Anyone who knows me knows that I think the UK version of The Office is as close to perfect as television comedy gets. And while I had some initial apprehension about a US conversion of the series, the American version of The Office quickly found its own voice and comedic style. That was three years ago. Suffice to say, the American version of The Office is now appointment television for me, and there was no way in hell that I was missing this finale.

Some people have said that this season of The Office has been inconsistent (or, in the extreme, boring). While I’m not seeing it, I’ll concede that the docu-comedy style of The Office is a tough format to write, and considering that the writers of the US series have already had to create more than triple the output of their British counterparts, I’ve got no complaints. Enough of this chatter – on to the finale!

8:00 PM – episode start

  • Very few people in American television are better at the pregnant pause than Steve Carell.

8:03

  • It’s interesting (to me, anyway) to hear Pam’s rationalization of the beach ‘outburst’ from last week’s episode, especially since it very perfectly mirrors Tim’s outburst and subsequent retraction from series 1 of the UK Office. We’ll see what the consequences bring.

8:04

  • And now I REALLY hate Karen. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of these “Jim & Pam” ‘shippers, but I’ve always been kinda iffy about Karen’s involvement in the storyline.

8:05

  • I’d like to peek inside Kevin’s brain for a few minutes…I’ll bet that it’s kinda dark in there.

8:06

  • OSCAR! He’s been released from the Halfway Home! And he gets in a jab at Pam!
  • Creed blogs! (kinda)

8:08

  • “I don’t care if that’s how they consolidated power in Ancient Rome!” I love Angela’s delivery.

*ad break*

  • ¡iPod es muy calliente!

8:10

  • Good god. Rainn Wilson can be so damn creepy when he wants to be.

8:12

  • *checks Google Maps* Yeah, that’s what I thought…it’s over two hours from midtown Manhattan to Scranton PA. I guess it’s love.

8:14

  • DEFCON 20! (Of course, you’d think if the DEFCON level were that high, Michael would have closed the door to the conference room. Also, last time I checked, DEFCON counts down, not up. So DEFCON 20 would be…um…nirvana?)

8:15

  • Judging by Michael’s reaction to Jan’s…um, let’s say, ‘presentation’, that last comment might have been right on the money.

*ad break*

  • “License to Wed” looks dreadful. “Severance” just looks strange.
  • British Airways is giving away two nights in London for free. The days, you have to pay for. (Thank you – I’ll be here all week!)

8:19

  • And we’re back. And there’s Jan’s front.
  • “This is the opposite of shallow. This is…emotionally magnificent.”

8:21

  • Pam just broke my brain.
  • There’s the weekly Cornell shout-out.

8:22

  • Check out the competitive streak on Jim. Where did this come from?

8:25

  • Someone tell Edward R. Murrow and Keith Olbermann that Michael Scott just stole their sign-off.
  • It’s refeshing to see a sitcom shot in ‘actual’ New York instead of ‘backlot’ New York.

*ad break*

  • I swear to all that is holy, before I leave this earth, I will find a way to delete every known copy of “Don’cha”.
  • “Heroes” season finale on Monday! WOO!!! (Of course, Tuesday begins the summer-long withdrawal process until the DVD comes out.)

8:29

  • How does one make chaw-spit out of Big League Chew, anyway?

8:32

  • Before I forget, a quick ‘get well’ to Jenna Fischer.

8:33

  • Ha! Schrute-bucks! (Cash value: 1/100 of a cent – which is, I think, still more than Bugs Bucks were worth when I worked at Six Flags.)

*ad break*

  • Enough with the talking penguins already. Also, penguin nut-shots? Not funny.
  • Chemistry.com – it’s where hydrogen met oxygen!
  • Red Bull: for when you don’t have any PCP laying around.
  • Stanley Tucci goes batshit crazy – tonight on “ER”!

8:37

  • I wonder if the eagle on the windowsill in David’s office is a shout-out to Colbert…

8:39

  • What is the ratio of unicorns to leprechauns, anyway?

8:41

*ad break*

  • “Pirates” 3: man, I hope this doesn’t suck.
  • This BMW commercial freaks me out…it’s like Venom (from Spiderman) is turning into a car. (I, for one, would NOT drive that car. Even if it DID have a BMW nameplate.)

8:46

  • “Don’t let them change you.” Yikes. I’ve actually said that to someone. Under similar circumstances. I didn’t realize how awkward it seems.

8:48

  • I’ve considered answering my phone at ETS with “Dunder Mifflin, this is M-D” once or twice.

8:50

  • Wow. Michael’s being awfully fatalistic right now.
  • Just noticed that Dwight’s bobblehead always seems to have his head down. The one in my office doesn’t do that…

8:55

  • Oh. My.

Whether you like The Office or not, you have to admit that the writers of this show know how to end a season.

The final 6 or seven minutes were really densely packed, storywise, with lots of repercussions for season 4. Good stuff, as always.

8:59 – stinger

  • HOLY CRAP! HOLY FREAKIN’ CRAP!

I know I said I was going to watch Scrubs also, but after the first few minutes, with J.D. and his gym-teacher-bunny-headed conscience, that there’s no way I can pay attention to a show like Scrubs and write at the same time. So instead, I’ll just give a shout out to my boy Zach (break a leg on SNL this weekend!) and hang it up for the evening. (Don’t get me wrong. I’m WATCHING Scrubs, I’m just not going to write while watching Scrubs.)

Next on M-D Watches…: The Simpsons & Family Guy…possibly. If not, then certainly Heroes.