IFC "Spoils" Viewers

Article first published as IFC "Spoils" Viewers on TheTVKing.

This week, IFC presented the first two parts of their six-part miniseries The Spoils of Babylon. Spoofing the epic miniseries of a few decades past, this program follows the Morehouse family through good times and bad, while they're poor and rich, with heartbreak and drama to spare.

Each half hour installments opens with the "author of the book," Eric Jonrosh (Will Ferrell, Anchorman 2), introducing his adapted work. Said to be a twenty-two hour masterpiece, now cut down to less than three hours, he worries more about drinking and himself than the story.

This is a good representation of what the whole project is. Parodying other works, it's an overblown, cheesy work which seems unintentionally funny, but that's the point. It seems to take itself too seriously, which viewers will treat in an opposite manner. Each big twist is offset by silly model landscapes and terrible musical themes, all with poor picture quality and lighting.

Tobey Maguire (Spiderman) and Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids) shine in the lead roles as Devon and Cynthia Morehouse. They aren't biological siblings, Devon being adopted as a boy, and Cynthia would like them to be married. Devon resists, even wedding a girl he doesn't seem to actually love, Lady Anne York (a life-sized mannequin voiced by Carey Mulligan, The Great Gatsby), to avoid his sister's lust.

Is this relationship wrong? Of course it is. But it's this habit of forcing drama where it doesn't need to be, developed between ludicrous, unrealistic characters, that is a hallmark of the genre, played in an exaggerated fashion here.

Most of the jokes land. Lady Anne claims she's not wooden, and patriarch Jonas (Tim Robbins, The Shawshank Redemption) has Devon read a very, very long inscription in a pocket watch, only to discover three characters cut off due to lack of room. These things do take the viewer out of the moment, but in a funny way, and no one is really getting lost in this story anyway.

There are points where it seems the gag runs too long. After all, one could make fun of this genre in a sketch, even parts of the commercials are done to form, and six episodes seems excessive. But it's not as excessive as some of the actual productions, and there are surely many more elements for the writers to hit before it draws to a close. I do look forward to seeing the rest of it.

The Spoils of Babylon airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on IFC.

The Office says "Goodbye, Michael"

     Last night, Michael Scott (Steve Carell) did his final episode of NBC's The Office, appropriately titled "Goodbye, Michael." Michael tells everyone his last day is a day after his real one, to avoid drama and tears. He subtely make sure he spends a moment with each member of the staff so they have a goodbye they can remember, and gives many gifts. Jim (John Krasinski) is the only one who picks up on the deception, as Michael keeps asking for Pam (Jenna Fischer), who is out of the office during his last afternoon, but Jim plays along with a scene that has both men in tears. At the end of the day, Michael slips out, and the staff doesn't realize until the next day, as they wait at a goodbye party they have planned, that Michael is not coming back. Pam does find Michael, though, and get her own goodbye at the airport.

     The Office will not be the same without Steve Carell, and no one will ever replace him. Sure, the company will get a new manager, and someone else will sit behind Michael's desk, but the series will change in ways both big and small without its main man. Current replacement, Deangelo Vickers (Will Ferrell) has a mere one episode left, and Dwight (Rainn Wilson) is still lobbying for the position. Plus, The Office is bringing in a ton of guest stars to interview for the job in their season finale in three weeks, including Jim Carrey, Ray Romono, James Spader, Will Arnett, and series creator Ricky Gervais, but none are likely to stick.

     The thing about Michael is, despite his many mistakes and uncooth approach, he got the job done. Apparently he is a heck of a salesman, though that competence rarely translated on screen. His employees would grow frustrated with him for insulting and politically incorrect things he said. But in the end, they all realize that he realy cares about them. The job has never just been about paper to Michael. It's always been about the people. Jim sums it up best when he tells Michael that he is the best boss Jim has ever had, a pay off, considering how often Jim disagreed with the way Michael runs things.

     Perhaps most likely to take over the manager position, if the job stays in house, as it should, with the large and talented cast is Dwight. Dwight has had a chip on his shoulder ever since finding out Michael did not recommend him as a replacement. In Michael's opinion, he never felt like he had the authority to choose his successor. As he tells Dwight in his final episode, he doesn't own the company. Yet, Michael does leave Dwight with a glowing, to put it mildly, letter of recommendation, and the two make up over paintball. It is a necessayr resolution, considering they were once so close, and it would be painful to part ways on such bitter terms.
     Personally, I believe that Darryl (Craig Robinson) should be the new boss. Despite not being one of the original cast, Darrell has risen through the ranks from the warehouse, and now has an office up on the business floor. While Dwight is combatative, Darrell is universally liked, and seems to have good business sense. The owener of the company has already placed a great deal of faith and trust in him. It seems logical to expect that if anyone currently working at the paper company were to be promoted, it would be Darrell.

