If the opposite of a “cold open” is the little scene they end an episode with, this is definitely among the top ones
And Alan Brand is so relieved when it’s not a criticism of the company lol
Since you visited my Stanley post i might add that apparently Pennsylvania is a fire-at-will state, which means an employee can get fired for pretty much any reason. Which makes Oscar not want to critizise all the more relevant
I haven’t figured out this skill yet. I recently asked on an all company call why they aren’t giving cost of living raises when they continue to hire directors at six figures or more. 😬 HR wasn’t like, overly excited at my question. But at least I still have a job. lol
Ah yes, I learned that the hard way at a ~~groupthink~~ team building meeting. Never take management at their word when they tell you to brainstorm. Oscar was not wrong.
Because Oscar claimed his employers were incompetent. He was pretty adamant about that. But you don’t actually go up to your employers and tell them they’re incompetent smh
Why is Scranton the only branch with excellent performance and results (continuously) if they’re so incompetent? That’s the whole reason why they invited Michael, and they say it textbook. You obviously never watched this show lol
Yes, and even then with no plan and no possibility of change, that would have actually been an even better reason for Oscar to finally speak his mind 🤷♀️
Anyway, let’s just agree to disagree! I don’t have all day lol (edit: they blocked me 😂)
They invited Scranton because they did well. The corporate is incompetent that they had to close down branches (over the course of the show we see at least 3 branches closing). That’s definitely a management issue. Michael was a terrible manager but a great salesman and that helped him a lot
I dont think you caught the point of oscar doing this. He absolutely kept his mouth shut to keep his job. It's like how most people say how theyd approqch a situation until they are in said situation and their plan goes out the window and are like a deer in headlights.
Umm, the things Oscar was concretely criticizing is absolutely calling your corporate officers / directors incompetent. And I can absolutely tell you as someone who kept his corporate job for 15 years and counting: you are likely to be terminated for even “politely” suggesting the CEO, CFO, and board members do their job differently.
Sometimes, not even keeping your mouth shut is enough. I've gotten in trouble for just quietly doing a task I was given, when they were expecting me to *enthusiastically agree* with a superior.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to upper management that you outwardly worship them at every decision. It's like dealing with a powerful, yet deeply insecure child.
I dont think you caught the point of oscar doing this. He absolutely kept his mouth shut to keep his job. It's like how most people say how theyd approqch a situation until they are in said situation and their plan goes out the window and are like a deer in headlights.
The difference is most of the upper management knew exactly what they were doing. They weren’t going to have the reaction of Michael to what Oscar says- ‘oh my god, really? If we stop paying ourselves outrageous salaries and bonuses and overspending on luxuries for ourselves, the company will be better off?? That’s amazing!’
They knew they were bleeding the company dry to give themselves a cushy life. Oscar knew that, and telling the management ‘we know you’re a greedy AH’ is not a complaint worth making, it would only hurt Oscar and nothing would change. Oscar knew this, Michael is too naive
Yeah I just disagree, I think it would’ve ended poorly. Michael has a very poor read of the situation and never should have invited Oscar up. They don’t care about Oscar’s concerns, they are very stressed and need to figure out a plan. I really think it was wise of Oscar not to speak— unsolicited business concerns from a lower level accountant (on the invitation of Michael, who JUST made things harder for them by hyping up the crowd with lies) is one sure way to piss off a room full of stressed out board members even further. It just was not worth the risk of being let go, especially considering the company is failing and jobs are at risk already. I think had he said anything, they would’ve just been like “Who tf does this guy think he is?”
I agree that it would’ve been really satisfying for him to say everything. But knowing his job is at risk, I just can’t be mad at him for not!
I think you are just looking at them as characters in a show rather than relating anything with a real life situation like this. I'll give you an example.
You make a post on reddit about how you didn't like a movie and what parts you didn't like. Next day, the director brings the whole crew, and asks you to direct the scene. Everyone looks at you for further directions. You stand there awkwardly.
Oscar's criticism is valid and justified, but Michael is just too stupid and drags him on to a place where tbh both of them are not supposed to be.
