Review: 'The Office' - 'Jury Duty': Father knows least
When did Jim and Pam become the worst people in the world?
When did Jim and Pam go from being the most likable characters on "The Office" to the most annoying?
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I've mostly avoided writing about "The Office" this season because I didn't have anything new to say beyond what I wrote six weeks into the season. But where many of this season's episodes have just felt listless, last night's episode actually made me angry, and also made me want to talk a bit about the thing that annoyed me. So rather than ignore the episode, or give it one paragraph in a round-up post (which is coming later for "30 Rock" and a bunch of other shows), coming up just as soon as I use elaborate cross-hatching...
So the Dwight half of the episode was fine. I tend to enjoy the occasional story where Dwight gets to be triumphant, particularly when it's tied to recognizable human emotion. I'm not entirely sure how they're going to incorporate Angela's baby in with plans to build a spin-off for next season around Dwight working on the beet farm, but Rainn Wilson did a very good job of playing Dwight's reaction to this news, and how it superceded any interest he had in punishing Jim.
But good God have I come to hate Jim and Pam. And it makes me angry and it makes me sad.
It just seems like the default setting for Jim stories these days is that he puts his family above his job, and while in a real world context that's both understandable and admirable, on the show — where, as far as we're concerned, the office is the family — it makes him seem like a jerk. And even within the framework of that, blowing off a week of work for non-existent jury duty is just a massive dick move. Massive. And Jim and Pam's attempt to fix the situation through more lies — when cookies would've solved everything — only made me dislike both of them more. (I'm not saying I've never used my kids as an excuse to get out of something I didn't want to do, but never to that extent, and never where I would actually parade them out as human shields made out of cuteness.)
And I know that this isn't necessarily out of character. Jim always viewed himself above the rest of the staff, Jim was disconnected from everyone else, and we've gotten reminders from time to time that they aren't really the king and queen of the prom that we viewed them as early on. But it's been pushed so far the last couple of years that I now realize that I hate both of them.
I know the temptation would be to blame the babies, invoking the old saw that babies ruin sitcoms. But plenty of workplace comedies have either featured young parents or had characters have babies during the run without anything really being disrupted. Carla on "Cheers" had several babies while the show was on the air. On "Community" (which is essentially a workplace comedy), Shirley had a baby last year that the show has largely ignored. Half the characters on "Scrubs" had babies as that series moved along, in some case multiples, and they did just fine with it.
The problem isn't that Jim and Pam became parents. The problem is that the show hasn't known what to do with Jim in years(*), and hasn't known what to do with Pam since Michael left (her relationship with him kept her vital far longer than Jim has been). And because they no longer have any traits that the writing staff finds interesting (we haven't, for instance, dealt with how Jim feels about this job turning into a career in a long, long time), their new parenthood has filled up that idea vacuum and it's now solely how they're defined. And while parenthood is tough, particularly having two babies in such close proximity, it's still hard to make them sympathetic in the context of a show where home life has never played a significant role.
(*) You could make the argument that the other old saw — about the consummation of Unresolved Sexual Tension ruining romantic comedies — applies, except I have a lot of counter-examples to that as well (including "Cheers" once again), and I did enjoy Jim and Pam as a couple for several seasons after "The Job."
After James Spader was hired, but before we found out Andy would be the new branch manager, I thought that giving that position to Jim would be a win-win, not only giving Jim a clear role and focus for the first time in forever, but allowing Robert California to stay crazy to counterbalance Jim's sanity. Maybe that wouldn't have worked out, but Andy as boss really hasn't, and Jim with no direction whatsoever has been even worse.
A lot of you have been complaining about Jim and/or Pam for a while. Did their behavior in "Jury Duty" seem appreciably worse? How is everybody feeling about the season at this point? Did you at least like Dwight and the baby? Are you looking forward to the spin-off?
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Next 73 Commentsed w
February 3, 2012 at 2:20PM EST Reply to CommentI have to disagree with a few things here. He doesn't put his family ahead of the job, or he'd have left the pool party sooner and not gone to the trivia game at the bar. He does claim to though and try now and then.
As to the idea of the Office as family, that was Michael's idea but what they have shown us is anything but that. Almost all the supporting cast, from Stanley's adultry to Meredith's rampant alcoholism, trading sex for paper contracts and bad parenting, to Creed's insanity and Ryan's douchebaggery have been shown as pretty awful people. Even Phyllis has been a very unlikable jerk for most of the series, ever since around the beginning of season 4.
