the situation would finally find some resolution. The previous episode found us with Roy, Pam's ex-fiancee and now ex-boyfriend, declaring "I'm gonna kill Jim Halpert," after Pam admitted to him that she kissed Jim. Yes! Face-to-face action. Drama! Would viewers get some satisfaction?

'The Office': What you need to know

With "The Office" returning tonight after a four-month layoff, here's a quick refresher so you don't feel like you're walking in late to a meeting.

Show: "The Office"

Location: Scranton, Pa.

Setting: Dunder-Mifflin paper company.

The players:

Regional manager of Dunder-Mifflin Scranton branch: Michael Scott (Steve Carell)

Sales rep (assistant to the regional manager): Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson)

Assistant regional manager: Jim Halpert (John Krasinski)

Receptionist: Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer)

Account supervisor: Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey)

Michael Scott's former boss, his current unemployed girlfriend: Jan Levinson (Melora Hardin)

Former intern, current VP of regional sales: Ryan Howard (BJ Novak)

Dunder-Mifflin sales: Andy Bernard (Ed Helms)

To recap:

-- Tonight's episode, "Dinner Party," centers around Michael Scott's season-long desire to have the recently-coupled Jim and Pam over for dinner. After three seasons of hinting at a relationship, Jim and Pam officially announced their relationship in the first episode of Season 4.

Throughout the season, Jim has dodged dinner invites by changing the subject or inviting Michael and his boss-turned-unemployed girlfriend Jan over for a meal on a night when he knows Michael is out of commission.

-- Michael, the clueless boss who ultimately means well, is obsessed with being friends with his employees.

-- Unlike past seasons of "The Office," early episodes of Season 4 have centered heavily on locations outside of the Scranton cubicles. Ambitious brown-noser Dwight Schrute, for instance, was revealed to own a bed & breakfast, and Michael spent one episode trying to prove to his current boss (and former intern), Ryan, that he could survive in the wild.

But the more inspired moments of the season continue to take place inside the Scranton office, such as when Jim faced a staff revolt by deciding to combine three birthday celebrations into one.

-- Michael and Jan have had a rocky past.

In the last episode aired by the writers strike, Michael was caught in the middle of Jan's suit against Dunder-Mifflin for wrongful termination. Michael says in a deposition that Jan believed her termination had something to do with her "twins," a.k.a., her recently enhanced breasts.

It's also revealed during the depo that Jan gave Michael a scathing performance review -- after they had started dating -- and had looked through Michael's diary. These storylines will likely pop up in the remainder of the season.

-- Dwight and Angela, who long had a "secret" relationship, split up early in Season 4.

The breakup happened shortly after Angela had asked Dwight to take care of her sick cat, Sprinkles. Rather than follow a lengthy medication procedure, Dwight killed the cat, justifying his actions thusly: "As a farmer, I know that when an animal is sick, sometimes the right thing to do is to put it out of its misery. With the electricity we're using to keep Meredith alive we could power a small fan for 2 days. You tell me what's unethical."

-- Seeing an opportunity to hit on a grieving Angela, Andy made his move. He brought Angela a new cat, a ploy Dwight had tried and failed. Angela finally accepted Andy's advances: "You may ask me out to dinner. Nothing fancy or foreign, no bars, no patios, no vegetables, and no seafood." A major plotline of Season 4 has been Dwight's grieving over Angela.

-- NBC has announced a spinoff to "The Office," which will debut after the Super Bowl in 2009. Details are scant.

-- Todd Martens

Photo courtesy NBC

The final evening of the "Office" convention kicked off with a VIP cocktail reception that I was not invited to, but that's OK: It gave me a chance to check out Farley's, one of the actual Scranton establishments mentioned on the show. It was a great place to grab a burger -- sort of like Bennigan's if Bennigan's was a knickknack-free independent restaurant and not a national chain. I also popped my head into the Bog, a bar not mentioned on the show but one where the night before cast members had whiled away the evening singing karaoke (not surprisingly, from what I hear, Craig Robinson, a.k.a. Darryl, was one of the main performers.) 

The sun finally came out this afternoon, probably willed out of hiding by the sheer star power of the cast of "The Office." 

I never did get to ask Angela Kinsey (Angela) what hair product she was using to keep her flaxen locks so immune to the humidity, unfortunately, but it was on my mind. 

The citizens of Scranton, Pa., and convention attendees have been deliriously anticipating any sightings of the actors, and were largely rewarded all day today. 

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Oscar Nunez (Oscar), Andy Buckley (David Wallace) and Craig Robinson (Darryl) took part in an improvised Dunder Mifflin stockholders meeting along with local actors. 

The event was held at the Mall at Steamtown; the good news for the cast members was that it was better attended than a Debbie Gibson concert. This wasn't so great for attendees, however, as it was nearly impossible to see and hear.

Oh, well: I got to check out Bon-Ton, which is a department store I'd never heard of that carried a great array of the cute hats that are so "in" this season. 

"I wish Dwight was here," sighed a young lady during "The Office" Olympics. It's unclear whether she meant Dwight Schrute, the character, or Rainn Wilson, the actor who plays him, as the coffee cup races, trash can H-O-R-S-E and other events going on around them would only be enhanced by a stern taskmaster, as there was entirely too much gaiety going on.

A chilly rain fell on Scranton nearly all day today, which would enhance the sometimes-desolate and drab Pennsylvania town we see as the setting for NBC's "The Office." But this is not TV! This is real life! And in real life, for this weekend at least, Scranton is anything but desolate as it hosts the first of possibly many "Office" conventions to come.

The festivities kicked off on the "Today" show with cuts to Al Roker broadcasting from the University of Scranton. Those gathered around him cheered more loudly than a high school volleyball team that had come all the way from Alabama, or than 10 lifelong friends who had traveled to the big city to celebrate their 50th birthdays. 

The throngs seemed delirious, not just about the national attention but also the absurd fun of the situation. Cast member Craig Robinson, who plays Darryl from the Dunder Mifflin warehouse, seemed completely tuned in to the brouhaha, whooping it up and egging on those in attendance. Sadly, I have yet to meet any of the cast members on my particular jaunt, but thus far the locals like to boast about which actors they've met, and a Scranton convention volunteer showed me some photos of Robinson cheerfully holding up her infant nephew, so obviously he seems like a good time.

Of all the characters on "The Office," none has undergone a more dramatic transformation than Jan Levenson, played by Melora Hardin.  When the show started, Jan was the exasperated straight man not only to Michael (Steve Carell) but to the entire Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin.  It was clear that she'd rather be dealing with any other group of people.  It wasn't long, however, before Jan made a more regular, self-destructive presence, giving in to her inexplicable attraction to Michael, eventually allowing their relationship to jeopardize her career and, finally, to end it, explosively.  Jan began the series as the epitome of rationality and control, but by the end of the third season she embodied complete surrender to impulse and emotion.  So what's going to happen now? 

