Posted by: Alex
When The Office came to America, I was one of those dedicated fans of the British version who thought that making an American version would never be as funny. I also thought that anyone who even dare believe that the American version would be equally as humorous was an ignorant slut. What can I say? Liking British anything makes you a little uppity. But enough people told me it was good, so I watched the first few episodes. And I thought it was stupid. They were just re-creating the British episodes, but not as well! I wanted to give it a fair shot, though, so I kept watching. It took a full season, I think, for The Office to come into its own, and once it did, I was hooked. Steve Carrell tried to be less David Brent uncomfortable and created the sweetly obnoxious and naively inappropriate Michael Scott that everyone came to love and root for.
When Steve Carrell smartly decided to leave the show after season 7, things got weird. Characters kept leaving; additional characters, who added nothing, were brought in; and some of the writers decided that making Andy less likeable and having Jim and Pam have marital troubles was a smart move. It wasn’t! It made watching these last couple of seasons feel like a labor of love. I’ve given so many years to the show that I couldn’t just stop tuning in, but each episode made me cringe a little.
The Office is coming to an end tonight and you know how I get when things I once loved are ending: I write love letters to fictional characters. So, even though my heart isn’t with what the show is now, I want to reminisce on what the show once was. Because if you didn’t tear up when Jim and Pam got married or when Michael showed up at Pam’s art show, then you were probably out doing something social or improving society while I was on my couch crying and watching television.
