Tori’s Review: Chair Model
Friday, April 18th, 2008Holy Crap! Jim Halpert is going to propose!
Holy Crap! He’s had the ring for almost a year!
Okay, I will compose myself now …
From a watcher’s point of view, it seemed like a short courtship (thanks strike), but when I thought about it, they have been together for almost a year.
Jim Halpert is not Roy Anderson. He knows he has found his “chair model.” He doesn’t plan to let her get stoned and drive into an airplane hangar before making her his bride.
At the beginning of ‘Chair Model,’ Michael is single and miserable. The only thing he has to show from his relationship with Jan is a smashed television, a police report, and vasa deferentia that will never be the same.
This episode won’t be one of my long-time favorites, but it did have a lot of what I love about The Office: humor you should be ashamed to laugh at — and heart.
One of my favorite parts was Michael declaring he wanted to play with his children before he was too old, only to completely ruin the sentiment by declaring he needed to get laid first, only to almost bring it back around by saying he needs to be in love. Michael wants love, but he wants it in Pamela Anderson’s (10 years ago — not now) package.
It isn’t the love either of them is looking for, but for some reason Pam loves Michael. She can’t help it. I bet she has tried really hard. But, she can’t. Apparently though, she can and does hate her landlady.
The sad part is if he wasn’t a total ass, maybe he would have gotten along with Pam’s sweet landlady. Maybe she would have been wowed by his magic. Maybe she would have laughed at (some of) his jokes. Maybe they would have fallen in love, and filled their home with socially awkward children who still wet the bed at 12.
Granted, it definitely makes for better comedy for him and one-half of Dwangela to dance on the grave of a stoner, kinda-Jan-faced model, who would have never given him the time of day when she was alive — and not high.
The other part of this episode I really enjoyed was Andy and Kevin working as a team. I like their chemistry better than Andy and Dwight. The background characters on this show are so real, I often forget they are actors — really awesome actors. When Kevin got choked up over his breakup with Stacey; I got goose bumps. I wanted to reach out and hug him. That’s the first time I’ve ever wanted to touch Kevin.
It looks like love may be the focus of these last few Season 4 episodes. Do you think there is any chance Pam would say no to Jim? Or, “I don’t know?” I wonder why they have let us in on his plan so early. I’m also ready for a little more Dwangela. It is time for her to dump the Prius geek. I want to see if Andy can moonwalk and cry.
When it comes to Michael, I think he has already met the one woman for him — Jan. No other woman that hot is ever going to let him see her naked. And, I think somewhere in that mess, Jan does love Michael. Now if we could just get her on a steady stream of Lithium and Ativan, they can get back together, set up the video camera and start working on those socially awkward children.
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Tori Weber is a Web Producer and writer for a television news station in Orlando, FL. Writing keeps her sane, and ice cream makes her happy. Dogs are good too. Visit her here.
Oh sorry, I forgot this and I have to mention one of my favourite quotes from this episode; “And as God as my witness, she shall bear your fruit.”
31 | JAM Lover. Wed. Apr. 23, 2008 at 12:50amI think they probably let us in on Jim’s plans early because it gives more reason for us to be waiting in suspense for the next four episodes. I don’t really know, though.
30 | JAM Lover. Wed. Apr. 23, 2008 at 12:27amI agree that Michael and Jan will end up together; maybe after time, though.
I liked the last scene, where Dwight and Michael are dancing and singing in the graveyard. Michael can be awful to Dwight (although he is getting better) but Dwight is always there to lift his spirits.
Great review, Tori- thank you!
Your recaps are great! I just found this even though it was posted days and days ago! You’re right–the background characters do seem so much like real people. I wanted to reach out and hug Kevin too!
29 | what's the dealio? Tue. Apr. 22, 2008 at 9:16pmEither pregnant or she has been married before.
28 | Laura Tue. Apr. 22, 2008 at 4:05pmI betcha Pam’s pregnant!
