Rabies is Real: A Rundown on the "The Office" Season Opener

I'm not entirely sure how I felt about last night's season opener of The Office ("Fun Run"). I really did like the first half-hour but felt that the hour-long format really does not suit this series, which definitely dragged in the second half despite a promising start. I do think that the episode--written and directed by showrunner Greg Daniels--would have been a hell of a lot funnier had it been a standard 30 minute episode (well 20 mins after commercials) rather than a woefully padded hour.

So what was last night's episode about in a nutshell? Michael inadvertently runs down Meredith in the Dunder-Mifflin parking lot, putting her in the hospital for a cracked pelvis; unable to accept that she won't forgive him, Michael later learns that because of her stay, the doctors found that Meredith had rabies. Michael then launches a charity 5K fun run in order to raise awareness for this "silent killer" and forces the employees to participate. Pam catches Michael naked in his office; Dwight euthanizes Angela's beloved cat Sprinkles. And so on.

One factoid from last night's installment: the doctor who tells Meredith she has rabies was played by Office writer Justin Spitzer (who wrote last season's "Product Recall" and "Back from Vacation"). Teehee.

Jim and Pam. Remembering my Office Season Four Wish, I'm happy to see that Jim and Pam are a couple but that their romantic situation isn't completely overtaking the plot. After all, their secret romance was hardly the focal point for the season premiere but a delicious subplot that was characteristically low-key. I loved the little hand-hold on the 5K run, their furtive rendezvous around the corner from the office, and the way that they both shifted so uncomfortably when shown the evidence by the camera crew. Happy that it was Pam who revealed their dating status to the documentarians, rather than Jim. Could it be our little Pam is finally happy and secure in her relationship? It certainly appears that way from her new wardrobe and the fact that she's finally literally let down her hair.

Michael. More grounded than he was in some of his over-the-top moments from last season, he nonetheless brought some serious funny, whether it was getting naked in his office, pantsing Toby right before the fun run, or eating an enormous plate of fettucine alfredo in order to carbo-load before the race. Still, I could have done without the vomiting scene altogether.

Meredith. I can't tell you how pleased I was to see Meredith (Kate Flannery) finally have something to do besides be the office alcoholic. It was fantastic to give her an actual storyline that impacted the rest of the office while not, you know, killing her off (I was a tad worried). I thought the scene in which Michael plows her down was remarkably done and looked completely real. (My jaw was on the ground.) Kudos also for the closing scene in which Michael nearly shares a moment with his injured employee. Almost.

Karen. I miss you already, Filippelli. I'm glad that the writers brought her back for a scene to wrap things up (but didn't force us to listen to the gruesome scene between her and Jim), but I already miss her sarcastic-yet-glowingly happy vibe. And it was rather sad to see her desk all vacant and empty already. Sure, I don't know what they'd do with Karen now that Jim and Pam are officially dating (and Rashida Jones has been cast in FOX midseason comedy Unhitched), but I kinda wanted to keep her around. Sniffle.

Angela and Dwight. Trouble in paradise after Dwight kills his beloved Monkey's, well, beloved cat Sprinkles. While it does seem as though Dwight had the very best of intentions (putting a wounded animal down), stuffing your girlfriend's cat in the freezer doesn't exactly scream true love. Or sanity. Poor Angela is hopelessly mired in grief and something tells me that she's not going to be forgiving Dwight any time soon. I was very surprised by how absolutely gorgeous Angela looked on last night's installment (lots of see-through fabrics, even on her mourning wear), which leads me to believe that this prim and proper conservative might be coming out of her shell a little bit. Interesting...

Jan. Glad to see she's still in the mix and is continuing the shame spiral that is her relationship with Michael. Loved the opening scene with her passed out on the bed and her warning to Pam (after catching Michael naked in his office) to stay away from her man. Jan's turned into a deliciously loopy character and I am very curious to see where they take her. Hmm, could she be replacing Karen as a salesperson at Dunder-Mifflin Scranton?

Andy. I can't let this review end without mentioning the nipple-chafing incident. From the scene in which Andy taped his nipples to the groan-inducing scene of the, er, bleeding, it was a surreal and hysterical subplot that perfectly suited Ed Helms' comedic timing. Not to mention awesomely grotesque.

What did you think of last night's season premiere and the one-hour format? What worked and what didn't? And where, oh where, do you hope they go from here?

Next week on The Office ("Dunder-Mifflin Infinity"), Ryan, newly promoted to corporate, returns to the Scranton branch to bring it into the digital age, while Angela is still distraught over the untimely death of her beloved Sprinkles.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Ghost Whisperer (CBS); Deal or No Deal (NBC); Friday Night SmackDown (CW; 8-10 pm); Just for Laughs/Just for Laughs (ABC); Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? (FOX)

9 pm: Moonlight (CBS); Las Vegas (NBC; 9-11 pm); 20/20 (ABC); Nashville (FOX)

10 pm: NUMB3RS (CBS); 20/20 (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: Doctor Who on Sci Fi.

This week on Doctor Who ("The Sound of Drums"), The Doctor, Martha, and Captain Jack Harkness return to England just as the Master (John Simms) travels through time to assume his post as Prime Minister Harold Saxon (gasp!) and announces first contact with an alien race. Part One of the two-part season finale.