The fourth season didn't start promisingly for Jan.  After being fired (or quitting, depending on your perspective) from her corporate job at Dunder Mifflin in New York, she moved in with Michael, but so far all viewers have seen is an unflattering portrait of her snoring on Michael's bed and her occasional visits to the Scranton office, in sweats, to visit and insult Ryan (B.J. Novak), who replaced her, and to make threats against Pam (Jenna Fischer), lest she consider making any moves on Jan's man.

"I think she's feeling threatened by everybody right now," Hardin says about her character.  "Jan's used to being the boss.  I think she's still comfortable in that position and wants to keep a sense of that, her own sanity, but really has very little to hang on to in that regard."

With so much focus on Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam’s (Jenna Fischer) relationship and Michael’s (Steve Carell) antics so far this season, it was nice during last night’s “The Office” to see a few changes in the way the characters typically interact. Of course, there was still some obligatory Michael ridiculousness as he held an obnoxious pizza delivery boy hostage, and some unnecessary Jim and Pam bonding time on the office roof, but otherwise, the new interactions were welcome.   

For once, for instance, we got to see Stanley (Leslie David Baker) smiling and having a good time as he danced in his seat to the music on the new Dunder-Mifflin website. He stopped and became dour again as soon as Phyllis (Phyllis Smith) pointed it out to him, but maybe we’ll see a happy Stanley again come pretzel day. 

For a show that originally plumbed for laughs the doldrums that make up the average American office, a lot is going on at "The Office's" Dunder Mifflin.  Romances, rabies,  car accidents, nudity, fun runs: Judging from the fourth season's premiere, it seems like the show is heading into a new direction that focuses on tumultuous relationships and what they tend to call "situational comedy."

The writers had a lot of material to work with from the season finale: Ryan (B.J. Novak) went from being Michael's (Steve Carell) "protege" to being his boss; Jim (John Krasinski) apparently dumped Karen (Rashida Jones) in New York and began a relationship with longtime crush Pam (Jenna Fischer); and Michael's girlfriend, Jan (Melora Hardin), underwent a complete emotional breakdown, surrendering all the control that had defined her in previous seasons. 

Since the BBC version of "The Office" lasted only two seasons, the third and fourth seasons of the U.S. incarnation were and are going to be definitive in terms of determining where the show will go.  In many ways, this premiere purposefully demonstrated that the series is going to head in new directions, obviously with the displacement of Ryan and, yes, the romance between Pam and Jim (go ahead and take your victory lap, JAM-ers, while you can).  But in larger ways, too, the writers seem to be attempting to evolve the show.  For instance, the premiere opened not at or even near the office but in Michael's home.  Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and Angela's (Angela Kinsey) relationship, while still secret to the office, is now public to the cameras.  And perhaps most unusual, the faux "fourth wall" was broken down as the cameramen showed Pam and Jim footage of a secret rendezvous, forcing them to admit their relationship.  Very infrequently have the cameras in the U.S. version of "The Office" been acknowledged -- it's about high time they did, because perhaps the most unrealistic part of the show is not Michael's increasingly ridiculous behavior but that the characters never seem to mention the footage of them that apparently is being aired somewhere, or questioning where it is going.

Now that was a season finale.  Maybe too much of a season finale!  “The Office" packed so much story in one hour it was hard to remember if the show was a comedy or a drama.

"The Office" seems to do well when it shakes itself out if its typical element, when combinations of characters are formed that aren’t usually and things are filmed off-site.  With an episode that involved Jim (John Krasinski), Karen (Rashida Jones) and Michael (Steve Carell) all heading to New York for a job interview that would mean one of them was moving away from Scranton, permanently, the mere getting out of the office -- and in that combination – promised an interesting setup.

For fans of "The Office," the controversy that's been teasing viewers all season has been Pam v. Karen: The Battle for Jim. However, after the matter having been built to a head earlier this season (with Jim admitting to Karen that he still had feelings for Pam, the situation deflated some. Karen (Rashida Jones) and Jim (John Krasinski) talked. Pam (Jenna Fischer) got back with Roy (David Denman). The matter became a more minor plot point.

However, this week, it seemed, the situation would finally find some resolution. The previous episode found us with Roy, Pam's ex-fiancee and now ex-boyfriend, declaring "I'm gonna kill Jim Halpert," after Pam admitted to him that she kissed Jim. Yes! Face-to-face action. Drama! Would viewers get some satisfaction?

'The Office': Overtime

The final evening of the "Office" convention kicked off with a VIP cocktail reception that I was not invited to, but that's OK: It gave me a chance to check out Farley's, one of the actual Scranton establishments mentioned on the show. It was a great place to grab a burger -- sort of like Bennigan's if Bennigan's was a knickknack-free independent restaurant and not a national chain. I also popped my head into the Bog, a bar not mentioned on the show but one where the night before cast members had whiled away the evening singing karaoke (not surprisingly, from what I hear, Craig Robinson, a.k.a. Darryl, was one of the main performers.) 

The sun finally came out this afternoon, probably willed out of hiding by the sheer star power of the cast of "The Office." 

I never did get to ask Angela Kinsey (Angela) what hair product she was using to keep her flaxen locks so immune to the humidity, unfortunately, but it was on my mind. 

The citizens of Scranton, Pa., and convention attendees have been deliriously anticipating any sightings of the actors, and were largely rewarded all day today. 

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Oscar Nunez (Oscar), Andy Buckley (David Wallace) and Craig Robinson (Darryl) took part in an improvised Dunder Mifflin stockholders meeting along with local actors. 

The event was held at the Mall at Steamtown; the good news for the cast members was that it was better attended than a Debbie Gibson concert. This wasn't so great for attendees, however, as it was nearly impossible to see and hear.

Oh, well: I got to check out Bon-Ton, which is a department store I'd never heard of that carried a great array of the cute hats that are so "in" this season. 

"I wish Dwight was here," sighed a young lady during "The Office" Olympics. It's unclear whether she meant Dwight Schrute, the character, or Rainn Wilson, the actor who plays him, as the coffee cup races, trash can H-O-R-S-E and other events going on around them would only be enhanced by a stern taskmaster, as there was entirely too much gaiety going on.

