The Office: Season Four Reviews

• Target version with 5th disc Q&A

  
  By A9UH6I9GVQZU2 on 2008-09-02
  Disappointing season compared to 1,3, and especially 2? Probably. Overpriced box set considering the shortened season due to the writer's strike? Definitely. Still one of the best shows on tv and still worth owning? Ye-esh. So should you buy it now or discounted later?
  
  Well, i'm a fan of The Office and have all 4 seasons on dvd(recently addicted so i had to play catch-up). This was a day-1 purchase for me only because i love the show; and because i had a gift card and some discounts coming to me. I bought the special edition at Target with the bonus 5th disc being The Office Q&A convention in Scranton, PA with the supporting cast. If you don't know what to expect(i didn't), above all else don't expect professionalism or anything fancy. The convention looked huge and was packed with Office fans! The camera-work had a very "we coulda done this with a camcorder"-look to it. It has the standard host/audience's questions format. It lasts about an hour and is fun if you're a die-hard fan. However, i thought it was going to be the support cast for 30 minutes, then the main stars for 30. But Steve, Rainn, John, Jenna, and B.J.(he's in the writer's convention extra though) NEVER appear. Oh well.
  
  As for the other discs, haven't gone through it all yet(episodes or extras-bloopers, deleted scenes, etc) but i was disappointed to see there appears to be only 4 audio commentaries. Now, with a shortened season(which is not their fault) i would think they would try to put as many extras as possible to help make up for it. And with such a large and great ensemble cast, they have plenty of people to choose from to help do this. Yet only 4 commentaries? I only nit-pick about this cause i love the commentaries with the cast and crew and find them(& the deleted scenes) as enjoyable as the shows themselves.
  
  The bonus script is, uh, nice. But you're gonna have to put it in with the dvd's everytime or the outer casing will be too big/loose(you'll see what i mean). The Office sticky notes bonus are also included(yay?). All in one big box for $37 this week at Target. The standard version is on sale for $30 this week minus the big box, 5th disc, and notes. I think Best Buy has their spec.ed., but that comes with a t-shirt/water bottle combo(?).
  
  Anyway, i hope this helps a little as to whether you want to fork over for the Target 'deluxe' edition or not. Honestly, after all my credits, i only paid $26 for mine but still feel slighltly jipped on the commentaries and no Michael, Dwight, Jim, Pam, Ryan, or Toby at the convention(but that might be my fault as i didn't research who was included). Overall 4 stars for dvd set, minus one for price and lack of extra extras to make up for shortened season. Having said all that, i'm gonna hang on to my copy and watch it over and over again, but i'm biased that way. And before you reach for that not-helpful button... FACT: my preview is still better than most reviews like "office rox", "office sux", "my shipment hasn't arrived".
  
  (edit: besides the (great)deleted scenes for each episode and 4 commentaries, the other two standard major extras of note are the bloopers which run about 22 minutes and the The Office "Writer's Block" Convention which runs about 52 minutes. Greg Daniels, Jen Celotta, Mike Schur, Mindy Kaling, BJ Novak, and Eisenberg & Stupnitsky are notables there, but still no Paul Lieberstein)
  
  

• A truncated, but great season

  
  By A145B8OHVNNFAJ on 2008-06-25
  It's that time of year again - a magical time when television studios release their most successful shows from the previous season in deluxe and frequently expensive DVD sets. But this last seasons was, of course, different. The writers strike cut the season down to 16 episodes and, as expected, many are starting to complain that the price hasn't been discounted. Paying the same price for less product does seem unfair. That is, to everyone but the media industry. As for me, I'm not surprised in the slightest. I expect to be exploited by the media - it's nothing new. The real question is, with all Office season four episodes already available on NBC's website, will people feel cheated enough to forgo this collection altogether?
  
  Season four seemed like something of a departure from the usual style. Earlier seasons featured many episodes with a more-or-less self-contained story that came to some sort of resolution within 21 minutes. Season four seemed to be mainly episodes dealing with larger story arcs. Yeah, there were always little stories going on (e.g. they lose their parking lot, etc.) but they now feel firmly in the background, totally dominated by the more personal stories going on.
  
