Saturday, April 30, 2011

Michael's Last Day

I wrote about a year ago about "The Office" and how, to me, it has jumped the shark. It jumped with Jim and Pam's wedding and subsequent birth of their baby, Cecile. I'm not a fan of babies being born on TV shows because that tends to ruin the series. Go ahead and name a series that got better after a baby was born.
Although technically it was a flashback in the first episode but I say it still counts.
This last Thursday featured Steve Carell's last episode as regular character Michael Scott. I say "last episode as regular character" because more than likely he will be back as a guest star either for Michael's wedding to Holly (Amy Ryan) or even one of the final episodes when the series is put to rest. In Michael's place, D'Angelo Vickers (Will Ferrell) was introduced and in a, I'll admit clever, interesting way of having him as an acceptable replacement for Michael. He was liked, acted like a boss and not like a friend. He seemed like a good fit but then we realize that D'Angelo is a terrible salesman, is sexist and yells at food that he thinks tempt him (he was once overweight). So that is how they will get rid of Will Ferrell.
Even though years of terrible movies still haven't.
I never thought that "The Office" would come to an end when Steve Carell left. They will have at least one more season to see if the show can continue. If NBC, the writers and producers are smart, all of the eighth season will be done with no mention of Michael. Hire the new boss (I'm hoping either James Spader or Will Arnett) and just keep going. Now I know what you may be thinking. "You just said Steve Carell will be a guest star. Why can't he guest star in the eighth season?!" Because the eighth season will be a test to see if "The Office" can continue and be just as good without Carell. It can do it. The new boss just can't overshadow the fact that this is, and always had been, an ensemble cast.
And ensemble casts are always the best.
From what I could tell from the preview after the episode, it almost seemed like a completely different series and since all the characters have grown and changed over the past seven years, it is like a whole new show. Look at early second season episodes and compare them with early seventh season episodes. It's a whole other show.

The thing is that unless NBC has a great season next year, "The Office" doesn't even have to try to get a ninth season renewal. It can just coast along with dwindling ratings and be picked up as long as NBC is the fourth most-watched network.
"It's like we're not even trying anymore."