The Office: Final Season |OT| It's better to burn out than it is to rust
- Thread starter DrEvil
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I don't want to hate him because the writers changed his entire character out of nowhere (not for the first time) this season. It's just incredibly irritating knowing how into Erin he was and how hard he tried to get back with her all throughout season 8. Suddenly he's just an unlikeable jerk (even for us the audience) who doesn't care about anybody, including her? It makes me more mad at the writers than Andy. In season 3 he was a jerk but at least he was funny.
Yeah, that's what it is. The writers really screwed it up with Andy. I liked him before, now he's just terrible.
That was really the only episode I liked with Andy as the boss. It was a good start. Then very quickly after it felt like he was just acting like Michael Scott (he showed shades of it before in the episode with the tattoo but it was tolerable)
He had huge upside last season. Then he went on a nosedive.
jediyoshi
Member
Don't think there's an angle where his outcome could be seen as funny, it's all straight forward. They pretty much plucked that from any of Michael's progressions of doing shitty things and then eating crow for it, this was just spread out over a longer period of time.
It always struck me as wrong he ended up with Erin after the last time since in the process of doing it he screwed someone else over so this had just been a long time coming.
GhostWriter24
Member
I honestly wouldn't mind Andy playing the true David Brent-esque character if that's the direction they go following the ratout and breakup. He's gunna be pissed, who knows what he'll do next episode.
Also, good for Erin and Jim Jr, hope they're good together.
Also, good for Erin and Jim Jr, hope they're good together.
Lee Chaolan
Member
Wow, that's incredibly disappointing to hear. Left the show when Michael left, was thinking about going back and watching this season.
Although now, not too sure about that.
The Elite
BOSS
I actually like the Andy heel turn even though I think the show is better without him. I think he playing him as a bad guy could breathe life into a stale show. I also think they need to make Brian the Scranton Strangler. I'm big on this.
VeryGooster
Banned
Has there ever been a plot on this show more contrived than this Brian nonsense? :lol
I'll give props to whoever wrote the season's best moment: Kevin standing up to the senator for Oscar and Angela.
I'll give props to whoever wrote the season's best moment: Kevin standing up to the senator for Oscar and Angela.
Angry Make-up Sex is the best sex.
The deterioration of Dwight and Angela's relationship sparked from a reasonable argument that highlighted known characteristics of both characters: Angela loves her cats to death, Dwight sees animals as a utility to discard when no longer functioning properly. There was also her ongoing unwillingness to publicly disclose the relationship, which upset Dwight throughout their relationship and his later affair.
Angela never liked Andy; it was a relationship of convenience; settling down with a comparatively dull man (vs Dwight) and marrying into a Ivy League family. She was cheating on him for a long time and there was an entire well-paced story arc leading to their relationship's demise.
Darryl and Warehouse Girl (Val?) seemed to be going somewhere in season 8: they were building up to it, until they realized the show was not really working anymore and so we got the Philly storyline and she was tossed aside.
Andy and Erin completely falling apart came out of nowhere; they literally devoted only the beginning of this last episode into telling us definitively "they're done." It was by far the most extremely unbelievable and sloppy piece of writing in the history of this show. Complete 180 to the numerous Jim/Pam-esque episodes with Andy and Erin growing closer together.
Brian thing? Fuck Brian and the idiot writers. Scranton Strangler can't save that shit.
Didn't he start showing his dickish tendencies when he learned his family was broke? I'll admit it wasn't as well thought out as some of the other office romances but you must ask yourself do you even care? I mean I know we like to pick apart this show because we all hate it but did you actually care about Erin and Andy enough to the point where you wanted to see a multi-episode break up period that would probably have to last until the end of the show? It's one of the stars of the show dating someone who has always been a secondary character. I mean I was super annoyed that they spent so much time covering that whole Florida thing with Erin.
I liked the fact that they did it this way. I mean seriously... who gives a shit? I think we're over-thinking this one a bit. I'm still more offended by weirdo Brian.
He was actually a total jerk in Scranton, and so was Karen, which was what made them both very good characters, especially in their interactions with Jim. But then he just morphed into this clown and the writing got so bad that you really can't pinpoint what any of the characters are anymore other than the character types needed for 5-6 bad skits per episode. No one cares anymore about how any of this is resolved, which is actually pretty remarkable for a long-running and formerly beloved show that has placed some emphasis on long-term plot development.
