THE OFFICE

[Ribbons]

Did anybody catch Will Ferrell on The Office tonight? It was kind of surreal.

[Lord Voldemoo]

Did anybody catch Will Ferrell on The Office tonight? It was kind of surreal.

Yup, I saw it, and surreal is a good way to describe it. I enjoyed it, but he somehow seemed a little out of place, like an episode of Law and Order or something that has a BIG GUEST STAR playing the bad guy.

Has it been confirmed yet who will be the actual new regional manager next season? I heard that Will Arnett is going to be in the season finale, which would be a pretty great choice for the position.

[so sorry]

Ferrell is only signed on for 4 episodes.

I thought it was a good introduction. At least he wasn't playing his over the top goofball scthick (yet).

Question: I watched in from a DVR recording, and literally the last 10 (?) seconds got cut off. What did he say about Pam and Jim's kid at the end???

What I heard was "That kid is"

[Ribbons]

That kid could be the star of a TV show called "Babies I Don't Care About."

[so sorry]

Oh man that man-hug from behind scene was so uncomfortable to watch! That's what this show has always been about for me: cringing when Michael does something like that, so oblivious to its rediculousness.

[Ribbons]

"D'Angelo Jeremitrius Vickers!"

I wasn't crazy about this week's episode but I liked Dwight's bitter acceptance speech.

[so sorry]

There's an article on the mothersite that said jim carry will be on the last episode as a potential replacement.

Also alot of speculation that the Scranton Strangler will be revealed (Gabe, Erin, Tody, even some votes for Michael!)

[TheBaxter]

aaargh!!!! not more singing!!!!!! thanks, the office, for reminding me why i won't be watching any more after this season ends.

[so sorry]

So last night was Michael's departure....

thought it was well done. Tasteful and sweet without too much sappiness. I thought the "gifts" Michael gave out were a bit to intelligent given his character's history of idiocy, but that's a minor complaint.

Will Ferrel is annoying as fuck. I can't wait until he's off the show. And if he does turn out to be the Scranton Strangler it'll be the biggest no-shit moment.

Loved Tobey's brother in Boulder, and the fact that the one person Michael truely hates has a clone in the city he is moving too.

The final (off mike) goodbye with Pam was nice too.

[Lord Voldemoo]

So last night was Michael's departure....

thought it was well done. Tasteful and sweet without too much sappiness. I thought the "gifts" Michael gave out were a bit to intelligent given his character's history of idiocy, but that's a minor complaint.

Will Ferrel is annoying as fuck. I can't wait until he's off the show. And if he does turn out to be the Scranton Strangler it'll be the biggest no-shit moment.

Loved Tobey's brother in Boulder, and the fact that the one person Michael truely hates has a clone in the city he is moving too.

The final (off mike) goodbye with Pam was nice too.

Agreed on all counts, except that I think that the Scranton Strangler is Gabe. Unless, of course, Gabe's recent behavior is meant to be a red herring, in which case it's still Gabe.

I really liked the ep. I've always been a sucker for those few episodes where Michael is not a complete idiot, and it was nice to see him go out on a high note.

Couldn't agree more about Will. I generally like him in most of his work, but he's just flatly annoying in this role.

[so sorry]

I've had two jobs since I've been out of college. My first job I worked at for 13 years, and built some strong work and personal relationships with people there. It was a hard decision for me to move on for that job, and some of those feelings came back last night as I watched Michael struggle with saying goodbye to what was his whole life (note: my job was NOT my whole life, but the similarities did exist on a few levels).

And the most poignant moment was as he left, work went on without him. The office will soldier on, they will talk about Michael's legacy and speak fondly of him, but the bottom line is: work goes on without him (which he probably assumed the office would cease to exist without him).

Man I read WAAAAY to deeply into that, but again, I am projecting my own feelings into it, so, yeah, you know, leave me alone!


