The Office: Season 2 (4/5)
When I reviewed season 1 of The Office, someone (I forget who) told me to (paraphrased) stick with it, that the series soon came into its stride, or words to that effect. Somewhat hesitantly, I gave season 2 a watch. Whoever said person was (and feel free to remind me if you want), I'll give you my thanks, because basically, what you said was validated.
Without a doubt, season 2 is superior to season 1. If I did decimals, it would be more a 4.5/5, but arbitrary rankings aside, season 2 is a lot more confident in itself, it flows better, it has an overall storyline of sorts (even if most episodes are self-contained), and it fleshes out its characters more. Not just in terms of characters that barely had a presence in season 1 (Kelly, Angela, Oscar, etc.), but also does a better job of handling the characters that were already established (e.g. Michael, Jim, Dwight, and Pam all get more depth).
I'm not going to do a summary of the season, since it's not really a plot-driven show, and I'm guessing many of you are already familiar to at least some extent, so this is more general thoughts/observations:
-I mentioned in my season 1 review that there was a sense of sadness throughout the whole thing. People checking in, 9 to 5, caught up in the mundanity of their jobs but just enduring another day, etc. That feeling is mostly, if not entirely gone in season 2, since there's a lot more 'drive' in its characters and overall story. This isn't inherently good or bad in of itself, but it does seem to be a more durable approach for a longer running series.
-So I know that we're meant to laugh at Dwight for his eccentricities (and yes, Dwight is either crazy, or a child caught in a man's body), but even then, I've got to say, Jim's kind of a jerk, and I say that despite Jim being the character I can probably most relate to (at least in the realm of unrequited feelings). It's not quite on the level of Jerry from Parks & Rec (where the amount of bullying Jerry received got uncomfortable at times, not to mention that the show never really resolved it), but it's noticeable all the same. Not just little pranks, but stuff like a desk being moved, or other pranks that would hinder one's ability to operate. This isn't really a new observation, I've noticed that there's no shortage articles/videos that postulate that Jim was "the jerk all along" or whatnot, but even here...well, suffice to say, if I was Dwight, I'd be pissed too. It's not malicious bullying, but it's bullying nonetheless.
-Michael's a lot more bearable in this season. He's still unfunny (and yes, I know he's meant to be unfunny), but there's at least a few more layers to him that come up at various times. Again, probably not a new observation, but Michael seems to be at his best when he's just being himself rather than actively trying to make people like/respect him.
-So, again, not really treading over any new ground with the Jim-Pam-Roy love triangle, but it's good. It's really, REALLY good. As in, without it ever being stated, you (or at least "I") can tell that Jim and Pam are just perfect together because of their similar senses of humour and interests, whereas Roy is just a lughead at best, and an asshole at worst. Again, hardly a new revelation, but how it's executed within its mockumentary style is excellent.
-Dwight quotes Mussolini without knowing it in his salesman speech. Yes, I was outright laughing through the entire sequence.
So, yeah. Like I said, random thoughts rather than a review, but overall, season 2 is a massive step up from its predecessor. Already have season 3 on my "to watch" list.
