Ok, so my Season 1 DVD arrived on my doorstop yesterday, and we couldn't wait to start watching. During the Pilot, I noticed some "extra" people in the conference room when Micheal sits everyone down to discuss the downsizing. I don't remember any of these people ever having speaking parts in any episode, nor did they look familar to me. I saw everyone else- Angela, Oscar, Kevin, Creed, Meridith, Phyllis, Kelly...but I couldn't place two of the employees in there. I think one was sitting next to Pam. Can anyone ID these people for me? I would really appreciate it.

They are just extras. They don't have names. A few of them have appeared in other episodes as well.

The "Wasuuuuuuuuuuuuuupppp" exchanges between Michael and Dwight had me close to tears.

Another great Todd Packer moment:

"Does the carpet match the curtains?"

Great facial expression from Jan. LOL.

Question: What kind of idiot mentions downsizing in their job interview?

Answer: Dwight.

Tanster,

I had never seen that before so thank you for sharing. I'm really glad they decided to change the theme song. Yikes!

I'm with you there Lori... I don't think that theme would make a very good ringtone.

I was checking out the episode recap for the Pilot when I realized that our favorite show is already one year old (plus one day). Congratulations to the best show on television and here's to another year.

Or as Toby might put it

To Amsterdam!

Oh geez, I can't believe I forgot about this! I was so going to make it a topic of conversation at work yesterday (Friday), but the thought COMPLETELY slipped my mind.

Huzzah!

The first scene of Dwight shows him unlocking his phone reciever from his drawer. Now, I realize that the whole Jim-putting-weight-into-his-phone was written in after this scene, but it's kind of "neat" if you think that Dwight is locking it up, because he's afraid of that specific Jim prank.

edit: could be to hide from the jello too... but my thought is way cooler!

I can't remember where I said it before, but that scene of Jim watching Dwight as he unlocks his desk just to get out the reciever is a great "establishing shot" of Jim's character. You get his boredom with his job and his annoyance with his co-workers (well, except Pam, of course)

The first scene of Dwight shows him unlocking his phone reciever from his drawer. Now, I realize that the whole Jim-putting-weight-into-his-phone was written in after this scene, but it's kind of "neat" if you think that Dwight is locking it up, because he's afraid of that specific Jim prank.

Yay! Someone else noticed this too! I posted a remark about it in the Conflict Resolution thread. I was wondering if the nickel in the handset was done in the BBC series. I haven't been able to see the whole series yet, but I've heard that a lot of the NBC pilot was taken from the BBC show. Anyway, if it is original, I wonder if they planned that for that specific joke or just thought of something to do with it later on. But yeah.. it could also have been from the fear of the Jello. I hadn't thought of that.

I used to work at a large paper company and at one point I was a receptionist at the corporate headquarters. We used to have to lock up our phone at night - because otherwise people would steal it on their way out the door!

I doubt they were planting that for the nickel-in-the-handset joke done late in S2, but it fits perfectly now. At the time, I just thought Dwight was such a wierdo that he didn't want anyone else touching/using his phone. Maybe not making long distance calls on it or something.

Funny thing is you still could use speakerphone without the handset, probably.

I may have posted this somewhere else, but now I can't find it.

In the Pilot, when Jim says Pam's favorite yogurt flavor is "Mixed Berry", and then they show her eating it, doesn't it seem like Pam is enjoying the yogurt a little too much? Almost "When Harry Met Sally" much?

I'm not a perv. I just always found that odd. Like maybe instead of cigs post coitus, she grabs a spoon and jar.

Watched the premier from S1 dvd, rather not watch commercials on TBS. It's just interesting to see the character development from that moment to where we are right now. Pam looked so innocent and meek and Michael's slicked back look and over the top antics were just amazing to watch again. Watching JAM from the beginning again just makes waiting for the S4 premier that much harder to wait for. Just looking back, that's all.

I know, I watched the pilot and Diversity Day on TBS last night (even though I own the dvds) and after DD, I just thought to myself "Man, I hope that Jim Halpert comes back." It was so sweet.

