Show: The Office (NBC)
Episode: Casino Night – Second Season Finale
Originally Aired: Thursday, May 11th 2006
Rating: 4 out of 4 stars
Download: This episode at or get a Season 2 Pass

Quick Synopsis: Casino Night where cringe worthy hilarity ensues.

Long Synopsis: The Scranton Business Park is holding a charity Casino Night in the Dunder-Mifflin warehouse. Michael ends up inviting both Jan and his realtor to the event and they both come. Dwight ineptly tries to help him out. Jim finally tells Pam how he feels. They kiss and the episode ends.

Review: This show is amazing at making you wince but laughingly so. Have you ever felt so sad yet are smiling? This is the brilliance that is The Office, a biting satire of pop culture and office’s everywhere.

The subtly of the comedy is fantastic. Like at the end of the episode when you see Jan get in her car to leave and she throws an overnight bag in the backseat. Michael was right, for some reason they do get each other. Yet Michael unknowingly messed things up. You feel sad for her on many levels but the situation makes you smile.

The bit about Michael changing his charity pick to “Afghanistanies with Aids” is classic The Office. It devolves quickly all the way down to an afghan being a dog and then a shawl. Then after Jim makes a joke, Michael back in his office talking about how you can’t make jokes about Aids and other serious topics because it is still too soon and how the Lincoln assassination just recently became funny. This whole scene is wince inducing as you can’t wait for it to be over yet you don’t want it to end.

That is just two examples as there are always just too many funny moments in each episode. This is always the way, as each episode really needs multiple viewings to catch all that is going on. This is the perfect type of series for purchase on DVD as each episode can be enjoyed over and over again because you probably didn’t get it all the first time. How many times in conversation about The Office have you heard someone mention something funny that you missed?

On the cliffhanger side of things Jim finally tells Pam how he feels about her. She tells him she can’t but sounds differently while talking to her mom on the phone. Then Jim walks up to her and kisses her. They stand looking at each other as the camera fades to black. We are left sitting there to wonder all summer long where they will go with the story next season. Where do you think they will go from here?

They really built off a solid first season and have created one of the best half hour comedies on TV right now. The second season just got better and better with each episode. All-leading up to what TVaholic thought was the best episode of the season.

What did you think of the second season finale of The Office? Was it the best of the season? Did you like the cliffhanger ending? Let us know in the comments.