The Office (US) S4 E1/2 - 'Fun Run' Mini-Review


Triumphs of the Human Spirit.

Season 4 kicks off in grand fashion with a brilliant two-parter, in which Michael organises a fun run to support Meredith after he hits her with his car (a HILARIOUS moment). Jan and Michael it seems are now living 'domestic bliss', although clearly their toxic relationship cannot be sustained for long. It was initially frustrating to learn that Jim and Pam hadn't hooked up, although that smart trickery was a welcome addition to the episode. I hope they don't spend too long sneaking around pretending they aren't together however because their fake acting can often be cringe-inducing. Meanwhile, the saddest new development was the splitting of Dwight and Angela, after the former killed the latter's ill cat. I was honestly shocked that Dwight would do something so cruel considering he knows how much Angela values her cats. The show appears to be setting up an Angela/Andy relationship, which I hope doesn't develop as her and Dwight are meant to be together by this point. Overall, the fourth outing of The Office (US) returns with a great entry, which is full of regular laughs and exciting new character sub-plots and developments. Fingers crossed the show can maintain its consistent quality!

BEST MOMENTS
  • Michael hitting Meredith with his car!
  • Michael's way of telling the office that Meredith was fine - "they did the best they could" 
    • Stanley - "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"
  • "It's only Meredith, thank god"
  • "Thank you for asking. No one asks about Sprinkles"
  • Ryan is a dick now!
  • "I have to visit the alkie"
  • "PAAM!"
  • "YOu can't be serious, you ran a woman over this morning!"
  • "I hate hospitals. In my mind, they are associated with sickness"
  • "She looks awful" "No, okay she always looks like that"
  • It was so cute that Michael knew Angela's ill cat was called Sprinkles
  • "I think you should go to the hospital and pay your respects"
  • Of course Creed has been in cults!
  • "That's buddhists" "Are you sure?" "No."
  • Michael's long, weird wittering about deities
  • Jim and Pam ARE together!!
  • Michael Scott's Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Fun Run Race For The Cure
  • Stankley!
  • The rabies quilt
  • "Have you met that kid? Not going to college."
  • "It's not fair to people with rabies"
  • Jan snapping at Pam over Michael!
  • "I'm like Forrest Gump, except I'm not an idiot"
  • "MICHAEL THAT'S IRRATIONAL"
  • Dwight killed Sprinkles!!! What a dick!
  • Toby winning the race
  • "Nobody can beat rabies"
  • "You don't know me, you've just seen my penis"
  • [After Meredith licks the lolly pop] Michael - "I'm good"
DID YOU KNOW?!*
  • The scene where Angela talks to Pam about her suspicion that Dwight killed her cat took a long time to shoot because Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, who are good friends in real life, couldn't keep a straight face when talking to each other. It was so bad that they stopped shooting the scene and the director told them both to take a break while the director filmed something else and they came back to it later in the day
  • Angela Kinsey (Angela) was pregnant during the filming of most of season 4, that's why the cameras never show her stomach
  • When Michael is seated on the grass near the end, you can see the 'No Parking' signs the real production crew attached to telephone poles and street lights to keep the parking spaces behind Michael free from cars
  • When Angela holds up photos of Sprinkles the first photo is of them on a picnic blanket. In the second photo they're at Angela's desk and the computer wallpaper is the first picnic photo
  • In this episode, Creed reveals his age as being 81 years old. Implying that he was born November 1st, 1926
  • In the end when Meredith is visiting Michael in the hospital, the sucker that Michael has was given to him by his paediatrician from a deleted scene
  • From this episode on, the closing credits will also play the intro music instead of no music
  • Kevin's "PB & J" (Pam Beesly and Jim) line is a play on the fandom's real shipper name for Pam and Jim, "Jam."
  • Pam mentions going to the flea market at the drive-in. The drive-in/flea market she refers to is the Circle Drive-In on US Route 6 in Dickson City, PA. In late spring/summer it is in fact a real flea market that takes places on Sundays from 7am-4pm. It's also an actual operating drive-in movie theater in April to September that shows double features on Fri/Sat/Sun nights
  • Jim mentions mountain biking on Montage Mountain (now called Snö Mountain). Mountain biking is not permitted on the mountain
  • In this episode, Stanley says he's Catholic. In season two, we learned he sends his daughter to Catholic girl's school. While one doesn't have to be Catholic to send one's children to a catholic school, this is certainly consistent with Stanley's character
RATING: 8.5/10











*Trivia from IMDB

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