The Office: EP Greg Daniels on Saying GoodbyeOh, no, they didn't forget about Michael. Dwight has his dream job and woman (plus an orchestral Guns n' Roses wedding march) Angela her man, cats, baby, and sense of superiority in tact Kevin non-stop access to booze and a jukebox that plays Andy's auto-tuned moment of humiliation (which Andy earns no money from) Andy had a rapid-fire flirtation with fame and its perils and landed in a happier, more adult, and far more realistic place Oscar's headed into politics (maybe he'll give the Senator a run for his money!) that limo looks good on Darryl and Erin found some parents that are just as kooky as she is (and maybe a bedroom!) Toby got a moment to be popular Meredith, apparently has a PHD and Michael, blissfully carries endless photographs of his kids. Yet, the series has felt that way in its entirety, and it was satisfying to see the various happy-ever-afters for this incredibly motley crew. It's true that Pam and Jim have perfectly captured a sense of the relatable and aspirational in a way that is rarely, if ever, seen. Executive producer Greg Daniels has talked about the Jim and Pam relationship as this captivating hybrid fairytale romance and grounded love story which is something that the show addressed directly, and very well, tonight. The truth is, we did want some good endings for these beloved characters. In general, the show did a fine job of making sure to do some nice callbacks (hello, Devon!) in the midst of multiple sendoffs. The Ryan/Kelly reunion and abandoning of his child into Nellie's capable European hands felt a bit more manufactured, but it was good to see them and offered some legitimately funny lines. Stanley's remote retirement location and new whittling hobby Phyllis trying to Stanlyfy her new deskmate (fatten him up) the stripper double fail at both the bachelor and bachelorette parties (good Lord, Meredith) Kevin's firing by cake and subsequent mending of bridges with Dwight the kidnapping of the bride and glutting on bone marrow Schrute-family traditions were all funny and entertaining ways to wrap-up long-standing storylines. I'm sure that relationship wasn't one that the writers saw coming at the start of the series, and yet it slowly and irrevocably took root - like a beet. Though, it warmed my heart to no end to hear Dwight confess that, really, office administrator Pamela Beesly Halpert was his best friend. Jim's gutten prankens as Dwight's Bestesh Menschen (pretty sure I've brutalized that spelling) was the perfect period at the end of their united sentence. Each of the characters were represented in a way that was in sync with how we'd known them and yet were allowed to grow, to go somewhere new and better. The Office: The Top 10 PranksI'd been enjoying the finale in the first hour, which had too many laugh-out-loud moments to count. ![]() "There's a lot of beauty in ordinary things," Pam says in her direct-to-camera-address swan-song, "isn't that kind of the point?" It is. Right at the end, the show both demonstrated and celebrated everything that made it extraordinary. The Office also had a gorgeousness sense of realism, that though it seemed to go off course for a while, the series recaptured in its last few weeks on the air. Shows can be dramatic and comedic, sure, but rarely are they emotionally evocative in this visceral a way, all the while delivering some of the most outlandishly hilarious characters and moments ever seen on television. ![]() The Office has been unique in that it has often managed to find the perfect balance in its tone. Right there in those final moments, this series hit every note we could have wanted, without overplaying any of them. Yet the last extra 15 minutes of this super-sized finale had me not only in tears, but jotting down lines of dialogue faster than the actors could deliver them. It seemed possible that, after all of those wonderful years of strong writing and compelling performances, that the series may just peter out. ![]() Earlier this season I'd been concerned that The Office had gone somewhere that many fans did not want to follow.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |