Commentary: Why “The Office” is Better Than Sex

(or a desperate attempt to use a ridiculous claim to get you to read my article)

Commentary on the story so far.

My first experience with The Office was a love affair with the original British series. (which I’ll not discuss here, as I’ve already waxed long about it HERE) Suffice to say, I loved it dearly. I’ve rewatched the series more times than I can count. So, I was excited to see what we’d do with it over here. Excited, but cautious. I’d been burned before. Most notably by Coupling, another Brit-com I adored that, despite the EXACT same scripts was no longer funny in America.

Through a bit of subterfuge and wink-wink spying, I procured NBC’s up-fronts pilot demo DVD and managed to get a copy of (then called) An American Office’s pilot. There it was, reproduced in full, almost line for line again, the British Office, with an American cast. It was funny. It was better than a lot of the previous fall’s line-up. It just wasn’t what I wanted. I guess I was looking for transcendence. Which is sorta unfair of me.

Season one was a mixed bag. Thankfully they departed from word-for-word reconstructions of the British series after the first episode. What really impressed me about season one was their willingness to REALY dig in with the cringe-inducing faux pas style of the Brits. This was most noticeable in the episode "Diversity Day" which contained an almost horrifying moment of Michael Scott spewing fake-Hindi at Kelly Kapoor until she slapped him. It was very rough around the edges and raw, and the cast hadn’t yet found their grooves, but it showed promise. When the last of Season One’s six episodes aired, I was quite sure we were never going to see it again. Out of nowhere, Apple came to the rescue. The iTunes TV download service debuted with The Office as one of its featured shows and somehow, it became a hit.

I speak about season one as a whole, because upon re-watching, it barely fits in with the seasons that have followed. It’s fun and amusing, but comes nowhere near the brilliance that came after. And what came after was a near miracle.

From the first episode from second season, “The Dundies,” it was very clear that this group of writer/performers had done their homework in the five months since Season One ended. The cast was largely the same, with a few new faces. Most of the work had been done in creating backstory for the secondary characters, making this group of office workers one of the most impressive ensembles in television history.

Michael Scott (Steve Carell) is amazing on this show, he’s stepped far from Ricky Gervais’ shoes and managed to imbue his variation on David Brent with the one thing Brent didn’t have, a lovablity. You hate Brent so often on the show, that when he fails, you’re glad he fails because he deserved it. Michael Scott is incompetent, he’s an ass, he has no social skills whatsoever and he makes you hate him much of the time. HOWEVER, Michael is believable as boss due mainly to Season Two’s “The Client” in which Michael and Jan take a perspective client to dinner at Chili’s (the new golf course according to Michael) and after a night of drinks, hot wing and awesome blossom (with extra awesome) Michael manages to close the deal that Jan’s watched move further and further away without even breaking a sweat. In Season Three’s second episode “The Convention” we see this again. Michael Scott is an exceptional salesman. And while he may be more concerned with doing things in his own unique way, he still manages to get a lot done. In “The Dundies,” what really did most to separate this show from its British counterpart was the moment where the other folks at the restaurant were making fun of Michael. We saw the mood change amongst the office workers who just recently had turned on Michael. A feeling of we can make fun of him, because we kinda sorta love him, but YOU sure can’t came out. And it was wonderful. It took everything to another level. As misguided and inappropriate as Michael Scott is, at the end of the day, he’s a LITTLE BIT likable, which, with an actor as gifted as Steve Carell, is all it takes. (And thank God Evan Almighty bombed, or we might have to worry about contract negotiations taking this show down before it should be)

Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) isn’t very much like his British counterpart Gareth Keenan, and at first it annoyed me. I felt that Season One Dwight was not nearly as organic and real despite his crazy idiosyncrasies as Gareth. Moving into Season Two, Dwight didn’t change, we did. We learned more and more about him, his ambition, his blind love for Michael and desire for approval and affection, but what did wonders for Dwight’s character was the love interest that came up very organically between him and Angela. To see this character in his private moments with Angela as well as his more public made him far more believable. Moving into Season Three, we got to see Dwight’s ambition push him to the limits, beyond his willingness to forever be Michael’s toady, first in “The Coup,” where Dwight makes a blind grab for power by meeting with Jan behind his back to discuss a power shift in the office. It all goes horribly for him, of course, with Michael finding out and torturing him for the rest of the day. But for that glimpse, we get to see what life with Dwight in charge might be like. In the Third Season’s final episode “The Job,” we again get a glimpse of the way Dwight may run the office, should he ever be put in charge, (could happen) when Michael prematurely names him his successor. Dwight’s Schrute Bucks plan is brilliant.

John Krasinski had big shoes to fill as Jim Halpert, taking over from my favorite character (and I’m sure I’m not alone) Tim Canturbury from across the pond. Martin Freeman’s Tim was an amazing amalgamation of Oliver Hardy and Groucho Marx. His quick (and understated) wit was matched only by his exasperated Hardy looks at the camera. Krasinski wisely took the same route as both Wilson and Carrell in not aping his brit counterpart. Beyond the camera gazes and the quick dialogue delivery, the characters are unique to themselves. Krasinski is lovable, and throughout the Pam struggle over the course of the first three seasons, we truly “get” him. He’s friendly, upbeat, and enthusiastic about nearly anything. In Season Two’s “Office Olympics” Pam talks about how amazing it is when Jim gets excited about something, because he runs further and longer than any of us would ever think to do. But most amazing about Krasinski’s performance is that he’s not afraid to be quiet and hurt and regretful. You can see it all in his face, the Pam thing breaks him up more than he’ll ever let on. What’s wonderful about the journey the character has taken is that we’ve gotten to see many different facets of Jim. How quickly he fits in with certain types of people after his move to Stamford, his easy going friendship and then relationship with Karen Filippelli. He’s the all American guy, who won’t judge you, won’t make fun of you (unless you deserve it, and you might) and would love nothing more than to just hang out, be your pal, and talk about how crazy your boss is.

