The Artist Formerly Known as Office

In life there are disappointments, deep disappointments, and then whatever we label that car wreck into a train derailment on the site of a plain crash that was this weeks episode of The Office, titled "Heavy Competition." I know I have turned Office bashing into a weekly sermon, but this week was the tippiest of all tipping points.

"Heavy Competition" was a prime example of all that is wrong with the entire season. Unfunny bizarre, and sloppy are words to describe this season's atrocious lay out. I've been left to wonder if The Office writing room has been reduced to Alzheimer's patients, monkeys attempting Shakespeare, and former Prison Break scribes. 

Lets start with the chief storyline, the removal of Michael Scott from Dunder-Mifflin. Taking the star of the show out of his habitat was a risky decision that has not paid off. Do we care about the Michael Scott Paper Company? No. Do we lose a tremendous amount in the Michael-Dwight back and forth? Yes. Remember when Entourage took Vince away from Ari? How'd that work?

Next, onto Michael's replacement, the former Stringer Bell, Idris Elba. Elba was a great free agent pick up for The Office, yet the producers have put him into a role in which he cannot succeed. His character, Charles Miner is boring, bland, and and a total douche. As Stringer Bell, Elba was calculating yet impulsive, cerebral yet savage, and both book and street smart. He demonstrated his range and layers; skills which have been buried in a one dimensional character. A solution you want? How about letting him take his character for a stroll and womanize Kelly and Angela who are smitten by his presence? The more Mindy Kaling the better.

What about the others in previously fun Dunder-land? Andy's value is crippled when he is paired with the insufferable Jim. Creed used to have one outstanding, memorable line per episode that the writers have apparently discontinued. Kevin and Stanley are like Rose and Bernard on Lost; previously loved, now missing. And remember when Kelly used to be funny? Me too.

Will I stop watching? No. I won't quit on something with years of street cred because of a little cold streak. If I did, I'd be no better than Yankee fans (in fact, its still seventh on my DVR Series Priority behind Lost, How I Met Your Mother, Always Sunny in Philadelphia, 30 Rock, Mad Men, Real World/Road Rules). I just with the season cut its losses and we get back on track next year. The lesson though, as always, quit while you're ahead. A lesson of which Greg Daniels would have been smart to borrow the British version.

Second Fiddle, First Favorite

I've noticed a trend in television recently: it seems like the best characters are secondary or fringe characters. Maybe its easier to write for minor personalities or maybe they are effective because of their diminished roles, but whatever it is, its working.

Lets start with The Office, a show who's major characters (Jim, Michael, Pam) have jumped the shark, but might as well have been eaten by sharks. This season Ed Helms' character Andy Bernard is carrying most of Dunder-Mifflin on his back, while getting some help from the heavy hitters Kevin and Stanley for sidebar laughs. Helms' battle with Dwight over Angela and Cornell interviews and his stint as Oscar's wingman are on the season's painfully short highlight reel.

The next witness called to the stand is The Office's better half, 30 Rock. 30 Rock has a much wider cast, but again its the little guys who bring it to the next level. No one brings more consistent comedy from the outskirts than Jack McBreyer's Kenneth, but the real hidden gem is, and has always been, Chris Parnell's Dr. Spacemen. The man knocks it out of the park everytime like Roy Hobbs.

Another character that always pleases is South Park's Randy Marsh. Everyone who still watches knows Randy eps are the best, from the Little League episode in season nine, to season 11's Easter Special, to season 12's Internet episode, and already this season's "Margaritaville" romp on the economy. South Park is good but with Randy its always great. (I know I left out tons of great Randy moments, there are wayyyyy too many to name)

I don't like publicly admitting I still watch Scrubs since its a season-long obituary at this point, but the show's sole weekly smile comes from Ted, the hospital's nebbish lawyer. While JD and company are nostalgically going through the motions, Ted still brings the laughs. Maybe his can't-do attitude will never get old but Sam Lloyd seems like the only actor who knows there's actually film in the camera.

