THE OFFICE

S07E21 - "Michael's Last Dundies" (C-)
                       or:
"The One Where Toby Sums It Up Perfectly"

          "I really disagree with this.  I think it's kind of hateful."

          This is a line of dialog given to Toby at the end of the episode.  While it applies to the situation he is in (receiving yet another derogatory award from Michael) I can't help but feel it's a subversive line planted by one of the show's writers who might not be fond of the show's tone over the past few episodes.

          Reminding the audience of the second season might not be the best idea.  "Threat Level Midnight" was a throwback to "The Client", and this episode is a throwback to season two's opener, "The Dundies".  The Office's brand of humor has always relied on moments of excruciating awkwardness, but that awkwardness didn't always stem from such overwhelming negativity.  Once upon a time, this show had tremendous heart, despite the fact that it put good people in awful situations.

          Michael, still clinging to the desperate hope of preserving a shred of his Dundler Mifflin legacy, is trying to forcefully hand over the Dundies torch to Deangelo.  Deangelo is terrified of this prospect, as he suffers from terrible stage fright.  Michael, despite the fact that he had apparently grown much as a person in a short period of time, goes back to being an insufferable ass, and insists that Deangelo co-hosts the Dundies.
          In a pre-awards ceremony short film, in which Michael Scott plays the parts of several of the office employees, Michael plays Phylis as a frail old woman.  His inability to remember the fact that they are the same age has been overplayed, and at this point in the show's run it comes across as needlessly hurtful.  Meredith is portrayed in a negative light for some laughs in the cold open, because what's funnier than a single mother with a drinking problem?  Stanley is mocked for being diabetic.  Erin breaks up with Gabe during her acceptance speech.  Dwight throws his award in the trash.  There is a black cloud over this episode, and it's not necessarily fun to watch.

         Michael has hurt people's feelings before, and it was often funny because his insensitivity came about as a result of his oblivious nature.  I don't think anyone expected Michael's final Dundie Awards ceremony to go off without a hitch, but for it to be this dour of an affair, it's fairly disappointing.  Yet, after the awards ceremony is relocated to the conference room (due to the manager of the restaurant kicking them out) the employees of Dunder Mifflin perform a musical tribute to Michael Scott.  If the rest of the episode hadn't been a cesspool of negativity, this might have worked.  Instead it comes across as forced and a little bit strange.  There are four episodes remaining in season seven, which will hopefully be the last of the series.  Will the show pull itself together for one last hurrah at the tail end of the season, or will it continue to become the unbalanced mess we saw in this episode?  At this point, sadly, I'm leaning towards the latter.