For those long-term planners out there, it’s time to start fretting about the loss of Steve Carell from The Office. Sure, he’ll be around for one more season, but is it ever too early to start pining for the return of Michael Scott to the hallowed halls of Dunder Mifflin?
A few seasons ago, at the height of the Office’s run as the funniest show on TV, I would have been less worried about it. Jim Halpert was kind of the co-main character at the time. His cool slacker-ness was a counterbalance to Michael’s over-the-top stupidity.
Lately, though, the Office has turned into the Michael Scott story, with Jim serving as little more than a background character like Angela, Oscar, or even Kevin. So where does that leave us when Carrell exits the series after the 2010-2011 season?
I think we can rule out Jim taking over the office. Do they bring in another equally dumb boss as Michael’s replacement? I can’t see that being anything other than an unpopular Carell knock-off that hastens the demise of the show. A smarter boss? If that’s the case, then what is the show about? The cornerstone of The Office has been the moronic antics of Dunder Mifflin Scranton’s branch manager.
The way I see it, there are only two viable options for the continued success of the Office after Carell’s departure. One – bring in a new boss, but push him to the background. Focus the story on Jim and Pam and the craziness of working together in an office filled with, shall we say, eccentric characters.
The other option would be to promote Dwight to Office Manager. I’m hesitant to push this one. Even though The Office is lighthearted fun and not to be taken too seriously, I think it would strain credulity to believe that Dwight took command of the branch and did NOT fire Jim immediately.
I don’t know what direction the writers are going to go. They’ve successfully navigated the shark-infested waters of a marriage and a baby, so maybe they can manage losing and replacing the central character. History hasn’t been kind to shows that try to carry on without a major character, but Cheers soldiered on just fine without Shelly Long for years. So there is some precedent and hope for The Office to keep us entertained for at least a few more seasons.
