I know I'm probably in the minority saying this, but I hope when the branches combine that we get MORE Karen, and LESS Kelly.

Kelly has outgrown her usefullness and entertainment value IMO. She is so annoying, and I know thats the way her character is meant to be, but I dont think it adds much to the show.

Also, hopefully Jim's flirtations with Karen at the Scranton branch will make Pam more interesting. Pam is too bland, non-engaging, boring IMO.

I think Jim/Pam are the "regular" types of the show, but at least Jim has had his practical jokes and shown some personality. Pam is just made out to be this perfect little quiet angel, and I just dont dig that. Hopefully Karen livens things up.

I don't think you're in the minority comparing Karen and Kelly, though they don't figure to be in direct competition for screen time - most people really like Karen. But I suspect you're on the utter fringe when it comes to Pam. At leat in my opinion, all of your descriptions of Pam sell her way short - in fact, they're innaccurate. She engages, she's clearly not perfect, and every other moment dealing with her male co-workers shows she's not an angel. She's not nearly as one-dimensional as you suggest.

Yeah, I wouldn't confused "reserved" with "boring." Pam is just self conscious and afraid to take big risks, which is why Jim always brings out the best in her.

I think of the scene in the supermarket, when Jim challenges her to speak on the PA system. She has an absolute blast, until chastised by the store clerk. She then reverts to shy Pam.

A lot of the difference between Karen and Pam on the show is how they are dressed and made up. Karen is a saleswoman and wears business clothes and is much more made up. Pam dresses much plainer and doesn't have her done up as much. We are supposed to get the impression that Pam is just the "girl next door" although she has shown signs that she is more than that.

We don't know Karen's backstory at all. Who has she gone out with in the past? How did she come in to this job?

4 - We know she speaks French ...

Karen must not have any roots in Stamford if she is considering moving to Scranton.

Nobody wants to move to Scranton for no good reason.

If Jim was going to be #2 for Dunder Mifflin Northeast, I think it would stand to reason that he would come back to Scranton as the boss, over Michael.

They won't do that, of course, because Michael just needs to be the painful, yet fairly competent boss, but it would be an interesting development for awhile. It would definitely be fun to watch Michael have to be subservient to Jim.

6 - Jim said as much at first.

The real question is, how many seconds does it take before Michael starts hitting on Karen, or at least makes a series of out of bounds comments?

My guess: .0000245

But will Ed Helms now go back to the Daily Show?

I love Ed Helms. At first I thought it would be weird to see him thrown into this show, but they gave him just enough absurdity to make it work.

It was nice to see Karen's character developed a bit more with the two conversations about possibly going to Scranton (Re: 6, 8).

I re-watched last week's episode last night as well (roommate hadn't seen it yet) with her taking Jim home in the car, and the subtle difference in the dynamic of two people (a) at work, and (b) not at work was really well done. I think they really nailed it. I felt like I had been there...at least in similar situations.

Although, I've never worked with someone that I've infatuated as much as I am with Karen.

10 - You have to think that they will be keeping Ed around. Hopefully Ed will start hitting on Pam and competing with Dwight for Michael's affection. The Office was truly great last night, and the best thing is that they set up a great supersized episode for next week.

10 - I'm pretty sure Helms is in at least one more episode of "The Office". I usually try to avoid trailers, but in the brief glimpse I caught last night before turning off the television, I think I saw Andy walking into the Scranton office.

I've said this before, but I think the Jim-Dwight dynamic was the heart of the show for its first two seasons, and I'm excited to see that come back. Adding the much more volatile Andy into the mix could make it into a comedic powder-keg. I'm looking forward to it.

13 - Don't post anyhing about future episodes. Thanks.

Sorry. Didn't mean to violate the rules. Won't happen again.

Cool :)

"on whom's authority"

Is Steve Carrell going to hang around for The Office? I mean, he's already starring in the most expensive comedy of all time, and I'm sure he's got a ton of projects in the works.