Grinchy
Banned
I would have liked this episode more if it were more terrible. It was bad, don't get me wrong, but it was unfortunately better than a lot of the more recent episodes.
I want every episode to be worse than the last until the series ends. For me, that would be the perfect ending.
I want every episode to be worse than the last until the series ends. For me, that would be the perfect ending.
Hobbestetrician
Member
I am not sure Jim and Pam are capable of that. I know they have two kids so they have (theoretically) had sex at least twice but they have to be the most asexual soulmates ever. There has just never been anything sexual about their relationship.
What about the episode where they were trying to find a way to have sex in the office? I seem to remember that being kinda fun.
The Real Abed
Perma-Junior
I could not be happier with that ending. I really hope we don't need to spoiler this stuff. It's really annoying to do without a button in the toolbar and the show was on yesterday.
Anyways. The whole time I was thinking Andy needs to go. They brought him back and right off the bat he was a jerk. Plus he was gone for 3 months secretly. Though I don't get how in 3 months Wallace never called the office to talk to him, I'll set that aside for now. Though seriously, you'd think a CEO would have more interaction with his branch manager. Anyway, that aside, I was almost afraid Wallace would not find out. It was frustrating me that he'd get away with it. And that Erin would cave in and not break up with him.
Then she comes back in after kissing uh, whatshisname, and then breaks up with Andy. And just when you think that's it, exactly what I was hoping for, David Wallace is on the phone with Andy.
I just hope the firing happens on camera, and not just between episodes. I want to see Andy get fired. I used to be on Team Andy. I used to root for Erin and Andy. But his stupid movie career has made me reconsider. The office ran much better without him. Bottom line, he'd better get fired.
I mean Wallace would call Jim all the time and talk with him, Wallace knew Jim was part time, but he didn't know about Andy being gone. Never once did he say "Thanks, Jim. Can you transfer me to Andy?" Also, wouldn't Wallace know about the White Pages account and be curious when the account is suddenly gone? Fire this man!
Now, about Pam and Jim. This fight they're going to have is GOOD for them. When couples stop fighting it means the love is gone. It means they're just staying together for the sake of the kids. If Jim had gone back to Philly, it would have hurt the marriage. They need to fight. It's what keeps a good marriage going. Jim and Pam are going to be fine. They're going to move to Philly and leave Scranton behind and live happily ever after and possibly have many more children and grandchildren that we never see.
Andy and Erin however, boom. Dead. Gone. And I'm glad. As much as I like Andy and liked him in the past, it's time to go. What movie was he off doing? Hangover 25 or something? He couldn't stay on the show and finish it off? Or did they actually want to get him out? When he left on that boat for silly reasons (Understandable given the circumstances at the time, actually, it's been so long I forgot the exact reasons. Something about wanting one last ride.) he sailed out of my heart.
And I have typed lots of words. About a TV episode.
Anyways. The whole time I was thinking Andy needs to go. They brought him back and right off the bat he was a jerk. Plus he was gone for 3 months secretly. Though I don't get how in 3 months Wallace never called the office to talk to him, I'll set that aside for now. Though seriously, you'd think a CEO would have more interaction with his branch manager. Anyway, that aside, I was almost afraid Wallace would not find out. It was frustrating me that he'd get away with it. And that Erin would cave in and not break up with him.
Then she comes back in after kissing uh, whatshisname, and then breaks up with Andy. And just when you think that's it, exactly what I was hoping for, David Wallace is on the phone with Andy.
I just hope the firing happens on camera, and not just between episodes. I want to see Andy get fired. I used to be on Team Andy. I used to root for Erin and Andy. But his stupid movie career has made me reconsider. The office ran much better without him. Bottom line, he'd better get fired.
I mean Wallace would call Jim all the time and talk with him, Wallace knew Jim was part time, but he didn't know about Andy being gone. Never once did he say "Thanks, Jim. Can you transfer me to Andy?" Also, wouldn't Wallace know about the White Pages account and be curious when the account is suddenly gone? Fire this man!
