The Office 4.01 - Fun Run

Wow. Just wow. So, I didn't really expect for The Office's fourth season opener to address almost all the points in my "What do I want from Season Four?" paragraph in my Office Commentary but that's just what they seemed to do. As requested, Jim and Pam are together (I realize it's just the first episode, but after a nice fake out where they're trying to hide their relationship, it was quite nice to find them dating, and happy.) Jan slides further and further from her put together role in seasons past as she snores, ass in the air on Michael's bed in the cold open and bitches Pam right the hell out because she saw Michael's penis (long story, I'll tell ya later.) Pam did continue to be more aggressive, taking charge of situations and looking overall more confident. Hair being down does wonders for this girl. Angela confirmed to Pam that she and Dwight are dating. Toby and Creed both had big moments in this ep with Michael trying to convince the staff that Toby is the devil and Creed revealing that he's in his eighties. Oh, and the documentary crew did something they haven't done since pointing out to Pam that Dwight and Angela were acting funny together, got involved in the plot of the episode and acknowledged that there IS in fact a documentary being shot at Dunder Mifflin.

So, that leaves two points. Ryan shaking things up at Dunder Mifflin (which spoilers suggest will happen next week) and Michael getting fired. Those are the ONLY two things I asked of Season Four that didn't happen in this hour long episode. Man oh man, does this show GET me or what?

So, as suspected, Jan is living with Michael, and, from the looks of it, sleeping all day. Michael catches us up a bit, reminding us of what happened last year on his drive to work, distracted enough to HIT MEREDITH WITH HIS CAR in the biggest jump scare moment I've ever seen on network television, complete with Meredith slamming into the windshield of Michael's Seabring. So, Michael goes into the office and announces himself a hero for getting injured Meredith to the hospital in record time. Then he reveals why he was able to do so and the office turns on him.

Both Pam and Jim separately address the events of the summer, both claiming they're not together. Kevin is on the case though, trying to slip them up. He stalks them to the point of hiding in his car to watch Pam leave the office. Even the documentary crew doesn't buy their story and they follow Pam who drives a few blocks away and picks up Jim, where they kiss. Later, the crew shows the tape to Jim and Pam who try to weasel their way out of this before Pam drops the big secret bomb, they're dating, and very happy together.

Angela's cat Sprinkles isn't doing well, and while she and the rest of the staff go to visit Meredith in the hospital, she sends Dwight to give Sprinkles her medication and treatments for her MANY ailments. When Dwight returns, he reveals that the cat is dead and in the freezer. And, as I suspected, this is due to Dwight putting her there to "take care of her." This rips their relationship apart (as you might imagine) and causes the shocking moment of revelation to Pam that her boyfriend is Dwight.

With the death of the cat, Meredith's misfortune, OH! And Pam clicking an email link to buy a celebrity sex tape causing her computer to melt down, Michael declares a state of emergency. The office is cursed. So he calls a meeting to determine the office religion, wondering if anyone has desecrated any Indian burial grounds recently and accuses Toby of being the devil.

Meanwhile, Michael finds that Meredith may have rabies from a bizarre streak of animal bites
starting with last year's bat attack in the Joss Whedon directed "Business School" leading Michael to presume that thanks to him, she wound up in the hospital, and will now get the help she deserves.

But that's not enough. So Michael organizes a Fun Run to benefit people with "incurable" rabies and manages to scrounge together $700 to donate (mostly from his and Jan's pockets). When all is said and done, however, only $300 and change get there because $200 was spent on the over sized check and the rest on hiring a stripper last seen in the bachelor party episode "Ben Franklin" last year.

Quite an episode. Overall, I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars, while feeling a bit long at times, it certainly delivered across the board, reminding us why we love these characters so much, and showing us what great television comedy looks like.

- Dave Grelck is a writer/filmmaker/photographer. His film White Out is being released this winter. His web television series Irving Renquist, Ghost Hunter goes live on Halloween!