I sure hope so. If any actor would stay, it seems like he would.

Jon, are we allowed to discuss the contents of last night's brief commercial for next week's episode? Because it answered Greg's question in Comment #9.

19 We're not allowed to talk about the promos for the following week.

So sayeth the Philosopher King.

19 - Please don't - thanks.

I wonder what happened to Bob Vance's deal to buy out the warehouse.

"Oh, good - you're bringing Dwight."

Got it. Thanks.

I should not mention Michael Scott's gruesome death, then?

What line of work is Bob Vance in?

"Michael Moore, famous documenterman."

Bob Vance owns Vance Refrigeration, of course.

24 -- Run over by a bus. What a terrible way to go.

Bob Vance, Vance refrigeration...

Just one of the many small, unimportant jokes that make me laugh my head off, and make the show what it is.

My countdown is to when Michael Scott watches the Borat movie. Except it's a Fox movie, instead of Universal. So, maybe that means it won't come up. I think Borat could easily do for office sexual harassment what hotmail did for Nigerian Royalty email scams.

This Marilyn thing that didn't make it on air last night is pretty priceless.

I just want to find a way to book "Scrantonicity" for my wedding.

And wow, there's actually a Pam-Roy plot point that didn't make it onto Thursday's.

Okay, I need to watch the Director's Cut.

And Creed stuff, too. Man, did they overwrite the script this much on purpose?

What was Michael's cellphone ringtone?

30 - Those are scams?

29 - Too many of those to count. I now take great pleasure in using the phrase "Catch 22" in non-Catch 22 situations as often as possible. The uncomfortable silences are astounding... and hilarious.

And an additional good Ryan moment.

36- Blackeyed Peas--My Humps

Knowing that, and admitting that I do, can only end badly for me. And yet, my innate need to prove I know things just cannot be suppressed.

"How did we do it? I don't understand."

39 - Just one more brick in the Wall of Edgy.

That particular song doesn't do much for me, but there are, in the Pea's oeuvre, works of a toe-tapping nature. Not sufficient to, like, purchase them. But, there you go.

I'm glad I don't have any inmates to prove things to.

Just watched the Producer's cut...Okay, it's official...Pam is great, but Karen is great. Pam is in trouble.

Me Likey the Karen.

44 - I was talking to a girl tonight and she pointed out how questionable it would be to have Jim choose a much more attractive girl over Pam. The everyman theme of the show would be betrayed if Jim went with someone from People's 50 Most Beautiful (#18 in 2002) over the girl next door. On the other hand, I love Karen and I hate to think that she is just a red herring to spice up the Jim and Pam dynamic that will ultimately be laid by the wayside.

44
It's the Peggy Lipton factor.

45 Well, the obvious sitcom solution would be for Jim not to choose either one.

But then guys always like it when two attractive women are making moves on them, happens to me all the time.

As for Pam (Jenna), would not surprise me if she is named to People's list nexxt year.

I'm still sticking with Jim-Pam. But the battle is clearly joined.

Was Angela making eyes at Roy, this week? Reassuring him that he'd be okay when the branch closed because he was so strong, etc? She dates (dated? Ever since the kaput putsch I don't think there's been any monkey-face business. . .) Dwight, so it's not like she considers herself out of Roy's league.

48 That's all I'm saying. I still love Pam, but she's going to have to do some work now.

Oh, and anybody who joins Karen's camp is officially dead to me. Sure, she's okay. But, c'mon. Versus Pam? No contest.

51 Hey now, Pam crushed Jim. He stood there, heart-on-sleeve, and she crushed him.

We all love Pam, but Karen has got it going on. No more getting by on your Pamness, Pam. Time to earn it.

Very few women believe in broken hearts, and the cause is not far to seek: practically every woman above the age of twenty-five has a broken heart. That is to say, she has been vastly disappointed, either by failing to nab some pretty fellow that her heart was set on, or, worse, by actually nabbing him, and then discovering him to be a bounder or an imbecile, or both. Thus walking the world with broken hearts, women know that the injury is not serious. --H.L. Mencken

I'm with Andrew. If you abandon Pam now, you were never worthy of Pam to begin with. You completely misunderstand the essential Pam.

