Breaking up is hard to do...

I'm a loyal person, I have had the same friends for fifteen years, I have lived in the same apartment for seven and at 30 years old, I have really only had one professional job. Once I like something or someone, I stick with it. So, in 2005 when I decided that I liked a little American remake of a British mockumentary based on some quirky office workers at a paper company in Scranton PA, I was committing to staying with it for the long haul. At the time it seemed like it would be easy, I was laughing out loud weekly and falling more in love with the crazy but somehow believable cast of characters, but then, the journey became more difficult.

My loyalty got me through the Will Ferrell days...the awful stunt casting that did nothing but make me dread what was to come.  Casting someone so well known is exactly the opposite of what "The Office" is supposed to be about. The reason we actually believe that this could be a real place of employment is because for the most part, we had never seen these people do anything but sell paper for Dunder Mifflin. Even though the Ferrell days were tough, I decided to stick with it into the eight season, I was curious just like everyone else about who the new regional manager would be...after all, they had some big shoes to fill. 

The episode began with some jokes about planking which people either didn't get because they aren't on twitter and didn't see the ridiculous pictures of celebrities doing it months ago, or they didn't find funny because they are on twitter and did see the ridiculous pictures of celebrities doing it MONTHS AGO.  The joke felt outdated and seriously "Office" you're better than that, or at least you used to be.

And really...Andy as the new regional manager just doesn't feel right. Especially because it feels like they never stopped writing for Michael Scott and just put another body in the chair. The speech that he gives to Robert California (and by the way, giving someone a ridiculous name doesn't mae them any more funny) where he sings the praises of the staff and even the quiet goodbye and smiles he gives to them on their way out just feels so Michael. The new regional manager needs to be completely different for people to be ok with someone else sitting in that chair and the Andy they have written so far, just doesn't seem different enough.

The BBC had it right, the British version of "The Office" lasted for fourteen extremely funny episodes. They didn't shove it down their viewers throats until we just couldn't take anymore, they went out on top.  In the last episode, the British Jim and Pam finally got together, which means nobody in England had to watch their Pam pregnant for a second time crying for a half hour over a commercial for Traveler's Insurance (oh and while I'm at it, Ray Lamontagne, what were you thinking?!).

I will always love Jim Halpert and the bit at the end with the list of Pam, Cece and the new baby in the winner column was cute and reminded me of "The Office" of yore...but I just don't think it was enough. If the powers that be respected their audience as much as they respect their money, they would have accepted that "The Office" without Steve Carrell would be just as crappy as "Saved by the Bell the College Years" without Jessie and Lisa, "90210" without Dylan, Brandon, Brenda, and Andrea (geeze did anyone stay on that show) or "Scrubs" without Zach Braff, it just doesn't work.

After eight years, I think it's time for me to break up with "The Office", we have had a lot of good times over the years, a lot of laughter and even some tears, but I need to walk away because it is just getting too hard...(insert that's what she said joke here because shove it up your butt is never going to be a catch phrase.)