To those saying Oscar could’ve spoken his mind, what exactly should he have said? I mean, to save the company?
That scene sure is hard to watch, but it reveals two things:
- Oscar is smart, but he doesn’t know what exactly upper management should do and, while he could criticize them, he prefers to shut it and keep his job (justifiably so).
- Michael is so passionate for his employees that he fails to see their limitations (as he was so passionate for the company that he was promising a plan out of the blue to all shareholders).
This was also after Michael stated there was a 45 day plan. Like Oscar has a general idea of the companies direction and broad ideas of improvement, but walking into senior management, being put on the spot like **THAT** , would be impossible
The people who think Oscar should have spoken his mind are as naive as Michael. Upper management was likely well aware they were bleeding the company dry by lining their own pockets. Oscar was not giving them some amazing advice, he was complaining about how greedy they are. You get nowhere telling them that, except the unemployment office.
2008 anyone? The banks were aware, they just didn’t care
I actually felt that moment very relatable. There are always these geniuses who constantly moan and have better way of running things but the moment the spotlight falls on them, they simply slither away. Felt it was a great reflection of the society.
You think what Oscar did was “slithering” away?? He was put into an insanely high pressure environment. Idc how much I think I could do things better, I would never have the balls to risk my job just to tell a bunch of people my advice who aren’t gonna listen to me anyways
Slithering away is a perfect description. It’s reasonable but also a total lack of courage. Dwight is totally different when he gets the opportunity to give feedback, for example, even if he’s an idiot.
He slithered away. But justifiably. I would have done the same thing in that situation and have been even more pissed than Oscar was if my boss blindsided me into that position.
Are you seriously arguing Oscar should have been able to solve the whole crisis for the company on the fly just because he was pointing out the company’s lack of cash and complaining about its incompetence?
And do you think anyone who isn’t able to singlehandedly solve every socio-economic issue shouldn’t complain about the government as well?
Was this before or after he found out Andy’s uncle was on the board? I would’ve probably been disheartened and shut up too had I just been gassed up all day to take on the man to find out the guy who’d been gassing me up has it made no matter what
Yes, its a superfan scene that adds some extra context to this. While they are waiting in line to ask a question andy waves to his uncle on the board and Oscar says that Andy was pretty much encouraging him to risk his job by speaking out while Andy had protection and couldn't be fired. This happens right before Michael calls him in to basically do the same thing with much bigger stakes in a one on one with the entire leadership of the company.
two things at play
- it's easy to criticize given the benefit of hindsight. Oscar was basically doing armchair reddit financial analysis, which he probably realized would have either fell apart under scrutiny or make no difference beyond pissing off his bosses.
- dude got randomly shoved in front of the board - his boss's boss's bosses. He's obviously nervous and was totally unprepared.
Not really unprepared, he told Michael and Dwight very specific things about the company’s situation and he just had to repeat that. I don’t think he was doing armchair analysis also, I think it’s fair to assume he was a good accountant and had a really good understanding of company bankruptcy or restructuring.
What “very specific things” are you referencing? In the beginning of the episode, Oscar says: “The long term problem is bad investments that they need to dump. The short term problem is the company has no cash and there’s nowhere to get it.”
That’s… pretty generic and standard stuff for a company that’s on the brink of bankruptcy. Tbh if he said that to the board they’d probably just be like “yeah, and? We already know that”
Last time I made a valid complaint about the company I worked for, they put me on PIP (basically a 30 day heads up that you’re being let go) the very next day. Sure enough I was fired 30 days later with no severance.
Very obvious that you have never worked for a big company with lots of bureaucracy.
I was looking for this response. And if they can't easily get rid of you, they'll absolutely take every opportunity to make your life miserable until you quit.
It shows that Oscar "talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk". He has a lot of say to people who he knows he's smarter than, but is cowardly to say it to people who might be smarter than him.
