The Office certainly holds a special place in every fan’s heart for mixing that special cringe-filled humor no other show could manage with the more traditional, hilarious moments. In addition, the show’s ability to balance out that humor with some well-placed heart and emotional moments made it the classic sitcom that every Netflix user must marathon through at least once.
With that said, fan love for The Office leads to a lot of viewers shielding their eyes from the show’s problems. It’s hard to admit with such a beloved show, but much like all of us, The Office is far from perfect. Throughout its 9-season run, there are numerous components of the show that either didn’t work or stopped working over time. Surely these examples don’t drag the show down too much, but they are issues and perspectives that should be considered when discussing the show with friends and fellow fans.
Much of this will likely boil down to a personal perspective, so be sure to let your feelings on the show and some of its flaws known in the comments. After all, there are few shows who can pull off 9 full seasons, and even less who can do so without a single blemish. The series was a great ride, but it’s important to note the bumps in the road along the way. Let’s begin!
Here are 20 Things Wrong With The Office We All Choose To Ignore.
The show’s writing suffered after Steve Carell left
Put simply, Steve Carrell is the embodiment The Office. While there are other characters that heightened the show, it was the iconic Michael Scott who made it such a beloved gem
That’s why his departure near the end of the seventh season was such a blow to fans and the show itself. After all, it was Carrell who held up the show to such a high standard throughout the years. How could the showrunners possibly continue the same level of quality? Well, the short answer is “they couldn’t.”
There was a noticeable dip in quality as soon as Carrell left, leaving other characters like Andy, Jim and Dwight to pick up the slack. It was valiant effort, no one could fill the void left behind by Michael Scott.
Will Ferrell’s extremely odd, disappointing time on the show
Will Ferrell, on one of the funniest shows on TV? What a match made in heaven! This is what everyone thought upon hearing the news of Ferrell’s multi-episode inclusion in the show. After all, he potentially represented a quality holdover for the show while viewers get adjusted to Steve Carrell’s absence.
Unfortunately, this ended up not being the case.
It’s unclear whether the writers weren’t sure how to write to Ferrell’s strengths or if his over-the-top comedic style simply wasn’t a great fit for the show.
Regardless of the explanation, the way Ferrell’s DeAngelo bounced between personality types and behaviors led to a lot more puzzled viewers instead of laughing ones.
Jim and Pam were better before they got together
Much of the show’s early momentum and heart comes from the budding romance between office sweethearts Jim and Pam. This “Will they/won’t they?” relationship kept fans engaged throughout the initial seasons.
Those little romantic moments in between the fun little banter kept fans waiting for them to make the next step. It then culminated in the two confirming their relationship status in season 4.
From that point on, this dynamic became increasingly uninteresting. Seeing the two grow together and start a family was enjoyable, but it just wasn’t anywhere as engaging. To keep tension, they had to manufacture conflict that didn’t always feel earned. Perhaps their getting together should have been delayed.
Andy shouldn’t have become a main character
Upon witnessing his move from side player to center stage, it’s clear Andy shouldn’t have been a main character.
Undoubtedly, the Nard Dog had his moments through the years, but save for a couple episodes like “Andy’s Play” and “Garden Party”, it never quite feels like he’s someone who deserves the spotlight.
This was only made worse by the decision to make him the manager following Michael’s departure.
People never would’ve expected Andy to fill that Michael Scott role, but once he was given the manager position, he was given the spotlight.
He wasn’t bad, but his mix of arrogance, bad decision-making, and over-the-top behavior led to him just not being an enjoyable central personality.
Most of the characters don’t grow at all
Sitcoms aren’t exactly known for their deliberate character development, but it’s difficult to ignore how underdeveloped most characters in The Office are.
Meredith starts out as the office lush and maintains that title for all nine seasons. Kevin is a huge goofball and his involvement with a band is the only real revelation audiences get with his character.
Outside of Michael and Pam, nobody really moves too far from their initial position (both literally and figuratively). This point is made worse when you compare it to Office showrunner’s other sitcom Parks and Recreation, which develops each of its characters at an efficient pace.
The changes don’t need to be dramatic, but they should be more evident.
The awkward documentary crew introduction
The mockumentary style of The Office provided the show an interesting aesthetic that helped it stand out from its fellow sitcoms. However, much like a found-footage movie, you must eventually answer the question: “Who is filming and why?”
