I don't know how many of my followers watch the tv show, The Office, but it is one of my favorite shows and has surprisingly been a big part of my life. I actually think it was my first "favorite tv show". I mean, before The Office, there were shows that I liked, but none that were necessarily my favorite. And no, I wasn't watching it from the beginning- I started at the beginning of season 3- but ever since the episode "Traveling Salesman", I've been a dedicated viewer every week. I was about twelve at the moment, and didn't get all the jokes, but the ones I did I loved. And, as everyone should know, even if you don't watch The Office, Michael Scott is the center of the Office universe.
Despite his annoying quirks and lack of self control sometimes, he makes The Office what it is. He's the character that everyone loves to hate and hates to love. Sometimes you want to stab him, like in "Stress Relief", when Stanley has a heart attack and he's doing CPR badly, and sometimes you can't help but feel sorry for him, like in "Bring Your Daughter to Work Day", when he shows the kids the video of when he was on tv talking about his dream. He says that he wants to get married and start a family, but he still hasn't done that, and you just want to give him a great big hug.
Last night, was Michael Scott's last episode of The Office. When I first heard that this was Steve Carrell's last season, I was heartbroken. I was wondering how they would get rid of the character, because he's always been so dedicated to Dunder Mifflin. And now, I have to admit, that they couldn't have gotten rid of him in a better way. Ever since the end of season 4, I thought Michael and Holly were perfect together (though they didn't actually start dating until season 5), and I knew that she would be the one he would end up with. Then, when Michael proposed to Holly, and he told everyone that they were moving to Colorado, that was perfect- the proposal, their reactions, everything. But him moving to Colorado with Holly is the perfect way for him to go, because he loves her. Even in that time she was gone in the Nashua branch, he never got over her. He never gave up on her. And now, they're getting married.
One thing I'd like to point out in last night's episode is when Michael is having second thoughts about moving to Colorado. He doesn't want to leave, and calls Holly to tell her this. Holly hears that he is panicked and asks him what's wrong, and Michael replies with, "No, nothing's wrong. I just needed to hear your voice." That was my second favorite part of last night's episode, because it shows that he knows what he wants, and he cares about Holly more than anything else.
Now you might be curious as to what my favorite part is. I liked when Pam was his last goodbye. I thought it showed kind of a parallel with the pilot episode. Michael fake fired Pam and made her cry, and she was mad at him. And then, in this last episode, she cared about him enough to drive to the airport and buy a ticket (because that's how you have to get through security) to say goodbye to him. Then she sat and watched as his plane flew away. And I loved how she says, "He sounded hopeful. He kept saying how he couldn't wait to get home to Holly." He couldn't wait to get home to Holly. Holly is his home. And Pam is happy for him.
I am excited that The Office is going to be having another season, I really am, but it's not going to be the same without Michael Scott. The conference room meetings won't be the same without him. He won't be making people feel uncomfortable daily. No more of his "that's what she said" jokes at the worst times. He will be missed by the office workers, and by the viewers.
And yes, I did tear up a little while writing this.
Disneyland Trips: 5
Books Read: 8.5
P. S. Tomorrow is the last day of BEDA! However, don't expect my post until late at night because I will be at DTASC all day.
Have you watched the original? The Gervais/Merchant Office is the only one that really reached out to me and made me equally laugh and feel depressed at the same time, I think they captured the true work aspect of life; if you haven't watched the original I'd definitely advise you to. It's art.
ReplyDeleteThis comment pretty much somes up what I'm trying to say perfectly: Thoughts?
"When I watched the Office (UK) for the first time, I had never laughed so hard at something that, simultaneously, made me feel completely depressed. The American version has never done that for me -- and probably couldn't have survived on primetime American television if it had tried.
For me, the American Office has never captured that mind-numbing, soul-crushing feeling of spending the majority of your waking hours in an office, working on something you couldn't give half a fuck about. In fact, Dunder-Mifflin actually looks like a fun place to work. Those folks are always getting up to some crazy hijinks.
Recent studies show that sitting at a desk all day, every day increases our chance of heart disease and death by something like 48%. These jobs are literally KILLING us! And with none of the excitement of being a lion tamer or a deep-sea diver or even a fucking POSTMAN! The Gervais/Merchant Office gets that -- deeply. Probably because Ricky Gervais actually spent a good portion of his life working in an actual office.
Yes, the UK Office is bleak. But that means the moments of light are actually earned and appreciated, not just sprinkled in to keep the advertisers happy. Ask yourself this: why does Michael Scott redeem himself at the end of every episode, while David Brent only gets one real, tiny moment of redemption (towards the end of the second part of the Christmas special)? And then ask yourself which one is the more artistically satisfying approach and which is the more financially satisfying approach?
The UK Office tells us this: "Look, mate, most of your adult life will be spent in utter boredom, pursuing meaningless goals for minimal reward. You can either slit your wrists or have a laugh about it."
The American Office is a fine sitcom. It is a very enjoyable, escapist entertainment. The Gervais/Merchant Office is the vision of two comedic auteurs; it is a work of Art."