Warning: contains S3 bloopers reference.

I was struck this time with Pam's almost comedic meekness and dullness. She couldn't even ask Jim to walk out with her and it would have seemed appropriate for her to drool once or twice. Also, she is a mouth-breather! Just makes me appreciate even more the transformation to: "Phyllis! Yogurt container!"

I know that the "Pilot" is not one of the more favored episodes by most people but I really like it. There's so much great stuff in that episode. I would love it if The Office returned to that style of comedic genius. From that episode we got the infamous jell-o stapler, the Waaassup, the cat party exchange, does the carpet match the drapes?, the post-it-thief prank, Pam making love with her mixed berries yogurt, It's spilling over edge (demarcation), and the awkwardness between Jim and Roy. I love the amplified office sounds, and the subtleness of the funny.

What do I think of Diversity Day? Perfection.

I don't know if it's been commented on before, but Michael tells Dwight to brag to Ryan about the 240Z he souped up. Michael makes a big deal about the profit Dwight has made due to to the increase in value from $1200 to $3000. It seems clear to me that Dwight has spent more than the $1800 value increase just in retrofitting it.

It is interesting how much weirder this show used to be. I don't much care for this episode, mostly because I liked pilot of the BBC version and this has a distinctly warmed-over feeling to me -- of the things that TO101 listed, I count four that were lifted directly from the BBC pilot. That said, there's a quality that's been lost that was definitely there in the two episodes that aired last night: A desperation, a sense of the mundanity of work, a subtlety in the social interactions. What we have now is still a very good show -- one that has taken strides to differentiate itself from its predeccessor -- but it's a more traditional, wacky antics kind of show than it used to be.

I liked the pilot but I loved Diversity Day. That was the first episode I watched that I loved. I must say that in the pilot, the whole Michael bit with the "Sha-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta. Sha-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta. Sha-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta" always cracks me up. So dumb, yet oh so funny!

I don't know when I saw the pilot--I really don't think I saw it when it aired. THe show caught me by surprise. Diversity Day hooked me, but it's Health Care that had me quoting to people who thought I'd gone mad.

I was watching Diversity Day for the first time at the gym on my iPod and I had to literally stop the treadmill because I was laughing so hard during the Michael/Chris Rock bit.

Yeah, I think I started quoting Health Care first too. I remember going out for drinks with some friends and then one of them saying they were feeling sick and they were thinking about going to a doctor's visit the next day. I asked her in my most worried tone "What if they diagnose you with Hot-Dog Fingers?" I got the wierdest look from everyone and only my hubby and I found it funny. Then I was just laughing at the faces everyone was making. Good times.

I remember being intrigued by a commercial before The Pilot where Michael talks about his World's Best Boss mug and how he bought it at Spencer's. My dad and I have a long-standing joke about anything with World's Best "whatever" on it and I may have spent many an hour in my teenage days loitering at the Spencer's at the local mall. So I tuned in and was hooked. Besides everything TO mentioned I also love Dwight slamming the pencils Jim put up as a barrier with his phone.

A desperation, a sense of the mundanity of work, a subtlety in the social interactions.

I liked S3 a lot more than most people seemed to, but I do agree that this aspect is missing. One of my favorite moments in the history of the show is in The Alliance when Jim is talking to Toby and Kevin in the kitchen to make Dwight think he's spying on them, but they're really talking about sandwiches. In addition to it being funny for Jim's "their bread is very good" line, it's a perfect summation of so many work relationships. You're around people all day, and you like them well enough, but you're not really friends, and you don't really know that much about them, so you end up having mundane conservations about sandwiches. That scene captured it perfectly.

Oh yeah. I forgot about the World's Best Boss mug. The fact that he bought it for himself when it's so obviously a gift item gives us instant insight into Michael. I always find the 6,000,000 man thing funny too because shortly after Michael's "Sha-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta. Sha-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta. Sha-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta" (in which he won't stop until Pam notices how talented he is) he motions toward the camera and tells Pam to be professional. HA! What a great episode.