Best episode EVER! Jim and Pam...sigh. My husband loves Dwight, and although Dwight is probably the most hilarious character on the show, as a woman I'm sappily caught up with Jim and Pam and their unspoken romance. I thought I was going to be cheated after Jim confessed his love for Pam and she walked away, seeming to be upset about it. But then of course, he redeemed himself by following her into the office where she was possibly confessing to her mother that she loved Jim back, and then just kissing her. Most romantic moment in television in a long time, if you ask me! I can not WAIT until next season to find out what happens between them. I pray for her to dump Roy and get with Jim.
21 Reviews
Season Two
zkonedog5 July 2019
The first "season" (six episodes) of The Office was little more than a sort of "trial run" to see whether or not the British sensation would catch on with an American audience. Once it proved that it could be hilarious, however, this second season cemented the show as one of the funniest (and most touching) comedies of all time.
The biggest, most interesting, and most dramatic theme of the second season is the relationship between Pam Beasley (Jenna Fischer) and Jim Halpert (John Krasinski). On one hand, you will laugh along with them as they make fun of boss Michael Scott (Steve Carell), play pranks on office suck-up Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson), and make the boring Scranton branch of the Dunder-Mifflin paper supply company as fun as possible in their own little discreet way. Besides the comedy, though, you will also be touched by the genuineness of their casual flirtings/friendship despite the fact that anything more just doesn't seem destined to be. For a comedy, the writers do a remarkable job of making you care about both Jim and Pam, as (at least in this season of the show) they really are the backbone of the whole experience.
Lest we forget the comedic genius of Carell as Michael Scott, though, this season also sees his character grow in new and always hilarious ways. His "relationship" with boss Jan provides plenty of opportunities for hilarity, as do company work days devoted to such topics as diversity and sexual harassment. Michael always seems to come through with the best possible line in the worst possible situation, and that is what makes him so hilarious.
Finally, again building off of the success of the first six episodes, I continued to be impressed by the ability of the writers/creators to keep the plots and relationships moving forward from episode to episode. While many half-hour comedies stagnate and let their protagonists fall into the same routine and same old jokes every week, The Office advances the formula in order to keep things fresh.
Thus, if you in any way, shape, or form enjoyed the first season of "The Office", this second installment will not disappoint you whatsoever, as it continues to both tickle the funny bone and pull at the heartstrings...often at the same time!
The biggest, most interesting, and most dramatic theme of the second season is the relationship between Pam Beasley (Jenna Fischer) and Jim Halpert (John Krasinski). On one hand, you will laugh along with them as they make fun of boss Michael Scott (Steve Carell), play pranks on office suck-up Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson), and make the boring Scranton branch of the Dunder-Mifflin paper supply company as fun as possible in their own little discreet way. Besides the comedy, though, you will also be touched by the genuineness of their casual flirtings/friendship despite the fact that anything more just doesn't seem destined to be. For a comedy, the writers do a remarkable job of making you care about both Jim and Pam, as (at least in this season of the show) they really are the backbone of the whole experience.
Lest we forget the comedic genius of Carell as Michael Scott, though, this season also sees his character grow in new and always hilarious ways. His "relationship" with boss Jan provides plenty of opportunities for hilarity, as do company work days devoted to such topics as diversity and sexual harassment. Michael always seems to come through with the best possible line in the worst possible situation, and that is what makes him so hilarious.
Finally, again building off of the success of the first six episodes, I continued to be impressed by the ability of the writers/creators to keep the plots and relationships moving forward from episode to episode. While many half-hour comedies stagnate and let their protagonists fall into the same routine and same old jokes every week, The Office advances the formula in order to keep things fresh.
Thus, if you in any way, shape, or form enjoyed the first season of "The Office", this second installment will not disappoint you whatsoever, as it continues to both tickle the funny bone and pull at the heartstrings...often at the same time!