  I'm not sure how I feel about this. In one sense, I'm happy that the Office is flourishing and moving beyond a simple (but awesome) comedy show. At the same time, I sometimes miss the lighthearted format of the earlier seasons. It's definitely a matter of personal preference.
  
  Regardless, it's definitely a strong season and it's essential viewing for fans of the series because of all the major plot developments. For those who are considering skipping the season on DVD, I would argue that the bonus features make it worth the extra money. You get plenty of deleted scenes, commentaries, and all that good stuff. Sure, you could watch them online for free, but then you have to use NBC's less-than-stellar video player and you still have to watch advertisements.
  
  

• Send a message - don't buy it

  
  By A22526TTO568TH on 2008-07-05
  The Office is a terrific show. Many folks, including myself, would consider it one of the best of this decade.
  
  No doubt that NBC took a bath this past television season when the writers struck and season series' were truncated. So there is also no doubt that NBC has big plans to recover some of these losses from us by selling less product for full price. I am a good capitalist, and I do not question their right to do so; but the consumers also have a right (obligation?) to send a message to NBC that we are not going to take it.
  
  I am overseas military, and for a lot of reasons, I have little opportunity to watch television. Accordingly, I have only seen 2 or 3 episodes from season 4. Watching a DVD here and there on my schedule is the only way I get to watch the few shows worth watching. Nevertheless, I will forego buying this set, at least until the price is fair.
  
  If we all buy this now, like the good little sheep NBC wants us to be, you will see the same thing for other short seasons, and the studios will continue to take advantage. Wait them out, if sales are poor, the price will eventually drop.
  
  

• Too expensive

  
  By A1Q83XZB9603T0 on 2008-07-01
  The Office is a great show, but there is no way I am paying full price for a season cut short by that joke of a strike.
  
  

• Bend Over

  
  By A19H7LXAZUE8QE on 2008-07-06
  $32 for 14 episodes? That, plus the fact that this wasn't their best season means it's something of a ripoff. Based on what a "full" season set costs, Season Four should be closer to $22. I'll not buy it until I see it in the discount rack.
  
  
• Another brilliant season for one of TV's most intelligent comedies
  By A16QODENBJVUI1 on 2008-06-15
  My love for THE OFFICE is definite but complex. There are funnier shows (for instance, 30 ROCK), but few comedies are more rewarding. I've long argued that while nothing in the NBC version of THE OFFICE is as brilliant as the absolutely transcendent performance by Ricky Gervais in the BBC original, the NBC series is superior simply because of the way that we have gotten to know the entire group of characters in the Dunder Mifflin Scranton office. Although Steve Carrell is brilliant, the greater virtues of the show lie with the wonderful collection of workers we've gotten to know. Due to this, the NBC version of the show has a depth that the BBC original could never hope to achieve.
  
  I love that in Season Four the producers and writers of THE OFFICE tried taking the show in new and challenging directions. First and foremost, they attempted to negotiate the most difficult obstacle in all of television: how to keep things interesting once you get the show's main romantic couple together. While the dynamics of each episode is always primarily driven by the antics of Steve Carrell's Michael Scott, the emotional center of the show has always lain with the deep attraction between Pamela Beesley and Jim Halpert. But ever since the ratings collapse of MOONLIGHTING after David and Maddie ceased chasing each other and ended up sleeping with one another, virtually every show has striven to keep lovers apart, rather than exploring their relationship together. (Shows that started off with couples together are a different matter. Eric and Tami Taylor on FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS have a completely different romantic dynamic than Pam and Jim.) In Season Two we all knew how deeply Jim and Pam were attracted to one another, even though she was engaged to Roy. In Season Three Pam was free, but Jim was emotionally distant after she rejected him in the Season Two finale. The Season Three finale, however, saw Jim asking Pam out on a date to end the season. Season Four begins with them a happy couple, a status that they maintain for the entire season, much to Toby's regret. But the amazing thing is that the writers managed to keep it fun. The season ended with Jim making elaborate plans to propose to Pam, plans that were dashed when the oafish Andy proposed to Angela at the precise moment Jim was about to pop the question to Pam (Angela's reply -- "OK. Just OK." -- was one of the funniest lines of the season).
  
