Build-Up to The Office Finale

[Guy Gardener]

I thought that they were agents or publicists for sports professionals?

But I suppose if we see Jim doodling on his WENUS, we'll know for sure.

Although, some of you are quite bright, and must recall that Chandler was a transponster.

[Ood Sigma]

I know Jim is only working part-time in the office, but it seems like he's on the show just as much as ever, if not more. Andy's absence is more notable. He hasn't been on at all in what, 4-5 weeks?

I sincerely doubt they'll break up Pam and Jim. More likely, Pam will be tempted by the sound guy but realize that she truly loves Jim when push comes to shove. I also expect they'll move to Philly permanently in the finale.

[Guy Gardener]

Nah.

We saw the beginning, so gotta see the end.

Happily ever after is for chumps.

Besides the crew almost said that they were waiting for Jim and Pam to break up when they said "We want to see how things work out."

[Ood Sigma]

^ You may be right, but if so, I'll be disappointed. There have been points along the way where I have cringed at their relationship (the baby delivery episode being the lowest point), but if they end up no longer together, I'll feel as though the whole thing will have been for nothing.

[trekkiebaggio]

^I agree. I like the fact that there hasn't been any drama with them. Jim & Pam are one of my favourite tv couples so if they break them up this close to the finale it'll just seem like a stunt.

[1001001]

They're not going to break them up. They're adding a little tension before the finale, but Jim and Pam will have a happy ending for sure.

[Guy Gardener]

Paul divorced Jaimie in the last episode of Mad About You because, and I quote "You're not kind anymore."

You can't trust wet shit to stink.

[the G-man]

And "Mad About You" died in syndication after that. Which would be reason alone for the producers of "the Office" to avoid that with Jim and Pam.

[Guy Gardener]

You haven't seen the final episode, or you don't recall all of it, because I was only telling half the truth.

[Venardhi]

The show is so much better when the wackiness is somewhat plausible. Carell was written wackier and wackier to the point of not seeming to be someone who could realistically function as a human being. That was then transferred on to Helms and really brought down the whole show. Removing both of them from the picture has really helped to bring back some of that realism and the show is really benefiting from it.

[Mr Light]

Does anyone know when Andy comes back? This is way too long an absence. And I didn't know about Krasinski leaving early, that makes me worried about how stupid they're going to go with this...

I'm definitely enjoy this year more than last. They're actually doing something with the story, and putting an emphasis on Jim/Pam again. They basically disappeared from the show after the baby was born.

[the G-man]

Guy Gardener wrote:

---

You haven't seen the final episode, or you don't recall all of it, because I was only telling half the truth.

You're right. I don't recall all of it. I remember Jeaneane Garafalo's character (their now-adult daughter narrating) saying they split up. Was there an epilogue where they got remarried?

[J.T.B.]

Venardhi wrote:

---

The show is so much better when the wackiness is somewhat plausible. Carell was written wackier and wackier to the point of not seeming to be someone who could realistically function as a human being. That was then transferred on to Helms and really brought down the whole show. Removing both of them from the picture has really helped to bring back some of that realism and the show is really benefiting from it.

Agreed. Also every higher-up boss they had either turned into a moron or was bizarrely eccentric, to the point you wondered how they managed to stay in business. They seemed more like wacky sitcom boss-characters than anything one would encounter in real life. The show was stronger when it had more of real-world grounding.

[the G-man]

The problem with "real world grounding" was that very few American TV shows will let their lead characters be unlikeable. The original version of Michael was casually racist and sexist along with clueless. When that became....problematic...they turned him into a "loveable lunkhead," sort of a better looking Homer Simpson. And, just like Homer, he got progressively stupider.

[Venardhi]

It was shown time and time again in the first season or two that beneath his trying too hard and lacking common sense in certain social situations, he was a capable professional and often had a better hold on a situation than the people around him. His occasional offensiveness was part of his charm because it was never malicious.