Last day at The Office

NBC's The Office returned this week with "New Guys," the final season premiere of the long-running sitcom. It felt like the end, too. Sure, there were a couple of new staff members at Dunder Mifflin, but others have moved on, and a couple of the leads are contemplating their next step for their future. I don't know if this final season can make up for the mess of last year, but "New Guys" gets them off to a promising start.

Kelly (Mindy Kaling) is gone, whisked away to the glamor of Miami (Ohio) by her fiance, Ryan (B.J. Novak) trailing her and trying to pretend that he's not. I really wish there had been an entire episode where this played out, rather than a couple of scenes shown with voice over, but at the same time, Ryan and Kelly were never the focus of The Office. It's an appropriate ending for them, as far as the series is concerned, though I will miss them. (Kaling and Novak are both currently working on The Mindy Project, which premieres this Tuesday on FOX).

Jim (John Krasinski) considers moving on, too. A buddy of his is starting a business based on Jim's idea, and wants Jim to be a part of it. At first, Jim hesitates because it would mean moving his family and taking a big risk with their financial future. But when he sees what he has become through a new employee his co-workers dub "Young Jim" (Jake Lacy, Better With You), he decides that he must give it a shot.

Does Jim have the luxury of following his dreams now? Before having children, sure, as long as wife Pam (Jenna Fischer) is on board. As a creative person herself, she probably would be. Now that he has a couple of little mouths to feed, though, is it selfish of him to leave the security of the paper company to work on a venture that could fail? I guess it would depend on what kind of savings he has tucked away. But it's TV, and we're near the end, so anything can happen.

Dwight (Rainn Wilson) feels much the same as Jim when viewing his own "Young Dwight" (Clark Duke, Greek, Hot Tub Time Machine), but doesn't have the same prospects that Jim has. Learning Angela's (Angela Kinsey) baby isn't his adds to his misery. So, with no outlet for these feelings, Dwight acts out by trying to ride a bicycle on a wire off the roof of the building. It does not go well.

Most people who follow television know that Dwight is about to get his own spin-off called The Farm that will open a completely new chapter of his life. And he's ready for it. Dwight is no longer the same goober he once was, having grown as a person. He can't be held down by a menial job. He needs something more. It's time.

Seeing Dwight and Jim reach this point almost simultaneously is thrilling. These are two beloved characters who we have seen shaped over nine years. To be present at the time of major change is great, and it's nice that the writers are going to take their time with these plots, rather than just toss them in the last few episodes of the season. In this way, the conclusion should feel natural, and make watching The Office this entire time totally worth it.

In other plot, Andy (Ed Helms) comes back from leadership training more confident and in charge. This isn't good news for Nellie (Catherine Tate), whom Andy justifiably resents after she tried to steal his job. The thing is, as much as I've disliked Nellie, seeing Andy being such a bully to her makes me feel bad for her. This poor woman is just looking for an anchor to hold on to, and she has nowhere else to go. Hopefully, Andy will see that soon, and take pity on her. Having the bravado stripped away has humanized Nellie in a single episode. Terrific job.

Awesome throwback that Andy finally hates Toby (Paul Lieberstein) as much as Michael did! It seems like balance that I hadn't even noticed was off has been restored to the universe.

Lastly, it turns out that Oscar (Oscar Nunez) is having an affair with Angela's husband (Jack Coleman). I can't say that I didn't see this coming, but it's a regrettable turn of events. Unless Angela leaves with Dwight for the spin-off (she hasn't shown up in the current cast list), this leaves her with no happy ending. She is a miserable person, but no one deserves to be cheated on. It's not a bad story, but I'm still hoping the writers find a way to satisfactorily resolve this, and I have no idea what that could be.

Oh, and Creed (Creed Bratton) has gone completely insane, which doesn't bode well for the safety of anyone who works there. Might there be a death looming? Might he even be the infamous Scranton Strangler (assuming you don't believe the Jim Carrey theory).

The Office's final season continues Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my website, JeromeWetzel.com! First posted on TheTVKing

Don't bring your children to The Office

This week's outing of NBC's The Office is called "Jury Duty" because that's what Jim (John Krasinski) says he is doing when he misses a week of work. But Dwight (Rainn Wilson) grows suspicious, and goes on a quest to get his nemesis fired. Knowing he's in trouble, Jim confesses the truth to Andy (Ed Helms), that he was at home with his kids, who only makes things worse by trying to continue the cover up. Luckily, before Dwight can get corporate involved, he stops by the hospital and sees Angela's (Angela Kinsey) baby, who looks an awful lot like a Schrute. Suddenly, Dwight has the much more important thing of fatherhood to worry about than a feud with Jim.

It's long been known to viewers that Angela's husband, The Senator (Jack Coleman), is gay. But until the baby is born a "month early," at over nine pounds, it's unclear whether somehow he impregnated her or not. Why the Senator remains oblivious to the truth of the matter is unknown, but perhaps he is so caught up in his lie that he doesn't question it. Presumably he does have sex with Angela at least once, so it could be his, right?

Angela and Dwight's relationship has been a very slow burn over the years. Never getting too much focus in The Office, there has always been something special between them. Even as Angela tries to push Dwight away, it's hard not to hope that they will be together. They are strange in very different ways, and yet, their pairing works somehow. Both have taken turns being in pursuit of the other. This baby born in "Jury Duty" changes everything, and could possibly set up a happy ending for the two. Which would be ideal. Though, given how The Office has handled things so far, it could be years before Angela even acknowledges publicly that the baby is Dwight's. That would be a shame, because it's likely that The Office will be off the air by then.

Unless Dwight is wrong. However unlikely that possibility seems, it is a possibility. While the timing lines up much better for the child to belong to Dwight, there is always the chance that, in the end, he could be wrong. Dwight surely sees what he wants to see in the child's features, and often thinks he knows things that he doesn't. Mightn't the more unexpected and exciting option be that the baby is not Dwight's?

Nah.

Being a daddy finally gives Dwight a way to connect to Jim. Dwight always has a fondness for Pam (Jenna Fischer), but it's not until he learns he is a father that he shows any respect towards Pam's husband. Now, this stuff in "Jury Duty" will not herald a new dawn between the two; they will always hate each other. Dwight is only kind in a moment of weakness because of his own excitement. But a new understanding could crop up, and that could change their interaction in a way that no one quite knows yet. It would be an interesting cap to a long-standing rivalry.

Lots of laughs this week, too. Some "Jury Duty" comedy highlights: Kevin (Brian Baumgartner) begins calling Angela's baby "Little Kevin." Oscar (Oscar Nunez) once more is shown to be ridiculous in how he "prepares" his co-workers to see the "premature" baby. The staff's anger at Jim for lying turns to distaste for his kids, whom they can't wait to send away. Ryan (B.J. Novack) agrees that Angela having a black baby would be slightly more exciting than a Chinese one. Creed (Creed Bratton) thinks Pam has brought in Angela's baby, or possible that Pam is Angela. Wonderful episode!

     The Office airs Thursdays nights at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

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