“Michael, wait! I’m coming with you.”
In a lesser sitcom, these words from Pam Beesly to Michael Scott toward the conclusion of “Two Weeks” might have been accompanied by a cheer from the laugh track and a dramatic kiss between the two, followed by a side character uttering his or her catchphrase. Instead, we get a quiet, extended shot of the pair’s faces — in an inspired homage to 1967 classic The Graduate — as they walk away from the Dunder Mifflin office building. Some combination of fear and uncertainty dawn on their faces as the reality of starting a business in a bad economy begins to sink in.
This scene clues us in to a few of the many reasons that The Office, now in its fifth season, has remained one of the best shows on television since its inception.
It starts with the acting, and this specific scene features the show’s two best actors: Jenna Fischer and Steve Carell. Since the beginning of the series, Fischer has gradually been given more and more scenes that require subtle acting both comic and dramatic. She has proven she has the chops to match anyone on the show. Fischer has become one of the show’s main attractions. This year might be the year she finally receives an overdue Emmy nomination.
Yet it is Carell who is the heart of the show. Despicable and awkward as Michael Scott is, Carell has imbued him with a humanity and pathos that is nothing short of touching. He is so convincing and likable as an actor that he has turned his flawed character into a sympathetic hero.
The fifth season has been about Michael Scott even more than the past four. We’ve been shown how strong and charming he can be (dating Amy Ryan’s Holly in “Crime Aid”), just how low he can sink (embarrassing himself in “Business Trip”) and how breathtaking his redemptive moments are (quitting in “New Boss”).
Fischer and Carell — along with the underused Ed Helms and the excellent but less versatile Rainn Wilson and John Krasinski — would have little to work with if it wasn’t for dynamic and unpredictable writing. Most shows start to lose their edge by the fifth season, yet The Office boldly blazes onward. It seems each story arc explores some fresh, compelling element of life at Dunder Mifflin and the stereotypical American office.
One story line, the romantic chemistry between Pam and Krasinski’s Jim, that helped introduce viewers to the show in its early seasons remains the most magical plot thread. The writers and actors have found ways to keep the relationship from becoming repetitive and numbing as other notorious TV couples’ relationships, including Ross and Rachel from Friends. Whether Pam and Jim are buying a house (“Frame Toby”), coping with living a few states apart (“Customer Survey”) or — most memorably this season — getting engaged (“Weight Loss”), Krasinski and Fischer’s chemistry is so strong that nearly every moment between the two packs an emotional wallop.
In spite of all of these positives the show has maintained, there are reasons to be concerned about its future. The actors are contracted through at least the seventh season, and the notion that all of these people have stayed in the same office for so many years grows more implausible with each passing week. Are there really enough ideas in the writing staff to keep the show fresh for much longer?
Regardless of these concerns, The Office is still one of the best shows on TV and continues to age gracefully even as the fifth season begins to wind down. A couple of other sitcoms — How I Met Your Mother and 30 Rock, for starters — top the show for pure laughs, but The Office tops them as a more complete show and, in fact, will likely go down as one of the most satisfying and innovative comedies of the decade.
Aside from the hard work of the actors and writers, what’s the secret of the show’s success? A unified vision across staff and cast of portraying comedy in all the drama — and drama in all the comedy — of everyday life.
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