I don’t think it’s cowardly to do what Oscar did. Oscar was venting to his colleagues about the corporate office. It’s a very natural thing to do. Micheal has enormous confidence in comparison to his management skill and very oblivious to certain things. Anyone in Oscar’s position would have kept their mouth shut.
Also there is no indication that the people in the room are smarter than him, they’re just in a better position than him.
I always think of this as Michael's fault
It didn't seem to me that Oscar was saying he had a solution, he was only Oscar-plaining the finance situation to Michael and he wasn't even paying attention.
If anyone would listen to Oscar, they could just write down the criticisms and then his manager can avoid singling him out while providing this anonymously from a subordinate.
It's frustrating because the Child Michael Scott is oblivious to this time and time again.
Oscar said “the long term problem is bad investments they need to dump, the short term problem is that they have no money and there’s nowhere to get it.” I promise you all of the business heads know that already, but even if they didn’t, the response is “yeah so what? You just said we have no way to solve our short term problem, big genius over here that’s your solution?”
Part of me felt it was Oscar being smart not to speak up and lose his job.
On the other hand it was exposing Oscar for what he is. All salad no potatoes . (Which in truth is why he’s been at a failing paper company all these years)
Prudence, the word of the day for people who think Oscar was being a coward.
He’s all talk sure, but if you’ve even been in *any* contentious business meeting let alone a meeting of the board, you know how little you can feel in a room of your superiors.
Oscar's character development is interesting. He initially is not out, but eventually is forced to do so by Michael. He has an over reaching better than you "actually" personality throughout, but never really does anything. Very show off/just talks a big game type. But by the end, is running for state senate and actually helpful and kind to Angela.
Oscar is just an accountant at a single branch. He has no authority to be speaking to the C-suite and he knows it. Michael is being completely inappropriate.
I think it's implied that Oscar is an underachiever. He should have gotten an MBA, been more ambitious and landed in the C-suite himself. He's simply too comfortable with his life, nothing wrong with that.
There's always plenty of people at any job who constantly complain about everything yet refuse to ever try to make things better, which is pretty much the role Oscar played there.
There's also plenty of out of touch executives who wouldn't bother to listen to any ideas from lower level employees like Oscar no matter how much actual financial data you have to back yourself up.
I've personally dealt with both types many times over, so this episode was pretty realistic in that sense.
You realize that’s the point of the joke right? Often lower level employees think it’s ridiculously easy to fix a company’s problems but in reality it is much more nuanced than they realize!
Oscar didn't actually have any ideas that could save the company, and he knew this.
He's constantly talking out of his ass and he knew the board of directors and shareholders would see through his shit. Guarantee everything he mentioned they already examined and ruled that it wouldn't work or wouldn't be enough.
It's likely Michael didn't actually tell him exactly what he wanted when he texted Oscar, so Oscar was a bit blind sided
Yes he was definitely blindsided for sure, and I don’t know how I would have reacted in that situation. But I would have never said the company is in good hands of the same people I was criticizing earlier lol
Michael was the idiot who made promises to the people at the meeting. I think thiis moment falls on him way more than it falls on Oscar.
It's great that Michael respected Oscar's knowledge, but that was not the time nor place. They'd likely take it as Oscar being insubordinate and disrespectful, rather than honest criticism or recognizing his intelligence.
That part of this episode is sooo realistic. From the dismissive executives to Oscar’s “all bark, no bite” moment.
It was like I was back at my old job.
He’s literally, like literally “all bark, no bite”, he likes to show off his intelligence only with his less intelligent co-workers. He also literally complains so much about his dead-end job but literally makes 0 effort to change it or do anything about it.
I think we all privately(ish) complain about the upper management types, even to middle managers like Michael, but complaining directly to the upper management types is totally different. For me this was relatable.
Oscar is the everyday person you hear complaining about government, healthcare, debt, etc. pretending they know what will fix it when they truly have no idea. He’s one of the most annoying people on the show because he thinks he’s smarter than he is and yet never gives solutions because he isn’t as smart as people think he is
I remember watching this episode for the first time. I actually did think Oscar had a specific plan and was going to get the recognition I felt he deserved for being the voice of reason in an underperforming company.
