I suck. AKA I got home at midnight and was exhausted.
Aaanyway (there's a point to this story), I got home at midnight because I was at my dad's. He wanted to see S1 of The Office, because he'd watched it when it was originally airing, but totally forgot all about the plots and whatnot. And, in re-watching S1, I discovered what my problem with it is, and why I'm never really struck by the desire to watch it very often, even episodes I love like "Diversity Day." I will now sum up S1 for all y'all:
Michael Scott: (something incredibly, unbelievably offensive)
Entire office: (ten second awkward silence)
That's about it. S1 is a little too "life in this office is so awkward!!!!" It's also so low-energy as to be dull at times. One could make the argument that this dullness is at the heart of The Office as a satire of working at, well, an office, but come on. This is a TV show - a remarkably well-written and well-acted TV show, but a TV show. The producers want people to watch it. Casual viewers who don't analyze the shit out of every episode like, well, I do, won't be drawn in by constantly dull deadpan. If The Office had remained like that, I don't think it would have stayed on very long, and if it was still on now, people would be begging for it to change.
Also, Michael is such an asshole in S1. Part of why I just can't warm to the British Office is the fact that I just want to smack/kill David Brent, and S1 Michael might as well be David Brent. The changes they made to his character made the American Office much stronger than the show it's based off of.
Finally, in S1, John Krasinski looks, like, 18. It's adorable.
Michael Scott: (something incredibly, unbelievably offensive)
Entire office: (ten second awkward silence)
That's about it. S1 is a little too "life in this office is so awkward!!!!" It's also so low-energy as to be dull at times. One could make the argument that this dullness is at the heart of The Office as a satire of working at, well, an office, but come on. This is a TV show - a remarkably well-written and well-acted TV show, but a TV show. The producers want people to watch it. Casual viewers who don't analyze the shit out of every episode like, well, I do, won't be drawn in by constantly dull deadpan. If The Office had remained like that, I don't think it would have stayed on very long, and if it was still on now, people would be begging for it to change.
Also, Michael is such an asshole in S1. Part of why I just can't warm to the British Office is the fact that I just want to smack/kill David Brent, and S1 Michael might as well be David Brent. The changes they made to his character made the American Office much stronger than the show it's based off of.
Finally, in S1, John Krasinski looks, like, 18. It's adorable.
