New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

While the British Office – which, true story, ran for just 12 episodes (plus a Christmas special) – ended with Tim (Jim) and Dawn (Pam) realizing they simply want to be together, our version of The Office has showed us Jim and Pam's dating years, them moving in together, their wedding and now Cecilia, their first child. What's next? Cecilia's first steps? Cecilia's preschool days? Cecilia's new sales job at Dunder Mifflin?

The problem in giving the audience what it wants (i.e. Jam together at last) is that it greatly weakens the dramatic side to The Office that I had always respected about the show. It also leaves the writers in a bit of a hole. I mean, really, what's next?

The writers have tried peppering Office fans with other relationships to chew on, but none have been nearly as compelling as Jim and Pam. The only current one worth mentioning is Andy and Erin, and that relationship is about as riveting as a repeat of Antiques Roadshow. The Office could resurrect Dwangela (Dwight and Angela), but that one I feel has also run its course. I'd argue that Michael could bring about a sort of renaissance in The Office's relationship game, but his adventures with women usually get cut too short (Carol, Holly and Pam's mother, Helene). Resurrecting anything with Jan would be a huge letdown, considering the best parts about their strange coupledom happened before Michael and Jan moved in together. (Save for the events in "Dinner Party").

The humor is more absurd, physical and broad. It's more obvious than ever that The Office is a network sitcom

When The Office first began, it all but feasted on awkward situations and subtleties. There was "Diversity Day" – the show's second episode! – that had Michael creating his own racial tolerance seminar by forcing his employees to wear ethnicities (via note cards) on their foreheads for others to see. There was "Christmas Party," which had Michael introducing "Yankee Swap" into the office's standard gift exchange after being openly disappointed in Phyllis' homemade oven mitt. There was "Gay Witch Hunt" – the season three premiere – which not only had Michael kissing Oscar on the lips in front of everybody in the conference room, but also opened on one of the most awkward situations imaginable: A close-up of Dwight clipping his fingernails at his desk. Remember: This was the first new episode to air after Jim kissed Pam at the end of season two. After a months-long wait – more than four months in fact – The Office welcomed us back with a shot of one of the branch's more disgusting employees grooming himself. It was fantastic.

Memorable moments like this don't seem to happen anymore. Instead, the comedy in The Office has evolved into absurd, physical and broad humor. In "Golden Ticket," Michael adorns a Willy Wonka hat and randomly puts "golden tickets" into shipments of paper for five Dunder Mifflin clients. "Casual Friday" strikes The Office, which essentially is one big excuse to squeeze Meredith Palmer into skimpy attire. In "Gossip," Michael, Dwight and Andy perform parkour. In "Mafia," Michael meets with an insurance salesman, Angelo Grotti, who Dwight and Andy are convinced is in the mob. Even more recently, Michael and Dwight go to a dump, get into a fight and start throwing trash at each other (New Leads").

Continued:       1       2       3