A.A.R.M.
"A.A.R.M." | |
---|---|
The Office episodes | |
Episode nos. | Season 9 Episodes 22/23 |
Directed by | David Rogers |
Written by | Brent Forrester |
Featured music |
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Cinematography by | Matt Sohn |
Editing by | David Rogers |
Production code | 9022/9023[1] |
Original air date | May 9, 2013[1] |
Running time | 44 minutes |
Guest appearances | |
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"A.A.R.M." is the collective name for the twenty-second and twenty-third episodes of the
The series—
"A.A.R.M." features a dramatic scene in which Jim presents a DVD of the highlights of his relationship with Pam, topped with him finally presenting her with a card he wrote in the
The episode was also viewed by 4.56 million viewers and received a 2.3/6 percent rating among adults between the ages of 18 and 49, ranking third in its timeslot, making it the highest-rated episode of the season since the earlier entry "The Boat". "A.A.R.M." received largely positive reviews from critics. The interaction between Jim, Pam, and Dwight received particular praise; many were particularly pleased with the call-back to "Christmas Party". Andy's audition subplot, however, was highly panned.
Plot
When Darryl runs into
Andy Bernard (Ed Helms), who had quit his job in the previous episode, auditions for America's Next A Cappella Sensation. However, before he is able to try out, the judges close the auditions, sending home the remaining applicants, who have been standing in line for hours. Refusing to accept this, he bolts past security and demands the judges let him audition. When they refuse, he throws a crying tantrum. Later, he journeys to Poor Richard's Pub, where he meets his former office workers and is the tie-breaking vote to turn the TVs to the official airing of their documentary on PBS's Scranton affiliate station, WVIA-TV, rather than college baseball. All together, the office watches the opening of the pilot.
Production
"A.A.R.M." was written by executive producer Brent Forrester, marking his eleventh writing credit for the series, his first since the earlier season episode, "Work Bus".[2][3] It was directed by regular Office editor David Rogers, marking his ninth directing credit, and first since the earlier season episode "Junior Salesman".[3][4] The episode was originally supposed to air as a half-hour episode, but NBC later announced it would be expanded to fill an hour time slot. Unlike the previous episodes that were expanded, like "Moving On" and "Livin' the Dream", "A.A.R.M." counts as two produced episodes.[5]
This episode guest stars Aaron Rodgers, Clay Aiken, Mark McGrath, Santigold, and Jessica St. Clair.[6][7] In order to get them, the show reached out to "a small group of celebrities that [the producers] thought would be good".[8] Both Aiken and Santigold accepted. Baumgartner then asked Rodgers, who was a friend, and he accepted. McGrath later became available, and he was chosen as well.[8] Angela's son, Phillip, was played by twins Vince and Evan Edwards. The child that filmed the scene in which Phillip picked the beet was only supposed to point to the beet. In the end, the child said "beet!", which Rogers called "amazing".[8] The voice of the documentarian that responds to Jim is that of episode director David Rogers. Rogers also voiced the same character in the season opener "New Guys". Originally, showrunner and series creator Greg Daniels had re-recorded the line in "New Guys", but ended up liking Rogers' voice better. He asked him to reprise the role in "A.A.R.M." to preserve continuity.[8]
Jules Kmetzko designed the portraits of Dwight and Mose, as well as Dwight's propaganda picture. He had previously created Pam's watercolor of Dunder Mifflin that hung on the walls. All of the dance moves were choreographed by Mary Ann Kellogg, who had choreographed many of the series' dance-heavy episodes. The obstacle course in the warehouse was crafted by Rogers and Forrester, with input from the show's art department. Wilson also helped, since he eventually was the one who ran through it; it was his idea to have the course terminate on a raised pallet of boxes. Originally, the course was supposed to be in the parking lot, but Rogers moved it, feeling that the warehouse was "more organic" and that the heat would have been detrimental to the finished product.[8] The idea to have Jim finally give Pam his card had been considered in the writers' room for some time, but only during "A.A.R.M." did the writers feel it was the right time. The card and envelope was the same one used for "Christmas Party" almost seven years prior. In fact, the card contained a genuine message that Krasinski wrote for Fischer. Rogers admitted that the Pam and Jim video was inspired by a number of fan videos that exist on the internet. The reason that "Open Your Eyes" by Snow Patrol plays over the video is that Claire Scanlon, the series editor, felt that it was similar in style to "Sing" by Travis, which played in the second season episode "The Client".[8]
The episode contained several scenes that were reminiscent of past episodes of the series. The shot in which Jim and Dwight survey the office was filmed to be similar to a scene that featured Dwight and Michael in the
Cultural references
Jim references both
Reception
Ratings
"A.A.R.M." originally aired on May 9, 2013 on NBC.[6] In its original American broadcast, "A.A.R.M." was viewed by an estimated 4.56 million viewers and received a 2.3 rating/6% share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49.[12] This means that it was seen by 2.3 percent of all 18- to 49-year-olds, and 6 percent of all 18- to 49-year-olds watching television at the time of the broadcast. This marked a significant increase, of almost one million viewers, in the ratings from the previous episode, "Livin' the Dream".[12][13] It was also the most-watched episode of The Office since the earlier ninth season episode "The Boat", which had aired on November 8, 2012 and was watched by 4.83 million viewers.[12][14] The episode ranked third in its half-hour timeslot, being beaten by an episode of the ABC drama Grey's Anatomy which received a 3.1/9 rating and an entry of the CBS series Person of Interest which scored a 2.4/7 rating. The Office was also the highest-rated NBC series of the night.[12]