I can't imagine why Jim or Pam would care what any of these people think of them other than as in this case, trying to make sure he doesn't get fired. They are not a family or even friends, that was Michael's misguided wishful thinking.
However, I very much agree with your larger point that they are lost as to what to do with Jim and Pam in recent years. Pam in particular used to be along with Michael the heart of the series. Her journey, from being put upon and crying in the first episode to all the changes she's been through is the main throughline and I've been kind of surprised they've dropped that.
Vikki I agree. I can see any of the sales people with the exception of Dwight doing the same thing. Stanley and Phyllis would certainly take an unearned week off if they could get away with it.
February 3, 2012 at 5:11PM ESTI think its time for Jim to get his own Sabre franchise to run or be lured away by a competitor. If the show is going to continue with Andy in charge they need to bring in some fresh staff for him to indoctrinate the Dunder Mifflin way.
JimAbbott'sRightHandMan Yeah, Stanley or Phyllis would scam time off too. Phyllis, in her wedding episode, mentioned letting Michael have a part in the wedding just so she could get multiple weeks off for her honeymoon.
February 4, 2012 at 10:12AM ESTJohn
February 3, 2012 at 2:20PM EST Reply to CommentThey have become terrible. But, in a way, I think that's ok. People change in life, even though no one on The Office does. We all know people that became insufferable after meeting their spouse, or having children, or going through some other life change.
Problem for me is the show just seems to wave it away. I'm hoping they don't just let slide that he skipped a week of work under false pretenses. Make Jim/Pam address their new behavior, make someone else in the office acknowledge it and challenge them on it, etc. That's what doesn't seem to happen.
Sean Richards
February 3, 2012 at 2:31PM EST Reply to CommentI don't "hate" Jim and Pam as much as I just find them boring. The writers have not done one interesting thing with these characters since the wedding. They used to be a central part of the show's heart, and now they're just kind of...there. (This show as a whole should have ended already).
The Pam character makes me sad though. There is a clip from season 2 or 3 where Pam is being interviewed, and the idea of staying at Dunder Mifflin and owning a house in Scranton Pennsylvania actually makes her cry. I also hate, absolutely hate, how they have completely disregarded her dream of being an artist. Are we supposed to believe she gives up on her passion in life because she flunked one graphic design course in New York City? I can't even remember the last time Pam's art career was mentioned.
AgentDisco Clearly, the elaborate cross-hatching in this episode was a direct reference to Pam's art career.
February 3, 2012 at 2:39PM ESTTami
February 3, 2012 at 2:33PM EST Reply to CommentYep the Jim/Pam storyline was bad as always this episode. The one thing that made this episode my favorite of the season was the Dwight and Angela plot. Team Dwangela ftw!
thehova83
February 3, 2012 at 2:46PM EST Reply to CommentPart of what I loved about the earlier seasons of the The Office was the daily struggles of Jim. His life was frusterating and anyone working in an office could relate to that.
Now Jim seems to be going through life effortlessly. He has a wife and kids and commands the office.
It just feels odd.
Karl
February 3, 2012 at 2:46PM EST Reply to CommentPersonally, I always thought Jim was a massive asshole. But I'm jumped ship prior to this season. With every day it seems like a smarter and smarter decision.
robert
February 3, 2012 at 2:46PM EST Reply to CommentI was actually thinking that after the employees told Jim and Pam to go home because the kids were becoming a handful at the office, that they would get into the parking lot and congratulate each other on a job well done, and the kids too - like it was some sort of put on. But no, they made it out to be legit.
Tom
February 3, 2012 at 2:48PM EST Reply to CommentNot to mention he, without a doubt, drove drunk at the end of last episode
Alf Maybe, but we don't know. His car was blocked in (by Meredith?), which is why he drove over a curb and through some plant material at first.
February 4, 2012 at 10:36AM ESTTom Regardless, he got in his car and drove after taking (at least) an entire bottle of wine to his face.
February 4, 2012 at 8:33PM ESTNick Nitro
February 3, 2012 at 2:54PM EST Reply to CommentI agree with Alan 100%. I've always felt that Jim and Pam, while the 'everyman' in the series, are people we root for, are also, in relation to Michael, who we also root for, were one of the two worst people in the world. Any act of friendship done by Pam and Jim through the years to Michael felt like an act of pitty, not an actual act of friendship.
It was why I felt Pam did NOT deserve to say goodbye to Michael. I felt it was too happy-endingish, and Pam didn't deserve to say goodbye to Michael. So to watch last night's episode further confirms my dislike and anger in the show that I used to greatly enjoy.