A chilly rain fell on Scranton nearly all day today, which would enhance the sometimes-desolate and drab Pennsylvania town we see as the setting for NBC's "The Office." But this is not TV! This is real life! And in real life, for this weekend at least, Scranton is anything but desolate as it hosts the first of possibly many "Office" conventions to come.

The festivities kicked off on the "Today" show with cuts to Al Roker broadcasting from the University of Scranton. Those gathered around him cheered more loudly than a high school volleyball team that had come all the way from Alabama, or than 10 lifelong friends who had traveled to the big city to celebrate their 50th birthdays. 

The throngs seemed delirious, not just about the national attention but also the absurd fun of the situation. Cast member Craig Robinson, who plays Darryl from the Dunder Mifflin warehouse, seemed completely tuned in to the brouhaha, whooping it up and egging on those in attendance. Sadly, I have yet to meet any of the cast members on my particular jaunt, but thus far the locals like to boast about which actors they've met, and a Scranton convention volunteer showed me some photos of Robinson cheerfully holding up her infant nephew, so obviously he seems like a good time.

Of all the characters on "The Office," none has undergone a more dramatic transformation than Jan Levenson, played by Melora Hardin.  When the show started, Jan was the exasperated straight man not only to Michael (Steve Carell) but to the entire Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin.  It was clear that she'd rather be dealing with any other group of people.  It wasn't long, however, before Jan made a more regular, self-destructive presence, giving in to her inexplicable attraction to Michael, eventually allowing their relationship to jeopardize her career and, finally, to end it, explosively.  Jan began the series as the epitome of rationality and control, but by the end of the third season she embodied complete surrender to impulse and emotion.  So what's going to happen now? 

The fourth season didn't start promisingly for Jan.  After being fired (or quitting, depending on your perspective) from her corporate job at Dunder Mifflin in New York, she moved in with Michael, but so far all viewers have seen is an unflattering portrait of her snoring on Michael's bed and her occasional visits to the Scranton office, in sweats, to visit and insult Ryan (B.J. Novak), who replaced her, and to make threats against Pam (Jenna Fischer), lest she consider making any moves on Jan's man.

"I think she's feeling threatened by everybody right now," Hardin says about her character.  "Jan's used to being the boss.  I think she's still comfortable in that position and wants to keep a sense of that, her own sanity, but really has very little to hang on to in that regard."

With so much focus on Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam’s (Jenna Fischer) relationship and Michael’s (Steve Carell) antics so far this season, it was nice during last night’s “The Office” to see a few changes in the way the characters typically interact. Of course, there was still some obligatory Michael ridiculousness as he held an obnoxious pizza delivery boy hostage, and some unnecessary Jim and Pam bonding time on the office roof, but otherwise, the new interactions were welcome.   

For once, for instance, we got to see Stanley (Leslie David Baker) smiling and having a good time as he danced in his seat to the music on the new Dunder-Mifflin website. He stopped and became dour again as soon as Phyllis (Phyllis Smith) pointed it out to him, but maybe we’ll see a happy Stanley again come pretzel day. 

For a show that originally plumbed for laughs the doldrums that make up the average American office, a lot is going on at "The Office's" Dunder Mifflin.  Romances, rabies,  car accidents, nudity, fun runs: Judging from the fourth season's premiere, it seems like the show is heading into a new direction that focuses on tumultuous relationships and what they tend to call "situational comedy."

The writers had a lot of material to work with from the season finale: Ryan (B.J. Novak) went from being Michael's (Steve Carell) "protege" to being his boss; Jim (John Krasinski) apparently dumped Karen (Rashida Jones) in New York and began a relationship with longtime crush Pam (Jenna Fischer); and Michael's girlfriend, Jan (Melora Hardin), underwent a complete emotional breakdown, surrendering all the control that had defined her in previous seasons. 

Since the BBC version of "The Office" lasted only two seasons, the third and fourth seasons of the U.S. incarnation were and are going to be definitive in terms of determining where the show will go.  In many ways, this premiere purposefully demonstrated that the series is going to head in new directions, obviously with the displacement of Ryan and, yes, the romance between Pam and Jim (go ahead and take your victory lap, JAM-ers, while you can).  But in larger ways, too, the writers seem to be attempting to evolve the show.  For instance, the premiere opened not at or even near the office but in Michael's home.  Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and Angela's (Angela Kinsey) relationship, while still secret to the office, is now public to the cameras.  And perhaps most unusual, the faux "fourth wall" was broken down as the cameramen showed Pam and Jim footage of a secret rendezvous, forcing them to admit their relationship.  Very infrequently have the cameras in the U.S. version of "The Office" been acknowledged -- it's about high time they did, because perhaps the most unrealistic part of the show is not Michael's increasingly ridiculous behavior but that the characters never seem to mention the footage of them that apparently is being aired somewhere, or questioning where it is going.

Now that was a season finale.  Maybe too much of a season finale!  “The Office" packed so much story in one hour it was hard to remember if the show was a comedy or a drama.

"The Office" seems to do well when it shakes itself out if its typical element, when combinations of characters are formed that aren’t usually and things are filmed off-site.  With an episode that involved Jim (John Krasinski), Karen (Rashida Jones) and Michael (Steve Carell) all heading to New York for a job interview that would mean one of them was moving away from Scranton, permanently, the mere getting out of the office -- and in that combination – promised an interesting setup.

For fans of "The Office," the controversy that's been teasing viewers all season has been Pam v. Karen: The Battle for Jim. However, after the matter having been built to a head earlier this season (with Jim admitting to Karen that he still had feelings for Pam, the situation deflated some. Karen (Rashida Jones) and Jim (John Krasinski) talked. Pam (Jenna Fischer) got back with Roy (David Denman). The matter became a more minor plot point.

However, this week, it seemed, the situation would finally find some resolution. The previous episode found us with Roy, Pam's ex-fiancee and now ex-boyfriend, declaring "I'm gonna kill Jim Halpert," after Pam admitted to him that she kissed Jim. Yes! Face-to-face action. Drama! Would viewers get some satisfaction?

'The Office': Get to know your co-workers

The sun finally came out this afternoon, probably willed out of hiding by the sheer star power of the cast of "The Office." 

I never did get to ask Angela Kinsey (Angela) what hair product she was using to keep her flaxen locks so immune to the humidity, unfortunately, but it was on my mind. 

The citizens of Scranton, Pa., and convention attendees have been deliriously anticipating any sightings of the actors, and were largely rewarded all day today. 

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Oscar Nunez (Oscar), Andy Buckley (David Wallace) and Craig Robinson (Darryl) took part in an improvised Dunder Mifflin stockholders meeting along with local actors. 

