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Don’t you love being on a first name basis with fictional characters? Large swaths of the country know who Jim, Pam, Michael, and Dwight are - no last names needed. And last night, there was an Office party with all of them.

The season premiere of “The Office” season five lived up to the desperate hope that office workers had nurtured in their bosoms all summer. It was personally gratifying to see two of my predictions come true, though if you haven’t seen your DVR yet, well, I won’t spoil it.

This episode - “Weight Loss” - was different than the standard formula for “The Office.” What did you think of it? For the first time, the writers covered the summer, making the show span eight weeks instead of a day or two. There was definitely less quiet, awkward space presented to steep the viewer in the coffin of boredom that is Dunder Mifflin. At times, it seemed a little rushed to fit everything in. But the character-driven storylines were strong, and Michael and Holly continue to weave tapestries of social awkwardness.

I’m looking forward to season five. We’ll see how “The Office” writers and producers reckon with the continually building popularity of the show. Its Emmy snub may smart the people who invest in it, but across office buildings everywhere, it’s still the water cooler review.

Post-its have never been so cool. 

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