The Office Cold Opens

It's a very turbulent time for television addicts. The Writer's Guild strike doesn't leave many completed episodes left. Of the episodes of my favorite shows that were completed before the strike, in most cases those that remain for each number in the single digits. In fact, The Office airs its final episode this week. Who knows when or if it will return?

These are interesting times. I have a list of shows people have recommended to me. Some are from this season and conflict; others are older shows that I'd never seen. The list kept growing, and I never had time to catch up. Maybe now I can. I might also make a dent in the 600 movies on my list as well. If I'm really daring, I might even get a life, but I doubt that.

Since we have all this time, and The Office is the first casualty, I'd like to take a look back at some of my favorite ”Cold opens”, those bits of show that air before the opening credits. Before I eventually got into the show, I'd linger a little longer after whatever led into it, and at least watch the first bit. Some of those quick hits are great. Here are five I love:

Season 4, Episode 1: ”Fun Run” opens with boss Michael Scott driving to work, addressing a documentary camera man in his back seat. It's a typical sight to see in a show that's supposedly about an office being filmed for a documentary. Suddenly, he hits Meredith, the office alcoholic, who rolls up on to the windshield with a contorted expression of horror and disbelief, before rolling back out of sight to make room for the opening credits. Don't worry; she doesn't suffer any permanent damage, but the way her boss deals with what he's done is hilarious.

Season 2, Episode 6: There's a lot of great stuff in ”The Fight”, but the opening is definitely a classic. Dwight arrives to find that the latest prank his neighbor Jim has perpetrated has been the complete removal of his desk. He rails about how it isn't funny, running back and forth as Jim either shouts “warmer” or “colder”, until he finds his desk in the men's bathroom, his phone plugged in and all his papers in order. Deluded but dedicated soldier that he is, Dwight answers his phone and gets to work. It's one of the more memorable pranks between these two rivals, and I even discovered a blog dedicated to them.

Season 2, Episode 11: ”Booze Cruise” sees the staff gathered outside the office on exactly what the title suggests, but before the show begins we get another classic prank. Dwight walks in to the break room to get a snack from the vending machine, only to find is wallet is gone. The snacks are gone too, replaced by all of Dwight's things, ranging from a pencil cup to a name plate to his wallet. Jim's friendship with the vending machine guy pays off in another great prank, as he loans his adversary nickels so he can buy back his wallet(eventually), then the rest of his stuff.

Season 3, Episode 21: Maybe my topic should have been on pranks, but they do seem to be the best openings. In ”Product Recall”, Jim shows up with his hair combed forward, wearing a pair of glasses, a short sleeve shirt, and a drab tie. He speaks definitively and haltingly about minutia, and it takes Dwight awhile to realize Jim is doing a perfect impression of him. I believe an alliterative reference to Battlestar Galactica finally sheds light on the prank, to Dwight's dismay. The scene ends with Dwight running in to Michael's office to complain, as Jim follows suit. It's not until the closing credits that we get to see Dwight's awesome attempt at a Jim impression.

Season 4, Episode 3: ”Launch Party” throws us immediately into a scenario any office worker would dread. The staff is packed into the conference room as Michael addresses them, but they've found a way to make it through a tedious meeting. Behind Michael, a cube bounces around a television screen, and everyone is watching the screensaver, hoping for a moment when that cube will bounce perfectly into one of the corners. No has ever seen it, though in a side interview Pam insists that she saw it happen once. Back in the present, it finally happens in everyone else's presence, and they cheer. Michael of course thinks his workers are excited about whatever he was droning on about, and he beams about being on fire some days. Cue those opening credits.

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That's just a small sampling of the one's I've enjoyed. I wish I could have listed more. Feel free to comment and share your own favorite Office cold opens.