The Office: Season 5

Another school year begins; another season of The Office has been plowed through. It's been a tradition of sorts for me to take a week or so before the homework starts pouring in and re-watch the last season on DVD. And when I say "a tradition of sorts," all I mean is that the DVD release dates always seem to coincide with the mid-September easy times. Anyway, let's discuss The Office, and in particular, its fifth season. First and foremost, I think The Office is one of the funniest shows on television today, along with Curb Your Enthusiasm and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. When it debuted on NBC back in 2005, many fans of the original British series scoffed at the prospect of an Americanized butchering of a classic. I was among that crowd. It wasn't until I got to college that I gave it a shot, because it seemed like the "hot" show everyone else was watching. And I enjoyed it. I promptly purchased Seasons 1 and 2 on DVD and began the long and storied aforementioned tradition of wasting a week in September on a TV show. In hindsight, I definitely caught the show at its peak. It's not uncommon for a series to peak sometime in or around its third season. With comedies, you can usually expect more of a plateau; the show ceases to get better, but can maintain everything it has. Sadly, Season 5 may mark the end of The Office's plateau. Seasons 1 and 2 were used to build up the large and diverse array of characters and set the foundations for a few major series-long story arcs. There was Jim and Pam's relationship. There was the constant threat of downsizing. There was boss Michael Scott's incessant quest to be loved both by his employees and in general. The thing is, all of these plot points were prevalent in the classic 12-episode British version. The American show didn't even start to feel like a truly different series until some time around the end of Season 2 or the beginning of Season 3. New characters were introduced. New plotlines were created. By Season 3's end, the show was legitimately my favorite comedy since Arrested Development's cancellation. But then came Season 4. Writer's strike aside, Season 4 felt very odd and incomplete. The series boldly debuted with four straight one-hour episodes, and frankly, it was a bit much. One feature on the Season 5 DVD set I just watched was a "100 episodes, 100 moments" video in which each of the show's 100 episodes was represented by a single few-second clip. I was amazed both by how jam-packed with memorable moments Episodes 1-30 had (Seasons 1 and 2) and how startlingly bland Episodes 50+ were by comparison (Seasons 4 and 5). Season 4 began with Jim and Pam dating, but did not end with them engaged or living together. It saw the perpetually lonely Michael in a stable relationship - his second of the show's run - only to have him endure heartbreak and rebound attempts - a formula which would repeat itself in Season 5. I guess the show as a long-running entity just seems to have gotten a bit, I don't know, stale. That said, it's the moments and quotes that make the episodes some of the funniest half-hours on television, and thankfully, there seems to be no real sign of the writers slowing down or slacking off when it comes to the day-to-day laughs provided. In fact, Season 5 even wound down with the conclusion of a very interesting subplot: Michael starting his own paper company. This four-or-five-episode run showed to me that The Office can still be unique and original; there is indeed plenty of unburned fuel left in the creative tank. I also enjoyed the introduction of Erin, the new secretary, and hope she's here to stay. In fact, I would pose that a steady influx of new characters is vital to the show's success. Part of what makes it unique among comedies is its ensemble cast. By bringing in new talents, whether permanently or just for a few episodes at a time, the show is renewing and refreshing its own greatest asset. So all things considered, where does the show stand after 5 seasons and 100 episodes? I'd say both "on solid ground" and also "past its prime." The Jim and Pam thing can only realistically end in one way (marriage), and that specific way is bound to come soon. Because that story is the current heart of the show, I just don't see them dragging more than two more seasons out of The Office. The only way to do so would be to kill off said relationship, with a messy divorce (or separation) sometime in Season 7. You could plant the seeds for it late in Season 6. But that would take some serious balls that I just don't think the conservative network guys have. Even still, no matter how daring they get with the Jim and Pam relationship, it's tough to see the show making it more than a couple more years. I'm putting the over/under at 160 total episodes, which is roughly two and a half more seasons. The Office is a good show, and even though its best years are behind us now, it still beats most things out there. I just have no idea how the writers intend to keep things fresh once Jim and Pam are married and Dunder Mifflin has closed down yet another branch. Maybe that's the best way to end the show: with Dunder Mifflin going out of business. Maybe that can re-emerge as the main conflict after all. And maybe the Jim and Pam story has more juice left in it than I thought, even if a divorce isn't in their future. They could always have kids, struggle to raise them, and fear their lack of job security all the more because of it. Alright, alright. I'll stop predicting what'll happen. Here's looking forward to Season 6. I, for one, won't miss an episode.