Goodbye, The Office
(Please note: this is NOT a true review, it is more of a farewell than anything else. Major spoilers ahead.)
May 16th 2013 marked the end of one of the biggest TV series in recent time, as The Office had its series finale, concluding an incredible 9 year run. At times a critical and commercial juggernaut, this modern classic has certainly earned a place in TV history and will most likely be remembered for years to come, not only as an incredible comedy series, but also for what it meant to the fans that paid weekly visits to Dunder Mifflin to follow the characters and stories that they’d grown so attached to over the past decade. But like every show, The Office had an immense amount of pressure to present a finale that would work as great TV as well as properly wrap up the show and give longtime fans something special to remember. I can say with certainty that the series finale of The Office…wasn’t a very good episode. And that was the BEST thing about it. Ok, you must be confused; let me explain.
I watched it with my family — there were four of us including myself, my mother, my brother and my father. The three of us that had vested interests in the show (me, my brother and my mother) laughed, cheered, cried, smiled and reminisced throughout the episode. Meanwhile, my father was just happy that we were happy. This was not an episode for people perusing channels looking for something to watch. This was not an episode that “you have to watch because everyone will be talking about,” because if that’s the reason you watched it, then you just don’t get it. I’m sorry, but that’s the truth. In fact, it was probably saccharine and awkward for anyone that didn’t follow The Office. It was an episode intended for us, the fans of the series, the ones that would get it, the ones who would choke up the last time a very special guest uttered, “that’s what she said.” This wasn’t TV for the masses; this was TV for the fans. It wasn’t even a finale — that should have happened when Michael Scott left. No, this was an epilogue, a way for everyone to have one last goodbye, a chance for all the little gags and plotlines to be tied up, an opportunity to see and hear the characters we’ve loved for the past decade explain what it meant to them. It was also very much a meta experience. The panel plot line was intended to let the characters explain some aspects of the show to the audience and for the show to poke fun at itself. Even the group photo at the end had lots of production staff in it. You even get a feeling that the final “talking head” moments were more than the typical confessional style interviews. As such, this episode was the perfect send-off. It had just the right amount of kookiness, heart and plot wrap-ups, and longtime fans probably won’t be able to find much wrong with it.
Some parts felt forced (the Ryan/Kelly plot line in particular), but most of the humor was spot on, from Jim acting as best man, to the two incredibly awkward stripper fiascos, to “the cameo” and every little joke or legacy gag in between. The humor of the series has always come from relatability. The setting and theme of the series was intentionally bland and commonplace so that it could play up this fact, and the characters were designed to be caricatures of feelings and personality traits most people posses or know people that do, so the viewers can feel the frustration, the awkwardness, the laughs and the emotions.
The series was also known for its incredible heart and the finale delivered in spectacular fashion. It was nice to see all that all the characters have each found their own little inner peace, but still hold on to those special moments at Dunder Mifflin, much like the fans felt during the finale. After a decade growing, laughing and crying with the same characters, the audience is able to fall right in step with them and they experience the events together. When Michael Scott came through the door, there was cheering and applause in our living room. But then there were knots in throats because we didn’t need the characters to say anything at that point…we felt it. That moment was a testament to what the series created in its fans.
(Side note: Here’s Creed’s song from the finale. Sorry, I can’t embed videos right now. Anyway, start playing it right not. Just try not to get the tears on your keyboard)
The last fifteen minutes especially, when everyone said their last goodbyes while Creed Bratton (of all people) played a beautiful song, were very moving and left you with a feeling that it was both the characters and the actors talking to not only the documentary crew but to us, the fans. Every one felt like a personal goodbye, a little wrap-up for each and every character and moment. And that’s what made the episode so damn powerful and moving. The finale was about the entire series and the people the fans have connected with over the past decade, not a standalone episode, and it will only mean something if you’ve seen the entire series. Who would guess that a show about a struggling paper company set in a mid-sized city in Northeastern Pennsylvania would become such a staple in modern TV? Well, these scenes summed up and hammered home the point that the series was something special for a lot of people, but I won’t say what exactly that is in this post, that’s for each person to discover on their own. Although there were just too many quotes to list here, one stands out above the rest in summing up why the series, and the finale, was so amazing and special for many people. At the end of the finale, as she takes down the watercolor of the building she painted in season 3, which Michael Scott bought for the office, Pam (Jenna Fischer) said, “There’s a lot of beauty in ordinary things…isn’t that kind of the point?” Indeed.
