The Inner Circle

I couldn't bear to watch it without Michael. Michael's departure ended the series for me. And I don't like the new boss at all. Looks like I will barely watch the remaining 2 seasons.

Just in case the departure of Steve Carrell didn't kill The Office, they brought in Will Farrell.

This episode is one of the worst of the normally so good show, and after this episode a lot of mediocre ones followed. Will Ferrell as Deangelo is a very bad fit for the show. He is basically Michael without the sympathetic aspects and most importantly without the salesman qualtities. The reason crazy Michael was not ridiculous as a manager was that despite the weirdness he was a very good salesman. Deangelo was also different in the previous episodes, in the beginning he respected Michael a lot and was insecure, then he didn't. He also became much more sadistic. After this episode the show reaches the lowest point since the first season. The last two seasons constantly shift in where the story is going and the characters change to much.

I realize there were plenty of talented comedians in supporting roles on The Office. But when Steve Carrell left in 2011, he took the soul of the series. It makes me appreciate what a comedic giant he truly was.

Rain Wilson was great, clearly the next best after Carrell, but alas, he couldn't carry the series by himself.

The James Spader experiment was an unmitigated disaster, and it was a ratings calamity as well. Spader was a fine actor, some 30 years ago. He has aged quite badly, and is not funny at all. Just as Carrell raised his fellow cast members to new heights in comedy, Spader makes them seem dull and uninspired.

Every great show has an arc, and The Office's arc ended when Carrell left. The last 2 seasons are forgettable, and long forgotten.

The show went from 7 series of characters you know and you love because they are all recognisable in real life. Everybody who's ever worked in an office knows a dwight, a Michael, a phylis.

To bringing a complete caricature of a person in. Will ferrell is a marmite person and he's painfully unfunny as DeAngelo. There's nothing realistic about his behaviour, the basketball, the juggling, the cake, it's pathetic level humour.

I can only assume the writers thought bringing in a string of big name actors would keep the viewers up but it completely backfired. The cast of nobodies is what made the show so believable.