The event was held at the Mall at Steamtown; the good news for the cast members was that it was better attended than a Debbie Gibson concert. This wasn't so great for attendees, however, as it was nearly impossible to see and hear.

Oh, well: I got to check out Bon-Ton, which is a department store I'd never heard of that carried a great array of the cute hats that are so "in" this season. 

"I wish Dwight was here," sighed a young lady during "The Office" Olympics. It's unclear whether she meant Dwight Schrute, the character, or Rainn Wilson, the actor who plays him, as the coffee cup races, trash can H-O-R-S-E and other events going on around them would only be enhanced by a stern taskmaster, as there was entirely too much gaiety going on.

A chilly rain fell on Scranton nearly all day today, which would enhance the sometimes-desolate and drab Pennsylvania town we see as the setting for NBC's "The Office." But this is not TV! This is real life! And in real life, for this weekend at least, Scranton is anything but desolate as it hosts the first of possibly many "Office" conventions to come.

The festivities kicked off on the "Today" show with cuts to Al Roker broadcasting from the University of Scranton. Those gathered around him cheered more loudly than a high school volleyball team that had come all the way from Alabama, or than 10 lifelong friends who had traveled to the big city to celebrate their 50th birthdays. 

The throngs seemed delirious, not just about the national attention but also the absurd fun of the situation. Cast member Craig Robinson, who plays Darryl from the Dunder Mifflin warehouse, seemed completely tuned in to the brouhaha, whooping it up and egging on those in attendance. Sadly, I have yet to meet any of the cast members on my particular jaunt, but thus far the locals like to boast about which actors they've met, and a Scranton convention volunteer showed me some photos of Robinson cheerfully holding up her infant nephew, so obviously he seems like a good time.

Of all the characters on "The Office," none has undergone a more dramatic transformation than Jan Levenson, played by Melora Hardin.  When the show started, Jan was the exasperated straight man not only to Michael (Steve Carell) but to the entire Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin.  It was clear that she'd rather be dealing with any other group of people.  It wasn't long, however, before Jan made a more regular, self-destructive presence, giving in to her inexplicable attraction to Michael, eventually allowing their relationship to jeopardize her career and, finally, to end it, explosively.  Jan began the series as the epitome of rationality and control, but by the end of the third season she embodied complete surrender to impulse and emotion.  So what's going to happen now? 

The fourth season didn't start promisingly for Jan.  After being fired (or quitting, depending on your perspective) from her corporate job at Dunder Mifflin in New York, she moved in with Michael, but so far all viewers have seen is an unflattering portrait of her snoring on Michael's bed and her occasional visits to the Scranton office, in sweats, to visit and insult Ryan (B.J. Novak), who replaced her, and to make threats against Pam (Jenna Fischer), lest she consider making any moves on Jan's man.

"I think she's feeling threatened by everybody right now," Hardin says about her character.  "Jan's used to being the boss.  I think she's still comfortable in that position and wants to keep a sense of that, her own sanity, but really has very little to hang on to in that regard."

With so much focus on Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam’s (Jenna Fischer) relationship and Michael’s (Steve Carell) antics so far this season, it was nice during last night’s “The Office” to see a few changes in the way the characters typically interact. Of course, there was still some obligatory Michael ridiculousness as he held an obnoxious pizza delivery boy hostage, and some unnecessary Jim and Pam bonding time on the office roof, but otherwise, the new interactions were welcome.   

For once, for instance, we got to see Stanley (Leslie David Baker) smiling and having a good time as he danced in his seat to the music on the new Dunder-Mifflin website. He stopped and became dour again as soon as Phyllis (Phyllis Smith) pointed it out to him, but maybe we’ll see a happy Stanley again come pretzel day. 

For a show that originally plumbed for laughs the doldrums that make up the average American office, a lot is going on at "The Office's" Dunder Mifflin.  Romances, rabies,  car accidents, nudity, fun runs: Judging from the fourth season's premiere, it seems like the show is heading into a new direction that focuses on tumultuous relationships and what they tend to call "situational comedy."

The writers had a lot of material to work with from the season finale: Ryan (B.J. Novak) went from being Michael's (Steve Carell) "protege" to being his boss; Jim (John Krasinski) apparently dumped Karen (Rashida Jones) in New York and began a relationship with longtime crush Pam (Jenna Fischer); and Michael's girlfriend, Jan (Melora Hardin), underwent a complete emotional breakdown, surrendering all the control that had defined her in previous seasons. 

Since the BBC version of "The Office" lasted only two seasons, the third and fourth seasons of the U.S. incarnation were and are going to be definitive in terms of determining where the show will go.  In many ways, this premiere purposefully demonstrated that the series is going to head in new directions, obviously with the displacement of Ryan and, yes, the romance between Pam and Jim (go ahead and take your victory lap, JAM-ers, while you can).  But in larger ways, too, the writers seem to be attempting to evolve the show.  For instance, the premiere opened not at or even near the office but in Michael's home.  Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and Angela's (Angela Kinsey) relationship, while still secret to the office, is now public to the cameras.  And perhaps most unusual, the faux "fourth wall" was broken down as the cameramen showed Pam and Jim footage of a secret rendezvous, forcing them to admit their relationship.  Very infrequently have the cameras in the U.S. version of "The Office" been acknowledged -- it's about high time they did, because perhaps the most unrealistic part of the show is not Michael's increasingly ridiculous behavior but that the characters never seem to mention the footage of them that apparently is being aired somewhere, or questioning where it is going.

Now that was a season finale.  Maybe too much of a season finale!  “The Office" packed so much story in one hour it was hard to remember if the show was a comedy or a drama.

"The Office" seems to do well when it shakes itself out if its typical element, when combinations of characters are formed that aren’t usually and things are filmed off-site.  With an episode that involved Jim (John Krasinski), Karen (Rashida Jones) and Michael (Steve Carell) all heading to New York for a job interview that would mean one of them was moving away from Scranton, permanently, the mere getting out of the office -- and in that combination – promised an interesting setup.

For fans of "The Office," the controversy that's been teasing viewers all season has been Pam v. Karen: The Battle for Jim. However, after the matter having been built to a head earlier this season (with Jim admitting to Karen that he still had feelings for Pam, the situation deflated some. Karen (Rashida Jones) and Jim (John Krasinski) talked. Pam (Jenna Fischer) got back with Roy (David Denman). The matter became a more minor plot point.

However, this week, it seemed, the situation would finally find some resolution. The previous episode found us with Roy, Pam's ex-fiancee and now ex-boyfriend, declaring "I'm gonna kill Jim Halpert," after Pam admitted to him that she kissed Jim. Yes! Face-to-face action. Drama! Would viewers get some satisfaction?

