The Office: Season 8 Finale

The Office Season 8 wrapped with the episode “Free Family Portrait Studio” on Thursday night, and it looks like the ship may have finally been righted. After a season full of out of sync nervous energy from the characters (and possibly the cast with the falling ratings) the finale gave regular viewers hope for another season to wrap up the former staple of primetime comedy.

The plot of Season 8’s conclusion centers on Andy (Ed Helms) infiltrating the office as a janitor hoping to catch the reactions of his former co-workers when the big announcement comes of his pending triumphant return as regional manager of Dunder Mifflin Scranton. Unfortunately for Andy, former CEO turned new owner David Wallace’s (Andy Buckley) arrival is delayed and the office begins to suspect Andy’s gone insane. Elsewhere in the office, Dwight (Rainn Wilson) has set up a free portrait studio to acquire a DNA sample of his presumed offspring with ex-lover Angela (Angela Kinsey).  By the end of the episode Andy has his old job back, the persistently creepy Robert California (James Spader) has been ousted, and Dwight and Angela re-connect and await the paternity test results of their spawn.

I must admit when Steve Carell departed after Season 7 I had little hope for the future of the show. Season 8 will probably not go down as the favorite season by most Office regulars, as a majority of it seemed chaotic and unsatisfying. The writers appeared to be having trouble finding their comedic footing around a cast infused with guest stars and “over the top” re-characterizations of old favorites. In previous seasons all storylines passed through Michael Scott’s incapable hands, always resulting in plotlines full of heart and humor that were easily relatable to the working masses. Without Carell around, the baton of episode leadership passed from Andy to Dwight, Dwight to Jim, Jim to Andy, Andy to Robert, and on and on with no real end in sight. At the conclusion of Season 8, a very definitive message was sent: “Trust us, we have an endgame.”

The finale episode was penned and directed by B.J. Novak, who also plays Ryan Howard on the show. As finales go this episode did all of the right things and none of the wrong. For a season that felt so disjointed and “un-Office-like” to come back around and regain its footing as the mockumentary ensemble-driven juggernaut it once was is astonishing, and a huge credit to B.J. Novak and the entire cast and writing team. According to many insider reports the bulk of thecast has signed on for season 9 with the exception of Mindy Kaling (Kelly Kapoor) and B.J. Novak. Fox has picked up Kaling’s pilot It’s Messy for a full season and she’s taking Novak with her as executive producer. The commitment of so many cast members and writers bodes well for what appears to be the final season of The Office.

If you were one of the many viewers who tuned out when Michael Scott left the show last season, I invite you to catch the Season 8 finale. You’ll most likely feel a sense of relief that the show seems to finally have navigated into steady waters again with Andy at the helm. Gone are the bizarre over the top antics of this past season, soon to be replaced by comforting interpersonal idiosyncratic relationships of a cast of office miscreants rapidly approaching their mid-life crises.

P.S. – For you Michael Scott fans out there, I have a strong inkling we may be seeing Carell again sometime next year for a series finale.