Reviews
Nick Campbell of TV.com felt that the episode was "a decent if uneven penultimate episode that gave us one last look at this quirky group of people in their office environment". He was largely happy with the return of the fun-loving version of Jim, noting that "Pam mentioned that she loves 'Goofy Jim' and I, [sic] have to admit, I love Goofy Jim myself". Campbell felt that the episode dabbled in fan service, but that it was expected and needed for the show to have a successful ending.[17] Roth Cornet of IGN awarded the episode an 8.5 out of 10, denoting a "great" episode. She wrote that "The interplay between Jim, Dwight, and Pam has been the core of the series since Michael Scott's departure, and it was good to see the trio front and center once again as The Office comes to a close." Furthermore, Cornet was happy with Dwight's proposal and the dance party that signaled Darryl's leaving, calling the latter "a slice of bliss".[10]
Erik Adams of The A.V. Club gave the episode a "B+". He said that "what benefits 'AARM' most ... is a back-to-basics Jim-and-Dwight storyline" that illustrated the growth that the characters have experienced in the last nine years. He wrote that there were many tender moments in the episode, such as Dwight and Jim's confrontation, Pam and Jim's reaffirmation of love, and Dwight's proposal to Angela. He concluded that "It's that blend of new beginnings and closing circles that makes 'AARM' an effective second-to-last chapter of The Office".[11] Dan Forcella of TV Fanatic awarded the episode four-and-a-half stars out of five, and wrote that the episode "didn't disappoint". He called "the scene in which Pam was watching the docu-created montage just as Jim was giving Dwight love advice" the "most emotionally rewarding moment on The Office since Michael Scott's goodbye."[18]
Many critics were extremely pleased with the call back to the teapot and Jim's note from "Christmas Party". Adams felt that the scene, before the reveal of the note, was properly executed, and that the note made it even better.[11] Sepinwall called it "a fabulous payoff for longtime fans".[15] Cornet called the sequence "effective".[10] Rick Porter of Zap2it wrote that it was a "nice move" on the part of the writers for "not letting us know what Jim wrote on the card from 'Christmas Party' [because] it has to be pretty epic."[19]
Conversely, most critics gave Andy's plot a negative review. Sepinwall called the entire plot "godawfulness".[15] Campbell referred to it as "a mediocre story that stood in stark contrast to the emotional timbre of the rest of the episode".[17] Cornet called the scenes "just as disconnected from the core of the show as that character has for some time now."[10] Porter wrote that "the show never quite got a handle on what to do with the character this season", and his subplot in "A.A.R.M." was the culmination of this issue.[19]
References
- ^ a b "Shows A–Z – Office, The on NBC". The Futon Critic. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
- The Office. Season 9. Episode 4. NBC.
- ^ The Office. Season 9. Episode 22/23. NBC.
- ^ Carrie Kemper (writer); David Rogers (director) (January 31, 2013). "Junior Salesman". The Office. Season 9. Episode 13. NBC.
- ^ Tan, Jennie (March 5, 2013). "The Office Season 9 Spoilers and News". OfficeTally. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
- ^ a b c d "The Office: A.A.R.M., 9.22–23". OfficeTally. Retrieved April 21, 2013.
- ^ Buzzmedia. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g Rogers, David (May 14, 2013). "A.A.R.M. Q&A with David Rogers". OfficeTally. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
- ^ a b c d Giant, M. (May 10, 2013). "A.A.R.M." Television Without Pity. NBCUniversal. Archived from the original on March 29, 2014. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
- ^ News Corporation. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
- ^ a b c Adams, Erik (May 9, 2013). "'A.A.R.M.' | The Office | TV Club". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
- ^ a b c d Kondolojy, Amanda (May 10, 2013). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'Big Bang Theory', 'Grey's Anatomy', 'American Idol', 'Vampire Diaries', 'Two and a Half Men', 'Wipeout', & 'Elementary' Adjusted Up; 'Glee' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
- ^ Bibel, Sara (May 3, 2013). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'The Big Bang Theory', 'American Idol', 'The Vampire Diaries', 'Two and a Half Men', 'Grey's Anatomy', 'Glee','Parks and Recreation' & 'Hannibal' Adjusted Up – Ratings | TVbytheNumbers". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 6, 2013. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
- ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (November 9, 2012). "Thursday Final Ratings:'The Big Bang Theory', 'Vampire Diaries' & 'Grey's Anatomy' Adjusted Up, 'The Office', 'Parks & Rec', 'Scandal' & 'Rock Center' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. Archived from the original on November 12, 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
- ^ a b c Sepinwall, Alan (May 9, 2013). "Review: 'The Office' – 'A.A.R.M.': The Teapot Dome Affair". HitFix. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
- ^ Mullins, Jenna (May 10, 2013). "The Office Recap: An Engagement, a Dunder Mifflin Farewell and the Jim-Pam Tribute That Left Us in Tears". E! Online. E!. Retrieved May 11, 2013.
- ^ CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
- ^ Forcella, Dan (May 10, 2013). "The Office Review: Return of the Teapot". TV Fanatic. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
- ^ Tribune Media Services. Archived from the originalon June 6, 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
External links
- "A.A.R.M." at NBC.com
- "A.A.R.M." at IMDb