More examples, quickfire style, Jeff and Lester on Chuck, Howard Wolowitz on Big Bang Theory, Lo on The Hills, T-Bags on the AWOL-ed Prison Break, and even the recently missing-in-time Desmond on LOST. One big trend, one odd coincidence, or just ridiculous opinion?

Why So Serious?

There's a growing trend in sitcoms and I'm taking a stand.


Last night How I Met Your Mother, currently clubhouse leader for sitcoms, ended its season with a proposal from Ted Mosby, its lead character. If that wasn't enough, Barney, legen-DARY womanizer, decided to fall in love with Robin. In fact, the last few episodes of HIMYM, followed a "lets get serious about relationships" arc that I don't much care for. I know the show is eventually headed down a path towards marriage (as we figure out who the mother is) but unless the producers are only figuring one more season, I think they are jumping the gun here.


Take a look back to recent sitcoms and how the whole "Lets marry off our funny/cool/interesting" characters and see how it goes:

• Friends- Lambaste the show if you want, but when critics and ratings are both so strongly in favor, its useless to dissent. In a mostly post-Seinfeld sitcom world, Friends was king. It had a simple premise, great writing, and outstanding character relationships... that was until the dreaded season 7 finale, The One with Chandler and Monica's Wedding. This watershed moment changed all of the chemistry and dynamics of the group. The Joey-Chandler relationship was dunzo. The Monica and the girls relationship, c'est la vie. Chandler was less snarky, not as nebbish, and stopped goofing around, all the things that made him great. Instead of 6 friends hanging out, episodes would be 3 sets of 2 friends and their "hilarious" hijinx.

• Scrubs- From season 2 until season 6, Scrubs was my favorite show because Bill Lawrence, the show creator and lead writer, found a way to be goofy and light-hearted while telling some serious hospital stories. Scrubs was my favorite 30-minutes of the week during this time, as it delivered almost every week. The JD and Turk friendship (best shown in the My Musical episode Guy Love song) was genuine and fresh and wasn't spoiled by Turk's serious relationship, because Lawrence made sure that for Turk, JD always came first. However, Lawrence couldn't stay true to guy love once Turk and Carla had a baby (Season 6 aka the Tipping Point) and at this point, Scrubs' tomfoolery and witty shenanigans took a backseat to the serious reality of being a parent. Since then, and through this season's finale, Scrubs has become borderline unwatchable. Turk isn't fun loving anymore, JD has also recently become a father also and **SPOILER ALERT** he stinks now too. (I never thought I'd say this but Braff's JD character is a distant fourth to JD Drew, JD Salinger, and Jack Daniels on the "My Favorite JD's" list. For the record, it's still ahead of JDate.)

• The Office- Everyone who watches. loves almost every character, from Michael to Dwight to Kelly (who has been the best character all year). However when it comes to favorites, most people really care about Pam and Jim. That's also why most people are stupid. Go back and watch episodes from the first three seasons and remember how cool Jim was (a foil to Dwight, the rampant office pranks, the nerdy sexual tension we could all relate to). Picture Jim now, whining to clients on a golf course, stinking at ping pong, and seriously caring about his job. All I know is if 2005 Jim met 2008 Jim in a dark Scranton parking lot, 2005 Jim would kick his ass (or least put his stapler in a jello mold and posted a Reward Poster for his missing cahones). Now lame relationship Jim spends his work time working... BORING.

This isn't some sort of brilliant realization I've had, its art imitating life. Everyone knows how much worse friends become when they get serious girlfriends. Suddenly they cant get black out drunk, play video games until substantial thumb injury, or frequent the gentleman's establishments anymore. Same goes for sitcom characters; once the woman in their life is locked down, there is no more delicate balance. They can't continue to be a cool guy and navigate through a successful relationship. Seinfeld never made Jerry or George get serious and it never lost its way. Half of sitcom is comedy, and writers should remember that more often; I don't want to lose How I Met Your Mother, like I lost all the others, to a needy girlfriend.