/runs out of the Zone crying

[TheBaxter]

if last night's episode was any indication, this show is going to really go into the tank with steve carell gone. none of the "guest stars" interviewing for the boss job were very funny, except maybe james spader, but that bit would get really old really fast. actually, i like the idea of creed as the manager, he was pretty much the only part of last night's episode that made me laugh. he's just so completely random. if they kept him as manager, but didn't make him a main character like carell was, just have a couple scenes with him doing something bizarre every episode, kinda like how they use him now, that would be the best replacement i could think of. it's too bad leslie nielsen is dead; he would have been a good replacement too, since he's got the same clueless, dumb guy thing going that carell had, but in a different way. hey, maybe that's an idea. they should replace carell with a dead guy. have the new boss come in for the first day next season, go into his office, then no one sees him the rest of the day. someone goes in to check on him at lunch, finds out he's dead, and instead of telling anyone, they just let him stay there dead for the whole season. kind of like weekend at bernie's on the office. or maybe they can hire charlie sheen to be the new boss. i hear he's looking for work these days. they should have at least made him one of the guest stars who comes in to interview for the job. he could have just played himself, and he could come in for 5 minutes and talk about "winning" and tiger blood and whatnot. oh well, missed opportunity.

in other words, there are no good ideas for replacing carell, and the show hasn't been very good the past couple years anyway, so they may as well just end it now.

[so sorry]

Creed is so absurd as a character that he can only be used in small doses (like you suggest and like he's been used up to this point). But the premise of the show is still based in a "real" office, so with that in mind I think Creed even being temporarily put in charge was stupid.

As for all the potential interviewees, it seemed like they were leaning towards that woman. I thought I read somewhere that the actress was in contract talks with NBC, but I could be thinking of something else. I agree that the Spader bit was funny/creepy, but they went back to that well a bit too much. The Jim Carrey bit was ALF.

I still can't get past the fact that Jim doesn't want the job. The character has struggled in the past with the fact that he had a dead end job. Maybe that was back when the show was rooted a bit more in reality. Its just so stupid that he (the character) wouldn't jump at the opportunity to take the PROMOTION for the benifit of his family. And why wouldn't Joe (the owner) demand that Jim take the job? Plot wise they could then turn the show upside down and have the manager (Jim) be the sane one and have the rest of the office become the incompetent ones (basically the opposite of the Michael/office dynamic).

Like I've said before in this thread, I'm probably overthinking this show at this point...

[TheBaxter]

yeah, any semblance between this show and a "real" office flew out the window a long time ago. that's why i like the creed-as-boss angle. if you're going to go the absurdist route, then go all the way, don't half-ass it.

[Ribbons]

It almost feels like they're setting Jim up to be the new manager, but they went that route already (when he was "co-manager" with Michael), so I don't get why they would spend another half-season tapdancing around it. He would be the most logical choice in the office, but they might want another outsized personality to build the show around. Wherever they're going, hopefully it doesn't take them too long to get there.

I liked the season finale but if you think about it, pretty much nothing happened except that Gabe was sent back to Florida. Still it was fun to see all the guest stars do their thing. I appreciated the fact that the cameos were unlisted, although since I followed news of the show online I already knew about most of them.

[Bloo]

Creed is so absurd as a character that he can only be used in small doses (like you suggest and like he's been used up to this point). But the premise of the show is still based in a "real" office, so with that in mind I think Creed even being temporarily put in charge was stupid.

As for all the potential interviewees, it seemed like they were leaning towards that woman. I thought I read somewhere that the actress was in contract talks with NBC, but I could be thinking of something else. I agree that the Spader bit was funny/creepy, but they went back to that well a bit too much. The Jim Carrey bit was ALF.

