The Office The Complete Second Series BBC Edtion

Posted In: Home Appraisal

Keira Churches says...

You know, I usually don't write reviews.However, I felt season 2 was getting a bad rap in reviews and felt i should jump in.it is intersting to see that opinion of which series was better often differs depending on which side of the Atlantic you live.Maybe it's because i just got done watching it, but I prefer the second season.While I loved the first, i think the second resonated more emotionally with me (while being hilarious).Plus, Garreth has so many awesome lines.You'll laugh, you'll wince (you'll laugh while you're wincing) which is pretty much the highest compliment I can give to any comedy.that being said, the second season is noticiably darker.There are no MGM endings to be found here.And (spoiler) I really did want to see Tim and Dawn wind up together.It was painful to see David's reality come crashing in on him.so maybe it's not for the faint of heart.I heard recently they're making an american version of the office.why?Overall, the office is one of my all time favorite shows.Right up there with Freeks and Geeks, Six Feet Under, Seinfeld, Curb your Enthusiasm and Mystery Science Theater 3000.I give it my highest recommendation.

Posted on June 4, 2011

Rick Conkwright says...

Everyone's favorite insane British office workers are back in the second series of "the Office," England's short-lived but quite funny answer to "Dilbert." While the second series isn't quite up to the standards of the first, it's still entertaining and bittersweetly wacky.

At the end of the previous series, it was announced that the Swindon branch of Wernham-Hogg would be incorporated into the Slough branch. Now David Brent (Ricky Gervais) is boss of a bunch of new employees, and they're actually used to doing work. What's more, David finds himself competing with Neil (Patrick Baladi), who happens to be his new boss.

More bizarre problems follow, starting when David starts making off-color, racist jokes at the welcoming party. A dildo is placed in David's office during a meeting. Then he goes to give a disastrous motivational speech, complete with a soundtrack. Tim (Martin Freeman) starts dating a pretty new employee, which inspires Dawn's (Lucy Davis) jealousy. Gareth (Mackenzie Crook) tries to score with every woman who doesn't curse at him. And finally, a comedy day turns bittersweet when Dawn says she's leaving, and David is given some bad news...

Only a few shows -- like the immortal Brit comedy "Fawlty Towers" -- end before they have a chance to go downhill, and "The Office" is one of those few. The series stops on a bittersweet note, with David's gradual deterioration, and the reality about Dawn crashing on Tim's head. But despite the darker note it ends on, it's still uproariously funny along the way.

There's a reality-TV quality to the way this is filmed -- monotone workrooms, ringing phones, bored peons, worthless meetings. And there are plenty of funny moments -- the sex toy, Gareth's "tight trousers" phone call, the obscene Dirty Bertie doll, and Gareth hopping all over the office on one foot. Perhaps funniest is David's frenetic dance, which brings to mind a spastic monkey trying to scratch a back itch.

The most unsettling part of the second season is the finale, especially since Tim's love for Dawn is dealt with in a rather disappointing manner. And the writing is a little more blatant than last season, especially since David is made even more obnoxious. But it's still laced with great humor, such as David's terrible poetry. "Take this cool dark steeled blade/steal it, sheathe it in your lake/I'd drown with you to be together/Must you breathe?/'Cause I need heaven," he reads to the hapless Dawn.

Ricky Gervais first makes us love to hate David, with his grotesque attempts at comedy, then does a 180 by making us feel sorry for him. This is a guy with great acting talent. Martin Freeman does a good job as everyman Tim, but often the scenes are stolen by the wonderfully corpse-like MacKenzie Crook, or Ewan Macintosh as the seemingly brain-dead Keith.

"The Office" manages to be poignant and funny at the same time, which isn't an easy thing to do. Even if it has its flaws, "if you want the rainbow, you've gotta put up with the rain."

Posted on June 4, 2011

Jess Birckhead says...

I didn't realize it at the time, but after having watched Season One far too many times, I came to really... love... David Brent. Perhaps this reveals some fault in my self, but I found him at once utterly preposterous and utterly uplifting. It's nice, in some way, to think that there are people out there who try diligently to Do The Right Thing - even, and maybe especially, though they fail miserably.

Season Two was therefore extremely painful to watch. Yes, the first season is painfully awkward, but Season Two is simply painful. It is a nihilistic acomedic nonromp. It is like watching your grandmother die of cancer. Everyone, perhaps Gareth aside, loses. There is no joy, hope, happy ending, or anything of the sort to be found on this DVD. It is one hundred and eighty minutes of destruction.

For whatever it's worth, the last episode had me crying. I haven't watched any of the diary of Gervais and Merchant on the disc, and perhaps they have some explanation for why they chose to end the series in this way, but after having just finished watching the last episode, I am terribly sad.

If their intent was to plot the rise and eventual downfall of a hapless and sincere individual, they have succeeded. Sure, I laughed a few times, but more often than not I sat, mouth agape, terrified.

Ultimately, with Season One and Two they have created a Shakespearean tragedy of the highest calibre. If you saw David as a buffoon who deserves what he gets, you will no doubt delight in his pain. I found myself empathetically toiling with the knowledge that bad things happen to decent people.

Sigh.

Posted on June 4, 2011

Sarita Hervol says...

The 2nd series of `The Office' takes everything that made the first series so popular (currently the biggest selling TV series DVD of all time) and produces another series of superb quality.

For those not aware of the humour in the show, it is cringe worthy at times - but it is this insight into real peoples emotions and weaknesses that makes the show so appealing. Ricky Gervais, the writer and star of the show, has come from relative obscurity, to make something that is so relevant to people today - not just in England, but around the world.

