The Weekend Tally

Tidbits about ‘The Office’ show, cast, and staff for the week ending October 26.

Tipsters: Zac, vanfan14, Anna, Amy

80 comments

  1. Yea I think Greg Daniels and the crew made the right decision by keeping their voices in the proposal scene, but also did right in making it hard to hear. It would have been cool, and like Mr. Daniel’s said “more artsy”, to have no voices but ultimately IMO they made the right choice.

  2. No shout-out at all that John’s birthday was on the 20th? :( He might think that we didn’t care. ;)

  3. For some reason I kind of wish they left the voices out. I would by dying to know what they said, but I feel it was such a big moment and without the sound it just sets a different mood from the rest of the episode.

  4. For those of you that want to see the other version of the proposal…turn your sound off.

    I did!

  5. I’d love to see the other version of the proposal. I think I would have been happy with either one.

  6. I’ve never been a big JAM fan, but I do respect the writers, crew, and Jenna and John for going through so much effort to please the hardcore JAM fans.

    And Amy Ryan? I am going to miss her…I miss her, Kiddo…I miss her SO much!

  7. I am glad they kept the sound in the proposal scene. I loved the “I can’t wait!” line.

  8. That scene continues to give me chills, no matter how many times I watch it (with or without sound). :)

    and Thank you kevin for the message on personal attacks. Exactly how I feel, too.

  9. Honestly, I couldn’t tell what they were saying at all during the proposal scene…still loved it though!

  10. I think it would have been awesome/very realistic if they left the voices out…if I didn’t care about JAM. In other words, I’m so happy they kept the voices in! The fans would have been very angry if the voices were left out!

  11. I never knew about that Jeopardy! recap page. That’s awesome. I’ll have to check that out from time to time now. The things you can learn by liking The Office…

  12. Ok, thank you SO much for that article with Greg about the proposal. I had wanted to know since that episode if they ever considered leaving the voices out (like who drives to meet someone with their mic still on?) and I wanted to ask the writers but got to OT too late that day to submit that question.

    THANK YOU! It was really bothering me not to know. :D I’m so in love with that scene, but having it just be the action would have been so beautiful…I guess I can just turn down my volume next time I watch it!

  13. Amy Ryan seeks out role, but not sure if going to come back..

    A shame. If the show’s plot dictates her to come back and she doesn’t shame on her as a professional. Wasting our times.

  14. I went to a screening of Changeling last week and Amy Ryan is amazing in it! So good, in fact, that I spent half the movie trying to figure out if it was actually her or not.

    P.S. Tanster, loving Officetally 2.0 :)

  15. After reading the interview with Greg Daniels, I kind of wish they would have done it with no sound. To realistically hear what they were saying in the “documentary,” Pam and Jim would have had to have mics or the cameras would have had to have the amazing ability to pick up sound across a highway with lots of traffic and rain.

  16. Without sound. Hands down. After watching that, I’m kinda bummed they went for the sound-version.

  17. You can really tell that the cars are just doing figure eights in the no voices version. I like the voices version, except, i would have had him proposing to me.

  18. nope, definitely need the sound. it makes it so much more real. there’s a reason we don’t make silent movies anymore!

  19. Absolutely, 100 percent, I prefer it with sound. Not hearing it would have been just too frustrating and a letdown for fans. Plus the audio was so good ;)

  20. Honestly the non-dialogue version is more realistic. There was a scene like that in the UK Office. But either way it’s still great.

  21. I can see why Greg Daniels lost sleep over this decision! I love the “artsy” feel of the soundless version, but as a fan, I’m selfishly glad I got to hear the dialogue of the moment we’ve been waiting for for five years.

  22. We’ve waited too long for the JAM proposal that it would have been disappointing not to hear it! It is the sweetest scene ever and I now really appreciate all the hard work that goes into the show. Wow!

  23. I have to say I would have felt very cheated if we had been shown only the voiceless version. However, if that had been the choice, JAM fans would have launched a mad search for lip readers! :-)

    Well done on the new look, tanster!

  24. It was definitely a tough call, but the voices still sound kind of muffled in the real version, so it wasn’t totally unrealistic… and it was nice to hear the dialogue, including Pam’s “What are you doing?” which is sort of a callback to Jim’s first confession in Casino Night.

  25. I really liked the non voices option, because I think it’s more realistic, which makes it more touching to me. I did tear up at what they aired on tv, but I think I would have been really crying if they hadn’t miked them.

  26. I really like the soundless version, but I’m not sorry they gave us the voices in the end. We would have been crazy to know what he said, otherwise!

    *lol* @ 22-mrs.krasinski, um yes, I guess that’s one thing I would change, too!

  27. I could accept not hearing what they were saying if we could still have the rain/traffic sounds. Of course, it’s so much better that we could hear them, cos then we wouldn’t have anything to quote!!! “I just… couldn’t wait” !!!

  28. Oh wow, I actually like the voice-less one better. I find myself not caring what’s being said because I “know” what’s being said and caring more about the act and meaning.

