The Office: Season Five

The 2008-09 fifth season of The Office brings breakups, corporate shake-ups, and a game-changing finale meant to leave you speechless, as it does Jim (John Krasinski). The writers continue their masterful handling of the Jim and Pam (Jenna Fischer) romance—with a proposal in a glorious, rain-swept gas station—and avoid the usual sitcom mechanics. The course of true love runs no smoother for The Office's other soul mates, Michael Scott (Steve Carell) and major dork Holly Flax (an Emmy-worthy Amy Ryan), the new HR rep. Meanwhile, Angela (Angela Kinsey) and Dwight (Rainn Wilson) are having trysts under the nose of her fiancé Andy (Ed Helms). Michael shockingly quits after butting heads with his new boss, the no-nonsense Charles Miner (Idris Elba), and Jim immediately gets on Charles' bad side, much to Dwight's delight. The office dream team gets dreamier with the addition of Ellie Kemper as Erin, the adorable and naïve new receptionist, and the formation of The Michael Scott Paper Company allows Michael, Pam, and a newly blonde Ryan (B.J. Novak) to achieve the improbable: putting a major dent in Dunder Mifflin's sales. The Office still makes for cringe-worthy, discomforting television, but the 26 episodes collected here underscore why it's one of TV's most popular shows, offering priceless bits of background comic business and charming character grace notes that lend themselves to repeat viewing. DVD/Blu-ray extras include two hour-long specials, exclusive commentaries, webisodes, deleted scenes, and a gag reel (exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a “One-Liner Soundboard,” which lets viewers play with various audio clips). Highly recommended. (D. Liebenson)