The Office: Season Four DVD Review

September 2, 2008 by Chandra

The Office - Season Four DVD Today, the strike-shortened fourth season of NBC’s hit workplace sitcom The Office finally hit stores at a list price of $49.98 per set. That matches the price of the second and third seasons, although the fourth had only 14 episodes as compared to 22 for the second season and 24 for the third (the first season was a “tryout,” with six installments all together). If you’re thrifty, such pricing might present a problem, at least until the inevitable sales occur down the road, likely near the year-ending holiday season.

As for the set itself, the copy I received for review contained the expected fourteen episodes and bonus features (deleted scenes; gag reel; outtakes; and commentaries with cast and crew for the four episodes “Money,” Local Ad,” “The Deposition,” and “Did I Stutter?”), plus a table-draft copy of the script for arguably the most entertaining episode last season, “Dinner Party.” Depending on where you purchase your copy, the boxed set might also include other bonus extras, such as a series-branded T-shirt at Best Buy (as long as supplies last, of course).

The “Dinner Party” script isn’t my favorite extra, however. I actually enjoyed watching the Writers’ Block Panel Discussion set primarily at The Office Convention in Scranton, Pennsylvania, an informal presentation with the dozen or so people who put the words in the mouths of the series’ more familiar cast members. It’s an informative fifty+-minute session that provides deeper insight into what makes The Office tick and even a few tips on how to break into the field of comedy-TV writing. Good stuff, if you ask me, especially for those who aspire to a television career behind the scenes.

Overall, though, I have to say the extras in total seem underwhelming for a DVD set that comes in at the same price as previous seasons with up to ten episodes more. It would have been nice if the studio had either slashed the list price accordingly or increased the number of bonus features to make the expense worth it. Harcore fans probably won’t balk over this issue, but it might encourage casual fans to wait a while for a good sale.

BONUS CONTENT

Deleted Scenes
Gag Reel
Outtakes
Commentaries with Cast and Crew
- MONEY COMMENTARY: Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, Melora Hardin, Brian Baumgartner, Paul Lieberstein, Michael Schur, and Jennifer Celotta.
- LOCAL AD COMMENTARY: B.J. Novak, Ed Helms, Leslie David Baker, Creed Bratton, Craig Robinson, Jason Reitman, and Anthony Ferrell.
- THE DEPOSITION: Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, Melora Hardin, Brian Baumgartner, Ed Helms, Lee Eisenberg, Lester Lewis, and Ryan Koh.
- DID I STUTTER?: Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, Leslie David Baker, Kate Flannery, Justin Spitzer, Brent Forrester, Gene Stupnitsky, and Randall Einhorn.
THE OFFICE CONVENTION: Writers’ Block Panel Discussion
And more!