I am in love with Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer). And it’s not really Jenna Fischer I’m in love with. I’ve seen her in other things, she’s cute, fun, etc. But Pam is the most lovable person on television. I didn’t think it would happen again after Dawn Tinsley on the other side of the pond. But Pam quickly became the perfect compliment to Krasinski’s Jim. It’s the relationship that had to work, their almost sorta love affair is the true heart of the series. But what’s great about Pam is she’s given so much material. In Season Two, their relationship was mostly just pining for each other as the wedding came closer. Both were in love, neither could do anything about it. Season Three gave Fischer something much meatier to work with. Starting out with Jim in Stamford and her recovering from the fallout that followed canceling her wedding with Roy. She’s given a reformed Roy (David Denman) who is striving to get back into her good graces, the on then off reuniting with him, but her crowning moment comes in “Beach Games” the penultimate episode of Season Three, where she lays it on the line to Jim, walks on fire, and decides that the office ain’t pushing her around no more.

The supporting cast could each have paragraphs written about them as well, but then this article would be LONG. It’s already long, just imagine it that much longer. Ryan Howard (BJ Novak) has gone from the temp hired in season one, begun his creepy and clingy relationship with Kelly Kapoor (Mindy Kaling) to a sales staff member in season three. His field trainings with Dwight and Stanley (Leslie David Baker) were hilarious, as was Season Three’s “Business School” where Michael learned what Ryan really thought about the future of Dunder Mifflin. (It wasn’t good.) Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey) has shown a power hunger that revealed itself during “The Coup” and has shown more and more intriguing character traits as she’s moved more into the foreground. Kevin Malone (Brian Baumgartner) dealt with the possibility of skin cancer in “Michael’s Birthday” and has a very intriguing relationship with his fiancée Stacy who seems to vanish for weeks at a time. Creed Bratton (Creed Bratton) is one of the most interesting characters who seems to shine more in deleted scenes than on the actual show. He used to play guitar in many bands in the sixties, has confirmed ridiculous drug use, a flexible sexuality, never owned a fridge until “Casino Night,” loves to steal, sprouts mung-beans and just throws an old shirt from his closet into a grocery bag for Secret Santa. My favorite supporting character is Toby Flenderson (Paul Lieberstein) from HR. His brilliance is with the most understated delivery style I have ever seen and I would’ve loved to see his momentary attempt to romance Pam continue for a while.

Season Three introduced several characters as the office merged, but only two stuck around, Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) a controlling freak with an anger management problem and a desire to become second in command and Karen Filippelli (Rashida Jones) who, let’s be honest, really only exists to come between Pam and Jim, and we all saw who Jim chose at the end of Season Three. If we didn’t see, it was Pam. Thank God.

Before I close this character discussion that’s gone on FAR too long, I want to talk about Melora Hardin’s portrayal of Jan Levinson. Jan, based on Jennifer Taylor-Clark in the Brit-com is probably the most interesting character arch this show has yet seen. Starting with her divorce and her night with Michael in “The Client” in Season Two, Jan has begun a sharp decline in her life. Her attempts to stay away from Michael only make her want him more, her therapist has suggested she has a self destructive streak, her performance at Dunder Mifflin becomes spotty and I’m pretty sure her complete destruction in the final episode of Season Three could be seen from space. Absolutely spectacular.

So…that was LONG.

What do I want from Season Four? If I could ask the TV Gods to grant me one wish, it would be for Jim and Pam to actually have a relationship. History has shown us that the easy way for a TV series to deal with this desire is, after they get together, throw a wrench in and break them back up. Friends did it for ten years. I don’t want that for The Office, it’d be contrived. For a show that’s been so brave and unique and bold, letting them be together and happy would be very bold. I want to watch a slow descent for Jan (who I hear is living with Michael now.) I want to see Dwight and Angela’s relationship come out of the closet as it were. I want to see Pam continue to be more aggressive and tell people what she wants, as her wonderful season three arc went. I want to see Toby and Creed become more and more involved characters. I want to see Ryan shake things up at Dunder Mifflin. I want Michael to get fired, if only for a little bit, because of the wonder that was David Brent trying to cope with a life after Wernham Hogg in Slough. Mostly though, I’m very curious to hear about this documentary that’s been in the works for the past three years. Do the characters watch themselves on TV, is it affecting them at all? Is ANYBODY watching? Brent was a Z-List celebrity after his version of The Office. Mostly I just want this amazingly talented staff of writers and performers to continue churning out one of the best televisions comedies in history.

Yeah. I said it.

Hyperbole can kiss my ass.

I look forward to talking at you.

- Dave Grelck is a writer/filmmaker/photographer. His film White Out is being released this winter. His web television series Irving Renquist, Ghost Hunter goes live on Halloween!