lostandfound

Warning: I'm a diehard fan of the first three seasons and more of an ambivalent, still love the show but less so viewer since then, but I'm recently in an obsessively pro-SPN phase and couldn't resist trying to challenge myself with these lists! Favorite male character: Sam. No, Dean. Or maybe Sam. Seriously, I can't pick! As far as minor characters go: Hendrikson, Gordon, Crowley Least favorite male character: Probably various angels and demons whose names I can't even remember :) Favorite female character: Jody, Ava, Bela, Ellen Least favorite female character: Amelia Favorite episode: Literally about 95% of S1-S3! In general, I prefer the slightly funnier, lighter or case of the week episodes to the more angsty, serious myth arc ones Favorite season: In order - 2, 3, 1, 7, 6, 5, 4, 10, 8, 9 (I haven't watched enough past S10!) Favorite premiere: I'll always hav a soft spot for the pilot Least favorite premiere: S9's Favorite season finale: S2's What would you all name as the funniest episodes?

3

3

I've always thought of this show as one of my favorites, but after rewatching I realized that it might be my very favorite! It's just so beautiful, aesthetically and otherwise. So warmhearted and life-affirming but with just enough snark, clever cynicism (and murder) to keep it from being too syrupy. I was in the camp who didn't connect with Chuck initially, but now I love her. I can't pinpoint what changed, but I just started seeing her as this lonely, academic but emotionally naive woman who had missed out on life the first time around and was determined to compensate for that this time around, and I saw some of her pushiness as desperation to be a part of things and her cheerfulness as a way of covering up her insecurity. I don't now, she just suddenly started working for me as a character, but then I'm always predisposed to like characters who read a lot of books :-) I used to think of her and Ned as this artifical, idealized sort of love, and in some ways it was, but I also think we saw them start to know - and still love - who they are now as adults. And I still love Olive, but I always end up wishing she'd gotten over Ned a lot earlier and spent most of the series with Alfredo. Emerson is just the best, such a joy to watch and the source of so much of the show's best humor. I love the mysteries, how many of the characters have so many personal and psychological problems but are able to find a little hapiness anyway, and how the show celebrates life while reminding us we're always in the midst of death. And as much as I like the dialogue, I just love looking at this show so much that I agree with people who have said it's the only TV series they could enjoy almost as much with the mute button on the entire time! Now I'm off to write down ideas for a PD fanfic that I will probably never actually finish :)

3

3

There's just something about Jim and Pam that's a perennial "best" for me. I've read critiques about how they became dull and smug, how neither had enough real interests, goals or friends outside of each other, how they were too codependent, how they and Jim in particular are actually jerks who get off on feeling superior to the rest of the office and how the pranks and mocking cross the line from playfulness into sincere meanness. And all of that is probably true! I just know that when I watch the first half of the series, they still get to me like no other TV couple. It's not just that I love them, it's how I can almost feel their love for each other. Like someone else said, they melt my cynical heart and have me believing in soulmates and wanting to pen uncharacteristically sappy fanfics. ;-) Somehow the fact that they don't have fulfilling careers or a whole lot going on other than each other makes them more poignant to me. Certainly less healthy and ideal like Leslie and Ben on Parks, who have nearly perfect lives both personally and professionally, but the pathos of Jim and Pam's lives is part of why I connect with them and the show. They don't have much else other than their connection with each other (and kids, once they have them), and usually, though not always, that's enough for them - or at least they've convinced themselves and each other it is. Parks and Leslie/Ben are terrific and relationship 'goals', but Parks also had a sort of everybody always wins in every area of their lives! thing going that makes it one of the sweetest and most affirming shows ever but not as personally relatable, thought provoking or touching to me as The Office as a show and Jim/Pam as a couple. I apologize for the rambling, but I'm re-watching S1-S5 yet again and am bursting with all these strong feelings that my less TV-obsessed friends are unlikely to understand as well as you guys :) Season order: 2, 4, 5, 1, 3, 7, 6, 9, 8 3 is truly excellent television, and I love it more than the above list will make it seem, but I just feel more attached to the other seasons, and the episodes where Jim is in Scranton give the season a disjointed feel to me. Favoite romantic relationship other than Jim and Pam: Michael/Holly. I really love them and how Michael's love for Holly inspired and demonstrated his growth as a person. Ryan and Kelly really entertain me even though I know they're a mess! Dwight/Angela have some hilarious and interesting scenes, but I don't love them as much as many others do. Favorite episodes: I really did try to answer this one, but I can't narrow it down to fewer than about 40! Nearly all of my favorites come from the first five seasons, especially 2 and 4, along with a couple that I really love from 7 and the series finale. Pam is a best for me too. Like others have said, she's not plucky, spunky and vibrant in the way we're used to seeing from a lot of main characters. She's passive and sometimes passive-aggressive too, and I can see why she would frustrate some viewers. Her strengths and weaknesses just happen to be ones that I connect and relate to so much. I feel like Jenna Fischer played her as having very intense emotions underneath the surface, and it was so great for me to see a real introvert on TV. What would you all pick as the best and worst episodes from each season?

3, 22

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16 and 22

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I think some of you did this upthread, but we've had more episodes since then, so which five episodes would you pick as your favorites so far?How would you rate the four seasons from best to worst, at least based on what we've seen of the fourth? And if you had to pick just three favorite characters? I think maybe I would go 3,1, 4 and 2, but it's close. My three favorites are Amy, Jake and Holt, but it really hurts to leave off Boyle, and I became more and more fond of Rosa as the series went on. And I don't know the episode titles yet, but I'm going to spend/waste time this morning studying them and picking out my favorit episodes because have I mentioned I am obsessed with this show? :-)

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