I still can't get past the fact that Jim doesn't want the job. The character has struggled in the past with the fact that he had a dead end job. Maybe that was back when the show was rooted a bit more in reality. Its just so stupid that he (the character) wouldn't jump at the opportunity to take the PROMOTION for the benifit of his family. And why wouldn't Joe (the owner) demand that Jim take the job? Plot wise they could then turn the show upside down and have the manager (Jim) be the sane one and have the rest of the office become the incompetent ones (basically the opposite of the Michael/office dynamic).

Like I've said before in this thread, I'm probably overthinking this show at this point...

wasn't it stated with Jim resigned as co-manager that he could potentially make more money as a sales rep then as manager

[so sorry]

Creed is so absurd as a character that he can only be used in small doses (like you suggest and like he's been used up to this point). But the premise of the show is still based in a "real" office, so with that in mind I think Creed even being temporarily put in charge was stupid.

As for all the potential interviewees, it seemed like they were leaning towards that woman. I thought I read somewhere that the actress was in contract talks with NBC, but I could be thinking of something else. I agree that the Spader bit was funny/creepy, but they went back to that well a bit too much. The Jim Carrey bit was ALF.

I still can't get past the fact that Jim doesn't want the job. The character has struggled in the past with the fact that he had a dead end job. Maybe that was back when the show was rooted a bit more in reality. Its just so stupid that he (the character) wouldn't jump at the opportunity to take the PROMOTION for the benifit of his family. And why wouldn't Joe (the owner) demand that Jim take the job? Plot wise they could then turn the show upside down and have the manager (Jim) be the sane one and have the rest of the office become the incompetent ones (basically the opposite of the Michael/office dynamic).

Like I've said before in this thread, I'm probably overthinking this show at this point...

wasn't it stated with Jim resigned as co-manager that he could potentially make more money as a sales rep then as manager

Yeah I think I remember that now.

[so sorry]

So I watched the rerun last night of the season ender with all the interviews for Michael's job. During one of the commercial breaks they had a promo for the upcoming season, and it said something to the effect of "Scranton welcomes Robert California to the Office"... Robert California being the James Spader.

Huh, I had no idea this decision was made...I thought they'd try and keep it a secret. I googled and found this article that reveals a bit more.

I liked the Spader character, but man , that shchtick could get old real fast.

[so sorry]

Season 8 began last night.

the planking thing cracked me up. The new CEO thing, not so much. Not a bad start, but as I've said multiple times, I'm seeing this show thru to the end just as a matter of habit.

P.S. pregnant Pam is HUGE.

[so sorry]

Anybody still watching?

I thought last night's episode was pretty solid (the sabre store stuff, not the andy getting beat up bit).

[TheBaxter]

last week's episode was the funniest this show's been in a while.

creed's "strike, scream and run" was the funniest thing on this show in years.

[Fievel]

last week's episode was the funniest this show's been in a while.

creed's "strike, scream and run" was the funniest thing on this show in years.

I haven't watched the show in a few years. I really tried to stick with it, but Carrell's character was just getting too stupid. When he was gone I thought about watching it again, but then the phone rang and I forgot all about it. Having said all that, the clip above made me laugh out loud.

[TheBaxter]

last week's episode was the funniest this show's been in a while.

creed's "strike, scream and run" was the funniest thing on this show in years.

I haven't watched the show in a few years. I really tried to stick with it, but Carrell's character was just getting too stupid. When he was gone I thought about watching it again, but then the phone rang and I forgot all about it. Having said all that, the clip above made me laugh out loud.

don't worry, if you watched the clip then you've seen the funniest 20 seconds of this show since you stopped watching. i could watch that clip over and over and over again and it would never get old. this show needs more creed.

[Ribbons]

My favorite part of last week's episode was how Erin looked like hipster Ariel:

[TheBaxter]

My favorite part of last week's episode was how Erin looked

i can't disagree with this statement

[so sorry]

contract negotiations may be the death knell for The Office


And anyone who thinks a spin off of the Shrute Farm would be good is smoking crack.