Samuel That second sentence makes me sad.
February 3, 2012 at 3:00PM ESTCol Bat Guano "Michael, who we also root for"
February 4, 2012 at 1:11AM ESTYeah, not so much. This is Michael we're talking about right?
M
February 3, 2012 at 2:55PM EST Reply to CommentI dunno. I don't hate Jim and Pam and I didn't think anything they did last night was SO terrible as to make them hateable. I think the episode was just sort of badly written in the way most episodes are lately. If this had been done during the show's glory years then Jim would have been busted and Michael would have been so hurt and offended that one of his "family" lied to him that he'd have spent the rest of the episode acting like a petulant child. Instead, we got Andy doing something that was not only nonsensical, but wasn't actually funny. The whole show is just running on fumes these days and they don't seem to know what to do with *anyone* anymore.
Btw, did anyone else notice Spader in the credits last night? I thought he was only in the credits for episodes he appeared in, but unless I blinked and missed it I didn't see him last night.
LJA Spader *was* in the opening credits.
February 3, 2012 at 3:27PM ESTjj1960 He is always in the credits whether he is in an episode or not. This is the second episode he has not appeared in and both times he was still in the credits.
February 3, 2012 at 5:56PM ESTAdrienne I agree with M. I don't hate Jim or Pam, I just feel like the show has maybe gone on too long and doesn't know what to do with any of its characters anymore. I keep watching because I want it to fix its problems, but I know I don't enjoy it like I used to.
February 3, 2012 at 8:43PM ESTCol Bat Guano I don't hate the characters, but I do hate the writers who can't seem to come up with an interesting story for either of them.
February 4, 2012 at 1:16AM ESTJT
February 3, 2012 at 2:58PM EST Reply to CommentIs anyone else bothered by the nebulous state that Dunder Mifflin now operates in? Before the Saber buyout, it felt like a fairly large paper company, but now the company exists in this sort of nebulous state where we have no idea how big the company is or how its structured. I know we finally saw some of the Saber corporate offices last week (which felt like it was filmed in a mall), but I have no idea how big the company's supposed to be. Are any of the other Dunder Mifflin offices still around? Is Saber a good printer company or are they pushing crappy fire prone printers? For Gabe and California to travel there so often, they have to be a pretty vital part of the company, which doesn't seem right for a larger printer company. But, is there such a thing as a small printer company?
I know this isn't nearly the show's biggest problem, but it's something that's kind of bugged me for a while and I never hear anyone mention. I think I enjoyed the show a little better when I had a good grasp on how the company functioned. There were also more interesting company-related story lines with Michael's different bosses, downsizing, consolidating offices, etc. The state of Dunder Mifflin has been Kevin-ized.
RobL
February 3, 2012 at 3:04PM EST Reply to CommentHow long has any show been able to pull off the character who is "too good" for the job? Diane still working at Cheers was getting ridiculous before her departure, and Party Down probably would've struggled with the Adam Scott character if it had lasted longer. I don't pretend to know what should have happened with Jim, but the writers certainly haven't been very creative about finding a solution.
Mike
February 3, 2012 at 3:18PM EST Reply to CommentFunny - this episode made me realize how much I've missed Pam the last several episodes. Most of the other characters, especially Andy, have become such cartoons that they're unbearable to watch.
I think the "hate" thing is a little harsh for Jim playing hookie. I don't care if a fellow employee plays hookie, even if it means a little more work for me - I know they'll cover for me when I need it. Granted the boss should care and reprimand Jim, but this thing spiraled out of believability pretty early on.
I wish they had promoted Jim to manager, or knew how to accurately deal with a guy who has realized his career is going nowhere, but clearly this Office isn't that show. I can see how any office that has California for a CEO and Andy for a manager wouldn't leave Jim very motivated to work.
As a father with a toddler, I thought the final bit with Daryl saying that Jim's time was no vacation was perfect, and really worked for me.
So, I liked this episode more than most, I guess.
mrbilliam I actually this episode was my favorite of the season. I guess I thought Jim's decision seemed more bone-headed than jerkish (though obviously he wasn't thinking of his co-workers).
February 3, 2012 at 4:35PM ESTCol Bat Guano I agree that it was more bone-headed than assholish, but unfortunately bone-headed seems to be the default trait of Jim these days. Wouldn't it have been more interesting for him to have spent the episode trying to outfox Dwight rather bumbling around trying to fool the rest of the office?