'The Office': Staff orientation

"I wish Dwight was here," sighed a young lady during "The Office" Olympics. It's unclear whether she meant Dwight Schrute, the character, or Rainn Wilson, the actor who plays him, as the coffee cup races, trash can H-O-R-S-E and other events going on around them would only be enhanced by a stern taskmaster, as there was entirely too much gaiety going on.

A chilly rain fell on Scranton nearly all day today, which would enhance the sometimes-desolate and drab Pennsylvania town we see as the setting for NBC's "The Office." But this is not TV! This is real life! And in real life, for this weekend at least, Scranton is anything but desolate as it hosts the first of possibly many "Office" conventions to come.

The festivities kicked off on the "Today" show with cuts to Al Roker broadcasting from the University of Scranton. Those gathered around him cheered more loudly than a high school volleyball team that had come all the way from Alabama, or than 10 lifelong friends who had traveled to the big city to celebrate their 50th birthdays. 

The throngs seemed delirious, not just about the national attention but also the absurd fun of the situation. Cast member Craig Robinson, who plays Darryl from the Dunder Mifflin warehouse, seemed completely tuned in to the brouhaha, whooping it up and egging on those in attendance. Sadly, I have yet to meet any of the cast members on my particular jaunt, but thus far the locals like to boast about which actors they've met, and a Scranton convention volunteer showed me some photos of Robinson cheerfully holding up her infant nephew, so obviously he seems like a good time.

Of all the characters on "The Office," none has undergone a more dramatic transformation than Jan Levenson, played by Melora Hardin.  When the show started, Jan was the exasperated straight man not only to Michael (Steve Carell) but to the entire Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin.  It was clear that she'd rather be dealing with any other group of people.  It wasn't long, however, before Jan made a more regular, self-destructive presence, giving in to her inexplicable attraction to Michael, eventually allowing their relationship to jeopardize her career and, finally, to end it, explosively.  Jan began the series as the epitome of rationality and control, but by the end of the third season she embodied complete surrender to impulse and emotion.  So what's going to happen now? 

The fourth season didn't start promisingly for Jan.  After being fired (or quitting, depending on your perspective) from her corporate job at Dunder Mifflin in New York, she moved in with Michael, but so far all viewers have seen is an unflattering portrait of her snoring on Michael's bed and her occasional visits to the Scranton office, in sweats, to visit and insult Ryan (B.J. Novak), who replaced her, and to make threats against Pam (Jenna Fischer), lest she consider making any moves on Jan's man.

"I think she's feeling threatened by everybody right now," Hardin says about her character.  "Jan's used to being the boss.  I think she's still comfortable in that position and wants to keep a sense of that, her own sanity, but really has very little to hang on to in that regard."

With so much focus on Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam’s (Jenna Fischer) relationship and Michael’s (Steve Carell) antics so far this season, it was nice during last night’s “The Office” to see a few changes in the way the characters typically interact. Of course, there was still some obligatory Michael ridiculousness as he held an obnoxious pizza delivery boy hostage, and some unnecessary Jim and Pam bonding time on the office roof, but otherwise, the new interactions were welcome.   

For once, for instance, we got to see Stanley (Leslie David Baker) smiling and having a good time as he danced in his seat to the music on the new Dunder-Mifflin website. He stopped and became dour again as soon as Phyllis (Phyllis Smith) pointed it out to him, but maybe we’ll see a happy Stanley again come pretzel day. 

For a show that originally plumbed for laughs the doldrums that make up the average American office, a lot is going on at "The Office's" Dunder Mifflin.  Romances, rabies,  car accidents, nudity, fun runs: Judging from the fourth season's premiere, it seems like the show is heading into a new direction that focuses on tumultuous relationships and what they tend to call "situational comedy."

The writers had a lot of material to work with from the season finale: Ryan (B.J. Novak) went from being Michael's (Steve Carell) "protege" to being his boss; Jim (John Krasinski) apparently dumped Karen (Rashida Jones) in New York and began a relationship with longtime crush Pam (Jenna Fischer); and Michael's girlfriend, Jan (Melora Hardin), underwent a complete emotional breakdown, surrendering all the control that had defined her in previous seasons. 

Since the BBC version of "The Office" lasted only two seasons, the third and fourth seasons of the U.S. incarnation were and are going to be definitive in terms of determining where the show will go.  In many ways, this premiere purposefully demonstrated that the series is going to head in new directions, obviously with the displacement of Ryan and, yes, the romance between Pam and Jim (go ahead and take your victory lap, JAM-ers, while you can).  But in larger ways, too, the writers seem to be attempting to evolve the show.  For instance, the premiere opened not at or even near the office but in Michael's home.  Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and Angela's (Angela Kinsey) relationship, while still secret to the office, is now public to the cameras.  And perhaps most unusual, the faux "fourth wall" was broken down as the cameramen showed Pam and Jim footage of a secret rendezvous, forcing them to admit their relationship.  Very infrequently have the cameras in the U.S. version of "The Office" been acknowledged -- it's about high time they did, because perhaps the most unrealistic part of the show is not Michael's increasingly ridiculous behavior but that the characters never seem to mention the footage of them that apparently is being aired somewhere, or questioning where it is going.

Now that was a season finale.  Maybe too much of a season finale!  “The Office" packed so much story in one hour it was hard to remember if the show was a comedy or a drama.

"The Office" seems to do well when it shakes itself out if its typical element, when combinations of characters are formed that aren’t usually and things are filmed off-site.  With an episode that involved Jim (John Krasinski), Karen (Rashida Jones) and Michael (Steve Carell) all heading to New York for a job interview that would mean one of them was moving away from Scranton, permanently, the mere getting out of the office -- and in that combination – promised an interesting setup.

For fans of "The Office," the controversy that's been teasing viewers all season has been Pam v. Karen: The Battle for Jim. However, after the matter having been built to a head earlier this season (with Jim admitting to Karen that he still had feelings for Pam, the situation deflated some. Karen (Rashida Jones) and Jim (John Krasinski) talked. Pam (Jenna Fischer) got back with Roy (David Denman). The matter became a more minor plot point.

However, this week, it seemed, the situation would finally find some resolution. The previous episode found us with Roy, Pam's ex-fiancee and now ex-boyfriend, declaring "I'm gonna kill Jim Halpert," after Pam admitted to him that she kissed Jim. Yes! Face-to-face action. Drama! Would viewers get some satisfaction?

'The Office': Scranton welcomes you

A chilly rain fell on Scranton nearly all day today, which would enhance the sometimes-desolate and drab Pennsylvania town we see as the setting for NBC's "The Office." But this is not TV! This is real life! And in real life, for this weekend at least, Scranton is anything but desolate as it hosts the first of possibly many "Office" conventions to come.

