Watching The Office

I noticed something about Pam in the “Grief Counseling” episode that NBC reran (if that’s even a word) on the 25th. After Michael finds that his former boss is dead and died in a manner that most only see in horror films, he is truly troubled. He tries to appear troubled on the account that no one seems to want to talk about Ed’s (the former boss) death, they just want to “move on.” Obviously, most times when Michael seems concerned about someone else, even if that someone else is dead, he’s really, in some way, concerned about himself. Pam, instead of seeing Michael as conceited and selfish and annoying, sees Michael’s insecurities, which are abundant. As funny as The Office is, it has it’s sweet moments. The Pam and Jim story has shown us that. One of these sweet moments came at the funeral of the bird (not a singing bird as Dwight points out) who flew into the glass doors. Pam creates a fairly “nice” casket for the departed bird and then gives a eulogy for the bird, but entirely directs it at Michael. Pam even looks at Michael throughout most of the speech and speaks about how while the bird died alone, he’s not alone now and how much cheer it might have brought them if only it could have gotten in through those doors. Well, you saw it (didn’t you?) you could tell Pam was purely trying to make Michael feel better. Ahhhhh.

Pam had a niceness about her even if she is completely annoyed with Michael 99.9999% of the time. Pam shares this niceness with Jim. If you’ll remember back to the episode in Season 2 “Email Surveillance” Michael crashes Jim’s BBQ and everyone is more than just displeased to see him there. Michael starts a sort of karoke by himself and everyone stares until Jim gets up and sings with Michael. The relief on Michael’s face is evident. That was nice, Jim. See what I mean about the sweet moments in The Office.

But then the question becomes, “Why be nice to Michael?” Michael Scott is probably the bane of everyone’s existence at one time or another at good ole Dundler Mifflin. Yet, Jim and Pam tend to take pity on Michael. Do you feel it too? When Michael started singing all by himself at the BBQ, when he freaks out about death, when he’s a inch away from being fired by Jan, don’t you almost feel sorry for the guy? Like our old friend from “Seinfeld”, George Constanza would say, “Pity is very underrated.”

Whatever the reason, it’s sweet. Or at least it seems that way. I guess The Office wouldn’t last very long if nothing sweet or even semi-serious happened. Pure comedy doesn’t get you the rewards that The Office has recieved, but it helps…………a lot.

-Anna