February 4, 2012 at 1:20AM ESTDan
February 3, 2012 at 3:19PM EST Reply to CommentI don't have a big problem with Jim or Pam, it is definitely time to write them off. And you have a great out, Jim could realize he needs a job with a future to support his family, and Pam could realize she wants to spend more time w/ her kids, so she could switch to part time work at the office; she would also make it possible to bring Jim back into the fold occasionally. It's just time to move on with them.
My biggest problem with the episode though, was that it just wasn't very funny. The only time I remember laughing (at a level that was slightly more then a chuckle) was at Darrel's comment at the end about how Jim wasn't on vacation.
Benjamin Kabak
February 3, 2012 at 3:30PM EST Reply to CommentThey really dropped the ball in not making Jim boss and having Andy as a guy who wants that job. There is zero conflict on the show right now.
No one cares if the staff "likes" Andy. That's every show.
Brian
February 3, 2012 at 3:32PM EST Reply to CommentThe thing that upsets me most about what has happened to Jim and Pam is watching this show in syndication every day and seeing how great they used to be. Every character is a caricature of a real person now, but in the beginning, Jim and Pam were real. I think back to Jim's office party in his apartment where the two of them shared a moment in his bedroom with Pam looking at Jim's yearbook picture. That was a real moment that the audience can relate to that the show used to thrive on. Every guy can relate to a girl he's in love with but can't have, and Jim's sense of humor through it all is what made it funny. And sweet. And watchable. But now he doesn't act real. We can't relate to a person who would do the things he did last night, nor would we want to.
This show being in syndication does it no favors.
jenny brown TRACY By his lukewarm performance, John Krasinski shows that he wants out of The Office. In contrast to the bedroom scene you mentioned, think how forced Krasinski sounded this season when he delivered lines like (paraphrasing) "I miss my wife who is on maternity leave," or in this episode when he said "you remember my beautiful wife." The actor obscures the character and comes through as disingenuous. After following Jim and Pam through Seasons 1-6, I feel cheated by Krasinski. I had planned to buy the show's DVDs--at least, the early seasons. But, who would want to see Romeo and Juliet if we know, in the end, Romeo gets bored and goes to a bar instead of Juliet's deathbed? At least Romeo's love was to the death. Krasinski couldn't make it through season 8. The good news for Jenna Fischer is that the show is in syndication; new episodes are viewed in opposition to the old ones. In early seasons, when Jenna's character Pam wasn't marginalized by the writers and her onscreen partner, she brought heart to the show. But, with Rainn Wilson and BJ Novak, who have great chemistry with Jenna Fischer, leaving for a six episode story arc set in Florida, the Pam character is bound to be further marginalized. What a terrible ending.
February 3, 2012 at 7:45PM ESTLJA
February 3, 2012 at 3:32PM EST Reply to CommentNo Office spinoffs, please. This show needs to be euthanized.
n I agree totally.
February 3, 2012 at 11:11PM ESTIt struck me how unrealistic the jury duty plot line was. Have any of the writers worked in an office? Or been called for jury duty? In my state anyway, you get slips for every day you're on jury duty, or for showing up if you don't get called, and then you bring them into the office to prove that you weren't faking. I know this is really specific, but the thing is that the Office used to THRIVE on this sort of mundanity and specificity of the tribulations and bureaucracy of office work. Now it can't even get a basic part of office life right.
Joe007ofrockk
February 3, 2012 at 3:46PM EST Reply to CommentAlan, where was the point Jim and Pam as a couple just annoyed you? For me it was mid-season six, which is also where the series just started declining, quality-wise
John
February 3, 2012 at 3:58PM EST Reply to CommentI think that last night's episode unintentionally provided a meta-comment on the current state of the series. Jim comes into the office to punch the clock and get a paycheck, but he has absolutely no qualms about mailing in his performance and skipping out for a week. Likewise, the creative forces behind The Office are perfectly content to suck as much money out of the franchise as they can for as long as they can, but they're not interested in turning out the quality of episodes that they did in the series' prime. An earlier commenter mentioned how episodes now running in syndication are a sad reminder of how good this show can be, and I've had similar thoughts recently. Jenna Fischer's work as Pam in Season 3 is absolutely fantastic, and it's discouraging to see how little life is left in that character.
