61 replies to this topic

[2MuchTV]

"THE FARM"

03/14/2013 (09:00PM - 09:31PM) (Thursday) : DWIGHT TRAVELS HOME TO THE FARM — Dwight (Rainn Wilson) travels home for a customary Schrute funeral. He and his siblings (guest stars Majandra Delfino and Thomas Middleditch) receive a surprise inheritance that’s not entirely welcome. Back at Dunder Mifflin, Todd Packer (guest star David Koechner) tries to make amends for a lifetime of bad behavior.

Welp, guess it's pretty clear why that wasn't picked up to series. Yikes. Barely got through 20 minutes of that. I really can't imagine a full series of it.

Edited by 2MuchTV, Mar 14, 2013 @ 8:32 PM.

[raingirlnw]

Truly sad. Awful pilot for a show. Not okay to do this to The Office at the end.

Edited by raingirlnw, Mar 14, 2013 @ 8:39 PM.

[Saffron]

That may be one of the worst Office episodes I've ever seen. Wasn't there a special "jump the shark" category for spin-off setup episodes? They barely even tried to include humor. Dwight's brother and sister were pretty normal ... and how is that funny? They didn't even do anything with the cute little kid from Bridesmaids (who has about 10 more minutes of being cute before he's just a normal kid.) Dwight's family was always funny before because it was so mysterious - you always assumed that the weird stuff Dwight talked about was just scratching the surface. Now they blew that concept.

[TheTerror]

I thought the episode was halfway decent. I can see why the spinoff wasn't picked up as a series, but it was mildly amusing. Favorite part was Dwight shooting the aunt in the casket.

[londonfroglet]

Truly sad. Awful pilot for a show.

I'm actually relieved. I totally forgot about the possible spin-off and seriously didn't even make the connection that that was what the hell they were trying to do with this episode.

That said, I actually snorted laughing when Phyllis was talking about her dolls. Angela and [new kid who's name I should know] were funny, too.

But what did Nellie say at the end (when Stanley raised his hand as well)? I could make out "couch" and "toilet," I think.

[dreamer55]

I, too, hated this episode. I don't care about Dwight's farm or family. And there wasn't enough Jim.

[queenelvis]

That was terrible. I hate to say this, but I don't think Paul Lieberstein should be a showrunner, since he's responsible for some of the worst seasons of The Office (6 and 8), and this episode. Truly dismal and laugh-free, except for Dwight shooting into the casket. Happy it wasn't picked up because now Dwight will get a proper send off, hopefully with Angela by his side. I wonder if the scenes with Oscar were the ones that were reshot.

I really enjoyed the Office b-plot though, although I was yelling at my tv to not eat anything Packer brought in. I mean, come on, I wouldn't trust that guy with a stuffed animal, let alone cupcakes that are meant for human consumption. I loved how he insulted Clark (future XXL), and I got a pretty big laugh at the morning after scene, and the flashback of Andy and Kevin alone in the office. The shot of Andy dancing Hammer style was worth the 15 minutes of suck I had to sit through.

Edited by queenelvis, Mar 14, 2013 @ 9:32 PM.

[karra]

I don't know. Office scenes aside, I think I would've watched this.

[TheRabbi]

Gee, I can't imagine why this was not picked up to series....

It was obvious there was a lot edited out of the farm storyline, but if those were the best bits, then I really don't think I could have made it through the entire full pilot. Just truly awful. And shooting into the casket made me just sick to my stomach.

The office storyline was serviceable. I actually enjoyed the Andy/Kevin montage.

[Cerpintaxt815]

And shooting into the casket made me just sick to my stomach.

Thank you! I thought this was entirely too morbid. If they had only included Dwight's talking head explaining the ritual, it might have been funny, but to actually show it was too much for me.

[OhhhCocoa]

And shooting into the casket made me just sick to my stomach.

Thank you! I thought this was entirely too morbid. If they had only included Dwight's talking head explaining the ritual, it might have been funny, but to actually show it was too much for me.

Ugh, same here. That was the point where Oscar said he was out, and I was right there with him. Just no. Watching this episode was a struggle for me.

[ReadIshmael]

The Dwight spin-off got dropped so long ago that I forgot they'd produced episodes meant to set it up. I was baffled by this episode for a while before I realized it was a backdoor pilot--and an awful one. Offputting and unfunny and just too...Dwight. And also scattered as hell.

[possibilities]

So did Dwight want Oscar to be at the funeral to keep him from meeting with Angela's husband? It took me a while to come up with that theory.

[karra]

No, it was because he went 'thank God' when he thought he wasn't invited.

[lucindabelle]

I really enjoyed the farm but only because of the contrast with the way I see Dwight in the real world. I don't know if it would work without The Office in the background.

