A Painfully Postmodern "Office"

The second episode of "The Office" this week laid it on us, thick. To start us off, Michael Scott's spinoff Simulacrum office is wedged in the groaning bowels of the Scranton Office Park; never letting us forget that the Original is just a paper airplane's glide away. But then, it goes all out.

Watch it here.



Anyway, It starts with Ryan watching the famous Montgomery Flea Market viral video, and then launches us full speed into an argument between Pam, Ryan, and Michael about copies. The distinction between copies and originals is made, but none are aware that they all only make copies and there are no originals at all. This is pastiches through a parallel storyline in which Jim is trying to put together a "rundown," but he has no original to base it off of.

This was a pretty good episode, and would be a great tool for an entry level Theory class, but it did seem thick, sticky, and a wee bit contrived. Regardless, I would suggest it.