should be more than enough

the best shows can be good at both plot and humor

current office is good at neither

So, against my better judgments I watched last week's episode of The Office, "Lotto".

The warehouse workers win the lottery, quit and now the office workers have to do the warehouse job. Hilarity allegedly ensues. That's it. That's pretty much the whole plot.

I know some of you were less than charitable on the last season, but I thought it was pretty darned good and some great episodes in it. Even the post-Carrell episodes weren't too bad (don't like how they made Deangelo irredeemable, and then made him brain damaged though).

But this episode, and the ones preceding it? Fuck this stupid nonsense. The writers have lost the ability to write characters they've written for years, they're writing said characters entirely out of character (I do not buy for a second that James Spader's character was so amazingly persuasive that he could talk a character like Jo out of her job, and the way they wrote Daryll in "Lotto" is completely wrong based on the last seven seasons), and the cast - for years one of the best ensemble casts on American television - just look bored and not into it anymore. The episode's plot is something a lesser sitcom would have done already, six years ago and better.

I guess that Carrell really was important to the flow of how the show worked. And they better not ruin the show's last great moment (the final Steve Carrell scenes in "Goodbye, Michael") by having Michael Scott unexpectedly return because of some random ratings-related reason.

"The Office" is absolutely over. I'm just going to watch ESPN in between "Parks"/"Community" and "Sunny" on Thursdays now.

Btw, The guy who reviews the show for the AV Club is a pretty good reviewer and I agreed with most of what he said last season (although they only hired him because a former AV Club staffer now writes on the Office and they wanted to have someone who didn't know her to write the reviews). However, he's been handing out B's and B-'s to C- and D+ episodes this season. Does not compute.

I feel like the writers have given up

someone relabel this a Parks and Recreation thread

Speaking of shows that are over...

man this show has gone down the shitter. should have ended when carrell left. would have been a great way to end the show.

I got to admit, I enjoyed Mose's return in the most recent episode.

Although, it was about the only thing I enjoyed.

The latest episode (Gettysburg) is definitely in the running for worst Office episode ever. It was insanely boring and I didn't even crack a smile the whole time.

sadly all season 8 episodes are in the running for worst Office episodes ever. I thought the battle of schrute farms being "a resort for the fabulous" bit was funny though. I really do hate the Apple plugs though, that was annoying as fuck.

Why are you fucking people still watching this shit? From now on when the Office comes on you should make a point of turning off your TV, going onto Hulu and re-watching Community.

I endorse this.

Seconded.

Thirded. And here's some incentive if anyone needs it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19FMU3M7Jtk
(Note: It is actually not Alison Brie in her underwear....)

I never noticed that. Brilliant.