  29. The voiceless Jam proposal reminds me of the scene in the British ‘Office’ when Tim takes off his mic before confessing his feelings to Dawn. Though I love the way they did that and wouldn’t change it if I could, I always felt a little let down in not getting to hear exactly what he said. So as beautiful as this proposal is without words, as a fan, I’m SO glad we got to hear it. Besides, thanks to vanfan14, we can now see it both ways anyway! :)

  30. I think it would have been better if we could still hear the traffic and rain, but not Jim and Pam’s voices. It would have made more sense that way, and I think would have been sweeter and more exciting to just see Jim getting down on one knee and Pam nodding. Their actions in this scene are much more meaningful than their words.

  31. I’m glad they did the with-sound version on TV. The whole “I couldn’t wait” thing and Jim’s voice kinda cracking when he asked her, and Pam saying “Oh my god” — it just would’ve been sad to miss.

    But if they did the no-sound one, I wouldn’t have been disappointed. We’ve been waiting for them to get engaged for five years… I don’t think it would matter if we heard what was said or not, just that it happened.

  32. I didn’t think I’d like the voiceless version…but WOW!!! It’s so beautiful. That was some decision that Greg Daniels had but ultimately I do think he made the right one. Kudos to everyone who was involved in the production. It was a great scene!!!!

  33. The version with no voices is beautiful! However, if we had not been able to hear what Jim said, we would have all gone insane trying to figure it out! Imagine the comments! Tanster’s computer would have exploded! I am glad they chose to keep it the way it aired…it was perfect and definitely worth waiting for.

    [from tanster: thank you, greg daniels, for not exploding my computer. ;) ]

  34. I definitely prefer having sound. I would’ve felt very cheated, not hearing what they were saying. Especially the “I just….couldn’t wait.” SO romantic and adorable. Thanks for choosing the sound version!

  35. Wow!

    When I read the “proposal” article last night I thought they made the right choice to leave the dialogue in, but after watching the scene without it I must say I like it better.

    Their body language is perfect! It’s simply much more powerful and realistic this way (Unlike Michael and Holly last week, I bet Jim does know how to properly turn his mic off :P)

    It must have been a really tough choice, but I would’ve kept it voiceless….and there would be a ton of people complaining about not hearing the actual proposal, of course heh.

  36. 38: I agree! I didn’t think I’d like the voiceless version either but it was actually okay! It left the viewer wondering and really paying attention to what was going on.

  37. They are really solid actors and the scene does play very well without any dialogue, but having seen it already with dialogue changes things.

    Also, the way Jim’s voiced cracks a bit as he tears up some, and Pam saying “oh my god” really do add to the scene.

  38. Sound is needed. But I think if they decided to go without sound, it probably would have been directed in a different way. I can see why it was a tough decision.

  39. Wow, that was surprisingly powerful without their voices. The scene is a little more romantic, a little more surreal that way; artistically, I *might* actually prefer it.

    Still, as a Jam fan, I’m glad we got to hear what was said– good we’ve got it both ways, now!

  40. good job vanfan14!

    I feel like Jim would have taken his mic off, but Pam’s sound still would have came through because she didn’t know. I like it better without sound, but I’m sure I wouldn’t feel the same way if we never did hear what he said.

  41. I think they found a good middle ground with being able to hear the proposal but just barely. If they went totally silent it could have come across too much like the bit from the British show.

    Plus, Tim and Dawn were in an isolated room with no sound. Jim and Pam were being filmed with boom mics, so even if their personal devices were off the boom would still pick up the wind and rain, rendering it not as effective as absolute silence.

    My opinion, of course.

  42. I really liked the voiceless version! I think I prefer it, actually. There’s a bit more tension because you’re thinking “oh dear, what are they saying!?!!” and then Jim just drops to his knee. I think it’s great! My ability to lip read is probably why I wouldn’t care about sound. Lol.

    That said, I’d much rather a proposal with sound than no proposal at all, so it’s pretty much splitting hairs!

  43. I like the proposal with the sound and without. I think if they had aired it without the sound, they would have had a lot of upset fans though. Thanks vanfan14 for the alternate “soundless” scene.

  44. I think I was more in love with the idea of not hearing the vocals, but after this clip I prefer the scene as it was shot. It may also be that the car and rain sound effects sounded looped and with no other sound to break it up, it became a bit annoying.

  45. I think it’s just nice to have both! They’re both good in their own ways, I’m not sure if I have a preference.

  46. I love the voiceless version, and I agree that it would have been cool just to hear the rain and the cars. Of course I say that now knowing exactly what they said, so I’m not sure if I would feel differently if I had no idea what they were saying in the first place. I was wondering why Pam’s nodding reaction was so “big,” but maybe they wanted her to do that in case they went with the soundless version. Either way it’s great! I’m glad that Greg explained the rationale behind their decision.

  47. I really like the voiceless version. The version they used in the episode fit perfectly. If the audio had been normal, it wouldn’t have been the same.

  48. scenes that are voiceless always get me… way better. there’s just more emphasis on pam’s expression when jim asks her.

