1. lbfink232

   10

   It’s no secret that this season of the office is a big one. Not only are there new characters, the writing had to be virtually restructured after losing by far the most important character, Steve Carrel’s Michael Scott. The writers have been forced to rewrite the script to fit the new boss, Andy Bernard. While many may not like all of the changes to the show, I think the writers have done an excellent job at changing the characters perspectives and attitudes without changing who they are. Each of the characters in the show is at new points in their lives, but, in the end, they are still the same person. Even though Jim may seem he’s changed a lot, he’s still Jim. This is the first time Jim and Pam seem to really disagree on things, which gives him a different attitude towards a lot of things. That is only one example. Dwight is also in an entirely new place in his life. He is struggling with trying to give up on the company for not making him manager, while still having pride in his status as the branch’s best employee and salesman. Jim and Dwight’s relationship has further developed as well. They are still arch rivals, Jim is still pranking and tricking Dwight, as Dwight tries unsuccessfully to get him back. However, now, they are friendlier in their day to day lives, displaying how each has developed as a person. Originally being skeptical of making Andy the new regional manager, I have been impressed so far. He is taking on the role of manager, changing the way he acts, but does not abandon his “Nard Dogâ€� personality. For the first time, Andy demands respect from his coworkers, which causes for many surprise situations where he puts his foot down and talks down to someone who, in past seasons, he would have been intimidated by. I was pleasantly surprised that the writers didn’t just rewrite Andy as a new Michael, but used his personality to handle situations similarly to Michael, but in his own way. The addition of some characters has helped the show as well, namely Robert California. Jim put it perfectly on last season’s finale when he said “He creeps me out, but I think he might be a genius.â€� Every seen Robert California is in, he adds excitement as the viewer watches how the office employees react, immediately changing not only their attitudes, but even the way they sit in their chairs. Everything he says has meaning to it, sometimes straight forward, sometimes hidden, keeping the viewer always interested, listening to every word he says. His true genius is shown at the end of an episode when he finally reveals his reason for selecting Andy for the new manager position, describing him as the least qualified, but justifying it by explaining that he is the underdog, and that people cheer for the underdog, and that they will work hard to help the underdog, simply because they feel bad for him. James Spader as Robert California is comedic brilliance. The one thing that does worry me, however, is that it’s possible that, so far this season, it has just been clever writing for what could be a gimmick. Is Andy actually going to be able to be funny as manager week in week out? Or is this just like when Will Farrell was manager: it was funny, but it was never meant to have a series built around it. So far, Andy has been enjoyable to watch as manager, but it is unclear whether or not the writing will be able to make the laughs keep coming for multiple seasons to come. Michael Scott will obviously be missed, and the show may not be the same powerhouse of a comedy it once was, but it is still an excellent and hilarious show people can look forward to every week. Anyone who completely dislikes “The Officeâ€� now ignorantly convinced themselves that it could not and would not be funny without Michael. “The Officeâ€� is still an extremely hilarious show with clever writing.… Expand

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2. Paulee71

   10

   The office has been a bit of a disappoint this season. Carrel certainly provided the glue to hold the show together but I am surprised that the cast of strong characters has not kept up the comic delights from other seasons. Has there been a change in the writer's stable? This seems to be an obvious answer. The show just is not funny this year, often resorting to the overly bawdy and slapstick for laughs. Looks like it may be the last season.… Expand

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3. overkill94

   4

   A once classic show has slowly gone downhill since season 3 and has reached new depths of unfunniness this season. Funny writing has been replaced by increasingly absurd characterizations (what happened to monotone Kevin? where did Jim's dry wit go?) and equally absurd situations. The episode where Andy gets a tattoo was actually good, but every other episode of this season has been extremely difficult to watch. Robert California had a certain amount of charm at the beginning but just now is just an extremely frustrating character. Definitely time to put this turd out to pasture.… Expand

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     1 of 1 users said yes

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