[lucindabelle]

I really enjoyed the farm but only because of the contrast with the way I see Dwight in the real world. I don't know if it would work without The Office in the background.

[reggiejax]

I get the feeling that there was more time devoted to the farm but it was cut back (and the Packer subplot inserted) when the decision was made that the Dwight spinoff would not go forward. Frankly speaking, the Packer storyline seemed way more out of left field than the Schrute Farm subplot. Or maybe I am over thinking it.


In any case, I enjoyed what there was of the Schrute family. I don't know if a series would have worked but it was nice getting a peek at the characters that inhabit Dwight's family life beyond Mose.

[OGRE]

Worst. Episode. Ever.

[bookemdano]

I haven't been following any of the insider stuff about the show because I lost 90% of my interest in it a couple seasons ago. But even I knew after making it through this shit that this was nothing but a (terrible) spin-off setup job and came here to confirm. Glad to hear it wasn't picked up.

It's really sad how terrible this show has become.

[Petunia13]

Ugh, same here. That was the point where Oscar said he was out, and I was right there with him. Just no. Watching this episode was a struggle for me.

Agreed. Too much. What a weird pilot/spinoff concept episode.

I barely recognized Majandra Delfino compared to her Roswell days. She hasn't aged a bit. Maybe I'm alone in this but she looks young!

The dirt in the face was really over the top.

[HyeChaps]

P-U. NBC did the right thing for once by turning this down. Looks like they were setting up Dwight with the farm neighbor's daughter.
But the little kid was adorable.

[PJWatcher]

Well, of course, they had to set Dwight up with someone that was going to be on the show! After all, Angela wasn't going to be coming over to "The Farm". That courting thing came out of left field for me for that reason. It was so Jump-the-Sharkey. And, yes, a backdoor pilot is a Jump-the-Shark moment.

I didn't find the segments on the farm overly funny, the siblings were uninteresting and the rest of the family was just the same proto-Pennsylvania Dutch that we've seen so far. They are far funnier being told about, rather than seen. Like Norm's wife, Vera, and Niles' wife, Maris, what we can imagine about the Schrute family is much better than what they could show us.

And then they foist Todd Packer on us all day. He doesn't work there anymore, right? Why was he allowed to stay more than a minute?

[tominboston]

I guess I'm really in the minority on this but I find the farm concept reasonably funny (with Dwight as the moderately crazy link between his sane siblings and the totally wacko side of the family) and I would have liked to see that spinoff get a chance to see where it would go.

[RustbeltWriter]

Dear NBC,

You don't have to show every episode of TV you spend money creating. Sometimes it's better to just eat it or release it as a webisode rather than leave viewers wishing they'd have had black dirt thrown in their face.

Regards

[Shalamar]

That was ... not good. I had high hopes when I realized it was the return of Todd Packer, whom I've always loved. I was sad to see his "WLHUNG" license plate, remembering the glory days of when "Office" was funny and Ryan asked him if he was a William Hung fan. "No! Why does everyone keep asking me that?"

[miz liz]

Worst episode ever. After a few scenes with Dwight's family, I fast-forwarded through the rest of those parts and only watched the parts in the office. The farm stuff was just godawful and I can't believe TPTB put that crap on the air.

[NiceGuyEddie]

A few things I thought were weird:

-Dwight over the years has really formed a bond with Jim and Pam. That they wouldn't be at the funeral just seemed strange.

-The continuity issue of Dwight just recently getting it on with Angela (wasn't that the last ep) and now he's courting the neighbor's daughter? Huh?

That said, I would have given the show a chance if it had aired. Just look at The Neighbors, awful first couple eps but it's turned into a very fun show.

On the other hand, I like Dwight's weird rituals and traditions as they are presented on The Office, i.e. in a sparse doses now and then. A series of nothing BUT that, might get old quick. Guess we'll never know though...

[joanne3482]

Did I miss an episode where something happened to Mose? I really thought they recast until the other hairy, vaguely Mose-like guy said something about cousins.

[NiceGuyEddie]

Did I miss an episode where something happened to Mose? I really thought they recast until the other hairy, vaguely Mose-like guy said something about cousins.

Nothing happened to Mose that I know of. He was in the farm ep, just not many lines.

The other bearded dude is Badger from Breaking Bad. They probably pay him more so they give him more lines, he's more of an established actor. Both Badger and Mose were in the ep where Dwight was interviewing all his friends and relatives for a position in the office.

[hayds]

Very very bad (although I was delighted to see Badger from Breaking Bad). I did like the cold open, but everything else was bad.

It did make me really hungry for cupcakes, though.