Tivo Roster's Key Addition: Kelly Erin Hannon

Earlier this season on The Office, when Pam Beesly decided that learning the copier manual was a little too soul crushing, we were introduced to Erin Hannon (played by Ellie Kemper), the new face of Dunder-Mifflin, Scranton. A tepid start in “The Michael Scott Paper Company,” matched with the fact that Pam was sure to return, made it seem like Erin would be going the way of Ronnie. Instead, Pam's new job as a saleswoman means Erin is staying behind the famous reception desk. “Cafe Disco” was her time to step out of the background to start becoming a fully rounded character, and she ran with it. That's why she's the first Tivo Roster Key Addition.

Ironically, Erin's position on The Office was solidified by her being fired. The first episode of The Office ended with Michael fake firing Pam, which caused her to break down rather than appreciate his obvious hilarity. A similar rouse at the end of “Cafe Disco” marked Pam's transition from gopher to an official, lasting role as a saleswoman. Michael decides to immediately keep the good vibes going by trying the same joke on Erin, even having Pam go fetch her. So Pam gets her final humiliation before entering the grown up world of sales, and Erin replaces Pam as Michael's comedy crash-test dummy. The torch was passed, and for the first time I accepted Erin as a new member of the ensemble.

The reason I'm so excited about Erin is her innocent friendliness. It's a quality that has been beaten out of the other characters by now, and it was time for a fresh infusion of it. I loved “Cafe Disco” as an episode, and almost every event is made possible by Erin's unique attitude to Dunder-Mifflin. The very first moment of the episode has her team with Dwight to (unknowingly) play a prank on Jim and Pam. Dwight works best in a team, and it was getting old to constantly have him searching for an alliance only to always come up empty or be made a fool of. Erin is currently a perfect foil for Dwight, as evidenced by her honest apology for always asking how everyone was doing (which he took as a question rather than a casual greeting), and her immediate willingness to produce her birth certificate (from her handbag!). Dwight works well when he has a tiny bit of authority, which he imagines gives him an iron grip on the entire office. With no one to fear him he had no chance for authority, but now he has Erin, who is currently trying her best to figure Dunder-Mifflin out.

While bringing Dwight back to life would be big enough on its own, Erin's interactions with Michael really stood out for me. The moment that really got me started writing about her didn't even catch my eye until the second viewing:

Michael: Anybody want to go to lunch with me later on?
Dwight: I do!
Michael: Okay...how about a woman? (Erin leans forward in the background and opens her mouth to speak) Pam?

By this point, we know how these interactions are going to go; Michael will invite people to things, Dwight will want to go, but Michael would much prefer Jim, Pam, or Ryan. Yes, he ends up singling out Pam (and by proxy Jim) and Ryan, but Erin's reaction introduces her as a wildcard. She doesn't venture to speak for the rest of the scene, instead her eyes dart around the room in an attempt to understand what's going on, but having someone in the room who might act differently added some excitement to an otherwise worn out situation.

Simply put, she doesn't know enough to see beyond how characters are presenting themselves. Dwight is an authority figure to be respected, Michael is cool and fun (and she likes wacky bad boys), and Kelly is Rachel McAdams in Mean Girls. I'm sure one day she'll learn the truth, but right now I'm enjoying having someone on The Office who isn't on “team crazy” (Michael, Dwight, Kelly, Andy, etc.) or “team sarcastic detachment” (Jim, Pam, Oscar, Stanley, etc.). Like Oscar said after finding out she invited a friend to the dance party, “you invited someone?!...I've been here eight years and I've never...” That's why she's a wildcard, and that's why she's a Tivo Roster Key Addition. (Now I just hope she doesn't get fired!)