The Office – Season 4

The Office Season 4
Steve Carell, Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski
Originally aired NBC 2007 -08
4 DVD 14 episodes
NBC Universal 2008

The Office Season 4 DVD set features the 14 episodes of the 2007-08 strike shortened season. There is more fun here than you might guess as some of the shows were one hour long -or 45 minutes on DVD. The Office is a very good situation comedy and season four is no exception.

Season 4 of The Office opens with Ryan now at Dunder Mifflin headquarters in New York City and Michael Scott’s boss. Michael, the excellent Steve Carell, is still holding down the fort in Scranton and is still as inept, self-centered, and politically incorrect as ever. Jim and Pam are dating, Dwight kills Angela’s cat, and in the Launch Party episode (DVD 1) Phyllis tries using a catalogue of advice she found on the internet to deal with Angela’s temper.

The Office is very good dysfunctional comedy. Set up like a reality show with a roving camera crew and the employees talking off camera, it is an excellent example of what a real ensemble cast can do.

The advantage of a writer’s strike shortened season is it really helped improve most TV comedies. Most of the shows on this 4 DVD set are very good and many have a brilliant moment or two such as when Michael believes he is Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada.

Episode 4 (DVD 2 of The Office Season Four) is the weak link here: Michael gets a second job, Andy woos Angela, and Jim and Pam stay at Dwight’s B&B. The only interesting bit is Michael’s financial problems which cause him to have a real moment.

Season 4 of The Office ends on a promising note with a new HR person Michael has the hots for.

Extra features on The Office Season Four are deleted scenes for all the shows and commentary tracks for some episodes. I especially liked Michael Scott’s The More You Know rabies ad on DVD 1 and Michael Scott’s Dunder Mifflin Ad on DVD 2. The Dunder Mifflin ad is really funny. The 22-minute blooper reel is also good.

 

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