Now, about Pam and Jim. This fight they're going to have is GOOD for them. When couples stop fighting it means the love is gone. It means they're just staying together for the sake of the kids. If Jim had gone back to Philly, it would have hurt the marriage. They need to fight. It's what keeps a good marriage going. Jim and Pam are going to be fine. They're going to move to Philly and leave Scranton behind and live happily ever after and possibly have many more children and grandchildren that we never see.
Andy and Erin however, boom. Dead. Gone. And I'm glad. As much as I like Andy and liked him in the past, it's time to go. What movie was he off doing? Hangover 25 or something? He couldn't stay on the show and finish it off? Or did they actually want to get him out? When he left on that boat for silly reasons (Understandable given the circumstances at the time, actually, it's been so long I forgot the exact reasons. Something about wanting one last ride.) he sailed out of my heart.
And I have typed lots of words. About a TV episode.
Hobbestetrician
Member
I do remember that and it was fun but I guess it would be an example of my point. Dwight and Angela were fairly capable of having sex many times in the warehouse while Jim and Pam ran around like a couple of awkward virgins who were a bit too embarrassed to have sex. I get that some people would find the notion of having sex at work being uncomfortable or embarrassing (I would probably fall into that camp) but I guess I have never gotten the feeling that they have ever wanted to do anything more than kiss.
Grinchy
Banned
Wow, that's so true. I never noticed it after all these years. I believe in them as a couple, but I don't believe in them wanting to tear each other's clothes off and screw on the kitchen table. And yet, strangely enough, Dwight and Angela do seem to have sexual chemistry.
Know what? The Brian stuff worked this episode. Because they didn't end up going where we thought they were going: Pam seeking full comfort in Brian. Instead they just had Jim and Pam realize through Brian that their communication was out of whack. Now, if brian comes back it'll probably be stupid. They did all they can.
People in here are asking when Andy became awful...like SEASONS ago. His arc was ruined not long after anger management, they haven't been able to figure him out since then, alternating him between inert and simply awful. At least in this is was others calling him out on being awful. But that didn't make it good. It wasn't that funny, and it's weird to seemingly be pushing his character out now, in the middle of the last season. I can't see how they can satisfactorily keep him.
People in here are asking when Andy became awful...like SEASONS ago. His arc was ruined not long after anger management, they haven't been able to figure him out since then, alternating him between inert and simply awful. At least in this is was others calling him out on being awful. But that didn't make it good. It wasn't that funny, and it's weird to seemingly be pushing his character out now, in the middle of the last season. I can't see how they can satisfactorily keep him.
I was thrown off with the 'crime' thing? Whose? "At least my crime won't get you fired" - was it a Pam's crime that got Brian fired?
I can't remember what was said in the ending scene 2 eps ago where Pam and Brian were were secretly filmed at the locker cabinet and if it's viewed differently with this new 'crime' tidbit.
I can't remember what was said in the ending scene 2 eps ago where Pam and Brian were were secretly filmed at the locker cabinet and if it's viewed differently with this new 'crime' tidbit.
toddhunter
Member
Almost. Angry Make-up Sex after fighting about Brian is the best sex.
"Tell me again why Brian makes you so angry Jim...."
..."crying"
Seriously? I even watched the scene several times and still heard 'crime' but now it does sound as 'crying'. lol.
Still makes what Brian says confusing. Implying that Pam's crying was what cost him his job and not hitting the warehouse guy. I guess all hinges on the unnamed 'major intimate detail'.
Still makes what Brian says confusing. Implying that Pam's crying was what cost him his job and not hitting the warehouse guy. I guess all hinges on the unnamed 'major intimate detail'.
Zoe
Member
He got in trouble for the crying incident. He might not have gotten fired if the warehouse guy thing was a one-time occurrence.
The Andy thing did not come out of nowhere. He left for three months and barely stayed in contact. Whatever relationship existed between he and Erin died in that 90 days of silence.
Link
The Autumn Wind
You're forgetting conjugal visit sex and fugitive sex.
Andy practically worshipped Erin before this season. He risked his job and went to Florida to bring her back. Then suddenly, he's a complete jerk to her, leaves on a trip without even thinking to invite her, and makes no contact with her while he's gone.
Complacency. It happens. All the time. It's happening with a couple I know right now actually.
Link
The Autumn Wind
Sure, but how about not having it happen so instantly? That's the biggest problem with the show in general these days. They jump from Point A to Point B with no real path between them.
