Reviews For Never Give Up
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Reviewer: darjeelingandcoke Signed [Report This]
Date: October 30, 2020 03:23 pm Title: Moving On

Yikes. This is a LOT to cover in one chapter.

I thought the Nellie-reading-Andy-the-riot-act scene worked quite well - it seemed very much in Nellie's voice, and it this point in the plot she is basically the last remaining character who is a capable of delivering Andy this sort of message and still has reason to do so. (Plus, the neutered, spayed and fixed bit is just flat out funny.) Maybe Andy would feel better if he knew how much of his dignity was being preserved by skipping the not-particularly-funny viral sensation plot - and for that matter by not making him responsible for the ugly awkwardness of the return of Gabe and Alice.

I like the way you've reframed Toby's story here - I feel like this was pretty just another "oh look, Toby is pathetic and wrong about everything" subplot in canon, and here it's actually kind of a step forward for him. (Boy, the more I think about it, the writers and Michael kinda felt the same way about Toby, didn't they?)

The parallels between this Dwight-Angela plot and early seasons Jim-Pam had not occurred to me before, that was a nice touch.

I'm really glad you worked in the Dr. J meeting. It would be fundamentally unfair for the version of Jim who made notably better decisions to miss out on that - and of course in this version the whole thing is something he can enjoy guilt-free. Pam's speech in the dinner scene was terrific and very moving, and I'm curious to see where their future is going to be if it's not going to be with Athlead.

Author's Response:

Appreciate the compliments!

One would hope that canon Andy would get a wake-up call at least but, no such luck.  It's a shame because he's a fine character and Ed Helms is charming as hell.  And yeah, I picked Nellie for that very reason.  She knows she's wronged him, and ironically she's making up for what she's done to him by chewing him out.  Nellie has such a specific voice and delivery amongst the rest of the cast, and I wanted to convey that in this and (hopefully) make it work.

Toby's was fun because yes, he is pathetic, but he deserves a win every now and again, despite how he gets there. (And yes, the writers did hate Toby, just ask Paul Lieberstein.)

Yeah, the Dwight/Angela parallel didn't to me either!  But as I watched the scene and read the lines, I knew that if I didn't it'd be a missed opportunity.

I knew after the hell I put him through in "Lice" that Jim should have a chance to meet Dr. J, especially after he's become more responsible and at peace with himself.  And Pam's speech was one of the scenes I loved writing the most.  I wanted her risk-taking attitude to come naturally, and not a spur-of-the-moment decision.  And I do have plans for Jim's future in marketing...

Thanks for the review as always! 

Reviewer: warrior4 Signed [Report This]
Date: October 30, 2020 08:15 am Title: Moving On

Nice long chapter. Lots of great moments and references. I really liked the Dr. Who one between Andy and Nellie, nice touch.

Kinda glad everyone gave Andy the cold shoulder there. He deserved it. Yes, he had a bit of a family crisis, but he any sympathy he might have gotten from his co-workers went out the window when he continued to not be there and then just immediatly expect a loving reception on his return.

Nice to see Pete stand up to his ex. Likewise with Erin and Gabe. Seriously creepy vibes coming from him there.

Very much a Casino Night moment for Angela and Dwight, especially with the repurposed lines. They'll figure it out of course but for now it still stings.

Love that Jim could meet Dr. J. Though the insecurities bouncning through Pam's head read right too. Up until dinner, they're in a better place then they have been prior to Jim leaving, but still not all the way back to each other. Pam' declaration there at the end and the dual "I love you's" are a very sweet way to really get them together again.

Nice job.

Author's Response:

Thank you!

I know a lot of 'Whovians' love Donna Noble so I wanted to add that in there for her fans.

Yeah, that's the natural response when you leave your post for three months with the CEO none the wiser.  Though S9 Andy bugs the hell out of me, selfishness was always one of his biggest character flaws, and I still wanted to get that across.

I really liked writing those exchanges, I hope it further solidifies Pete as a defined character.  Again, I didn't even have to change any of Gabraham Lincoln's lines here, he's just that hilariously creepy.  "Smooth as a porpoise" still kills me.

Y'know, it's funny, all of this could have been avoided if Dwight didn't kill Sprinkles.  Makes you think. 

And Dr. J!  It was such a sweet C-plot in "Lice", what made it painful was the juxtaposition with Pam's struggles.  Her being in a better place (and seeing it for herself) made it that much sweeter, especially with her actually wanting to take a risk and be there for him in the end.  And that "Paper Airplane" moment was just too good to not use here.

Thanks for the review as always! 

Reviewer: DoomGoose Signed 1 [Report This]
Date: October 30, 2020 06:42 am Title: Moving On

I haven't reviewed this in a while and wow looking back over this the story has gone places! The jam payoff was totally worth it, I was smiling like a madman for most of their subplot this chapter. I liked the parallels to Casino night that you made for Dwight and Angela as well.
Really glad that Jim and Pam are back in sync though, that does wonders for my morale as a reader 😂

Keel up the great work!

Author's Response:

LOL Thanks DG!  Glad you hopped back in.

But yeah, as far as JAM goes, they're both in a much better place than they have been, and they'll be much happier for the rest of the story.

The Casino Night parallels came to me as I was watching it.  It's not as impactful as that moment, but for fans of all things Dwight (myself included) it's a tough watch emotionally.  There were several ways I wanted to go about it, but I settled on something I felt worked the best.

Thanks for the review! 

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