The Office And Quotabilitatively
I have been prepping all of The Office episodes for the iPod contest in the forums. As I’ve been watching all the old episodes, I’ve noticed that I still quote the early episodes much more often than I do any of the recent episodes. I’m not sure why this is but I have a couple ideas.
1) Michael is so much different now than he was suring the first season and a half. At first, when the show was more in line with the British version, he was just insensitive and a little rude. Now, he is mostly 
portrayed as ignorant. I think this has kind of taken away from his one line zingers.
2) The Office is much more about relationships and oddities now. In the beginning it really was about every day life in an office. I think this is actually a natural transition since this is supposed to be a documentary. Every documentary or reality television show starts off in a more observant view point. Then, by the end of the season it is all about who slept/lied/cheated/punched/loved/dated/ with who.
This isn’t a knock on The Office. You know I love the show. I just think that the writing and stories are different. There aren’t as many quotable quotes that work their way into my vocabulary. I use mostly just quotes from early episodes that we talked about before.
Am I alone in this?
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January 30th, 2007 07:47
No- I feel the same way. The quotes that are memorable from the newer episodes are longer too. Not that that’s a bad thing…there just aren’t as many one-liners.
January 30th, 2007 07:54
I’m wondering if part of the reason is because the old ones seem like classics.
Basketball isn’t a very normal office episode, but it’s a classic of season one.
Interesting, none the less.
January 30th, 2007 07:57
I definitely disagree. I’m quoting the new episodes all the time with my friends.
“Congratulations Universe… you win”
January 30th, 2007 08:01
Janie, I think you make an important note. The new quotes are longer monologues now. It’s hard to work them into conversations.
January 30th, 2007 08:22
Brian, I definitely agree with you. I think it’s normal that because the show found it’s groove in Season 2, Michael had to become more lovable I suppose whereas before he was much more of a jackass. I had never really thought of the natural transition for a reality show before but it does make sense. I kind of miss how mundane the first season was- it was much more relatable to an everyday office. Now the show is more “look how crazy this office is!” Not to say that my life doesn’t uh…still revolve around the show :), it just is an interesting change.
January 30th, 2007 08:33
I personally quote the later episodes more. I think the Office gets more quotable as time passes.
January 30th, 2007 08:36
No, I think they are all so quotable. Maybe the older ones have some more one-liners, but there is still plenty of funny sayings. I think Michael has for sure changed. Lately it seems like he’s been more annoyed and reclusive, not as annoying and arogant. I don’t have any evidence to back this up, just my feelings.
January 30th, 2007 08:44
The two things that I quote the most are “sweep the leg” when someone fights or when playing Wii boxing, and “maybe some spaghetti” when my girlfriend asks what I want for dinner. You might think that gets old, but it most certainly does not for me
January 30th, 2007 09:32
I agree that I quote the older ones more, but I’ve seen them more often, too. As time goes by, I’ll probably start working in more of the newer ones. And there are still plenty of good recent one-liners. (see: And circle gets the square)
January 30th, 2007 09:38
Creed is oh-so quotable, and he wasn’t getting ANY lines until midway in the second season.
January 30th, 2007 10:23
AND CIRCLE GETS THE SQUARE!
That was awesome! I say that all the time! The best part is that Office watchers think it’s funny, but everyone else just thinks you’re stuck in the Hollywood Square eighties (or whenever it was on).
January 30th, 2007 13:31
Totally disagree.
“I really Schruted it.”
I think the office has progressed, now we get to see more sides of Michael, he’s not just a one-liner. That gets boring.
I LOVE where the office has been going. I feel they have kept it 100% natural. Nobody has died in a fiery dramatic explosion yet, so I’m good.
January 30th, 2007 14:13
I like to steal things. Its just something I do. I stopped caring a long time ago.
January 30th, 2007 15:44
i disagree. the show just gets funnier with more and more great quotes that i annoy my girlfriend with to no end.
January 30th, 2007 16:05
I’m really glad they have changed Michael over time, and so is my husband. I had to convince him to keep watching when I bought the DVDs and he was watching season one. He hated Michael SO much and thought he had zero redemptive qualities, and could not laugh at him at all. Now he loves the show.
I agree that as he evolves, the show is better and better, and definitely not boring! Also, I usually quote season two and later more than season one.
January 30th, 2007 18:30
I got both season 1 and 2 for Christmas this year and watched them all over the course of a couple weeks…I’m terrible at quoting so it doesn’t matter so much to me. I have to say that the show seems to be funnier now than the early episodes.
As a writer I believe that the characters have progressed nicely and are realistic. The antics are also natural, albeit you don’t see them on a weekly basis in a real office, but that’s TV!
I would add that had I not seen Michael in season one I would have a hard time accepting how reclusive and upset Michael got about Dwight.
This season reminds me of the turning point seasons for Seinfeld, right before it became the number one show on TV….
January 30th, 2007 19:29
I have to agree with this original post. I have been saying that for a while now and totally agree that the show is getting too involved with the characters emotions and has changes ever since the booze cruise when Jim admitted his feelings.
This is a comedy. The episode should not end with an uncomfortable silence b/c Jim said he had feelings for Pam. I don’t care about Jim/Pam or any other relationships. Cliffhangers aren’t meant for comedy. That’s why Seinfeld was #1, b/c every issue was resolved at the end of each episode. I could watch any episode in any order and understand what was going on b/c I didn’t have to be filled in on what happened in the past or why this or that just happened. There weren’t any gasping love scenes or people asking I wonder what will happen next episode. That’s what dramas are for. I still like the show but not nearly as much as the first 1 and a half seasons.
I thought the whole Jim/Pam thing was fine at first b/c I figured it was a small storyline and would end at the end of the 2nd season. Instead it got dragged deeper into the 3rd and has to be let go.
I’m sure there are many who disagree with me (such as my girlfriend), but I enjoy it for the pure comedy and one liners, not the relationships and long drawn storylines.
January 30th, 2007 22:31
I think the biggest difference between this season and last season is that they don’t stay on something as long as they use to. Last year it got to the point where you’d have 2-3 quotes per each funny happening in the office. This season is DEFINITELY relationship/internal/etc. driven, and they don’t seem to linger as long on certain aspects of everyday life in the office like they use to (probably due to timing — I think this show has given MANY instances and examples on why it should be an HOUR long - but oh well…).
But yea, I totally agree with you Brian, and although they do have funny moments, you don’t get the amount of quotes like you have in the first two seasons (ESPECIALLY season 2).
January 31st, 2007 10:11
I personally love all three seasons, and each season has its own brand of quotability. Season three is the newest though, so it takes more time for those lines to become classics on par with season one and two quotes. As for Michael Scott, I think the development of his character has been great — he seems much more human. Horribly flawed, but human. His character has more depth now. However, he still bursts out with insensitive, ignorant, and inappropriate comments, all of which I love to laugh at frequently.
March 24th, 2008 20:23
i have a good idea for a new episod they all have to go to church and everyone is all dressed up nice and michael is dressed in a tuxceido tshirt and he and he is resiveing the bread and wine and he spits it into someones hair and askes the preist for animal crakers or pringles and fruit punch and at the end he lights the connfession candles and burs the churches roof and michael throws the holy water at the wall into the fire to try and taake it out and the pope bands him from all religous churches and this show is the best show on tv never stop making episods