I thought they should have made Pam the manager this season, because (1) she got some good stories out of being the "office manager" a season or two ago, (2) it gives her something to do, (3) she and Dwight have an interesting relationship where they've developed an odd respect for each other that could have led to some stories, and most importantly (4) it could have divided the Halperts and forced some drama into that relationship, where Pam would have to call Jim out for being a slacker. They missed that moment, though, and the series continues to sink.
mo pie I also really was hoping they'd make Pam manager, for the exact reasons you cited. Instead they went for the most status quo solution they could have thought of.
February 3, 2012 at 5:13PM ESTBrendan Noel
February 3, 2012 at 4:23PM EST Reply to CommentThe level of disaster the show has devolved to this year is nothing compared to when I and many others used to complain "Ugh the show was so much better in season two, it sucks now". Nobody knows what to do with any character that doesn't involve some incredibly broad piece of slapstick, which the writers think is brilliantly hilarious because I guess they don't watch the first hour of NBC Thursday. If it wasn't on when it was surrounded by shows I like a lot better, I would probably give up on it, which saddens me because even though it's gotten this bad there's still a special place in my heart for this show.
mrbilliam
February 3, 2012 at 4:33PM EST Reply to CommentThis is something I've always wondered: what do shows do when a script calls for a baby/toddler to cry?
Last night, both of the actors playing Jim and Pam's little kids appeared to actually be crying (not just faked with sound effects) at the same time. Do they actually make them cry somehow?
HWood-Insider If the kid is a toddler old enough to understand basic concepts, usually they have an Assistant tell the kid that their parents died or pet died. They get the shot quick then tell the kid they were joking and their parents are fine.
February 3, 2012 at 4:36PM ESTIf it's some kind of baby, they frighten the child with a horrific mask.
A lot of people think this is unethical and there is a movement in H-Wood to stop these practices. Frankly I think it should be illegal.
PotatoSolution You are SO making that up.
February 3, 2012 at 7:50PM ESTWhat they actually do is have a guy in a clown suit whack the kid on the head with a fly swatter, then scamper out of frame blowing an air horn until just before the camera rolls.
eric_balsam
February 3, 2012 at 4:45PM EST Reply to CommentMy biggest issue with the show currently and in the past few years is that its essentially a bottle. What made the show good in the past was putting Michael in these awkward situations with regular Joes that didn't know him, and seeing how they reacted. Even him briefly dating that bar owner was better than the show now. When is the last time the show has been anywhere but the office, or the beet farm. And those random trips to Corporate that were always fun in the early seasons....gone.
Printin' Mike
February 3, 2012 at 5:05PM EST Reply to CommentThe writers haven’t known what to do with Jim or Pam for a long time. Which is rather fatal for the series, considering the fact that Jim was cast as the “everyman” for viewers identify with from the 1st episode onward. Of course, Jim and Pam aren’t alone: the writers have no idea what to do with ANY of the characters now. (I’m not sure the writers have any ideas whatsoever, at this point. Are there still writers working on the show? )
It’s become very sad and unfunny. I can’t recall another example of a network/production company/creative allowing a huge, critically and financially successful (game-changing) series to degenerate into one of the worst sitcoms on the air. Examples abound of series that deteriorated over time (most do), certainly, but none that have totally collapsed into such a rancid pile of ….
Great King Rat
February 3, 2012 at 5:46PM EST Reply to CommentYet again they paired Andy Bernard with his love of music and come up with something terrible. The cold open was awful.
Ben
February 3, 2012 at 5:51PM EST Reply to Comment• It was understated, but I liked the fact that Andy had amnesia about someone who very much had lied to him for a long time in the same episode that that same lying individual seems to be lying about something involving the other individual who was involved centrally in her lying to Andy.
And Pam's worst moments came in the pre-"The Delivery" part of Season 6, between her trying to ensure the other office workers couldn't come to the wedding, and her over-the-top insane reaction to Michael dating her mom. That Pam was horrible but current Pam is irrelevant. I hate to say it, but one of the best things for Season 9 of this show would be for either John or Jenna to NOT be brought back; I hate to say it even more, but every news item about the show is making me think there won't BE a 9th season, and the show could end on a terrible note of defeat.
Dave I
February 3, 2012 at 6:08PM EST Reply to CommentPretty much in agreement with the rest of the replies . . . I think The Office has outlived its lifespan. There are still some great actors, however it's accomplished everything it has set out to do. Now, like last week's filet mignon, it's time to move on. The ideas are old, the writing has gotten progressively worse, and the characters are being forced into situations that make them unlikeable or boring since we've seen these things before. There is no direction for the characters or the show to drive it toward anything, and it has largely lost the mockumentary feel that made it seem authentic and engaging in the early seasons. If not for our habit of watching it, I would probably just stop.
