TV Recommendation: The Office (US)

This has been a long time coming. For as long as I continue to appreciate television, The Office will always hold a special place in my heart.

Is it weird to get sentimental over a TV show? Probably. But hear me out. For 9 seasons, I’ve seen the characters of The Office develop. I’ve seen their characters grow. And of course, throughout all that time, they would make me laugh, sometimes nearly to the point of tears.

If you have never watched this show, do yourself a favor and start it right now. Don’t think too much about it. After you finish reading this, just search it up on your Netflix page and click play. I guarantee you won’t regret it.

What’s it about?

There is a stereotype of office jobs being some of the most boring occupations in existence, often with a crazy, narcissistic boss to top it off. That stereotype is the entire premise of this show, however the lives of the characters are anything but boring.

Set in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the series depicts the day-to-day of a regional branch of Dunder Mifflin, a fictional paper company. The series essentially revolves around the antics of the branch’s manager, Michael Scott. Michael is incredibly lacking in practically any sort of real management or business skills, and is basically only in his position because of the amount of time he has remained with the company. At first glance, he’s essentially a two-dimensional imbecile; crude, ignorant, sexist, and more than a few times racist. Of course, this often plays out on the screen in hilarious fashion.

But there is more to Michael than meets the eye. Despite his often hurtful and offensive behavior towards his employees (where he himself is unaware that his actions are hurtful and offensive), Michael genuinely cares about the success of his branch and the quality of life of his workers. Behind his ignorance is a good heart, and by the end of the series, the entire office comes to realize this, with Michael forming close bonds with his co-workers who initially despised him.

Yet the series is far more than a character study of Michael Scott. The entire Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin is filled with interesting characters. We witness the personal growth of all of these individuals, and come to love them for their very distinct personalities. One such character, Dwight Schrute, is quite possibly one of the greatest fictional characters of all time. I won’t reveal too much as to why I think that. I promise you that upon starting the series, you will quickly learn why.

Why is it good?

There are so many reasons why I love this show.

Maybe most importantly, it’s funny. I totally understand that comedy is somewhat subjective from person to person, but I have yet to find a single person who does not laugh when I show them some of my favorite Office scenes. The absurdity of some of the events that take place in an otherwise normal office space, in conjunction with what we know about the characters involved, makes for one hilarious show. I also wouldn’t doubt that people with jobs who find The Office enjoyable at least partially base this on the fact that they can relate to some of the aspects of corporate life in North America.

The above also makes the show oh-so-quotable. Some of my personal favorites are:

But beyond simple comedy, I love the show because it has heart. You really see the relationships of this closely-knit office branch develop, and as the series progresses, you really get to know some of the subtleties and idiosyncrasies of their characters. I know that sounds cheesy, because they are fictional television characters, but the writing of the show is truly top-notch in making this true.

Seriously, watch this show.

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