Finding something to watch has become quite the task in these modern times. For those who choose The Office US as their go to show they have the opportunity to experience a number of different things. The Office is a show full of some of the best humor a person could ever watch, lots of romance, and even some action and adventure. While this show seems to be the best show to ever exist it does have its downfalls. Some of those things are the inappropriate language, offensive comments, and cringy humor which appear in some of the episodes.
The show, The Office, is a mockumentary about the lives of the employees of a regional paper company. The episodes of The Office, show how the regional manager and his employees interact with each other, both in and out of the office. The show depicts its characters falling in love, experiencing heartbreak, and most importantly having fun selling paper. The Office, while a lot of the time produces instances where the characters find themselves in completely ridiculous situations, will often contain extremely relatable events for all of its viewers. According to Rotten tomatoes The Office is a show for those who have, “hated their boss, their job or both” which happens to be most americans (n.d. n.p.). This show is bursting with immensely talented actors like Steve Carell, Jenna Fischer, and Rainn Wilson. Each of these characters add to the story line and bring a new take on life which is why the office has gained such a diverse audience and has been successful.
One of the most appealing aspects of The Office is the many different love connections and romances played out over the course of its nine seasons. The Office may be known for its exceptional humor but is also crawling with romance. Throughout the nine seasons the viewer witnesses romance after romance with Jim and Pam, Dwight and Angela, Michael and Holly, Kelly and Ryan, Erin and Andy, and so many more. The most memorable of The Office romances is the receptionist (Pam) and one of the salesman (Jim). Their romance and many of the other romances played out in the show are special. One of the best episodes is their wedding day which is something many viewers had waited a long time for. These romances aren’t the typical hollywood impossible love stories. The love stories of The Office are obtainable and relatable which is why they are so significant. The storylines in the office are so enticing to viewers because they feel real.
Not only does The Office contain romance, but also some of the best humor to ever exist. Each episode has a unique introduction which contains some of the funniest scenes in cinematic history. The boss of the paper company, Michael Scott, adds humor with some of his quite illogical ideas and methods of managing his branch. The show never has a dull moment with jokes being cracked every ten seconds and some epic pranks between two of the salesman, Dwight and Jim. The pranks pulled can often be over complicated and elaborate but always manage to muster a laugh. One of the greatest opening scenes of the office is when dwight gets a pumpkin stuck on his head and despite multiple theatrical attempts they can not remove it. The scene may be impractical but it is also side splittingly funny. Each character adds their own sense of humor which elevates the comedic genius that is The Office. Even minor characters, like Creed Bratton, head of quality insurance, make the office ten times funnier with their unique sense of humor and witty comments. The Office is able to find humor in everyday situations which is why it is such a sensation. Even with all the humor, the show is also able to incorporate action and adventure.
While The Office first comes off as a comedy series it also has action and adventure. In season seven there is an episode jam packed with action. In this episode Michael Scott has created his own action movie which he is the star of. His film is titled Threat Level Midnight and could arguably be the greatest action film to ever exist. In this episode his character Michael Scarn has to save a professional hockey game from the evil Golden Face who is trying to blow it up. This episode is full of so much humor and action at the same time. Elements like these are what make The Office a phenomenal masterpiece. In the article The Americanization of the Office Griffin mentions, “The Office has forged its own identity and achieved notable success” (2008, n.p.). The buzz The Office receives is not unwarranted and is due to the genius behind each carefully crafted episode.
The humor in The Office is great and can make a person laugh until they cry, but sometimes the humor can be a little much. Examples of the unwarranted and often unwanted humor used in The Office are the sexual or racial jokes. Birthisel comments in the article That’s What She Said, “the lack of repercussions for offending characters and stereotypical portrayals of women in the workplace undercut the The Office’s transgressive potential” (2013, p. 64.). Some of the humor is degrading towards women and portrays them unfairly at times. There are many occasions in the show where common offensive stereotypes of women are mentioned. Some of those being women having weak arms or being bad drivers. These little backhanded comments are demeaning and not needed. Some of the language and topics included in this show are hard to watch and can make a person uncomfortable. There is one episode named Scott’s Tots which is almost unwatchable due to the extreme unpleasantness of the events which transpire. The Office also includes characters like Roy Anderson and Todd Packer who are more of an annoyance than anything else. Most of the time they add no value to the show.
In the first few seasons Michael comes off as obnoxious and often times he can be unbearable to watch. His extreme repulsiveness in the beginning has deterred many people from finishing the series which is unfortunate because it is a quality show. However, he does in the end become an integral part of the show. Which makes it is hard to watch him leave in the seventh season. It is even harder to watch the new bosses, who are even less tolerable than Michael was in the first seasons, take his place in seasons eight and nine. The last two seasons contained maybe two episodes which were even worth watching, but those two episodes were most likely some of the best in the whole series.
The Office is most definitely not a perfect show and is not for everyone, but it is a show everyone should give a chance. The Office is a show full of humor, romance, and even some action. The show is a honorable choice when browsing through netflix and it undoubtedly deserves the hype it receives. The comedy in this show is like no other and although it does have nine long seasons they are episodes worth the watch. The Office may contain some offensive material and inappropriate jokes which are unnecessarily rude, but it also contains special character stories that are intriguing to follow. The Office is a quality show and is worth the watch and rewatch.