  Although romance blossomed for Pam and Jim, Angela and Dwight ended their secret office romance after he euthanized her cat by placing it in her freezer. Her involvement with Andy was one of the least passionate romances in TV history. (The "OK" reply pretty much summarized it, Angela refusing to give the more positive "Yes" reply to Andy's proposal.) Personally, I found the Michael/Jan relationship to be intensely unpleasant to witness. I'm not a sadistic person and I don't really enjoy seeing it on display in a relationship.
  
  One interesting decision that they producers made concerned Angela Kinsey's real-life pregnancy. I'm sure it had to be a momentary temptation to have her pregnant by Dwight, but in the end they decided not to work her pregnancy into the story. The season's final episodes were filmed shortly before Angela gave birth. Most of her scenes were shot with her standing behind chest high barriers or sitting so that her torso was largely hidden.
  
  On another real life note, it was good to see Jenna Fischer moving around without too much difficulty early in the season. In the June 2007 Up Fronts in New York, she took a nasty spill down a staircase, breaking several discs in her back. Sadly it appears to have been a very painful injury, but luckily one that did not result in any nerve damage.
  
  I've told many friends that I believe that the 2008-2009 television season could well be the finest in TV history. This is partly because so many great series that are at their peak are returning (series like PUSHING DAISIES, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, DEXTER, LOST, 30 ROCK, 24, ELI STONE, and THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES), partly because one truly great series is wrapping up (BATTLESTAR GALACTICA), and some potentially great new series are debuting (mainly DOLLHOUSE, but also THE FRINGE). And part of this is because THE OFFICE, I'm confident, will continue to be one of the most interesting shows on television. It is going to be a very, very good year.
  
  
• Why It Costs So Much
  By A11QNPD03C2L9Y on 2008-07-13
  This was a great season, and I see a lot of complaints about this kind of price for such a short season. There's a reason: MANY of these episodes were a FULL HOUR, as opposed to other seasons where almost all episodes were a half hour. Compare the full running time of this set to seasons 2 and 3 and you'll see it costs less, even though it's only a bit shorter in overall length.
  
  
• Special Features
  By A1AJVK8BZKQY3K on 2008-06-11
  Special features for anyone interested:
  
  133 minutes of deleted scenes.
  4 commentaries.
  22:38 blooper reel.
  53-minute Writers' Block panel from The Office convention held in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
  A few shorter things like the 23-second faux "The More You Know" PSA about rabies.
  
  
  
• put the office back in the office
  By AL5KTCENAPHSK on 2008-08-15
  Season 4 got weird for me. In part it was the network week after week giving a one hour slot to a series that has always thrived on the short and sweet 22 minute format. The hour long episodes all felt by turns bloated with unnecessary silliness (as opposed to the usual necessary kind) or just stretched too thin. Then of course the second half of the season felt like a mad dash to get somewhere after the writer's strike. But what has really been lost for me is the importance of the setting. The best episodes of "The Office" take place in the office. Pretty much all of season 2 happened right there. The setting is crucial, and yet seasons 3 and 4 wander farther and farther away. An episode like "Phyllis' Wedding" (season 3) is special, and it should feel special, like a refreshing fieldtrip, and a chance for Michael to make a fool of himself in front of new and greater numbers of people, but it gets lost in a series of changing settings. This show is not called "The Beet Farm" or "Times Square" or "The Condo"; part of what is great, even essential, about The Office is the slightly claustrophobic, fluorescent-lit familiarity of the office itself.
  
  
• You gotta be joking
  By AX9KRG5HVW8CX on 2008-07-23
  I love every episode of this show but having to pay full price for a shortened season is a joke. When they wise up and lower the price to a reasonable number i'll buy it but not till then.
  
  
• Great Show! HORRIBLE Price! Don't buy yet! Here's why....
  By A2IFUYQJJE09D on 2008-08-30
  I love the Office. It is a great show but do not buy this season at this price. It is ridiculous to pay this much for HALF of a season basically. You aren't getting your money's worth and if NBC sees big profits from this it will encourage them to get away with it in the future. Wait until it goes down in price and then purchase. Don't do it for me do it for yourself so you save money down the road.
  
  
• Less content - less extras - weak season = do not buy
  By A1DIXEWUZIMC62 on 2008-09-02
  Season Four of this once-hilarious series trumpeted its death knell by jumping the shark...several times. Two of these moments came from Michal Scott and Jim/Pam.
  
