I ENJOY HAVING BREAKFAST IN BED. I LIKE WAKING UP TO THE SMELL OF BACON -- SUE ME. AND SINCE I DON'T HAVE A BUTLER, I HAVE TO DO IT MYSELF: My initial reaction to the news that Steve Carell will be leaving "The Office" at the end of this season, his seventh, is that it's pretty impressive he's stayed with the show this long given his successful film career. This isn't someone like David Caruso, Shelley Long or George Clooney who's leaving a show under the belief that he could become a movie star; Steve Carell already is.
But what a character he's created on the show. Flawed like David Brent, but wholly in his own ways. As I wrote three years ago, "Michael Scott is, at his core, a child who desperately seeks to be the center of attention and believes he's cool enough to deserve it, though he's oblivious to how others see him," but he's also surprisingly smart about his business when it matters, forcing David Wallace to blink against the mighty power of the Michael Scott Paper Company.
I do think his exit is a good thing for the show. Last season just wasn't entertaining, and the process of writing Carell's exit from the show and rethinking office dynamics going forward hopefully will impel the producers to recognize what works for these characters, and bring in someone new to shake things up again.
I don't know how to replace him on the show. Alan Sepinwall has some thoughts on it, and I'm much more strongly inclined to look from outside the show than within. In Michael Scott, Steve Carell has already given us a rich, multifaceted gem of a comic character, and I do believe that a show which has given us as many memorable moments and characters as "The Office" has can do it again. "Cheers" replaced Coach and Diane, after all.
Are we sure there will be an eighth season? And are we sure there should be? Even if he weren't interested in leaving, I might wonder whether it's time to go out on a strong note.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do wonder if NBC couldn't just take the high road and let the Office end at 7 years like so many classic shows before it, I recognize that they have a milking machine that won't let go of a hit until it gets 50 gallons.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I think they've done a really good job on making Jim a boss figure. He took the demotion for the sake of the check, but in the end, they'll respect him as a boss if he wants it again.
On the other hand, Gareth as the boss was AWESOME. If Dwight can be reined in somehow, it could be great. I've had bosses with Dwight-like qualities, that turned out to be awesome at being bosses.
The money is almost certainly going to trump the creative--NBC can't afford to let one of its few ratings powerhouses go, especially given its current dire straits--there'll be an eighth season.
ReplyDeleteMy thought would be that it would be interesting to see someone who's competent come in as a manager to play a straight man to the other characters. As we've seen, Jim is not a terribly good manager and his character is far more interesting as someone who's kind of "stuck."
If they go from within, wouldn't shock me for it to come from the lower part of the supporting cast--Mindy Kaling and Craig Robinson would be interesting placements.
Robinson could certainly work, and it could be structured as an extension of his arc last season.
ReplyDeleteThere are a LOT of good suggestions in the Sepinwall comments. My faves are Michael Emerson and Portia DiRossi. It's kind of fun to imagine.
ReplyDeleteAlso the episode that the title quote is from is my favorite, tied with Cafe Disco. I think a show whose best seasons were two and five definitely has the potential to come back, even after, let's face it, a pretty bad season six.
<span>To promote from within, Andy, Dwight or Jim would be the obvious choices (as you could make an argument for Ed Helms, Rainn Wilson or Jon Krasinski should get top billing in a show post-Carrell). Darryl as manager could be interesting and funny. Gabe as completely ineffectual manager might be funny and another different energy from Michael-- Zach Woods will be on as a regular starting this season. Creed might be ruined as a character by giving him more than a line per episode. Or that would be completely brilliant.
ReplyDeleteAnd reiterating (actually just pasting) what I commented over at Sepinwall's:You could plunder the ranks of comedies that have been cancelled or ended this year: Ken Marino would be an obvious idea (as mentioned before), Rhys Darby (Flight of the Conchords), Jay Harrington or Jonathan Slavin from Better Off Ted. You could go back to the Daily Show and steal away Sam Bee, Jason Jones, John Oliver, or Aasif Mandvi. You could go back to past Office guest stars and try bringing back David Koechner, Idris Elba or Amy Ryan. Or if we're going to look at ex-Wire actors, Andre Royo.
But there really is only one logical choice: Portia de Rossi. She's a big enough name that it would be a big enough deal for NBC to get her on the show. She's proven that she can be funny in an office environment. Heck, she could play a straight rehash of Veronica Palmer and besides TV critics and the What's Alan Watching commentariat, who saw Better Off Ted? And she also brings in a different energy from Steve Carell.
I also like the Michael Emerson suggestion, since he's, well, Michael Emerson.
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Oh, and forgot to add to the list of Daily Show alums to plunder: Nancy Walls. Though I suspect that's one that wouldn't work too well with Carrell wanting to spend more time with his family. (plus, she already guested as a love interest for Michael.)
ReplyDeleteI hadn't really thought of Robinson or DiRossi before reading these comments, but I think I would get uncontainably excited about either one, not that there's much chance of the former or any chance of the latter.
ReplyDeleteCompletely on board with Portia de Rossi doing a version of Veronica. Other ideas I saw and liked were Aasif Mandvi, Samantha Bee, Jane Lynch (won't happen because of Glee, but I love the idea), and Connie Britton (more a straight woman interacting with comic characters, though she did comedy in Spin City). And maybe this would be the Pareto-optimal use of Janeane Garofalo?
ReplyDeleteIs this the sitcom role that Vince Vaughn was born to play? Former Wall Street trader, down on his luck, moves back to his home town of Scranton?
ReplyDelete<span>I would love, love if they somehow got Allison Janney. She can be funny without being a cartoon, can do physical humor, and emotional beats really well. Plus the visual of Dwight having to look up to her would slay me.</span>
ReplyDeleteBring back David Wallace and make him head of the branch. I love David Wallace and it'd be great to see him fallen to the point where branch manager in Scranton is a necessary move. And he can keep trying to push Suck It.
ReplyDeleteJanney's on Matthew Perry's new show Mr. Sunshine. Though that could always be dead and gone by the time they're casting.
ReplyDeleteShouldn't he be busy making Cheers: Chicago?
ReplyDeleteI think they should promote Creed. Just the idea of Creed being in charge is good for laughs. And he could remain a minor character -- the shows would focus on someone other than the boss, thus avoiding some of the problems the show faced this year. Who hasn't worked in an office with a boss who was clueless and mostly absent?
ReplyDeleteWell, yes, with Rosie Perez as Carla and Tim Meadows as Cliff, but if that doesn't happen ...
ReplyDeleteI can't believe I didn't think of that. I always think of her first for everything. Obviously, anyone ever casting AJ for anything has my eyeballs.
ReplyDeleteAngela must be the new boss. Is there anyone in Scranton with whom she DOESN'T have scores to settle?
ReplyDeleteCross Toby/Paul Lieberstein off that list.
ReplyDelete