27 | Laura Mon. Apr. 21, 2008 at 10:36pmI loved this episode, too, but I was expecting more Bob Vance when the did the bit about the five families. I was disappointed that he wasn’t more involved in the conf. room scene. I think the writers are going to have fun with Jim’s intent to propose to Pam…my guess is that we will see all kinds of setups that could be the big moment but aren’t. They are just too cute together!!
26 | DianeSparkles Sun. Apr. 20, 2008 at 4:42pmThank you for the nice comments! It means so much to me :)
There probably won’t be a Dinner Party review only because I was really busy the weekend after it aired.
25 | Tori Weber Sun. Apr. 20, 2008 at 12:57amLove the comment on Jan needing to be on medication. Soooooo true! It would prevent her from commiting homocide!
24 | stephanie Sat. Apr. 19, 2008 at 10:46pmPam and Jim should plan out their entire wedding, then have him propose to her right before the ceremony. Or maybe during it. A 3-second engagement would make a nice contrast to her 3-year one, wouldn’t it?
23 | pc Sat. Apr. 19, 2008 at 9:48pmGreat review Tori. I just hope that the producers and writers will not turn Pam and Jim into Ross and Rachel on Friends. It’ll be interesting to see what the next 4 episodes are going to be like.
22 | Jenn Sat. Apr. 19, 2008 at 7:54pmTori I’ve missed your reviews almost as much as the show! “…vasa deferentia that will never be the same” is one of the funniest things I’ve ever read. Glad you’re back and here’s to many more new episodes to review!
21 | Abbey in PA Sat. Apr. 19, 2008 at 5:38pmTori, are there any openings in Production at your station? My co-workers here in Jax just do NOT understand my Office obsession. :)
20 | WiseWithWorms Sat. Apr. 19, 2008 at 2:01pmNO! That would be torture! But it is a good thought.
19 | Heyo! Sat. Apr. 19, 2008 at 1:12pmWell it seems we already know this season finale will be a cliffhanger, so maybe Jim proposes and we don’t hear Pam’s answer. . . I dunno. . .
18 | Li'l Pammy Sat. Apr. 19, 2008 at 11:14amOh btw I hope that was not too spoilerish!
I agree that Michael and Jan are meant for each other. Once Jan gets under control with a lot of meds and therapy, I think they will end up with each other again.
17 | Spicy Curry Sat. Apr. 19, 2008 at 11:08amjammer_815
16 | headphone Sat. Apr. 19, 2008 at 9:51amIf Pam did say no I would understand it. She was with Roy for close to ten years and engaged for three so she might be a little understandably apprehensive about being engaged again. And for people saying there is no tension between Jim and Pam anymore imagine the tension an engagement can bring. And the writers will figure out a way to show the proposal, something a la the casino night confession with cameras far away.
My take on the Jim & Pam scenes is that the writers are giving fans as much as they can to feed our desire to see them happy together — which we NEED after the writer’s strike & the passage of so much time on the show — while still allowing J&P the more realistic privacy of actually getting engaged somewhere that’s NOT the office — having the camera crew there would just be creepy, no? And it works for me — give me enough scenes like these, and I can stand to let Jim and Pam go off and get engaged in private.
15 | Zina Sat. Apr. 19, 2008 at 8:44amExcellent review! The one thing not brought up is, imagine what the show will be like once Jim and Pam get married. It creeps me out, they will seem so much older, I hope the show ends with them getting married. Also, I am hoping the finale if this season isn’t all about Jim and Pam because that’s what every other finale is based around.
14 | Amie Sat. Apr. 19, 2008 at 7:54amlove the review…you definitely pay as much attention to “The Office” as I do…. keep the reviews coming…..funny AND informative
13 | jbklover Sat. Apr. 19, 2008 at 7:51amI really thought Jim was going to propose right then and there. If Pam does say no… I will cry lol. Only 4 more episodes left!! I agree with the Jan part though, she’s the only one who’ll ever really love Michael… why? I just don’t know… ;)
12 | jammer_815 Sat. Apr. 19, 2008 at 7:19am