The Office review

So The Office first aired in 2005 and started gaining popularity the following year… thirteen years later I started watching the show. But hey, it took me almost twenty years to watch _Buffy_ (Sorry, Buffy) so at least there’s that. I was so clueless about this show, when my high school used their theme song for our school news segment, I walked in on a friend watching The Office and asked why they were watching our school show.

But I married a fan, so I ended up seeing enough of the show to get a sense of its style. Between that and reading Mindy Kaling’s books, I started with the pilot and went from there.

I’m kind of glad that I didn’t start watching until my adulthood. Despite the fact that many of my high school classmates loved the show, I think I appreciate it now more than I would have as a teenager.

This show explores how well people can entertain themselves, especially when working in a place as boring as a paper company. Michael leads the office with his childish humor and antics, constantly interrupting their work with games and activities. Pam tries to get Michael to work, which is honestly a full-time job. Jim spends his days meeting his sales quota, then uses his creative energy to drive Dwight crazy.

And Dwight spends his time driving everyone else crazy.

Usually the best part of the episode is the first minute, right before the theme song. It usually involves Jim wrapping Dwight’s desk/making Dwight climb the telephone pole/making Dwight think there’s a conspiracy going on. Honestly, Jim has a lot of spare time/energy/brain power that he uses to come up with fun clever pranks instead of getting a real job. Side note, he would make a great engineer or physical therapist. Just a thought.

Pam and Jim are so funny. They pull pranks and come up with schemes to entertain each other. I love when Jim sicks Andy on Pam by giving him bad advice, mostly because of her reaction to witnessing everything she hates in one interaction. I really love how Pam is the dutiful receptionist and sees the good in everyone… but she also knows exactly how to mess with people. She won my heart when she walked on hot coals and yelled at everyone.

I also love Dwight and Angela’s relationship. They’re so ridiculous and rigid and crazy.

I like how the humor is smart and doesn’t talk down to the audience. They tell a joke and let the audience understand it themselves. The humor isn’t too obvious. Something ridiculous happens and no one says, “That was funny.” Jim just looks at the camera and the audience laughs with him… while he laughs on the inside. The show finds humor in awkward, offensive, and even boring situations.

Nothing is too sacred. Everything is worth laughing at.

The wonderful part of the comedy is it ranges from silly office pranks to offensive meetings to ridiculous behavior presented with utmost sincerity. This show is written and created by comedians, and it makes a world of difference. It has that classic comedy feel to it that’s part of its charm.

Everyone in this office is stuck. They have mediocre jobs in a run down office in a small town a couple hours away from New York City. You want them to be happy and fulfilled  and move on to bigger and better things… but that would mean the actor leaving the show. So the characters all stay, which gives a limit to their character development. They can only progress so far.

But they do progress in this commentary on ridiculous human behavior, whether it’s through drama or romance.

I really appreciate how its such a funny show but there are still moments of sadness and disappointment and anger. The episode where Michael has a dinner party is both hilarious and heartbreaking. But he’s so proud of his plasma TV.

There are some beautifully crazy moments - Jim dressing up as Dwight, Andy floating around a lake in a sumo suit, Angela throwing her cat in the ceiling, and every time Creed talks. There’s Pam’s engagement to Roy, who is the absolute worst and a perpetual teenager, then her relationship with Jim. Dwight and Andy duel over Angela and she ends up choosing a cat instead. Holly is definitely my favorite of Michael’s girlfriends, she’s the perfect balance between goofy and responsible.

 Everyone has someone they can root for or relate to.

Michael is the lovable relative that drives everyone crazy but also makes them all laugh. Dwight is just good for a laugh. But the struggle Jim and Pam go through to be together is one of the most sincere parts of this show and probably one of the best ways to balance out the comedy.

I love how sharp the dialogue is, while they’re also not afraid of silence. Sometimes a joke is in the silent reaction, as Jim has proven time and time again. I’m glad I finally wandered into The Office enough times to stick. I’m almost at the end of season five and I heard it goes downhill after Steve Carell leaves but I plan on watching until the last minute.