     This could be a longer article, but like Michael believes, goodbyes work better when they are short and don't dwell too much on the loss. No matter how things shake down, The Office will continue. The Office airs Thursday nights at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

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The Office holds a "Garage Sale"

WARNING! SEVERE SPOILER ALERT! DO NOT READ UNTIL AFTER WATCHING THE OFFICE EPISODE "GARAGE SALE"!

     I admit it. I cried like a baby while watching this week's episode of NBC's The Office. It started when Michael (Steve Carell) begins taking Holly (Amy Ryan) on a tour of all the places that played an important role in their relationship in the Dundler-Mifflin building. That place is Michael's life, and it only makes sense that his true love would share his fondest memories there. It got worse as Michael opens the door and reveals the staff, all of whom have shown up to support him. Truly, his family, there to shower the two with love and share in their special moment. Of course she says yes! She has to! Though I knew the announcement would eventually come, but didn't expect it to come right then, Michael tells his co-workers he is leaving the company, leaving them, and they all stare back, speechless and stunned.

     It is necessary to walk through those moments again, certainly among the most powerful The Office has yet produced, to get just how great this is. For all the squabbles and antics the staff of Dundler-Mifflin goes through, they are a tight-knit group. When it was announced long ago that this would be Steve Carell's final season with the show, it was a sad day indeed. But it didn't really sink in to me until Michael broke the news to the other characters. Their looks tell it all. I'm tearing up just remembering it. Their boss, leader of the gang of misfits, is going away. They are just beginning to cope, and now it's time for us, the fans, to do the same.

     The fact that the writers chose to bundle that news with Michael's proposal to Holly make the emotional impact a double punch. One second, it is tears of joy pouring forth, the next, tears of sorrow. A better time could not have been chosen to make the biggest possible impact. When Michael is fondest in our hearts, they rip him away. I am not complaining; it's the gripping intensity that made the scene so good. Michael still has a few episodes left (Holly will be leaving sooner), but now there's an end in sight. A ticking clock, if you will. Evey moment that Michael Scott is on screen from now until the end will be infused with sadness at his imminent departure. Keep the tissues handy.

     Now who will be the new boss? Rumors abound, as everyone has an opinion. Will Ferrell (Saturday Night Live) will begin a several episode arc next week. Recent reports that Will Arnett (Arrested Development) will be in this May's season finale have also sparked speculation. After all, series creator Ricky Gervais, who starred in the British version, has said Arnett would be 'amazing', and nominated him for the job to NBC. Gervais himself will appear in the finale, too, I assume to reprise his British character for a second time (he had a cameo in an opening this past January), but I find it highly unlikely he could be drawn to the show on a permanent basis. He has too many other things going on, and as much as I enjoy David Brent, he doesn't match the American tone well enough for an extended stay.

     Myself, knowing three new staff members will soon be added, am in favor of internal promotion. There is no need to take away any more screen time than necessary from the central cast, and plenty of staffers could take the baton. My top suggestions are Darryl (Craig Robinson), Stanley (Leslie David Baker), and Toby (Paul Lieberstein), each of whom would bring something very different to the table. Pam (Jenna Fischer) could also work. I am not in favor of either of the obvious choices, Jim (John Krasinski) or Dwight (Rainn Wilson) because both have temporarily taken control before, and neither went very well.

"Michael, you've had two ideas today. And one of them was great. And the other one was terrible." ~ Pam
"I am not in the mood for riddles, Pam." ~ Michael

     Those lines are spoken as Pam catches Michael in the middle of executing his first proposal idea, spelling out his question in gasoline in the parking lot, dangerously near everyone's cars. Of course, the road to asking Holly is quite bumpy. Michael only pulls off his great success (even the sprinklers going off didn't detract) with the help of Pam, Jim, Oscar (Oscar Nunez) and Ryan (B.J. Novak). It is those people who care about Michael most that help him with the biggest task of his life.

     I think the writers knew it would be folly to make this episode anything but touching. While there are some funny bits, the B stories focus on relationships, too. Andy (Ed Helms), Darryl and Kevin (Brian Baumgartner) engage in a round of Dallas: The Board Game, making up their own rules as they go. Andy and Darryl have been hanging out more and more, and their buddy-buddiness is a highlight. Two wonderful actors, brought into the series as their careers were taking off. Both do movies (The Hangover, Hot Tub Time Machine), but both still have time to have fun on a brilliant sitcom.