The festivities kicked off on the "Today" show with cuts to Al Roker broadcasting from the University of Scranton. Those gathered around him cheered more loudly than a high school volleyball team that had come all the way from Alabama, or than 10 lifelong friends who had traveled to the big city to celebrate their 50th birthdays. 

The throngs seemed delirious, not just about the national attention but also the absurd fun of the situation. Cast member Craig Robinson, who plays Darryl from the Dunder Mifflin warehouse, seemed completely tuned in to the brouhaha, whooping it up and egging on those in attendance. Sadly, I have yet to meet any of the cast members on my particular jaunt, but thus far the locals like to boast about which actors they've met, and a Scranton convention volunteer showed me some photos of Robinson cheerfully holding up her infant nephew, so obviously he seems like a good time.

Of all the characters on "The Office," none has undergone a more dramatic transformation than Jan Levenson, played by Melora Hardin.  When the show started, Jan was the exasperated straight man not only to Michael (Steve Carell) but to the entire Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin.  It was clear that she'd rather be dealing with any other group of people.  It wasn't long, however, before Jan made a more regular, self-destructive presence, giving in to her inexplicable attraction to Michael, eventually allowing their relationship to jeopardize her career and, finally, to end it, explosively.  Jan began the series as the epitome of rationality and control, but by the end of the third season she embodied complete surrender to impulse and emotion.  So what's going to happen now? 

The fourth season didn't start promisingly for Jan.  After being fired (or quitting, depending on your perspective) from her corporate job at Dunder Mifflin in New York, she moved in with Michael, but so far all viewers have seen is an unflattering portrait of her snoring on Michael's bed and her occasional visits to the Scranton office, in sweats, to visit and insult Ryan (B.J. Novak), who replaced her, and to make threats against Pam (Jenna Fischer), lest she consider making any moves on Jan's man.

"I think she's feeling threatened by everybody right now," Hardin says about her character.  "Jan's used to being the boss.  I think she's still comfortable in that position and wants to keep a sense of that, her own sanity, but really has very little to hang on to in that regard."

With so much focus on Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam’s (Jenna Fischer) relationship and Michael’s (Steve Carell) antics so far this season, it was nice during last night’s “The Office” to see a few changes in the way the characters typically interact. Of course, there was still some obligatory Michael ridiculousness as he held an obnoxious pizza delivery boy hostage, and some unnecessary Jim and Pam bonding time on the office roof, but otherwise, the new interactions were welcome.   

For once, for instance, we got to see Stanley (Leslie David Baker) smiling and having a good time as he danced in his seat to the music on the new Dunder-Mifflin website. He stopped and became dour again as soon as Phyllis (Phyllis Smith) pointed it out to him, but maybe we’ll see a happy Stanley again come pretzel day. 

For a show that originally plumbed for laughs the doldrums that make up the average American office, a lot is going on at "The Office's" Dunder Mifflin.  Romances, rabies,  car accidents, nudity, fun runs: Judging from the fourth season's premiere, it seems like the show is heading into a new direction that focuses on tumultuous relationships and what they tend to call "situational comedy."

The writers had a lot of material to work with from the season finale: Ryan (B.J. Novak) went from being Michael's (Steve Carell) "protege" to being his boss; Jim (John Krasinski) apparently dumped Karen (Rashida Jones) in New York and began a relationship with longtime crush Pam (Jenna Fischer); and Michael's girlfriend, Jan (Melora Hardin), underwent a complete emotional breakdown, surrendering all the control that had defined her in previous seasons. 

Since the BBC version of "The Office" lasted only two seasons, the third and fourth seasons of the U.S. incarnation were and are going to be definitive in terms of determining where the show will go.  In many ways, this premiere purposefully demonstrated that the series is going to head in new directions, obviously with the displacement of Ryan and, yes, the romance between Pam and Jim (go ahead and take your victory lap, JAM-ers, while you can).  But in larger ways, too, the writers seem to be attempting to evolve the show.  For instance, the premiere opened not at or even near the office but in Michael's home.  Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and Angela's (Angela Kinsey) relationship, while still secret to the office, is now public to the cameras.  And perhaps most unusual, the faux "fourth wall" was broken down as the cameramen showed Pam and Jim footage of a secret rendezvous, forcing them to admit their relationship.  Very infrequently have the cameras in the U.S. version of "The Office" been acknowledged -- it's about high time they did, because perhaps the most unrealistic part of the show is not Michael's increasingly ridiculous behavior but that the characters never seem to mention the footage of them that apparently is being aired somewhere, or questioning where it is going.

Now that was a season finale.  Maybe too much of a season finale!  “The Office" packed so much story in one hour it was hard to remember if the show was a comedy or a drama.

"The Office" seems to do well when it shakes itself out if its typical element, when combinations of characters are formed that aren’t usually and things are filmed off-site.  With an episode that involved Jim (John Krasinski), Karen (Rashida Jones) and Michael (Steve Carell) all heading to New York for a job interview that would mean one of them was moving away from Scranton, permanently, the mere getting out of the office -- and in that combination – promised an interesting setup.

For fans of "The Office," the controversy that's been teasing viewers all season has been Pam v. Karen: The Battle for Jim. However, after the matter having been built to a head earlier this season (with Jim admitting to Karen that he still had feelings for Pam, the situation deflated some. Karen (Rashida Jones) and Jim (John Krasinski) talked. Pam (Jenna Fischer) got back with Roy (David Denman). The matter became a more minor plot point.

However, this week, it seemed, the situation would finally find some resolution. The previous episode found us with Roy, Pam's ex-fiancee and now ex-boyfriend, declaring "I'm gonna kill Jim Halpert," after Pam admitted to him that she kissed Jim. Yes! Face-to-face action. Drama! Would viewers get some satisfaction?

'The Office': Jan, from Ann Taylor suits to sweats

Of all the characters on "The Office," none has undergone a more dramatic transformation than Jan Levenson, played by Melora Hardin.  When the show started, Jan was the exasperated straight man not only to Michael (Steve Carell) but to the entire Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin.  It was clear that she'd rather be dealing with any other group of people.  It wasn't long, however, before Jan made a more regular, self-destructive presence, giving in to her inexplicable attraction to Michael, eventually allowing their relationship to jeopardize her career and, finally, to end it, explosively.  Jan began the series as the epitome of rationality and control, but by the end of the third season she embodied complete surrender to impulse and emotion.  So what's going to happen now? 