The Absolute Best Episode Of The Office
davidehallac24 April 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Casino Night is my favorite episode in the entire series, and perhaps of all time. The first two-thirds of this episode are, for the most part, really funny. It's mostly composed of little vignettes revolving around the different members of the cast, but they're a great way to give everyone a good amount of screentime before Season 2 comes to an end.
Along with the casino night itself, the main plotline of this episode was about Michael accidentally inviting both Carol and Jan to the casino night. While this was arguably the weakest part of the episode, there was still a lot to like, especially the twist ending.
What truly elevates this episode is what happens with Jim and Pam. After a season of will-they won't-they, Jim finally decides to confess his feelings to Pam, and it is glorious. The writing, the acting, even the camerawork, was just perfect, creating one of the most realistic love confession scenes ever to be on TV. Sadly, Pam decides to stay with Roy, so Jim makes his move anyway and kisses her, thus ending the episode on a perfect cliffhanger. Overall, Casino Night could've just been a great finale, but Jim and Pam helped turn it into one of the greatest episodes in TV history.
Along with the casino night itself, the main plotline of this episode was about Michael accidentally inviting both Carol and Jan to the casino night. While this was arguably the weakest part of the episode, there was still a lot to like, especially the twist ending.
What truly elevates this episode is what happens with Jim and Pam. After a season of will-they won't-they, Jim finally decides to confess his feelings to Pam, and it is glorious. The writing, the acting, even the camerawork, was just perfect, creating one of the most realistic love confession scenes ever to be on TV. Sadly, Pam decides to stay with Roy, so Jim makes his move anyway and kisses her, thus ending the episode on a perfect cliffhanger. Overall, Casino Night could've just been a great finale, but Jim and Pam helped turn it into one of the greatest episodes in TV history.
One of the best love stories on TV
AsellusBorealis1 April 2019
I love the Office, but probably my favourite part of it is Pam and Jim's love story. It feels so real! And as far as their story goes, this episode was sad, and then sweet and then all things combined.
You can tell it's really good TV and inspired writing when they make you care soooo much for the characters and what happens to them. I can't wait to watch the rest of the episodes and see what happens!
You can tell it's really good TV and inspired writing when they make you care soooo much for the characters and what happens to them. I can't wait to watch the rest of the episodes and see what happens!
Season 2: Finds its own voice and style and is much better than season 1 as a result
bob the moo12 April 2009
When it first came out I gave The Office US a pass and didn't think much of it as all I could do was compare and contrast with the UK version. A month or so back I decided to take another look because I figured that, after five seasons, it must be doing something right. Starting again with season 1 I found again that it was a poor copy, trying to replicate the UK version but failing to do so, partly because it didn't really want to do so but felt it should. Season two does not repeat that mistake and, by the halfway point I no longer felt that it deserved to be compared to the original so much as just be judged on its own merits.
Although the awkwardness of the first season is still part of the comedy, it is no longer the "painful" embarrassment that it tried to copy from the original but rather it plays like a more confident US sitcom. The device of the film crew remains constant but the material is a lot more comical than season 1 and seems a better fit in terms of the characters and aims of the series. To a point the season could be put down as a series of 20-minutes sketches because each more or less does serve as a standalone episode with a central idea at the core but the show does well to integrate threads across the season. The most obvious of these is Jim and Pam's flirty friendship thing and this works better here than it did in the UK version, partly because the writers perfectly capture this type of relationship but also because the tone of the show allows it to happen by being warm rather than bitter in its comedy. This is not a criticism of the UK version but it is simply true that in the US, this works better because the American psyche is a bit more positive and "big" whereas in the UK the comedy of embarrassment and awkwardness just sits better with who we are! As a result of doing what it wants to do rather than what it feels it should do, the show gains confidence and is very consistent in what it does. It has its high points that are hilarious but mostly it is just consistently pretty funny and each episode threw me plenty of chuckles and a couple of good big laughs. This is helped by the show utilising the supporting characters to do more than awkwardly look away in silence when Michael does something shocking (although they still do that). Instead each person gets fleshed out a bit and given a lot more material, which is fair enough and also allows for the office to feel fuller and less reliant on one or two characters to deliver laughs and plot. Of course the main characters remain that way and the cast do well with this. Carell seems a lot more comfortable with his character rather than he did in season 1 because it suits his style better. As a result he is funnier and a lot more likable even if he is still very much a jerk with no self-awareness. Krasinski doesn't grip me as an actor but he does make for a very real person and I like him for that. He works well with Fischer, who does her stuff very well, whether it is being shocked silence or being overly close to Jim – the two of them together make the office relationship aspect work. Wilson is better as well as he has better material including some awesome lines (the one about smiling and monkeys is a killer and a good example).