Nobody's abandoning Pam. Pam just needs to understand that their are prospects chomping at the bit to make the show, and that Pam needs to stop being so "Oh, look at me, I need to sort things out."

Hey Pam, you're perfect and all, but Karen is great too...And she doesn't need to sort it out...And she's gunning for your man.

Stop the charade, Pam. Be the Pam that we all want.

I really hope Jim picks Karl Dorrell.

56 Not helping...At all.

55 - The minute Pam gets a gander of Karen, she'll get the message.

49 - There is a long standing Roy-Angela dynamic.

In the episode with the fire drill Roy mentioned that Angela was "Who he would do".

Angela once mentioned that she thought Roy was out of Pam's league.

And obviously there was a little tension last episode.

I think that this could be an emerging competiton to rival the Pam-Jim-Karen connection.

58 I sure hope so. She better, because Karen doesn't strike me as the type to back down easily. Not that she's aggressive or mean, but she just seems ready to go.

Karen knows zero people at Dunder Mifflin Scranton, so she's going to naturally cling to Jim for guidance.

We'll see how Pam deals with it.

I love Pam, but I think that Karen has been great for Jim in a time where he has to believe that she simply rejected him. Jim and Pam obviously suffer from self-doubt and a fear of change and for Jim to lay it all on the line for her (twice!) and have her devastate him (twice!) well I have to say that Jim owes her nothing. I love Pam, but Karen would be a lot easier to fall in love with.

But would Jim be Karen's boss? I think even Dunder-Mufflin would have a policy against a superior dating a subordinate.

Such rules do not apply at Seattle Grace Hospital.

59- I'm a little in awe of your The Office recall. I nominate you for the position of Bob Timmermann of Screen Jam.

62- See, and then you go and ruin it. Nomination rescinded; you are dead to me.

61 She'll know whoever else transfers there.

I always go for the regular cast member as opposed to the recurring guest star in these types of battles.

63 I've been in several work environments where relationship rules were established.

None of them were followed. Ever. Not even in the military, where it's really a big deal.

63- Nice rule. Who's gonna enforce it, Michael? Jan Levinson?

68
Toby would be in charge of enforcing it.

There is a rule like that in my workplace. And it's enforced.

Strictly.

69 The library is no place for romance, I guess.

69- See, that's why you're the one and only Bob Timmermann. Of course, Toby! The spurned without having even tried Toby. Pam's going to continue being lonely.

64, 65 - The praise was too heady. I am glad you rescinded it before I went and changed my resume:

2006: Mentioned as "Bob Timmerman of Screenjam" by frequent poster.

If you haven't seen the producer's cut, there is a cool moment when Michael calls Toby in his office to (presumably) chew him out for being a "traitor".

I believe Michael calls Toby a "traitor" in both versions.

Toby would be enforcing a workplace rule about supervisors becoming involved with their subordinates not because he was spurned by Pam, but because he's the head of HR.

Then again, I've been through four sessions of supervisor training at work.

Did somebody say something? All I heard was whistling in a graveyard of postmortem promise and dead dreams.

74 - He only calls him into his office in the extended version, but you are right he definitely calls him out in both.

75 - I think you are watching the British version of The Office.

Spurning, imagined or otherwise, always counts for something, even in HR drones. Ninety percent of human interaction is about sex; the other ten percent is about vengeance.

74 You haven't had good relationship/sexual harassment training until you've been in the Navy.

You know, Tailhook and all. Nothing like two hours of training, every two months.

After awhile, I was afraid to talk to my fiancee.

