Why “The Office” Is A Cut Above The Rest Of The Shlock

I’ve been bombarded with season/series finales this week. I daresay that the current New England weather staple of cold and heavy rain doesn’t help with the emotional trauma inflicted from knowing that another season of TV is over and I’ll have to wait till Sept/Oct before I can know the fate of my favorite characters. 

I started counting down the months till the new season at 59 past the 8 PM “Office” hour, knowing full well that by the time the new season comes, I’ll be excited again, but pondering all the personal changes that could affect my life between now and then to make me less of an avid watcher.

We have mini-seasons now and hiatuses have become more commonplace leaving viewers with a feeling that they are getting less of a return on their investment. I’m not sure why I feel such an anti-climatic sense of closure: If I’m still reeling from the numb of Locke’s loss last week on “Lost” or simply do what I do when I can sense the end of the something that had a more profound effect on me than I’m willing to admit: Withdraw.

I’ve gone through the whole week watching “Heroes,” “Lost,” “The Office,” “Scrubs,” and “Grey’s Anatomy” without feeling too much remorse. The shows end with the typical formulaic cliff-hanger: Will Meredith and McDreamy bid their adieus? (most likely) Will George leave both Izzy and his wife out in the cold and develop yet another unrequited crush on a Grey sister now that Meredith’s presumably half-sister is an intern? Will JD and Eliot come clean with their love for each other or use the kiss as the convenient narrative scapegoat for last-minute, cold feet jitters?

The truth is “The Office” season finale left us all with some questions too-the big one being whether Pam and Jim were really going to get together, but the show is a cut above the rest in scripting, acting, and comedic delivery and because of this, the finale stuck out from the rest of the pack. It was not only delightfully poignant, but the final scene didn’t do what every other show on Network TV does-it ended with some sense of closure and promise for what the next season holds.

Whereas “Grey’s Anatomy” leaves us in some chronic emotional crisis over characters who are so self-indulgent I can’t stomach them, let alone care for them anymore, and “Scrubs” builds up to the Eliot/JD kiss for the past three mos, “The Office” took us on a more original detour, leading us just where we might have supposed we’d be (with Pam and Jim together), but taking a much more lively and animated path to get there.

I guess what all this boils down to is the ability for “The Office” to remain true, steadfast, and faithful to its core and what drew fans to it in the first place. It hasn’t suffered a second season writing slump cum “Desperate Housewives” and most other hit first season shows. It’s managed to leverage its success and sustain the course of time, critics, and fame. Moreover, it’s retained that ability to not take itself so seriously, which in life and on TV, is so critical to our well-being. 

Besides, that line that Steve Carell’s Michael Scott says to Jenna Fisher’s Pam after taking back his ex Jan (who recently underwent breast enhancement surgery), “Your argument was strong, Pam, but hers was bigger.”

That line deserves at least 10,000 Schrutebucks.