[TheBaxter]

contract negotiations may be the death knell for The Office


And anyone who thinks a spin off of the Shrute Farm would be good is smoking crack.

they should've cancelled it after carell left (or, arguably, before carell left).

but if all those people left, it would be a blessing in disguise. i've had my fill of andy, jim & pam. and would anyone really miss bj novak's character (i say "bj novak's character" because i can't remember his name... that's how much i'd miss him). just make the show all about creed and you've got the magic back.

[so sorry]

contract negotiations may be the death knell for The Office


And anyone who thinks a spin off of the Shrute Farm would be good is smoking crack.

they should've cancelled it after carell left (or, arguably, before carell left).

but if all those people left, it would be a blessing in disguise. i've had my fill of andy, jim & pam. and would anyone really miss bj novak's character (i say "bj novak's character" because i can't remember his name... that's how much i'd miss him). just make the show all about creed and you've got the magic back.

If these guys can't work out a contract, the show needs to end (although I agree that it needed to end when Carrell left). They are characters that are too established to try and replace (all at once).

I wonder if this is a case of these actors getting together and saying we don't want to do this show anymore, UNLESS you throw ALF amounts of money at us. Helms has a decent movie career brewing.

[TheBaxter]

contract negotiations may be the death knell for The Office


And anyone who thinks a spin off of the Shrute Farm would be good is smoking crack.

they should've cancelled it after carell left (or, arguably, before carell left).

but if all those people left, it would be a blessing in disguise. i've had my fill of andy, jim & pam. and would anyone really miss bj novak's character (i say "bj novak's character" because i can't remember his name... that's how much i'd miss him). just make the show all about creed and you've got the magic back.

If these guys can't work out a contract, the show needs to end (although I agree that it needed to end when Carrell left). They are characters that are too established to try and replace (all at once).

I wonder if this is a case of these actors getting together and saying we don't want to do this show anymore, UNLESS you throw ALF amounts of money at us. Helms has a decent movie career brewing.

ALL YOU NEED IS CREED
ALL YOU NEED IS CREED
ALL YOU NEED IS CREED, CREED
CREED IS ALL YOU NEED

or if you're more of an AC/DC fan...

Dirty Creed done dirt cheap
Dirty Creed done dirt cheap
Dirty Creed done dirt cheap
Dirty Creed and he's done dirt cheap
Dirty Creed and he's done dirt cheap (cheaper than ed helms and john krasinski at least)


and in the words of Gordon Gekko: "Creed is GOOD."

[so sorry]

Getting painful to watch (probably can be said for the last few seasons) but I gotta stick it out until the end.

I guess Ed Helms is off doing more important things than playing his character on this show. The fact that the boss of the office just gets up and leaves unannounced for "a few weeks" is no big deal? And he fucking leaves his super cute girlfriend (the one that he drove down to Florida to proclaim his love too) standing on the pier, followed by a text message that he'd still be in England for a while? C'mon, this is just sloppyness. I'd be willing to bet that when he does return, and finds out that she's sweet on this office temp, that they will part company as boyfriend/girlfriend in a friendly way or some stupid shit like that.

Gah, be done with this season already!

[RogueScribner]

I think this season has a few things going for it, but the way they're handling Andy is not one of them.

[Lord Voldemoo]

Is the thinking that this is still the last season?? Or did I make that up in my head?

Honestly, if it's not, i'm annoyed because that was really the only reason I was watching this season at all...

[so sorry]

Is the thinking that this is still the last season?? Or did I make that up in my head?

Honestly, if it's not, i'm annoyed because that was really the only reason I was watching this season at all...

Hmmm, actaully I'm not sure that that decision was made yet. I know that a few of the primary stars (Helms, Fischer, and Jim?) all asked for crazy raises, basically saying we're done unless you pay us stupid money. But I don't remember the outcome, nor do I care enough to google it!