Following on from the 1st series, the 2nd series sees a continuation of the fall of David Brent, allowing for some darker comedic moments. The romance between Tim and Dawn continues, will true love ever prevail? But perhaps the highlight of the 2nd series is David Brent moving onto the consultancy circuit and becoming a motivational speaker. Slough did not know what it got itself in for....and as he walks out on the stunned group to the strains of Tina Turners `Simply the best' you will really start to appreciate why this series has slowly made the world sit up and take notice.

With just 2 Christmas episodes left before this show is forever consigned to the repeats channels, I strongly advise you to enjoy it now while it is fresh - this is the Fawlty Towers of our generation.

The extras that come with the DVD are also well worth viewing, it is a total package.

Posted on June 4, 2011

Estrella Okeke says...

The second series is indeed fantastic, but look at the "running time" in the technical features section: 180 minutes. That's six episodes at 30 minutes each, which means that the Christmas specials will not be included on this set. This doesn't make much sense to me, since DVD sets of American-format sitcoms (22-26 episodes each) are routinely being released these days. Obviously time, disc space, or cost weren't much of a factor in the decision to omit the specials... it all comes down to stretching out the series' comparatively short run so they can get a bit more $$ from fans. That's perfectly understandable, to tell the truth; I just hope that they release the specials shortly after Series Two since episode 2x06 has about as many open plot threads as the end of The Empire Strikes Back.

Posted on June 6, 2011

Detra Fitterer says...

I don't understand the negative reviews for this second season. I perhaps have a different outlook on the whole thing than most people, as I saw the second season first... I've never seen anything like it, and if I had to pick one season over the other, I'd go with the this one. This is comedy that makes you squirm in your seat and laugh simply because you're feeling so uncomfortable. That's unique. It may be darker and more insidious, but that's a good thing. I get so sick of 'harmless' fun comedies.I think people get used to television shows where the characters remain stagnant archetypes and never change, but I thought the ending of this season was brilliant. It seems that we expect all TV show comedies to be regularly funny and never serious or sad, but we don't require the same "consistency" from our comedy movies. Frankly, I'm sick of tv, and its shows like this that make me briefly consider reconnecting my cable... until I realize that the show is now over and practically everything else on TV is a reality show gimic with flashy cutting to distract you from how moronic its concept is. I won't plead for another season, because I think it ended perfectly and if their heart's not in it then it should be discontinued... But I will eagerly wait for anything else Gervais and company come out with.

Posted on June 8, 2011

Zenia Landmesser says...

It is not a typical tv program, it actually assumes that the audience is intelligent.It doesn't talk down to us, or preach to us, or spoon feed us.It doesn't need a laugh track to tell you when you are supposed to laugh.It just makes you think, and sometimes cringe, and laugh out loud hysterically or just smile and wonder "why can't 99% of american sitcoms be this brilliant?".Our society is so dumbed down and we stand back and let them decide what we can watch until there is nothing left but stupid story lines, unrealistic conversation, sugary sweet endings and those horrible laugh tracks to make us all think it's funny, when it really isn't at all.The Office challenges all of that.Buy it, and enjoy it!It's a rare gem that we won't see again any time soon, well maybe until Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant come up with their next project.

Posted on June 8, 2011

Kourtney Shartrand says...

I ordered this DVD from the UK so I could have it months in advance of the US release. All the gang are back, along with a few new faces to enliven goings on at Wernham-Hogg.

For the most part, this is a funny and sometimes very funny comedy. However, I suppose it has to be seen in context with Series 1 which, in my opinion, flowed better, was not so forced and didn't turn Brent into a parody of himself. Unfortunately, this seemed to happen in Series 2. Brent changed from basically being slightly irritating to being mentally unstable all, we're led to believe, in the space of a few weeks.

Merchant and Gervais did admit that they were running out of ideas (hence the reason, after the Christmas specials, they killed the Series off) and this is apparent in some of the Series 2 episodes.

In saying that, though, there are some genuinely funny moments, none more so than the out-takes, one of the many extras to be found on the DVD.

This DVD is worth buying for the collection; funny in the most part but is shaded by Series 1.

Posted on June 9, 2011

Mamie Bickle says...

There's no laugh track. The humour here is subtle at times, and it makes you think. The actors' expressiveness fills the awkward silences to great effect. Many real issues and themes about life, politics of sexuality, gender and of course, politics of work environments, are embedded within the plotlines, anecdotes and jokes. It's refreshing to watch a show this funny, where the structure and writing feel real, and do not insult the viewer's intelligence. Unfortunately, there are only two seasons in this series. From personal experience working in several urban offices, I think there's enough people with stories and situations out there, that the writers could have found more material and created one more strong season. On the other hand, the writers do a fabulous job with maintaining the integrity of the show. Theydevelop the stories and reveal the characters within the series in a seemingly natural progression.

The story of David Brent becomes particularly juicy by season's end. Yes, it's not always making you laugh to form a queue by the lavatory. However, the humour is always smart and so unbelievable that it's completely believable. Ever Brilliant. When is the series finale coming out already?! It should be included with the second series, yeah?

Posted on June 11, 2011

Dena Rummler says...

As a British expat living in LA, I've been very pleased with the American reaction to the show.It's quite interesting that most Americans find the first series better, because most British people I know prefer the second series, possibly because it's harsher and I think Brits have a darker sense of humour.But it is a great series and it manages to both cross the atlantic and stay 'British', which is a rare feat.

British sitcoms traditionally have only 6 episodes in a season ('series') and Gervais said on telly that if he made a third season it wouldn't be very good and would taint the previous two (something lacking in American tv unfortunately).

I think that everyone should own this dvd, just because it is so different from anything else I've ever seen (even in Britain!).

Posted on June 12, 2011