Life In The Office

My first impression of “New Leads” was not a good one. But I know from experience that a second viewing usually lets me get past the developments that I didn’t care for, and enjoy the sly humor that can be found in the shows’ nooks and crannies. So let’s give some real good looks into those nooks.

The cold opening was weak. The scene itself could have worked OK if it had been slipped into the middle of the show, because the unlikely “Johnny Depp,” and very likely “Roger Clemens” sightings were amusing. But the “cold opening” calls for more; the bar is set much higher for the opening act, and in my opinion this bit just wasn’t up to the task. We here at Life In The Office have been spoiled by LITO staff writer Kevin Greene’s Cold Openings. For those who are unfamiliar with Kevin’s fantastic fan-fiction, please check these stories out!

The episode begins to unfold like David Mamet’s play “Glengarry Glen Ross.” The Dunder-Mifflin sales staff are exhibiting new attitudes. They’ve tasted the bigger money from Sabre’s new commision rates, and they want more. And “more” can be found in the new leads that market research has provided. This sudden change in personality is the basis of what’s “funny” about “New Leads.” The salespeople are now preoccupied with, uh… sales, and their portrayals run the gamut of mildly obnoxious to “bloodthirsty cutthroats.”

I didn’t like where this was going when I first watched it; Jim Halpert was coming off as unlikeable. Phyllis, even more unlikeable; Andy and Dwight, unspeakably despicable. But after seeing the episode a second time, and knowing what to expect, I was able to savor the funny stuff that I knew must be there. It is. Kelly and Ryan are shown arguing over the dubious merits of “The Kardashians.” As Stanley agrees with one or the other, they hand him a lead like it was some sort of Pavlovian reward. Erin’s “hotter or colder” routine with Andy is a comic gem that bears repeated viewing. Andy’s uncomfortable facial contortions are fantastic. The “first president… Lincoln” gag is one of the reasons that I love The Office; it is such an understated, offhand remark that it kind of snuck by me the first time. Andy’s wrestling match with Darryl got marginally better with the second viewing, but Dwight chokehold on Kevin stayed embarrassingly close to “Three Stooges” territory.

Michael’s evil plan inevitably blows up in his face when the leads get hauled away and taken to the dump. Why didn’t someone simply jump in their car and pull the still-in-sight garbage truck over? Wasn’t there anyone in the parking lot with a fast-accelerating muscle car, and a highly overrated sense of his abilities to pull off a police-chase containment? Hmm… oh well, if Dwight had executed that maneuver, that would have eliminated the need for all the hard work of the special-effects department to green-screen a dump for the closing scenes. The dump looked somehat phony, but I don’t consider that a deal-breaker. it’s just that the show spent over a hundred grand to recreate a highway convenience store for Jim and Pam’ proposal scene. It is disconcerting to see corners cut in this manner; it sends the unnerving message that the show is no longer worth spending that kind of money on. I hope that’s not the case! Maybe it is just NBC tightening its belt after a series of clunky misfires with programming.

The dump scene with Michael and Dwight had its moments; I laughed when Dwight looked around in disgust, and assessed that “This place has gone to hell,” as if the quality of the garbage had gone downhill. Their trash fight could have been tightened up; the mood of the show at that point seemed as dispirited as their tosses at one another.

Back at the office, the sales people made a “peace offering” to the rest of the staff. Thanks to Jim Halpert’s clever split-second reading of the situation, the rest of the staff came off as clueless doofuses, and the sales people succeeded in looking like greedy manipulators. Some viewers might find that wrap-up satisfying, but I don’t like it. I work in the hospitality business, and I have seen huge guaranteed gratuities go to the most unworthy, undeserving people, who just happened to be in the right place at the right time. So, from personal experience, I have seen the smug attitudes, and the bruised feelings that go with unequal distribution of the “wealth.” And here on “The Office,” I’m seeing it again.

Oh, the show ends with a passionate kiss between Erin and Andy at the dump. Ri-di-di-da-doo. My final assessment of this episode got better after the second viewing, as I knew it would. There were enough funny moments for me to raise it up a couple notches from my initial impression. So, I think “New Leads” was… uh, OK. Now, I am anxious to see how other LITO-ites feel!

~ Robert