Did anyone else find themselves just impressed with how the writers treated this season's arch of Jim-out-of-Scranton-and-back? I mean, the whole time that they had scenes at both Scranton and Stamford, I knew they had to be building to something, but it never occured to me that they'd use the "Redundancies" gambit from the UK "The Office" so effectively to steer the plot here.

Now, looking back, I feel stupid for not having anticipated it. But it is so perfect!

- Jim has his big moment with Pam.
- Pam rebuffs him.
- Jim goes to Stamford.
- Jim winds up flirting with Karen.
- Stamford office is consolidated with Scranton.
- Jim returns, with Karen complicating what would seem like an otherwise clear path to Jim and Pam getting together!

Brilliant. In a sitcom sort of way.

80

"Sitcom" has become a pejorative term, at least to me. I like to think of The Office, Arrested Development, Curb Your Enthusiasm as something else, something more.

I don't know, somebody come up with a good term for me. But sitcom just doesn't do it justice. Mockumentary has already been taken.

Docu-com? Comedyumentary? Laughitations? Giggleitude? Hand-helditations?

I don't know.

80 - I think it was somewhat obvious that the two offices would be combined (I remember Jon mentioning as much several weeks ago) but I agree that the introduction of Karen was handled very well. I love how fleshed out she is. There was never a very well fleshed out and likable love interest in competition with Jim or Pam for the other's affection. To use the multi-episode subplot to develop one so effectively was brilliant. I love Karen and Pam and Jim and generally just the Office in general. No other show makes me want to discuss the interworkings and think about the day to day interactions on such a minute level. It really is a magically charmming show.

81 -- Any scripted, half-hour comedy that isn't sketch comedy or stand-up is a sitcom, a situation comedy. The definition comes from the form. The word "sitcom" is not synonymous with crap, like some people think it is. "Crap" is not a form, it is a substance.

It actually doesn't have to be 30 minutes either.

What if the story is serialized? "Ugly Betty" is likely going to be considered a comedy come Emmy time.

84 -- "Comedy" is a word that applies to substance. "Sitcom" is about form. 30 minute length is part of the sitcom form. There has never been a one hour sitcom, and there can't be by definition. The Emmy categoy is "Comedy," so it is not restricted to sitcoms.

81 Didn't intend a semantic argument: I meant to draw a distinction between a typical dramatic series, whose intent is to develop a story from season start to season end, and a typical comedic show, whose intent is more about weekly laughs and less about the show-to-show plot.

And for one of those latter-type shows (however you want to call it), The Office is pretty unusual in how it develops a storyline each week.

Did Jim have a girlfriend in either of the first two seasons? Because if he didn't then I say he ends up with Karen next. Then eventually he'll end up with Pam.

87 - In the second season Jim dated a girl named Katy played by the lovely and talented Amy Adams (who was excellent in Junebug). I can't see Jim ended up with either of them for awhile as I think the real drama is in making everyone jealous with jokes and smoldering looks.

88
Katy came to the office to sell purses and Michael only allowed her to do it because he wanted to go out with her.

89 - The classic scene in that episode was when Michael made Ryan help him clean out his car in anticipation of giving Katy a ride home.

Ryan: "How many filet of fishes did you eat?"

"Blue is not a flavor."

My allegiance is to Karen.
I totally dig her personality/looks everything over Pam.

Pam is a 30yr old woman that is 15yrs old on the inside.

Grow up Pam.
Her "i miss jim, i always dreamed of having a flower porch on my roof when i grew up".....---"throws up"..

I want The Office to continue to be great satire. Not a show of "awwwwwwwwwwww...jim and pam....how sweet"...puke.

If any two people have the best chemistry on that show, its Michael and Jan. I love their scenes.

JoeyP, now your comments are taking on a hostile tone that I don't really like.

Sorry, I didnt mean to sound hostile. My tone is meant more along the lines of Vince Vaughn in Swingers.

Yeah Pam is a sweet girl, but at some point I'm saying to the TV screen and Pam in general..."grow up" and save the melo-drama for i dunno, an actual TV show about melo-drama lol.