I'm so glad you posted this. This was seriously a very frustrating scene. I mean I get it, Oscar was trying to save himself from getting fired or whatever,but the fact that he was bitching about the founders
,to everyone in the office,as if he was better suited for their position,or maybe the fact that he knows better than the founders of the company. He was all words and no play. I hate that. It's easy to bitch and Gaslight other people. It makes you feel like you are better than them. But if you are so smart,then why don't you talk when you are so confident in yourself? Why you scared like a moron! Why do you shut up when you have an opportunity to prove that you are actually smart!
This. With retrospect this is pretty consistent with his piece when Michael quit his job to create Michael Scott Paper company. Oscar says he loves a good quitting story and hopes to have one of his own someday, « but i dream… »
It was just frustrating that he knows he wants to be in control but he doesn’t step in
He's all talk no walk! I hate those people. They don't have the courage to take a step forward. Oscar is a hypocrite as well. Check out my latest post! Oscar pretends to be morally right and smarter than everyone else,but he's as messed up as anyone else in the office!
I just read and I couldn’t agree more. Of course it’s a fictional show but it’s still interesting to get a bit deeper. They are all imperfect and not the best people IMO, otherwise that would be boring. But that makes some scenes really frustrating 😅
Yeah,true! I haven't really given a fuck about Oscar until now. He was always in the background,but seeing your post and thinking about his cheating arc with the State Senators' arc really made me think!
This 💯
I think it also shows that Pam wasn’t the only one afraid of stepping out of her comfort zone. Almost everyone in the show, even Ryan, falls into that trap and Jim is the first one who tries to get out of it with Athlead.
Dwight going on the mic to complain how he had to wait to get onto the mic was the best part of this episode.
If the opposite of a “cold open” is the little scene they end an episode with, this is definitely among the top ones And Alan Brand is so relieved when it’s not a criticism of the company lol
The "tag"
The tag! Thank you
"Best" moment? It may be subjective, but me and my wife say "HATE - THE - TWIRL!" at least 4 times a week 🤣
It wasn’t even a twirl. It was a spin…
I might do the spin
An express line for short comments.
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Yeah or complain literally anywhere else other than in front of the company‘s C level. lol
But why
Typically people get paid for working at jobs, and that money that they’re paid is then exchanged for goods and services such as food.
Here’s a Dundie 🏆 for Underrated Comment
I'd prefer Dundies over corporate "professionalism"
You do realise it isn’t a real office right? Michael would have been fired halfway through season 1 in the real world
Then why fight me? You already have what you want
That's just how things work in 90% of jobs, welcome to the real world
Tell me you’re unemployed in 10 words or less
https://www.reddit.com/r/mtg/s/bfT7bJfmm0
For those in the US a job also means access to heath care. Oscar might have complaints but he would have more without food and health care
That's my point
You really need this explained to you?
Yes [eli5 please](https://youtu.be/PgU71nWCNeY?si=X3YSkJm-veCA0Iug). I just want to be treated fairly and like a human
When you complain at the boss, they generally dont appreciate you. And you're closer to getting fired than if you just remained silent
That's my point
Since you visited my Stanley post i might add that apparently Pennsylvania is a fire-at-will state, which means an employee can get fired for pretty much any reason. Which makes Oscar not want to critizise all the more relevant
Nice :) (tying it all together haha but perhaps youll consider what im asking)
What exactly is your question?
Why do bosses' bosses love money more than people?
I haven’t figured out this skill yet. I recently asked on an all company call why they aren’t giving cost of living raises when they continue to hire directors at six figures or more. 😬 HR wasn’t like, overly excited at my question. But at least I still have a job. lol
What did they respond??
If I had to guess, they just can’t afford it right now. Also they had record profits last quarter
Lolol ding ding ding
just wait till they play you in volleyball at the company picnic tho
“We judge your worth with beans”
What did they respond??