-Cheers
Joseph
February 3, 2012 at 6:21PM EST Reply to CommentAgree with most of Alan's review (although with significantly less passion) with one major exception - how is faking jury duty for three days a massive dick move? It's really no more dickish than taking three vacation days, or being legitimately sick for two days but taking the rest of the week off anyway. It's something I believe anyone who has ever worked a soul crushing job has done on at least one occasion, and unless one makes it a habit I would think anyone else working in that office would understand.
jj1960
February 3, 2012 at 6:21PM EST Reply to CommentI agree...Jim and Pam are no longer my favorite people on the show. This season has them lying quite often at their colleagues' and employer's expense. In Jim's case he stole an extra week of vacation time from the company. In Pam's case she got out of work early on several occasions because she faked going into labor, and then she tried to deceive her colleagues by drawing pictures that were supposed to be coming from CeCe. They no longer are cute and fun, but rather they are becoming calculating and deceitful...they are losing their charm big time.
I totally agree that it would have been so much better if Jim could have been the sensible manager with Andy and Dwight, separately and together, trying to undermine him. Plus sane Jim trying to deal with weirder and weirder CEO genius Robert California. You are so right that there needs to be conflict swirling around the RM position and Andy's plight is just not doing it. That change would make all the pieces work so much better, plus Jim and Pam would have the added conflict of him being her boss. We know how totally the thought of that situation did not work for RC regarding his wife. It would have been interesting to see that dilemma in the Halpert's marriage.
RD
February 3, 2012 at 6:28PM EST Reply to CommentI found myself actually enjoying this episode. Thought it was the best one in a while.
With regards to Jim & Pam, I do think their characters are in a rut - the writers don't know what to do with them - but to say they are the worst people ever is a bit of a stretch. I found what Jim did, avoiding work so he can stay at home, no different of a prank than anything he's ever done on Dwight. This was just an escalation of that prankster/smart-ass mentality that Jim has always had. (I'm a Jim fan btw). And so the idea that he's always felt bigger/better than rest of the Office hasn't changed. In fact, I think the writers did a good job in him realizing that his absence had an effect on his colleagues. So, I had no problem with Jim and Pam at all.
But, Alan, I agree with you with regards to having some insight as to Jim's acceptance in having the Office be his career.
I used to love this show. Now I watch it because of the familiar faces. But, I did enjoy yesterdays episode.
Illyrio
February 3, 2012 at 7:37PM EST Reply to CommentI respect your opinion, but I have to disagree with it.
It's become necessary to compartmentalize this show if you have any hope of watching it.
The 2nd and 3rd seasons were two of the best seasons of televised comedy produced, bar none. The 1st and 4th seasons also had their moments, but were much more hit-and-miss.
At some point between season 4 and season 5, the personalities of pretty much every major character were taken away and replaced. Jim became a smug ass, Pam overbearing and lame. Dwight got all the worst aspects of Ron Swanson (frequent infallibility, randomness for the sake of it, frequent mean-spiritedness), and none of the good ones. Michael became Homer Simpson. Ryan became a full-blown douche (the only improvement).
Now it is necessary to watch the show with this in mind. You cannot put the Jim of season 2 in this new Jim's body because they are literally different people.
It's still a funny show. Not nearly as funny as seasons 2 and 3, and not as regularly as other shows, but if you keep the new cast in your head and forget the versions you liked before it's a wholly passable, if mean-spirited comedy.
Ultimately, that's what The Office's legacy will be. Seasons 2 and 3 are equally funny as Arrested Development, the best episodes of Community, Seinfeld's highs, etc. It just became a different show halfway through its run.
69CupONoodles I agree, one thousand percent. Think about season 2. It was so tightly conceived, with multiple over-arching narratives (Jim pining after Pam, Michael and Jan, Dwight hating Jim's pranks) that culminated brilliantly in "Casino Night," which, for my money, is still the greatest episode this show ever produced. Every single scene in the season seemed to have a purpose and was coming from a cohesive, clear point of view.
February 3, 2012 at 9:11PM ESTNow think about the current season. It's basically unwatchable. Like, "Whitney" unwatchable. I know we all wish "Arrested Development" hadn't been canceled so soon and are excited it's coming back, but there's certainly something to be said for shining brilliantly and flaming out quickly rather than dying a slow, painful death.
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