  Michael Scott, once a naive, crass, yet stangely sympathetic character was turned into a cartoon simpleton, going as far as to kidnap a pizza delivery boy. I won't even mention his idiocy in driving a car into a lake.
  
  Jim and Pam at one time represented to heart of this show, two star-crossed people who found the humanity in each other and overyone else working in this strange reality. However, once we arrived at the season finale we have Jim's pentultimate moment with Pam ripped away by the Ol Bait and Switch. My tenuous hold on my favorite series was broken by whatever writer thought a season finale should end on the 'fake proposal' cliffhanger. From watching John and Jenna say so much without saying a word in Booze Cruise morphing into what they are now is just sad. Oh how the mighty has fallen.
  
  As far as the dvd set goes, paying over 30 dollars for a strike-shortened season with less extras than ever is just plain robbery NBC. You should be ashamed. You reward the viewers who stuck with you during the entire strike only to gouge them at the cash register.
  
  Oh and Mr. Krasinksi, you should really try to make the time to show some love to the fans instead of blowing off the commentaries. I've seen you in a couple of movies, and your bread and butter is this show trust me.
  
  
  
  
• Another hilarious season for the gang in Scranton
  By A1DQZBHEU98PBT on 2008-07-10
  Season 4 of The Office may have been a short one, but it was memorable and funny. Like many shows it did suffer a bit from the writers strike, but I still feel this season was up to par with the several that came before it. Bored, stressed, bummed out? Pop on an episode of The Office!
  
  I just want to make a comment on the cost of this DVD set. I feel that the review section is not for the COST, but for the show, the season etc. So, that being said, if you feel the cost is too high, don't buy it. Or buy it somewhere else. I personally buy most DVDs on sale in the store when they first come out, it's the best bang for your buck. With that out of the way, season 4 was a good one. The writers and cast kept up in their stride. We got to finally see the evolution of Jim & Pam, Michael and Jan made for interesting fodder, I am beginnning to love the character of Andy and his running argument with Dwight. And Ryan.......all in all great season!!
  
  No matter how you catch it, watch this season. Rent it, buy it, borrow from a friend. It's worth it and it has some fun and interesting storylines you can't miss! Kudos to the cast and writers, keep up the good work!
  
  
• GO BACK TO iTUNES...
  By A30DU22RPZD7Z0 on 2007-11-10
  brilliant show and my favorite on tv, season 4 is terrific as well. BUT, NBC needs to go back to iTunes; its had to have lost money; wanting to charge so much for an episode 4.99? its not fair when NBC leaves iTunes for this idiotic service. its not even compatible with mac, or I would purchase it. instead, i may do like many others and illegally download it. thanks but no thanks.
  
  
• Awesome show -- hope season 4 comes to Mac soon.
  By A26OH6YGGG19VG on 2007-12-22
  This is also my favorite show.
  
  I would just like to echo some of the other posters, and vote for the support of the Mac too.
  
  iTunes, supports windows users by the way.
  
  I think if this show can't be directly on iTunes Music Store, it could certainly be downloadable in a mac friendly format -- while preserving the publisher's copyrights. Or why can't amazon software developers create a software for Mac users to view them?
  
  Amazon is usually very leading edge store -- and my favorite place to shop bar none. I really hope they make their video downloads available for Mac soon.
  
  Just wanted to get my voice heard.
  
  
• A little different from the seasons before
  By A17K3INE1AJMT3 on 2008-08-25
  I am a ruthless Office junky. I'm the geek with the ring tone on my cell. I have a Dwight T-shirt.
  
  The reason I share this is so that you know I say the following in love: This wasn't the best season. It was good, but not great. I'm not sure if its because Pam and Jim are finally together or because of the fact the light heartedness has faded a bit but somewhere the show changed. Of course, that happens with any show thats on for longer than 2 seasons.
  
  I would imagine they couldn't keep dragging up the same type of jokes forever. I get that. However, once and awhile going back to some of the original material would be great. What I loved about this show was that I could identify with it. I still can but not as much.
  
