Sunday, May 2, 2010

The Hurry Up: The Office

The other day I read about the possibility of Steve Carell leaving The Office after next season. My reaction? Good! (I hate myself)

WHY did I say good?! I love(d) this show! Wait, no, get rid of that d. I love this show, just as I love The Simpsons, but it's a different show now from the one I fell in love with. As big a fan I am of The Simpsons, I don't watch it anymore. There are times when I'm bored and I'll check out the new episode on Hulu and that usually scares me off for a while. It's just not the show I watched everyday (thank you re-runs!) for years. The Office seems to be heading down that road, and I say heading because there have been episodes and moments this season that were classics, but there are also those times when the writers seem to be yearning to write a different show because they're a little bored with this one.

If the show has run out of steam for Carell by the end of next season (which really wouldn't surprise me. How many more ideas could they have past another season?) then I think the show will have run out of steam completely and it's probably best to let it go with dignity. I don't want to see another Scrubs, if it's time then don't fight it. The US version has lasted almost ten times longer than Gervais and Merchant's original, I don't think they'll have shot under their potential after another season. Of course, I might just feel this way because Season 2 was the finest assembly of episodes in the history of anything, so I don't believe the best could possibly be yet to come.

Anyway! The task at hand. This season has been a bit uneven partially because they were nice enough to give us the season finale during the 4th episode (let's face it, "Niagara" was the season finale, but waiting for it would've ruined the season. Too predictable.) and it has been tough to come back from that. The Sabre stuff is working better than I expected, but there is still a lot to be missed with no more Wallace, no more corporate, no more New York. I love Andy, I like Erin, but Erin and Andy has quickly become annoying with a needless injection of drama. I realize they lost the Jim & Pam courtship, but that drama worked because their relationship was defined by that drama from their first introduction. Andy and Erin are at their best when they're obliviously happy, dragging both of them down with Angela is stupid. I'm glad Erin was back to her chipper self this week, but if "Secretary's Day" was just a way to break them up then the whole storyline feels like a waste. I want an episode based around something like Andy and Erin's constant use of pet names causing Michael to try and come up with pet names for everyone to feel less alone. Erin's "hair room" was funny, but like I said when I named her a key addition, there are enough depressed people on this show now, without Erin and Andy there's no sunshine left.

  • Best Episode So Far: "Niagara" (If they top it I may never recover)
  • Worst Episode So Far: "Mafia" (Good idea to stuff it in after "Niagara")
  • MVP Candidate: Ed Helms as Andy Bernard
  • Rookie of the Year Candidate: Zach Woods as Gabe Lewis (I point you to his reaction to saying "almost too black" in "Body Language")
  • Favorite Scene So Far: Come on! It has to be the dance down the aisle in "Niagara"!
  • Episodes Left: 3
  • Finale: May 20th

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