The Duel, "The Office" Worthwhile

Michael Scott is insistent that he can run 31 miles per hour. The speed meter said so. Nevermind the fact that a car drove by at the same time. The opening clip of NBC's "The Office" promised another hilarious episode and was not one to disappoint.

"The Office" had its first episode of 2009 last Thursday, the 11th in its 5th season. "The Office" is adapted from the British version by Greg Daniels and is one of few British to American show adaptations that is popular in both tv realms. The first season of the American version was taken directly from the British, but now it has its own script, humor and distinct characters.

The show started off this year with a duel, an epic duel at that. The Duel episode was dominated by the confrontation over Angela, played by Angela Kinsey, between Dwight, Rainn Wilson, and Andy, Ed Helms. Expectations were high, as the Angela-Dwight had been going on for quite some time, and Andy was the only one oblivious.

The Duel lived up to typical "Office" humor, filled with raised eyebrows at the camera, boss Michael Scott, played by Steve Carrell, being overly idiotic and the strange behaviors of other office employees, including Dwight's debut into the music industry. Early in the show, Dwight has an individual clip in the conference room. It involves a vocal rendition of the Schrute family forth rules for boys: "Learn your rules, you'd better learn your rules. If you don't, you'll be eaten in your sleep! Harwwf!"

"The Office" is at a turning point. Many of the original conflicts in the show have resolved themselves, and the chance of becoming mundane is very real. A big surprise came in this episode, though, when David Wallace called Michael in to corporate to inform him he was doing something right. That was a spin no one saw coming. There are certain characters, however, whose shtick is now worn down. Take Meredith, played by Kate Flannery, for example. She got in her usual two bit piece about having two men fight over her too, except they were fighting about who got to hold the video camera. 

Regardless of the tedium some characters have, one thing did truly stand out about this episode. While the show rarely passes judgement on the actions of characters, the situation with Angela was handled in a way that insinuated her actions really were wrong. Even Michael's affair with a superior is laughed off, even Michael unintentionally outing Oscar is humorously dismissed. "The Office" takes a slightly serious tone to give Angela what she deserves. 

The Duel episode stands out as one of the best yet. The long awaited fight played out in a way no one suspected, but perfectly at that. Now, the show just needs material to keep the addictive, laughable vibe going.