Build-Up to The Office Finale

[trekkiebaggio]

It's the last half of the season for The Office, and seeing as the Dwight spin-off has been cancelled it's likely that this is the last time we'll ever see any of these characters.

I read an interview last week or the week before where the showrunner said that he was looking forward to doing some things that he never had a chance to before, and they were going to incorporate the documentary crew more. That started in the last episode, with one of the crew helping to comfort Pam.

It seems like they're looking to go out with an impact, so I'm hoping it'll live up to expectations. I think the show as a whole has been a bit lackluster over the past few years but this season has been pretty strong.

What are you hoping for in the final episodes?

I was hoping Steve Carell would come back for a cameo but I think he ruled it out. I'm not missing Andy as much as I thought I would be, so it'll be interesting to see at what point he does return.

[Yoda]

I'm just watching this show out of habit. I didn't care for the documentary crew getting involved. Oh no, Pam is sad! Guys stop the camera! Give me a break. The gimmick doesn't make much sense at this point. They should avoid drawing attention to it.

Why is Ed Helms too big of a star to be on the show? Did I miss something? The Hangover? Is that it? The constant boss shuffle of the past few seasons really hasn't helped.

I don't know, all the show ever really had to do plot-wise was to get Jim and Pam together. This is one show where I don't really see or need a proper conclusion. They should just have Dunder Mifflin go out of business and turn out the lights.

[Mr Light]

Ed Helms is temporarily off the show while he's filming Hangover 3, he's coming back. I can't believe how long he's been gone, though. But I've been enjoying this season, moreso than the last one. They actually are wrapping storylines and moving things forward, and putting an emphasis back on Jim and Pam, who have practically disappeared from the show in the past few years.

[J.T.B.]

Yoda wrote:

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I'm just watching this show out of habit. I didn't care for the documentary crew getting involved. Oh no, Pam is sad! Guys stop the camera! Give me a break. The gimmick doesn't make much sense at this point. They should avoid drawing attention to it.

That's about where I am with the show, too. If they want to commit to the documentary thing or completely ignore it, I'm fine either way. But the way they just acknowledge or ignore it as it suits them is a half-assed, gimmicky way to go.

The show started out as fairly believable and realistic, like the original, but got more and more outlandish and further from the concept. I wouldn't have missed it if it ended a couple of years ago, but, well, might as well see it to the end.

Justin

[Spot's Meow]

I didn't really like the film crew getting involved either. I could have understood that reaction had Pam just learned that Jim died or something, but they just got into a little fight on the phone. If that's the worst argument they've had then they have pretty awesome lives.

Frankly I've had no interest in Jim and Pam since they got married. I care much more about the rest of the characters now.

[sidious618]

Andy not being there has vastly improved the quality.

[Keith1701]

I was hoping the show would go off the air a lot sooner

[Kirby]

It used to be appointment viewing for me, but it's really gone down hill since Jim and Pam's wedding. I tuned in again for the run up to Steve Carrell leaving, and caught a handful of episodes last year, but it's hard to care about this show anymore.

[Ood Sigma]

I, for one, am going to miss it tremendously. Is it as good as before? No, but I'm just really going to miss the characters.

[Squiggy]

As a former sound guy...I'm offended as to where this is heading.

[trekkiebaggio]

I really hope they don't break Jim and Pam up.

It's a bit jarring that the documentary crew are getting involved after all this time but I like the fact the show is acknowledging they exist.

[the G-man]

Spot's Meow wrote:

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I didn't really like the film crew getting involved either. I could have understood that reaction had Pam just learned that Jim died or something, but they just got into a little fight on the phone. If that's the worst argument they've had then they have pretty awesome lives.

The only reason to reveal the camera crew would have been to have something "fun" done with it, such as having them revealed as Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. Instead, we got a someone who might as well be an extra from central casting.

Frankly I've had no interest in Jim and Pam since they got married. I care much more about the rest of the characters now.

The Jim/Pam situation is a good example of what happens when a show runs too long.

Their arc ended with the marriage. While having them stick around might have worked if the focus moved on to other characters, the writers needed to give them (as two of the three remaining "stars" of show post-Carrell) "big" storylines.

This was further complicated by Krasinki leaving early and only agreeing to a partial final season. So, instead of writing a story that flowed naturally from the characters as written, they had to shoehorn in a plot to explain Jim's absence.

At the same time, they needed to keep Pam around because Jenna Fisher hadn't quit. So, despite the fact that Pam was traditionally one of the few characters on the show who seemed willing (post Roy) to try and move out of Scranton and better her life (see, eg, the time in NY at art school), despite the fact that Dunder-Miffelin is dead end company and despite the fact that a young couple with very young kids are precisely the type of people who would typically move for a new job, they need to contrive that she didn't want to go with Jim.

At this point its not about story. It's about meeting quota and honoring contracts

[J.T.B.]

^ Good points. The "Will Jim and Pam break up?" thing seems like a pretty cheap way to inject some drama, especially with the soundman popping his manly-yet-sensitive nose into things. It really fell flat for me.

And what exactly does Jim's business do, anyway? I've never been able to figure that out.

Justin

[1001001]

I've really enjoyed The Office over its run. It was definitely better when Steve Carrell was on, but you still gotta love Dwight Schrute.

[the G-man]

J.T.B. wrote:

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And what exactly does Jim's business do, anyway?

Same thing as the businesses that employed Chandler Bing and Ward Cleaver