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The two-part conclusion to The Office bids farewell to David Brent and his long-suffering co-workers in a surprisingly poignant not to say dignified manner. Supposedly accompanied by the fly-on-the-wall documentary crew three years after his highly undignified exit from Slough-based paper merchants Wernham Hogg, the first part reveals Brent as a travelling salesman by day and D-list "celebrity" by night, enduring humiliating club appearances organised by his clueless manager. But Brent can't keep away from his old stamping-ground in Slough, especially with the imminent prospect of the annual Christmas party. As much to spite suave rival Neil as anything else, Brent is on an agonisingly painful hunt for a date to bring along.
Back at Wernham Hogg, lovelorn Tim has to endure not only the officious behaviour of Gareth, now his manager, but also a cheerless existence bereft of Dawn, who is living in Florida with boorish fiancé Lee. Matters are brought to a head for all concerned--including Lee and Dawn, flown over specially for the occasion--when they finally gather in the office for the party.
As ever the script is full of priceless one-liners (witness big Keith's chat-up spiel, as he promises "at least one orgasm" to any woman), and the show is peppered with those direct appeals to camera (Tim's weary "I don't believe he just said that" look, Brent's desperate self-justificatory "Eh?"), as well as achingly effective silences that simultaneously enhance the fly-on-the-wall conceit and heighten the comic effect. Without descending into the sentimental or the trite, somehow The Office closes for business on a genuinely heartwarming note.
On the DVD: This single disc has good, if unexceptional, bonus features. There's a behind-the-scenes documentary in similar format to those on the previous releases, a commentary from Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais on Episode 2, a funny and deservedly self-congratulatory featurette on the Golden Globe Awards ceremony, the full video of David Brent's single "If You Don't Know Me By Now" plus a recording session for "Freelove Freeway" (with Noel Gallagher on backing vocals). --Mark Walker
Product Description
The two-part conclusion to The Office bids farewell to David Brent and his long-suffering co-workers in a surprisingly poignant not to say dignified manner. Supposedly accompanied by the fly-on-the-wall documentary crew three years after his highly undignified exit from Slough-based paper merchants Wernham Hogg, the first part reveals Brent as a travelling salesman by day and D-list "celebrity" by night, enduring humiliating club appearances organised by his clueless manager. But Brent can't keep away from his old stamping-ground in Slough, especially with the imminent prospect of the annual Christmas party. As much to spite suave rival Neil as anything else, Brent is on an agonisingly painful hunt for a date to bring along.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
71 of 81 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Ricky Gervais and Steve Marchants decision to bring The Office to a conclusion after only two series with these two Christmas specials may have felt to many like a hasty one. However watching the episodes its difficult to argue with them for they bring the whole project to a satisfying ,moving and timely conclusion .After two series they clearly felt that a comedy so bound to one location and centring on the same characters so relentlessly would be hard to maintain in terms of quality and freshness. Plus having David Brent made redundant at the end of series two drove them up a comedy cul de sac. The problem was the story arc of some of the shows characters hadn't run its course so this was a nice way of tying up all the loose ends. It was a gamble but it's done with such panache and with a script that pays as much attention to the dramatic as the comedic that it pays off handsomely. These two episodes, particularly the second are superb.
David Brent is now a Rep, still spouting inane cod philosophical asides and crass bulls***, except now he does it scooting up and down Motorways. Garth has been promoted sort of and is still about as effective as wellies in quicksand. Dawn is still in America with her sexist plank of a boyfriend and Tim is still Tim. Brent is trying to cash in on the minor fame his TV exposure via The Office has given him, even to the extent of hiring an agent who with an air of weary resignation books him slots in seedy nightclubs so he can appear in excruciating "Blind Date" parodies along with Howard from The "Halifax." He has also joined a dating agency leading to a couple of acutely embarrassing encounters where his penchant for asinine effrontery goes up a notch. As ever these are wincingly funny but still make you take a sharp intake of breath.... Read more ›
David Brent is now a Rep, still spouting inane cod philosophical asides and crass bulls***, except now he does it scooting up and down Motorways. Garth has been promoted sort of and is still about as effective as wellies in quicksand. Dawn is still in America with her sexist plank of a boyfriend and Tim is still Tim. Brent is trying to cash in on the minor fame his TV exposure via The Office has given him, even to the extent of hiring an agent who with an air of weary resignation books him slots in seedy nightclubs so he can appear in excruciating "Blind Date" parodies along with Howard from The "Halifax." He has also joined a dating agency leading to a couple of acutely embarrassing encounters where his penchant for asinine effrontery goes up a notch. As ever these are wincingly funny but still make you take a sharp intake of breath.... Read more ›
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By M. L. York
VINE™ VOICE
Format:DVD
I presume people buying this will already know the episodes and are merely looking for a nice souvenir edition with some helpful, interesting extras. If so, you will not be disappointed. It's a great value DVD with both of the glorious episodes in full (you can watch them separately or run them together). There's a really funny directors' commentary which you can hear over episode 2 if you choose, and Gervais and Merchant use their best, weirdest blend of self-deprecating and arrogant humour to describe the process of writing and filming the specials. Love it. There's also a great interview with them again, and several of the cast, talking about the experience of making "The Office" - quite sentimental but enormously worth the money if you're a true fan of the show. Particularly fascinating are the snippets of the interview with Mackenzie Crook (Gareth) who differs most obviously from his character in the show. Really highly recommended for true fans.