  The dinner party episode was amazing and there were a few others that were good but the amount of change that was squeezed into a season got to be overwhelming. Jan and Michael break up, Dwight and Angela break up, Ryan is the new boss and then has his own "personal" issues and the list continues.
  
  Still an above average show and still fun to watch in my opinion. The plus side is this would be a great season to watch and get kind of "caught up" if you are just starting to watch The Office.
  
  
• Awesome service and quality
  By A1C7DTTCSMHPUQ on 2008-04-24
  Amazon Unbox rocks!! Do not listen to a bunch of mad mac fans. Mac sucks and that is why nothing supports it. The Unbox service is easy to use, easy to download, and you get your episodes a day after they air! I am very happy with it. If a mac user is waiting for it to go to iTunes, forget it! Mac messed up again and thought their service was going to be the only one on the block. Now I can buy .mp3 songs (unprotected) and video files with being stuck with crapmac software. By the way if you buy a song on itunes it is in .mp4 format and can ONLY be used with crapmac software. So who is Propriety? Unbox 5 stars itunes 0 stars period!
  
  
• Forget about smart comedy
  By AF0EEJARLFZAY on 2008-08-06
  Season 4 is the series furthest departure thus far from what makes The Office incredible: smart, quick-witted, dead-pan humor. In Season 2, watching The Office was a lot like working in an office; you get to know people at work and learn a little bit about their personal lives, but essentially it's about life at work. Season 3 began the departure from what had been a mostly clean (save, of course, "That's what she said") comedy series of mostly flat characters and Season 4 continues rounding out characters so that the show now has less to do with The Office and more to do with personal issues, love triangles and "big" issues. Jan's character, once a great counterpoint to Michael, has become more of a distraction to the show than anything and Toby's departure marks the end of one of the most dynamic back-and-forth relationships to live on screen.
  
  I hate to say it but what was the smartest comedy on television is turning into just another slapstick comedy show, and while I'll no doubt keep watching it because I'm engrossed by some of the characters, I'm not sure it's the type of show worth scheduling my Thursday nights around. Office meet DVR; DVR meet The Office.
  
  Chances are good I'll still buy this season.
  
  
• Over 200 minutes shorter than season 3 for the same price.
  By A1V95FVM1YXG4C on 2008-09-02
  Season 4 was great; though not as funny as other seasons. I guess everything goes down hill after a while. Anyway, I have bought the past 3 seasons the first day they were available on DVD. I will not be buying this one for a while. I would buy it for 19.99-24.99 but nothing over that. It is not even a full season even with the episodes that are around 40 minutes. According to the Walmart web site it is only 2/3 as long as season 3. Ridiculous Season 4 = 320 min. while season 3 = over 560 min. I'll just buy it used later on.
  
  
• Is this even the same show??
  By A1ZHEA88IV606I on 2008-09-04
  I can't believe I am watching the same actors all together with "The Office" on the cover of this dvd set. Was this season written by different writers entirely? Wow. So bad. I am VERY disappointed. I've been looking forward to the release so I could watch this season. I am a huge fan and watched all 3 previous seasons over the weekend before recieving this set. It's awful. Seriously awful. Save your money.
  
  
• Best TV show in a long time...
  By ATOGBYHTPNPMZ on 2008-05-12
  This show is witty, clever and comical at the same time. I watched the first season on a suggestion from a friend, and didn't know what I thought. After getting into it and watching every episode after that, I began to love the style and approach. The character and plot development are outstanding! You will quickly grow attached to the characters and their stories... even the challenging times are engaging. I would recommend this show for anyone who enjoys a good laugh, but still wants a story that inspire thought and emotion.
  
  A great show to which almost anyone can relate.
  
  
• Why can't I get this overseas?
  By A1I3J5OVQEI8TW on 2008-05-21
  The Office is one of my all time favorites. I have to give the Unabox, download version one star, because I can't download it. I work for the army overseas. I used to be able to get my favorite show from iTunes and other download services, but now I can't for some reason. Why is this. I have one question for Amazon and NBC. Why do you hate the troops?
  
  
• The Office Is Amazing
  By A26G1TZQBYLSPD on 2008-05-22
  The Office is one of my fav shows, my problem is that I don't have a tivo and your software does not support Mac OSX... You being Amazon just lost a sell tonight, I was going to buy the season 3 & 4. That is not a good way to do business Amazon.
  
