The Office

I just finished the series finale of The Office, and it was something special. As much as I loved Scrubs I don't think it can match how much The Office meant to me. Admittedly there were times in seasons 7 and 8 where I felt like giving up on the show, but I am glad I pushed through it.

When I started watching The Office I didn't know what exactly it was about. I knew it was about a paper company in Scranton, but I was unaware it was supposed to be a documentary about the paper company. At first I thought it was just a sitcom like Scrubs. I was wrong.

And it wasn't until the last season that I realized how different The Office was.

There was something so unique about the way it was filmed. Having a TV series culminate with the characters watching a documentary about their own lives? How can you top that?

It was well planned out from the start. And as if the brilliant writing wasn't enough The Office crafted some of the most memorable characters in television history. Pam, Jim, Dwight, Angela, Toby, Kelly, Ryan, Andy, Oscar, Kevin, Phyllis, Stanley, Pete, Erin, Clark, Meredith, Creed, and of course Michael Scott.

Each character represented something totally different but they represented something real. Whether it was the nitwit, the stuck up lady, the drunk, the hopeless romantic, the receptionist, the strange old man,  or the lonely boss I fell in love with the TV show.

I can't explain exactly what it is about the show that makes it so great. I honestly think you need to watch it all yourself. Or watch it with a friend. Or a loved one.

After finishing I stopped for a second and thought to myself, "What if there was a camera crew following me around making a documentary?"

That was a scary but puzzling question.

Would I like what that DVD showed me?

Like The Office it would have its ups and downs. It would have its plot twists and it would have its awkward moments. But at its very core I think it would be optimistic, just like The Office was.

I figure I spent around 90 hours of my life watching The Office. I watched every single episode by myself. And thinking back to the question I asked myself earlier about my life as a documentary I though, "Wasn't that a waste of time? Couldn't you have been reading or watching with someone at the very least?"

And the answer to both those questions is no. Mainly because I wasn't alone.

I had everyone on the show.

Any good show makes you feel like you're a part of that show. So when it ends you feel a little lost and confused. You're left wondering how people you've never met can abandon you.

But the great thing about TV is that at the end of the day it's just make believe. The Office is a scripted TV show.

A scripted TV show that showed everyone that just because you're stuck in one place doesn't mean your life can't be something special.

The show, more than anything, showed me that maybe it isn't about having the most flashy job or flashy title in the world. Maybe, instead, it's about surrounding yourself with the most genuine people you can find. Because if you can find people who express their true self day in and day out you're likely to do the same thing. And in turn you'll live a much happier, richer life.

So maybe a desk at an office in Northeast PA doesn't sound like your cup of tea. But what if I told you that your future wife would be sitting five feet away? Or that your best friend would be your coworker? Or if I told you that your coworkers wouldn't be your coworkers rather they'd be your family? What if I told you that the group of people you worked with would show you every emotion possible?

Would you go then?

I would. Purely based on the fact I'd get to see so much emotion.

The Office was wonderful because you got to watch about a dozen people interact in medium sized office. The people there were all different, were all good, and were all real. In the microcosm that was their office you got to see the idiosyncrasies of normal people. You felt like you were there with Jim when he's staring, enamored at Pam. There for one of Creed's out of left field comments. But even though you were allowed in on this very intimate thing the show did a good job of having boundaries. The best example would be Michael's departure. The moment he and Pam share is one that Jenna Fischer (the actress who plays Pam) said will always be a special moment to her. I know it'll always be special to me.

So now I'll leave you with a quote from Creed that touched me more than anything I've heard in quite some time.

"No matter how you get there or where you end up, human beings have this miraculous gift to make that place home."

NP: The Office Intro