Office over Eight

There was always the fear that after Steve Carell left at the end of season seven that the series just wouldn't be the same... And I'm here to tell you those fears were entirely justified... But to continue talking about this, I'm going to put it inside a folded post for spoilers and such. Basically, it fell apart a lot.

I don't mind that Andy became the new boss. They could do things with that. But going to Talahassee was the start of the downfall of the season. Yes, Catherine Tate joined at that time, rather superfluously, but that was another symptom, not the cause.

The problem, as I see it, was that they had less focus on 'office weirdness of the episode' and more on the story arc. Yes, they always had a story arc, but each episode, from Florida onwards, was about the arc, not about the weirdness. And while I like James Spader, his character was just too odd to be believable that no-one was calling him on his stupidity, even behind his back.

But what really put a sour topper on everything was the final episode. Which, basically, was a huge reset button for the entire season. Aside from one or two character moments, the entire season could be excised and nothing changes for the office crew. What the hell up with that?

One more season and it is the end... which is should have been last season. I'll watch it, but with a sense of dread.

[END]