Episode 4
VS.
Recap
Episode 1: missed it, heard it sucked
Episode 2: sucked
Episode 3: missed it. heard it sucked
Epidsode 4: Eh...Not bad. AmericanTim (we call him "Jim") is far too good looking and far too comedically challenged to play this part. If this show becomes a hit and this actor/model becomes one of the People Magazines Most Fuckable Celebrities, the show will have failed. AmericanGareth (Dwight?) is a classic American nerd as opposed to the very specifically British nerd in Gareth. Gone are the bugged out ecstacy eyes and the "territorial army" jokes. Dwight is pudgier and not as lecherous as Gareth. AmericanDavid Brent seems to be warming up and getting used to his role. The first episode I saw was a godawful impersonation of Ricky that TheGuyFromTheDailyShowWhoWasn'tAsFunnyAsStephenColbert should be ashamed of. All in all I recommend the show to fans of the office who can tolerate a cheaper facimile of their beloved show with some new material as well as people who've never seen the original Office, don't have cable and are looking for something to watch besides CSI: Hoboken and Everybody Loves Whatshisname. The episode had a well developed Americanist twist with "Jim" and "Dwight" forming a Survivor style alliance in order to survive downsizing. Jim makes Dwight do all sorts of goofy stuff under the pretence of spying for information. Dawn's skinny, dull American replacement, "Pam" gets in on the joke and Jim and Pam are laughing and joking about what they've done to Dwight when Pam's blue collar boyfriend walks in and does the famous wall shove thing that was so startling and awkward in the BBC original. In this one, Jim tries to explain the alliance thing and how they were just joking and doing office pranks. The boyfriend asks Dwight if its true and Dwight denies it (thus betraying Jim in a classic survivor twist, get it.) The whole scene loses the rawness and intensity of the original in favor of a crappy, plot-pointy gag about reality TV. Poor form. Next episode looks like it'll get back into racial issues so hopefullly it'll get ballsier and more funny.
