The Office: Season 6 Episode 18: St. Patty’s Day – TV Review

“The Office” celebrates the greenest of holidays in the aptly titled episode, “St. Patrick’s Day.” Kathy Bates returns as the CEO of Sabre and Michael is taken aback when someone else in the office gets her attention for which he’s been awkwardly vying for. Is Kathy Bates third time on the show a charm? Is this B-List-Holiday special full of Irish laughs and lucky charms? Lets find out shall we?

The Players:

• Director: Randell Einhorn
• Writer: Johnathan Hughes
• Honorable Mentions: Greg Daniels (Developer), Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant (Creators)
• Cast: Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, B.J. Novak, Ed Helms, Melora Hardin, David Denman, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Creed Bratton, Kate Flannery, Mindy Kaling, Ellie Kemper, Angela Kinsey, Paul Lieberstein, Oscar Nuñez, Craig Robinson, Phyllis Smith, Kathy Bates

The Shows Plot:

“The Office” is a mockumentary following the mundane, yet hilarious, lives of employees of the paper company, Dunder-Mifflin, in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Title of this Week’s Episode: “St. Patrick’s Day” Season 6: Episode 18

“St. Patrick’s Day” is meant for celebration and drinking and is, as Michael says, “The closest thing the Irish get to Christmas.”  Unfortunately for most of the office, except Andy and Erin who go home sick for their date, Jo (Kathy Bates) doesn’t want to leave and forces everyone else to stay and “work.”  Meanwhile, Dwight is trying to get Jim to go home to the baby so he can have more time with “Mega Desk:” the combination of his, Jim’s and Pam’s desks.

The Good:

• Dwight: Again, like last week, Dwight (Rainn Wilson) delivers the majority of the laughs. Mega Desk and his addiction to the absurd creation is absolutely hysterical and is likely based on some ridiculous real-life office story.
• Andy and Erin: The romance between Jim and Pam has been married off. Their replacements, Andy and Erin are absolutely perfect, really adorable, and at the same time, quite funny.
• Meredith: It’s so fitting that St. Patrick’s Day (the alcoholic’s favorite holiday) has Meredith so amped. She was hilarious to watch.

The Bad:

• Kathy Bates: Again! It seems like Kathy Bates ruined the perfect chemistry between the cast. It’s pretty ironic that the episode’s plot is centered on the rest of the characters wanting to leave the office but they can’t because Jo refuses to go away. This was Kathy Bates last episode and it would be best if she didn’t return…ever!
• Michael’s storyline: It was more awkward than funny and more boring that anything else. The interaction with Jo was not funny and seemed repetitive. Michael’s an amazing character but when he’s not used properly in an episode everything suffers.

Overall:

“The Office’s” St. Patrick’s Day celebration was anything but celebratory. Instead it was an episode that seemed to drag on forever, like an actual work day. It’s a good thing Bates is leaving because the writers don’t have very many episodes left to turn Season 6 into one that can stand with all of the amazing seasons before it.

Thank goodness for Dwight. Once again, he was the episode’s saving grace. Meredith also deserves an honorable mention because she was also a scene stealer. Had the episode been centered around those two instead of Michael and Jo, it would have been a hysterical half hour. Instead, it was a very unfunny St. Patrick’s Day.

Rating: 4/10