I missed watching new TV shows less than I thought I would, but it was nonetheless good to have some of my favorites back this week. Last night marked the post-strike return of The Office and Scrubs, and the two shows basically picked up where they left off in ’07.

The Office, “Dinner Party”

There were lots of great lines in this one, but I think I was more entertained than amused. The cringe factor was kicked up about three notches (to a level approaching the Ricky Gervais original), as Michael and Jan’s relationship was put under the microscope. To call them dysfunctional would be an affront to dysfunctional couples everywhere. I rather enjoyed Michael in this episode, as he was more sympathetic than he’s been in recent episodes. And did anyone catch that he outsmarted Jim not once but twice (when he pulled off the elaborate “overtime” hoax to get Jim and Pam to the party and later, when he observed that it wouldn’t take Jim and Pam to assess the damage to Jim’s supposedly flooded apartment)?

Best moments/lines:

• Michael taking pride in his awesome $200 plasma TV, which was no bigger than the average computer monitor.
• Jan swaying to the music of her former assistant (who seems to have dedicated a song to her), then failing to get Jim to dance with her.
• Michael drinking wine:
  • Michael – “Mmmm, got a sort of an oaky afterbirth.”
  • Jim – “What was that?”
• Jim messing with Michael during the party game.
• The death stare Pam got when Michael gave her his jacket.
• Watching all the ways the show tried to hide Angela Kinsey’s pregnancy.
• The final blowup after Michael hangs up the glorious St. Pauli Girl neon sign.
• Jim narrowly avoiding having to house Michael:
  • Jim – “My apartment’s on fire.”
  • Pam – “Flooded.”
  • Jim – “Flooded.”
• Jan watching the busted TV and trying to glue Michael’s broken Dundie award was both heartwarming and pathetic.

Scrubs, “My Bad Too”

This series has pulled off a rare feat: to go from awesome to decent to craptacular, then back to decent. That’s where we are with season 7 – decent. This episode was OK, but some the plot devices were rather lame. The setup for the “Dr. Cox steals Dr. Kelso’s food” was really weak, although the execution saved it somewhat. The “JD makes a promise to a patient he can’t keep” premise was equally weak. I wasn’t feeling the “brinner” gag either. Still, it was good enough to keep me interested in the rest of the season.

Best moments/lines:

• “Upstairs” is good, “downstairs” is not.
• Space Invaders with water balloons was a classic Scrubs sight gag.
• J.D. submarining Turk with the “Suck it, bitch!” note.
• The whole “Amigoville” fantasy sequence was excellent.
• Lloyd air drumming in the ambulance.

Oh, and the non-translated dialogue at the end?

• Turk – “I bet that Elliot and J.D. will be back together in five weeks.”
• Carla – “Not everyone is going to like that.”

I know I won’t.