Season 9 dedicated a good amount of time to this answer.
They not only acknowledged the tech crew behind the camera, but even introduced them as actual characters.
While potentially an interesting idea, this simply doesn’t end up working. Brian, the boom-mic guy, is a key example of why this didn’t work. Coming across as forced and unnecessary (especially the Pam romance subplot), it felt like another unsuccessful attempt at keeping things fresh.
New characters were unmemorable
As is true of any show that’s had a lot of seasons, it’s impossible to keep things fresh without introducing some new faces into a cast. The Office knew this and attempted to remedy any potential staleness during season 8 by introducing characters like Nellie, Val, and Robert California.
While Robert has James Spader’s unique quirkiness to rely on, not everyone fared as well.
Catherine Tate’s Nellie is thrust into focus abruptly and never felt like she belonged on the show or needed to be there. Val felt more like a stepping stone for Daryl to have someone to romance and less like an actual character.
Great additions like Erin and Holly serve more as exceptions to the rule.
Season 1 was a complete clone of the U.K. version
Not everyone has seen the original U.K. version of The Office, but if more people watched it, they’d likely be a bit thrown off at the similarities. From character personalities to plotlines, it’s pretty crazy just how similar the first season of both shows are.
In other words, if more people watched both versions, they’d recognize how much of a carbon copy season 1 of The Office is to its predecessor. From the stapler in JELLO moment to the aggressively-awkward boss/employee banter, the experience of watching both could cause some Déjà vu.
There are clear differences between the two (U.K. Office commits to cringe-comedy even harder), but this knowledge spoils any second viewings of season 1.
Not even “wow” moments for fans to remember
Everyone remembers the Jim/Pam tension in “Casino Night.” Everybody can appreciate “Booze Cruise” because it offered the first genuine moment between Michael and Jim. These “Wow” moments that provide fans the standout scenes that help The Office live on in fans’ hearts.
Considering how well-placed and strong the first seasons were with consistent “Wow” moments, it’s a shame that later seasons had a significant lack of them.
Specifically, later seasons lacked the same impact. Jim and Pam’s wedding certainly was special, as was Michael’s exit from the show. Yet, there simply wasn’t enough of them as it felt like the biggest moments had already been witnessed. With peak moments already experienced, it became difficult to remain anywhere near as engaged.
Pam’s negative development
It’s tough to watch how Pam gradually gets less likable as the seasons progress. Her storyline and development get absorbed by her relationship with Jim, which leads to more of her negative qualities rearing their head. The thoughtful receptionist we all loved and related too gets wrapped up in romantic drama.
Whether it’s her weakness as a salesperson or her overreactions to some of Jim’s actions, it feels like she’s no longer the same character in the later seasons.
It could be argued her behavior in later points made her more realistic, but it’s tough not miss the earlier days of Pam, before seasons 5 and beyond.
Too much focus on the same characters
What makes The Office work as well as it does is the primary characters it focuses on. Michael, Jim, Dwight, and Pam each provide something different that helps make each episode feel different and enjoyable.
It feels like the show perhaps spent too much time on its central four in lieu of developing anyone else.
People like Kevin, Oscar, Phyllis and more seem like they have more going on being the surface, but never get to unveil it. This makes them feel like missed opportunities, especially when much of the later seasons is devoted to the same characters retreading the same familiar ground.
Jim is a terrible co-worker
It’s not like Pam’s other half is exactly the perfect guy all the time. Yes, even though Jim is a constant source of wry humor throughout the show’s run, he’s not always the best guy.
From his treatment of Karen to his inability to take certain things seriously, Jim isn’t always the knight in shining armor. Just look at his unprofessional and unfair treatment of his co-worker, Dwight.
Is he an awful person? Of course not. Just like Pam, he’s a person with flaws who doesn’t make the best choices or say the perfect things every time.
He may have trained the world to look into fictional cameras in day-to-day life, but he’s not above criticism.
Characters change personalities for the sake of a joke
As is the case with many long-running shows, it’s not always easy to maintain character behavior consistently. After all, each episode must provide its own kind of conflict without feeling similar to what came before. This can lead to certain characters acting out-of-character for the sake of the plot.
Stanley aggressively talking back to Michael in the “Did I Stutter” episode is an example of this.