They're on a strict timetable these days as we know. As I said previously, I don't care enough about these characters to see some long drawn out break up. I think this is a case of office gaf being so caught up in hating that show that they are actually asking for stuff they wouldn't give two shits about in the first place.
I'm glad they did it this way. Quick, clean, move on. Erin has always been a throw away character, and Andy has been MIA for months and the show has been better without him. Stop asking for/complaining about something that barely matters in the first place.
WTF? This is a really bizarre post. You're mad at Ed Helms' life/career decisions because of what a badly written character is doing on a show? You talk as if Ed literally controls Andy and is making him be an uncaring asshole. You should be angry with the writers for doing an absolutely inconsistent shitty job of writing him out of the show. It could have been done so much better and gracefully (e.g. Michael Scott). Hell, you specifically pointed out the impossibility of Wallace not knowing of Andy's 3-month absence! Redirect your frustrations at the bad scripts.
Nope. We were told, not shown, that Andy was a bad boyfriend who did not keep in contact with his girl, stayed in touch with his boss only to deceive him and the company, screwed over his employees' hard work, and turned into an uncharacteristically weird creep ("it's okay if you don't love me" stuff). With few exceptions in the season, a pile of negative shit was carelessly heaped onto Andy in the span of 23 minutes. More or less: Andy is VERY BAD because of this contrived, ham-fisted list of reasons -- you will now DISLIKE HIM because he must exit the show.
The Real Abed
Perma-Junior
I'm mad at the character for leaving unexpectedly and not even taking his girlfriend into consideration or inviting her along.
The Wallace stupidity is a script problem, but Andy is just stupid. A boat ride is not worth losing the girl you fought for a year before.
I'm glad she had the balls to break up with him.
Though I guess if she had gone along we'd have been without Erin for 3 months and I don't think I would have enjoyed that at all.
I think you either missed or are ignoring Andy's rich history of being a jerk or a bad employee. It was perfectly within his character to go away for three months and ignore his girlfriend.
You're describing career-opportunistic Andy in season 3, before he went to therapy for anger problems. That persona was long gone and replaced by a sappy Andy that has repeatedly been shown to be a hopeless romantic. With Angela, and especially with Erin, he went very far out of his way to impress them and make them happy. The show spent two entire seasons explicitly highlighting that they were a new weird-but-lovable "Jim and Pam." Leaving Erin for three months, after spending an entire season worrying for her and finally winning her back in Florida., and acting like a huge asshole upon returning... that was stupid and extremely out of character. He also never intentionally screwed over his coworkers with the malicious intent shown in the last episode. None of it makes sense; it was just the sloppy work of terrible writers who couldn't figure out how to write him out of the show. I don't know what show you've been watching to think otherwise.
It's no great leap to assume Andy would go off on his boat trip and think everything was fine when, in fact, it wasn't. He's never managed a successful relationship and everything he does is tinged with incompetent boobery.
And I'm not sure what show you're watching if you'd ascribe malicious intent to Andy. I guess you're referring to the White Pages sale. That was another example of Andy being an incompetent employee/boss, not a jerk out to submarine an important deal.
SlowRevolution
Member
After watching a few random episodes on Nettlix, I think that this is the first show for me that really seems like a relic from the 2000s. Especially if you compare it to stuff like New Girl or Parks and Rec.
Once again my opinions on The Office fall outside the majority in here.
With the benefit of retrospect, Andy has always been a shade away from being an incompetent arsehole. The stuff with Erin last season while supposedly sweet, basically cast him as an arsehole to whats-her-face, its pretty much been established he can't do his job and yet seems to get away with it - even promoted to boss - often because of his relationships with certain characters - and he's generally been written with an air of overconfidence around him. Turning him into a full-on incompetent arsehole works. The David Wallace stuff isn't as ridiculous as some of you are suggesting - if you ran a company with however many branches Dunder Mifflin is supposed to have, had a particular branch that was operating perfectly, and the manager of that store has been routinely emailing you and maybe even implying that he has been the cause of it, then why on earth would you assume that said manager is actually on a boat in the middle of the ocean? That itself would be ridiculous.