[Lord Voldemoo]

nor do I care enough to google it!

heh, that's kinda where I ended up too

But I did find this from before this current season, which seems to confirm that the plan, at least at that time, was to end it after the current season.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/08/21/the-office-season-9/

we'll see if they actually stick to that.

[Al Shut]

That was just the trap to lure you into seeing this season

[so sorry]

Mercifully only a few episodes left. This is like watching your dog waste away before you realize its time to take him to the vet and put him out of his misery.

Last night's one hour ep had some funny bits, but man did they stretch it out with the Andy quitting thing. And having Angela practically homeless all of a sudden is just sad.

Clearly Pam will let Jim go on this 3 month work bonanza, which is a fucking cop out because the way Darryl explained it, there's a company buy out at the end, so no matter what Jim doesn't have to decide between Pam and his new job, the decision is there for him. They just have to stick it out a few months more (for presumably a big payday as well).

[TheBaxter]

this show can't end soon enough. that last episode bordered on unwatchable, and finally crossed the line with andy's song at the end.

and the angela stuff makes no sense. wasn't she able to support herself for years before she got married? she gets dumped and all of the sudden she can't even afford a studio apartment in scranton?

[TheBaxter]

last office ever tonight!

gotta say, as horrible as that episode a couple weeks ago was, they did a good job last week. almost reminded me of the early years of the office at times. i could have done without the dancing bit though.

also made me wish they'd just gone ahead and made dwight the manager when carell left, instead of all the crap with james spader and andy. talk about missed opportunity. i think there were more laughs in that one episode of dwight as manager, then the whole time of andy or spader in the job.

[Fievel]

I haven't watched a complete episode of this show in years....
....yet I found that finale to be a sweet, emotional ending - despite the fact that like the series itself, it went on far too long.
Carrell's appearance was awesome. I just wish they would have given him a bit more to say.
Well done.

[so sorry]

I haven't watched a complete episode of this show in years....
....yet I found that finale to be a sweet, emotional ending - despite the fact that like the series itself, it went on far too long.
Carrell's appearance was awesome. I just wish they would have given him a bit more to say.
Well done.

I was let down by that ending actually. Maybe because I have watched every episode...

While there were some poignant moments (the Q&A with the fans for instance), I was really dissapointed that they turned it into a "everybody has a happy ending" show. Literally every one of the main characters got what they wanted (I know I know, Creed ended up in jail). And the biggest cop out of all was Jim and Pam: for Pam to decide a fucking YEAR LATER that she wanted Jim to follow his dream job really pissed me off.

Anywho, the show remains one of my favorites as a series, but glad its over.

[TheBaxter]

outside of carell's return the whole finale felt pretty pointless. last week's episode should have been the finale.

that episode was funny, with a few emotional moments to balance it out. it was everything that was good about the series at its best. the finale was everything that went wrong with this series at its worst. lots of hit-you-over-the-head attempts to be poignant and heartfelt and serious. case in point: the teapot note. leaving it at where it was last episode, with pam reading the note but the audience never knowing what it said, was perfect. to then follow it up with a Q&A person asking what was in the note so Pam can say it was private... what was the point of that? to spell out the obvious? it's like if they had added a post-credits scene to Lost in Translation where some random passerby comes up to ScarJo and says "hey, what did that old guy just whisper in your ear?" and she responds "sorry, that's between us." pointless and dumb.

[Ribbons]

I will say that I laughed out loud when Creed got arrested.

I thought it was alright, but instantly forgettable. It felt more like a victory lap than an actual episode. The interviews at the end were genuinely poignant, but it was another case of stating the obvious, like Baxter said.

[TheButcher]

THR DECEMBER 18, 2017:
'The Office' Revival in the Works at NBC

Hot on the success of the return of Will & Grace, NBC is looking to revive another of its beloved comedies: The Office.

