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Question.

The Jim/Pam thing is a cop out. True or false?

See how I snuck in a topical reference and still refrained from giving away a spoiler before the caps part? SPOILERS BELOW! IF YOU LIKE THE OFFICE AND DON'T WANT ME TO RUIN THE FINALE FOR YOU, COME BACK AND READ MY COMMENTARY LATER.

Anyhow, now that we're alone, I seriously need to know your thoughts. Myself along with all the other Office dweebs were all over the little office romance in seasons one and two and crushed when it seemed they'd both gone their separate ways. Now I feel like they're getting together out of obligation more than they are because the characters belong that way, which they probably do.

They are, truthfully the only characters who can carry on an actual conversation on this show. They're the show's sole source of realism and sincerity. But that doesn't necessarily make this a good thing. I'll come back to this...

Before getting too steeped in that, I think it's important to point out a few things about the show that became really obvious in the hour it was alotted tonight. First, it has, without a doubt, the best ensemble of any comedy on TV right now (even Entourage and Scrubs) -- Angela, Creed and Kevin alone show their worth with scarce appearances and sometimes barely a line, and the rest of the cast is consistently good.

I don't like this version of the Jan character. I can understand the mushiness with Michael, but her act at the corporate office was significantly unlike her -- she's completely different from just two weeks ago when she and Michael broke up. It's kind of sad, because she was much more entertaining when she was businesslike and authoritative. Wussing her up makes her as big a mess as Dwight or pre-anger management Andy. The character's all but ruined. ( I do, however, like Michael running to the girls for relationship advice.) But this relationship seems useless to me, too. I'd like to see crushed-soul Michael next season for a few episodes to put Jan out for good. That may be the only redeeming value she'd bring. Crushed-soul Michael is always entertaining.

But he's always entertaining anyway, and they don't need to latch him onto Jan to keep that going.

Another thing that's irking me a little bit: The show provides a very good example of humble, humanizing moments, such as Michael showing up on the wrong day for the interview and warning Pam that he'd be about three hours late to work. But, I'm disappointed that the show has moved away from the awkwardness it made its bones with. That's the core of the show's genius right there -- when I have to get up and leave the room because it's getting so painful to watch Michael dig himself into a more and more embarrassing hole (Diwali episode). Either that awkwardness is completely gone or I've become numb to it.

Anyway, to wrap up the Jim/Pam thing... There was no real way around it the way this episode was structured. They set it up big with Pam talking like they made a truce on the beach, and the obvious distance between him and Karen (who's gotta be annoyed after being left in New York). I just don't know if it was the way the show needed to go.

Wish I hadn't gotten so depressed at the end there... less enjoyable than the 250th blog post I had first pictured. Don't let any of that take away from the fact that The Office is still a great comedy. Just question authority a little bit for me....