     The second subplot involves Jim tricking Dwight. A good prank between the pair has been a staple of The Office from its earliest days. Getting back to that chemistry is always a good time, and this is no exception. Jim convinces Dwight he has magic beans, so to speak, and Dwight, while continually insisting he won't fall for it, can't bring himself to pass up the possibility. He trades Jim a telescope with a $150 price tag for the legumes. The final teaser shows Jim replacing the soil-filled pots Dwight has planted with large stalks. Talk about commitment to the joke!

     Relationships don't have to be all nice and romanticized to work. I think Jim and Dwight are a great pairing. We have seen that they are willing to come through for each other when the chips are really down, but most of the time, mild animosity rules. It is perfectly realistic to believe you can be friends, of a sort, without liking each other. They may not hang out much in their off-work hours, but there is a certain level of respect and trust between them, and I do not see either one ever getting malicious. It's more of a sibling vibe. I definitely think Jim would not put up with someone else being seriously mean spirited towards Dwight, and vice versa.

     I will likely be covering The Office again soon, as the rest of this season has some big changes ahead! Make sure you do not miss out. The Office airs Thursday nights at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

Article first published as TV Review: The Office - "Garage Sale" on Blogcritics.

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It's official: Conan is done with NBC

     It's a done deal.  Multiple news sites (like this one, this one, and even this one!) have reported that Conan O'Brien has accepted a $45 million severance package to leave NBC for good.  It had been reported that the major obstacle left to be worked out concerned what would happen to Conan's staff.  Under the final deal, Conan will take $33 million, and the rest will be split among his roughly 200 employees.

     Something else that needed to be negotiated was how long Conan needed to stay off the air waves after leaving NBC.  While he was still supposed to be under contract to the network for some time, this current deal will allow him to return to television as early as September 1st of this year, assuming someone else hires him.  ABC doesn't seem to be much interested, and Fox, which was willing to pay a heck of a lot a few short years ago, is playing coy.  Comedy Central is said to be a possibility, but how he would fit in with the very popular Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert remains to be seen.

     Conan will air his final episode as host of The Tonight Show tomorrow night, and will feature guests Tom Hanks and Will Ferrell.  You may remember that Farrell was on his first show, way back last June.  NBC will air reruns of the show next week, which had previously been scheduled, but there is no word yet on what will do during the last two weeks before the Olympics, during which Conan was supposed to film new episodes, but will now not.  NBC wasted no time in confirming that after the Olympics are over, Jay Leno will resume his previous job as host of The Tonight Show in it's customary time slot.  While Leno had better ratings than Conan ever achieved, popular support in the current fight has been mostly behind the Irish red head.

      The Tonight Show, no matter who is hosting, airs on NBC at 11:35pm Monday through Friday.

You're Welcome Will Ferrell

    Recently released on DVD is Will Ferrell's Broadway show, You're Welcome America A Final Night With George W. Bush.  With a runtime of just under an hour and a half, the HBO-produced movie gets a little boring after awhile.  Note: If you get the movie from Netflix, the runtime is listed as two hours.  This is (thankfully) wrong.  The entire show was amusing, but not once did it elicit an out loud laugh.  Not a single one.

     Will Ferrell played George W. Bush on Saturday Night Live and various online sites.  He did so successfully, and often with hilarious results.  The problem here is that the character is stretched far too long.  However, one would think that there would be some gems, but none emerge.  It is more or less a historical walk through of Bush's life, concentrating on the presidency, laced with inane tangents, some true, some less so.  There are actual quotes thrown in.  Sometimes a TRUE flashes on the screen behind him, unneccessarily.  The graphics behind the actor play like a power point presentation, mostly factual and supporting, not a joke.  The one notable exception is the picture of someone's penis, shown three times.  Don't know who's, and don't care to.  The show tries to break things up by having a Secret Service agent (played by Ferrell's brother) dance while Will changes costumes, but even that falls a little flat.

     If you liked the character on SNL, prepare to be disappointed.  Perhaps live, with the robust theater energy, and the novelty of a clever, witty idea, this played well.  Watched at home on the DVD player, it doesn't.  It wasn't terrible.  I sat through the entire thing.  There was just nothing about it that stands out, nor any examples I can point to to recommend the movie.

     As 'Bush' says at the end, "I know you're not going to thank me...", I assume Will Ferrell means as well.  The "You're welcome" is said to himself, certainly not from the viewer.