The Office Finale
- Thread starter zarnold56
- Start date
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DistrictCyclone
Guest
I'm somewhat worried that the forthcoming 4th season on Netflix (and possible movie) will be a flop and will forever tarnish the series.
But still, I think people are smart enough to realize that you don't have to judge a series in its totality. Again I refer to The Simpsons...on the whole (meaning if you include the last 15 or so seasons), it's pretty "meh". But if you just look at the first few years, it's absolutely brilliant. The Office is the same way; very, very good for the first few seasons, but fizzled towards its end. It's still a good show, but even at its best, I don't think it's nearly as good as AD. I don't think many shows could be.
If The Office had ended after 4 seasons, it would be considered one of the greatest shows ever, and with good reason. Up to that point in time, it was.
Agreed. I wouldn't want that though, because even though the quality went down slightly through season 6 and then dived for 8 and 9, there are still a ton of really funny things that happen and moments that I really loved, it just wasn't as consistent or constant as the first 4 seasons.
Maybe it will look better in hindsight, who knows.
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DistrictCyclone
Guest
YES. Roy and Moss are awesome. The episode where Roy pretends to be disabled is a gut-buster.
Even better is "Peep Show". That one's 8 seasons long and hasn't let up one bit (albeit, their "seasons" are only 6 episodes). It is probably #2 on my list behind AD.
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DistrictCyclone
Guest
Ok, I hope this doesn't go to the cave, but I'll be the first to admit that this takes AD down a notch:
[video=youtube;XyVSMVJpaLU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XyVSMVJpaLU#![/video]
[video=youtube;XyVSMVJpaLU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XyVSMVJpaLU#![/video]
Both The Office and AD are great. I slightly prefer the awkward comedy of The Office, to the over the top comedy of AD. One little thing I really appreciate about the office was the almost perfect use of Creed Bratton. He never really had his own episode, and when he said something it was usually hilarious.
In this case, it didn't. Yet whether you consider The Office's overdue demise a tragedy or a mercy kill, it's still no less deserving of a wake. When it was good, The Office was truly great. In contrast to the aspirational noisiness of other sitcoms, this was a show that celebrated the smallness of everyday life, the quiet indignities and tiny failures that mar our days and the shy smiles, raised eyebrows, and harmless pranks (well, mostly harmless) that give us the resilience to do it all again tomorrow. The Office thrived on the paper-thin edge between resignation and giving up, a task that would have been impossible had showrunner Greg Daniels not made the key decision to declare total independence from the English source material after the uneven first season
My thoughts summed up perfectly^^^
The end of 'The Office' - Grantland
My thoughts summed up perfectly^^^
The end of 'The Office' - Grantland
After 2 pages of this thread I skipped to the last page to avoid this p***ing match and giving my two cents. The Office is by far my favorite show. The first couple seasons were meh, but I really enjoyed seasons 3-6. Adding Will Ferrell was a good idea, but failed miserably. The last three seasons are good, but were starting to lose it's charm. The Office is a show that mostly all people can relate with. You have the know-it-all in Oscar, the **** with Angela, the charming receptionist in Pam or Erin, the kiss *** with the Nard Dog, the weirdo with Dwight, the dumb *** with Kevin, and the guy who gives no ***** in Stanley lol. That is one of the reasons why this show lasted as long as it did.
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
Watched the fire drill a couple times tonight. If I can find the cpr portion, complete with the Wallace/Dwight interactions, my day is fully complete.
My favorite opening by the way is when Jim dresses up and acts like Dwight. BEARS, BEETS, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
Don't forget the cameos by Todd Packer. Those were always gold. And since we are reminiscing, I just remember Dwight singing, "Ryan started the fire" lol
Listen, I LOVE AD. Big, big fan. I think I have three things that keep my argument valid. 1) Wasn't AD already off the air by time The Office began? 2) In terms of influence and overall pop culture stature I don't think you can argue that The Office isn't bigger. 3) The Office is going to have a massive legacy as the last show to take up the NBC must-see-TV Thursday mantle and really make it count for something.
I think the Office vs. AD debate comes down to how you define "best". I definitely think AD was funnier and had a better ensemble of characters. However, it is hard to argue against The Office's longevity and widespread appeal. It is a testament to how great the Office is that it was able to last on network television for so long, especially in a time where most shows are lucky to make it to a third season. So my vote would go to the Office.
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DistrictCyclone
Guest
Addressing your questions:
1) No, The Office began in 2005 (2001 for the British version), and Arrested Development didn't end until 2006. And actually one could argue that Arrested Development has outlasted The Office as it's being revived (how many other shows have been revived after 7 years due to popular demand?)
2) Since when does "influence and overall pop culture stature" = "best sitcom"? Or even factor into it? And even still, Arrested Development is hugely influential in that area. The House Republicans released a parody video of the Arrested Development intro the other day...if it's influenced a group as fusty and out-of-touch as House Republicans, you know it's pretty culturally significant.
3) With all due respect to The Office's legacy, I don't see it being revived by popular demand in a few years because it was that good.
A few other things...
People keep pointing to the show's longevity as some sort of indicator of how good the show is...but by that same measure, 2.5 Men is better than The Office. So was Frasier and King of the Hill. The Simpsons blows them all away, even though it's universally recognized as drivel these days. Longevity =/= quality.
And I really don't understand how Arrested Development is more "over the top" than The Office. What's not over the top about Dwight Shrute? Or Michael Scott? And I don't get the "I can relate to the characters" line, either...how many of you honestly work with someone like Creed Bratton? Or that fruity Kevin guy? The entire show is over the top, which is the only thing that makes it funny...nobody would want to watch a show of a realistic workplace, because it would be boring.
Since we're talking about what criteria should be used to judge a series' quality, I'll also submit for the record that Arrested Development has won more Emmy awards than The Office has, despite having 1/3 of the seasons.
I think 5-10 years down the road, it will be like Friends, where people want the reunion or the movie. But part of the reason you don't think so is because the show came full circle and will have closure tonight. So, to me at least, this is a moot point.
Part of AD's popularity is the abrupt ending, no closure.
