The Office - "The List" Review

Robert California. Welcome to the winner's table.

So, here we are. The 8th season of NBC's hit comedy The Office. Or, as it shall be known to future generations, "The first season of the show without Steve Carell". Yes, Michael Scott is gone. And that's that. Now that that's out of the way, let's move on to the actual review.

It is unlikely that The Office will ever truly regain the heights of its earlier seasons (I'm thinking second and third), simply because it feels a bit long in the tooth at this point. We've been watching Jim, Dwight, Pam, Stanley, Phyllis, Meredith, Daryl, Creed, Angela, Kevin, Kelly, Ryan, and Oscar in action (with Andy, Erin, and Gabe joining in as the series came along) since early 2005, and let's face it, the characters are not as fresh as they once were. So, in the wake of the-actor-who-shall-remain-nameless' departure, the producers felt it was time to bring in a little new blood. And in the funny but uneven and ultimately disappointing season 7 finale "Search Committee" (I hadn't started this blog yet then, but if it had been, I would've probably given it a 3-3.5/5 star rating), they dangled Ricky Gervais (returning briefly once again as David Brent), James Spader, Catherine Tate, Will Arnett, Ray Romano, and a very odd fleeting cameo from Jim Carrey, in front of us, to see who we'd be most receptive to taking over at Dunder Mifflin Scranton. In the end, they chose Spader's Robert California (who was my favorite of the guest spots, with his domineering persona and insane "everything is sex" belief system), but not as Regional Manager. It seems that California felt the position was beneath him, so he somehow managed to talk Jo (goodbye Kathy Bates) out of her own job, and became the new CEO of Sabre. So, even with a new star thrown into the mix of our cast of characters, the manager position remained open until last night's episode. And the new manager of Dunder Mifflin is (*insert self-appointed drumroll please*) none other than Ed Helms' 'Nard Dog himself, Andy. While I was personally hoping Darryl would take over (Big Craig Robinson fan here), I also think Andy is an excellent choice, as he was given a significantly larger role last season, and they even alluded to him possibly being the manager a few times. Helms delivered in this episode, appearing flustered and truly confused in his new job, while having to attempt to reason with the occasionally bizarre California. Spader, as opposed to his guest spot last season, was a bit dialed-back here, and while this sort of dropped the comedy ball a bit, it certainly made him into a more believable character. The "winners-losers" list plot in this episode worked a bit less than the other elements, simply because it felt like a plot device created to cause headbutts between Andy and California. However, Andy's vouching for the losers side of the list was touching and a great character moment, and it highlighted some of his similarities to the former He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. This will help the show continue to transition into this new era. The mentality here almost felt like a second pilot episode for the series, in which the show attempts to reboot itself, while honoring the stories that have come before. Overall, this episode was better than I expected it to be, and it's clear that The Office could have a few years left ahead of it yet.

Oh, and Pam's pregnant, with a boy this time. Here's to hoping that the writers don't screw the kid up like they did with Cece, who, like Deangelo Vickers, is on the top of my own list of "Babies I Don't Care About"

"The List" - 4/5 stars