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:DVD
This is British comedy at its best. The follow up to the two series this Christmas is one of the best around, adding more depth to the main characters (including a more sympathetic side of David Brent) and introducing great new ones. Brent is probably the best lead character in recent Sitcom history and his appearence in a club version of Blind Date is hilarious. Also look out for his wince inducing single and its cheesy video. All in all absolute quality, a great script brilliantly acted and with a moving ending. Buy it!!!!
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By M. Bridgeman
Format:VHS Tape
These final episodes of The Office were the perfect end to the story. They wrapped everything up neatly, showed more insight into the major characters, and left a warm feeling at the end.
Funny, touching... perfect!
16 of 20 people found the following review helpful
By Ben Lacey
Format:DVD
Parting is such sweet sorrow and when it's from the cast of 'The Office', this is particularly true. This DVD will leave any fan of David Brent and his staff with a firm lump in their throat but a finer ending to this splendid series could not have been imagined. Moving away from it's root in cringe-worthy situation comedy, 'The Office Christmas Specials' move into a territory still laced with embarassment and laughs but with a large measure of something else...if I try and describe it, it won't do it service. You just have to watch it.
Apart from the 'drama' (which in itself is worth it's weight in gold), the DVD has some gems for any discerning viewer wanting to see the banter and 'behind the scenes' of 'The Office' saga. The Golden Globe Awards documentary (the only British comedy EVER to win a Golden Globe award) is very touching. The best thing that comes out of these documentaries is what a good time they had. What with the full version of David Brent's failed single (a cover of 'If you don't know me by now'), Ricky Gervais' complete band version of 'Freelove Freeway' and more, you won't be disappointed. The warmth that comes from 'The Office' cast will leave you glowing and Ricky Gervais' unique, manic enjoyment of having a laugh and make others laugh is undoubtably the highlight of this DVD. Buy it. Show it to your kids and then give it to them to show to their kids.
12 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By Mike Mantin
Format:DVD
When The Office signed off its second series, we were left with a redundant David Brent, a parted but secretly desiring Tim and Dawn, and an office block full of loose ends left untied. So it was up to the Christmas special- two words that could usually suck the festive cheer out of any telly fan- to feed us one more time with understated and embarrassing comedy genius. Ricky Gervais has promised these to be the final episodes of this ground-breaking and astonishingly well-received show. Only time will tell if we will ever see these adored characters again, but just in case, cherish these highly-anticipated episodes.
It kicks off three years after The Office parted company with the nation's TV screens, the first of two Christmas specials providing an unbearably detailed account of David Brent's rapid descent into being a failed salesman and appearing in cramped, Burberry-swamped clubs to say hello and then be booed off. The specials interestingly move away from the Slough office to reveal the new and sad side of David Brent, the most excruciating scenes being those of his awful attempts to win women through an internet dating service.
But this is the end of a show which quietly sent every programme in its way packing its bags and going home, one that captured the hearts and imaginations of fans from the very moment Tim glanced at Dawn or David Brent insulted everybody in the room he was in for the first time. Is it possible to shake up the touch-sensitive relationships of the characters to finish the whole thing off for good? It is, with the ultra-realistic acting talent and the sharp writing, this is a fitting last bow by perhaps the best UK comedy show ever.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
great stuff
everyone should see The Office,makes you cringe but its so funny,worth every penny,what more can i say,brilliant funny superb,get them all now
Published 2 months ago by tzzer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Everything else is a falling away
Gervais and Merchant have engineered an observational comedy drama of such cutting edge immediacy that every post effort will be incontravertibly hauled alongside it for... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mr. S. P. Bunce
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ricky Gervais's finest hour
Bought as a replacement for a copy lent to someone and never returned. There is not really a lot to be said about the office,there can't be many people who have not seen it. Read more
Published 12 months ago by R. Fry
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well received and as new as was expected
This article is new and was very well received. I don't have anything more to say except that I am now looking forward to watch these great specials, which put an end to one of the... Read more
Published 15 months ago by frenchmadwhovian
2.0 out of 5 stars
A much needed if predictable lift to the tedium that preceded it
It's difficult to review this as a comedy given its realistic portrayal of life in an office - with only the Brent character slightly exaggerated (sadly, there really are bosses... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Charles A. Crolla
5.0 out of 5 stars
All is well that ends well.
As others have said, this is a superb ending to a great comedy. As i said in other reviews, i'm a late-comer to the Office but i love it now. Read more
Published on 20 Mar 2011 by S. Firth
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect!
If you like The Office you HAVE to have this, it is the icing on the cake!
Published on 24 Sep 2009 by R. Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb
The tide of public and media opinion may be turning against Ricky Gervais these days (his constant half-joking boasts being the main problem), but there is no denying that with The... Read more
Published on 25 Dec 2007 by Red Rob
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect finale to the series
These "Christmas Specials" are two 45 minute episodes which bring the excellent "The Office" series to a fitting and poignant close. Read more
Published on 25 Aug 2007 by L. Davidson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Three times Cult Status
This was originally a two-part christmas special episode. The premise involves the BBC crew returning to Wernham Hogg a few years after they filmed their documentary to do a "where... Read more
Published on 29 Mar 2007 by Jay
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