'The Office' to end after this season

[Chris3123]

NBC's "The Office" will end after the upcoming ninth season, it was announced on a conference call to reporters on Tuesday.

Executive producer Greg Daniels will return as showrunner for the final year -- taking over from Paul Lieberstein, who is prepping a potential spinoff. Daniels ran the show, still NBC's highest-rated scripted series, for the first five seasons.

"As we head into the home stretch, we have a lot of exciting things I've been wanting to do since season two," Daniel told reporters. "The end should be pretty cool."

Daniels, who was on-set during the call, called it the "last chance" for the crew "to go out" the way he had envisioned, noting that "familiar faces [will be] coming back" as well as welcoming new cast members like Jake Lacy and Clark Duke for what may be an "emotional" ending for some.

"At some point you have a choice: to always tell the beginnings of stories and the middles or to allow a story to end and I think endings can be very powerful and meaningful pieces of the story," said Daniels, who shared that NBC entertainment president Bob Greenblatt was supportive of the season nine plan. "If we didn't let it end this year, I don't know if we would have been able to tell the endings for so many character that I really want to know the endings for."

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Can't say I'm too terribly disappointed. While I've watched all 8 seasons so far, I've noticed that the show just isn't what it used to be.

 

[Trekker4747]

When they lost Carell it's a surprise the show lasted this long. (Though James Spader was an interesting addition.)

 

[Borgminister]

It's time. Hopefully it'll go out on a (goofy) high note.

 

[Guy Gardener]

The final episode... Obama outlaws paper.

"Buy a damn IPAD, join the 21st century!"

 

[CommodoreKong]

I still enjoy the Office, but it seems like it's about time to end the show.
I wonder if Carell will return for an episode or two this season.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

It's not the same since Carrell left, but it's still better than most comedies out there right now. I'm sorry to see it go, but I understand the decision.

 

[trekkiebaggio]

I still enjoy it, but I see why it's ending. I hope Carell comes back for at least an episode.

 

[Mr Light]

I still enjoyed the Carrell-less season, because it's an ensemble not a one man show, but I'm glad they're going in knowing it's the last year and they're going to go all out and go through changes and progressions. I'm looking forward to it!

 

[Kirby]

I still think Jim and Pam's wedding would have been the best ending to the show. I've mostly continued to watch over the past few years, and it just feels tired at this point. I hope this last season will come on strong, but we'll see. I'm dreading this Dwight spinoff though, I'm afraid it'll be closer to Joey than Frasier.

 

[the G-man]

I thought the season opener was pretty good thought it still suffers from a few of the problems caused by Carrell's departure and the fact its been on as long as it has.

The new/old Andy was a welcome return to the character back when he and Jim were CT. Very preferable to the Michael lite that was foisted on us the past few years.

Dwight's humiliation during the ropes course was akin the black comedy of the early seasons.

Kevin was hilarious but not as much so as Creed.

Oscar cuckolding Angela seemed out of character. Not to say Angela doesn't deserve it. However, Oscar always seemed to be a better person than that.

The new Jim and Pam plot had its moments but it rested on a premise that doesn't seem to make sense: Jim feeling trapped because he couldn't take that job in Philadelphia. Other than some references to Pam liking her "boring" life, they didn't adequately establish why Jim didn't agree to join the new company the first time it was offered. He and Pam are in their early thirties. Neither has what could be described as a "career." They're both sales people at a failing paper company in a dying town. Their kids haven't yet started school. That's exactly the time when people are typically able to move and advance themselves.

That said, I liked the fact they broke the fourth wall about the camera crew again.

 

[Guy Gardener]

"We're just here to see how you two turn out."

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.

Divorce or death?

 

[the G-man]

Threatened divorce, as Jim goes to Philly and Pam stays behind, followed by reconciliation and a happy ending.

I'm pretty sure Krasinski signed for only about half the seasons' episodes. So they'll have Jim go to Philly, while Pam stays behind, in order to explain his absence. This will cause tension in the marriage but, by the finale they'll have reunited. Probably with Jim now a success.

 

[J.T.B.]

I watched the show but I don't really care if I miss it anymore. One reason they will never rival the original, which knew when to quit.

That said, I liked the fact they broke the fourth wall about the camera crew again.

I thought that was particularly lame. They have been acknowledging the documentary camera only when it suits them for years, but without really committing to the concept. So for instance the documentary camera follows someone "on the fly," then immediately there is a cut to reverse-angle shot that could only have come from a different camera crew that would have been seen in the first camera's shot. And now in this episode Jim and Pam talk to the documentary crew after removing their body mics with no change in audio. I guess we could assume there is a boom mic operator for the interview segments, but IIRC people have got up from the interview and left the room while still being audible. Commitment to the documentary concept is another area the original was much stronger.

Justin

 

[the G-man]

That's been an issue with the show since shortly after it began, however.

As such, if a viewer can't accept the 'loose' way it plays with the documentary format then they probably should have given up on the series long ago.

 

[Mr Light]

I still love the show even with Michael gone, and this was a solid opener. It's nice to finally give Jim and Pam a solid storyline, they haven't had one since Cici was born. They've basically been background characters for a long time now.

 

[AliciaD496]

Spoiler: Tonight's Episode

I'm glad Jim finally told Pam the truth about the sports marketing thing in Philly (which does sound like a great opportunity), but I definitely think we're going to see a lot of trust issues between them now (as it should be). Hopefully with Jim being able to be more open with her about what his phone calls and meetings have been about they'll be back to normal soon. Then again I'm not sure Pam is as OK with Jim's impending job change as she claims, considering what she said in the first episode about liking things how they are now. Also glad to see Darryl growing a real backbone. Not so sure I'm impressed with Andy turning into Michael Scott 2.0 though. The semi-racist remarks and not getting what he said was wrong is classic Michael, and was as offensive then as it is now. I have to say I'm enjoying this season much better than last and I'm liking the Nelly character a little more after this episode where as before I despised her as much as Andy does.

 

[trekkiebaggio]

The Nelly character grew on me this episode as well, I think it helps they're pairing her with Pam.

I like the new guys too, although I hope they don't drive another wedge in between Andy and Erin.

I loved the pre-credits prank, one of the best Jim has pulled.