The fourth season didn't start promisingly for Jan.  After being fired (or quitting, depending on your perspective) from her corporate job at Dunder Mifflin in New York, she moved in with Michael, but so far all viewers have seen is an unflattering portrait of her snoring on Michael's bed and her occasional visits to the Scranton office, in sweats, to visit and insult Ryan (B.J. Novak), who replaced her, and to make threats against Pam (Jenna Fischer), lest she consider making any moves on Jan's man.

"I think she's feeling threatened by everybody right now," Hardin says about her character.  "Jan's used to being the boss.  I think she's still comfortable in that position and wants to keep a sense of that, her own sanity, but really has very little to hang on to in that regard."

With so much focus on Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam’s (Jenna Fischer) relationship and Michael’s (Steve Carell) antics so far this season, it was nice during last night’s “The Office” to see a few changes in the way the characters typically interact. Of course, there was still some obligatory Michael ridiculousness as he held an obnoxious pizza delivery boy hostage, and some unnecessary Jim and Pam bonding time on the office roof, but otherwise, the new interactions were welcome.   

For once, for instance, we got to see Stanley (Leslie David Baker) smiling and having a good time as he danced in his seat to the music on the new Dunder-Mifflin website. He stopped and became dour again as soon as Phyllis (Phyllis Smith) pointed it out to him, but maybe we’ll see a happy Stanley again come pretzel day. 

For a show that originally plumbed for laughs the doldrums that make up the average American office, a lot is going on at "The Office's" Dunder Mifflin.  Romances, rabies,  car accidents, nudity, fun runs: Judging from the fourth season's premiere, it seems like the show is heading into a new direction that focuses on tumultuous relationships and what they tend to call "situational comedy."

The writers had a lot of material to work with from the season finale: Ryan (B.J. Novak) went from being Michael's (Steve Carell) "protege" to being his boss; Jim (John Krasinski) apparently dumped Karen (Rashida Jones) in New York and began a relationship with longtime crush Pam (Jenna Fischer); and Michael's girlfriend, Jan (Melora Hardin), underwent a complete emotional breakdown, surrendering all the control that had defined her in previous seasons. 

Since the BBC version of "The Office" lasted only two seasons, the third and fourth seasons of the U.S. incarnation were and are going to be definitive in terms of determining where the show will go.  In many ways, this premiere purposefully demonstrated that the series is going to head in new directions, obviously with the displacement of Ryan and, yes, the romance between Pam and Jim (go ahead and take your victory lap, JAM-ers, while you can).  But in larger ways, too, the writers seem to be attempting to evolve the show.  For instance, the premiere opened not at or even near the office but in Michael's home.  Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and Angela's (Angela Kinsey) relationship, while still secret to the office, is now public to the cameras.  And perhaps most unusual, the faux "fourth wall" was broken down as the cameramen showed Pam and Jim footage of a secret rendezvous, forcing them to admit their relationship.  Very infrequently have the cameras in the U.S. version of "The Office" been acknowledged -- it's about high time they did, because perhaps the most unrealistic part of the show is not Michael's increasingly ridiculous behavior but that the characters never seem to mention the footage of them that apparently is being aired somewhere, or questioning where it is going.

Now that was a season finale.  Maybe too much of a season finale!  “The Office" packed so much story in one hour it was hard to remember if the show was a comedy or a drama.

"The Office" seems to do well when it shakes itself out if its typical element, when combinations of characters are formed that aren’t usually and things are filmed off-site.  With an episode that involved Jim (John Krasinski), Karen (Rashida Jones) and Michael (Steve Carell) all heading to New York for a job interview that would mean one of them was moving away from Scranton, permanently, the mere getting out of the office -- and in that combination – promised an interesting setup.

For fans of "The Office," the controversy that's been teasing viewers all season has been Pam v. Karen: The Battle for Jim. However, after the matter having been built to a head earlier this season (with Jim admitting to Karen that he still had feelings for Pam, the situation deflated some. Karen (Rashida Jones) and Jim (John Krasinski) talked. Pam (Jenna Fischer) got back with Roy (David Denman). The matter became a more minor plot point.

However, this week, it seemed, the situation would finally find some resolution. The previous episode found us with Roy, Pam's ex-fiancee and now ex-boyfriend, declaring "I'm gonna kill Jim Halpert," after Pam admitted to him that she kissed Jim. Yes! Face-to-face action. Drama! Would viewers get some satisfaction?

'The Office': Mixing it up, Angela-style

With so much focus on Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam’s (Jenna Fischer) relationship and Michael’s (Steve Carell) antics so far this season, it was nice during last night’s “The Office” to see a few changes in the way the characters typically interact. Of course, there was still some obligatory Michael ridiculousness as he held an obnoxious pizza delivery boy hostage, and some unnecessary Jim and Pam bonding time on the office roof, but otherwise, the new interactions were welcome.   

For once, for instance, we got to see Stanley (Leslie David Baker) smiling and having a good time as he danced in his seat to the music on the new Dunder-Mifflin website. He stopped and became dour again as soon as Phyllis (Phyllis Smith) pointed it out to him, but maybe we’ll see a happy Stanley again come pretzel day. 

For a show that originally plumbed for laughs the doldrums that make up the average American office, a lot is going on at "The Office's" Dunder Mifflin.  Romances, rabies,  car accidents, nudity, fun runs: Judging from the fourth season's premiere, it seems like the show is heading into a new direction that focuses on tumultuous relationships and what they tend to call "situational comedy."

The writers had a lot of material to work with from the season finale: Ryan (B.J. Novak) went from being Michael's (Steve Carell) "protege" to being his boss; Jim (John Krasinski) apparently dumped Karen (Rashida Jones) in New York and began a relationship with longtime crush Pam (Jenna Fischer); and Michael's girlfriend, Jan (Melora Hardin), underwent a complete emotional breakdown, surrendering all the control that had defined her in previous seasons. 

Since the BBC version of "The Office" lasted only two seasons, the third and fourth seasons of the U.S. incarnation were and are going to be definitive in terms of determining where the show will go.  In many ways, this premiere purposefully demonstrated that the series is going to head in new directions, obviously with the displacement of Ryan and, yes, the romance between Pam and Jim (go ahead and take your victory lap, JAM-ers, while you can).  But in larger ways, too, the writers seem to be attempting to evolve the show.  For instance, the premiere opened not at or even near the office but in Michael's home.  Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and Angela's (Angela Kinsey) relationship, while still secret to the office, is now public to the cameras.  And perhaps most unusual, the faux "fourth wall" was broken down as the cameramen showed Pam and Jim footage of a secret rendezvous, forcing them to admit their relationship.  Very infrequently have the cameras in the U.S. version of "The Office" been acknowledged -- it's about high time they did, because perhaps the most unrealistic part of the show is not Michael's increasingly ridiculous behavior but that the characters never seem to mention the footage of them that apparently is being aired somewhere, or questioning where it is going.