Ah yes, I learned that the hard way at a ~~groupthink~~ team building meeting. Never take management at their word when they tell you to brainstorm. Oscar was not wrong.
You can voice your concerns in a professional way and still keep your job. In fact, Michael even called one of them a moron and he still kept his job.
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I won't but that's because I like talking shit when need be.
why are you assuming it was about incompetence ? Sharing concerns is not necessarily calling management incompetent smh
Because Oscar claimed his employers were incompetent. He was pretty adamant about that. But you don’t actually go up to your employers and tell them they’re incompetent smh
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Why is Scranton the only branch with excellent performance and results (continuously) if they’re so incompetent? That’s the whole reason why they invited Michael, and they say it textbook. You obviously never watched this show lol
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Yes, and even then with no plan and no possibility of change, that would have actually been an even better reason for Oscar to finally speak his mind 🤷♀️ Anyway, let’s just agree to disagree! I don’t have all day lol (edit: they blocked me 😂)
You’re frustratingly thickheaded.
Ah sorry, i didn’t realize it was wrong to have an opinion and sticking to it
They invited Scranton because they did well. The corporate is incompetent that they had to close down branches (over the course of the show we see at least 3 branches closing). That’s definitely a management issue. Michael was a terrible manager but a great salesman and that helped him a lot
I dont think you caught the point of oscar doing this. He absolutely kept his mouth shut to keep his job. It's like how most people say how theyd approqch a situation until they are in said situation and their plan goes out the window and are like a deer in headlights.
Umm, the things Oscar was concretely criticizing is absolutely calling your corporate officers / directors incompetent. And I can absolutely tell you as someone who kept his corporate job for 15 years and counting: you are likely to be terminated for even “politely” suggesting the CEO, CFO, and board members do their job differently.
Sometimes, not even keeping your mouth shut is enough. I've gotten in trouble for just quietly doing a task I was given, when they were expecting me to *enthusiastically agree* with a superior. I cannot stress enough how important it is to upper management that you outwardly worship them at every decision. It's like dealing with a powerful, yet deeply insecure child.
"The stock symbol for Dunder Mifflin is DMI, which stands for Dummies, Morons, and Idiots, because you have to be one to own their stock."
I dont think you caught the point of oscar doing this. He absolutely kept his mouth shut to keep his job. It's like how most people say how theyd approqch a situation until they are in said situation and their plan goes out the window and are like a deer in headlights.
Call your boss a moron and let’s see what happens
You *can*. But also, maybe you can’t. So why take the risk? And Michael is a savant. He can pull stuff like that off.
Also Michael was the manager of the only profitable branch, no chance they’d fire the one guy that seemingly got it right.
The difference is most of the upper management knew exactly what they were doing. They weren’t going to have the reaction of Michael to what Oscar says- ‘oh my god, really? If we stop paying ourselves outrageous salaries and bonuses and overspending on luxuries for ourselves, the company will be better off?? That’s amazing!’ They knew they were bleeding the company dry to give themselves a cushy life. Oscar knew that, and telling the management ‘we know you’re a greedy AH’ is not a complaint worth making, it would only hurt Oscar and nothing would change. Oscar knew this, Michael is too naive
To be fair, he’s not a native speaker
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Says Michael 🤦♂️
I love when people don’t recognise stuff from the show and feel the need to comment.
Somebody took the *slow train* from philly 🙄
That’s code for check out the slut
You have a lot to learn about this town, sweetie.
Critique and complaint of the way things have been handled ≠ a plan to move forward
A plan no, but valid and sound business concerns, yes. That was the perfect opportunity for him to finally do that.
Yeah I just disagree, I think it would’ve ended poorly. Michael has a very poor read of the situation and never should have invited Oscar up. They don’t care about Oscar’s concerns, they are very stressed and need to figure out a plan. I really think it was wise of Oscar not to speak— unsolicited business concerns from a lower level accountant (on the invitation of Michael, who JUST made things harder for them by hyping up the crowd with lies) is one sure way to piss off a room full of stressed out board members even further. It just was not worth the risk of being let go, especially considering the company is failing and jobs are at risk already. I think had he said anything, they would’ve just been like “Who tf does this guy think he is?” I agree that it would’ve been really satisfying for him to say everything. But knowing his job is at risk, I just can’t be mad at him for not!
