The Office - Threat Level Midnight, 7.17

Oh, Office. Harkening back to the halcyon days wherein Beesley was not so fancy or new, when Ryan started the fire (his cheesy pita, and reputation, up in flames) and went to business school, when Jim searched the state for Herr's Salt and Vinegar potato chips, all the while thinking instead of Mixed Berry yogurt and the artist who favored it.

I could reminisce for days.

This show is good. One of the better comedies on television. It's written well and has a terrific cast of talented actors. But it's past its prime and should end while it's still got its dignity. Its UK predecessor understood that it was a small show. It's about an office. Tim was complacent about his job and his life, and then he wasn't; and there was the arc of the series: he flirts with Dawn, runs into some roadblocks, gives up, settles, and then goes for it one last time. Dawn returning to the office party that night was the greatest payoff one could hope for. And there it ended. David Brent was not going to get more self-aware. The two relatable characters on the show found closure and the audience was left with a superb two-series show.

It didn't end because there weren't anymore jokes left to tell (unless Gervais had said anything to the contrary, of which I'm not aware). Is that what the American version is waiting for? There will always be jokes where there are good writers. But these characters are tired, and more pressingly, so is Dunder Mifflin itself. We've spent seven years with these people in this building and to me, it feels empty and hopeless. Tim and Dawn got out. Jim and Pam have settled (they're not even likable anymore, most of the time). I prefer Michael Scott to David Brent because there are more layers, but even those are worn through...

There will always be new viewers, and that's the lifeblood of The Office. They're casting a ton of new roles, too, so there's that. Keeping it fresh in Scranton. Though isn't that the oxymoron?

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It's Always Sunny did Lethal Weapon and that was gold. I've been watching Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, and you cannot beat that kind of spot-on parody. Excellent. Threat Level Midnight (not even addressing the issue of these people agreeing to be in it, having the time and resources, etc.) isn't a great parody, and when it's shot and cut so fancily, it's not believable as a Michael Scott side project either. Lazy Scranton, and then this?

All in all, this season is about saying goodbye to Carrell and Scott, and I'm fine with an episode like this to look back and relieve glory days.