'The Office' - A Series Review

The Office is one of those weird shows where at first you don't want to watch it, and then you aren't sure why you're still watching it, and then somehow it has become one of your favourite shows and you feel sentimental when it's over.

The show runs off of the idea that the viewer is watching a documentary about the day-to-day operations of a group of office employees who work for the Dunder Mifflin paper company. Steve Carell plays extremely inappropriate manager Michael Scott, who when I first started watching made me so uncomfortable that I almost stopped watching. Beware if you are squeamish about racist or sexist jokes because nothing is off limit.

Despite my discomfort, I continued to watch and over time came to love crass Michael Scott. When you understand his back story and see that ultimately underneath he just wants to love everyone and have them love him back, it is easier to root for him.

Jenna Fischer plays receptionist Pam Beesly, an aspiring artist trying to decide whether to pursue her dreams or settle for an overbearing fiance and a desk job. Her best friend and potential romantic counterpart Jim Halpert is played by John Krasinski.

Plus, who can forget Dwight Schrute? A beet farmer, number one salesman and aspiring future manager, Dwight is odd to say the least. Rainn Wilson depicts this German force of a man who throughout the show pulls pranks, is pranked, and even shoots someone - all in the course of being the best employee he can be.

**Spoilers from this point forward**

Having finished the series, I do feel a strange sense of nostalgia. The show was never the same after Steve Carell left, but it still held some of its original quirky appeal. While I was never a fan of Andy, feeling him to be a sort of awkward Michael Scott replacement, he had his occasional charms.

The final season made up for any lapses between the departure of Michael Scott and the end of the show, in my opinion. It started to wrap everything up in a semi-plausible and still fairly funny manner, which is quite the feat for a comedy. So often wrap-ups are serious and the viewer forgets that they were supposedly watching a comedy.

The final episode was less funny and more sentimental, but I forgive them because I liked it so much. Getting to see where all of the characters end up that you have invested yourself in for nine seasons is enjoyable and provides closure. I always appreciate a decent dose of closure, whether in books, television shows or movies. Those abstract 'decide what happened for yourself' endings are not for me.

I loved that Michael Scott came to Dwight and Angela's wedding, because he was Dwight's idol and father figure in a twisted and odd sort of way. It seems fitting that he'd be brought back for such an occasion. Though it wasn't in the last episode, I also adored Dwight's proposal. Only an oddball like Dwight would nearly cause a car crash to then nearly deafen someone in order to profess his love. It was crazy and hilarious and sweet at the same time.

So in all, The Office reeled me in. It started off rocky, confusing and awkward, and it ended beautiful, confusing and awkward. Over the course of nine seasons I became invested in every character and their stories (minus Ryan and Kelly who I never liked, sorry) and despite some lesser seasons near the end, I enjoyed my time in Scranton immensely.

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