The Office

[JasonEvans]

So, we began the journey into post-Michael Scott territory last night with Will Ferrell coming on as the new manager. What did everyone think?

I was disappointed. The brown-nosing was too obvious and rarely clever. I thought Ferrell was more mean-spirited than I would like. He is best when he is over-the-top silly and slapstick (Anchorman, Ricky Bobby, and Blades of Glory). He was none of that last night.

There was some amusing randomness that made me laugh, especially the shaving scene.

I have my hopes, but I really fear what the future will bring for one of the funniest shows in TV history.

-Jason "the opening scene in the bar was funny right up until they called each other-- I knew the episode was in trouble right then" Evans

[El_Diablo]

It's part of the larger trend IMO. I think it hasn't really been all that funny for the past couple seasons now. The newer characters (like Gabe or Kathy Bates's character) are just awful presences who suck all amusement out of the show, and many of the older ones are becoming stale (Dwight, Erin, Oscar, and Kevin only pop in and out of scenes to provide a few seconds of predictable, one-dimensional dialogue) or downright unlikeable (Pam and Jim are pretty much just smug shells of their former selves).

I don't know if the writers have changed or if they're just going through the motions now, but I don't know how much longer the show will last, given its current trajectory. I mean, how do you make Will Ferrell unfunny??? In hindsight, they probably should have just ended it with the wedding episode.

[NashvilleDevil]

It's part of the larger trend IMO. I think it hasn't really been all that funny for the past couple seasons now. The newer characters (like Gabe or Kathy Bates's character) are just awful presences who suck all amusement out of the show, and many of the older ones are becoming stale (Dwight, Erin, Oscar, and Kevin only pop in and out of scenes to provide a few seconds of predictable, one-dimensional dialogue) or downright unlikeable (Pam and Jim are pretty much just smug shells of their former selves).

I don't know if the writers have changed or if they're just going through the motions now, but I don't know how much longer the show will last, given its current trajectory. I mean, how do you make Will Ferrell unfunny??? In hindsight, they probably should have just ended it with the wedding episode.

If you want to watch the funniest show on TV watch Parks and Rec. After a dismal first season the show has really started to hit its stride and Ron Swanson may be the best character on TV right now.

[JasonEvans]

If you want to watch the funniest show on TV watch Parks and Rec. After a dismal first season the show has really started to hit its stride and Ron Swanson may be the best character on TV right now.

Concur. I love Parks and Rec. I like that they have made Leslie Knope into someone smart and creative instead of almost being dumb (like she was in the first season). Aziz Anzari as Tom Haverford is consistently funny as a side character. If they ever gave Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson a few episodes where his character played a larger role, I think Offerman would be in line for an Emmy.

I really like that they have not taken the easy way out and rushed us into a relationship between Leslie and Ben. I mean, we can all see it coming, but the show is taking its time. That is nice to see in this day and age. I would not be surprised to see Leslie or Ben get in a relationship with someone else before they realize they are sorta meant for each other.

By the way, did you know that Offerman is married to Megan Mullaney? Funny household!

-Jason "I guess no one cares about how stinky The Office was last week... that tells part of the story all by itself" Evans

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

Parks and Rec is good, but if you're not watching Community, you should be.

[Channing]

I think Ferrel's character has some potential, but it is always difficult to introduce a new character into a seminal role. I'll look to see how it develops.

[sbroc012]

Parks and Rec is good, but if you're not watching Community, you should be.

ABSOLUTELY!!! Community is my favorite by far right now.

However my take on the Will Ferrell induction to The Office, is fairly simple...most people find ferrell to be hilarious and a suitable replacement for carrel, however nbc doesnt want ferrell to be permanent, so to make it obvious that he is not here for good they are making his character as unbearable as possible and thus obvious that the character ferrell is playing would never work in The Office enviroment.
And who knows where the show is going in the future...seems to me it might be downhill from here.

[johnb]

-Jason "I guess no one cares about how stinky The Office was last week... that tells part of the story all by itself" Evans

I've often liked Will Ferrell (and he was very gracious during a celeb sighting last summer when my too-cool-for-words 20-year-old cousin absolutely melted when he accepted a hug from her at the Metropolitan Museum), BUT in the show, he was smug and nasty; unbelievable; and echoed the cadence of usual dialogue in a way that implied the writers couldn't come up with anything creative. And what was it with the brown nosing??? That was weird and very off character for most of them. Sad, really, because I was hoping he would jumpstart the show.

[Blue in the Face]

And who knows where the show is going in the future...seems to me it might be downhill from here.

Given the slope it's been on for what, 3 years?, that's not all that hard to predict.