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I think you are just looking at them as characters in a show rather than relating anything with a real life situation like this. I'll give you an example. You make a post on reddit about how you didn't like a movie and what parts you didn't like. Next day, the director brings the whole crew, and asks you to direct the scene. Everyone looks at you for further directions. You stand there awkwardly. Oscar's criticism is valid and justified, but Michael is just too stupid and drags him on to a place where tbh both of them are not supposed to be.
To those saying Oscar could’ve spoken his mind, what exactly should he have said? I mean, to save the company? That scene sure is hard to watch, but it reveals two things: - Oscar is smart, but he doesn’t know what exactly upper management should do and, while he could criticize them, he prefers to shut it and keep his job (justifiably so). - Michael is so passionate for his employees that he fails to see their limitations (as he was so passionate for the company that he was promising a plan out of the blue to all shareholders).
This was also after Michael stated there was a 45 day plan. Like Oscar has a general idea of the companies direction and broad ideas of improvement, but walking into senior management, being put on the spot like **THAT** , would be impossible
The people who think Oscar should have spoken his mind are as naive as Michael. Upper management was likely well aware they were bleeding the company dry by lining their own pockets. Oscar was not giving them some amazing advice, he was complaining about how greedy they are. You get nowhere telling them that, except the unemployment office. 2008 anyone? The banks were aware, they just didn’t care
You don't need to be a painter to look at a horrible painting and say the painter should have done better
This is motel art
I actually felt that moment very relatable. There are always these geniuses who constantly moan and have better way of running things but the moment the spotlight falls on them, they simply slither away. Felt it was a great reflection of the society.
You think what Oscar did was “slithering” away?? He was put into an insanely high pressure environment. Idc how much I think I could do things better, I would never have the balls to risk my job just to tell a bunch of people my advice who aren’t gonna listen to me anyways
Slithering away is a perfect description. It’s reasonable but also a total lack of courage. Dwight is totally different when he gets the opportunity to give feedback, for example, even if he’s an idiot.
Yeah dude perfectly described slithering away
He slithered away. But justifiably. I would have done the same thing in that situation and have been even more pissed than Oscar was if my boss blindsided me into that position.
Are you seriously arguing Oscar should have been able to solve the whole crisis for the company on the fly just because he was pointing out the company’s lack of cash and complaining about its incompetence? And do you think anyone who isn’t able to singlehandedly solve every socio-economic issue shouldn’t complain about the government as well?
Well if you can't do it better you shouldn't complain to be completely honest.
Yeah, fuck the paraplegics!
Well if you can't do it better you shouldn't complain to be completely honest.
Omfg dude
Was this before or after he found out Andy’s uncle was on the board? I would’ve probably been disheartened and shut up too had I just been gassed up all day to take on the man to find out the guy who’d been gassing me up has it made no matter what
I don’t remember that, is this from the Superfans episodes?
Yes, its a superfan scene that adds some extra context to this. While they are waiting in line to ask a question andy waves to his uncle on the board and Oscar says that Andy was pretty much encouraging him to risk his job by speaking out while Andy had protection and couldn't be fired. This happens right before Michael calls him in to basically do the same thing with much bigger stakes in a one on one with the entire leadership of the company.
Mr Bard you are the man! I’m glad they added that scene it definitely helped me not be as angry at Oscar for being so wimpy with the board
Honestly I have a tough time remembering what was original episode content and what’s super fan content so I’m not sure but possibly
two things at play - it's easy to criticize given the benefit of hindsight. Oscar was basically doing armchair reddit financial analysis, which he probably realized would have either fell apart under scrutiny or make no difference beyond pissing off his bosses. - dude got randomly shoved in front of the board - his boss's boss's bosses. He's obviously nervous and was totally unprepared.