The example of using the other characters more is best seen in Kaling' Kelly, who has gone from being "the Indian women to allow Michael to be racist" to being a ditzy valley girl type who is a very funny character and a dream-world of romance in her head. I like her a great deal and she makes for plenty of good asides during each episodes. Novak benefits from this and he does well with a Jim-esquire character of being trapped. Baker, Baumgartner, Kinsey, Bratton and many others all step up and the show benefits by having much more of an ensemble feel that adds to the impression of a show growing comfortable with itself.
Season 2 is not an awesome affair and I wasn't wiping tears from my eyes but it is still very consistent and pretty funny, while delivering good big laughs here and there each episode. From season 1 the show now feels like its own creature and is doing what it wants to do rather than just copying The Office UK in a way that doesn't work. The result is more enjoyable and entertaining and I look forward to season 3 for more of the same.
Although the awkwardness of the first season is still part of the comedy, it is no longer the "painful" embarrassment that it tried to copy from the original but rather it plays like a more confident US sitcom. The device of the film crew remains constant but the material is a lot more comical than season 1 and seems a better fit in terms of the characters and aims of the series. To a point the season could be put down as a series of 20-minutes sketches because each more or less does serve as a standalone episode with a central idea at the core but the show does well to integrate threads across the season. The most obvious of these is Jim and Pam's flirty friendship thing and this works better here than it did in the UK version, partly because the writers perfectly capture this type of relationship but also because the tone of the show allows it to happen by being warm rather than bitter in its comedy. This is not a criticism of the UK version but it is simply true that in the US, this works better because the American psyche is a bit more positive and "big" whereas in the UK the comedy of embarrassment and awkwardness just sits better with who we are! As a result of doing what it wants to do rather than what it feels it should do, the show gains confidence and is very consistent in what it does. It has its high points that are hilarious but mostly it is just consistently pretty funny and each episode threw me plenty of chuckles and a couple of good big laughs. This is helped by the show utilising the supporting characters to do more than awkwardly look away in silence when Michael does something shocking (although they still do that). Instead each person gets fleshed out a bit and given a lot more material, which is fair enough and also allows for the office to feel fuller and less reliant on one or two characters to deliver laughs and plot. Of course the main characters remain that way and the cast do well with this. Carell seems a lot more comfortable with his character rather than he did in season 1 because it suits his style better. As a result he is funnier and a lot more likable even if he is still very much a jerk with no self-awareness. Krasinski doesn't grip me as an actor but he does make for a very real person and I like him for that. He works well with Fischer, who does her stuff very well, whether it is being shocked silence or being overly close to Jim – the two of them together make the office relationship aspect work. Wilson is better as well as he has better material including some awesome lines (the one about smiling and monkeys is a killer and a good example).
The example of using the other characters more is best seen in Kaling' Kelly, who has gone from being "the Indian women to allow Michael to be racist" to being a ditzy valley girl type who is a very funny character and a dream-world of romance in her head. I like her a great deal and she makes for plenty of good asides during each episodes. Novak benefits from this and he does well with a Jim-esquire character of being trapped. Baker, Baumgartner, Kinsey, Bratton and many others all step up and the show benefits by having much more of an ensemble feel that adds to the impression of a show growing comfortable with itself.