Sources confirm to The Hollywood Reporter that the network is looking to bring back the former Steve Carell starrer for another season. Carell, however, will not return. A search is underway to find a new star to take over as the show's Michael Scott-like regional manager of paper supply company Dunder Mifflin. NBC and producers Universal Television declined comment. TV Line was first to report the news.

Sources told THR in August that The Office may be revived with a new cast and creator Greg Daniels attached. At the time, NBC and producers Universal Television said those rumors were not true. That speculation has now grown more real as the network is said to be in talks for a revival.

The Office ran for nine seasons on NBC as part of the network's Thursday comedy brand. The show — which made stars out of Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Craig Robinson, Ellie Kemper and Mindy Kaling, among others — was an awards-season staple, taking home multiple Emmys, Golden Globes and other top prizes. Carell exited after season seven, with The Office continuing on for two additional cycles before the star returned for the series finale in 2013.

Creator Greg Daniels, who adapted the show from the British comedy starring Ricky Gervais, told THR in November 2016 that he was happy with how the NBC series ultimately ended. "I feel like I did in the finale what that would have been because I jumped forward in time as, like a reunion of the characters, and so, to me, I think that was it. It said everything that the show had to say," he told THR when asked if he'd be open to a U.S. follow-up as Gervais was plotting a movie revival of his own. "Personally, I feel like we left on a good note. I’m not that anxious to open it up again myself, but I would be interested to see what David Brent’s up to. But also I think the American show became so much of an ensemble and to not have the whole ensemble there would just feel kind of, I don’t know, less than. So I don’t want to criticize what he’s doing, I think that’s great, but I’m okay with us having had our finale."

News of a potential continuation of The Office comes as NBC has found ratings and awards-season fortune with its Will & Grace revival. (The reboot scored an early renewal ahead of its return in September.)

[so sorry]

THR DECEMBER 18, 2017:
'The Office' Revival in the Works at NBC

Hot on the success of the return of Will & Grace, NBC is looking to revive another of its beloved comedies: The Office.

Sources confirm to The Hollywood Reporter that the network is looking to bring back the former Steve Carell starrer for another season. Carell, however, will not return. A search is underway to find a new star to take over as the show's Michael Scott-like regional manager of paper supply company Dunder Mifflin. NBC and producers Universal Television declined comment. TV Line was first to report the news.

Sources told THR in August that The Office may be revived with a new cast and creator Greg Daniels attached. At the time, NBC and producers Universal Television said those rumors were not true. That speculation has now grown more real as the network is said to be in talks for a revival.

The Office ran for nine seasons on NBC as part of the network's Thursday comedy brand. The show — which made stars out of Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Craig Robinson, Ellie Kemper and Mindy Kaling, among others — was an awards-season staple, taking home multiple Emmys, Golden Globes and other top prizes. Carell exited after season seven, with The Office continuing on for two additional cycles before the star returned for the series finale in 2013.

Creator Greg Daniels, who adapted the show from the British comedy starring Ricky Gervais, told THR in November 2016 that he was happy with how the NBC series ultimately ended. "I feel like I did in the finale what that would have been because I jumped forward in time as, like a reunion of the characters, and so, to me, I think that was it. It said everything that the show had to say," he told THR when asked if he'd be open to a U.S. follow-up as Gervais was plotting a movie revival of his own. "Personally, I feel like we left on a good note. I’m not that anxious to open it up again myself, but I would be interested to see what David Brent’s up to. But also I think the American show became so much of an ensemble and to not have the whole ensemble there would just feel kind of, I don’t know, less than. So I don’t want to criticize what he’s doing, I think that’s great, but I’m okay with us having had our finale."

News of a potential continuation of The Office comes as NBC has found ratings and awards-season fortune with its Will & Grace revival. (The reboot scored an early renewal ahead of its return in September.)

OK so I can see the minor characters begging to come back to do the show, but without the "big" stars...this is a dud waiting to happen. Last two seasons without Michael were not good. Take out several other cast members and its bound to be worse.

[TheBaxter]

this news makes me this excited