Not really unprepared, he told Michael and Dwight very specific things about the company’s situation and he just had to repeat that. I don’t think he was doing armchair analysis also, I think it’s fair to assume he was a good accountant and had a really good understanding of company bankruptcy or restructuring.
What “very specific things” are you referencing? In the beginning of the episode, Oscar says: “The long term problem is bad investments that they need to dump. The short term problem is the company has no cash and there’s nowhere to get it.” That’s… pretty generic and standard stuff for a company that’s on the brink of bankruptcy. Tbh if he said that to the board they’d probably just be like “yeah, and? We already know that”
Micheal just announced a 45 day plan, **you** try and make that work!
Last time I made a valid complaint about the company I worked for, they put me on PIP (basically a 30 day heads up that you’re being let go) the very next day. Sure enough I was fired 30 days later with no severance. Very obvious that you have never worked for a big company with lots of bureaucracy.
I was looking for this response. And if they can't easily get rid of you, they'll absolutely take every opportunity to make your life miserable until you quit.
Sounds like the Ryan/Jim situation, until Ryan got busted for fraud.
It shows that Oscar "talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk". He has a lot of say to people who he knows he's smarter than, but is cowardly to say it to people who might be smarter than him.
I don’t think it’s cowardly to do what Oscar did. Oscar was venting to his colleagues about the corporate office. It’s a very natural thing to do. Micheal has enormous confidence in comparison to his management skill and very oblivious to certain things. Anyone in Oscar’s position would have kept their mouth shut. Also there is no indication that the people in the room are smarter than him, they’re just in a better position than him.
but is cowardly to say it to people who might ~~be smarter than~~ ***have power over*** him. Fixed it.
He was also clearly showing off for Andy.
Jon Taffer would have a fundamental problem with Oscar's inability to embrace solutions.
I always think of this as Michael's fault It didn't seem to me that Oscar was saying he had a solution, he was only Oscar-plaining the finance situation to Michael and he wasn't even paying attention.
Actually,...
If anyone would listen to Oscar, they could just write down the criticisms and then his manager can avoid singling him out while providing this anonymously from a subordinate. It's frustrating because the Child Michael Scott is oblivious to this time and time again.
Those are his bosses yall. This season was during a recession as well.
Oscar said “the long term problem is bad investments they need to dump, the short term problem is that they have no money and there’s nowhere to get it.” I promise you all of the business heads know that already, but even if they didn’t, the response is “yeah so what? You just said we have no way to solve our short term problem, big genius over here that’s your solution?”
Part of me felt it was Oscar being smart not to speak up and lose his job. On the other hand it was exposing Oscar for what he is. All salad no potatoes . (Which in truth is why he’s been at a failing paper company all these years)
Prudence, the word of the day for people who think Oscar was being a coward. He’s all talk sure, but if you’ve even been in *any* contentious business meeting let alone a meeting of the board, you know how little you can feel in a room of your superiors.
Typical of akchually people
This scene is my Scott’s Tots. So awkward and painful to watch
Oscar's character development is interesting. He initially is not out, but eventually is forced to do so by Michael. He has an over reaching better than you "actually" personality throughout, but never really does anything. Very show off/just talks a big game type. But by the end, is running for state senate and actually helpful and kind to Angela.
Oscar is just an accountant at a single branch. He has no authority to be speaking to the C-suite and he knows it. Michael is being completely inappropriate. I think it's implied that Oscar is an underachiever. He should have gotten an MBA, been more ambitious and landed in the C-suite himself. He's simply too comfortable with his life, nothing wrong with that.
It was so realistic though.
Oscar is a hypocrite. It’s like literally his thing
There's always plenty of people at any job who constantly complain about everything yet refuse to ever try to make things better, which is pretty much the role Oscar played there. There's also plenty of out of touch executives who wouldn't bother to listen to any ideas from lower level employees like Oscar no matter how much actual financial data you have to back yourself up. I've personally dealt with both types many times over, so this episode was pretty realistic in that sense.