Now that was a season finale.  Maybe too much of a season finale!  “The Office" packed so much story in one hour it was hard to remember if the show was a comedy or a drama.

"The Office" seems to do well when it shakes itself out if its typical element, when combinations of characters are formed that aren’t usually and things are filmed off-site.  With an episode that involved Jim (John Krasinski), Karen (Rashida Jones) and Michael (Steve Carell) all heading to New York for a job interview that would mean one of them was moving away from Scranton, permanently, the mere getting out of the office -- and in that combination – promised an interesting setup.

For fans of "The Office," the controversy that's been teasing viewers all season has been Pam v. Karen: The Battle for Jim. However, after the matter having been built to a head earlier this season (with Jim admitting to Karen that he still had feelings for Pam, the situation deflated some. Karen (Rashida Jones) and Jim (John Krasinski) talked. Pam (Jenna Fischer) got back with Roy (David Denman). The matter became a more minor plot point.

However, this week, it seemed, the situation would finally find some resolution. The previous episode found us with Roy, Pam's ex-fiancee and now ex-boyfriend, declaring "I'm gonna kill Jim Halpert," after Pam admitted to him that she kissed Jim. Yes! Face-to-face action. Drama! Would viewers get some satisfaction?

'The Office': 'He's happy because he's insane'

For a show that originally plumbed for laughs the doldrums that make up the average American office, a lot is going on at "The Office's" Dunder Mifflin.  Romances, rabies,  car accidents, nudity, fun runs: Judging from the fourth season's premiere, it seems like the show is heading into a new direction that focuses on tumultuous relationships and what they tend to call "situational comedy."

The writers had a lot of material to work with from the season finale: Ryan (B.J. Novak) went from being Michael's (Steve Carell) "protege" to being his boss; Jim (John Krasinski) apparently dumped Karen (Rashida Jones) in New York and began a relationship with longtime crush Pam (Jenna Fischer); and Michael's girlfriend, Jan (Melora Hardin), underwent a complete emotional breakdown, surrendering all the control that had defined her in previous seasons. 

Since the BBC version of "The Office" lasted only two seasons, the third and fourth seasons of the U.S. incarnation were and are going to be definitive in terms of determining where the show will go.  In many ways, this premiere purposefully demonstrated that the series is going to head in new directions, obviously with the displacement of Ryan and, yes, the romance between Pam and Jim (go ahead and take your victory lap, JAM-ers, while you can).  But in larger ways, too, the writers seem to be attempting to evolve the show.  For instance, the premiere opened not at or even near the office but in Michael's home.  Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and Angela's (Angela Kinsey) relationship, while still secret to the office, is now public to the cameras.  And perhaps most unusual, the faux "fourth wall" was broken down as the cameramen showed Pam and Jim footage of a secret rendezvous, forcing them to admit their relationship.  Very infrequently have the cameras in the U.S. version of "The Office" been acknowledged -- it's about high time they did, because perhaps the most unrealistic part of the show is not Michael's increasingly ridiculous behavior but that the characters never seem to mention the footage of them that apparently is being aired somewhere, or questioning where it is going.

Now that was a season finale.  Maybe too much of a season finale!  “The Office" packed so much story in one hour it was hard to remember if the show was a comedy or a drama.

"The Office" seems to do well when it shakes itself out if its typical element, when combinations of characters are formed that aren’t usually and things are filmed off-site.  With an episode that involved Jim (John Krasinski), Karen (Rashida Jones) and Michael (Steve Carell) all heading to New York for a job interview that would mean one of them was moving away from Scranton, permanently, the mere getting out of the office -- and in that combination – promised an interesting setup.

For fans of "The Office," the controversy that's been teasing viewers all season has been Pam v. Karen: The Battle for Jim. However, after the matter having been built to a head earlier this season (with Jim admitting to Karen that he still had feelings for Pam, the situation deflated some. Karen (Rashida Jones) and Jim (John Krasinski) talked. Pam (Jenna Fischer) got back with Roy (David Denman). The matter became a more minor plot point.

However, this week, it seemed, the situation would finally find some resolution. The previous episode found us with Roy, Pam's ex-fiancee and now ex-boyfriend, declaring "I'm gonna kill Jim Halpert," after Pam admitted to him that she kissed Jim. Yes! Face-to-face action. Drama! Would viewers get some satisfaction?

'The Office': More exciting than being the secret assistant to the regional manager

Now that was a season finale.  Maybe too much of a season finale!  “The Office" packed so much story in one hour it was hard to remember if the show was a comedy or a drama.

"The Office" seems to do well when it shakes itself out if its typical element, when combinations of characters are formed that aren’t usually and things are filmed off-site.  With an episode that involved Jim (John Krasinski), Karen (Rashida Jones) and Michael (Steve Carell) all heading to New York for a job interview that would mean one of them was moving away from Scranton, permanently, the mere getting out of the office -- and in that combination – promised an interesting setup.

For fans of "The Office," the controversy that's been teasing viewers all season has been Pam v. Karen: The Battle for Jim. However, after the matter having been built to a head earlier this season (with Jim admitting to Karen that he still had feelings for Pam, the situation deflated some. Karen (Rashida Jones) and Jim (John Krasinski) talked. Pam (Jenna Fischer) got back with Roy (David Denman). The matter became a more minor plot point.

However, this week, it seemed, the situation would finally find some resolution. The previous episode found us with Roy, Pam's ex-fiancee and now ex-boyfriend, declaring "I'm gonna kill Jim Halpert," after Pam admitted to him that she kissed Jim. Yes! Face-to-face action. Drama! Would viewers get some satisfaction?

'The Office': Stop trying to be "Friends!"

For fans of "The Office," the controversy that's been teasing viewers all season has been Pam v. Karen: The Battle for Jim. However, after the matter having been built to a head earlier this season (with Jim admitting to Karen that he still had feelings for Pam, the situation deflated some. Karen (Rashida Jones) and Jim (John Krasinski) talked. Pam (Jenna Fischer) got back with Roy (David Denman). The matter became a more minor plot point.

However, this week, it seemed, the situation would finally find some resolution. The previous episode found us with Roy, Pam's ex-fiancee and now ex-boyfriend, declaring "I'm gonna kill Jim Halpert," after Pam admitted to him that she kissed Jim. Yes! Face-to-face action. Drama! Would viewers get some satisfaction?