The Office: Season 2, Episode 2 Appraisals

Thanks bud I will check that out.

After Work Reactions

Bloopers from the employee evaluation scene with Brentmeister D. and Tim. https://youtu.be/qjuc3vqudwg?t=161

Mads Isak

LOL cringe.

After Work Reactions

“What’s your favorite stuff that I do ? Comedy wise” lmao.

Super Mega Giga Chad

I did enjoy it bud but I can totally see what you mean. I could see it being better with a rewatch, once you know the characters even more. Thanks man have a great holiday =]

After Work Reactions

20 years ago, that was probably my least favourite episode... After revisiting it here with Josh, it might be up there as one of the best... I never laughed that hard when this ep was first aired. definitely got a lot more of the sociological dynamics at play than my early 20 something did. Possibly Brent's best episode this....

Publico

Keith's appraisal will always be the highlight of The Office for me. I imagine it took more takes than any other scene.

Tony Smyth

Awesome bud I will be checking out the outtakes =]

After Work Reactions

LOL very true man!

After Work Reactions

LOL the cringe is intense on The Office for sure.

After Work Reactions

LOL very true.

After Work Reactions

LOL thanks bud. He is a great character I am enjoying this show a whole lot.

After Work Reactions

This episode has some amazing outtakes. It took Tim and David a long time to film the review.

james

The kind of comedy I often watch through my hand, the cringe is palpable. 🤣 I love the scene when Neil has a word with "Dave" in his office. Brilliantly written and acted, serves to make Brent look even smaller than he'd made himself look already.

Daryl

this show is like everyone's inner awkwardness but way more on the surface

Leeroy Nabowitz

LOL

After Work Reactions

That was hilarious man =]

After Work Reactions

I actually think Brent is way more funny and likeable when you watch the office 2nd time around, I think you understand him more on 2nd viewing imo. He's a brilliantly written character though, he's such a narrcissist, desperate for love and attention, believes his own hype, I've felt pretty much every emotion going for him at some point during the whole show, from disliking him, to feeling sorry for him, to finding him hilarious and actually seeing a good guy deep down, behind all the front he puts on. I'm really enjoying watching these again, but get ready for even more cringe Josh lol

Richard

LOL we all have had a terrible boss unfortunately =/

After Work Reactions

If I had time bud I would but I am on a very tight schedule this time of year.

After Work Reactions

Great reaction Josh! You are now entering The Office Gold territory where the writing, characterisation and acting goes from good (up to this point) to downright superb. If you found it a tough and cringey watch, you ain't seen nothin' yet! Haha! The Office is genuinely one of those shows that merits rewatching and I'd actively encourage people to watch the whole show from beginning to end at least twice, not just for the appreciation of a brilliant piece of television but because the characters in particular alter slightly on rewatching them. There is such minutiae in the dialogue, facial expressions, body language, perceived intentions, and overall assessment of each character's true motivations. This is the case for everyone but taking David as prime example: The first time I ever saw this episode I cringed at Brent's interactions with the Swindon lot, felt his clumsy, brusque, try-hard manner was embarrassing and didn't blame them for being put off and a little aloof. I was on their side because I had David down as nothing but an idiot. I've now seen this episode probably 10 times and I am firmly on David's side where the lunchtime outing is concerned. Yes, David doesn't have natural charm. His discomfort is plain to see. He lacks social skills in many ways whilst simultaneously believing he possesses exemplary comic patter and finds their apathy baffling. But here's the thing: they also need to remove the sticks from their backsides and try to at least humour David here, smile, initiate conversation, even if it's just for 30 minutes at the pub. And they don't. They find Brent irritating and more than a little deluded but they're not walking effigies of charisma themselves. I think David at least tries to be friendly and inclusive even if he's clumsy with it and when he walks out of the pub, sorry, but it's not the Swindon lot who have my sympathy anymore. Of course, this is why he's so wound up when he walks back in and sees Neil so effortlessly engaging with the staff. Neil *is* more natural and less insecure but it's salt in the wound for David. Don't get me wrong, David was completely out of order throwing a strop in front of everyone and Neil did indeed handle it very well, but after my 10th viewing (well, by my 2nd viewing actually!) I can see why David felt so frustrated. David's blatant lies about Neil are ridiculous and I don't condone them at all but I think it's just David retaliating yet again because he knows his little outburst made him look silly and just put Neil on an even higher pedestal. Then we get to the end scene with Dawn. I find this scene very quietly moving. Again, the first time I saw it I also thought "Poor Dawn!" and...I still do to a level, haha, but the more you see it the more you read the scene slightly differently. For all David's overwrought, clumsy attempts to prove himself popular, for all his insecurities that can sometimes render him dishonest and a little vindictive, he is, deep down, just crying out not for superficial attention, but for the attention all human beings crave; to be genuinely liked and respected. Nothing grandiose and public. Quiet, and private, and understated but intrinsically there. He just wants a friend to share a beer with. Who understands him. The way they use the beer bottles to illustrate this I find so touching and a little tragic too. For Dawn, she's just a nice girl who is politely staying back and lending an ear...just to be nice. But for David, when he blows on the beer bottle and Dawn echoes him with her beer bottle... I think he places far more value on that small moment. He's fed up. Feels disconnected. And in that moment, trivial as it may seem, someone is responding.