My only potential problem with the storyline is that I hope that the show commits to this Andy is a dick, and goes for a dark ending with him (fuck this Brian nonsense, make Andy the scranton strangler, it would be brilliantly dark and making him insane could retroactively explain the radical changes the character goes through), and doesn't backpedal and spend the last episodes trying to redeem him. I feel that, by playing this out now, they are purposely leaving themselves time for a redemption arc (though they'd really be shitting the bed if they kill off the Erin/Pete relationship they've been putting front and centre) and that would really be a boring way to end it all.
Seriously, I've sold myself on an Andy as the Strangler arc to finish the show. Dunder Mifflin (or at least the Scranton branch) can go under because it comes out in the news that its manager is a murderer, the documentary can fall into chaos and have to be cancelled because of it (also because the crew of it has gone off the deep end and started hitting people), Andy can go to jail, and everyone else can have their happy endings, whatever. There you go. Hell of an ending.
With the benefit of retrospect, Andy has always been a shade away from being an incompetent arsehole. The stuff with Erin last season while supposedly sweet, basically cast him as an arsehole to whats-her-face, its pretty much been established he can't do his job and yet seems to get away with it - even promoted to boss - often because of his relationships with certain characters - and he's generally been written with an air of overconfidence around him. Turning him into a full-on incompetent arsehole works. The David Wallace stuff isn't as ridiculous as some of you are suggesting - if you ran a company with however many branches Dunder Mifflin is supposed to have, had a particular branch that was operating perfectly, and the manager of that store has been routinely emailing you and maybe even implying that he has been the cause of it, then why on earth would you assume that said manager is actually on a boat in the middle of the ocean? That itself would be ridiculous.
My only potential problem with the storyline is that I hope that the show commits to this Andy is a dick, and goes for a dark ending with him (fuck this Brian nonsense, make Andy the scranton strangler, it would be brilliantly dark and making him insane could retroactively explain the radical changes the character goes through), and doesn't backpedal and spend the last episodes trying to redeem him. I feel that, by playing this out now, they are purposely leaving themselves time for a redemption arc (though they'd really be shitting the bed if they kill off the Erin/Pete relationship they've been putting front and centre) and that would really be a boring way to end it all.
Seriously, I've sold myself on an Andy as the Strangler arc to finish the show. Dunder Mifflin (or at least the Scranton branch) can go under because it comes out in the news that its manager is a murderer, the documentary can fall into chaos and have to be cancelled because of it (also because the crew of it has gone off the deep end and started hitting people), Andy can go to jail, and everyone else can have their happy endings, whatever. There you go. Hell of an ending.
Forget all the outlandish stuff The Office has done in the past like Dwight and the fire drill, but remember what this show used to have?
Happiness. They have taken so many of these characters down these dark/troubling times that I really long for the time when something bad would happen, then be resolved at the end. They've made Daryl shallow (wanting to break up with Val just so he can be single in Philly. Just be a man and break up with her). Andy now. And Jim/Pam/Brian.
I'm fine with the stress on Jim and Pam, it's a natural flow to the working apart, but I don't feel like it's been portrayed as stressful enough for Pam. That one clip showed her having trouble taking the trash out. So...Jim always did it? That's the problem?
What they should have done/should do is have the majority of an episode follow Jim at the new business, showing all the dealing and stress he's under. It would have a new dynamic.
Plus our DVR records the first few minutes of 1600 Pen, so my wife and I watch that and see if it's ever, ever funny....it isn't.
Happiness. They have taken so many of these characters down these dark/troubling times that I really long for the time when something bad would happen, then be resolved at the end. They've made Daryl shallow (wanting to break up with Val just so he can be single in Philly. Just be a man and break up with her). Andy now. And Jim/Pam/Brian.
I'm fine with the stress on Jim and Pam, it's a natural flow to the working apart, but I don't feel like it's been portrayed as stressful enough for Pam. That one clip showed her having trouble taking the trash out. So...Jim always did it? That's the problem?
What they should have done/should do is have the majority of an episode follow Jim at the new business, showing all the dealing and stress he's under. It would have a new dynamic.
Plus our DVR records the first few minutes of 1600 Pen, so my wife and I watch that and see if it's ever, ever funny....it isn't.
NotTheGuyYouKill
Member
Oh man, I'm already so tired of Brian.
Fuck Andy. The hell.
Fuck Andy. The hell.
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