  49. Hey everyone! I just wanted to mention that since I couldn’t divide the audio into 2 tracks (voices & background sound effects) using my iMovie, I just looped a part of the audio for the entire clip. That’s why it might sound weird, but please know that the real scene they would have put together would have sounded a lot better, haha. This is totally not professional. Having said that, I’m so happy they chose to leave the voices in because that scene they aired was really perfect for me. I loved the combo of Pam teasing him in the beginning, then his telling her he couldn’t wait (so sweet) and then of course, Pam’s giggling of happiness at the end. You can always take out voices to see what it’s like, but we never could have imagined, in my opinion, that their dialogue would have been as sweet as it was. Side note: I’ve seen a few other proposals on TV since & they don’t even come close, ha!

  50. Voiceless was awesome! Though I still think the way they actually did it was pretty great, I also think it would have been braver of them to not have the voices.

    Anyway…Does anyone know which episode Stephen Merchant is going to be directing? I thought it was the Halloween one, but I guess not.

  51. Also, Amy Ryan is in this week’s issue of Us Weekly talking about Changeling. Good article. :)

  52. You could just turn the volume down……instead of going to all that trouble to erase the voices.

  53. Yeah, this one made me tear up, and I didn’t shed a tear during the original. Maybe I’m just emotionally unbalanced on Mondays :/ Good video though, with/without sound.

  54. I think I prefer voiceless, more artistic, but at the same time, I loved the words. Both versions make my heart flip!

  55. I enjoyed seeing the voiceless version, but I will vote that I am glad the voices were left in for the actual airing of the show.

    A number of people pointed out that we would have been going crazy wondering what was said had we not heard it. I agree.

  56. I think I prefer the voiceless version because it seems to be more in keeping with the documentary style. I guess it seems unlikely to me that Pam and Jim would have sound equipment on during a lunch date at a rest stop (Then again, they had microphones on during their stay at the B and B). I guess I’m just getting annoyed with inconsistencies. Also the physical performances from both John and Jenna are certainly enough to get the message across.

  57. That made me smile!! It’s interesting how different it is without the voices. But I’m so curious I’d be dying to know what they said..and it would drive me nuts until I figured it out! So I think we got the best of both.

  58. I liked the version with the voices a lot better.
    I would have been going crazy trying to figure out what was said if they used the voiceless version.

  59. Oh, I like this version a lot better! It was cute to hear what Jim and Pam were saying, but without the voices the shot looked so REAL. Not to mention, I would have loved the suspense. You can’t tell that she is saying yes until she smiles and covers her mouth!

  60. Wow, nice work on the voiceless scene. It is romantic, but I think only after knowing what was said – if I saw that version first, I would only have been dying to know what was said.
    I bet most of us would be complaining of feeling like they owed us more than that! Come on, we missed the first date(s), at least we got the proposal!
    It doesn’t bother me at all that the mics wouldn’t have been on.. I was glad we got to hear it! It was such a cute little conversation, totally them, and their joking, etc just made the proposal so much cuter.

  61. Awwww… this was BEAUTIFUL without the sound!!! BUT… as a JAM freak, it would have killed me to not know exactly what they said. Artistically, I love it- it adds more romance to it. Ultimately, they probably made the right choice since this is television. I’m glad we got to see this one, though- thanks vanfan14!

    It’s funny- it seems everyone here is split about 50/50 as well!

  62. I really love the voiceless version, although both are great. I’m also one of those annoying people who’s always thinking about whether the characters would REALLY have their mikes on at times.

  63. I love this silent version and prefer it now. However, I’m with those who say I would have felt cheated if I hadn’t heard what they were saying the first time. But so much romance in the silent version so thank you vanfan 14!

  64. I LOVE this version, it’s maybe even better than the one they aired, but I would have missed one of my fav tv quotes ever: “I just… I can’t wait.”

  65. I can see why the staff was divided, but in the end, I think we needed to hear Jim say “I just…I can’t wait.”

  66. Thank you VanFan14! It was absolutely beautiful without the voices, and kind of a call back to Dawn and Tim in the conference room at the end of season 2 of the original. But the sap in me loved Pam’s “Oh my God” and giggling, and Jim’s “I just–I can’t wait.” It was so well acted, so I’ll vote for the version that aired!

  67. I love Rashida and Natalie, but I just couldn’t laugh at that video. Maybe cause it wasn’t funny. :-)

  68. I think they should have used the voiceless version in the show, and then released the voiced version as a deleted scene.

  69. Rashida & Natalie’s video was adorable and Amy’s movie The Changeling sounds good. Thanks for those links!

  70. I really like both versions, but I wonder that if this had been the original if I would have liked it better…
    I really like this one, but I really like in the original when he says, “I just, can’t wait.”

  71. It was poetic and beautiful with only the rain, but after all these years – we deserved to hear Jim say: “I just can’t wait.” I am so glad that they decided to use the version with sound (although I don’t get why Jenna would have been mic-ed).

    Good call in the end choosing to keep the sound in!

Leave a Reply