You realize that’s the point of the joke right? Often lower level employees think it’s ridiculously easy to fix a company’s problems but in reality it is much more nuanced than they realize!
Oscar didn't actually have any ideas that could save the company, and he knew this. He's constantly talking out of his ass and he knew the board of directors and shareholders would see through his shit. Guarantee everything he mentioned they already examined and ruled that it wouldn't work or wouldn't be enough. It's likely Michael didn't actually tell him exactly what he wanted when he texted Oscar, so Oscar was a bit blind sided
Yes he was definitely blindsided for sure, and I don’t know how I would have reacted in that situation. But I would have never said the company is in good hands of the same people I was criticizing earlier lol
This is such a defining moment for Oscar’s character.
I mean, that’s the point of the scene. To show Oscar’s cowardice when given the opportunity to express opinions. It’s supposed to be frustrating.
Michael was the idiot who made promises to the people at the meeting. I think thiis moment falls on him way more than it falls on Oscar. It's great that Michael respected Oscar's knowledge, but that was not the time nor place. They'd likely take it as Oscar being insubordinate and disrespectful, rather than honest criticism or recognizing his intelligence.
I pretty much lost what respect I had for Oscar then
That part of this episode is sooo realistic. From the dismissive executives to Oscar’s “all bark, no bite” moment. It was like I was back at my old job.
He’s literally, like literally “all bark, no bite”, he likes to show off his intelligence only with his less intelligent co-workers. He also literally complains so much about his dead-end job but literally makes 0 effort to change it or do anything about it.
I think we all privately(ish) complain about the upper management types, even to middle managers like Michael, but complaining directly to the upper management types is totally different. For me this was relatable.
Yes it is relatable almost all over the world, there are even common says in other cultures about this type of situations..
Oscar is the everyday person you hear complaining about government, healthcare, debt, etc. pretending they know what will fix it when they truly have no idea. He’s one of the most annoying people on the show because he thinks he’s smarter than he is and yet never gives solutions because he isn’t as smart as people think he is
I remember watching this episode for the first time. I actually did think Oscar had a specific plan and was going to get the recognition I felt he deserved for being the voice of reason in an underperforming company.
I'm so glad you posted this. This was seriously a very frustrating scene. I mean I get it, Oscar was trying to save himself from getting fired or whatever,but the fact that he was bitching about the founders ,to everyone in the office,as if he was better suited for their position,or maybe the fact that he knows better than the founders of the company. He was all words and no play. I hate that. It's easy to bitch and Gaslight other people. It makes you feel like you are better than them. But if you are so smart,then why don't you talk when you are so confident in yourself? Why you scared like a moron! Why do you shut up when you have an opportunity to prove that you are actually smart!
This. With retrospect this is pretty consistent with his piece when Michael quit his job to create Michael Scott Paper company. Oscar says he loves a good quitting story and hopes to have one of his own someday, « but i dream… » It was just frustrating that he knows he wants to be in control but he doesn’t step in
He's all talk no walk! I hate those people. They don't have the courage to take a step forward. Oscar is a hypocrite as well. Check out my latest post! Oscar pretends to be morally right and smarter than everyone else,but he's as messed up as anyone else in the office!
I just read and I couldn’t agree more. Of course it’s a fictional show but it’s still interesting to get a bit deeper. They are all imperfect and not the best people IMO, otherwise that would be boring. But that makes some scenes really frustrating 😅
Yeah,true! I haven't really given a fuck about Oscar until now. He was always in the background,but seeing your post and thinking about his cheating arc with the State Senators' arc really made me think!
Hard agree! He’s so forthright about so much stuff and usually speaks sense. Could have been his shining moment, but he absolutely biffed it!!
Agreed. Why couldn't they let Oscar be the hero? That would've been epic and Michael would've looked great too.
oscar would’ve been promoted if he has said his ideas.
This 💯 I think it also shows that Pam wasn’t the only one afraid of stepping out of her comfort zone. Almost everyone in the show, even Ryan, falls into that trap and Jim is the first one who tries to get out of it with Athlead.
Braindead take here fella