Up until now, Stanley’s always been calm and indifferent, but not this single time. Another example is Andy jumping from hatred to admiration of Nellie from one episode to another as he’s furious with her, but then hires her as a special projects manager.
Michael Scott Paper Company ended too soon
When Michael left Dunder Mifflin to pursue his own paper company, it felt like it’d be a major turning point for the series. It teased a potential new challenge for him, as well as an opportunity to prove himself. The same goes for both Ryan and Pam, who each saw it as a chance to redefine themselves.
Yet, it never really ended up meeting that expectation. Instead, it ended up being several episodes that did feel like a fresh direction but was over all-too-soon.
This could’ve been a considerably important plotline and taken up much of the season. However, it ended up coming and going too quickly.
“Goodbye Michael” should’ve been the series finale
As previously stated, Steve Carell was the primary reason why The Office worked so well. He brought every kind of variable to the table with his presence and his importance can’t be understated.
With the news that Carell was leaving the show, why did NBC feel the need to keep the show going? It had seven solid seasons of greatness, why mess that up?
If they had ended things with Michael flying away, leaving the office in secret, it would’ve worked perfectly.
Sure, we wouldn’t have had his great return in the actual series finale, but the tradeoff would’ve been far more worth it. An emotional series finale with no bloat in between works far better than what fans ended up getting.
Forgettable side characters
“Side character” here doesn’t mean characters like Meredith or Creed. This entry is actually more about those that aren’t quite Dunder-Mifflin people.
Whether they be guest stars or regulars like Todd Packer, there are many side characters spread out through the seasons. It’s just too bad that there aren’t many standout personalities among them.
Most of these characters don’t end up having much to do or much of a chance to establish themselves, so they end up being easily forgotten.
Whether they are victims of being underwritten or if the talent wasn’t the best fit for the part, too few Dunder-Mifflin visitors come and go without doing much.
The Warehouse and its crew were abandoned
During the early days of the series, the warehouse became a key component of the show. Offering another location for plot and character interaction, it served as a worthy second option when things needed to be taken away from the all-familiar office.
However, once Pam’s ex Roy was long gone and Daryl started working in the main office, the warehouse was largely forgotten. Beyond introducing a character or two that happened to work there, later seasons all but ignored the location.
While not a criminal offense, it did hurt the show’s feeling of connection to its previous seasons, removing a location that played a significant role in the early days of the show.
Should have ended before season 9
The saying “Less is more” serves as a comment on the importance of avoiding overindulgence. Whether it’s knowing when to end a comedic bit or if it’s deciding how long a series should go, it’s a simple phrase that helps elaborate on why The Office felt like it went on too long.
Simply put, nine seasons was too much.
Sitcoms only have so much life before they lose their appeal. The Office, even with its charm, was no exception. Much of the last two seasons felt like the showrunners trying to see what could work to avoid becoming stale.
Despite their best efforts to keep the train going, the end of the series wound up feeling prolonged and too late.
Underwritten female characters
While many fans can gravitate towards characters like Michael, Jim, and Dwight as consistent sources of entertainment, are there really any female characters that are written with the same attention? Although each female character has their moment every now and then, they rarely get a whole lot to do.
Pam’s rather bland outside of her moments with Jim and Michael, Angela is the same embodiment of a cold shoulder throughout the show, and Kelly’s hilarious, but underused.
Phyllis has her moments but doesn’t do much consistently. Even Erin, who’s very enjoyable, is dumbed down so much that it goes beyond plausibility
. If only the women in the office got to stand out as much as everyone else.
Michael actually was bad at his job
Everyone was rooting for Michael. Even at his worst moments, there’s the hope that he’s simply just an atypical manager who has a good heart and work ethic. Unfortunately, Michael Scott is the bad manager that his employees think he is.
He constantly calls for unnecessary and ineffective meetings. His immaturity and rudeness lead to multiple screw-ups that fall entirely on his shoulders. His demeanor with employees is mostly inappropriate and he requently makes decisions based on knee-jerk reactions and emotions.
Everyone has their faults, and there’s no such thing as a perfect worker, but Michael simply wasn’t a great manager.
Was he a great guy? Definitely at certain moments. Should he be a manager? Probably not.
What other problems do people overlook regarding The Office? Let us know in the comments!
