“The Office: Season Three” 4-Disc DVD Review
I can’t believe that another solid collection of The Office is hitting DVD, and I find it hard to believe a fourth season is just days away from premiering. Smart, funny, and sometimes uncomfortable to watch, The Office is truly one of the best television shows around. The cast is pitch-perfect in every respect, with every role perfectly cast and every joke executed with the simplest of ease. The Emmy Award-winning series is back for another round in this third season collection. And, on that note, that’s get to the synopsis, shall we?
With unshaken enthusiasm, Michael (Steve Carell) believes he is the office funnyman, a fountain of business wisdom and his employees’ cool friend. Painstakingly trying to be liked and look cool, Michael comes off alternately absurd and pathetic. His prize possession is his “World’s Greatest Boss” mug — which he had to buy for himself. Joining Michael are fellow Dunder Mifflin employees Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer), the friendly office receptionist who bears the brunt of Michael’s routines; Jim Halpert (John Krasinski), a likable sales rep with a good sense of humor who should have found a better job years ago, Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson), the arrogant assistant to the regional manager and Ryan Howard (B.J. Novak) the young, smart, former temp, who quickly figured out the real office politics despite Michael’s attempts to instill the official point-of-view.
This show has picked up a considerable amount of steam over the past three years. I remember being stunned when NBC announced the series would be picked up for a second season after the initial six-episode season. A full season order, roughly 22 episodes. And then the season order went even higher for the third season, and it looks like NBC is continuing the trend with the fourth. In short, NBC has thrown their full support behind this show. It wasn’t a ratings smash when it premiered, but it developed a loyal following that, over time, started to slowly expand.
And now, for most people, this has become “Must See TV.” The ongoing storylines and character development this show exhibits, and the ability it has to make some huge twists and changes in the office dynamic, had made the show required watching on a weekly basis. And, in it’s third season, we start to see changes and twists the series implemented on viewers. By taking these chances, like moving Jim to a different location outside of Scranton, it gives us the impression that The Office is willing to take risks and to allow plots t develop as they should. Nothing is ever rushed here, and it all feels natural.
This season had just a lot of stellar episodes within, the fan favorite liking being the episode focusing on Pam’s art show. A gut wrenching show, the ending is definitely tear-worthy. Of course, the subplot with the bat is absolutely hilarious. The show’s final episodes were also definite crowd-pleasers. Whether it was the shock of finding out Ryan now has Jan’s job, Jim asked Pam out on a date, or Pam’s heartwarming reaction to the request, it was a season that started strong and remained as such to the very end. While the show can sometimes veer off and become a tad too loony at times, that’s a rarity and it seldom breaks the show’s flow.
It’s just a show that, much like the Apatow movies and much-missed television series, are highly relatable. Plus, given the length of the season, we’re given light into the lives of many of the other regulars at the Scranton branch. We delve into Micheal’s personal life, which goes through a hosts of twists and turns this season. We further explore the secret relationship between Bwight and Angela, plus we find out that one of the regulars is actually gay, presented in the hilarious “Gay Witch Hunt” season opener. The show never fails to get inside the lives of these characters, giving them truly three-dimensional personalities. As we learn more, we come to like, or even disgust, at each of them. Sometimes a simple one-liner or off-the-cuff comment can bring a startling revelation to a character. It’s all in such a manner that feels natural, not gratuitous.
And, of course, the “Lazy Scranton” video is absolutely priceless.
Even when bringing in new regulars, the show remains true to its’ roots. Yes, it may get a teeny bit off the wall a couple times, but it manages to recoup, never breaking the flow. There are so many classic moments (like Jim pretending to turn into a vampire, Dwight receiving faxes from the future to name a couple) that it’s hard to not revisit this series over and over. Make no mistake, this is a series that’s worth owning, and one that will stick around for years to come. Much like some of the great television comedies before it, this one remains fresh without ever going stale. And, right now, it’s arguable one of the best shows on television.
No tonly does The Office know how to do a show right, but they also know a few things about DVD. There’s just so much here, it so packed to the gills with bonus material, the bonus materials have now become just as anticipated as episodes themselves. The DVD collection contains over three hours of never-before-seen deleted scenes, over 16 minutes of laugh-out-loud bloopers, and eight cast commentaries on some of the most popular comical episodes. On top of that, there’s the ridiculously popular, and funny as hell, “Lazy Scranton” video, the Dwight Schrute music video, and the creative videos from NBC’s “Make your own promo” contest. There’s also a collection of trailers and promos and a few more interviews and videos. The extras are just great to discover and are definitely worth spending a good afternoon going through.
Without a doubt, this collection comes Highly Recommended. Much like the show, The Office: Season Three is a brilliant show, and a great collection and, arguably, one the most consistently top-notch releases. Universal has been hitting it out of the part lately when it comes to DVD collection of their newer shows, and this is no exception. With the premiere of the fourth season of The Office on NBC, now is a great time to sit down and get acquainted with this DVD collection. Everything about this show, from the writing to the casting to the directing to the DVD collections, is stellar, from top to bottom. If you haven’t visited The Office, what’s stopping you?!
The Office is now available to own on DVD.