  
• Mixed Feelings about Quality and Price
  By A1J6IAENEKBLWV on 2008-07-20
  Season Four was easily the weakest of the seasons so far. Since when did seeing a friend descend into drug use become funny? Or since when did we start watching a show about mentally insane couples (ie, Dinner Party)? The show was grabbing at smoke for half the season, and for the first time I actually watched entire episodes without laughing once. That being said, some of the episodes were genius, particularly the finale. What a way to end the season, and I'm not talking about the stupid shocker at the end, or postponing the engagement (who even cares about that anyway), I mean Holly and Michael. Brilliant!
  While there are total waste episodes: Fun Run, Launch Party, Chair Model, Night Out. This also has gems like Money, Survivor Man, and The Deposition.
  About the price, it should be lower. They made 14 episodes, 5 of them were
  40 minutes long, which equates to about 19 normal episodes. Season 2 only had 22 episodes, with one super-sized episode (27 minutes). I'd say it should be going for around 25 bucks, especially since there's only a few episodes with commentary compared to the 12 or so they did in season 2. Buy it or don't, it's your call, but don't tell people not to discuss the price on Amazon, that has a much a place here as anything else.
  
  
• Awesome season and great price!!!
  By AY117OHBED2TN on 2008-07-24
  Season 4 of The Office was fantastic. People who are complaining about the price need to get a grip. Here's a season price comparison
  
  Season 1 Price: $22.99
  Season 1 Episodes: 6
  Season 1 price/episode: $3.83
  
  Season 2 Price: $38.99
  Season 2 Episodes: 22
  Season 2 price/episode: $1.77
  
  Season 3 Price: $36.99
  Season 3 Episodes: 22
  Season 3 price/episode: $1.68
  
  Season 4 Price: $31.99
  Season 4 Episodes: 14
  Season 4 price/episode: $2.29
  
  Considering season 1's price, season 4 really isn't that bad.
  
  
• 5 stars for the show, 0 for the DVD Set
  By A1P8U9DXXW614T on 2008-09-03
  How can they expect to sell this as a full season DVD? I agree with the others who are not willing to pay regular price for this! It's insane how they are trying to take our hard earned money. They are making us pay for the strike, well I say NO!
  
  
• A Tale of Two Half Seasons
  By APDCEVMYT35CK on 2008-06-23
  This really was, as my title says, a tale of two half seasons. I break it down into The Office Season 4 Pre-Strike and The Office Season 4 Post-Strike. Pre-Strike, the season was really off to a terrific start and was giving us what we can expect, however, the strike hit and we were left without The Office for a long period of time. Needless to say, the post-strike was way to rushed and it just seemed like the writers were trying to imitate themselves by adding certain dialogue or doing certain things. I don't know, I found that I enjoyed like 2 episodes in the post strike half season. The pre-strike was awesome, but post was not that great. I will still buy it because I have the first three seasons and lets face it, I need to keep the collection going, but this was really a low point for the show as we got some of the worst episodes since the 1st season. But the light at the end of the tunnel is that the season finale was giving us a glimpse of things to come. Michael's future with Jan, Jim and Pam's love connection and of course the Newest love triangle, Angela, Dwight and Andy. I am looking forward to this new season, because what kind of fan would I be if I just gave up after one subpar season?
  
  
• Great season but...
  By AKAVQFZN8OQ97 on 2008-07-26
  I love the Office more than most shows on tv today however, why does NBC feel the need to charge so much for a season that was half as long because of the writer'strike? I understand that there are probably tons of extras but this is an insane price. They need to read these reviews and realize many other fans feel the same way and cut the price down a bit.
  
  
• Great show and good service
  By A4491V2E2GWUD on 2007-12-24
  We're fans of the show and have had absolutely no problems in downloading it from Amazon. The video quality has been excellent.
  
  
• superb on Tivo
  By A1KSGT9TIMNS74 on 2007-12-27
  This is a great show, well worth the price. I've had no problems with downloading this and other video content to my Tivo. I'm looking forward to the day that Unbox offers an even larger selection of movies and shows.
  
  

• The Office - Season Three
• The Office - Season Two
• The Office - Season One
• 30 Rock: Season 2
• Heroes: Season 2