Release Date: 9/4/07

The Show

Where to start with NBC’s The Office is a tough decision. Originally conceived on the BBC, the series found its way onto American shores with some lukewarm success. However, that isn’t to say the series detailing the hilarious, yet depressing at times, office life, hasn’t cultivated a very strong following. Honestly, if I were to say the series was an over-the-top depiction of the work office environment, I’d only be half right. Yes, it’s over-the-top, but that doesn’t exactly mean it doesn’t happen in this cubicle driven world.

For someone who has ever worked in an office, you know that the 9 to 5 work life is full of annoying and aggravating moments. However, the key to it all is laughter. Poking fun at the office manager who is embarrassingly uncool and at the same time, maniacal with power, is almost a past time in offices across the world. Something about middle management just screams a disconnect to us common folk, and for some reason, a little power causes these people to go mad. That said, Steve Carrell plays his role as over-the-line manager perfectly. In fact, if you were to put a camera in my office, you’d see the same exact antics that drive the rest of us employees crazy on a daily basis.

Put forth as a pseudo reality series, the employees of The Office talk to the camera a la confessional. At the same time, the camera occasionally peeks into closed-door meetings with the blinds out of focus on screen. It gives a voyeuristic feeling that lends realism to the series that audiences can relate to oh so much; perhaps a little too much. However, that isn’t to say that the series is all depressing, although if you think about your current work condition, it sort of is. The series really is hilarious and the dark humor that is completely politically incorrect at times really strikes a note with being able to laugh at our everyday drag that occurs Monday through Friday.

The 4-disc set includes all 22 episodes from the third season with a Play All option found on each disc.
Disc 1
1. Gay Witch Hunt
2. The Convention
3. The Coup
4. Grief Counseling
5. Initiation
6. Diwali
7. Branch Closing
Disc 2
1. The Merger
2. The Convict
3. A Benihana Christmas
4. Back from Vacation
Disc 3
1. Traveling Salesmen/The Return
2. Ben Franklin
3. Phyllis Wedding
4. Business School
5. Cocktails
6. The Negotiation
Disc 4
1. Safety Training
2. Product Recall
3. Women’s Appreciation
4. Beach Games
5. The Job

The DVD

The main menu comes with a hilariously animated background with music. Submenus contain silent stills.

The video transfer is offered in 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen Format. The picture looks fantastic in this widescreen presentation. Sharp details, bright and natural colors, and not a single flaw was found. This is how a television show shot within the last year or so should look like on DVD.

The audio is offered in English Dolby Digital 5.1. The sound is more than adequate with crisp and clear dialogue. It’s mainly a front loaded experience, but for what you need, it does the job just fine. Subtitles are available in English and Spanish.

The Extras

The 4-disc set comes in a fold-out digipak with episode guide printed right on there. It’s all encased within a glossy and embossed slipcase. Very nicely packaged with an insert featuring other TV and DVD releases.

There are 8 Audio Commentary tracks made available across the discs: The Coup with Krasinski, Wilson, Jones and Angela Kinsey, Initiation with Novak, Wilson and Leslie David Baker, Traveling Salesmen/The Return with Krasinski, Wilson, Jones, Helms, Baker and editor Dave Rogers, Business School with Novak, Wilson and writer Brent Forrester, Safety Training with Novak, Mindy Kaling, and Ramis, Women’s Appreciation with Fischer, Kinsey, Kate Flannery (Meredith) and writers Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, Beach Games with Helms, Brian Baumgartner (Kevin), Ramis and writer Jennifer Celotta, and The Job with Krasinski, Fischer, Jones, Hardin, Kwapis and Rogers.

Kevin Cooks Stuff in the Office is a quick 5-minute hilarious short featuring exactly what the title implies.

The Excerpt from the 2006 NBC Primetime Preview Hosted by The Office cast runs about 8-minutes and features the clips used from the Preview. In the same vein, the Toby Wraparounds runs a little under 3-minutes and features clips used from another function.

There’s a heaping amount of Deleted Scenes spread across the 4 discs. In total, they run about 188-minutes; that’s over 3 hours of unaired footage!

The bonus options round out with a 2-minute Dwight Schrute Music Video, the “Lazy Scranton” music video, a 13-minute blooper reel, a jokey 1-minute long Joss Whedon Interview, and Videos from The Office “Make Your Own Promo” Contest.

Final Thoughts

The Office – Season Three has brought NBC back to the Must See Thursday Nights realm it once enjoyed with Seinfeld and Friends. The series is great and the DVD offers more than enough bonus material to keep you coming back for a while.

- Morris Tang