Some have complained that the most recent episode did not have a proper "pathos to comedy ratio" - that the pathos was too overwhelming compared to the comedy. Before I go on, allow me to recall some of the funniest moments from last episode.
- "It wasn't a termination. It was a pattern of disrespect and inappropriate behaviors."
- "And frankly, the timing was nothing short of predominant."
- "I throw myself at the mercy of the deposition."
- "Oh Diary..."
- "More tomorrow. XOXO, Michael."
- "Um, could you make that 11?"
There were many more, but those were the ones that made me laugh out loud even after the episode was finished.
Having said that, I concede that the tone of "The Deposition" was darker than usual. And sadder. And bittersweet without the sweet. But "Booze Cruise" also ended on a compelling down note, with lots of brooding, and "Booze Cruise" was a fan favorite from S2. It could even be argued that "Booze Cruise" had more painful moments and fewer genuinely funny ones, especially without a light-hearted B-story to back it up. The only significant difference is that in the case of "The Deposition," the disappointment is deeper and resonates stronger. In other words, the disappointment here carries more impact.
Obviously, the answer isn't that they should have taken the "pathos portion" and made it less impactful.
The reason the disappointment here carried more impact is because we care about Michael. We care about Michael because he's so much more damaged than Jim. But that's a good thing. He would be obnoxious if he were less damaged. And we care about Michael because at the end of a horrific day, he can be touched that someone thought he was a nice guy. It's sad. It's bitter. But it's what makes Michael tick. And personally, I love seeing beyond Michael's five-year-old intellect and blundering offensiveness to his essence. It's dark, but it makes him so much more lovable.
So yes, the pathos outweighed the comedy because we invested so much in Michael's happiness. But really, would you rather have an episode where you want to punch Michael in the nose, or an episode where you want him to win? That's the thing about Michael. Even when he loses...there's something special about being on the same side.
First, there is nothing wrong with two characters, after a long and tumultuous almost-relationship, finally getting together.
Second, there is something wrong when two characters getting together, instead of adding new dimension to each character, makes each character flatter.
Third, if each character does become flatter after starting to date, it should not be blamed on the boredom of seeing two characters happy together. It should be blamed on the plots that fail to put the characters in interesting situations where they can play off each other.
So far, “Jim and Pam together” has been uneventful. There hasn’t been anything really wrong with it. There hasn’t been anything really right with it. It’s very easy to forget their relationship altogether. That’s the problem.
They haven’t been given any situations where they can play off each other: either they have been a single unit, acting and reacting and thinking and breathing in the exact same way, or they have been separated and reacting to completely different situations. Or, in some cases, they have joined together in a friendly but non-sentimental way to achieve some goal. The one exception thus far is the Finer Things Club, which briefly sustained Jim’s desire to enter the club and Pam’s finally allowing him in out of compassion. Other than that, they blandly hold hands to walk marathons, work as friends to help Dwight, or deal with their own personal problems.
The fun of their dynamic used to be watching them communicate in gestures. Jim would refrain from speaking all day, for their game. Pam would tell Jim something that she would never tell anyone else. Jim would give Pam her teapot of gifts. Pam would beckon Jim to her desk. Each gesture was symbolic for the viewer. Now, however, the sweet exchange of relational tokens is gone.
Certainly Pam and Jim belong together. But the reason we thought that in the first place was because 1) they enhanced each others’ personalities so much, and 2) because numerous little gestures every episode said so. In order for this relationship to succeed, both of those elements need to return.
© Voice of Reason Online, 2007