The Televangelist: The Office's Long, Splendid Goodbye

Each Friday in The Televangelist, Richard Clark examines the met and missed potential of television.

When The Office said goodbye to Michael Scott, many disavowed themselves from the show. According to general wisdom, television shows tend to go on way too long in a cynical attempt to pile up as much money as possible before the inevitably jump the shark. For most, Michael Scott getting on that airplane was The Office‘s inevitable shark-jump.

But it wasn’t. The Office has carried its’ own torch splendidly, proving that its’ established, fully realized cast are each just as flawed as their former boss. The only complaint I really have is their relatively safe choice for Michael’s replacement: Andy Bernard. Andy is, in temperament and management style, excessively similar to Michael Scott. He lacks self esteem, is starved for attention, has only good intentions for those around him, but those good intentions are often overshadowed by his own lack of self-esteem and desire for acceptance.

What saves the season, though, is the work the show has done throughout the series: each character has grown and developed over time, primarily as a result of their interactions with Michael Scott. As last season’s heart-wrecking season closer made clear, Michael made an impression on them for the better. This season is all about putting those impressions to work: rather than thriving off of the humiliation of their boss, as The Office before often did, this season thrives off of Andy’s slow realization that he is loved.

It’s truly fascinating to watch, most of all because this is a change that doesn’t come easy. These characters aren’t changing overnight: Dwight is slowly mellowing but still obsessed with his twisted idea of credibility, Jim still lacks the ability to completely reign in his prankster impulses, though he is putting a lot more thought into them, and Creed… okay, well, anyway.

The Office, more than any TV comedy I can think of, rewards patience, both in the moment as we endure the mundane, waiting for a payoff, and throughout the season. The difference is not incredibly clear at the moment, but in the end, when the show finally is over, we’ll look back on this season, in which they continue in the never-ending struggle to love one another and say something like “Wow, they were so different then.”

The Office is taking its’ dear sweet time to wind down, and I, for one, am grateful.