Season 2 is not an awesome affair and I wasn't wiping tears from my eyes but it is still very consistent and pretty funny, while delivering good big laughs here and there each episode. From season 1 the show now feels like its own creature and is doing what it wants to do rather than just copying The Office UK in a way that doesn't work. The result is more enjoyable and entertaining and I look forward to season 3 for more of the same.
10/10
xsilentnone12 October 2020
Pam and Jim
greengitters17 February 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Pam and Jim can't get together. It's TV death. Look at Frasier, when Niles and Daphne got together. Without the sexual tension, the show has nowhere to go. Other couples that everyone wanted to get together:
Hawkeye and Hotlips, Sam and Diane, Ross and Rachel (though they did, and then they separated again, and rebuilt the sexual tension), Niles and Daphne (as stated above, when they finally got together, it marked the end of Frasier), Kevin and Winnie
Bottom line, the anticipation we feel of Jim and Pam getting together is better than the satisfaction of them actually getting together. I want them to get together, but I hope they never do.
Hawkeye and Hotlips, Sam and Diane, Ross and Rachel (though they did, and then they separated again, and rebuilt the sexual tension), Niles and Daphne (as stated above, when they finally got together, it marked the end of Frasier), Kevin and Winnie
Bottom line, the anticipation we feel of Jim and Pam getting together is better than the satisfaction of them actually getting together. I want them to get together, but I hope they never do.
The best episode in the entire show
Gus-Lannister22 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
After rewatching the office for the 6th time now I have come to the conclusion that this is the best episode. Stress relief may be the funniest episode and when Michael leaves may be the most emotional episode but casino night combines both those things to create a truly amazing piece of art.
It has the awkward comedy with Michael having two dates and the moment where Jim finally reveales his love for pam. That along with some great moments with Kevin and creed being creed creates in my opinion the best episode in the best sitcom ever created
Pam and Jim
snowbell11325 June 2006
How cute were they? i mean seriously, Pam needs to dump that fiancé of hers. Jim is sweet, funny, easy to talk to, smart, a hard worker, and HOT! How could she not choose him? We know they have to get together, it is just a matter of how long we will have to wait.
plus. they are the best couple ever. who cares if they work together? Dwight and Angela are working out fine (if you call a total dork with a messed up control freak working out fine).
Also... will Jim be in the next season? I really hope so because John Krasinski is the greatest!! =]
Pam + Jim= love lol.... how long must we wait for them to be together???
plus. they are the best couple ever. who cares if they work together? Dwight and Angela are working out fine (if you call a total dork with a messed up control freak working out fine).
Also... will Jim be in the next season? I really hope so because John Krasinski is the greatest!! =]
Pam + Jim= love lol.... how long must we wait for them to be together???
The Pinnacle of TV
jonniedylanoliver1 June 2020
This episode is everything any show should be. It's hilarious, heartbreaking and wholesome. Not many episodes do I think, "Wow, I'm glad I saw that", but this episode did. A truly perfect season finale, and one of the great milestones of The Office.
The greatest moment in television history
JordanSatmary19 January 2020
Warning: Spoilers
After watching this episode dozens of times over the last 10+ years, it only gets better with time. I keep finding myself revisiting this episode because of how beautiful the love story between Jim and Pam is. Such incredible tension over the season, all leading to the greatest moment in television history.
I remember being 13 waiting all week for this episode to come out, seeing the advertisements all over TV. And when I first watched it my heart exploded. And now that I'm older and have gone through romances I can't help but to weep when I see such realistic and pure love. Thank you so much for making something so beautiful
I remember being 13 waiting all week for this episode to come out, seeing the advertisements all over TV. And when I first watched it my heart exploded. And now that I'm older and have gone through romances I can't help but to weep when I see such realistic and pure love. Thank you so much for making something so beautiful
Casino Night (#2.22)
ComedyFan201029 December 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Michael has a casino night at the warehouse.