Ash Jeffries

When I first watched The Office as a teenager, I saw Neil as a bit of an antagonist. Now I watch it as an adult, I sympathise more with him because someone like David is probably an absolute nightmare to manage. The rinsing David got in this episode (and in future episodes) was well deserved. Also, I think in a strange way Keith is one of the more switched-on characters. In S1E4 he talks about how he doesn't really care about his job or find it difficult, and I think perhaps he's aware of what a waste of time appraisals are, and rather than putting any effort into this futile exercise he just stonewalls David in the hope that he just gets annoyed and leaves Keith in peace.

Charlie

Josh just a quick message to let you know that David just wanted me to pass on and make you aware that his favourite President is Barack Obama

Andrew

"Chaucer... and Shakespeare" is one of my favourite David Brent moments. He was being cringey, but for once he was actually right about a basic trivia fact, and then he tries to look smarter by adding to it, and gets it completely wrong. It's so simple but such a great representation of his character. (Plus that scene took over 25 takes and the bloopers are hilarious... definitely worth a watch when you finish the series)

William Jewell

No, I quit Walmart roughly 3 years ago after working there for almost 14 years. I am still in retail.

After Work Reactions

Did you quit your normal job?

Samuel Coghlan-White

Yeah, against karate? Gotta be one of my favourite Brent lines 😂😂

M Rob

You really see all the sides of Brent in this episode, there’s the almost desperation to be accepted by the Swindon lot, his weird playing to the camera, and even continuing to leave the crumbs that actually he isn’t that bad a boss when he isn’t doing all those things (trying his best to get something out of Keith during his appraisal!) It only gets tougher to watch I’m afraid Josh 😂 but really continues to be great, the next three episodes are my favourites can’t wait to see you react to them!

Oliver Inwards

When I see David Brent needing to be the hero leading to him leaving a wheelchair bound woman alone on the stairs I think "what a twat", then I see him trying to make people like him when they honestly weren't giving him much of a chance I feel bad for him, we all feel insecure sometimes, we all make social mis-judgements... then I see him blatantly lie about someone out of petty jealousy, and yet again I think "what a twat". Then I see him feeling so low, wish people would like him, and he has my sympathy again. All the while, my opinions of "what a twat" and "poor guy, I wish he could catch a break" don't go away, they don't contradict each other, as they probably should! This is a great show, watching it again, seeing the way it unfolds, I'm really enjoying seeing someone react to it for the first time. Even if it's not the funniest thing you've ever seen, it's just a very well put together show. Pretty much everyone can relate to it, the awkward burgeoning romances, one sided crushes, complicated relationships, insecurity, embarrassing moments, unsatisfying careers, people defining themselves by careers... everyone can relate to at least one of these things! The sad thing is Josh, it feels like you've just started this series, but you're already halfway through! Your current line-up is almost flawless for me, I look forward to almost every day, but I've come to realise I most look forward to Thursdays Office reactions. I laugh more from Saturday to Monday, but I look forward to hearing your thoughts on Thursday. I hope you're enjoying this so far anyway!

Ben

My old boss was so like Brent....(but female) taking over whenever there was praise to be had, trying to be liked by everyone and throwing her toys out the pram when it backfired! Unlike Brent she was not even remotely likeable in ANY way! 😑🤣

Claire Prowse

"I froze your tears and made a dagger, and stabbed it in my cock forever."

As mean as it came across with leaving the woman in the wheelchair on the stairs, I believe that is what to do in tall buildings. I know in the college I went to, that was about 4 floors, and on the stairs there was a designated square on the stairs to leave disabled people. Then a firefighter or whatever would retrieve them. I guess , as mean as it may come across, it's to not slow people down as shown here. I know in a real emergency I know they said they had some kinda fancy chair that had like skis on that you can put people in to get them fast down the stairs. Of course here though it was used for comical effect to show Brent's character

Danny

If I had my way you'd be watching the last six episodes over the next week, ending with the Christmas specials!

Neil J