This episode has a lot of funny moment. I liked Michael's double date story that ended up not the way I expected. All the gambling moments such as Dwight folding when Jim coughs were wonderful. And I think the highlight isn't even the funny stuff but Jim finally confessing his love for Pam and them kissing. Beautiful of such a perfect couple.
This episode has a lot of funny moment. I liked Michael's double date story that ended up not the way I expected. All the gambling moments such as Dwight folding when Jim coughs were wonderful. And I think the highlight isn't even the funny stuff but Jim finally confessing his love for Pam and them kissing. Beautiful of such a perfect couple.
:(
slnoijons8 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Pain. Just pain. I really love Jim and Pam together. They are so cute. My heart stopped when Jim told her that he is in love with her. The look in Pim's eyes were so painfully sad. I even started getting tears in my eyes when he finally kissed her. What a beautiful episode.
Jim's Tears; Casino In The Warehouse
vivianla12 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Angel says gambled money to be donated is tainted money - we mind as well go prostitute ourselves or sell drugs.
Before switching the phone call, Pam pauses so Michael says what he was going to say to that person. This way he can sort of practice before going into the phone call.
Pam says her fiancee is more concerned about the bachelor party.
At the casino in the warehouse, Pam is dressed up. Her fiancee goes home first. Jim talks to Pam outside and confesses he likes her - he had to say it at least once. Pam says she can't and friend-zones him. Jim's eyes become teary.
Pam calls her mother about Jim's confession. Jim comes out of the shadows and kisses Pam. Pam kisses him back placing her hands on his chest.
Before switching the phone call, Pam pauses so Michael says what he was going to say to that person. This way he can sort of practice before going into the phone call.
Pam says her fiancee is more concerned about the bachelor party.
At the casino in the warehouse, Pam is dressed up. Her fiancee goes home first. Jim talks to Pam outside and confesses he likes her - he had to say it at least once. Pam says she can't and friend-zones him. Jim's eyes become teary.
Pam calls her mother about Jim's confession. Jim comes out of the shadows and kisses Pam. Pam kisses him back placing her hands on his chest.
Unmemorable... except for the end.
ac6816 March 2018
It's not hyperbole to say that for a lot of people the ending is a classic moment of television-- the first kiss of an iconic pairing. For that I give the episode lots of points. However, the rest of the episode is just not that funny. The Jan/Carol stuff takes up way too much time and the office worker gags are limited. It's a solid episode, but one of the weaker Office season finales, I think.
Also, the cutest part of the Jim/Pam scene actually takes place in the next episode, Gay Witch Hunt.
Also, the cutest part of the Jim/Pam scene actually takes place in the next episode, Gay Witch Hunt.
8
Edvis-199726 October 2021
Love Triangles
ZegMaarJus1 April 2024
Warning: Spoilers
This Episode begins with Michael, he tells that tonight the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company has a casino night at the warehouse. Michael tells that the casino night is not legal. Pam and Jim are watching old clips of Kevin who had a bang with friends. Michael tells Pam that the casino night is for charity. Dwight is Michael his wingman during this casino night. Michael gives a welcome speech during casino night. Creed won the casino night. Jim tells Pam that he is in love with her. Jim kissed Pam at the office. Amazing finale Episode of The Office Season 2, this was the best Episode of The Office so far. A great ending of this Amazing Season!
S2
IPyaarCinema14 August 2021
Great episode but not for Jim and Pam.
mrpattinson-0768925 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Jim's a great guy but he ruined the relationship of Pam and Roy. I know Pam and Jim are great and cute together but don't you think she shouldn't lead Jim on like this? Doesn't Jim aware of his boundaries? Pam should have broken up with Roy 3 years ago. It looks great on television where the audience is rooting for cute couple but what if it happens IRL and your girl is in love with Jim and she just dump you after a long relationship and right before the wedding?
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
